Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy

Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy Snapple is an American soft drink company that ensures it has an effective product strategy: the strategy ensures that the company comes up with products that are competitive and responsive to the needs of the customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company makes brands of different flavors depending with the target market; some of the products include juice of different flavors, tea drinks, water, diet drinks, and fresh squeeze among others. The driving force to buying a certain product is the target market that the products are aimed at selling to. To come up with the products, the company engages in massive products and market research (Snapple Official Website). The main change that should be made in the company’s products is the packaging that they use: most of the products have been packed on plastic material that destroys the e nvironment; with the decomposition rate of plastics, when they have been deposited, they pollute the environment. The company should look for paper packaging material (when using paper concentration should be on recycled paper material), they will be less polluting. Snapple can be said to have a strong brand name across the markets it operates in, despite the competition in the soft drinks company, the company has been able to command an increasing market share and in the future its markets are likely to improve even further. When faced with an issue that can challenge the growth of its brand, the company is quick to react and change the ill move. The company can increase its markets further if it can have some low alcoholic products alongside the main line. The strategy will be a move of brand extension strategy: to get into the market, the company should make use of the strength of the current brand to persuade people adopt and embrace the new products (Monroe 63).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pricing strategy The company uses a premium pricing model; the products can be said to be slightly higher than the average price of commodities in the industry. The reason why they have adopted the method is because of the strength of the brand. It has high quality products that can command a higher market than the others; when using the method, the company targets the working class and the high class members of the society. Premium pricing model is a strategic pricing model where the company rests on it strength in the market as well as the quality it offers. Since 1972, when the country was incorporated, they have developed unique products designs and they can blend sweet flavors to increase the market. When pricing the products, the company looks into the costs incurred, the profit margin as well as the costs sold by other companies in the same industry. After noting the average price in the market, the company’s marketing team then adds a margin that represents the premium as required by premium pricing strategy. The pricing method gives a higher return to the company but makes the products not affordable by the less fortunate in the society. The company should looks into the pricing approach that it is using; the current approach is locking the less fortunate in the society to afford the products. It should start taking use of economies of scale that it currently enjoys; with the current rate of economies of scale, the company can have some quality flavored products at a lower price (Kotler and Armstrong 263). Kotler, Philip, and Armstrong Gary. Principles of Marketing. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Monroe, Kent. The Pricing Strategy Audit. Cambridge: Cambridge Strategy Publications, 2003. Print. Snapple Official Website. Snapple. 2011. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Free Essays on Gangs

"Once inside, I was walked through a gauntlet of desperate men. Their hot smell in the muggy corridor was as foul as their appearance. None of them seemed to have a full set of front teeth. Many bore prominently displayed tattoos of skulls or demons. One could argue whether it was the look of these men that led them to prison or whether it was the prison that gave them their look. Just looking at them made me fear for my life" (Hassine, 7). Most inmates in correctional facilities felt the way that Victor Hassine felt on his first day in a correctional facility in Pennsylvania called Graterford State Prison. New inmates are seen as "fresh meat". They fear their life. Most of these inmates find sanctuary in gangs. Inmates join gangs for protection. Gangs in correctional facilities are more of a necessity, unlike street gangs. People don't need a gang to survive in the street because there are other ways one can find help, a family, protection, belongingness, etc. But in correctional facilities one's outlets are limited. One's preoccupation in jail is survival, which leads inmates to change their habits, personality, and even their values. Living in an environment where "an unexpected smile could mean trouble, a man in uniform is not a friend, being kind is a weakness, and eye contact is a threat" doesn't leave one much of a choice, does it? There are numerous gangs in correctional facilities but among the most common are the Latin Kings, Five Percent Nation, and the Netas. Some gangs in these facilities are extensions of neighborhood street gangs. Their names are based on their urban location, like the 21st and Norris Gang, the 60th and Market Gang, and the 10th Street Gang in Philadelphia. There are also less common prison gangs like Los Solidos, Latin Locos, G27, Nation, Brotherhood, Elm City Boys, 20 Luv, and Esses. White gangs almost always originate in prison and are a minority. They a... Free Essays on Gangs Free Essays on Gangs The book that I chose to read was a book called â€Å"Gangs† by a woman named Karen L. Kinnear. I chose this book for one simple reason, the tag at the bottom of the front cover. The tag on the cover says Contemporary World Issues. I wanted to read something that was current in today’s society and it was something that is pretty familiar to many young black men these days. If black men are not involved in gangs then they are very knowledgeable about them. This book talked about what gangs are, who joins gangs and why, and many other facets involving gangs. According to the book, a gang is very difficult to define. This is so because of the questions proposed. One question that was asked was if a gang is just a group of people who hang around each other. Then another question that was asked was if adults in a group could be classified as a gang. Then it was asked if the group has to be involved in some kind of criminal behavior. All these questions make it obvious to see that gangs plague today’s society to a point that we can not even put a definition on what a gang really is. According to this book by Karen Kinnear, defining gangs is often a political issue that reflects the interests and agendas of the various individuals and agencies involved with gangs. These individuals and agencies would happen to be law-enforcement personnel, politicians, advocates, social workers, the media, and researchers. After reading this part, I was highly shocked at how true that really was, and I really never recognized that until readin g it here in this book. The definition of a gang has changed from each person who defines it to the next. A researcher named Frederic Thrasher decided to offer his definition in the year of 1927. He said that a gang â€Å"is an interstitial group, originally formed spontaneously, and then integrated through conflict. It is characterized by the following types of behavior; meeting face to face, milling,... Free Essays on Gangs Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today's cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both an acceptable and prestigious way to live? The long-range answer to these questions can only be speculated upon, but in the short term the answers are much easier to find. On the surface, gangs are a direct result of human beings' personal wants and peer pressure. To determine how to effectively end gang violence we must find the way that these morals are given to the individual. Unfortunately, these can only be hypothesized. However, by looking at the way humans are influenced in society, there is good evidence to point the blame at several institutions. These include the forces of the media, the government, theatre, drugs and our economic system. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Money is also a crucial factor. A kid (a 6-10 year old, who is not yet a member) is shown that s/he could make $200 to $400 for small part time gang jobs. Although these are important factors they are not strong enough to make kids do things that are strongly against their morals. One of the ways that children’s morals are bent so that gang violence becomes more acceptable is the influence of television and movies. The average child spends more time at a TV than she/he spends in a classroom. Since no one can completely turn off their minds, these children must be learning something while watching the television. Few hours of television watched by children are educational, so other ideas are being absorbed during this period of time. Many shows on television today are extremely violent and are often shown from a gang's perspective. A normal adult can see that this is showing how foully gangs are living. However, to a child this portrays a violent gang existence as accepta... Free Essays on Gangs Gangs have been and will always be a part of society, They have in one form or another been around for hundreds of years. For example pirates were in some way or another a form of an organized gang. The groups that traditionally come to mind when one thinks of modern day gangs are the Crips and the Bloods from California, and the people Folk originating from Chicargo. The origins of the Crips and Bloods can be traced to the late 60's, and the gang culture is so ingrained on the west coast that many families have three and even four generations of gangsters residing in the same residence. The people Folks started out in the late 70 and early 80’s Depending on whose figures you listen to (some officials have a tendency to downsize the numbers). As of January, 1993, L.A. gangs set’s numbered between 800 and 1000, with anywhere from 120,000 to 220,000 members. These numbers are often debated, and depending on whose criteria is used to decide who is and is not a gangbang er. The figures could be considerably higher. This paper will elaborate on some of the facts surrounding Juvenile gangs. Over the past several years we have seen a increase in the number of juvenile crimes and juveniles joining organized gangs. These juveniles are not only joining at a younger age but are committing more violent crimes then there antecedent. What makes these young men and women decide to participate in the violent and often deadly crimes of gangs? Why would a youngster be so eager to submit himself or herself to the torture of initiation or risk there life by having sex with a known person that’s HIV positive? Although varies regions of the country may have different meanings or definition for the term "gang member" a good description for a gang can be found in the November 1991 issue of school safety update published by Pepperdine University’s National School Safety Center, it defines a gang as "A group of three or more individuals with... Free Essays on Gangs Gangs Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today's cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both an acceptable and prestigious way to live? The long range answer to these questions can only be speculated upon, but in the short term the answers are much easier to find. On the surface, gangs are a direct result of human beings' personal wants and peer pressure. To determine how to effectively end gang violence we must find the way that these morals are given to the individual. Unfortunately, these can only be hypothesized. However, by looking at the way humans are influenced in society, I believe there is good evidence to point the blame at several institutions. These include the forces of the media, the government, theater, drugs and our economic system. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Money is also an crucial factor. A kid (a 6-10 year old, who is not yet a member) is shown that s/he could make $200 to $400 for small part time gang jobs. Although these are important factors they are not strong enough to make kids do things that are strongly against their morals. One of the ways that kids morals are bent so that gang violence becomes more acceptable is the influence of television and movies. The average child spends more time at a TV than she/he spends in a classroom. Since nobody can completely turn off their minds, kids must be learning something while watching the TV. Very few hours of television watched by children are educational, so other ideas are being absorbed during this period of time. Many shows on television today are extremely violent and are often shown this from a gang's perspective. To a child this portrays a violent gang existence as acceptable. 'The Ends Justifies the Means' mentality is also t... Free Essays on Gangs "Once inside, I was walked through a gauntlet of desperate men. Their hot smell in the muggy corridor was as foul as their appearance. None of them seemed to have a full set of front teeth. Many bore prominently displayed tattoos of skulls or demons. One could argue whether it was the look of these men that led them to prison or whether it was the prison that gave them their look. Just looking at them made me fear for my life" (Hassine, 7). Most inmates in correctional facilities felt the way that Victor Hassine felt on his first day in a correctional facility in Pennsylvania called Graterford State Prison. New inmates are seen as "fresh meat". They fear their life. Most of these inmates find sanctuary in gangs. Inmates join gangs for protection. Gangs in correctional facilities are more of a necessity, unlike street gangs. People don't need a gang to survive in the street because there are other ways one can find help, a family, protection, belongingness, etc. But in correctional facilities one's outlets are limited. One's preoccupation in jail is survival, which leads inmates to change their habits, personality, and even their values. Living in an environment where "an unexpected smile could mean trouble, a man in uniform is not a friend, being kind is a weakness, and eye contact is a threat" doesn't leave one much of a choice, does it? There are numerous gangs in correctional facilities but among the most common are the Latin Kings, Five Percent Nation, and the Netas. Some gangs in these facilities are extensions of neighborhood street gangs. Their names are based on their urban location, like the 21st and Norris Gang, the 60th and Market Gang, and the 10th Street Gang in Philadelphia. There are also less common prison gangs like Los Solidos, Latin Locos, G27, Nation, Brotherhood, Elm City Boys, 20 Luv, and Esses. White gangs almost always originate in prison and are a minority. They a... Free Essays on Gangs GANGS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON FAMILIES Introduction The aim or objective of this paper is to thoroughly report on why individuals join gangs and how gang membership can put people’s friends, family and even themselves in jeopardy of being seriously injured or killed. The researcher is aiming towards a few topics on this paper such as gang membership, graffiti, violence and vandalism, and spreading gangs. Most people do not realize or do not know how dangerous gangs can be and this can lead to serious consequences. Literature Review Gangs affect the enviroment or city in which people live. They affect the enviroment of families and cause harm to victims and witnesses in areas of gang territory. Incentives or becoming a gang member, graffiti in the neighborhood, gang violence, the spread of gangs, and gang prevention will be explored thoroughly. The research found on gangs mainly focused on adolescent and young adult males. The most popular reason for joining a gang is coming from a dysfunctional family and wanting a sense of having a family (Lahey). These types of people do not think very highly of themselves. They feel good belonging to a gang because they believe that their family, friends or community has not paid any attention to them. People of certain races or cultures may believe that they are powerless or have no opportunities. Gus Gedatus states that â€Å"they may not feel that they are apart of society† (Gedatus 8). These types of people look at participating in a gang as being cool. Another popular reason for joining a gang is to follow family tradition. Some people’s parents or maybe even grandparents have belonged to a certain gang and will be upset or feel that the person is betraying the family. Youth form gangs because people fear it. This fear may give the members a sense of power. These types of gangs tend to move into neighborhoods that are unfamiliar with gang activit y in ... Free Essays on Gangs â€Å"GANGS† Across the United States there is a type of subculture that needs to be dealt with and destroyed. Gangs are the type of subculture at hand. Gangs can be defined as a subculture because they exist within society while maintaining their own norms, beliefs, and values. Gangs are a subculture of violence, whose values demand the use of violence in overt situations (Adler, Mueller, Laufer 2001). Gang membership promotes violence and other delinquent behavior from its members (such as vandalism and drug relations). Gangs need to be abolished if we hope to clean up our streets, get our children back in school, and have a chance at winning the drug war. Are you as person looking to seek a public office ready to deal with this issue? I will continue to give you some background knowledge of gangs. Let the fact be known that it is not illegal to be in a gang, but once a criminal action takes place gang members have stepped over the line and their membership is now perceived as illegal. One of the main ways that gang membership forms is from generation to generation. A child is exposed to the gang activity taking place in his or her neighborhood and may want to take part in this gang to fill an emotional void. This void might be in need of love from a â€Å"family† group, respect, or a sense of belonging to a peer group. A child might have older siblings that are members of a gang and the younger child longs to be like the older sibling. Youth might also join a gang for the protection from other gang violence and the chance to make money fast. Whatever the reason is for joining gangs, America’s youth believe that gang membership allows them to achieve a level of status that was impossible to attain outside of the gangs. It is estimated that there are more than 24,500 gangs active the United States in 2000 (Egley, 2001). The average number of gang members for 2000 was 750,000 (Egley, 2001). These number... Free Essays on Gangs Analysis of Gangs Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today’s society. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both an acceptable awn prestigious way to live? The long range answer to these questions can only be speculated upon, but in the short term the answers are much easier to find. On the surface, gangs are a direct result of human beings’ personal wants and peer pressure. To determine how to effectively end gang violence we must find the way that these morals are given to the individual. Unfortunately, these can only be hypothesized. However, by looking at the way humans are influenced in society, I believe there is much to blame. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it sound glamorous. Money is also a crucial factor. A young kid is shown that he/she could make $200 to $400 for small part time gang jobs. This amount of money causes gang life to look like a gold mine. Anyone could use this kind of many, and attempt to get it. Although these are important factors they are not strong enough to make kids do things that are strongly against their morals. One of the ways that kids morals are bent so that gang violence becomes more acceptable is the influence of television and movies. The average child spends more time at in front of a television set than he/she spends in a classroom. Since their minds are still working, they take in what is on the television and â€Å"learn† from it. Unfortunately, very few hours of television watched by children are educational. Many shows on television today are extremely violent. This shows children that gang life is exciting as well as acceptable. This is taught through many shows where the â€Å"good guy† captures the â€Å"bad guy† through violence and is then being commended. A young child sees this as ...

Research Paper on Children Toys Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Children Toys - Research Paper Example In addition to this the educator also needs to take into deliberation few factors while indulging in toy purchases. The factors in relation to the toys purchased for the children should entail aspects such as cost-effectiveness, ensuring creative prospects for the children along with the safety feature of such toys. While purchasing toys it a vigilant examination of the design of the toys needs to be conducted in order to ascertain the sharp and pointed corners which might harm the children. The children needs to be kept away from materials like knives, blades and other sorts of sharp materials as these might result in creating a sense of violence and power among the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). There are a numbers of factors which requires to be considered while purchasing toys for the children among which few have been explained below: Children’s’ Age It is quite impor tant that the toys selected for the children must comply with their age and stage. It should also meet the basic safety requirements identified with regard to the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). ... Safety Aspects Every parent needs to ensure increased cautiousness with regard to the safety needs of their children. Hence, the toys selected for their children must be non toxic in nature, well painted and should be completely non-harmful for the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). Educational Aspects Toys selected for the children should entail characteristics for the purpose of enhancing and developing skills within the children such as promoting emotional and intellectual characteristics. The toys selected must serve dual functions by helping the children to learn and understand new things and also by serving the purpose of an object to play with thus, providing increased degree of fun to the children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, â€Å"Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage†). Part 2 Toys for Six to Twelve Months Old Children Usually the child ren of 6 to 12 months of age slowly move towards comprehending their surroundings. At this stage the babies are learnt to make attempts in order to stand by taking the support of furniture or such other things. For this particular age group toys such as dolls, wooden vehicles, water toys, musical toys and balls are considered to be quite appropriate. Dolls are the image of the human beings which are found to be available in different sizes, shapes and colors. These toys are believed to aid the children in comprehending the diverse form of emotions and along with triggering the development of certain skills. Wooden toys are found to be quite cheaper in comparison to the plastic toys. It also needs to be

Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies Personal Statement - 1

Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies - Personal Statement Example I worked as teaching assistant from the middle of 2008 until King Saud University awarded me scholarship to pursue higher education through my master degree in the U.S. with a bachelor degree in Business Administrative in Quantitative Methods as a theoretical background. As I was reviewing the University of South Florida’s (USF) program for the Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies (MS EAT), I was impressed with the profile of consolidating â€Å"Entrepreneurship education and training into a single interdisciplinary program† (MS EAT, par. 2). My academic background has provided the impetus for a strong drive to learn entrepreneurial and leadership skills that would be enhanced through your course modules focusing on new venture formation, product development and the design and application of strategies to global organizations. I am keen on honing my analytical, decision-making, interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, among others. The multidisciplinary approach offered by USF would provide the essential theoretical orientation to entrepreneurship, as well as relevant applications required in contemporary global organizations. It has been my profound desire to apply what I would learn in Saudi Arabia as an instrumental promoter of new enterprises and a proactive collaborator of entrepreneurial skills that would spur economic development and professionalism in this field of endeavor. It has always been a passion to delve into personal and professional growth, not only for one’s benefit, but more so to the organization and community where I would be an instrumental part of, and to the country that I envision to give honor as honor is

Alcohol and the average teen Essay Example for Free

Alcohol and the average teen Essay Many teens today face the situation of alcohol and alcohol abuse. Although we cannot make their choices for them, we can persuade them into not taking alcohol by knowing the risks first; a lot like warnings on smoke packages. Alcohol can have a big affect on the adolescent mind. The brain of a an average human being keeps developing to the age of adolescence; people believe that the brain stops developing at the age of adolescence, but in fact, the brain develops into the early 20s. At the age of adolescence, the brain goes under remodelling and rewiring. The underdeveloped brain of an adolescent can suffer irreversible brain damage and may have long lasting effects on the brain. That is why there is an age limit of 19 in Canada and the age limit of 21 in the United States. Many side effects of drinking alcohol are: slurring of words, memory loss, difficulty walking, blurred vision, slow reaction times, dehydration, blackouts(being unconscious) and even death. Alcohol is a dangerous thing a teens should not take the risks. Long term effects of alcohol unintentional injuries: car crash, falls, burns. e. t. cintentional injuries: firearm injuries, sex assault and domestic violence increase on the job injuries and loss of productivity increase of family and relationship problems alcohol poisoning high blood pressure, stroke and other heart diseases liver disease nerve damage sexual problems permanent brain damage mouth and throat cancers. Short term effects of alcohol slurred speech drowsiness vomiting diarrhea coma blackouts unconsciousness blurred vision and hearing problems breathing difficulties After drinking alcohol, many people experience difficulty to walk, unable to gain balance, motor control, timing and awareness. This is because your body will not completely absorb all of the alcohol; some of it will travel into the brain and into your cerebellum. Your cerebellum controls motor control, awareness, coordination and thoughts. The alcohol will tend to make your hands shake a lot, unable to pick up stuff and to lose balance and maybe even fall. After you drink alcohol(ethanol), reaction time or reflexes slow, because the cerebellum controls awareness which is affected by alcohol. For example, after drinking large amounts of alcohol, a person would often stumble, lose control and fall over. A person might not be aware that they are drunk until they wake up from a hangover. A second example for motor control is when a person has no control of their hands and cannot grasp at any object. One more example of balance is that a person has difficulty walking, often grabbing objects to support their body. Drinking alcohol can have effects such as mood swings, and unable to control one’s self and can sometimes become very violent. The frontal lobes control planning, forming ideas, making decisions/judgement and using self control. Alcohol disrupts the frontal lobes and can create these effects. It is illegal to drive while having more than 0. 08 % blood alcohol concentration because the alcohol will affect decision making while driving and become very dangerous if poor decisions are made. Violent tendencies also come from the induce of alcohol. Two thirds of victims who suffered violence by an intimate have reported alcohol has been a factor. Drinking alcohol can also have suicidal thoughts and attempts. In 2002, 3 million youth were at risk of suicidal attempts. The suicidal thoughts and attempts are because the frontal lobe controls thoughts and judgement while under the influence of alcohol. An example of poor decision making is when a person decides to jump down two stories from a balcony. An example of mood swings is that a person will be happy when drinking, but depressed later can be common effects. An example of self control, is when a person has violent rages that he/she cannot control that causes reckless damage. When a person thinks of an action, their body will act it out. The brain sends messages through the spine and to a certain part of the body carrying out the instructions through a set of nerves in the nervous system. Alcohol slows down the central nervous system which makes actions/movements, speech and thoughts slower by inhibiting signals between the head, spinal cord and nerve endings . Alcohol is a central nervous depressant and have life threatening effects on the bodys nervous system. The nervous system takes more damage than any other part of the body. Alcohol decreases the central nervous systems activity, and reduces anxiety, tension, and inhibitions. Drinking on a empty stomach can make the alcohol rush through your bloodstream faster, although drinking while eating doesnt necessarily mean that you wont get drunk. Stroke, heart attack and dementia can be the results of alcohols effect on the nervous system. Another example of when alcohol acts on the nervous system is when your words slur and vision will start to blur. Memory loss and unconsciousness/blackout can happen when a person drinks too much alcohol. The alcohol affects the hippocampus part of the brain, and is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. The hippocampus is vital to learning and memories and also vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumptions. When induced alcohol, it can affect the brain and can make you forget the recent memories of events. And having drunk alcohol has been shown to decrease the volume of the hippocampus; having induced too much alcohol in very little time can make you black out and forget whole events. If alcohol damages the hippocampus, people may find hard to grasp at memories and may find it hard to learn. This affects teens because of learning disabilities which could make them fall behind in school. An example of memory loss is, when Joe stays at his friend Bobs house, but he got drunk, passed out and woke up the other day not remembering what he was doings at his friends house. Alcohol can affect the hippocampus and affect your learning and memory. Blood pressure, hunger, thirst and the urge to urinate, even death are the effects of alcohol on the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus controls/ regulates the bodys functions. Some of the functions that the hypothalamus performs are: autonomic nervous system controls that help regulate eating and drinking, controls body temperature, body fluid, electrolyte balance and weight. When teens drink, they get a warm feeling inside their body. What actually happens is their blood pressure and body heat are rapidly decreasing. Death occurs because the body temperature and blood pressure are dropping, also because there is too much alcohol in ones system(alcohol blood concentration 0. 40%) Each year, approximately 5, 000 youth die from alcohol. Hunger and thirst occur because the hypothalamus regulates eating and drinking and is disrupted by the alcohol. That is also the reason for the urge to urinate because of the regulation of bodily fluids. Alcohol can affect your hypothalamus and disrupt your bodys natural functions. unconsciousness, low body temperature and slow breathing are the effects of alcohol on the medulla. The medulla controls automatic functions such as breathing, consciousness and body temperature. By acting on the medulla, alcohol induces sleep, which causes blackouts and unconsciousness. This also means that a person’s breathing would be affected and would be life threatening because their breathing would slow. A persons body temperature also decreases below normal creating hypothermia, especially if the person drinks in cold temperatures. Alcohol is a life costing drug that should be precautioned. Alcohol and the body Alcohol also has huge impacts on health and the human body. The alcohol first passess through the mouth and into the body. From there, it goes into the stomach. Some of the alcohol goes into bloodstream in the stomach, but most of it goes on to the small intestine. In the small intestines, the alcohol enters the bloodstream through the walls of the intestines. Then, the heart pumps the alcohol throughout the body. Next, the alcohol reaches the brain. After that, the liver works to oxidize the alcohol at a rate of 0. 5 oz per hour. Finally, the alcohol converts into water carbon and energy. Health problems that alcohol can cause are: high blood pressure, osteoporosis(bone disease), stroke and cancer, including breast cancer. Alcohol can have big impacts on the body. Alcohol can has huge impacts on the heart and health. The heart is a pump for your blood to flow throughout your body and is the biggest muscle in your body. The effects of alcohol on the heart can cause good and bad effects. The benefits of drinking alcohol are: youre less likely to get cardiovascular disease. One way is that the alcohol can increase good cholesterol which prevents clots and heart attacks. There are also many dangerous effects of alcohol on the heart when heavy alcohol consumptions occurs: excessive intake of alcohol will more likely give you high blood pressure and puts extra strain on the heart, increases the amount of fat circulating in the bloodstream, people who drink too much will increase their risk of experiencing stroke and would cause atrial fibrillation-irregular heartbeats which could increase stroke. Alcohol has both benefits and risks depending on the consumption. Through the pathway of alcohol, it passes through the digestive system. The alcohol can irritate the stomach, causing it to produce more acid than usual, causing inflammation of the lining of the stomach. The side effects are stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and in heavy drinkers, bleeding. The long term consequences of alcohol are the increase of getting cancer of your mouth, tongue, throat, stomach and pancreas. Alcohol can also make it difficult to digest food and absorb any nutrients from the food you just ate. This is because the alcohol reduces enzyme production in the pancreas making it hard to break down and absorb the fat and nutrients. A possible way to protect your stomach is to eat rich carbohydrates and drink a lot of water that would slow down the the rate of which your body absorbs alcohol. Death is possible too. If your unconscious, it is possible that you will throw up in your mouth and die of choking on the vomit; it would be stuck in your respiratory system and your lungs would not get air. Alcohol, if not, is a very unhealthy substance to your stomach and digestive system. Your liver is one of your most vital organs in your body. Your livers main job is detoxification-to filter your blood for toxins coming from the digestive tract. Liver disease is used to describe the damage done upon your liver from the alcohol. There are two main types of liver disease: acute meaning liver problems develops over a few months and chronic liver disease is damage done to the liver over a number of years. Some reasons why alcohol causes liver disease are: 1. Oxidative stress. The liver takes up a lot of stress filtering the alcohol and the chemical reaction can cause damage to the cells. This could cause inflammation and scarring as the liver tries to regenerate itself. 2. Alcohol causes damages to the small intestines releasing bacteria that is carried out onto the liver. Long term effects on the liver can cause many liver disease, fat deposited due to absorbing of alcohol leads to fatty liver disease and cirrhosis-a complete shutdown of the liver because it is so damaged. Heavy alcohol consumptions can have a great deal to the liver and your health. Alcohol also damages the kidney. Whether it’s acute or chronic alcohol consumption, the alcohol will damage the kidneys. The functions of the kidneys is to filter blood-the kidneys remove metabolic waste, controls the body’s fluid balance, regulates the balance of electrolytes, regulation of blood volume and pressure and maintaining electrolyte levels in blood. As the kidneys filters blood, urine is created and stored in the kidneys’ pelvis. Alcohol can cause all kinds of damage to your kidneys. Alcohol alters the filtering system of the kidneys and damages the balance of water and ions in the body. Drinking alcohol can cause high blood pressure and is the second leading cause to chronic kidney disease. The alcohol also alter filtering levels that will increase urination when drinking which is why you have to go to the washroom every five minutes, but is important to keep hydrated because by urinating, you get rid of your body’s water. Alcohol impacts the kidneys and kidneys are vital to the human body. How alcohol impacts teens and families Alcohol impacts teens and families a lot. Alcohol abuse among teens is a common problem. Statistics say that 80% of high school students report drinking alcohol and 40% of high school students report trying alcohol by the eighth grade. Some effects of alcohol abuse are emotional problems. Alcohol abuse can cause emotional problems like depression and anxiety. Alcohol abuse can cause severity in these problems. Statistics say that eighth grade girls that have alcohol abuse are more likely to attempt suicide. Some of the reasons that teens drink are: peer pressure. E. x. Your friends are all drinking and youre the one who doesn’t. Your friends will make fun of you and say you’re a loser. Fun and adventure. E. x. You want to try beer of alcohol for fun or for adventures and you try a sip. Then gulps and are not able to control yourself. Curiosity. E. x. You’ve seen them in the television. You’ve seen it in movies: people(mostly adults) drinking alcohol and getting crashed. Your parents warned you about the effects of alcohol and becoming an alcoholic. But you still wonder what it feels like to drink a sip of alcohol. So you take a bottle of beer take a drink. You get a warm feeling inside. Then you can’t control yourself and drink way too much and have a hangover. Self esteem. Some teens have a low self esteem and they want to boost it. Drinking alcohol will not boost self esteem, but causes depression instead. To cope with stress. E. x. You are under a lot of stress from school, relationships, e. t. c. When drinking alcohol, a feeling of happy and carefree. Scientists have discovered that drinking alcohol releases serotonin which is a happy chemical. Alcohol also affects teens when driving. It is not a good idea to drive with someone who is impaired that drives. Having more than 0. 08% of blood alcohol concentration can affect judgement, judgement to know if you’re intoxicated , especially when driving and is considered illegal to drive with above 0. 08% blood alcohol concentration . Statistics show that in 2010, 10,228 were killed in alcohol impaired driving crashes, almost one third of all the traffic related deaths in the United States. Impaired drinking continues to be the number one road safety issue in Canada. Alcohol also affects the family around you. When teens are killed in car accidents, their families are greatly impacted. The family would be burdened with sadness as they hear the police tell that your son or daughter was killed by drunk driving and would never forget. Not only does it impact parents, but children as well. There’s a same possibility that the parents/ guardians could’ve died in a car accident as well. The children have to take care of themselves and for each other now that their parents, unless taken to foster parents and can sometimes never recover from the tragedy. Not only does drunk driving affect families, but alcoholics too. Alcoholism is a family disease that affects everyone in the family. Usually, the alcoholic doesn’t know that they’re an alcoholic until it’s too late. The child works extra hard trying to be a perfect that they don’t upset the alcoholic, but always takes the blame is called the scapegoat. The other family member tries to make the alcoholic drink more and tries to hide the fact that alcohol is the problem and is called the enabler. Alcohol impacts teens and also families as well.

Air Pollution, Smog, Acid Rain, the Greenhouse Effect, and Ozone Deplet

Air pollution is a well-known problem throughout the world. Humans know that we are the major cause for air pollution and although we know this fact, we continue to pollute. We poison our air every day by throwing out enormous piles of garbage, burning tons of fossil fuels, and driving millions of miles each year, but do we truly know how much this affects our society and our Earth? Smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and ozone depletion are some of the effects that have resulted from air pollution. Health effects caused by filthy air are also a serious problem that has resulted from pollution. Smog is a term that was created from smoke and fog. It is found most typically in urban and suburban areas rather than rural areas because air pollution occurs most often where there are large numbers of people. Exhaust fumes from vehicles are emitted into the air, and a chemical reaction takes place when these fumes react with sunlight, resulting in smog. Another type of smog is created from dirt particles in smoke from the chimneys of factories and houses (Stille 22). These dirt particles cling to drops of water in the air, which can make eyes water, noses itch, and throats scratchy and sore. People within these cities that deal with this murky haze are much more likely to experience discomfort and develop lung problems due to breathing in too much polluted air (Asimov 15). Acid rain, another effect of air pollution, is formed when sulfur-rich fuels such as coal and oil are burned and combined with water. This rain is harmful to our environment because sulfur creates an acid that kills fish, trees, plants, and crops. It also damages paint on cars and wears away the stone used in buildings and statues (Stille 31). Acid ra... ...s affecting the environment, self-interest should drive concern about the pollutants because it can severely affect one's health. Pollution has contributed to several diseases, especially many forms of cancer. With effort and motivation to reduce these effects from air pollution, we can begin to cleanup our air and make our Earth a better place for not only our future, but also our children's and grandchildren's future. Works Cited Asimov, Isaac. Why Is The Air Dirty? Milwaukee: Garth Stevens, Inc., 1992. Dolan, Edward F. Our Poisoned Sky. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1991 Oppenheimer, Michael, and Robert H. Boyle. Dead Heat: The Race Against the Greenhouse Effect. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1990. Stille, Darlene R. Air Pollution. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1990. Tate, Nicholas. The Sick Building Syndrome. Far Hills: New Horizon Press, 199

Tea Industry Analysis

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Indian tea industry The tea industry in India is about 170 years old. It occupies an important place and plays a very useful part in the national economy. Robert Bruce in 1823 discovered tea plants growing wild in upper Brahmaputra Valley. In 1838 the first Indian tea from Assam was sent to United Kingdom for public sale. Thereafter, it was extended to other parts of the country between 50's and 60's of the last century. However, owing to certain specific soil and climatic requirements its cultivation was confined to only certain parts of the country. Tea plantations in India are mainly located in rural hills and backward areas of North-eastern and Southern States. Major tea growing areas of the country are concentrated in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The other areas where tea is grown to a small extent are Karnataka, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Bihar and Orissa. Unlike most other tea producing and exporting countries, India has dual manufacturing base. India produces both CTC and Orthodox teas in addition to green tea. The weightage lies with the former due to domestic consumers’ preference. Orthodox tea production is balanced basically with the export demand. Production of green tea in India is small. The competitors to India in tea export are Sri Lanka, Kenya, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Tea is an agro-based commodity and is subjected to vagaries of nature. Despite adverse agro climatic condition experienced in tea growing areas in many years, Indian Tea Plantation Industry is able to maintain substantial growth in relation to volume of Indian tea production during the last one decade. There has been a dramatic tilt in tea disposal in favour of domestic market since fifties. While at the time of Independence only 79 M. Kgs or about 31% of total production of 255 M. Kgs of tea was retained for internal consumption, in 2006 as much as 771 M. Kgs or about 81% of total production of 956 M. Kgs of tea went for domestic consumption. Such a massive increase in domestic consumption has been due to increase in population, greater urbanisation, increase in income and standard of living etc. Indian tea export has been an important foreign exchange earner for the country. There was an inherent growth in export earnings from tea over the years. Till 70s’, UK was the major buyer of Indian tea Since 80s’ USSR became the largest buyer of Indian tea due to existence of the trade agreement between India and erstwhile USSR. USSR happened to be the major buyer of Indian tea accounting for more than 50% of the total Indian export till 1991. However, with the disintegration of USSR and abolition of Central Buying Mechanism, Indian tea exports suffered a set back from 1992-93. However, Indian Tea exports to Russia/CIS countries recovered from the setback since 1993 under Rupee Debt Repayment Route facilities as also due to long term agreement on tea entered into between Russia and India. Depressed scenario again started since 2001 due to change in consumption pattern, i. e. switch over from CTC to Orthodox as per consumer preference and thus India has lost the Russian market. Another reason for decline in export of Indian tea to Russia is offering of teas at lower prices by China, South Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam. The major competitive countries in tea in the world are Sri Lanka, Kenya, China and Indonesia. China is the major producer of green tea while Sri Lanka and Indonesia are producing mainly orthodox varieties of tea. Kenya is basically a CTC tea producing country. While India is facing competition from Sri Lanka and Indonesia with regard to export of orthodox teas and from China with regard to green tea export, it is facing competition from Kenya and from other African countries in exporting CTC teas. Because of absence of large domestic base and due to comparatively small range of exportable items, Sri Lanka and Kenya have an edge over India to offload their teas in any international markets. This is one of the reasons of higher volume of export by Sri Lanka and Kenya compared to India. Another important point is that, U. K has substantial interest in tea cultivation in Kenya. Most of the sterling companies, after Indianisation due to implementation of FERA Act started tea cultivation in Kenya. So, it makes business sense for U. K. to buy tea from Kenya and Kenya became the largest supplier of tea to U. K. Tea is an essential item of domestic consumption and is the major beverage in India. Tea is also considered as the cheapest beverage amongst the beverages available in India. Tea Industry provides gainful direct employment to more than a million workers mainly drawn from the backward and socially weaker section of the society. It is also a substantial foreign exchange earner and provides sizeable amount of revenue to the State and Central Exchequer. The total turnover of the Indian tea industry is in the vicinity of Rs. 8000 Crs. Presently, Indian tea industry is having (as on 31. 12. 2006 ) 1655 registered Tea Manufacturers, †¢ 2008 registered Tea Exporters, †¢ 5148 number of registered tea buyers, †¢ Nine tea Auction centres. The Indian tea industry is witnessing a strong revival of fortunes with exports rising and domestic consumption gearing up. The industry saw an impressive 8. 8 percent increase in average tea auction prices in the five months ended August 200 4. The tea industry is one of the oldest organized industries in India with a large network of tea producers, retailers, distributors, auctioneers, exporters and packers. Tea is grown in more than 32 countries among which India is the largest producer. The industry provides direct employment to more than a million workers of which a sizeable number are women. More than two million people derive their livelihood from ancillary activities associated with production, value addition and marketing of tea. The tea trade is a major contributor to the country’s economy. Substantial foreign exchange earnings with negligible import content, contribution to the State and Central exchequers, preserving a pollution free biosphere and soil conversation are some of the important features of the tea industry. Tea Exports increase Due to global supply imbalance, tea exports from India during the Jan- Aug 2004, period increased to 107. 7 million kg against 92. 4 million kg in the corresponding period last year. However, the average price realizations dropped to Rs 83. 20 per kg in 2004 from Rs 100. 51 per kg in 2003. The rise in export volumes has been boosted by higher demand from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and other gulf countries. The unconventional destinations like Japan, Germany, Singapore, Australia, USA and Canada have emerged as potential destinations in recent months where Indian tea is being exported in greater volumes and has recorded 88 percent growth in the first five months of calendar year. The all-India average export realization tumbled drastically by 17. 2 percent to Rs 83. 20 per kg in the five months ended August 2004, from Rs 100. 51 per kg in the corresponding previous period. The fall in the average export realization was relatively modest at 5 percent to Rs 118. 8 per kg in north India, while it was steeper at 16. percent to Rs 58. 61 per kg in south India. Even as exports rose, imports too, jumped sharply. There was a 225 percent increase in tea imports to 17. 83 mn kg in the five months ended August 2004 compared to 5. 47 mn kg in the corresponding period last year. {draw:frame} Tea is indigenous to India and is an area where the country can take a lot of pride. This is mainly because o f its pre-eminence as a foreign exchange earner and its contributions to the country's GNP. In all aspects of tea production, consumption and export, India has emerged to be the world leader, mainly because it accounts for 31% of global production. It is perhaps the only industry where India has retained its leadership over the last 150 years. Tea production in India has a very interesting history to it. The range of tea offered by India – from the original Orthodox to CTC and Green Tea, from the aroma and flavour of Darjeeling Tea to the strong Assam and Nilgiri Tea- remains unparalleled in the world. Tea trading in the domestic market is done in two ways- Auction and Private Selling. Market Reports are received from the six major auction centres in India, namely, Calcutta, Guwahati, Siliguri, Cochin, Coimbatore and *PEST ANALYSIS GLOBALLY *( u. k tea market ) Political Factors The UK Government supports the fair trading commitment for both the local consumers and foreign producers (News BBC, 2005). This is observed by a requirement on labeling that a stamp of â€Å"Fairtrade† must be included in the products for consumer reference. This is a way to give the buyers a chance to patronize those companies that are producing tea responsibly. However, this also shows that the UK Government do not have strict policies on fair trade. Due to this, the recent calls of Indian workers for the UK Government to act against Unilever due to unfair trade acts and the inability of the latter to act speedily on the matter have adverse consequences on future exporters. If big and global companies such as Unilever continue to rip profits un-scaled with the source plantation abroad, the competitiveness of new entrants would be reduced. For example, Unilever can engage to price wars as well as incur substantial growth funds. To address this scenario, prospective exporters are expected to create a niche market to go away with direct competition with large companies. In 2004, the calls of EU Commission against the UK Government to implement the â€Å"tea break† law concretized the significant role of tea in the country as well as the Union as a whole (BBC News, 2005). In contrast but in support to the increasing importance of tea in the UK, the Government used the gesture of providing free to all British to motivate them to go to the cherished Millennium Dome. Also, tea giving is also used to foster cohesion among British especially in 2005 where terrorist attacks plague the country (Watley Website). Throughout the UK political history since the introduction of tea in Britain by Catherine of Braganza and rationing of tea to UK soldiers of First World War, tea played a major role in government affairs. Thus, it can be concluded that the approach of the Government to tea imports are positive. However, there is still a question of protecting their local producers. Specifically, imports will only be allowed if local production is under shortage or if the country cannot get the internal benefits greater the cost of doing business with foreign tea manufacturers (Tea Website). In contrast, there are similar adverse actions that the Government imposed on tea campaigns (BBC News, 2007). For example, the Advertising Standards Authority apprehended the UK Tea Council, for dis-informing the market about the benefits of tea. Even though the Council cited several papers to prove that the press release is facts, the Authority argued the lack of substantial evidence. More importantly, the Authority wanted the council to avoid making ill-supported ads that may run counter to the health policies of the Government. Due to this, it can be said that the Government does not have a firm stand about the health benefits of tea. In effect, future ads to increase the market for tea may have weaker impact to consumers due to absence of full government support. However, as history suggests which includes events dated back as far as Opium Wars, UK Government places a substantial importance in tea trade. But the role of exporters such as Chinese merchants fell as UK have established its own tea fields in UK areas such as Cornwall. Economic Factors Comparing the UK tea prices of today and 1977 figures, supermarkets are selling tea bags much cheaper compared to several decades ago (Telegraph Website). This is a good opportunity for exporters because the natural resources as well as cheap labor in their home countries can be used to engage in price competition in the UK. However, there is a pitfall. This is true when the price of exported teas is so low that the operations of the exporters are in jeopardy once the market continuously put pressure on tea prices. There are several risk factors that influence of price reduction in of UK tea which can include competitive policies of retailers to as far as the weak US dollar. Due to this environment, exporters might not have much incentive in selling in the UK given that there are trade constraints and disincentives coupled with heavy competition. Ultimately, exporters have to battle with volume rather than quality. In contrast, there is an advantage of exporters who can offer innovative products. In this way, the market will not rely on price factors to affect their decisions rather to the qualities of tea products which is also the source of loyalty. There are numerous characteristics of UK that makes it an attractive destination for exporter goods. Being the second largest economy in Europe, UK is also one of the most globalized advanced economies the world (UK Statistics). There is an opportunity for exporters to exploit the inclusion of UK in the EU and the latter influence in the trade agreements of the former. When this is enforced, entry to UK market may serve as a window of opportunity to infiltrate EU state members. Free market is also the main framework of UK institutions which limits the influence of UK in trades. According to National Statistics, UK also has low inflation, unemployment and interest rates and ranked one of the most superior economies in the region. With this in mind, exporters can easily attached bulk of positive issues to the production, start-up and marketing environment in the country. In the contrary, UK still has problems in reducing income inequality. Although not a good sign in aggregate, exporters can use niche marketing to exploit this bottleneck. Competition, thus, is reduced when direct rivalry is spread over the income boundaries of the people. With respect to some concepts on tea business, influx of tea exports can reduce the capacities of monopolist but this can result to intense rivalry (Market Trade Fair). Thus, exporters can reduce the competitiveness of local producers. With cheaper labor and known abundant natural resources in developing countries, UK tea industry may not have the ability to coupe with them. Further, switching costs of tea products are low which makes customers have the higher bargaining especially in terms of price and quality. Considering this, exporters that have the upper hand in bringing broader variety of teas compared to local producers. With Asian touch to the products, the market may also feel that exports have higher nutritional value than local counterparts. However, there is a very high risk of failure in the industry especially if the location is UK. Profits margins are low, fixed assets are high, inventory are perishable and local producers may have been embedded. This is to exclude adverse corporate responsibility that may result to low margin such as the example of Unilever criticized approach in Indian tea farms. Social Factors It is internationally claimed that tea is the second most popular drink after water (Rico Magda Research, 2006). There are at least 800 million cups of tea that are consumed in a global scale. Of this figure, UK is the country that has the highest share per capita on a daily basis. Without demographic restrictions on the market regarding their preference of tea (i. e. at all ages), the UK tea market loomed to at half a billion value with everyday demand of tea at 160 million cups. According to Mintel Report, green tea is preferred by the market apart from red and black variants of tea because of green tea's relatively higher pleasurable taste and health benefits. As the country is on the peak of its becoming a cafe society culture (Elopak Website), numerous tea-makers all over the world saw opportunity of this trend. Not only is the basic qualities tea encouraging UK market to buy them. As a matter of fact, several new entrants that introduced different varieties and innovations on tea products are also becoming successful. Specialty teas such as those with spicy flavors are widely-accepted. The UK market continues to support tea-makers and retailers as long as they are able to address the health, safety and taste needs while innovation serves as a good foundation to introduce new products. If accepted, these innovations can make a demand shift from ordinary tea features to creative ones. Another illustration is the changing lifestyle of the UK market. The preceding features can also be successful if they are able to make tea as a representation of the one's consuming them. This is when stylish tea from niche players became critical. Thus, the growth in of tea industry in the UK is expected to be at least 7%. Delving to other health products, UK's consumption of oatmeal including porridge from 2003 to 2005 significantly increased at least 20% (Baker Website). This indicated that the health consciousness of consumers have revived several years ago. The interesting part is the large part of UK consumption of these products is sourced from cafes shops similar to teas. Convenience in eating as well as provision for healthy diet is two of the primary motivation of the consumer of their increased support. Parallel to iced tea, the positioning of cold cereal market is good with annual increase of at least 10%. This means that the typical intake of healthy products is changing (Food Quality News). With the aid of governmental information efforts, more UK people are developing the habit of evaluating the nutritional content of each product label before actual purchase. This improvement is an extension of 2000 shifts on health beliefs of the population. There are many benefits of tea from the Asian tests and experiences that are not yet as many as UK (Info Cancer Website). In fact, there are minimal UK studies to confirm that Asian evidence of cancer-minimizing capabilities of green tea. However, the UK market as well as some UK analyst has concluded that the Asian benefits are yet to be acquired by the country simply because the former is relatively consuming less quantities of tea. On the other hand, there are UK laboratory test that observed that tea has higher caffeine content than regular cola, energy drinks and chocolate. Caffeine is a substance that has positive effects to people such as increased alertness, treatment of asthma and aids blood flow. To be in safe levels of consumption, a person should not exceed 6 cups of tea in a day. Finally, increase caffeine consumption would lead to inability to sleep, nervousness and frequent palpitation of the heart (Tea Website). There are also studies that showed increased risk of bone illnesses such as osteoporosis and adverse effects on pregnancy if caffeine intake is not regulated. Technological Factors In European standards, UK agricultural production and its level of technology is efficient and highly-automized. As illustration, only 2% of its labor is in required to support sixty percent of its agricultural sector (Nutri-Ingredients). However, the list of main agricultural outputs of the country excludes tea. This is because that tea is abundant and typical to Asian regions. There are private companies such as Unilever that are able to re-produce tea in the UK. But this is generally limited in variety and in texture. For example, in 2003, White tea became a successful product introduction in the UK because it is an exotic plant to the consumers. Obviously, the advantage of producing and selling exotic teas in the UK is that it is a good hedge in any technological advancements and efficiency in production of developed countries. Also, medicinal value is believed to be redeemed for products that do not undergo intensive technological application. To this part, exporters would be encouraged to enter and compete the UK market because what they are offering are unique products. Historically, unique products have the ability to run against market trends (e. g. avoidance of lower prices). UK is one of those developed economies that maintained the role of agriculture in the economy despite radical shift of sectors towards service and manufacturing industries (IATC Website). In fact, the country is one of the leading nations that produce safe and efficient harvests. The quality of UK's products is reflected in its consumer protection against low quality and sometimes foreign foods. This can be a source of weakness against tea products from developing countries. The good issues are that China is a close trading partner of UK. The topography of UK includes fertile farmlands, favorable climate, pioneering breeding practices and application of science. However, these features may as well highlight the competitive advantage of Asian tea which is deriving in traditional, religious and cultural uniqueness. Even if some varieties of Asia teas are being able to be re-produced and propagated in UK, the impressions of healthy and effective may not be synonymous to all UK customers. Conclusion The PEST analysis above showed that Chinese tea exporters have a good opportunity in the UK market. The tea sector in the country has variety of advantages against exporters. This includes regulatory compatibility, consumer familiarity, efficient production practices, arable lands and high purchasing power of the people. On the contrary, Chinese exports have also its advantages such as traditional approach to production, unique land setting, embeddedness of tea as cultural medicine, competitive prices and a new look to tea products. The last feature and the health value Chinese tea exports would be the most critical factors for today's slowing tea sector. To address this issue, iced tea is the answer. This will defeat UK-based products especially if the Chinese exporter can offer cold and unique recipe of tea. Specifically, the ability of its product to be preferred by customers as hot or cold can be an indispensible characteristic to increase its market share abruptly. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Silver Step Exports is a trading and packaging company that specializes in high quality INDIAN TEAS RICE SUGAR WHEAT FLOUR vision : To be india’s foremost tea exporters. ACHIEVE MARKET THROUGH LEADERSHIP FOR BRANDED TEA WORLD WIDE. TO BE PERCIEVED AS MOST INNOVATIVE IN TEA BASED BEVERAGES LONG TERM PROFITABLE GROWTH VALUES : RESPONSIBILITY- Be responsible and sensetive abiding all the norms regulations of various countries. Product portfolio : Tea ( primary) Rice ( secondary ) Sugar( secondary) Service portfolio : Packing for reputed groups like :- Goplajee Hope life consumer care MANAGEMENT SUMMARY : Management comprises of highly qualified mangers at all the levels of the organization, experienced managers and consultants along with strong market research team forms the strong base for SILVER STEP EXPORTS. Top management has the clear vision to achieve and form the policies and strategies and take the organization to new heights . SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHTS : Real strength of SSE lies in its capacity and capability to produce any kind of tea in any quantity with best possible quality. The capability and expertise of top management enables the organization to take quick and effective decisions. With a wide variety of product to offer SSE enjoys a premium segment of customers to which it caters with best quality product. Strengths at a glance : Superior quality Best prices Standardized product Total quality management programs Flexibility and adaptability. Innovation WEAKNESS Organizations operate in an economic and social environment which are to be taken care of by the organization itself, weakness Is not merely due to one specific factor but aggregate of many , Main weakness lies in, is of inventory a wide variety of tea ( approx. 30 flavours ) are available in the market keeping all the stock ready at one point of time is sometimes risky as thw quality may detoriate over a period of time. Hence, piling up inventories is sometimes a problem for the organization. Inventory management Price fluctuations ( industry based factor) OPPORTUNITIES Tea is an incredibly ancient beverage. For thousands of years leaves have fallen into the cups of great rulers, philosophers and spiri tual leaders. Man has learned the way of the leaf. We have made this revered beverage a central part of almost every world culture. Can there be anything new to add? It's a question I ponder every year. And, at the beginning of every year here I sit at the computer like a cartoon figure with an angel on one shoulder and a tiny devil on the other, a victim of my own conflicting opinions. With increasing demand for tea worldwide and with innovation taking place every now and then creating new and better products SILVER STEP EXPORTS aims to achieve a high growth rate capturing new markets in DOMESTIC as well as INTERNATIONAL markets. With the ever increasing demand for tea SSE has a long way to go adding new products to its basket and creating new and bigger markets globally. SSE also has RICE AND SUGAR in its baskets which also has a very high market and potential to grow even better so SSE can also aim at exporting these products along with the excellence in tea trade. OPPORTUNITIES AT A GLANCE. : Capturing more market share. Domestic market capturing Exporting tea Exporting rice and sugar. Creating new brands. THREATS There has been a significant value erosion in the tea market, with regional players offering mediocre products at low prices or with ttractive promotions Despite the fact that tea is the most traditional and affordable beverage in India – and probably because of as well – it is perceived as being old fashioned and less functional than some substitute products. With increasing delicacy it is difficult to retain customers for using quality products as the duplicate products are of che aper quality and therefore are available for low prices Increasing local players. Duplicacy Cheap quality at lower prices General competition level Consumer taste and preferences. BUSINESS MODEL Marketing plan & its strategies makes product race incompetitive situation and executes brand image, which givesloyal customers to the company. It helps the product to make its independent identity offer diverse brands after taking local tastes into account. Our products vary in terms of blend, pricing and packaging formats to cater to the unique needs of each segment. † strategy is to invest in long-term brand building for sustained growth. Strengthen our business in existing geographies †¢ Expansion into new geographies New product development and building business in – Black Tea – Fruit and Herbal Infusions – Ready to Drink Teas – Out of home †¢ Building operational capability to enable the commercial business to achieve growth †¢ Management Strength Increase market share. †¢ Generate brand awareness within consumer target market and business target market. †¢ The road ahead promises plenty. The goal is to m ove the brand portfolio from its current 19 per cent value share to a 25 per cent value share in the medium term {draw:frame} DISTRIBUTION PLAN draw:frame} {draw:frame} COMETETIVE ANALYSIS FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Organization has grown at a rapid pace capturing new markets in a very short span of time of its operation. *KEY SUCCESS FACTOR & strategies*. Success mantra for SILVER STEP EXPORTS lies in the : Procurement of raw materials . Suppliers Manpower No compromise on quality. Top level management of SSE allows the organization to work in the most effective and efficient manner . SSE believes in providing best value to its customer, Hence no compromise on quality. Market segmentation: â€Å"It consists of a group of customer who share similar set of wants † Geographically †¢ South India, southeast India, southwest India, north india , J&k , Punjab and haryana Social class**: †¢ Working class, middle class, upper middle class FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS Training was u ndergone in the field of marketing wherein a detail study of tea market was carried out as in what type of product is liked in various parts of the world. SSE has a very wide scope in the domestic as well as international market A strong hold in domestic markets like J&K , Punjab , Haryana, U. P serves SSE as a base , an opportunity to build on its market and create a name for itself by securing more customer base This is possible on through the supply chain The Super stockiest , agents, wholesalers and retailers Which has been a strength for SSE. SSE has been a market leader in flavoured tea market. KEY LEARININGS IN THE ORGANIZATION : During the course of my internship I gained a lot from the organization way of working , its mission , objectives and methods adopted to accomplish it, Some key learnings are : Brisk decision making Creating harmony among the levels of organization. Effectively control the supply chain. No company owned retail outlets. No direct reach to the consumers. CONCLUSION : The road ahead promises plenty. Tea market has a very wide potential to grow with wide variety of tea available and increasing demand of tea worldwide, Tea Trade has emerged as a new dimension of trade to the world with ever increasing rise in consumption of tea it has opened a wide new markets to explore and cater to their demand. Besides the domestic consumption a surplus is found to exist in the end which can be used to cater demand of other countries so that

Roles of Management

Roles of management in business: Employees are the heart of any business, but management is the soul! They are the center of the operation. The role of management in business is critical to success and requires an individual who possess the following abilities. Goal setters: Whether it is completing all items on the to do list in the business planner, or scheduling the meeting with the marketing department about a promotion three months out, good managers know the importance of goal setting, and know how to get things done. Without goals, business remains stagnant and sales dwindle.With no game plan opportunities are wasted, and growth is impossible. Mangers play an important role in a business by defining objectives, setting goals and following up. Leadership abilities: Skillful leaders are always on! From a simple gesture such as greeting employees with eye contact and a smile, to more difficult maneuvers such as leading the team through achieving a difficult task, great management always understands that the workers are the most important asset to his business. Being an approachable leader is imperative to the success of a manager.When a manager is easier to approach, the business has a better chance of addressing critical issues that will influence the achievement of the goals. Leadership plays a key role in the managing of any business. Delegation skills: No one can do everything themselves nor should they ever try. Effective managers not only delegate, they know what is important to delegate and what is better left in their own hands. Some managers delegate everything and actually have little control over the operations of the business. This can lead to poor quality and sloppy ractices. Other managers are so tight with power they try and do everything alone, which is a big blunder. It undermines the staff, and sends a clear message to them not to interfere or provide input. This is missing the opportunities that can expand the business. It also goes nowhe re in developing a competent and well trained staff. Tenacity: the role of the manager is have a complete commitment to his/her business. Commitment to the goals of the organization, to the employees, customers, and also a commitment to themselves.To have a steady hand when things get tough, and the confidence to stick to the plan and follow through. When the manager takes on the role of total commitment to the business, the rest of the goals fall into place. People love success, and want to follow successful people. Confidence breeds success, and a successful manager is committed to winning. Goal setting, leadership, and dedication to the business, are all important roles a manager works on to run a successful business. Without direction and drive, businesses falter.Managers play an important role in a business because they are the goal setters, the go to person, and the steady hand, that brings success! Management is comprised of the people who lead, guide and shape an organizatio n. A formal meaning of management is described as â€Å"the process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives in an efficient and ethical manner† (Kreitner-Kinicki, 2006). Organizations often have different philosophical beliefs and vision, but a common trait all businesses possess is an established management framework, although these can vary in structure.Despite the varying factors of structure which may exist amongst organizations, the foundational role of management in a company bear a lot of similarities because they all have the need to be able to successfully meet their companies' objectives. Effective managers possess a unique set of problem solving tools which they keep in a â€Å"managerial toolbox†. These tools are a compilation of several skills and managerial techniques used to apply in situations to help make the best decisions and fulfill their leadership role.For instance if a conflict occurs between employees or an ethica l dilemma arises, managers can dig into their proverbial toolbox and effectively use these techniques to solve the problem. These proficiencies enable managers to be able to make good choices and help a company to succeed and grow. *Traditional Managerial Roles Managers need to be able to effectively follow through on organizational mission and work hard to meet their company's objectives. As a part of this function it is important for management to coordinate organization and planning.A good manager defines strategies, goals for the company to achieve and establishes a vision and direction. An important role management must play is the decision maker. This applies to financial, budgetary, personnel, policy and security judgments. These are not always easy decisions, but they must be made and management takes on that duty. Strategic planning is an essential task and managers work to set targets and progress to make sure benchmarks are reached in a timely fashion. This planning ultim ately culminates in meeting goals (and hopefully increasing! ) profitability.While ensuring financial stability is an important component of management, profits and budgets are not the only management duties that are performed. Managerial members are also highly engaged in leading and motivating, team building, dynamics and the overall development growth of the business. A good manager realizes the value of a company's employees and leads with the intent Every business or organization requires planning, direction, organization and control for it to set off and continue to grow. It is the role of management to perform such duties for the perpetual existence and increased productivity of the organization.Management plays a crucial role in business by doing some of the following: Planning. A business must have goals and objectives, as well as the course of action that must be taken to achieve them. Management make this happen. They set goals and objectives for the business. At the same time, they plan on how they will achieve them, and offer guidelines to the rest of the team members. Organizing. Management determines the internal structure of the organization, such as assigning roles to different people in different departments.After determining the course action, management must determine what kind of management structure they need to follow. This is where they design organizational charts and assign roles to different titles or people. Staffing. Managers are tasked to recruit, hire and train people to perform various functions in the business, as laid out in the organizational structure. They also make decisions regarding how much they should pay the employees as well as their benefits, if any. Control. This is one of the major roles of management.It is necessary to set performance standards based on the established goals and objectives of the organization. This is to be used as a yard stick to measure the performance and compare it with the projected outcome. And if deviations should occur, it is management's responsibility to take necessary action. A business cannot perform without some form of control and this is where management comes in. Direction. In order for an organization to fulfill its goals and objectives, and especially in the modern era of doing business, management must influence its employees to perform to their best and more efficiently.Management is therefore important in motivating, leading, supervising teams in businesses. This is where great leadership skills become essential. Conflict resolution. Somehow related to direction, management plays an important role of resolving internal conflicts as they arise in business. Without management, there would be no one to deal with the small issues that arise in most businesses. But because managers are the focal point in the business, they are constantly working to create harmony so employees can focus on the business goals other than interpersonal issues.

Free Essays on Lost Boy

People live lives so carelessly that they forget how precious life can be. But there are some people out their that value the meaning of life because they don’t have one. Now you might be wondering how is it possible for someone who doesn’t have a life even realize life? Confusing yes but not for Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer has been through sick times and unimaginable horror with his biological mother. Now you must be wondering how could someone’s mother do anything to her child, its not possible. In fact the question at issue is how could she even be a mother with her cruel behavior with the child? That is where I start to tell you about the book I just read called â€Å"the Lost Boy† by Dave Pelzer himself. This book is the sequence to the first book, â€Å"A Child called It†. And does have a third book following this one. Dave Pelzer as a child lived in a sick environment at home and when I say sick I mean just unimaginable things he had to go through that maybe in my sense a kidnapper might not have done when he/she abducts a child. At around age 5 in the first sequence Dave’s mother or as he likes to refer her as â€Å"The Mother†, started treating him bad by abusing him, making him wash bathrooms with hazardous chemicals, drink the chemicals, eat a baby’s number two from a diaper, beating him till he was knocked out, not giving him food and when he came home from school making him throw up any food he might have had from outside, and many more horrible forms of an abuse anyone might come up with. He never really lived like a normal child for instance his mother would make him sleep in the garage at nights where he would have no source of heating except his body heat and his dreams to take him away from the cruel reality he faces every millisecond of his life. The dogs were even treated better than Dave. But all of that stops when this second serial book starts. Dave is finally taken out of the hell hole he had... Free Essays on Lost Boy Free Essays on Lost Boy People live lives so carelessly that they forget how precious life can be. But there are some people out their that value the meaning of life because they don’t have one. Now you might be wondering how is it possible for someone who doesn’t have a life even realize life? Confusing yes but not for Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer has been through sick times and unimaginable horror with his biological mother. Now you must be wondering how could someone’s mother do anything to her child, its not possible. In fact the question at issue is how could she even be a mother with her cruel behavior with the child? That is where I start to tell you about the book I just read called â€Å"the Lost Boy† by Dave Pelzer himself. This book is the sequence to the first book, â€Å"A Child called It†. And does have a third book following this one. Dave Pelzer as a child lived in a sick environment at home and when I say sick I mean just unimaginable things he had to go through that maybe in my sense a kidnapper might not have done when he/she abducts a child. At around age 5 in the first sequence Dave’s mother or as he likes to refer her as â€Å"The Mother†, started treating him bad by abusing him, making him wash bathrooms with hazardous chemicals, drink the chemicals, eat a baby’s number two from a diaper, beating him till he was knocked out, not giving him food and when he came home from school making him throw up any food he might have had from outside, and many more horrible forms of an abuse anyone might come up with. He never really lived like a normal child for instance his mother would make him sleep in the garage at nights where he would have no source of heating except his body heat and his dreams to take him away from the cruel reality he faces every millisecond of his life. The dogs were even treated better than Dave. But all of that stops when this second serial book starts. Dave is finally taken out of the hell hole he had...

Veterans Day Quotes to Moisten Every Patriots Eyes

Veterans Day Quotes to Moisten Every Patriots Eyes It takes courage for a soldier to risk life and limb for his country. The least we civilians can do is to honor these heroes. That is the basis of the Veterans Day celebration- to venerate these great men and women with words of appreciation. The edifice of our society stands on the martyrdom of these selfless souls. Here are some inspiring Veterans Day quotes. They remind the younger generation of their duty towards their country and inspire them to uphold the tradition of liberty, fraternity, and equality. Arthur Koestler The most persistent sound which reverberates through mens history is the beating of war drums. Sun Tzu Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death! Allan Keller The only war is the war you fought in. Every veteran knows that. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. Publius Cornelius Tacitus In valor there is hope. James Baker If youre not gonna pull the trigger, dont point the gun. Abraham Lincoln Dont interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties. Frederick the Great The most certain way of ensuring victory is to march briskly and in good order against the enemy, always endeavoring to gain ground. Francois de la Rochefoucauld Perfect valor is to behave, without witnesses, as one would act were all the world watching. Richard Watson Gilder Better than honor and glory, and Historys iron pen,Was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men. Michel de Montaigne Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul. Oliver Wendell Holmes Lord, bid wars trumpet cease;Fold the whole earth in peace. Elmer Davis This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. Thomas Dunn English But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye. Maya Angelou How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! Andrew Bernstein The hero is the man dedicated to the creation and/or defense of reality-conforming, life-promoting values. John Fitzgerald Kennedy As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Earlene Larson Jenks Have the courage to act instead of react. Sidney Sheldon My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place- police, firefighters, and members of our armed forces. Michel de Montaigne When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? Dwight D. Eisenhower Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. Mark Twain In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. Jim Ramstad Americas veterans deserve the very best health care because theyve earned it. Ronald Reagan History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap. Steve Buyer Americas veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 229 years ago. Jennifer Granholm We cant equate spending on veterans with spending on defense. Our strength is not just in the size of our defense budget, but in the size of our hearts, in the size of our gratitude for their sacrifice. And thats not just measured in words or gestures. John Doolittle Americas Veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world. Buckminster Fuller Either war is obsolete or men are. Solomon Ortiz As a former veteran, I understand the needs of veterans, and have been clear- we will work together, stand together with the Administration, but we will also question their policies when they shortchange veterans and military retirees. Zack Wamp Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families are making. Our Vietnam Veterans have taught us that no matter what our positions may be on policy, as Americans and patriots, we must support all of our soldiers with our thoughts and our prayers. Gary Hart I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.

Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Individual Project - Essay Example It is due to the reason that the values and choices of different cultures are extensively unparallel and a single product or service with it common features are somewhat inefficient to satisfy the needs of these ethnic groups. For instance, the failure of Walt Disney’s marketing strategy adapted especially focussing on the Eastern Region comprising of Mainland China and Hong Kong was due to the company’s misinterpretations of the cultural diversities of these two economies. To be included, both the cultures enjoy vacations for two-three days during the Lunar New Year which was categorised as the special days by the company. In this case, the company issued large number of discount tickets to both the ethnic groups in 2006. This incidentally increased the number of eligible customers to an amount which was uncontrollable by the company and therefore headed to a dramatic failure of the company’s marketing scheme (Bradsher, 2006). Apart from Walt-Disney, there are n umerous companies operating in the multicultural market which have faced various issue related to the concept of multicultural marketing. ... Critical Issues Faced by Managers Evidences reveal that marketing is not the same as it was according to the traditional notions. Today, marketing has grown to be much wider and complex in its realistic practices accumulating numerous variables ranging from the customers’ income level to their needs and their cultures as well. It is due to the fact, that marketing at present is all about serving the customers according to their needs and choices in order to gain a certain amount of profit and achieve the optimum organisational goal. Therefore, it is quite essential for a marketer to know the targeted market, i.e. its cultural perceptions along with the economic values. It is in this context that managers, as marketers and leaders of an organisation face certain major issues while executing their marketing strategies focussing on a multicultural paradigm (Trompenaars & Woolliams, 2004). Ethical Issues Ethical challenges are one of the major issues faced by the managers in order to serve their ultimate customer group in a multicultural market. There are various influencing factors affecting the strategic philanthropy of multicultural marketing active in the given business environment of an organisation. Notably, globalisation is one such factor influencing the strategic decisions of marketers in virtue of multicultural dimensions. For instance, the total amount of world trade was recorded to grow more than six times from 1950 to 2000. As a result, the annual outflow of FDI increased to a record height of $1.3 trillion in the year 2000. This certain fact depicts the expansion of business in global terms and its long-lasting affect on the

Explain your view of the role of television Essay

Explain your view of the role of television - Essay Example The primary purpose of television is entertainment and amusement. For many people, television replaces reading and theatre, movie and other forms of entertainment. The introduction of television into society seems to have an important effect on frequent hobbies and activities, according to research done in Great Britain in the early 1990s as television was being introduced into that country. An initial decrease in all activities, but most infrequent activities tended to "rebound" after the novelty of television wore off. Television has yet a different meaning to teenagers as its role is limited (Charlton 2001). Most adults watch television for entertainment and information -- and as a means of "unwinding" from a long day of work. The effect television has on adults is different than the effect it has on children, however, not only because they watch different kinds of programs but also because they have a different understanding of the world. Television has become our most powerful a nd pervasive mass medium. Virtually no home is without a TV, even if there is no telephone. Families watch television an average of seven hours a day. Television has rapidly permeated both our public and private spaces; as TV sets have multiplied inside the home, they have also moved into hospitals, train stations, airplanes, restaurants, and even parks and beaches. For instance, reality shows and soap operas are the main forms of home entertainment for millions of people (Signorielli & Bacue 1999). The most popular are the Castaway, Celebrity Wrestling, The Experiment, Hells Kitchen. Watching these programs, people rely on television for much of their information about the world. It has surpassed newspapers as the primary source of news for most UK viewers In national emergencies, TV is where people turn for information and reassurance. This dependency on television endows it with considerable power—to focus national attention on a single event, to make or