The Definition of Success :: Definition Essays 2014

"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.† – Swami Vivekananda -- What is success? How can I come successful? There's a library's worth of self-help books on how to become successful. Yet, at the end of the day, each of us decides our own personal definition of success. How will we balance security and adventure, challenge and safety, mastery versus risk-taking?.   Learning expert Dawna Markova's words are simple yet profound: "Each of us is here to give something that only we can offer, and when we avoid knowing ourselves, we end up living numb, passionless lives, disconnected from our soul's true purpose." How do we figure out that true purpose? Sometimes, it comes to us when we quiet the busyness in our hectic lives, when we look inward. For young adults, it often requires moving through the world, engaging in many new and different experiences to find what calls us, what excites us. While you are figuring out how you want to define success, it's useful to build leadership capacities, because the more capacity you own, the more options you will have over time.   Knowing yourself well is one capacity. Speaking effectively is another. So are writing persuasively, speaking a second language, and learning how to read a financial statement. The capacity that seems to be the best predictor of long-term success in the work world is learning agility-the ability to keep acquiring new knowledge, building ever more capacity. We know that adventures, such as traveling to new places and undertaking new projects, build capacity. Real-life work experiences-managing deadlines, receiving/giving feedback, identifying problems, and developing creative solutions-all build capacity and skills. This proves especially true when the work is new and different. Working in teams, interacting with

James Fenimore Cooper

Connor Roche Research Paper JAMES FENIMORE COOPER James Fenimore Cooper was an important literary figure of the 1800s, best known for his novels. He is perhaps most noted for his greatest work of literature: The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757, a tale that chronicles the journey of several English people and a few Native Americans during the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Days War. Cooper’s work on this novel and others such as The Prairie reflects his different approach regarding certain commonly held ideas of the time. This was especially true concerning the present-day views most people had about Native Americans. However, Cooper’s work also reflected his compliance with the most popular fine arts movement of his time: Romanticism. To completely grasp the scope of Cooper’s writing, some background on Cooper’s life, and the social customs and ideas of his time are necessary. Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 to Elizabeth Fenimore and William Cooper, the founder of the city of Cooperstown, NY. After expulsion from Yale College, Cooper pursued a career as a sailor on a merchant ship, traveling as far as the Strait of Gibraltar. Following this was a brief stint in the United States Navy, followed by farming. During his expeditions at sea, James Cooper seriously considered becoming a writer. In fact, most of his stories tell tales of sailors and sea trips, inspired by his own days on the water (Literature Network). At the time of Cooper’s writing, Native Americans were often held in contempt, mistreated, and oppressed. This had been a common aspect of society since the days of Columbus’ first expeditions to the Americas (Cassutto). The Native Americans were regarded with prejudice, hatred, and most of all fear, as is present when experiencing any unknown thing. Often times, brutal massacres were carried out, killing hundreds of innocent Native Americans. Cooper attempted to change such ideas through the relationships established between characters in his books, as is best shown by The Last of the Mohicans. This book was actually the second (and best known) in a series of five â€Å"Leatherstocking Tales† In this story, the two of the main characters are a white man named Natty Bumppo and a Native American named Uncas, who is the titular â€Å"Last of the Mohicans†. These two men, though they were from completely different backgrounds, form a very close bond, and show that interracial cooperation is extremely plausible, and actually useful. Furthermore, Natty Bumppo goes as far as adopting a Native American name, Hawkeye, to show that he truly could blend in with the Native Americans and act peacefully with them. The actual story takes place during the French and Indian War, about 30 years before Cooper was born. Though the war is named after two groups, the actual struggle was part of a huge conflict between several nations, including Austria, England, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Sweden. In the American colonies, the war resulted from excessive pressure from the British for additional resource collection and production. This resulted in higher taxes, more strenuous work, etc. During the war in the colonies, the Native Americans (Indians) faced the French, who, allied with the British, extended the war for seven years. Considering the effects that the events of the time period would have had on the people, the works of James Fenimore Cooper could even be considered revolutionary. Despite the heavy racism of the time, Cooper stressed the importance and possibility of interracial cooperation, and even seemed to promote it. In other words, he was not afraid to change the stereotype and provide an alternate view of Native Americans. However, as with all situations, James Fenimore Cooper also provides a negative, more foreboding side to the relationship between different cultures. Specifically, he seems to promote friendship and brotherhood, but strongly warns against interracial romance. This seems to be a common theme of his contemporaries, who also strongly agreed that interracial romance was to be strictly off-limits. Though not stated directly by Cooper, the fates of several of the characters in The Last of the Mohicans shows that Cooper believed that interracial love would lead to tragedy. This is implicitly stated through the unfortunate deaths of two of the main characters. In the story, Uncas, the aforementioned Mohican, and Cora Munro, an English general’s daughter, begin a budding romance that leads to their eventual demise. Cora is kidnapped by the villain of the story, a Native American of the Huron tribe named Magua. During rescue attempts, both Cora and Uncas are inevitably killed. The death of these two characters seems to suggest that interracial romance will lead only to failure and is highly dangerous. On a very basic level, it is the essential differences between the cultures that cause a split that leads to the failure of the romance. In this case, the brutal nature of the Native Americans causes the death of both the sheltered English girl, and even the tough, hardened Native American man. At this point, it is clear that James Fenimore Cooper did not adhere to the racial conventions of his time. Despite some warning of the dangers of cultural mixing, in his literature, he stood by his own beliefs of interracial interaction. However, James Cooper did follow others in his era with the type of literature he wrote. His work was reflective of the Romantic style of writing and at the time of his novels’ creations, the Romantic Era was in full-swing in America. The Romantic era was a movement in the fields of art, literature, and intellectualism that originated in Europe in the late 1700s. The movement placed a heavy emphasis on emotions such as fear, horror, and awe rather than reason. Also, there is a superiority of mystery over clarity, and importance given to the individual, rather than the standards of society. This could be easily expressed through art, but through literature, the conveyance of such emotions was a very new experience. Certain effects of the movement were clearly reflected in Cooper’s literature. For example, along with the Romantic movement came the inspiration of political change, and also, in stark contrast, descriptions of heavily romanticized (hence the name of the period) situations and settings, such as â€Å"a mock-medieval castle perched dramatically above a craggy ravine† (History World). Elements such as these are clearly evident in Cooper’s work, especially the emphasis on setting. Using rich descriptive language, Cooper gives details of all the areas that his characters venture through. At times, the extensiveness of his description is so rich that a reader may feel as though he or she is actually experiencing the setting. This was very common in Romantic literature, and can be seen in the following passage from The Last of the Mohicans: â€Å"The mountain on which they stood, elevated, perhaps a thousand feet in the air, was a high cone that rose a little in of advance of that range which stretches for miles along the western shores of the lake, until meeting its sister piles, beyond the water, it ran off toward the Canadas, in confused and broken masses of rock thinly sprinkled with evergreens. † (The Last of the Mohicans, James Fenimore Cooper, 177) Aside from the Romantic descriptions of locations and characters, Coopers work also showed a great amount of diversion from previously held ideals, as mentioned above in his explorations of interracial friendships and interaction. This seems to carry an underlying feeling of political activism, which was another of the attributes of the Romantic Movement. The activism lies in the implication that racial boundaries should be reexamined and reevaluated. Though Cooper does not say outright that his novel should spark a revolution, his work does imply that there is a desperate need for change in society. Furthermore, some aspects of the novel could be seen as an anti-war statement made by Cooper. This was a shared sentiment among many of his contemporaries, and carried on even through the Vietnam War in the late 1900s. However, this sentiment could be seen by analyzing the novel from a Romantic Movement point of view. Returning to the idea of descriptive nature, Cooper often gives descriptions not only of the beauty of the land, but also of its inherent danger. In the story, nature provides almost as much of a struggle for the main characters as the war does for the soldiers. In a sense, it seems as if Cooper was trying to say that nature was the real enemy, not other humans. The anti-war sentiment could not only be interpreted metaphorically through the text, it was also sometimes stated explicitly. In the following passage, James Cooper’s disgust for war and fighting is evident, as he describes the battle as an extremely gruesome occurrence: â€Å"More than two thousand raging savages broke out from the forest at signal and threw themselves across the fatal plain with instinctive alacrity. We shall not dwell upon the revolting horrors that succeeded. Death was everywhere in his most terrific and disgusting aspects †¦ The flow of blood might be likened to the outbreaking of a torrent†¦ and as the natives became†¦maddened by the fight, many among them†¦drank freely†¦hellishly of the crimson tide. †(Mohicans, Cooper 222) As was made clear by this passage, Cooper clearly resented the war and the horrors it brought with it. In Conclusion, the works of James Fenimore Cooper gave a clear representation of the ideals and movements of his time. His writing was reflective of the new intellectual, artistic, and literary Romantic Movement, shown by its beautifully descriptive passages and also by its deviation from what was previously accepted as normalcy. Furthermore, his works deviated from not only his predecessors, but also his contemporaries, as he implicitly supported the furthering of positive interracial interaction and cooperation. Coopers work was a great addition to his era, and greatly helped reflect the changing times and culture of the 19th century.

Nurture as Predictor of Happiness Essay

Nature versus Nurture as Predictor of Happiness Introduction            Happiness is one trait that is quite difficult to define and explain in human beings since different people have different things which they feel brings happiness to them which may be the complete opposite in other people (Phoenix, 2007, pp.104). One thing that may raise positive emotions in one individual may raise the opposite negative emotions in another person, hence making it quite difficult to have a clear cut definition of happiness. This tends to raise the question of what exactly always makes one happy and what are the relative importances of nature versus nurture as predictor of happiness in human beings. According to Phoenix (2007), â€Å"The behavior of people and other animals cannot be understood without taking account of the influence of their environments as well as their biology† (Phoenix, 2007, p.104). This means that happiness as part of human beings can be an influence of nature or nurture as the main predictors of the happiness of an ind ividual. People who conducted research and came up with the various cause of happiness or the predictors of happiness must have experienced happiness at one point during their lifetime (Spoors, et al, 2007, pp.5).            This could simply indicate that every human being has the chance and opportunity of experiencing happiness in the life at one point. It is not quite easy to provide a straight forward definition of happiness which can be used in general at any time when there is reference to be made concerni8ng happiness. However, happiness may be said to be simply a form of mood which is affirmative and tends to cover a certain variety of emotions which may range from being delighted or even satisfied and conversely (Spoors, et al, 2007, pp.5). The above definition is totally opposed to the dichotomy, because the dichotomy is divided into two parts, for example, joy and sorrow, which are mutually exclusive and simultaneously create a whole. A proven example is a wedding the bride’s. Mother cries for daughter’s wedding, but simultaneously she has joy in it. This happiness is associated with feelings and emotions that people feel the depending on the situation in which they find themselves. In correlation with this, it can be accomplished of â€Å"happiness and unhappiness cannot be viewed as opposite or mutually exclusive† (Spoors, et al, 2007, pp.5).            According to the assumptions of this concept, the pursuit of happiness, which you want each person is driven by human activities, and at the same time a source of satisfaction, fulfillment, and sometimes a sense of success. Therefore, the benefits associated with happiness include; better health, well-being, a lot greater activity level, willingness to help, and better relationships with others. People who are considered to be unhappy tend not to have the above mentioned emotions and they rarely display such emotions since they have not been able to experience happiness, or even the activities which causes happiness in human beings (Spoors, et al, 2007, pp.5).            When a question is asked about what makes hu8mna beings happy, most of the people would put main focus on the kind of thoughts they have, the kind of relationships that they have which can include close relationships and those that are not close. Furthermore, the question on what makes one happy will also make one to put focus on the brains since it is the one that generates the thoughts which in turn are closely related to the relationships that people have. The factors which act as the determinants of happiness have nature and to some extent have nurture. A healthy lifestyle and a happy brain this nurture issues, because â€Å"in order for us to have a sense of wellbeing and happiness, our brains and bodies need a consistent source of food and oxygen† (Spoors at al., 2007, pp.26 – 9, material).            Therefore, it can be agreed that the main causes of happiness which have been suggested as most common include the relationships, the brain and the thoughts. Spoors (2007) observes that for human beings to have a sense of happiness or even well being, they must be able to live a healthy lifestyle as well as have constant supply of oxygen for the functioning of the body and the brain. Furthermore, â€Å"Many people on high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diets have reported unusually high feelings of anger, tension and depression†, as observed by Spoors (2007). This means that for one to feel happy or have the sense of well being, they must have sufficient balanced diet and also constant supply of oxygen for a healthy body and a healthy brain.            From research conducted by Davidson, people inherit some genes which make one have a genetic predisposition of happiness to a certain level, although this does not mean that there are people who are born unhappy or gloom while others are born happy (Spoors, et al, pp.26-9). According to Shakespeare (2005 edition), â€Å"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so†, meaning that what one thinks greatly contributes to them being happy or not. People tend to focus on negative aspects of life whenever they feel they have low spirits. This in turn affects their happiness and instead leaves them feeling much worse. The natural environment where one lives and the kind of nurture and experiences in life contributes to the way one thinks and influences the thoughts that one has, which in turn have been observed to influence the happiness that an individual will display.            This clearly indicates that the thoughts that people have play a major role in them being happy or unhappy. Ellen and Judy (1976) conducted a research and they found out that when people are able to control small issues that affect their life, they are in better position to enhance their happiness (Spoors et al, 2007, pp.53-7). From research which was conducted by Richard Layard (2005), it was observed that there are seven major factors which influence happiness in human beings but the main factor that was identified was close relationships. This same idea was supported by Robert Lane (2000, p. 6), who identified close relationships with families and friends to be great factor that increased human happiness (Spoors et al, 2007, pp.83-5). The views presented by the various researchers regarding the causes or the predictors of happiness are quite convincing considering the kind of research that they have presented is in-depth. Human beings do things because of how th ey feel and most of the actions are more influenced by nature and nurture, which in turn determines the happiness that human beings display. Therefore, it can be said that nature and nurture are both important determinants or the predictors of the happiness of human beings because they all have direct influence on the thoughts, the brain activities and the kind of relationships which people have during their lifetime. References Phoenix, A. (2007) ‘Identities and diversities’ in Miell, D., Phoenix, A. and Thomas, K. (eds)  Mapping Psychology, p.  104. Spoors, P., Finlay, L. and Dyer, E. (2007)  Starting with Psychology p.  5; 26-9; 53-7; 83-5 Source document

Diceratops - Facts and Figures

Diceratops - Facts and Figures Name: Diceratops (Greek for two-horned face); pronounced die-SEH-rah-tops; also known as Nedoceratops Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 2-3 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Two horns; odd holes on sides of skull About Diceratops (Nedoceratops) You can learn a lot about Greek numbers by studying ceratopsian (horned face) dinosaurs and their distant and not-so-distant relatives. Theres no such animal (yet) as Monoceratops, but Diceratops, Triceratops, Tetraceratops and Pentaceratops make for a nice progression (alluding to two, three, four and five horns, as indicated by the Greek roots di, tri, tetra and penta). An important note, though: Tetraceratops wasnt a ceratopsian, or even a dinosaur, but a therapsid (mammal-like reptile) of the early Permian period. The dinosaur we call Diceratops also rests on shaky ground, but for another reason. This late Cretaceous ceratopsian was diagnosed at the turn of the 20th century by the famous paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh, on the basis on a single, two-horned skull lacking the characteristic nasal horn of Triceratopsand given the name Diceratops, by another scientist, a few years after Marshs death. Some paleontologists believe this skull actually belonged to a deformed Triceratops, and others say Diceratops should properly be assigned to the synonymous genus Nedoceratops (insufficient horned face.) If, in fact, Diceratops winds up reverting to Nedoceratops, then the possibility exists that Nedoceratops was directly ancestral to Triceratops (this last, most famous ceratopsian only awaiting the evolutionary development of a third prominent horn, which should only have taken a few million years). If thats not confusing enough, another option has been touted by the famously iconoclastic paleontologist Jack Horner: perhaps Diceratops, aka Nedoceratops, was actually a juvenile Triceratops, in the same way Torosaurus may have been an unusually elderly Triceratops with a grotesquely overwrought skull. The truth, as always, awaits further fossil discoveries.

Lucozade Essays

Lucozade Essays Lucozade Paper Lucozade Paper 1: Introduction This report will critically be discussing the marketing strategy, position and the marketing mix employed by LUCOZADE and the use of some principles. Therefore, the analysis will help to identify how brand is positioned in the energy drinks market and how company promotes its product. After analysing existing marketing strategies, recommended future strategies will be given to advice companies of where the brands are leading to and how they will get there. 1. 1 Company Introduction LUCOZADE A pharmacist in Newcastle formulated Lucozade in 1927. He formulated an easily digestible glucose drink that could help recovery from sickness by providing them with energy when they did not feel like eating food. In 1938 the brand was bought by Beecham and was distributed nationwide, soon becoming renowned across the country as a trusted symbol of recovery. However, by the 1970s there was a decreasing role for Lucozade in people’s lives as the general population began to grow healthier as the incidence of illness became less frequent. As a result, sales of Lucozade began to drop. An initial brand repositioning, which remained rooted in health and recovery, sought to position Lucozade as a healthy provider of energy to help people recover from the natural daily lulls in energy they might suffer during the day. It was in 1982 that the most significant and successful re-positioning took place. ‘Aids recovery’ was removed from the bottle and was replaced with ‘Replaces lost energy’. Lucozade became a brand that could provide energetic, busy and successful people with the energy they needed to perform to their full potential. In 1990 the Lucozade brand diversified further with the launch of Lucozade Sport, a range of isotonic sports drinks. In balance with your natural body fluids, the brand promised to ‘get to your thirst, fast’. More recently, Lucozade Sport Hydro Active was launched in 2003. 1. 2 Report Summary The objectives of this report for LUCOZADE are: 1. To show how Lucozade develops its marketing strategy and identify the principles and processes involved. 2. To describe the tools and techniques used to produce a strategic marketing plan and show clearly how these have been applied. 3. To investigate whether Lucozade used option generation and evaluation in developing the strategic marketing plan. 4. To develop and produce a written strategic marketing plan for Lucozade. Section 2: Red Bull’s Marketing Strategy The UK total cold drinks market is large and competitive, with many powerful and famous brands with large marketing budgets competing for share. As a result, the market can be an ever-evolving test for brands that wish to continue to grow in a category that is currently worth ? 3. 55 billion. Within the cold drinks market, increases in the soft drinks category have been slowing. However, growth has been driven considerably by the Energy drink sector, which was worth an estimated ? 940 million in 2006 and has grown +26% since 2003. (Source: Mintel Energy Stimulant drinks Market Report August 2006). The Energy drink category continues to grow at pace with brand extensions and new entrants to the market emerging every year. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the category’s leading brands. (Source: Nielsen value share data, MAT to December 27th 2006). Since its launch, Lucozade has been the market leader in the Energy drink category with just under 60% value share of the category. Key competitors include Red Bull and PowerAde with 27% and 4. 5% value share respectively. 2003 also witnessed the introduction of several Private Label sport and energy drink launches from the major grocers. The rest of the market is made up with a plethora of smaller brands, predominantly operating in the stimulant drinks sector, and distributed via the Impulse channel and the on-trade environment. | |Red Bull |Solstis |Lucozade Original Energy |Purdeys |Red Devil |Feelfine |Tesco Kick | |Average price |? . 96 |? 0. 90 |? 0. 75 |? 0. 70 |? 0. 90 |? 1. 09 |? 0. 48p | |Pack size |250ml |250ml |380ml |330ml |250ml |250ml |250ml | Section 3: Strategic Marketing Plan 3. 1 PEST Analysis of Red Bull |POLITICAL |If Government imposes health and safety restrictions on the amount of energy drinks that should| | |be consumed, it would affect the amount of energy drinks that are bought. | |If Government introduce import/export charges on the energy drinks market, it may increase/ | | |decrease the amount of energy drinks that are imported and exported. | |ECONOMIC |Inflation would increase the price of drinks and at the same time, consumers’ real disposable | | |income will reduce. Therefore, consumers are likely to buy less energy drinks, as they are not | | |necessities. |SOCIETAL |If company decides to launch its product in a new country, its costs may rise, as it will have | | |to produce different language labels. | | |As the population of youths increase, energy drinks companies may see an increase in the amount| | |of drinks sold. | |TECHNOLOGICAL |More hi-tech technology may enable companies to produce more drinks at a cheaper cost and at | | |the same time improving the quality of the packaging. | |Companies can use the Internet to help advertise and promote its products. It can also sell | | |large quantities of its product direct to its consumers. It is a new way to communicate with | | |consumers i. e. cheap and efficient market research method. | 3. 2 SWOT Analysis of Red Bull Strengths 1. Red Bull is a leader in the ever-growing niche market of energy drinks. 2. The brand has a strong footbold in major markets such as Germany and UK and more recently, (since 2002), the vast US market. 3. Red Bull has a distribution agreement with Cadbury Schweppes; this is positive for further international expansion of the brand. 4. Its network of international subsidiaries are well-developed and will aid the company to effectively move products throughout the globe. Weaknesses 1. Since Red Bull is a private company, it has very few sources to generate capital for international growth and internal expansion in comparison with its public competition. . Red Bull has a lack of diversification in its drinks, although it did release its sugar-free version in 2003. Hence, the company is ‘missing out’ on potential profits that exist in other soft-drink sub sectors. 3. Red Bull firm focus on energy drinks, and hence, if there were to be a drop in demand in the future, it would be left highly vulnerable. Opportunities 1. Red Bull is still quite a new pr oduct in the growing functional drinks market, which leaves a lot of room for development in major markets (eg: UK and US) 2. Expansion of Red Bull’s original line may help to strengthen its customer base (eg: as was seen with the release of Red Bull Sugarfree in 2003) 3. The development of a functional drink is a possibility. Since Red Bull is normally consumed before participation in a sporting event, the company could create an apre-sport, hydrating drink that also replenished vitamis and minerals lost from physical exertion. 4. Continuation of its tradition of entering new markets through the process of on-trade, has potential on an international level. Threats 1. Many ‘copycat’ energy drinks such as Mad Bull and Red Devil threaten to take brand share from Red Bull. Although the company has won most lawsuits, litigation is expensive and the damages remain undisclosed. 2. Red Bull’s sales are threatened by the continued into the drinks market by key drink players such as Coca-Cola with its Powerade brand. 3. Since Red Bull is high In caffeine content and stimulant taurine, it is subject to regulation such as warning labels on cans which the EU imposed in 2002. Furthermore, the drink has been subject to negative press. For example, in Ireland, It was linked to the death of a student (1999) and a murder case (2001). 4. Many small operators also act as a threat because they have a high ‘cool’ value amongst younger consumers with whom energy drinks are popular. 3. 3 Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Here, the notions of market segmentation, targeting and positioning are key to the success of firms’ marketing efforts. Kotler and Armstrong (2004) provide a useful definition: â€Å"Dividing a market into distinct groups with distinct needs, characteristics, or behaviour who might require separate products or marketing mixes (239). Segmentation is important because firms cannot appeal to all customers at once, especially not with the same offering. Rather, firms need to design products and services that fit with particular groups of individuals. Firms can segment their market in a number of ways, including geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioural segmentation. Kotler and Armstrong (2004: 239-244) provide useful definitions: Geographic segmentation: â€Å"Dividing a market into different geographical units such as nations, states, regions, countries, cities, or neighbourhoods†; Demographic segmentation: â€Å"Dividing the market into groups based on demographic variables such as age, gender, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation, and nationality†; Psychographic segmentation: â€Å"Dividing a market into different groups based on social class, lifestyle, or personality characteristics†; and Behavioural segmentation: â€Å"Dividing a market into groups based on consumer knowledge, attitude, use, or response to a product. † Firms may also choose to segment a market using more than one mode of segmentation, such as geo-demographic segmentation. In order to segment a market effectively, the segment must be measurable, accessible, substantial, differentiable and actio nable. Once segmented, a firm should target specific segments. Kotler and Armstrong (2004) provide a useful definition: â€Å"The process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more segments to enter† (239). When firms evaluate the attractiveness of different market segments, they should examine its size and growth, structural attractiveness and the firm’s own objectives and resources. A large or fast growing market may not be the most attractive in the long-term or necessarily fit with the firm’s ability to take advantage of in the near-term. Structural factors, such as those discussed by Porter (1980) including barriers to entry and the intensity of rivalry amongst incumbents will also highlight the likelihood of a new entrant to appropriate existing rents. Ultimately, a firm must select those market segments that it wishes to target, which consist of groups of buyers with relatively homogenous needs or characteristics. The type of marketing strategy that should be employed will vary on the target market, but will broadly fit along four types described by Kotler and Armstrong (2004: 252-254): Undifferentiated (mass) marketing: â€Å"A market-coverage strategy in which a firm decides to ignore market segment differences and go after the whole market with one offer†; Differentiated (segmented) marketing: â€Å"A market-coverage strategy in which a firm decides to target several market segments and designs separate offers for each†; Concentrated (niche) marketing: â€Å"A market-coverage strategy in which a firm goes after a large share of one or a few segments or niches†; and Micromarketing: â€Å"The practice of tailoring products and marketing programs to the needs and wants of specific individuals and local customer groups – includes local marketing and individual marketing. † Choosing an appropriate target-marketing strategy will depend on a number of factors. A firm’s resources will determine its ability to serve a wide (or otherwise) market effectively, whilst product and market variability will dictate the need to differentiate the offering and the specific types of customers that may be attracted to its attributes. The placement of the product within the product life cycle will also have an impact, as will the marketing strategies of competitors. Once a firm has selected the segment(s) within which it wishes to compete, it must then choose a specific position within said segment(s) where it will distinguish itself (Kotler and Keller, 2006). This is known as market position (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004): â€Å"Arranging for a product to occupy a clear, distinctive, and desirable place relative to competing products in the minds of target customers† (239). The requirement of market positioning refers more broadly to the notion of competitive advantage. Porter (1985) argued that the purpose of strategic management was: â€Å"to establish a profitable and sustainable position against the forces that determine industry competition†. As such, firms should first identify the unique structure of their industry, in terms of the five forces – the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, the threat of substitute products and the intensity of rivalry amongst competing firms – that influence levels of competition. On this understanding, firms should then choose to compete on the basis of one of three generic strategic, whether that is overall cost leadership, differentiation or focus (Porter, 1980). Failure to do so will leave firms â€Å"stuck in the middle† (Porter, 1985: 16). The analysis of the firm’s value chain, which exposes its primary and support activities and their contribution to value added, helped the firm to identify the most appropriate generic strategy, as well as adapt its value chain accordingly to better suit the selected strategy and build competitive advantage (Porter, 1985). In this respect, marketers should seek to establish a unique selling point (USP) and strong value proposition that stresses the rationale for buying one firm’s products over another. 3. 4 Red Bull’s Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Strategy ‘Red Bull gives you wings. This is Red Bull’s international slogan for its energy drink, a product which states not only to increase reaction speed and physical strength, but also to improve the concentration and alertness of consumers. Red Bull is a popular drink amonst men in particular, with its lar gest consumers consiting of athletes, students, and night-clubbers in need of a late night lift. However, the brand is marketed to ‘opinion leaders and hard-working people with active lifestyles’, as the company’s website claims. RED BULL with sugar: |Demographics |Men and women aged 16-29 | |Geographics |Mainly people who are situated in the city, as they are likely to be really busy and tired. Red Bull | | |seems to have a cooler in most bars and clubs in the city as well as in convenient stores. | |Psychographics |People who are tired / stressed and want to relax and have fun. | |Behavioural |Students and young professionals to boost energy during work long day at work. | RED BULL sugar-free: |Demographics |Women aged 16-29 | |Geographics |Mainly in the city where there are many young professional women. | |Psychographics |Drivers who are tired and need and increase in concentration. Women who want an energy boost but are | | |on a diet. |Behavioural |Women who own a car and use it often for long journeys or are always stuck in traffic after work. As | | |well as tired health | Red Bull is one of the dominant forces in the ? 940 million energy drink market. As of 2006, the market had grown 26% since 2004. *Lucozade holds a 60% market share. Its next biggest competitor is Red Bull, with 27% market share (Nielsen value share data, 2006). Lucozade was initially developed as a health recovery product. In the 1980’s it enjoyed a successful repositioning that made it one of the first products targeted at healthy adults who needed energy boost. Since that repositioning it has concentrated on building relationship based partnerships with sporting events, iconic athletes and cutting edge community happenings where it can emphasize its long company history, top notch science and consumer brand familiarity and fondness. Lucozade follows a strategy of brand product expansion. Its makers respond to, and in some ways, drive trends in sports, fitness and energy recovery. There always seems to be a new flavor or new product. These new product’s attributes mirror the changing values and needs of each target consumer. Advertising links the product with known characters that consumers can aspire to, or rely heavily on logical and educational information that emphasize the â€Å"smartness† of users. In contrast, Red Bull succeeds by remaining exactly the same. Consumers can choose with sugar or without. There is no other choice. Instead, Red Bull remains responsive to consumers by expanding the situations where using the product is appropriate. As founder Dietrich Mateschitz says â€Å"We don’t bring the product to the people, we bring people to the product. † Marketing messages are fast paced and quirky. They create lightly specific situations that consumers can relate to, such as driving fatigue, and link Red Bull to the situation as a solution. *Lucozade: Other energy drink brand Red Bull marketing maintains a sense of product mystique that makes consumers feel special, as if they’ve discovered something no one else knows about. Customers can relate to the experience they were having when they encountered the drink and they adjust their values to the attributes of the product. Section 4: Developing and Producing a Strategic Marketing Plan 4. 1 Effectiveness of the Current Plan |Product |Red Bull was launched 17 years ago in 1987. Since then, it has stayed focused on one product. One size. One | | |colour. One sticky, sweet taste. | | |However, in 2003 Red Bull launched a sugar-free version of its original drink. The ingredients are the same | | |apart from the elimination of glucose and sucrose. | | |Red Bull is produced from a number of key ingredients: taurine, glucuronolactone and caffeine. A combination | | |of these ingredients when consumed, should: | | |Increase physical endurance | | |Improve concentration and reaction speed | | |Improves vigilance | | |Stimulates metabolism. | | |Red Bull is packaged in a slim, sleek, silver can. It isn’t sold in a bottle and it doesn’t have script | | |lettering like Coke or Pepsi. This makes it different to other energy drinks. However, many competitors are | | |now launching products, which look incredibly similar to Red Bull. | |Price |Prices range from ? 0. 96 ? 1. 90. | |Promotion |Red Bull’s promotion campaign is sleek and small and original. Even its most profitable strategies have a | | |very low cost. | | |Red Bull has a very effective marketing force: student brand managers. They provide student representatives | | |with free cases of its energy drink and then encourage them to throw a party. By doing so, the good word | | |about Red Bull is spread quickly and cheaply. | |There have been rumours that Red Bull is unsafe for minors and that the drink was linked to the deaths of | | |various teenagers. France has banned the sale of Red Bull altogether. However, Red Bull remains a popular | | |brand and they say that the rumours add to the brand’s mystique. | | |Another way that Red Bull markets its drinks is through people who drive around in Mini’s and Beetle’s with a| | |giant Red Bull can on the back. They find people who need energy and give them a free can of Red Bull. This | | |is a way to introduce Red Bull to the masses. | | |Red Bull relies heavily on bars and nightclubs to help promote its product. Alternative sports have also | | |proven to be a successful product trial arena; the company underwrites a number of extreme sports | | |competitions. Events include the Red Bull Huckfest, a ski and snowboard freestyle competition held in January| | |in Utah; and the Red Bull ‘Flugtag’ (German for flying day), amateur pilots will create exotic flying | | |machines and attempt to soar off the pier. | | |Red Bull uses TV advertising as well, these all feature whimsical sketches of a mysterious Austrian artist. | | |These advertisements serve more to amuse rather than to educate or entice consumers. | Place |Cans of Red Bull and Red Bull Sugarfree are sold in over 100 countries and are mainly sold in retail outlets and | | |bars/clubs in the city. | It has been established previously that the Energy Drinks Market is competitive and continues to grow; there are numerous competitors who emerge each year. Because this market is so competitive, Red Bull need to adopt good quali ty marketing strategies. Red Bull is produced by a private firm, GlaxoSmithKline. Since Red Bull is a private company, it has very few resources to generate capital for new expansion projects in comparison with GlaxoSmithKline. Red Bull was launched in 1987, since its launch, Red Bull has developed rapidly and as a consequence, it has attracted many imitators. Despite these imitators, Red Bull has still maintained its market share. Red Bull has always been promoted with the advertising slogan of ‘Red Bull gives you wings’ and focuses on the stimulant properties of the drink. It hasn’t created new products or re-positioned from its original product. However, a sugar-free version of Red Bull was launched in 2003. This lack of diversification hasn’t affected the sales volume of Red Bull, but they may have missed out on potential profits that exist in other drinks sub-sectors. Red Bull is aimed at men and women who are aged between 16-29. It is targeted at those who are situated in the city as they are likely to be busy and tired after a long day at work. It is also aimed at students who go out to bars and clubs after a long day. Red Bull’s promotion mix: Internet Ambient media Red Bull is not sponsored by such organisations; however, it sponsors extreme sports events. Most of Red bull’s promotional activities revolve around sports, and in particular, ‘extreme sports’ which was sourced from the founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, who had a deep interest in snowboarding and skateboarding. These implications are very obvious on the company’s website which includes lists of the many athletes that consume red bull. Such sports include paragliding and surfing. The Red Bull ‘Flugtag’ proves to be a successful way of promoting its product. The ‘Flugtag’ is an opportunity for amateur pilots to create crazy flying machines and attempt to fly off the pier. This has proved to be very popular with many younger people and ties in with the fact that Red Bull has a very effective and low-cost marketing force: student brand managers. Red Bull doesn’t limit its activities to sporting events. It also focuses on promoting its products on school campuses where it pushes brand leaders to sell the product on site. An example of this is in Australia, where literature was handed out, claiming that Red Bull stimulates the brain cells, and therefore the capability to study. Although Red Bull is generally produced for consumption during or rior to times of physical or emotional strain, it also has a reputation of a mixer and hence, sponsors Red Bull Music Academy. Through these strategies, Red Bull can develop a relationship with its consumers and the events which they host provide a good opportunity for youngsters to experience new events and have fun. Even their television advertisements seem to humour the consumers rather than to promote Red Bull. However, because of its high content of caffeine, Red Bull remains in a niche market as it is unsuitable for children under 16, the elderly and pregnant women. 4. 2 Recommendations for Improvement After extensively analysing Red Bull I have come up with various ways in which Red Bull can maintain its market share within this competitive market. In the close future, Red Bull should maintain to develop its international scope, through entering new markets and increasing its strong grip in countries that it already exists in. The best markets at the moment would be markets where energy drinks are only beginning to takeoff (ie: Southern Europe), and not markets such as the UK, due to the ever-increasing pressure from rival drinks. In the US, the market where Red Bull has been gaining strength rapidly since its 1997 launch, space still remains for growth due to the fact that the brand was only available in half of all US convenience stores in 2002. Due to the ever-increasing popularity of energy drinks, the company’s client base also has room to expand and should continue to do so. However, the various lawsuits pursued by the company are indicative of trading difficulties, in particular, the protection of the Red Bull brand, and such difficulties are likely to continue. Red Bull’s 2003 release of sugar-free sub-brand does not appear to have boosted sales. However, despite the first ever variant in the Red Bull portfolio receiving a lukewarm reception, the company may try boosting sales with either another line extension, or even through the development of another brand entirely. Within functional drinks alone, the company has many unexplored avenues available to it, such as hydrating beverage for those fortified with vitamins and minerals. This could also be an advantage to Red Bull just in case the market for energy drinks decrease. In conclusion, strategies that manipulate the market share division are more appropriate to a mature product segment. As long as the energy drink total market grows, both companies should focus on solidifying their consumer base. After the growth of the product market itself stabilizes, than focus in marketing will change to emphasize product switching. Red Bull could develop a brand new product which it could market to its existing client base, but they would firstly have to undertake a lot of research to see whether the new product would be suitable.

Difference Between Form1.Hide and Unload Me in VB 6

Difference Between Form1.Hide and Unload Me in VB 6 Hide and Unload are techniques in Visual  Basic 6- VB.NET does things differently. In VB6, you can see the difference clearly by creating a form with a CommandButton component and a test statement in the Click event. Note that these two statements are mutually exclusive, so only one can be tested at a time. Visual Basic 6 Unload Statement The Unload statement removes the form from memory. In most simple VB6 projects, Form1 is the startup object so the program stops running too. To prove this, code the first program with Unload. Private Sub Command1_Click()  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unload MeEnd Sub When the button is clicked in this project, the program stops. Visual Basic 6Hide Statement To demonstrate  Hide, run this code in VB6 so the Hide method of Form1 is executed. Private Sub Command1_Click()  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form1.HideEnd Sub Notice that Form1 disappears from the screen, but the square End icon on the Debug toolbar shows  the project is still active. If youre in doubt, the Windows Task Manager that is displayed with CtrlAltDel shows the project is still in Run mode. Communicating With a Hidden Form The Hide method only removes the form from the screen. Nothing else changes. For example, another process can still communicate with objects on the form after the Hide method is called. Heres a program that demonstrates that. Add another form to the VB6 project and then add a Timer component  and this code to Form1: Private Sub Command1_Click()  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form1.Hide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form2.ShowEnd Sub Private Sub Timer1_Timer()  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form2.Hide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form1.ShowEnd Sub In Form2, add a Command button control and this code: Private Sub Command1_Click()  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form1.Timer1.Interval 10000 10 seconds  Ã‚  Ã‚  Form1.Timer1.Enabled TrueEnd Sub When you run the project, clicking the button on Form1 makes Form1 disappear and Form2 appear. However, clicking the button on Form2 uses the Timer component on Form1 to wait 10 seconds before making Form2 disappear and Form1 appear again even though Form1 isnt visible. Since the project is still running, Form1 keeps appearing every 10 seconds- a technique you might use to drive a coworker batty one day.

Museum Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Museum Paper - Essay Example A numbers of these European artists spent their entire lives in the United States. All the paintings on the museum walls were created by these great artists between 1799 to 1843. It is observed that a number of paintings in the gallery depicted outdoor sceneries and the sky. The West painting measuring 34 by 25.6 cm was properly displayed in order to demonstrate the rich experiences of these artists. My first encounter with the West’s paintings in the museum walls were first confusing to me to an extent that I did not even recognize Benjamin Franklin, probably because I had little experience owing to my Qatar native and only two years of living experience in the united states. My little stay within the United States meant that I had little understanding of the American history. According to my understanding on these types of painting, I imaged that the West’s painting with a pictorial painting of an old man surrounded by angels as a person seeking for God’s divine and mercy because the pictures are made facing the sky. I my little understanding of the West’s art work, I thought these paintings symbolized guidance as the wends created a strong illusion of the presence of God in me and I finally had to inflame it because I could not explain it owing to my little understanding of the American art works. The presence of light symbolized intervention and s atisfaction. My little interpretation was also influenced by spiritual upbringing that made me closer to fundamental beliefs of God. For sure, I was aware that my interpretation of these great artistic works was different from the American artists because they had a deeper understanding of their profession. King George III, born in 1738in the United States had great control of America before losing the colonial control. Although he had an English originality, his presence