Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Case Analysis - Essay Example The new name of the company uses the first two letters of the original name of the company according to its mission statement of 2009. The company dealt with paper cone, which was used to hold yarns in the textile industry as its first product but later advanced to including various other products. The company engineers invented many other different processes that helped in the production of these different cones. An illustration is the automated engineering of the cones. It was this automated manufacturing that gave Sonoco a competitive advantage over its rivals in the industry thus becoming the leading manufacturer of cones in the United States ("Strategy for Growth," n.d.). The company manufactured plastic T-shirt and grocery sacks that were common in the supermarkets and other retail stores. According to International Directory of Company Histories, 1994, the company made Ultra seal, a shutting device for Crisco shortening cans that got rid of the need for a container opener. Son oco grew up to become the leading packaging company in the world by the year 2000. Its revenues had grown to $2.6 billion brought about by the production and sale of consumer and industrial packaging. According to Thomas, Groysberg & Reavis, the companys employee base had enlarged to 17,300 employees working in 285 processes in 32 different countries. They served customers in 85 countries with an extensive collection of manufacturing and customer packaging solutions. Moreover, the company manufactured just about all of its paperboard, using just about two million tons of collected paper annually (Taylor, 2005) As time went by, the company has sustained growth with new processes from place to place, diversifying its product line. The company now deals with cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic, flexible packaging which has made it one of the most profitable company in the world. Nevertheless, as the company

The Himba Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Himba Ideology - Essay Example As animals are consecrated to the Himba, the passing of an elder is the only momentous occasion for cattle to be slaughtered. By relocating ancestral fire to the exact place of burial, community life is physically and centered internally on the fire. The Himba consistently migrate back to sacred sites and burials, taking with them ashes of their sacred fires (Salopek). Ritualistically blessing each morning’s cattle milking at the fire through their ancestors, the Himba are spiritually reinforced and sustained each day by their cattle, ancestors, and Creator (Crandall 72). The Himba are outstanding people to look at. The women are topless and clad in mini-skirts made of goat skins decorated with shells and jewelry made of iron and copper. The men wear goatskin loin cloths. Both men and women smear their skin with a mixture of rancid butter, ash, and ochre to guard them against the harsh desert climate. The paste (Otjize) is often mixed with the aromatic resin of the Omuzumba shrub, a little like adding cologne to a suntan lotion. As well as protection from the sun, the deep red color is a highly needed look in the Himba culture. It is certainly eye-catching and very beautiful. The Himba use the same paste (Otjize) on their hair which is long and plaited into complex designs. You can tell the marital status of a Himba lady by the way she puts her hair. The men also change their hairstyle to denote their social position. A married man, for example, wears his hair in a turban. The leather used is not treated, so it a pretty smelly.

Bottom Of The Pyramid Marketing Essay

Bottom Of The Pyramid Marketing Essay The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) is the largest and poorest socio-economic group in the society. There are more than four billion people who live their lives on less than $2 per day. Indias rural majority today accounts for more than US$100 billion in consumer spending, making them by far the biggest buyers in the country and contributing significantly to Indias gross domestic product. To tap the vast markets at the BOP, MNCs must specially design and develop quality products and services, or they must select some to alter and make available at lower cost. Serving BOP customers is a profitable opportunity for corporations. It is also a social imperative, given that two-thirds of the human population (about four billion people) are at the bottom of the economic pyramid. By addressing the BOP, MNCs can curtail poverty and improve the living conditions of the worlds poorest. HYPOTHESIS IS THERE SUFFICIENT OPPURTUNITY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID? 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas. This segment, which is commonly referred to as the bottom of the pyramid, presents a huge opportunity for companies. To expand the market by tapping the countryside, more and more MNCs are foraying into Indias rural markets. Among those that have made some headway are Hindustan Lever, Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, Britannia, Standard Life, Philips, Colgate Palmolive, Amul and many foreign-invested telecom companies. The Opportunity In earlier times rural consumer had to go to a nearby town or city to buy a branded product. The growing power of the rural consumer is now forcing big companies to flock to rural markets. At the same time, they also throw up major challenges for marketers. Servicing rural markets involves ensuring availability of products through a sound distribution network, overcoming prevalent attitudes and habits of rural customers and creating brand awareness. Price-sensitivity is another key issue. Rural income levels are largely dependent on the vagaries of monsoon, and demand is not easy to predict. The Indian rural market currently contributes to 50% of the annual consumption of FMCG goods and is increasing year on year. As a result it is becoming an important market place for fast moving consumer goods as well as consumer durables. The Necessity The rural market is certainly tempting since it comprises 70 % of the countrys population, 41 per cent of its middle class, 58 per cent of its disposable income and a large consuming class. Today, real growth is taking place in the rural-urban markets, or in the 13,113 villages with a population of more than 5,000. In order to efficiently and cost-effectively target the rural markets, companies cover many independent retailers since in these areas, the retailer influences purchase decisions and stock a single brand in a product category. Most of the companies have started tinkering with pack sizes and creating new price points in order to reach out to rural consumers. Thus, sachets and miniature packs, as in the case of shampoo sachets priced at Re 1 and Rs 2 or toothpaste at Rs 10, have become the order of the day and help improve market penetration. Yet, driving consumption of goods in rural areas is not just about lowering prices and increasing volumes but also about product innovation and developing indigenous products to cater to their demands. For example, soap makers use advanced technology to coat one side of the soap bar with plastic to prevent it from wearing out quickly. Impact of globalisation The impact of globalisation is felt in rural India as much as in urban. It will have its impact on target groups like farmers, youth and women. Farmers, today keep in touch with the latest information and maximise both ends. They keep their cell phones constantly connected to global markets. Surely, price movements and products availability in the international market place seem to drive their local business strategies. On youth its impact is on knowledge and information and while on women it still depends on the socio-economic aspect. The marketers who understand the rural consumer and fine tune their strategy are sure to reap benefits in the coming years. In fact, the leadership in any product or service is linked to leadership in the rural India except for few lifestyle-based products, which depend on urban India mainly. Coca-Cola India In 2001, Coca-Cola India attempted to gain leadership in the Indian market and capitalize on the rural markets. In rural markets, soft drinks category was undeveloped. Coca-Cola India believed that the first brand to offer communication targeted to the smaller towns would own the rural market and went after that objective with a comprehensive strategy. The rural segments primary need was out-of-home thirst-quenching and the soft drink category was undifferentiated in the minds of rural consumers. Additionally, with an average Coke costing Rs. 10 and an average days wages around Rs. 100, Coke was perceived as a luxury that few could afford. In an effort to make the price point of Coke within reach of this high-potential market, Coca-Cola launched the Accessibility Campaign, introducing a new 200ml bottle, smaller than the traditional 300ml bottle found in urban markets, and concurrently cutting the price in half, to Rs. 5. This pricing strategy closed the gap between Coke and basic refreshments like lemonade and tea, making soft drinks truly accessible for the first time. At the same time, Coke invested in distribution infrastructure to effectively serve a disbursed population and increased the number of retail outlets in rural, increasing market penetration. Coca-Colas advertising and promotion strategy pulled the marketing plan together using local language and idiomatic expressions which even won them some campaign of the year award in the Advertising Market Coca-Cola doubled its spend on Government Channels, increased price compliance from 30 per cent to 50 per cent in rural markets and reduced overall costs by 40 per cent. Result: the rural market accounts for 80 per cent of new Coke drinkers and 30 per cent of its volumes. CONCLUSION The basic problem with brand marketing is its high cost. Local Markets do offer a cost-effective method of marketing. With the virtual Local Markets the cost saving is still better. Consider for example the case of marketing farm inputs like fertilisers, seeds and pesticides. In the brand marketing approach, the same information is provided by several marketers through different media and methods. In the virtual Markets, several people can join hands and provide best possible information in a most cost effective manner to the farmers. The rural market grab has already begun. Once the rural consumers get attached to these new forms of virtual Local Markets they are going to procure most of their requirements from the same source and sell their produce in the same Markets. This offers an interesting challenge for those companies that are selling in the rural market including the agri-input companies, farm equipment companies, FMCG and consumer durable manufacturers. The bottom of the value-chain pyramid indeed represents a huge gambit of opportunities. Here lies a fortune that is waiting to be explored

Lucid Dreams :: essays research papers

What is Lucid Dreaming, and How Can I Control My Dreams? Info from totse.com The term "lucid dreaming" refers to dreaming while knowing that you are actually dreaming. The "lucid" part refers to the clarity of consciousness rather than the vividness of the dream. It generally happens when you realize during the course of a dream that you are dreaming, perhaps because something weird occurs. Most people who remember their dreams have experienced this at some time, often waking up immediately after the realization. However, it is possible to continue in the dream while remaining fully aware that you are dreaming. Usually lucidity brings with it some degree of control over the course of the dream. How much control is possible varies from dream to dream and from dreamer to dreamer. Practice can apparently contribute to the ability to exert control over dream events. At the least, lucid dreamers can choose how they wish to respond to the events of the dream. For example, you can decide to face up to a frightening dream figure, knowing it cannot harm you, rather than to try to avoid the danger as you naturally would if you did not know it was a dream. Even this amount of control can transform the dream experience from one in which you are the helpless victim of frequently terrifying, frustrating, or maddening experiences to one in which you can dismiss for a while the cares and concerns of waking life. On the other hand, some people are able to achieve a level of mastery in their lucid dreaming where they can create any world, live any fantasy, and experience anything they can imagine. Because the laws of physics and society are repealed many people share a desire for lucid dreaming. The only limits are the reaches of your imagination. Much of the potential of dreams is wasted because people do not recognize that they are dreaming. When we are not lucid in a dream, we think and behave as if we are in waking reality. This can lead to pointless frustration, confusion and wasted energy, and in the worst case, terrifying nightmares. Anxiety dreams and nightmares can be overcome through lucid dreaming, because if you know you are dreaming you have nothing to fear. Dream images cannot hurt you. Lucid dreams, in addition to helping you lead your dreams in satisfying directions, enjoy fantastic adventures, and overcome nightmares, can be valuable tools for success in your life Lucid dreamers can deliberately employ the natural creative potential of dreams for problem solving and artistic inspiration.

Production †Establishing a Business Essay

This School Based Assessment is based on a business plan for Otaku Cafe. It is written with the intent to learn what it takes to start a business and to have something to use as a proposal to address potential investors and show the feasibility of the business. Business Description Otaku Cafe will be a cafe where people can come and read and write while enjoying sweet treats and coffee. It will be a sole trader business that sells sweets and beverages made right in the shop, fresh every day. The main objectives of this business will be to make 100% profit and to eventually open other branches all the while satisfying customers and bringing together people who have similar interests and reawakening people’s interest in books. Justification of Location The cafe’s location will be in Heritage Quay on the board walk. This is the chosen location because of the flow of customers who pass through due to the other businesses in the area and the tourists that come from the cruise ship. This location is in town but away from the traffic congestion; roads, water and electricity will also be easily accessible from the location. Also it is near the port, making it easier to get stocks from overseas. The lack of competitor cafes and the ready supply of possible labour from the surrounding area make this an optimum location. Selection of Appropriate Labour Skilled Employees Barista – At least 2 will be necessary. They will be responsible for the making of quality beverages, handling the customers Assistant baker – At least 3 will be needed. The assistant baker will be responsible for cleaning baking equipment and preparing and organising products in preparation for the baker Waiter / Waitress – At least 4 will be necessary. They will be responsible for taking customer orders and delivering them their meals and beverages in a timely manner, delivering the bill to customers and clearing dirty wares from the tables. Sources of fixed and working capital The business premises, vehicles such as vans that may be used for transport of the product and raw materials, computers that are used, machinery such as ovens, coffee machines, heated display cases, freezers, are fixed capital, all which will be essential to the business but can be used to gain funds through their sale though they most likely would not be sold as they would be vital to the running of the business. Working capital will be gained first through small business loans from a commercial bank and will later be created through the money made from the sales of the cafe’s goods as working capital is the variable types of capitol made throughout the course of the business that can be readily converted into monetary funds. Roles of the Entrepreneur Creating and setting the concept the business will be bases on Providing funding for the business Planning for the establishment of the business Organize resources for business operation Type of Production The business will be involved in the production of the service of providing food and goods to customers as well as an entertaining experience at the cafe. Level of Production Production in the business will be on a domestic level, only producing for the local market as it is a more plausible level of production and more fiscally sound. Quality Control Measures Quality control within the business will be maintained through the strict adherence to recipes set for products, the hiring of mostly skilled workers and regular quality checks so as to ensure output of only optimum products and services to the customers. Use of technology Technology used in the business Internet Point of Sales system Accounting software (QuickBooks) Linkages The business will be involved in linkages with wholesale suppliers or producers of coffee, tea and other such beverages as well as suppliers or producers of fruits or fruit jams such as local farmers, producers of flour, dairy products and other suck materials needed to produce the goods of the cafe, to create an economic flow locally and to increase possible output and profit. Potential for Growth Growth within the business will be expected and hopefully the business will have to eventually move to a larger location, purchase more equipment to keep up with product demand and if possible, maybe even open other branches across the island. Government Regulations As a business earning money it will be required to be registered and pay taxes such as corporate taxes which are 2% of profits, custom tariffs, licence for importations and applying for work permits for any non-national employees and fulfilling payments of Social Security and Medical Benefits for employees. Ethical Issues Ethical issues such as the prompt payment of taxes, the correct labelling and advertising of products and the sales of quality goods instead of substandard or shoddy goods are all ethical standards that will be upheld by the business.

Environmental Scan Essay

INTRODUCTION This paper will depict research of the internal and external environments of Target Corporation and Cessna Aviation Company through environmental scanning. By performing a SWOT Analysis, a resolution of the competitive advantages will be made of both companies and the strategies that they are using. The environmental scan of these organizations will include information on how each one creates value and sustainability of competitive advantages through the use of business strategy. The paper will explain the measurement guidelines that the organizations use to verify their strategic effectiveness. The paper will also explain just how effective each company’s use of their measurement guidelines is. TARGET Target Corporation is the second most successful retailing company in the United States. While the company offers services in the credit card segment, its retail segment is probably the most recognizable one. Below is an S (strengths), W (weaknesses), O (opportunities) and T (threat) analysis of the company (Mbaskool, 2014) (Mbaskool, 2014) Target Corporation is easily recognized by its famous red and white logo. Since its foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1902, it operates now in every state with the exception of Vermont. Unlike Wal-Mart, the company was slow expanding over the United States borders. On March 04, 2009, Target broke the trend and started to venture internationally. Financially, the company is strong and is now listed as the 36th company on the 2014 Fortune 500 report (Fortune 500, 2014). Strangely, the store is considered by many to be a boring store, for it does not play music in its  stores. Meanwhile, the company has experienced difficulties preventing criminal activities such as theft on its properties. Target faces stiff competition from Wal-Mart and K-mart. A couple of allegations are threatening the reputation of the company and the products that it sells. Government regulations are targeting sales of materials containing polyvinyl Chloride. Also, in 2009, the company was slapped with a lawsuit from the 20 California District Attorneys for illegal waste dumping. The company has long been known for its high-price products. However, it achieved competitive advantage through differentiation in innovation. Target has been able to offer products with unique characteristics. Customers justify the high price with the quality and differentiation associated with the products. CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY For eighty years, Cessna Aircraft Company has become a pioneer in the aviation industry. Currently Cessna is a subsidiary of Textron, which acquired Cessna in 1992. The focus is Cessna growing to become the largest aircraft manufacture developing more aircraft in the air than any competitor. The start of Cessna began with Clyde Cessna developing the desire to fly in 1911. Cessna began operation as the founder in 1927 building the Cessna A-series. Innovation fueled Clyde Cessna to continue to develop and remain aggressive in manufacturing aircraft until retiring in 1936. The obstacles Clyde set forth to overcome were many and through the process many resources became allies through the further development of powered aircraft (Cessna, About, 2012). Through the start of manufacturing Clyde Cessna had a main strength to enter the aviation field, which is the desire to fly. The other strengths that Clyde had through his start were the ability of operating a farm and car lot. Mechanically inclined from the working on motors of the farm equipment and vehicles gave Clyde further development to chase the aviation dream. Innovation to design a better airplane Clyde spent his life savings to obtain a copy of a Queen Aero plane Company design of the Bleriot XI fuselage. The Cessna family in 1916 began to resource with Walter Beech (Beech craft), Lloyd Stearman (Boeing), and others (Cessna, News Releases, 2011). INTERNAL Thorough the interaction of establishing valuable resources Clyde could overcome the weaknesses of psychological criticism from others. Even though Clyde was fascinated with the aviation industry starting, Clyde continued to design the monoplane until he accomplished successful manufacturing of an aircraft of mechanical power. By the time Clyde was stepping down from the company, he had brought the first seaplane into operation. The constant innovation kept the company from many weaknesses and boosted Cessna into the industry. EXTERNAL Cessna found many opportunities innovating in the aviation industry, paving the way into the future of the Cessna Company. Through the struggles of becoming an establishment in aviation Cessna became more knowledgeable with the social, technological, economic, and environmental aspects of the business. Understanding and growing the opportunities within the aviation industry brought much success.   The success of Cessna became a threat in its own because the aviation was just starting out. Competition from other resources in the industry would guide Cessna toward documentation of the many innovative ideas set in the company. The alliances with different organizations also indeed gave Cessna the opportunities to advance competitively. One example of an alliance is the current parent company Textron who started out as an external alliance and is currently a major factor in the internal operations of Cessna. Through the alliances Cessna has grown into a company known for first class bu siness travel for others that buy and invest in Cessna. CONCLUSION In conclusion, an environmental scan benefits an organization by pointing out their competitive advantages, disadvantages, and how they are measured. Performing a simple SWOT analysis helps determine their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to improve the sustainability of the organization. The information that it provides helps determine future business strategy. It can show how it is measured and how effectively it is working for the company. Both companies mentioned in this paper are doing well with their current business strategy, but environmental scanning is something that should be done periodically in order to maintain their success. The text states that â€Å"A strategist can analyze any industry by rating each competitive force as high, medium, or low in strength.† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). Many companies used these tools to verify its strategic  effectiveness. Rapidly changing external environment requires that upper management not only make quick decisions but also educated ones based on concrete data. Environmental scanning is an integral part of any successful strategic planning. This paper shows the different measurement guidelines at the disposition of the company to verify strategy effectiveness. References Carpenter, M. A., & Sanders, W. G. (2009). Strategic management: A dynamic perspective concepts and cases (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Cessna (2011). News Releases. Retrieved from http://www.cessna.com/NewReleases/New/NewReleaseNum-1192344130761.html Cessna (2012). About Cessna. Retrieved from http://www.cessna.com/ Fortune (2014). Fortune 500 2014. Retrieved from: http://fortune.com/fortune500/unitedhealth-group-incorporated-14/ Mbaskool (2104). SWOT Analysis of Target Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/lifestyle-and-retail/4911-target-corporation.html Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, D. (2010). _Concepts in Strategic Management and Business Policy: Achieving Sustainability_ (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.