B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

As we look back our history, we have observed that there are various wars taking place amongst nations because of some reasons. One of these reasons might be terrorism attacks, just like what happened in 9/11 or territorial disagreements. And because of this perilous condition, governments that are under attacks really spend millions of dollars and look for means in order to invent a long-range strike aircraft to make sure that they will not be defeated in the combat and to secure the safety of its citizenry. But is it worth it? Is it right that our government spends bigger budget for the innovation of these combat aircrafts?It is believed that an innovative, long-range bomber force is significant for the security of the long-range national security of America. The current assessment shows that there is a specific amount of money that is intended for the combat aircraft. And for every dollar added and spent for the aircraft acquisition, the amount was taken from the fighter program. Every year, the government of United States of America spends $ 3 billion for the peacekeeping (see Spencer, Jack. â€Å"Achieving Balance in America’s Long-Range Strike Aircraft Capabilities†).This scenario would only shows that our government is spending a lot of money for our safety as citizens of the United States of America. In addition, our government allocates its own budget, funds from fighter program, for the innovation of B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. One of these high-tech stealth aircrafts is the B-2 Spirit Bomber. The B-2 Spirit, created by the Northrop Grunman, is a multi-role stealth aircraft or a fighter plane that is capable of dropping conventional and nuclear munitions. The B-2 is very costly and expensive plane compared to any fighter plane.It was estimated that the costs of each aircraft will range from USD 1. 157 billion up to USD 2. 2 billion. The stealth technology was invented in order to help the aircraft infiltrate defense force previously impas sable by combat aircraft. During the last part of 1980s, the innovative procurement of 135 combat aircraft was subsequently reduced. President George H. W. Bush, during in his 1992 State of the Union speech, promulgated that the total B-2 production will be reduced to 20 aircraft but subsequently added 1 by â€Å"refurbishing a test aircraft† (see â€Å"B-2 Spirit†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.November 16, 2006). This would mean that the government of United States of America is anticipating any attack because it is preparing innovative stealth aircraft. The intents of this paper are to: (1) understand what B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber really is; (2) know about its mission and; (3) learn about the benefits of stealth aircraft designs. II. Background A. B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers As mentioned earlier that B-2 spirit stealth bomber is capable of dropping conventional and nuclear weapons. Its stealth has the capacity to infiltrate the enemy’s most high-tech and a dvanced defenses.Moreover, Northrop Grumman is the first and major contractor for the US Air Force B-2 Spirit Bomber. The B-2 is characterized as â€Å"low-observable, strategic, long-range, heavy bomber† that is able to infiltrate advanced defenses. It is able and efficient of â€Å"all-altitude† attack missions. Its distinct profile originates from the distinctive ‘flying wing’ construction (see â€Å"B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, USA†). Its capacity to infiltrate air defenses and threaten efficient retaliation gives an efficient deterrent during the 21st century.The B-2 development program was started in 1981and the Air force was approved in 1987 to start obtaining of 132 operational b-2 aircraft, mainly for strategic and planned bombing missions. With the downfall of the Soviet Union, the operational emphasis of B-2 development was altered to conventional operations and the quantity was decreased to 20 operational aircraft and later added one more which served as test aircraft. In November 22, 1988, the first B-2 spirit stealth bomber was publicly exhibited when it rolled out at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California. The initial flight took place in 1989 of July 17.Moreover, the B-2’s sole operational base is the Whiteman AFB, Mo. The Spirit of Missouri, the first aircraft, was produced in 1993 of December 17. The Air Force contractor support is responsible for depot maintenance of the B-2 and is supervised at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla. The major contractor, which is responsible for every system design and integration, is the Aircraft Systems Division of Northrop Grumman. The General Electric Aircraft Engine, Hughes Radar Systems group and Boeing Military Airplanes Co. are the prime members of the aircraft contractor team.In addition, Hughes Training Inc. (HTI) is another prime contractor that is liable for aircrew training devices while Link Flight Simulation Corp. Northrop Grumman and its main subcontractor are liable for advancing and incorporating all maintenance training and aircrew programs (see â€Å"B-2 Spirit’. November 30, 1999). III. Discussion The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is very good in beating an air defense of the enemy. The B-2 is able to fly higher than 6,000 nautical miles before fueling again- higher than 10,000 miles in one refueling- as it carries 40,000 pounds of weapons.This remarkable and incredible ability of B-2 provides aircraft the capability to fly on anyplace in the globe and transport a variety of munitions not more than 24 hours. Basically, the B-2’s design can be tracked down back to the â€Å"flying wing designs† of Jack Northrop in 1940s. The integrated computer systems of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber include more than 130 computers and approximately estimated up to â€Å"2 million lines of software code†. The B-2’s stealth would mean that the aircraft does not require an armada of suppo rt aircraft in order to achieve a mission (see â€Å"United States Air force†.2003). A. Its mission The B-2 Spirit â€Å"is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions†. An intense increase in technology, the bomber exemplifies a major indicator and an achievement in the U. S. bomber innovation program. The B-2 produces â€Å"massive firepower† to display, in awhile, anyplace on the world that is impassable defenses (see â€Å"B-2 Spirit†. June 2006). B. Benefits of stealth aircraft designs Stealth craft has been made to â€Å"absorb and deflect radar†- through stealth technology.These are not totally indistinguishable to radar; they are merely difficult to notice than conventional technology. Generally, the objective is to let a stealth aircraft to carry out its attack â€Å"while still outside the ability of the opposing system’s detection† (see â€Å"Stealth Aircraft†. Wikipedia, the fre e encyclopedia. November 4, 2006). In other words, the design of stealth bomber is capable in attacking an enemy’s defense without its system’s awareness. Stealth aircraft designs have several benefits but only two are enlisted below and these are as follows:?Raids on significant point targets, at the same time maintain a cover of plausible denial. Since the attack could not be identified, the stealth operator would basically refuse to say something and hope to keep away from war (see â€Å"Benefits of stealth aircraft designs†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 14 2006). This would mean that stealth operator is trying to control the situation by not saying anything in order to avoid war. ? â€Å"Stationing stealth aircraft in a friendly country is a powerful diplomatic gesture.It emphasizes close relations between the allies and expresses high confidence in their governments and competence of security services, as stealth planes incorporate high techn ology and military secrets. The USA has stationed squadrons of F-117 Nighthawks in Britain† (see â€Å"Benefits of stealth aircraft designs†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 14 2006). In other words that if the stealth aircraft is stationed to a particular country, an ally country, it develops a good relationship amongst allies and shows trust in its government’s governance. IV. ConclusionThe B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber is a great help in our combatants. It is an advanced technology that totally helps the combatants to attack the enemy without any trace of detection. In 1981, the B-2 bomber started in the military’s secret-black budget. The Pentagon needed 132 planes but since there was no time anymore and the Soviet Union already failed, several members of the Congress started to be skeptical regarding the need for the B-2s. B-2 bombers are considered as the second generation stealth which was composed of carbon-graphite composites is not heavy a s the aluminum but more durable than steel.In November 22, 1988, Northrop and the Air Force rolled out the B-2 stealth Bomber in Palmdale, California. References 1. Spencer, Jack. â€Å"Achieving Balance in America’s Long-Range Strike Aircraft Capabilities†. http://www. heritage. org/Research/NationalSecurity/BG1706. cfm 2. â€Å"B-2 Spirit†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 16, 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/B-2_Spirit 3. â€Å"B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, USA†. http://www. airforce-technology. com/projects/b2/ 4. â€Å"Benefits of stealth aircraft designs†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.November 14 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stealth_aircraft#Benefits_of_stealth_aircraft_designs 5. â€Å"B-2 Spirit’. November 30, 1999. http://www. fas. org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-2. htm 6. â€Å"B-2 Spirit†. June 2006. http://www. af. mil/factsheets/factsheet. asp? fsID=82 7. â€Å"United States Air force†. 2003. ht tp://www. is. northropgrumman. com/products/usaf_products/b2/b2. html 8. â€Å"Stealth Aircraft†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 4, 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stealth_aircraft#Benefits_of_stealth_aircraft_designs

Maya Angelou Essay

During this class period you need to complete the following essay. Please type it and use proper formatting. The stories are all posted on your Edline page under assignments. You do NOT need the internet for ANY OTHER REASON. When you have completed the essay you need to do the FRED book assignment below. Comparing Texts Author Study: Maya Angelou Writing a Response to Literature: Biographical Approach Maya Angelou has remarked, â€Å"I’m always inspired by men and women who rise†¦That ability to rise is nobleness of the human spirit.† Write an essay in which you analyze Angelou’s beliefs about the human spirit, as reflected in the four works you just read. Before you begin, consider what Angelou has to say about her work: â€Å"I speak to the black experience, but I am always talking about the human condition—about what we can endure, dream, fail at, and still survive.† Writing Your Essay As you plan, draft, and revise your essay, keep the following tips in mind: †¢In the introduction, or the beginning of your essay, include a specific thesis statement that presents the key point you will prove in your essay. †¢Support your ideas with evidence from the four selections. Be sure to analyze how Angelou’s tone and use of stylistic devices contribute to the expression of her themes or main ideas. †¢Make sure that every paragraph has unity and coherence. All the sentences in the paragraph should relate to one main idea and help develop that idea. †¢End your essay with a conclusion in which you summarize your main points. Include a new, but related, closing insight or reflection. Create a one-page document that shows you have understood the book with the 2 parts below: †¢Part 1: First, think of the symbols in the book. Then, find pictures using â€Å"Google images† or â€Å"Clip Art† and paste them into the document. Then give a 1-2 sentence reason for the symbol. †¢Part 2: Write a book review. Make sure you convince me you have read it thoroughly! It should be no more than 1-2 paragraphs. (If you do not finish in class, send to me via email before the end of the day! vocabqueenb@gmail.com)

Analysis and Problems of Global Communications

The pending expansion of Global Communications into the international arena has significant implications, both positive and negative, for the corporation. Although the company is going through a difficult time at the present, with stock depreciations, a lack of innovation, and pending layoffs, the potential for growth and for increased profitability with the new direction chosen by the company's executives is very real. If Global Communications can address the challenges immediately facing it, take advantage of the opportunities which are available, and at the same time balance the needs of competing groups of stakeholders, it can realize several of its long-term goals as outlined later in this paper. Diminishing returns across the entire telecommunications industry have negatively affected the stock and profitability of Global Communications. Excessive amounts of competition from companies worldwide have diluted the market as well as offered a wide range of features that Global Communications does not currently provide. Small providers offer specialized services, and larger multinationals offer lower prices and more competitive service choices. Global Communications has chosen to address this problem by simultaneously attempting to cut costs while expanding internationally; their primary method of achieving these immediate goals is through closing some domestic call centers and opening new centers overseas. The employees' union has obvious problems with this strategy of layoffs and outsourcing, and has questioned Global Communications' loyalty to its workers. The company faces significant problems, both fiscally and intangible issues such as employee loyalty. The first of these issues is the declining price of Global Communications stock, presumably due to the increased amount of competition in the field. Such a decline in overall profitability is the most pressing problem facing the company; however, it is also the broadest in that several more specific problems contribute to this overall issue. One of the contributing factors is the need for new services and innovations in research and development. Such innovations require capital and financial resources, which relates to the problem of declining confidence among stockholders, who are wondering if they industry can recover from the competitive situation in which it currently finds itself. The problem of stockholder confidence therefore contributes to the lack of funds available for innovations and research, meaning that the company must find a way to increase profits without depending on stockholder confidence. The initial attempt to address these financial issues, outsourcing many jobs to Ireland and India, has also created more problems for Global. The employee union feels betrayed and is threatening legal action regarding the layoffs. Additionally, the public relations issue regarding this outsourcing is an important one for Global to address in order to prevent a public backlash in response to the outsourcing and union-relations issues. Despite the many problems facing Global, several opportunities exist for the company to grow and become as profitable as it was during the previous era. There is an immediate opportunity available to lower the costs of labor facing the company by utilizing the outsourcing plan and the labor available overseas. Such an action will free up company resources to be spent on research and development of new services and products, which will rebuild the base of Global Communications customers through the many services offered. Additionally, such an expansion in services will increase the market share for Global among small business owners, one of the company's overall goals, and offer the opportunity to reinforce a public perception of Global as one of the leaders in telecommunications technology. Besides these profitability issues, there is an opportunity to establish new norms regarding the union and employee relations within Global. Perhaps an established plan of communication or route of information dissemination can be created, and career counseling and training could be offered for the employees who were laid off, helping re-establish the public and in-company perception of Global. The most obvious opportunity for Global is also the broadest; the chance for the company to grow and return to previous years' profitability is one that exists in the current atmosphere of change. Global leaders must take advantage of the many opportunities to change the company, its relationships, and its products and technology as soon as possible. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas There are several groups of stakeholders in this discussion; from the individual stockholders to the union members to the highest executives, the different groups all have different priorities in the Global restructuring. Stockholders have at heart the long-term profitability and growth of the company, similar to the priority of global executives to see the company grow and profit overall. Other groups, notably the employees and union representatives, have as their first priority the job security and salary of employees as their first priority; the relationship with management and the pending layoffs are more important to these groups than profitability or growth. Finally, the executives in the U. S. ave more concern over these job cuts than do the global executives, since they are the ones who will be most adversely affected by the layoffs and outsourcing. The struggle between these groups to have their own needs prioritized represents an ethical dilemma for Global; the negative affects of the layoffs must be weighed against the overall survival of the company; the detriment to individual employees and public perception must be weighed against continuing Global's position as an innovator and industry leader. Global Communications and the employees' union can both benefit from the increased profitability which will happen as a result of the outsourcing and shift in services offered; in the long-term, both groups can work to create benefit and profit for individual stockholders as well as company executives and management. This long-term benefit will additionally give Global employees greater job security. The progress of Global toward the situations possible by the many opportunities available to it can be measured through several objective methods. One that is mentioned in the 3/2/04 memo is a concrete goal of reducing costs by 40%. Such a goal will naturally benefit the company based on the reduction of cost and increase of profits. Additionally, a concrete goal to resolve the issues with the employees' union without legal or governmental action would be an excellent way to re-establish the relationship between the company and the union. Another measurable goal would be to return the stock price to a certain level, for example, that of the previously profitably $28/share. Global Communications faces some immediate and important problems, such as decreased profitability, decreased stockholder confidence, pending layoffs and the public-relations issues which accompany them, and increased competition within the telecommunications industry which requires new innovations and development. Despite these immediate problems, there are many opportunities for Global to benefit from its current situation; it can take advantage of the chance to reduce costs by outsourcing and then increase research and development with those funds; it can re-negotiate the relationship with its employees' union to a more beneficial one for both parties; and it can remodel itself as a modern, cutting-edge competitor in the field of telecommunications. Such opportunities can benefit all stakeholders in Global, from the individual stockholders to employees to global executives, by strengthening the financial and community/social situations of the company. Although the implementation of these changes may be uncomfortable at times and even immediately painful for several groups (the employees' union, for example), the overall benefit for everyone involved must be kept in mind. Long-term goals can be used to track the company's progress toward achieving its end goal of returning to an innovating, profitable organization

Wheelchair Forces. The Forces And Kinematics Involved In Self Essay

Wheelchair Forces. The Forces And Kinematics Involved In Self Propelling A Wheelchair - Essay Example The study took place at the Stanmore Clinical Research Facility (SCRF) at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore. All participants gave informed consent to participate in the study. (Refer to Appendix __ ). The generation of forces were gathered through the front castors of the wheelchair and through the push rim. The forces generated are then recorded and analysed to investigate the hypothesis stated. The wheelchair users P:C Ratio was then calculated to establish whether the users exceeded their capacity when performing such tasks and whether Rear Axle Position (RAP) was found to influence this. As there are no existing methods for testing dynamic wheelchair stability of a manual wheelchair, an instrument was developed. Consequently, a force sensitive castor was designed to look at this pattern in more detail. The chosen model was a 17" Quickie GPV, rigid frame lightweight wheelchair. The model was chosen as the most adaptable size for most test participants and was then configured to suit each individual's needs. The wheelchair weighs 18kg with nearly 7kg of added weight due to an attached equipment. The wheelchair is fitted with 25" solid tyres to accommodate the Smart Wheel technology and 5" solid castors. There is a 3-degree camber on the rear wheels. Figure 1. Quickie GPV Wheelchair Each participant was set up in the Laboratory's test wheelchair. Only one wheelchair could be used as the instrumentation was not interchangeable between wheelchairs. 1.3.3 Development of the Castor Force Transducer An earlier work at ACDS (spell out acronym) (WOWSUP, 2005) using a wheelchair Ergometer showed that there was a substantial weight shift between castors and rear wheels during the propulsion cycle, which subsequently increased with the pushing resistance. The Ergomenter used force plates beneath the front castors during propulsion. The study explored what happened to the Ergometer when users propelled their wheelchairs to perform functional activities. A force sensor was integrated into the castor stem of the wheelchair to examine weight shift during functional mobility. This was initially constructed in combination with the castor stem and a number of washers to accommodate its size. Figure 2. The Wheelchair Ergometer 1.3.4 Calibration of the castor force transducer This was completed by loading the wheelchair with known masses and recording the voltage output from both the force transducer in the castor and the force plate underneath it (force plates already calibrated for previous testing). This calibration produced 2 curves in order to demonstrate whether a linear relationship was achievable

Development and behaviour of high performance concrete materials and Essay

Development and behaviour of high performance concrete materials and their use in innovative structural solutions - Essay Example the high performance concrete has an extremely elevated compressive strength, as well as, durability with perfect flexural ductibility and resistance. And, with an ever-growing population, in addition to, expanding urban center, come increased level of constructions can be expected in all developing and developed countries. (Shuaib and Barker, 1991). Owing to enhanced mechanical property and durability, the high performance concretes have gained a wide acceptance in construction of innovative structures such as bridges, building and marine structures. Aitcin (2003), defines high performance concrete as the low water- binder concrete with optimized aggregate to binder ratio of controlling its dimensional stability (for examples, drying shrinkage) which receives the sufficient water necessary for controlling autogenous shrinkage. Though high performance concrete has extensive application, its production is limited in various nations owing to the fact that suitable concrete aggregate like river sand, hard crushed or gravel aggregates are not available or either is available only in restricted quantity. An all-embracing research has been carried out for the purposes of developing blended cement, concrete, as well as, other construction materials (self consolidating concrete, high performance, fibre reinforced concrete or lightweight concrete) for sustainable development with industrial and natural waste like fly ash, cement kiln dust, volcanic, as well as, slag materials. The developed blended cements and concrete materials did make a wonderful impact in the cement manufacturing and construction industries in many countries. At the moment, they are being utilizes in the common construction and in the restoration projects. The United States department of Transportation shows that the high performance concrete have a tendency of having compressive strength of over 150MPa, interior fibre reinforcement of ensuring brittle behavior, as well as, a higher bidder

Find 4 examples of failure due to creep that are relevant to the Essay

Find 4 examples of failure due to creep that are relevant to the transport industries - Essay Example The spring was subjected to the vehicle’s weight and initially underwent plastic deformation as the strain became higher. The strain rate reduces with time and levels out. Under effects of its operating environment (on average 480Â °K), the strain rate increased exponentially leading the spring to fracture. The spring actually failed at the third stage of creep failure. The melting point of the material is 265Â ° C (538Â °K) as noted by Turner (2001) and McCrum, Buckley, and Bucknall (2003). The ratio of operating temperature to melting point is 0.89. 2. Steam Pipe Failure The steam pipe of a locomotive failed as a result of creep in Uganda. The material used for making the steam pipes was austenitic steel. The working temperature of the tubes was set at about 6000C (873Â °K) and was subjected to high pressures, about 24.1MPa. The steam pipe burst as a result of creep failure leading to the emission of steam in the environment. Given that working temperature at time of bur st was about 830Â °K, the ratio of operating temperature to melting point is 0.95. 3. Aero Engine Turbine Blade Failure The turbine blade for a fighter plane was fractured as a result of creep failure (Tauqir & Khan 2002).

Finding differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Finding differences - Essay Example This report presents a comprehensive review of financial statements of three companies, which are operating in US, UK and France respectively and follow the financial reporting frameworks applicable in the said countries. Caterpillar Incorporation is a US based company headquartered in Peoria. The company is engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling machinery and equipments related to construction industry (Yahoo Finance, 2013). The three companies considered in this report, as stated earlier, are based in three different countries which have different financial reporting frameworks applicable for financial reporting of corporate entities. In the United States of America, corporate entities are required to report their financial statements in accordance with the principles and guidance presented under U.S. GAAP. The framework provided in U.S. GAAP is thus the primary accounting or financial reporting framework in the US. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, business entities are required to report their financial statements in accordance with the principles and guidance presented under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The standards provided under IFRS are collectively regarded as the financial reporting framework to which business entities operating in the UK adhere. Lastly, in France, French GAAP are used by corporate entities to prepare their respective sets of financial statements (Nobes et al., 2008; Radebaugh & Gray, 2008). Due to the difference in financial reporting frameworks of the companies selected in this report, there are a number of differences in their financial statements’ structure and other reporting and valuation related matters. These differences are discussed in the following sections. All three companies have different names for income statement; in Caterpillar’s financial statements, it is named as â€Å"Results of Operations†, in Glaxo

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Summary - Assignment Example These elements were witnessed in the movies that were created in Hollywood during the session of 1940s. He asserts that these four elements make up the best definition of film noir. Schrader states that the very first element that defines a film noir is the dillusionment that arose after the World War II and the war itself. He states that during the period of 1930s and 1940s, moviews were made for the purpose of conducting propaganda and helping people cheer up due to their sufferings of the issues of the WWII and the Depression. He states that during the early period of the 1940s, movies such as The Maltese Falcon and Laura came into existance and they were a true form of film Noir. In these films, the dillusionment experiencedby the whole nation was portrayed. These movies and the movie The Blue Tahlia represented the scenes of soilders returning back home and they have no work and women had lost tehir jobs. He further asserts that the second most element that is requried to recognize a movie as film Noir is post-war realism. He states that after the war, Americans were demanding for authencity in the media industry, they no longer wanted to see moves that were melodramatic and represnted the higher class. They wanted the real image of the society to be portrayed in the movies and wanted these movies to be about the issues that they were experiencing. Their tatse for sets even changed and they no longer wanted the actors to make movies in fake settings, they wanted them to shoot movies on the street. For exmaple: They wanted the actors to work in locations such as Norma Desmond’s mansion which was broughdown during the `957. The third element that differentiates a movie as being a film noir is that such movies used to be influenced by the Germans by a certain extent. This is because during the period of 1930s, there was an increase in the spread of Nazism and several individuals had

Strategy Formulation & Business Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategy Formulation & Business Decision - Essay Example On the other hand, for evaluating a new growth plan for NH Hotel, market development was selected with the help of Ansoff matrix analysis. The project developed is mainly directed towards enhancing brand equity and revenue streams for the hotel in a new market with huge potential for growth. Thus, Belgrade was selected as the spot for market development. The project has includes thorough financial and revenue analysis along with the analysis of the market which helped in building work schedule of the entire operations. The research has also been directed towards understanding the capability of the organisations in the process of market development process in Belgrade, Serbia. Go and Pine (2008) stated that the development of the operational structure of the business is based on its strategic objectives whereas Schoenecker and Cooper (2010) argued that the organizational culture and structure are influential in designing the functional process of the business. It can be noted that although there exists a debate regarding the influencing factors of the operational functions and work structure of a firm, the researchers agree that work structure of a business is always focused towards the strategic growth of the business. Rhyne (2009) stated that business houses are micro managing their operational structures in order to reduce the influence of the external factors on the business systems. Based on these observations, the report will evaluate the managerial factors related with the operational process of a company. NH Hotel Group is one of the largest hotel chains of the world and is operating mainly in the European, American and African market (NH Hotels, 2015a). The operational base of NH Hotels includes more than 400 hotels functioning within 28 countries all over the world and has a service base of almost 60000 rooms (NH Hotels, 2015c). The unique selling point of the company is primarily framed on excellent service quality.

Case study discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case study discussion - Essay Example In this regard, the assets, interests, and rights of the project are basically held as the secondary security or act as the collateral. Therefore, in any case the forecasted cash flow from the project does not sustain the project, there is high risk exposure to debt risks though the failure of the projects may be attributed to many factors like the interest rates, business risks, economic situation like inflation and the type of the shareholders (Gatti, 2013). In the case of Autopistas del Centro, the financial recession hit the project quite since most of the projected cash flow had been forecasted prior to the great financial crisis of 2008 (Lubian, 2015). Therefore, the only option it to sell the project to new owners since the shareholders are reluctant to go into their pockets and revive the project once. Therefore, it is imperative to identify some of the factors that must be considered when pricing the project so as to make sure both the buyers and sellers are satisfied. Besides, the head of the projects is deeply concerned about the best approach that can be used to make sure that the shareholders are satisfied with the handing over of the project to the new owners. Inflation is one of the critical issues that must be looked into when pricing a project to the new owners. The implication is that inflation has the potential to increase the original estimates of the construction costs (Esty, 2014). Usually, the inflation rates are put into consideration when the project is at the design stage but future changes in the inflation rates may affect the original estimated construction costs and this will have a huge effect on the final pricing of the project (Gatti, 2013). Therefore, when pricing the project, it would be important to look at the inflation rates in Spain, as well as Europe in general. In 2009, the CFO of AC, Martinez saw the need to revise the status of the project finance under different circumstances under which the

Impact of escalating gas prices on the U.S. Essay Example for Free

Impact of escalating gas prices on the U.S. Essay The oil prices have been creeping higher in the recent past and the current gas market conditions in the United States of America are very uncertain as well as unstable which has further led to a lot of negative effects on the gas consumers. The gas prices have been rapidly escalating in the American markets which have led to the amplification of the medium term economic effects. The American economy’s prosperity remains at risk for as long as the oil prices in the country remain very high and also unstable. The increasing oil prices in America also quantitatively affect the country’s macro economy. The impact of the escalating oil prices on the US economy The oil prices in America remain a very important determinant in the overall performance of the country’s economy. It is also important to note that the overall increase in the oil prices in America has further led to a transfer of income from the American economy to the exporting countries through a trade shift. In America the degree of the direct effects of a specified gas price is highly determined by the share of the oils’ costs in the income of the country and also the ability of the gas users to reduce their personal consumption and wholly change from the gas to other alternatives. The increasing gas prices in America has also highly affected the rate of inflation since in most of the times the consumer price index has been on the increase and this clearly shows that there is a correlation between the oil prices movements and the changes which occur in the rate of inflation. This then clearly stipulates that the increasing oil prices in America further drive up the imported oils costs and in general terms the rate of inflation. (Anne, 2007) With the worlds demand for oil rapidly increasing and the oil supplies very limited, then the American economy is more likely to suffer the damage in the short as well as long-term. The high oil prices in America are amongst the key factors which have made many economists to scale back their predictions for the country’s economic growth in the present year. The country’s economic growth rate has highly reduced because of the increasing oil prices and this has resulted to a growing rate of unemployment in America. (Brown, 2004) The gasoline prices in America are expected to even hit new highs since the American refineries are currently producing as much gasoline as they can include other oil products. In the larger picture the American authorities have not built any new refineries or even upgraded the old ones because of the environmental and the regulatory concerns. If the oil supplies were to greatly increase then the supplies of the major oil products would not substantially grow and thus the gas prices and the other refined products would stay very high. (Harvey, and Ted, 2007) The higher oil prices in America also highly spurs inflation and this further leads the federal reserves to push the interests rates up and this in turn causes the car loans the mortgages and the credit cards to become much more expensive than they already are. This whole issue sends a lot of ripples through the financial markets in America. The rising rate of inflation tends to highly affect the bond prices which further reduces the economic growth that could help in keeping the interests rates down. When the gas prices go up then the bond prices also go up because the economic growth rate is very slow but this does not similarly apply to the stock markets. On the other hand the high gas prices have a negative impact on the stock markets as this leaves the consumers with very little monies to spend as this also undermines the corporate earnings which are key to the prices in the stock markets. The depreciating US dollar has contributed to the escalating gas prices which are partly based on the dollars value. Source: Anne, F. (2007): Comparison of US gasoline Vehicle Fuel prices in the U. S. Pedant Centre on Global Climate Change, Washington In America the hurricane threats to the oil platforms, the labor strikes, the terrorist threats and the fires at the oil refineries and also other problems which are short lived they all are not wholly responsible for the escalation of the gas prices. They however push the gas prices higher but they are not the fundamentals in causing the high escalating gas prices. (Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of the Chief Counsel 2006) Currently there has been an increasing speculation in the oil market globally and therefore there is an increase in the American gas prices and this could extend into the long term. America has the highest and the largest oil demand so far in the world and therefore the depleting domestic production and also the expanding demand by the oil consumers in the US further leads the country to import oil from the foreign countries. This dependency then has made the country very vulnerable to any disruptions in the oil supplies. In America the increasing gas prices makes the other unconventional sources of oil very attractive to the businesses. For the working class in America that includes those who earn their living without any benefits and also those who have older vehicles with an average of less than 20 MPG, they are usually faced with several alternatives. They commute by using the public transportation, the light rail, the rapid transit as well as the bus, they also carpool, scooter, motor cycle, walk or even bicycle or even relocate to the inner city if one resides in the areas that are suburban. Surprisingly many businesses are also moving away from the 24 hour operation since the higher gas prices are highly discouraging the lifestyle trends of the past. Some restaurants and also cafes are also closing down very early and they are well known for their 24 hour operating cultures. The airlines have also been heavily affected by the same and they have not been left out in introducing the fuel surcharges or they can even scale back their operations in efforts to trim the fuel costs which are spiraling. The high gas prices has also affected the schools in many districts and particularly the large school bus fleets have reduced since the schools can no longer maintain to run the high fuel costs of the buses. The ongoing gas hike in America has worried very many people especially the consumers who are spending so much The American economists further state that if the Americans will have to spend more money on their gas consumptions then they will definitely have very little money that is left for to spend on the other goods and services. Also as the gas prices go up then the prices of other goods and services especially the foods also go up. The gas prices in America are highly affected and driven by the costs of the crude oil and the escalating oil prices in America are being attributed to the to the high Americans demand . An example of this is that during the summer vacation seasons most of the American family’s require more gas since they use their vehicles for the long trips. (Bearn, 2003) Conclusion There are many reasons that lead to the increased gas prices in America and also the decrease in oil supply. This has been partly because of the Middle East’s growing turbulence and it is the world largest oil producing region in the world. In the hurricane Katrina scenario the supply flow from the gulf coast offshore rigs which is the largest oil source in America for the domestic market was heavily crippled. This further led to the a temporary shut down of two major on shore pipelines and also at least 10% of the country’s refining capacity was not in operation in the storms wake. In America despite the increase in the gas supplies the prices have continually raised at a very fast rate than in the past and this has further led to an increased discussion on the theory of the peak oil and a future possibility that would see the supply of oil highly reducing. Some experts say that even though the oil supplies themselves are not reduced the easily accessible light sweet crude sources have almost been exhausted and in the future the Americans will depend on the more expensive sources and alternatives to the heavy oil. (Anne, 2007) The united states of America always keeps about 700 million crude oil gallons for storage to cover far any national emergencies but this reserves have gone down to 650 million gallons as more oil is being diverted from the reserves to the markets at large. Reference: Standard Poors DRI, The U. S. Economy, issues 2000/12, 2001/1, 2001/2 and 2001/3. WEFA, US Outlook, issues December 2000, and January, February and March 2001 Brown, S. (2004): U. S. Gasoline Prices on the Rise Once Again, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Expand Your Insight, May http://www. dallasfed.org/eyi/usecon/0405gasoline. html ASEAN Competitiveness Study, McKinsey Company, August 2003 Higher Global Oil Prices Implications for Asia in 2005, Asian Development Bank, 2005 http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part030200. asp Developing Asia and the World, Asian Development Bank, 2005, http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part010000. asp Higher Global Oil Prices Implications for Asia in 2005, Asian Development Bank, 2005 http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part030200. asp Switch it Off, The Asia Section, The Straits Times, June 2, 2005

Kraft and Cadbury Merger Essay Example for Free

Kraft and Cadbury Merger Essay What is the role of the government in this merger? What is the impact on the shareholders, what are their thoughts about it and is it a successful merger or not. Other than Kraft and Cadbury four aspects of doing business internationally has been discussed and their influence in an international business career. 1. 1 How and why Kraft identified Cadbury as a potential partner? On 19th January 2010 Kraft the American Giant, acquired Cadbury the most popular and one of the most selling brand in chocolates for . 5bn. The reason for Kraft to identify Cadbury as its potential partner and even after Cadbury rejected its first bid on 7th September 2009, and then came up with a higher bid, was that Kraft wanted to bring in the most loved British Chocolates to USA, because the chocolates that America produces are only loved by American’s and are not so loved around the world, while they targeted the British company because they make better chocolates plus they wanted to get into the British market and to get into the British market remaining into the food industry they could not identify a better option than acquiring Cadbury by merging these two companies one they capture the British market of dairy food plus they introduce their products into Britain and the Cadbury products into USA having the plus points of both cultures. Expected benefits Kraft is the second largest Food beverage company in the world, which produced revenue of 49. billion USD in the year 2010 (Kraftfoodscompany, (2011) and is operating in more than 150 counties worldwide and has an Employee number of around 100,000. Where as Cadbury on the other hand is the second largest Confectionary Company in the world, which produced revenue of 5. 38 billion USD in the year 2008 (Cadbury annual report, 2008) and has a very strong hold in Asia Pacific and Latin America and has an Employee number of around 70,000. When these two giants combine, one American Giant and other British Giant, they both can conquer the food industry if they both are managed well. In 2010 Kraft already made revenue increase of 0. 7 billion USD from 2008 to 2010 after the take over of Cadbury (CNN, 2011). Kraft and Cadbury can both work very well and can avail a lot of benefits from each other provided that both them work together, because Kraft has its own management too large in scale and Cadbury as well. 1. 3 Synergies for both companies involved? After the merger of Kraft and Cadbury, both companies are expected to have revenue synergies and have an increase of the net revenue of up to 5% or more. They are targeting the long-term output for it. Which as a result will increase the net revenue. The combined company (Kraft and Cadbury) is targeting to increase their per share cost in 2011 of approximately $0. 05 and on the basis of cash. These two companies combined can make a lot of revenue. Parliament publication, 2012) Other than that Cadbury has other channels of gaining revenue like gas filling stations, corner shops which are well being forced by Cadbury and on the other hand Kraft has a strong hold on supermarkets and groceries. As they are merged now the overall distribution will be higher for Kraft and Cadbury and their revenue will increase. Both of the companies has opposite markets that they have captured for Cadbury they have a large influence in Asia, Africa, Mexico and Turkey and for Kraft they have more influence in Brazil and China. By combining together they both can capture almost every market around the globe. The total value of the British chocolate confectionery sector amounts to approximately EUR 3. 9 billion. In the UK, the parties activities overlap only in the markets of tablets and pralines. Kraft is active in tablets and pralines mainly with its brands Milka, Toblerone and Terrys chocolate Orange, and Cadbury with its brands Dairy Milk, Roses and Green amp; Black. (http://ec. europa. eu/competition/mergers/cases/decisions/m5644_20100106_20212_en. pdf page 9 ) (Kraft Foods Official 2011 Report) 1. 4 The risks associated with the choice of acquisition as an approach to this particular ‘partnership’ The first and last risk which is associated with this particular partnership is of keeping their word. The official position of the Fairtrade Foundation is the following: The Fairtrade Foundation is very proud of our relationship with Cadbury, and what we have achieved together, including the conversion of Cadbury Dairy Milk to Fairtrade in the UK and Ireland in 2009, now being extended to three other international markets Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This has had a tremendously positive public response, and is delivering major benefits to cocoa farmers in Ghana, quadrupling the amount they are able to sell on Fairtrade terms in 2010, compared to 2008. The Fairtrade Foundation and Cadbury have a shared vision for the future, and there are contractual commitments in place, which will form part of any intellectual property transfer between Cadbury and Kraft in any takeover. We believe that the progress we have made together in strengthening cocoa farmers to deliver long term sustainability of the cocoa supply chain, along with a fast growing level of consumer demand for Fairtrade products, not just in the UK but globally, present a unique and compelling case for continuing to pursue the Cadbury commitment to their Cocoa Partnership and to Fairtrade, and taking it even further in coming months and years. Treehugger, 2012) According to the Official Statement, they will perform Fairtrade for both the companies and Kraft confirmed that it would uphold Cadbury’s commitments to Fairtrade which were that: †¢ Dairy Milk will continue to be Fairtrade in the UK and Northern Ireland and in three more markets, Canada, Australia and New Zealand by early 2010; †¢ Green amp; Black’s (which is owned by Cadbury) will move its entire range to Fairtrade by the end of 2011. (http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmbis/234/234. df ) But no one is quiet happy with the outcome of the merger. Because Kraft did not really act upon what they stated to do before the merger, expression of the former first Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell asked Kraft in the Scottish Parliament to Honour the Fairtrade Part of the deal, he said There have been concerns expressed for many years that Kraft has never shown any enthusiasm for fair trade and therefore this must be under threat as a result of the takeover. (Treehugger, 2012). Warren Buffett isnt too keen now either. Discussing the CEO of Kraft, he said She thinks this is a good deal, I think its a bad deal. Mind you, he is probably not worrying about the fairtrade aspect. Cadburys 6,000 UK workers are also worried, because it is a hi risk for the workers to now work at Cadbury under the American Management which has already influenced the Cadbury management. 1. 5 Feasible alternative? The most feasible alternative to Kraft for Cadbury was Hershey Chocolates, which is also an American Chocolate brand. In 2009 before the hostile takeover of Cadbury by Kraft, Cadbury talked to Hershey personal to include themselves in the bid so they can recommend Hershey over Kraft to its shareholders and are taken over by Hershey, but unfortunately Hershey did not want to be the part of the bidding war over Cadbury with Kraft because Hershey is its self weighing up. Even for Kraft Hershey was a good alternative over Cadbury because both are American Companies and would understand eachother easily rather than taking over a company is a completely different region, Ferrero maker of Rocher chocolate and Nutella is also a very good alternative for Cadbury but at the time of bid according to Trevor Datson the spokesperson for Cadbury said the company had no comment. No one at Ferrero was immediately available for comment. Involvement of National and corporate cultures Neither is the Nation nor the Corporate section is happy with the merger of the both companies, because for public there is a fear of cutting off more than 6000 jobs is Britian and more than 46,000 globally so people working at Cadbury are really afraid to work at it and other than employees the Corporate personal are also in fear of that the world leading brands like Dairy Milk, Flake and Wipsa are at risk with this merger and the shareholder are also not very happy with the $11. 5 bn deal. Critical Evaluation of both the companies about this Partnership Both of the companies had their own management and their own way of doing business around the world. As Kraft is majorly dairy products maker and is being loved by that around the world. Where as Cadbury is also a very well known name in the chocolate industry, because a lot of people in United Kingdom and at other major parts of the world such as Asia and Africa Cadbury is really loved for chocolate. As through the analysis this is a very hostile takeover i. e. , between Kraft and Cadbury, after taking over Cadbury Kraft accepted some of the points that they will do and keep is at it is and after that takeover they did not manage to fulfill those commitments which lead to misunderstanding between these two companies after their merger. As Kraft agreed that they will stick to Faretrade organization and to keep the same cocoa supplier as Cadbury had before and before the merger Cadbury was to close one of their plants but after merger Kraft did not do so and now they are facing these problems which are not very good in the long run for both of the companies. Involvement Of the Government In this hostile takeover not just the employees and shareholders but also the government, had and also has issues with this mergers. With the merger of Kraft Foods and Cadbury a number of important issues have bin highlighted in the way through which the foreign takeovers of UK companies are conducted.

The Structure Of Protein P53 Biology Essay

The Structure Of Protein P53 Biology Essay Protein p53, encoded by gene Tp53, is known as a tumor suppressor. Discovered in 1979 as a transformation-related protein (DeLeo et al., 1979) and protein which accumulates in the tumor cells binding with simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigens (Lane et al., 1979), p53 was regarded as an important protein in the regulation of an apoptosis and cancerization. During the last 30 years, a large amount of studies was taken in p53 and its related mechanisms in cellular process. In 1980s, researchers cloned the Tp53 gene and determined the role of p53 as a tumor suppressor. However, the structure of p53 protein was uncertain until 2006, in which William and his colleagues determined the DNA binding core domain of protein p53 (William. C. Ho. et al., 2006). Plenty of researches focus on the regulatory mechanism of p53 and hundreds types of targets and regulators of p53 were found, e.g. MDM2, Cyclin H, ATR, ATM, etc. These molecules can interact with p53 and regulate the life process collecti vely. P53 plays a very crucial role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis induction, the mutation of p53 would lead to the cancerization in cells and induce cancer. Bai and Zhu (2006) reported that the mutation or loss of p53 gene and protein can be found in over 50% of tumor cells in human all around the world. For these reasons, the application of cancer therapy through protein p53 and Tp53 gene is a very potential aspect in cancer treatment. This review will describe the structure and function of p53 protein, examine its role in natural and tumor cells and focus on the cancer therapy application through p53. The Structure of P53 Human protein p53 is a 53KDa phosphoprotein encoded by a 20Kb-gene; it has an intricate structure which is closely related to its function. Wild-type P53 protein contains five major domains. The N-terminus of p53 is a transcription-activation domain (TAD), with a major one at residues 1-42 and a minor one at residues 55-75 (Venot et al., 1998). The basic function of this domain is involvement in the regulation of the pro-apoptotic transcription. Following the TAD is a proline-rich region which plays an important role in apoptotic activities. The central core of p53 protein is a DNA binding domain which can bind and interact with special DNA sequence that contain 2 copies of 10bp motif 5-PuPuPuC(A/T)-(T/A)GPyPyPy-3 (Kern et al., 1991). This region is also responsible for binding with LMO3, which is an essential co-repressor of p53 (Larsen et al., 2010). A nuclear localization signaling domain (NLS) is located beside the C-terminus of central core. The C-terminus domain of p53 protein, called negative regulatory domain is involved in the down regulation of DNA binding in central core (Chen, et al., 2005), and is also an essential part for the induction of cell death. A homo-oligomerisation domain (OD) located between the negative regulatory domain and NLS. This part is involved in tetramerization, which is a main activity for p53 in vivo. The different domains of p53 protein have their functions respectively, nevertheless, they constitute an inseparable entirety to play the role as a tumor suppressor. The function of p53 As a cancer suppressor, the main function of p53 is the anticancer function. P53 plays a vital role in apoptosis, gene stability and DNA damage through a series of complex mechanisms. First, p53 can respond to DNA damage through activating the DNA repair protein. For example, upon DNA damage, p53 gets activated and initiates the transcription of repair protein XPC and DDB2. The complex of p53-XPC-DDB2 can repair the DNA damaged by UV (Adimoolam and Ford, 2003). In addition, p53 can arrest the cell cycle at S, G1, and G2 phase (Agarwal et al., 1995), which can provide sufficient time for proteins repair to fix the damaged DNA. Induction of apoptosis, the programmed cell death, is also the essential and most important anti-cancer function of p53. If DNA damage is irreparable, p53 can activate the expression of pro-apoptosis genes like p21, Gadd45 (growth arrest and DNA-damageinducible protein 45), Bcl-2 family, etc. Moreover, p53 can bind and interact with hundreds of protein to regulate the cellular process and apoptosis. P53 can also restrain the cell cycle by repressing the expression of genes include bcl-2, bcl-X, cyclin B1, MAP4 and survivin (Bai and Zhu, 2006). The physiological functions of p53 are to maintain the genetic stability and regulate the normal cell cycle through a complex regulatory network. The mutation of Tp53 gene would lead to the loss of function of p53 protein, resulting in a cellular canceration. Consequently, the essential function of p53 is preventing the cancerization of cells by repairing genes or inducing apoptosis, in order to achieve these function, p53 can interact with a n umber of downstream targets. The Regulation in P53 Level A large amount of cellular response and process is induced by p53 through a series of complex biochemical mechanisms. P53 achieves its function through activating, binding, interacting with myriad kinds of downstream target molecules including kinase, enzymes, etc. Generally, p53 interacts with its target by phosphorylation of transcription-activation domain in N-terminus. The most well-known target of p53 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) p21. P53 would initiate the transcription and transduction of p21 in response to cellular stress, p21 is necessary in G1 control, the increase of p21 arrest the cell growth and induce cell death (Yin, et al., 1999). P53 and p21 contribute to a cell-cycle check point in G1 phase. The damaged genes would not be allowed to express until they are repair. If most damaged genes cannot be repaired, the accumulation of p21 regulated by p53 would induce apoptosis. Another important target of p53 is MDM2 (also called HDM2 in human body). MDM2 is a p53 inducible gene and its product can bind and interact with p53. The product of MDM2 gene, called p90 or p95, can bind with p53 and combine with ubiquitinate which can induce the degradation of p53 (Buschmann, et al., 2000). MDM2 is the killer of p53 which can keep the amount of p53 proteins into an appropriate level. However, a series of cellular stress would cause the overexpress of MDM2 and result in the over degradation of p53, the cell would lose ground and transform to tumor cell. P53 has plenty of other regulation pathways that cannot be listed in detail. The hundreds of pathways regulated by p53 have two mutual purposes: repair genes and induction of apoptosis. Therefore, the core of the p53 regulation levels is to maintain the stability of genes and accelerate the death of damaged or diseased cells. The Role of p53 in Normal and Tumor cells In natural human cells, the wt-p53 protein can be regarded as a guardian of the cell and genome. It can monitor the vital process, repair the gene indirectly through interaction with repair protein and induce apoptosis when necessary (Hofseth, et al., 2004). P53 plays a crucial role in numerous cellular processes which are related to cell cycle and cell death. If Tp53 gene mutated, the tumor suppression function in the cell would partly reduce. As a result, people whose Tp53 gene was mutated are more susceptible to suffer from cancer. Tp53 gene is mutated in over half of tumor cells; the mutation would alter the structure of p53 protein, thus p53 would lose its function partly or completely. The p53-mutated cells can not die programmatically, and become tumor cells. The mutated p53 protein tends to accumulate in tumor cells because the mutated p53 lose its function to induce the express of MDM2, which can degrade p53 proteins in the cell. The accumulation of p53 protein is a significant feature for the tumor cells. In cancer treatments, tumor cells can be detected through the accumulation of p53. However, mutated p53 can also be an obstacle of the therapy because mutant p53 can inhibit the function of wide-type p53 (Blagosklonny, M. V., 2002). If the treatment strategy is transferring the wide-type p53 into tumor cells, how to eliminate the effect of mutant p53 is the problem which has to be solved first. Consequently, p53 plays crucial roles both in normal cells and tumor cells; it is a gatekeeper in normal cells and a marker for tumor cells; it is an effective target for cancer treatments, nevertheless it can also become a barrier in cancer therapy. Conclusion P53 is the best-known transcription factor and cancer suppressor plays multiple roles in the cell. In healthy cells and, it is a gatekeeper to monitor the cell cycle and prevent the mutation of gene. If some mutations happen in the genome, p53 serve as a doctor to activate the repair process of damaged genes. When cells suffer from an irreversible damage or oncogenic stress, p53 can become a killer of cancerous cells. P53 participates in a number of biochemical pathways which can respond to the stress, arrest cell-cycle, repair gene and induce apoptosis. In the 30 years after the discovery of p53, plenty investigation was devoted into this essential protein and received a number of great achievements. A large amount of downstream targets has been identified and the regulatory network of p53 levels became clearer. Although plenty of details about p53, such as the relationship between each pathway, are still unknown. There is still a potential application through p53 in cancer treatmen ts.

Friday Night Lights - Just Read It ! :: friday

Friday Night Lights - Just Read It ! Meat head, dumb jock. These are just two of the many derogatory labels given to football players. Is it possible for me, a meat head, to hear the criticisms dealt to the sport of football? Is it possible for me, a dumb football jock, to understand and be objective about the issues raised in the book, Friday Night Lights? Yes, because I'm not the stereotypical football player like those described of Odessa, Texas. The football players in Odessa were generally a wild party crowd. It was typical that late in the fourth quarter, when the game was in the bag, the players would begin talking on the sidelines about what parties they were going to after the game, what girls they were going to try to pick up, and laughing about how drunk they were going to get. They cared nothing for academics. The senior star running back, Boobie Miles, was taking a math course that most students took as freshmen. Many of the senior players' schedules consisted of nothing but electives. For the Oddesa footbal players, school was nothing more than a social get-to-gether, served up to them as a chance to flirt with girls and hand out with their friends. They knew that their performance in class didn't matter; the teacher would provide the needed grade to stay on the team. It wasn't uncommon for players to receive answer keys for a test or simply to be exempt from taking the test at all. Some didn't know how they would cope without football after the season was over. They ate, drank, and slept it. On the whole, these 16 and 17-year-old boys' identity was wrapped up in a pigskin. The Odessa football players couldn't be objective about criticisms of football. Their total self-esteem depended on how they did on Friday night. This was the glorified culmination of their football career: wearing the black MoJo uniform in the stadium under the big lights. Football was more than just a game to them; it was a religion. It "made them seem like boys going off to fight a war for the benefit of someone else, unwitting sacrifices to a strange and powerful god" (Bissinger, p.11). Because football was so meaningful in their lives, to criticize it was to criticize everything they'd worked so hard for and lived for.

Comparing Maya Angelous Graduation and Liliana Hekers The Stolen Part

Comparing Maya Angelou's Graduation and Liliana Heker's The Stolen Party    Maya Angelou's "Graduation" and Liliana Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a common theme. Each author demonstrates through young girls that life's experiences, especially as a child, teach important lessons. Although Angelou's "Graduation" and Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a distinct resemblance, they also differ. The main similarity is that Margaret from "Graduation" and Rosaura from "The Stolen Party" are both excited about a day that they consider special or important. Margaret's big day revolves around her graduation from the eighth grade at the Lafayette County Training School. Margaret and her entire family are so proud of her accomplishments and achievements. Margaret felt high aspirations for the future and high hopes of all her goals being attainable. Margaret brags: My work alone had awarded me a top place and I was going to be one of the first called in the graduating ceremonies. On the classroom blackboard, as well as on the bulletin board in the auditorium, there were blue stars and white stars and red stars. No absences, no tardiness, and my academic work was among the best of the year. I could say the preamble to the Constitution even faster than Bailey. (572)    Rosaura's big day revolves around a birthday party she was invited to by Luciana. Luciana is the daughter of Senora Ines. Senora Ines is a lady Rosaura's mother cleans for in the afternoons. Despite her mother's initial wishes, Rosaura was determined to attend Luciana's birthday party. Heker writes, "She wanted to go to that party more than anything else in the world. 'I'll die if I don't go' she [Rosaura] whispered" (614). Margaret and Ro... ...ade this little girl come to life with words. Margaret was so natural, so life-like, so truthful. Heker's "The Stolen Party" is a work of fiction and is told in third person. Although Rosaura seems realistic and believable, her character was not as fully revealed as Margaret's.    Margaret and Rosaura were both young girls living in environments where certain things or people were not accepted. Through childhood experiences both girls have learned substantial lessons about themselves and the way others view them that should remain with them the rest of their lives.    Works Cited Angelou, Maya. "Graduation." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed.   Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 570-578. Hecker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 613-616.

The Life of Christ :: essays research papers

the oneitself â€Å"America’s Career University.† It has campuses on two continents: a campus in Gothenburg, Sweden, and six campuses in the United States. The University also participates in international joint venture programs with the IHM Business School in Sweden and with the Central Hotel School in Israel. Johnson & Wales University has three colleges: Culinary Arts, Business, and Hospitality. It offers both traditional and nontraditional programs of study: associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs in business, food service, hospitality, travel and tourism, technology, and a doctor of education degree in educational leadership. The University also offers classes in English as a Second Language (ESL). The University operates on a trimester system. As of Spring 2000, it had an enrollment of more than 12,000 students at all campuses, including 1,119 international students from 95 countries (Gagnon, 2000, p. 32). However, for the purpose of this applied dissertation, the study will be focused on the Providence campus only. Gagnon reports the 1999 racial/ethnic breakdown at the Providence campus: White 6,072; Black 1,013; Non-resident/Alien 836; Hispanic 438; Asian/Pacific Islander 230; and American Indian/Alaskan 25. She further reports the breakdown of the international students by their region of origin at all campuses (most international students are concentrated in the Providence campus): Asia 42.3 %; Europe 18.9 %; Middle East 15.3 %; Latin America and Caribbean 13.0 %; Africa 9.2 %; and all others 1.3 % (p. 44). Because of the large number of international students, the Providence campus of the University has an International Student Center that works closely with the Counselin g Services. Whenever an international student exhibits psychological or academic problems, he or she is referred to a Multicultural Counselor or to a Student Development Counselor. In addition, the Providence campus has a Multicultural Center that serves its diverse student body. Historically, in early colleges and universities in the U.S.A., both international faculty and students had to bond together for protection from the community to cope with their cultural differences (Kenneth Varcoe, personal communication, August 5, 1994). Some international and American students have traveled or resided in other countries and have experienced various intercultural encounters. However, others have never left their homeland and have little knowledge and understanding of other cultures. Many American and international students reported that they are experiencing intercultural miscommunication and misunderstandings because of a lack of information about the culture of others. The miscommunication and misunderstandings often occur among faculty/staff and students from different cultural backgrounds at Johnson & Wales University.

The Three Paths of Salvation in the Bhagavad-Gita

Bhagavad Gita through the Lord Krishna primarily advocates three spiritual paths towards attaining spiritual salvation, namely Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The online Indian Purans describes these three paths as follows: Karma Yoga, the as the path of action; Bhakti Yoga as the path of love; and Jnana or Dhyana as the path of wisdom (www. indianet. zone, 2008). The Three Paths for Salvation Karma Yoga is articulated by the Lord Krishna to Arjuna when he exhorted the latter, â€Å"Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot maintain one’s physical body without working†. On what manner or under what circumstance that work should be done, the Lord Krishna further elaborated, â€Å"Work done as a sacrifice to Vishnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribe duties for his satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage (Prabhupada, p. 94-95)†. This exhortation is for the path seeker to dedicate his mundane works to the Lord Vishnu. The fruits of his labor should not be served for sense gratification. Dhyana Yoga, calls for one to possess the proper knowledge to know the path of right wisdom. The knowledge that is referred here is transcendental knowledge. Krishna referred to this in reverently, â€Å"In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in the due course of time (Prabhupada, p. 168)†. What is referred here is spiritual understanding. It is the conclusion of the premise that the cause of our suffering and bondage is ignorance. This is the result of devotional service to Krishna. One finds peace within himself in this self-realization â€Å"Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in me always, without a doubt (Prabhupada, p. 433)†. This statement of the Lord Krishna embodies the path of love or bhakti yoga. This is love through expression of devotional services as prescribed in the vedas. There is acceptance that there is love of god in the hearts of everyone, many of these are impure by material association. One has to free his or her senses to be a true devotee. Conclusion All these paths ultimately lead to the supreme state of being. Nothing is indicated as being superior or more prominent among the three Paths. The Path of Wisdom or the dhyana or jhanna path could be in a bit in an elevated plane than bhakti and karma since Khrishna himself has described it in the indicated quote in superlative terms, â€Å"In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. . . â€Å". What is being imparted in the Bhagavad Gita is for the three paths to serve as options to man. Through each, one may ultimately trod the other or perhaps not at all. Yet any of the three will lead to Nirvana.

Brand’s Market Analysis Essay

However, other brands are engaging in more aggressive advertising and increasing brand awareness, bridging the gap of perceived difference between BRAND’S and their products, and offering buyers more choices, hence buyers have medium power. Supplier bargaining power BRAND’S ingredients are mainly chicken essence and a small proportion of caramel. Although these ingredients are relatively easy to procure, there is high regulation from authorities restricting the number of suppliers, because of the recent 2004 avian flu which prompted authorities to step in to tighten regulations on the quality of avian products2. Due to loyalty to ingredient supplier since 2004, and the fact that few suppliers are qualified and approved by authorities, BRAND’S is assured of the quality of its ingredients, but suppliers enjoy high bargaining power because of its quality assurance. Threat of new entrants There are high fixed costs due to production method and machinery, and seasonal demands during critical periods such as examinations, as well as market saturation and high existing brand equity with other industry competitors. This creates a high barrier of entry due to high start-up capital and high economies of scale. BRAND’S recent entry to the health supplement market, has heightened the threat of new entrants (e. g. InnerShine series3), as these products do not enjoy similar consumer loyalty and new entrants can imitate them. Despite extensive brand building, threat of entrants is overall medium. Threat of substitutes Substitutes of BRAND’S include mainstream health supplements, which may appeal to consumers who do not like the bitter taste of BRAND’S traditional products. In response, BRAND’S has diversified their product line to include tablets. Moreover, BRAND’S has always been active in research and recently discovered the link between consumer benefits to an active compound4 in its products. This is in contrast to its substitutes, especially western health supplements, who have prided themselves on a long history of research and the ability to back its products with scientific foundations. Despite this, threat of substitutes is medium as BRAND’S health supplements are relatively new. Industry competition In actuality, BRAND’S products have little difference with its competitors and there are fairly similar marketing target segments because BRAND’S competitors are able imitate its marketing strategy5. Growth in demand of such products as a result of increasing competitive environments has allowed competitors to capitalize on the high demand from a spectrum of consumers. As a result, BRAND’S direct competitors price their products lower than BRAND’S and appeal to price-sensitive consumers, thus leading to a relatively strong rivalry. BRAND’s recent foray into the mainstream health supplements market also exposed itself to great competition because of existing industry players, giving it an uphill task to gain market share. As a result, industry competition is relatively intense. In conclusion, strong brand equity empowers BRAND’S and reduces threats from buyers and new entrants. Overall competitive environment was medium high due to pressures from substitutes, suppliers and competitors which led CPL to adopt the strategies below. 2. Competitive Strategies adopted in 2009 and 2010 CPL primarily uses focus differentiation strategy, coupled with some elements of cost leadership strategy, during the period 2009 to 2010, which enabled it to survive the challenging environment and gear itself towards sustainable growth in the long run. Fierce industry competition during the period has led to CPL being active in its brand building strategy through various channels. Some of these include engaging brand amba ssadors, outreach on television media and organizing study camps. This brand management strategy has resulted in perceived uniqueness of their product, even though there are competitors with similar physical products. In a bid to convince consumers of its uniqueness, it has invested in research facilities to provide scientific backing to its products. The successful patent of its discovery will lend further credence to its advertising and products which will make it harder for its rivals to imitate its marketing strategy. Focus strategy is evident through marketing strategies targeted at students. Collaboration with schools and the organization of student events (e. . Sudoku competitions, summer camps) have enabled CPL to improve its outreach to students. This is in response to the increasingly competitive education systems in Singapore and China, where students will be inclined to take supplements that are deemed beneficial to the well-being of the mind. The global recession of 2009 and declining sales forced CPL to rethink a low cost strategy, in response to more price-sensitivity among consumers, and rising price of ingredients. This is illustrated in its continual capacity expansion, allowing it to enjoy future economies of scale. The increase in volume of production will allow it to spread its fixed costs over a larger quantity, reducing its average unit cost of production. Furthermore, investments in specialized technology6 for the manufacturing process will likely result in higher efficiency and lower average cost in the long run. Price negotiations to mitigate upward pressure7 in ingredient prices also help to keep unit costs low. In the event of future recessions, CPL will be able to respond and translate lower prices to consumers through promotions and offers. To conclude, even though BRANDS is not a price leader in the industry, its long term low cost strategy in bringing down its production cost, along with increased investments in brand building to promote product uniqueness, will allow it to reap increased profits in good times. Where times are bad, CPL can afford to lower selling prices and still make healthy profits. 2. 3 Top Three Business Risks and Counter-measures Risk 1: Declining market shares and strong competition Strong competition from existing competitors present a threat to BRAND’S standing in the market. BRAND’S has lost market shares in beauty oral aid products8 and Innershine products in countries such as Malaysia while competition in other countries remains intense. In response to the competition, CPL engaged in active advertising to improve brand image and increase outreach. Campaigns directed to improve sales of specific products are also held resulting in significant effect in capturing customer’s attention to BRAND’S products. Innovative ways to increase sales such as ‘cubic shop’ retailing, blogs and increasing of sales channels to cosmetic shops9 has helped to gain a competitive advantage and modernize their image. CPL has also carried out extensive research for BRAND’S to scientifically assure the benefits and safety consumption of their product which no other company had done so for this category of products hence winning over customer’s approval and loyalty. Risk 2: Decreasing sales due to the global economic recession The global economic recession has made a declining effect on the sales number for BRAND’S product. However CPL had manage to minimize the effects of the recession by investing heavily on research ;amp; development and capacity building allowing them to stay resilient in the face of the recession. Up to date technology to transform operations to be fully automated has allowed CPL to decrease cost of production and increase product output hence maximizing profits during the recession. The investment in increasing capacity includes construction of factories costing a total of 2. 45 billion baht10 and opening of Indonesia offices. This move coupled with aggressive marketing sales strategy aims to increase their presence in the market and improve sales in the short run while the construction of the factory aims to allow CPL to increase their competitiveness and secure a larger market share in the long run. Risk 3: Decrease consumer confidence in BRANDS products News reports of a recall of essence of chicken products in the United States spark1ed some controversy amongst consumers11. In addition, just as the business in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was beginning their operations, food safety concerns caused by the melamine food scare12 significantly affected consumer sentiment. Above this, news of the import ban on BRANDS’ products spread worldwide, affecting the business segment. Fortunately, BRANDS subsequently stepped out to explain that the cause of the import ban was a result of compliance issues13. CPL also affirmed its commitment to quality assurance through various press releases to ease consumer sentiments14. 2. 4 Overview of Value Chain Activities We have identified the value chain activities that enable CPL to stay ahead of competitors, in particular, support activities such as research and development and human resource management provide BRANDS the extra edge in the industry and primary activities such as operations, advertising, brand building and service distinguish BRANDS from their rivals. CPL has affirmed its commitment to Research and Development by launching the BRANDS Health Science Centre and they have discovered the active compound in their health product which is believed to enhance mental performance. Work is still done to further understand how to maximize the uses of the compound for consumer benefits15. As a result, BRANDS product credibility in the industry will be improved with the backing of this scientific discovery. This discovery of this compound ‘Probeptigen’ will help to distinguish BRANDS from its rivals and increase customer loyalty. Finding ways of harnessing the active compound in different ways should be the next step that CPL works towards to, and will aid its differentiation strategy if new and innovative products can be released with its findings. Human resource management is identified as key to the organization16. This is important to the development of the next generation of leadership and talent retention and particularly relevant as a strong management team will be vital to steer the waves of future recessions. A highly efficient management team will create value for shareholders and maintain the pristine image of BRANDS products to consumers. Efforts are made to engage employees, develop leadership skills and align the right behaviors and values across the organization17. Further improvements can be made by providing quality training to service staffs with higher emphasis on after sales services. For operations, CPL has been actively expanding its manufacturing facilities, allowing them to better match its production capabilities with the growing demands. Increased output volume helps in its long-term low cost strategy by reducing average unit production costs. Enhanced manufacturing capabilities enable BRANDS to diversify and offer new products with special features. This allows CPL to serve various consumer needs and provide more product choices, which aid its differentiation strategy. Improvements to the manufacturing process are made through installation of latest technology to increase efficiency and reduce waste. CPL can improve its existing operations by developing new distribution channels to cope with higher output capabilities. This helps prevent bottlenecks in its supply chain. Advertising and brand building activities help to transform consumer mindsets, as well as contemporize product image. Conventionally viewed as traditional health products for medicinal purposes18, new branding strategies repositions BRAND’S with brain-enhancing functions. With these activities, BRANDS can increase the efficacy of its focus differentiation strategy. Increased industry competition led CPL to enhance the uniqueness of its products from its close competitors. Appealing to students and young adults via brand imaging strengthens its focus strategy. Improvements are made with research and patents to provide scientific foundations to its products. Further improvements can be by capitalizing on these scientific insights to explicitly educate consumers on the specific benefits of each product to achieve full effects of its brand building strategy. Service in the organization adds value to consumers through its customer relationship management (CRM) policies. In a saturated industry, close similarities with rivals can be mitigated with unique after sales services and quality consumer experiences. This helps BRANDS to connect with its consumers on a more personal level, and allow it to leverage on customer insights to better anticipate demands19. This is particularly important for BRANDS’s focus differentiation strategy as it reduces the time BRANDS takes to rectify product errors or push out new products by reconciling its supply side capabilities with the demand side factors such as change in consumer preferences. CRM initiatives are constantly being reviewed and improved in the organization by benchmarking its quality against service industry averages19. In addition, human resource management is important as such after sales services require quality labor inputs, which require constant retraining of employee. . 1 List of Financial Ratios Liquidity ;amp; Efficiency| 2008| 2009| 2010| Current Ratio| 1. 56| 1. 70| 1. 69| Quick Ratio| 1. 21| 1. 23| 1. 27| Cash Ratio| 0. 65| 0. 59| 0. 73| Assets Turnover| 1. 19| 1. 20| 1. 35| Fixed Assets Turnover| 5. 87| 4. 40| 4. 37| Inventory Turnover| 4. 59| 4. 07| 4. 60| Days to Sell| 79. 52| 89. 68| 79. 35| Receivables Turnover| 7. 81| 7. 37| 8. 35| Days to Collect| 46. 73| 49. 53| 43. 70| Profitability| 2008| 2009| 2010| Gross Profit Margin| 50. 24%| 49. 72%| 47. 93%| Net Profit Margin| 11. 35%| 11. 73%| 12. 09%| Return on Assets| 13. 8%| 14. 09%| 16. 29%| Return on Fixed Assets| 66. 63%| 51. 63%| 52. 81%| Return on Equity| 23. 66%| 24. 49%| 28. 06%| Earnings Per Share| 25. 72 cents| 26. 29 cents| 32. 68 cents| Solvency| 2008| 2009| 2010| Debt Ratio| 42. 64%| 42. 35%| 41. 56% | Times Interest Earned (TIE) Ratio| 19. 71| 30. 77| 49. 32| Selected business segments turnovers (in millions)| 2008| 2009| 2010| BRAND’S Liquids| 403. 7| 431. 0| 503. 7| Eu Yan Sang (EYS) Chicken Essence21| 6. 1| 6. 1| 8. 6| Woh Hup Sauces| 159. 3| 138. 3| 171. 0| 3. 2 Comments and Explanations of Financial Ratios Debt ratios fell between 2009 and 2010, despite similar amount of borrowings reported on the balance sheet. Total assets grew as a result of capacity expansion, investment gains and increased cash holdings. In particular TIE ratios fell because borrowing rates were lowered22 in a bid to stimulate the economy. The recovery of the economy posted a hike in turnover and profits, which led to a surge in TIE ratio. As part of the Group’s commitment to maximize shareholder wealth, ROE and EPS values rose. The decreasing debt ratios showed the Group’s emphasis on funding through internal growth and reduced reliance on external financing. This also indicates the Group’s attitude towards shareholder value creation, in which a long term approach is employed, without leveraging on higher debts to fund short-term growth which could run the risk of financial bankruptcy. Gross Profit Margin fell from 2009 to 2010. The Group experienced upward pressures in prices of commodities, such as raw bird’s nest, coffee and sugar during the period23. Despite the higher dollar amount of turnover in 2010, the price pressures impacted costs of sales which outstripped the growth in turnover. This led to lower Gross Profit Margin in 2010. However, Net Profit Margin rose slightly by 0. 36%. Though there were higher expenses incurred from increased investments in branding, research and development, growth in turnover managed to keep pace with this rise. The main reason for the slight increase in Net Profit Margin in 2010 was due to foreign exchange losses24 experienced in 2009, which arose as a result of the Group’s foreign currency purchases and acquisition of foreign businesses such as Toby’s Estate. Against the backdrop of the global recession, this translated to substantial foreign exchange losses, impacting Net Profit Margin in 2009. The Group’s liquidity position was very weak in 2009. Despite the similarity in current ratios between 2009 and 2010, the Group held substantially lesser cash during 2009, evident from its cash ratio. Both the inventory and receivables turnover ratio indicated that a large proportion of current assets were tied up in receivables and illiquid inventories. This was probably a result of lower consumer sentiment due to the effects of the financial crisis. Certain business segments, such as sauces and beverages25, suffered lower turnover. This caused inventory to pile up, and is illustrated in the huge spike in inventories in 2009. To encourage customer purchases, the Group probably extended credit to customers which resulted in higher proportion of credit sales experienced. Dividend pay-outs averaged 25 cents a share26 despite slowing growth. Moreover, investments in manufacturing, research and brand building continued amidst the downturn. As a result, the Group’s cash outflows outpaced inflows, which jeopardized its liquidity position of 2009. In 2010, liquidity position improved, as capacity expansion and brand building in the preceding years allowed it to capitalize on the recovering economy. Its CRM policy also allowed it to leverage on consumer feedback and enabled it to handle the surge in demand timely. Turnover for 2010 spiked as a result, which led to better operating cash inflows. The Group made heavy investments in fixed assets in 2009 and 2010, such as the launch manufacturing plants in Malaysia and Thailand, and building of offices in Indonesia. The fairly similar fixed asset ratios indicated that sales and profits were able to keep pace with these extensive investments, an indication of effective utilization of manufacturing resources. Despite this, there is definitely room for improvement, as higher investments should warrant a multiplier effect on sales in the long run, and lead to better fixed asset ratios in future. Comparisons of the turnover in business segments show that despite stagnation in EYS chicken essence in 2009, strong brand equity in BRAND’S products allowed appreciable growth in BRAND’S liquids. However, this figure is not wholly representative as within the category of BRAND’S liquids, relatively newer liquids such as BRAND’S InnerShine do face stiff competition into its market share. Growth in BRAND’S liquid is mainly attributed to the flagship product of chicken essence, highlighting the strong branding that BRAND’S traditional products enjoy. Moreover, chicken essence is neither the flagship product of EYS, which explains the relatively lower turnover figures. In the sauces industry, the general decrease in turnover in 2009 was probably due to decrease in number of people dining out and the perception that sauces were non-essentials during the 2009 recession27. Despite the turnaround growth in 2010, Woh Hup Sauces still faces stiff competition from close rivals28. In conclusion, we believe that CPL is well positioned to make further inroads into its different business segments with the recovery of the economy. With its competitive strategies, and coupled with a prudent management team, we believe CPL will be able to thrive in the competitive environment and improve its financial position in the future.

Michel et Augustin Essay

In 1978, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield launched Ben & Jerry’s, an ice-cream brand made from milk products and 100% natural ingredients. Two young students, Augustin Paluel-Marmont and Michel de Rovira have decided to take example from this mythical brand (as well as Innocent), and launch their own brand of biscuits: Michel et Augustin! The story of their brand building is truly a successful adventure, which gives by the way a whole meaning and a huge capital of sympathy to their brands, what the two friends are far from hiding, on the contrary†¦ They wanted to recreate the delicious biscuits of their â€Å"grandma† by gathering all the best and natural ingredients. But their positioning is not only about tradition and nostalgia, on the contrary. Admittedly, they use souvenirs as Proust and its famous Madeleines to hit their target – the 18-25 years old living in city – but want to go beyond tradition. Indeed they claim a return of quality, but in a modern, original and more often crazy way! Values & Identity: a new way of defining itself => put joy of life and fun at base corporate value Michel et Augustin have created a new way of claiming values, which contributes totally to their original brand identity, which could seem not really serious at first sight. The brand value corresponds fundamentally to both friends’ values. And no need to try to understand them, if you do not know the story of these two young entrepreneurs. Michel was consultant in strategy and Augustin was in Air France Marketing. The both young men were on tracks to build a great career. But they decided to drop everything to make their dreams come true, to live their own passion! Indeed, they did not recognize themselves in the traditional corporate value. They wanted something more, something different, whit less constraints and more joy of life! Then, they launched in 2004 their own brand of biscuits and milk products, surrounded by those unconventional values, converging to one motto, one mutual dream: â€Å"Make the world smile†. And those values, incarnated in the good mood are far from being only a marketing communication. Beyond their headquarter which is called â€Å"the Bananeraie†, their slogan â€Å"Les trublions du bon gout† and their â€Å"crazy† and unexpected packaging, the atmosphere of the firm is truly defined by this central value. Both co-directors claim the same value, as simplicity, enjoy life, solidarity, sense of the effort, in their communication than in the place of work. Thus, the 31 workers of the â€Å"Bananeraie† form the â€Å"tribu†, Michel is the â€Å"calife†, Augustin â€Å"the Vizir†, and Nicolas, the accounting manager, the â€Å"conteur de bonnes nouvelles†. Good news is announced by ringing the bell in the office†¦ In short, Michel et Augstin advocates new values, based on sincerity and fun, which are totally conveyed within their management. Their website conveys as well their will of differentiation. As example (below), they denounce on their website the usual cliche on food product benefits. Instead of giving these controversial and usual reasons to like their products, they put forward the simplest and most basic reason to like them: because they are good and fun! And all this convivial values are aimed to one objective: build a deep and true relationship with their customer. Make the world smile† is then far easier when the values are supported by the brand and the employees themselves! Events, website and packaging become next the ambassadors of those values among the customers! One question remains, is it possible to claim fun, in communication as well as in workplace while being serious in his job? Indeed, as they are facing an increasing growth, with all responsibilities and issues coming by, it will be more and more complicated to keep such a spirit of work†¦ Packaging => An instrumental way to convey their values They do not play the cart of nostalgia, on the contrary! The brand wants to build a great complicity with its customers, in a fun and simple way, without any hypocrisy. Then, the name â€Å"Michel et Augustin† and the logo (drawn in a caricature style) are made to convey an enthusiastic impression, far away from usual institutional statements. Thus, for more interactivity, they go until giving their email addresses and their phone number on the back pack of products! We can then say, without exaggerating, that the four criteria of a good packaging are fulfilled. Indeed, their packaging is fully: Attractive thanks to its strong originality (story of the brand told in a fun way on the back pack, attractive colors which are well standing out in shelf – with the violet for example – ) * Functional, really easy to open, does not take too much place * Easy to produce and inexpensive * Coherent with the brand value (cf. the phone number, best example of the brand humor and the will of nearness with its customers) Communication => a â€Å"street† Marketing aligned with their spirit The art of the â€Å"story telling† they stress so much is obviously one of their priorities in their marketing strategy. Although this brand counts from now one among strong and solid alimentary firms, it can really not compete with Danone or Nestle from a communication budget point of view. Indeed, it is not possible for this launching brand to dispense large amoung in TV advertising, or huge communication campaign. It has to be clever about it, and find creative and cheap way to become famous. And Michel et Augustin has precisely found the right way to do so, by cultivating this story telling art, mixed with their crazy and bluffing behavior. The both creators acknowledge that their product packaging is their best weapon to reach and target the customers. Yet, they did succeed to create the buzz with unexpected events. For example, they benefited from the huge media retransmission for the â€Å"Entrepreneurs Salon† by putting their yoghourt bottle at the Bill Gates‘ table. Thanks to its initiative, they were exposed in front of the â€Å"whole† world, as the bottle with the cow was filmed with Gates drinking it! Best inexpensive advertising ever!