War on Drugs Solution: Legalization?

Proposal Much like the exclusion of alcohol back in the 20s which was aimed to evict various substances from our civilization, the drug war today has not only ruined its mission, but has made its mission unfeasible. Today various failures, whether it is the huge amount of money being spent erroneously or the increasing number of crimes and users, one thing is for sure; the war on drugs has fallen short.There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can cause a huge difference in the lives of the users and the others around them, however the â€Å"War on Drugs†, is more of a failure than a success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. This research paper is intended to argue why the legalization of marijuana is the simple solution for the notorious war on drugs today as well as showing how society would actually benefit from the validation ra ther than the prohibition of some illicit substances.Outline Thesis Statement: There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. I. Failures and problems raised by the war. A. Financial failures. B. Social/Human failures. C. Criminal justice system problems. II. Approach to marijuana legalization.A. Marijuana’s historical background. B. Flexible strategies of legalization. III. Benefits of legalizing over banning. A. Financial benefits. B. Societal outcomes. C. Improvement of the criminal justice system. Ethics and politics are what make up the structure of a certain nation, so when a subject receives diverse reactions coming from two different standpoints it becomes controversial. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many encouraging arguments to support the idea.Taking a glimpse on its chronological milieu and the strategies of the legalization highlights the benefits of this validation as well as the problems elevated by the war on drugs. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.Looking back through history one cannot but notice the mistakes of most governments in choosing war as an approach to create peace. The war on drugs that the United States government tends to use on its own citizens has proven that war is not an applicable option anymore. In Ron Paul’s farewell speech to the congress in 2012, he asks , â€Å"Why haven’t we given up on the drug war since it’s an obvious failure and violates the people’s rights? Has nobody noticed that the authorities can’t even keep drugs out of the prisons?†The failure of the war appears in three aspects; financially, socially, and the problems with the criminal justice rise. As for financial failure due to the drug war; the United States paid at least $1 trillion on the drug war, while it cost U. S. taxpayers at least $51 billion in 2009. As a response to that drug production; trafficking, consumption and overdoses have increased. As for the society’s sacrifice in that war, many casualties have been reported due to some errors and/or corruption in the system of the law enforcement directed towards the handling of the drug war.The article â€Å"The Drug War’s Hidden Economic Agenda†, by Blemenson and Nilsen in 1998, presents the case of Donald Scott, a Californian millionaire, who was wrong ly accused of cultivating numerous marijuana plants on his five million dollar ranch. Despite many investigations, failed efforts to verify the anonymous tip, and information that Scott presented slight danger of violence; his ranch was totally raided by LA sheriff’s department armed with heavy weaponry and dogs. In response to the raid and out of fear and self-defense, Scott armed himself with a gun and was unfortunately shot by agents in front of his wife.Moreover, no trace of marijuana plants or other illicit substances were found (para. 17). Let’s suppose Donald Scott did have numerous marijuana plants, that shouldn’t be such a threat to the public and authorities to the point that they raid him on a military style basis and cause his unfortunate death. As for the problems that rise from the criminal justice system, Ron Paul questions â€Å" How can making our entire society a prison solve the problem? † where â€Å"Drug arrests have more than triple d in the last 25 years, totaling more than 1. 63 million arrests in 2010.More than four out of five of these arrests were for mere possession, and forty-six percent of these arrests (750,591) were for marijuana possession alone† (para. 7). One should think about it, it’s totally illogical and immoral to place a nonthreatening and non-violent person behind bars for the simple possession or use of marijuana for its recreational or proven medicinal value. Not to mention that prison is a place for hardcore drug addicts and criminals to suffer in. Adding to that, the incarceration of first time drug possessors could lead to serious repercussion of the violator and the family members.Moreover, the convicted could suffer many consequences such as losing his/her job, properties, college aid and shockingly losing the right to vote even after being released. Humankind has held the use of the cannabis plant properties for over 5000 years; whereas the false image and misconceptions built by prohibitionists have lasted barely seventy. The period in which society has looked upon marijuana positively and approvingly is almost seventy-five times longer than the period in which it was deemed to be considered as a public enemy.The earliest known recordings of the medicinal use of cannabis date back to first century A.D. , while nomadic tribes used the drug for spiritual purposes as early as the Stone Age. It may be shocking to know that the United States Constitution was written on paper made from hemp and that the first marijuana law, dated back to 1619, called farmers to plant â€Å"Indian hemp seed†. But the nasty business, the War on Marijuana, began in 1930 with the foundation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a Division of the U. S. Treasury Department. It was not until 1937, with the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act, that the United States actually restricted recreational and medical use of marijuana.Then after the Second World War joins president N ixon who targeted all drugs and treated drug users as some sort of terrorist aliens. Nixon signed the controlled substances act in 1970, placing marijuana as a schedule I drug disregarding the most comprehensive study done by the Shafer Commission, which recommended that: â€Å"Possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana be decriminalized, stating, in part, that the actual and potential harm from using it â€Å"is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance†(Johnston, 2011, para 3).Changing the public’s thought towards â€Å"addictive, lethal weed† prohibitionists won by creating a war, but have never yet got close to winning the war itself. Nowadays public views towards marijuana have been shifting to end prohibition due to the truth that has been found concerning that plant, the potential benefits that escort the use of cannabis, and its medical accomplis hment and impossible harm. After this awareness citizens from all over the world have been fighting their governments demanding a reform on policies towards the failing drug war.One of the possible ways to win this war is ironically legalizing the light drug marijuana and conducting a new policy, based on credible findings, concerning the whole cycle from production to consumption. According to Mcvay 1991, to construct a prototypical scheme for legal marijuana it is essential to disregard the systems for alcohol and tobacco since the handling of these two drugs in America has failed. Therefore the systems concerning the two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, should be altered in a very critical way that acts into discouraging people from using them.After that reformation, placing the marijuana system in a similar way, controlling it from its production till its dispersal and everything that goes in between to developing an alarming attitude and public awareness towards the exploitati on and first use of this drug, would work. Such a structure with strategic discouraging technics transmits the idea that marijuana is no longer adequate when permissible than it was when prohibited (par 4). As discussed previously, a controlled, organized and studied format can prove that marijuana legalization holds benefits over the alleged disadvantages.Improvements appear financially to the government, socially to the people and in the criminal justice system. On the public level, aspects concerning legalizing the drug from a financial view have been positive where the RAND Corporation’s Drug Research Center conducted a study revealing that the income coming from taxes to the state are more than half a million dollars ranging to $1. 5 billion depending on the market’s request (Abramsky 2012, p. 18). As for the society, the hemp plant can offer a large number of efficient materials like decomposable plastics, renewable energy source and most importantly medicine.Aft er several credible scientific researches, cannabis was found to have various medicinal uses from treating backaches reaching to cancer cures where recently â€Å"a pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever†(para. 1). Marijuana can be a substitute for many pharmaceutical pills that actually make takers feel so numb and make them pass out to sleep.It is even offered in edible ways like cookies and cakes and even lollipops in order to avoid the light harm smoke inhalation. Employment is also an outcome, for the process needs investors, growers, harvesters, and medical marijuana dispensaries for the sales. With cannabis becoming legal, users would be protected from the black market’s dealers who open doors to other destructive drugs. Regarding the criminal justice system, unfortun ate cases like Donald Scott’s would be eliminated.Other than that the focus of the DEA agents and police officers would be on bigger and more sever issues that deal with the processing and trafficking of hardcore drugs on the streets. One can not just stick to what the government releases of information about the plant since it is known that governments tend to hide information for their personal benefit disregarding the misconceptions created in the minds of the people. Several researches have proven the mistakes of the government in classifying cannabis as illegal with no medicinal value and attacking it by a war it’s not supposed to be in.In closing, Dr. Ethan Russo in his article, â€Å"Cannabis for Migraine Treatment†, said it best: â€Å"There can be no doubt that a plant that has been in partnership with man since the beginnings of agricultural efforts, that has served man in so many ways, and that, under the searchlight of modern chemical study, has yie lded many new and interesting compounds will continue to be a part of man’s economy. It would be a luxury that we could ill afford if we allowed prejudices, resulting from the abuse of Cannabis, to deter scientists from learning as much as possible about this ancient and mysterious plant† (para. 4). War on Drugs Solution: Legalization? ProposalMuch like the exclusion of alcohol back in the 20s which was aimed to evict various substances from our civilization, the drug war today has not only ruined its mission, but has made its mission unfeasible. Today various failures, whether it is the huge amount of money being spent erroneously or the increasing number of crimes and users, one thing is for sure; the war on drugs has fallen short. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can cause a huge difference in the lives of the users and the others around them, however the â€Å"War on Drugs†, is more of a failure than a success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.This research paper is intended to argue why the legalization of marijuana is the simple solution for the notorious war on drugs today as well as showing how society would actually benefit from the validation rat her than the prohibition of some illicit substances.Outline Thesis Statement:There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets. I. Failures and problems raised by the war.A. Financial failures. B. Social/Human failures. C. Criminal justice system problems. II. Approach to marijuana legalization. A. Marijuana’s historical background. B. Flexible strategies of legalization. III. Benefits of legalizing over banning. A. Financial benefits. B. Societal outcomes. C. Improvement of the criminal justice system.Ethics and politics are what make up the structure of a certain nation, so when a subject receives diverse reactions coming from two different standpoints it becomes controversial. Th e legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many encouraging arguments to support the idea. Taking a glimpse on its chronological milieu and the strategies of the legalization highlights the benefits of this validation as well as the problems elevated by the war on drugs. There is no doubt that the usage and misusage of drugs can alter the lives of users and others around them. However, the â€Å"War on Drugs† is more of a failure than success and one of the most effective solutions is, ironically, legalizing the light drug, marijuana, and distinguishing it from other illicit drugs being sold on the streets.Looking back through history one cannot but notice the mistakes of most governments in choosing war as an approach to create peace. The war on drugs that the United States government tends to use on its own citizens has proven that war is not an applicable option anymore. In Ron Paul’s farewell speech to the congress in 2012, he asks, â€Å"Why haven’t we given up on the drug war since it’s an obvious failure and violates the people’s rights? Has nobody noticed that the authorities can’t even keep drugs out of the prisons?† The failure of the war appears in three aspects; financially, socially, and the problems with the criminal justice rise. As for financial failure due to the drug war; the United States paid at least $1 trillion on the drug war, while it cost U.S. taxpayers at least $51 billion in 2009.As a response to that drug production; trafficking, consumption and overdoses have increased. As for the society’s sacrifice in that war, many casualties have been reported due to some errors and/or corruption in the system of the law enforcement directed towards the handling of the drug war. The article â€Å"The Drug War’s Hidden Economic Agenda†, by Blemenson and Nilsen in 1998, presents the case of Donald Scott, a Californian millionaire, who was wrongly accused of cultivating numerous marijuana plants on his five million dollar ranch. Despite many investigations, failed efforts to verify the anonymous tip, and information that Scott presented slight danger of violence; his ranch was totally raided by LA sheriff’s department armed with heavy weaponry and dogs.In response to the raid and out of fear and self-defense, Scott armed himself with a gun and was unfortunately shot by agents in front of his wife. Moreover, no trace of marijuana plants or other illicit substances were found (para.17). Let’s suppose Donald Scott did have numerous marijuana plants, that shouldn’t be such a threat to the public and authorities to the point that they raid him on a military style basis and cause his unfortunate death. As for the problems that rise from the criminal justice system, Ron Paul questions â€Å" How can making our entire society a prison solve the problem?† where â€Å"Drug arrests have more than tripled in the last 25 years, totaling more than 1.63 million arrests in 2010. More than four out of five of these arrests were for mere possession, and forty-six percent of these arrests (750,591) were for marijuana possession alone† (para. 7).One should think about it, it’s totally illogical and immoral to place a nonthreatening and non-violent person behind bars for the simple possession or use of marijuana for its recreational or proven medicinal value. Not to mention that prison is a place for hardcore drug addicts and criminals to suffer in. Adding to that, the incarceration of first time drug possessors could lead to serious repercussion of the violator and the family members. Moreover, the convicted could suffer many consequences such as losing his/her job, properties, college aid and shockingly losing the right to vote even after being released. Humankind has held the use of the cannabis plant properties for over 5000 years; whereas the false image and misconceptions bui lt by prohibitionists have lasted barely seventy.The period in which society has looked upon marijuana positively and approvingly is almost seventy-five times longer than the period in which it was deemed to be considered as a public enemy. The earliest known recordings of the medicinal use of cannabis date back to first century A.D., while nomadic tribes used the drug for spiritual purposes as early as the Stone Age. It may be shocking to know that the United States Constitution was written on paper made from hemp and that the first marijuana law, dated back to 1619, called farmers to plant â€Å"Indian hemp seed†.But the nasty business, the War on Marijuana, began in 1930 with the foundation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a Division of the U. S. Treasury Department. It was not until 1937, with the passage of  the Marihuana Tax Act, that the United States actually restricted recreational and medical use of marijuana. Then after the Second World War joins president Nix on who targeted all drugs and treated drug users as some sort of terrorist aliens.Nixon signed the controlled substances act in 1970, placing marijuana as a schedule I drug disregarding the most comprehensive study done by the Shafer Commission, which recommended that: â€Å"Possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana be decriminalized, stating, in part, that the actual and potential harm from using it â€Å"is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance†(Johnston, 2011, para 3). Changing the public’s thought towards â€Å"addictive, lethal weed† prohibitionists won by creating a war, but have never yet got close to winning the war itself.Nowadays public views towards marijuana have been shifting to end prohibition due to the truth that has been found concerning that plant, the potential benefits that escort the use of cannabis, and its medical accomplishme nt and impossible harm. After this awareness citizens from all over the world have been fighting their governments demanding a reform on policies towards the failing drug war. One of the possible ways to win this war is ironically legalizing the light drug marijuana and conducting a new policy, based on credible findings, concerning the whole cycle from production to consumption.According to Mcvay 1991, to construct a prototypical scheme for legal marijuana it is essential to disregard the systems for alcohol and tobacco†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ since the handling of these two drugs in America has failed. Therefore the systems concerning the two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, should be altered in a very critical way that acts into discouraging people from using them. After that reformation, placing the marijuana system in a similar way, controlling it from its production till its dispersal and everything that goes in between to developing an alarming attitude and public awareness towards th e exploitation and first use of this drug, would work. Such a structure with strategic discouraging technics transmits the idea that marijuana is no longer adequate when permissible than it was when prohibited (par 4).As discussed previously, a controlled, organized and studied format can prove that marijuana legalization holds benefits over the alleged disadvantages.  Improvements appear financially to the government, socially to the people and in the  criminal justice system. On the public level, aspects concerning legalizing the drug from a financial view have been positive where the RAND Corporation’s Drug Research Center conducted a study revealing that the income coming from taxes to the state are more than half a million dollars ranging to $1.5 billion depending on the market’s request (Abramsky 2012, p.18).As for the society, the hemp plant can offer a large number of efficient materials like decomposable plastics, renewable energy source and most important ly medicine. After several credible scientific researches, cannabis was found to have various medicinal uses from treating backaches reaching to cancer cures where recently â€Å"a pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever†(para. 1).Marijuana can be a substitute for many pharmaceutical pills that actually make takers feel so numb and make them pass out to sleep. It is even offered in edible ways like cookies and cakes and even lollipops in order to avoid the light harm smoke inhalation. Employment is also an outcome, for the process needs investors, growers, harvesters, and medical marijuana dispensaries for the sales. With cannabis becoming legal, users would be protected from the black market’s dealers who open doors to other destructive drugs. Regarding the criminal justice system, unfortunate cases like Donald Scott’s would be eliminated. Other than that the focus of the DEA agents and police officers would be on bigger and more sever issues that deal with the processing and trafficking of hardcore drugs on the streets.One can not just stick to what the government releases of information about the plant since it is known that governments tend to hide information for their personal benefit disregarding the misconceptions created in the minds of the people. Several researches have proven the mistakes of the government in classifying cannabis as illegal with no medicinal value and attacking it by a war it’s not supposed to be in.In closing, Dr. Ethan Russo in his article, â€Å"Cannabis for Migraine Treatment†, said it best: â€Å"There can be no doubt that a plant that has been in partnership with man since the beginnings of agricultural efforts, that has served man in so many ways, and that, under the searchlight of modern chemica l study, has yielded  many new and interesting compounds will continue to be a part of man’s economy. It would be a luxury that we could ill afford if we allowed prejudices, resulting from the abuse of Cannabis, to deter scientists from learning as much as possible about this ancient and mysterious plant† (para. 4).

Krispy Kreme Swot Analysis

I. INTRODUCTION Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (KKD) is an international retailer of high-quality sweet treats, including its signature hot Original Glazed ® doughnut. It began as a small bakery in Winston Salem, NC on July 13, 1937. Since then, the company has built a global reputation for serving the highest-quality doughnuts and great tasting coffee. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is part of the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry, which includes almost all companies in the â€Å"fast food† industry. Our goal in this report is to use various tools to analyze KKD and recommend strategies for them to gain more competitive advantage in the market.First, we will observe the operational characteristics of KKD. These factors will show positive indications of growth in Krispy Kreme. We will look at how many stores they have currently, how many they are planning to add (in the U. S and internationally), and the training and technology that differentiates them from others in the QSR ind ustry. We then will evaluate the performance metrics, such as inventory turnover and days of inventory ratios, to compare how KKD compares to their competition. In order to find out how efficient Krispy Kreme is operating, our group intends to dentify where the QSR is positioned according to the industry life cycle. We will observe the SWOT analysis, then we will analyze their competitors to see where KKD stands in relation. This will give us the basis to develop recommendations about their current strategies. We begin the â€Å"SWOT† analysis by assessing KKD’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. II. SWOT ANALYSIS The following SWOT analysis is intended to examine KKD’s internal strengths and weaknesses so we can link them to external opportunities and threats with the aim of developing a strategy they should pursue. STRENGTHSStrengths are characteristics of the business or project that give it an advantage over other competitors. As a global org anization, KKD has become a household name as they’ve branched into grocery and convenience stores and made doughnuts readily accessible. KKD offers a product that cannot be matched by any competitors when referring to taste, freshness, and the finest ingredients. Their affordable, high-quality doughnuts create a strong visual appeal and â€Å"one-of-a-kind† taste. Some of the key strengths offered by KKD are: * You are able to get a fresh out of the oven doughnut in the store.Consumers are allowed to watch the process of the doughnuts being made and can buy doughnuts immediately after they are made so they are as hot and fresh as possible. * KKD is a vertically integrated company. They use specialized doughnut making equipment and specific doughnut mixes in each store. Vertical integration ensures a very high-quality product. * Market research shows appeal extends to all major demographic groups including age and income. * Consistent expansion: Krispy Kreme is now in 21 countries. * Product sold at thousands of supermarkets, convenience stores, and retail outlets through U.S. This raises product awareness to the maximum number of target consumers. * Fundraising: Organizations are able to use Krispy Kreme for fundraising. They allow consumers to use their donuts to help raise money for different philanthropies. (Ex: Krispy Kreme run) * Offers free doughnut day once a year to increase sales. This day allows people who have been reluctant to spend money on the donuts to get a free taste and therefore increases their amount of consumers. WEAKNESSES Weaknesses are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage relative to others.Some apparent weaknesses Krispy Kreme might have are: * Limited amount of â€Å"healthy† selections. * Limited menu: Lack Breakfast items. * Limited amount of non-snack food items. * Not innovative. * No major advertising: 100% reliance on reputation. * Opening additional locations but no focus on increasing cur rent store performance. * International differences/preferences. * Lack of knowledge of what the customer wants (demographics, psychographics, behavioral segmentation). OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities are elements that the company can exploit to its advantage.Most internationally located stores purchase their ingredients from local merchants rather than the Krispy Kreme Supply Chain. If KKD can find a cost effective way to provide these ingredients, they can capitalize on supply chain efficiencies to make a profit. Some opportunities for Krispy Kreme to leverage for growth would include: * Emerging markets and expansion abroad: International expansion has proven to bring better returns than expanding domestically. Asia and the Middle East both offer KKD a good market because of high levels of consumer sweet goods consumption and the popularity of Western brands in these International markets. Partnerships with sports teams and convenience stores. * Development of new menu items. * Add b reakfast/healthier options to compete more directly with Dunkin Doughnuts, etc. * Innovation. * Product and services expansion. * Local open kiosks and in-store locations in airports, bookstores, and other retail outlets. * Product Diversification. New Markets. * Significant co-branding opportunities with local sports teams and movie theaters. * Increased snack consumption: During the past 20 years, more Americans are going out to eat. In today’s busy world, there is less time to prepare meals anymore.KKD believes there’s an opportunity in this trend that will increase the growth of doughnut sales. THREATS Threats to an organization are described as elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project. Some threats facing Krispy Kreme are: * Competition: Only 694 KKD stores compared to 10,000 Dunkin' Donuts and 20,000 Starbucks Increasing competition from large and small doughnut chains, Krispy Kreme market share erodes slightly in highly co mpetitive markets. * Price Wars: In the doughnut and pastry shop ndustry, price wars are generated in attempts to take away revenue from other restaurants and sustain growth. * Economic slowdown: External changes (government, politics, taxes, etc. ) * Ordering through the Internet: More and customers are ordering online, but Krispy Kreme does not offer online ordering of their donuts. They offer accessories online, such as coffee mugs and t-shirts. Dunkin Donuts offers more accessories including coffee, but no donuts. * Healthy food trends: Krispy Kreme must constantly be aware of substitute products from many different areas of the market place.Such substitutes demanded today include healthier menu items include zero trans fats in all products. Going organic or using 100% natural ingredient items. III. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Operational Characteristics Today, Krispy Kreme and its one-of-a-kind â€Å"Hot Light† which is a light that hangs inside the store window for people to know when the doughnuts have just come out of the oven. This â€Å"Hot Light† can be found in approximately 694 locations around the world and is in 234 locations in the United States.In 2002, KKD shipped their first international load of doughnut mix to Australia, and since then have added locations in over 20 countries. All KKD ingredients and store supplies are shipped from the company’s distribution warehouses in NC, IL, and CA. The KKD distribution center supplies all of the products needed to operate retail stores, from doughnut ingredients (mix, filling, glaze, sprinkles, etc. ) to cleaning supplies and uniforms. Production is done in the factory stores and completely automated, which cuts overhead costs and provides consistency in the products.KKD shops generally operate seven days a week, excluding some major holidays. Traditionally, domestic sales have been slower during the winter holiday season and the summer months. KKD opened five new company operated small r etail shops in fiscal 2012 and three new company-operated shops in fiscal 2011, all of which were hot shops. They plan to open five to ten small retail shops in fiscal 2013, consisting mainly of small factory stores, all in the Southeastern United States. In the past three years, they have opened 92 stores (See Figure II).The ability to accommodate a drive-thru window is an important characteristic in most new shop locations, including both factory stores and satellite shops. Of the 85 shops, which serve on-premises customers, 79 have a drive-thru. Traditional factory stores generally are located in freestanding suburban locations generally ranging in size from approximately 2,400 to 8,000 square feet. The average size is 3,000 square feet. The stores typically have the capacity to produce between 2,800 and 16,000 dozen doughnuts daily. KKD is also investing in more technology to support the business.In 2012, KKD purchased new point-of-sale hardware for all of the company stores and implemented a new computer hardware system for all company and franchisee locations. KKD encourages team members to be courteous, helpful, knowledgeable and attentive, focusing intently on employee training. High levels of customer service and the maintenance of quality standards are enforced by frequently monitoring stores through a variety of methods, including random quality audits, known as â€Å"mystery shoppers† and a toll-free consumer telephone number.KKD offers a comprehensive manager training program for every position in the store, covering the critical skills required to operate a Krispy Kreme store and a training program. The manager-training program includes classroom instruction, computer-based training modules and in-shop training. The main competitors for Krispy Kreme are other quick service restaurants, such as Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Panera Bread, and Einstein Noah Bagels. Performance Metrics A company can measure its minimum inventory investment by its inventory turnover.This is the level of customer demand satisfied by the supply on hand. The inventory turnover tells an organization how many times they sell through the entire inventory in one year. The average day’s supply of inventory that is on hand tells you how many days your current inventory will last based on your sales levels. If a company is short on inventory, the warehousing costs will be lower, but there’s a risk of running out. In order to figure these values you need to figure your average inventory and know your costs of goods sold for the year.For the past three years (since 2010) Krispy Kreme has an inventory turnover ratio of 21. 26. They have average days where inventory is 16. 89 (see figures III and IV). Industry Life Cycle Most businesses evolve from the introduction stage, to the growth stage, maturity, and decline. It is important to understand the evolution of the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry that KKD competes in to accurately ass ess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats speeding or slowing the firm’s growth. The introduction stage is dominated by the marketing of an innovation for the first time.Competition is minimal and returns are negative, as most companies must catch up on their investments in R;D, marketing, and manufacturing. The growth stage is characterized by high profits and competition. During this stage organizations begin to differentiate their products based on value and quality. The maturity stage shows high sales accompanied by very strong price pressures. Profit margins often shrink as the customers begin to see the product as homogenous (always the same). The decline stage is shown by reduced profits and many companies have to decide whether to stay in the industry or cut their losses.Based on these key factors, we believe the QSR industry is in the maturity stage of the industry life cycle. This is due to a low level of innovation, fluctuating profit margins, and g lobal expansion. IV. RECOMMENDED STRATEGY Krispy Kreme must remain competitive in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry. To be effective at this we believe the first thing they should focus on cost leadership. Cost leadership is based on high volume sales of low margin products/services (i. e. Wal-Mart). To achieve this, KKD must focus on increasing their sales.This can be done by analyzing their target market’s key buying habits at the lowest cost to Krispy Kreme. Next, KKD should decrease their prices and adjust R;D, marketing and manufacturing to create a cost gap so they can save some money. KKD can leverage their economies of scale (complete automation of the doughnut making process, added capacity, and TQM) to create a long-term sustainable cost gap. We believe if KKD executives focus on cost leadership in the QSR industry, the company will benefit from increased revenues, retail operations, and increased interest in the brand name of Krispy Kreme.

East Asian Co-Production in Film Industry Research Paper

East Asian Co-Production in Film Industry - Research Paper Example Various scholarships have been offered on popular culture that is conventionally exploring the meaning of texts. This has resulted in popular culture co-productions and collaborations in East Asia, drawing on empirical studies of cultural industries in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines (Yau, 2003). This has consequently employed the usage of a regional framework in order to analyze the consequences of collaboration and co-production. In Asia, particularly East Asia, the rapid growth of the creative industry has induced a severe shortage of talented professional working force that includes the director, producer, and the scripter. The search to secure human capital is very significant to the success in this highly competitive field of creativity and artistry. However, the structure and dynamics of human capital development in this creative industry are yet to win the full understanding of its assessors in matters of a provision of efficient programs meant to accelerate human capital development. The resultant lack of understanding is caused by the complexity of work, as well as the fact that fostering creative talent requires a relatively long time that the rest of non-knowledge intensive industries (Chua, 2004). Japan is currently the nation under a considerable critical spotlight in the continuing debate on the Asia imaginary. Japan’s long history of cultural and economic hegemony in the region has always been challenged by Korea and China as from the early 1990s.

Do memeories hinder or help people in their efforts to learn from the Essay

Do memeories hinder or help people in their efforts to learn from the past and succeedin the present - Essay Example The real power of memories and experiences is they can be used to help us succeed today. A favorite work of literature I often return to is the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The entire structure of the book is one long memory of the protagonist, Pony Boy. The tragedies, triumphs and tensions described in the telling of the story all lead to one important point in time. It is the moment that Pony Boy sits down to write the story of his young life. Without these experiences would Pony Boy have been the same person he was when he sat down to tell his tale? If he had not experienced the class conflict, the loss of a friend and the witnessed wasting of life, would he have been as powerful a narrator? Perhaps the real question is would he have had story to tell? Though Pony Boy is a character of fiction, he is real in the sense that all of us need to use our past experiences and memories to help us succeed today. Success for Pony Boy was the writing of his life story in a touching, dramatic wa y. We all have a past that we must use to reach our potential. Every human being has aspirations and dreams. I believe that we experience certain things in our lives that can be stumbling blocks or springboards for accomplishing our dreams. Pony Boy Curtis used tragedy to tell the story of his life. We all have a different story, but a story we all do have. In my life, I can already see that some experiences and failures I have experienced have provided opportunities for me to learn or for me to regress in my learning. When I was a boy, I had a fever that caused swelling in my hands and feet. I was very sick. The doctors warned that if the condition was not brought under control, I would continue to swell-up like a balloon. Although this sounds funny now, at the time it was in-fact a life threatening condition. Up until this time, I was a kid that only ever wanted to watch TV and play video games. My parents would constantly push me out of the house to go play, but I hated it. I was much more interested in movies. Once I got sick, I had to lie in bed for two weeks without moving. My feet did not touch the floor from my bed for this whole period of time. I remember lying there in bed just wishing that I could somehow get up and go run around outside. I was so tired of watching TV after the first week that I didn’t even turn it on after the first seven days. After I regained the use of my feet and hands, I remember spending almost all of my time outside. I remember how good it felt just to have the breeze on my face and the sun shining on my skin. To this day, I am still the sort of person that appreciated the outdoors. This experience taught me that being inside and craving electronic entertainment is not a happy way to live life. I would be a much different person if I had never gotten sick all of those years ago. Our experiences in the past shape who we are today. A final reason I feel the past is important is because a firm understanding and memory of the past is important for keeping us firmly rooted in the present. Another book that I enjoy is George Orwell’s 1984. This book describes a dystopian society that is controlled by conflict, despair and the ever-present Big Brother. The main character, Winston Smith, actually works for the government in 1984. His job is to destroy the evidence of past events that contradict the official party line as told by the government. By controlling the past and the reported happenings of history, the government is

Argument in Support of Illegal Immigrants receiving Social Services Essay

Argument in Support of Illegal Immigrants receiving Social Services - Essay Example Increase in the illegal process of immigration mainly from Mexico to the United States, though has a long history, however, was witnessed most conspicuously since 1970s afterwards. Roots of the problem can be cited within execution of the Bracero Program during World War II (specifically in the year 1942) that allowed US employers to derive temporary workers from Mexico (Lemay 4). Now US being one of the strongest economic powers and having a politically stable democratic structure compared to Mexico, was regarded by majority of such workforce as a convenient shelter that would help them for economic and social prosperity. Thus, while a major part of the temporary workers never left the United States even after expiration of their temporary visas, on the other hand, America’s economic and social stability continued to attract immigrants from Mexico to such an extent that even after demise of the Bracero Program and consequent implementation of the â€Å"Immigration and Natura lization Act, 1965† much success could not be attained in controlling the process of illegal immigration.... The Act further states that applications for asylum or any other â€Å"Temporary Protected Status† will also be rejected by the state authorities (Colton-Sonnenberg 4). While considering the fact that the economic supremacy United States is enjoying owes a great deal to the illegal immigrants, actions taken by the nation against providing them with any kind of social service facilities clearly appear to be maliciously selfish and biased on humanitarian grounds. It has been clearly specified by several legal propositions (such as Proposition 187 of 1994) and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, 1996 that illegal immigrants are mainly responsible for economically burdening the nation as well as increased anti-social activism (Koven, and Gotzke 140-142). Illegal immigration, from legal perspective, is clearly an act of offense and a state has every right to take actions against those who are joining the act. However, actions taken by the United States to condemn the offense is offensive in itself as those are violating both legal principle of naturalism and norms of humanity. While evaluating the issue of American socio-economic prosperity, the immense contribution from immigrants and their successors in this scenario has been acknowledged by the former American President John F. Kennedy. He not only recognized the United States as a nation of immigrants but also emphasized on the importance of formulating immigration policy in such a manner so that social welfare of the immigrants is ensured (Colton-Sonnenberg 3). Getting to the roots of immigration problem it becomes clear the flaws in implementing the foreign policy has a major role to play to result in the influx of illegal immigration:

Challenges in Capacity and Decision Making Case Study

Challenges in Capacity and Decision Making - Case Study Example As the report declares the Mr. Jones scenario presents one of the many complexities that are experienced in the healthcare practice. Numerous stakeholders are confined into a common ground where objectives are straight and result-oriented. Mr. Jones is facing health complications that the relevant parties must try and resolve in a bid to improve the patient’s health status and welfare. In the Mr. Jones scenario, a number of legal issues emerge. To start with, Mr. Jones is entitled to quality health care just like any other patient. The law provides for indiscriminate care of patients in whatever state. Patient rights are at stake in the scenario.This discussion stresses that choice and consent to care is another critical legal issue observed in the scenario. Although Mr. Jones is entitled to care by law, the caregivers and physicians cannot force him to any medical practice if he does not consent and choose to be treated. A complementing legal aspect herein is the role of guar dian or surrogate decision maker. If Mr. Jones is entitled to one, then the surrogate decision maker can make a choice on behalf of Mr. Jones. However, the legal process that provides this practice must be observed. Another legal issue pertains to the role of doctors and nurses attending to Mr. Jones. They must adhere to the code of ethics and conduct in caring for Mr. Jones. They should work to their level best to ensure that Mr. Jones receives the attention he needs, subject to ensuring that Mr. Jones capacity to make a decision is accounted for.  

The Legal, Ethical, and Managerial Concerns of Employee Monitoring Assignment

The Legal, Ethical, and Managerial Concerns of Employee Monitoring - Assignment Example This study declares that as a business, you ought to peruse the representative screening law in the event that you need to comprehend the legalities of worker observing. It states that the boss can screen your workers movements on your workstations. Executives ought to have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) set up that is made known to all their representatives and they ought to be made mindful that their workstations and Internet movement are continuously followed. Fundamentally the law states that you can do whatever you need on the grounds that the workstations and the work done on them is your property. An AUP is a composed assention, marked by workers, plotting the terms and states of Internet utilization. It particularly sets out satisfactory utilization, principles of on-line conduct, and access benefits. They can additionally blanket punishments for violations of the strategy, including security violations and vandalism of the framework. From this paper it is clear that anybody utilizing the web could be obliged to sign an AUP, and it ought to be continued document as a legitimate, tying record. Adjusting the true blue need of managers to screen the work environment with deference for singular protection is not troublesome. Corporate ethics refers to the behavior by which a business conforms to its day-to-day dealings with the world. In other terms, it delineates a set of professional ethics which examine moral and ethical problems prevalent in business environments. Corporate ethics is applicable to all the aspects of business conduct. Moreover, it is applicable to the conduct of each and every individual in the organization, as well as the entire organization at large. However, more often than not, research and practice of business ethics has typically taken the view-point of top management.  

Business Ethic - Flag of convenience Coursework

Business Ethic - Flag of convenience - Coursework Example matters over ships flying its flag.† Prevented by the odium linked with flags of convenience, several new shipping registries have placed themselves up as tax havens, more suitably pertained to asquasi-flag of convenience registries that is provided with firm maritime laws and the administrative machinery to enforce and implement them. There are three foundations when it comes to. The first one is that the ship registration conveys nationality to a ship and carries it within the command of the national law of the country of registration. Article 6 of the Convention of the High Seas (1958) particularly indicates that ships shall sail under the flag o one country solely and shall be subject to that flags special jurisdiction. Another is that a ship should also comply with international laws embodied in conventions that have been approved by the flag state and that is enforced. Apart from this, a ship could also be subject to the laws imposed by a country in whose territorial waters or port it is at present functioning. However the "law of the flag" often has supremacy over the "law of the port of call." Since the country of registry together with the law of the flag primarily influence ship operating economics, the option of register is critical to ship-owners. Ship registries could be divided into two broad categories: closed and open registers. Closed registers limit flagging only to nationals, such that a German would not be able to register his ships under the Russian flag. On the contrary, open registers are available to any ship-owner in spite of nationality. For instance, the United Kingdom is considered as an open register in that an American shipowner could register his vessels in the name of the British flag. Amongst open registries, there are national registers which deal with shipping companies in fundamentally the similar manner as any other business in the country. It is also noted that there are international registers which have been particularly

Learning and Sleep Essay Example for Free

Learning and Sleep Essay Title: 234 Provide support for sleep Level: 2 Credit Value: 2 GLH 13 Learning Outcomes The learner will; Assessment Criteria The learner can; 1. Understand the importance of sleep 1Explain how sleep contributes to an individual’s well-being 2Identify reasons why an individual may find it hard to sleep 3Describe the possible short-term and long-term effects on an individual who is unable to sleep well 2. Be able to establish conditions suitable for sleep 1 Describe conditions likely to be suitable for sleep 2 Minimise aspects of the environment likely to make sleep difficult for an individual. 3 Adjust own behaviour to contribute to a restful environment 4 Describe actions to take if the behaviour or movement of others hinders an individual’s ability to sleep 3. Be able to assist an individual to sleep 1Explain the importance of a holistic approach to assisting sleep 2Encourage the individual to communicate the support they need to sleep 3Assist the individual to find a position for sleep consistent with their plan of care 4Support the individual to use aids for sleep in ways that reflect the plan of care and follow agreed ways of working 4. BE ABLE TO MONITOR SLEEP 1ESTABLISH WITH THE INDIVIDUAL. and others how sleep will be monitored 2Record agreed observations relating to the individual’s sleep and the assistance given 5. Know how to access information and advice about difficulties with sleep 1Describe situations in which additional information or assistance about sleep would be needed 2Explain how to access additional information and assistance Additional information An individual is someone requiring care or support Agreed ways of working will include policies and procedures where these exist Others may include: †¢family †¢friends †¢advocates †¢line manager †¢health professionals. †¢others who are important to the individual’s well-being Unit aim (s) This unit is aimed at those working in a wide range of settings. It provides the learner with the knowledge and skills required to establish conditions suitable for sleep and support the individual to sleep. Assessment requirements specified by a sector or regulatory body (if appropriate) This unit must be assessed in accordance with Skills for Care and Developments QCF Assessment Principles. Learning outcomes 2, 3 and 4 must be assessed in a real work environment. Details of the relationship of the unit and relevant national occupational standards HSC216.

Strategic Planning and External Analysis Tools Essay Example for Free

Strategic Planning and External Analysis Tools Essay Summary of key concepts and ideas from the lectures, tutorials and readings (500 words) Strategy is a roadmap designed to route the direction of the organization towards achieving its goals. Through an understanding of the organization’s vision and mission and the matching of resources and skills to the environment, the company can formulate and implement strategic plans to achieve long-term sustainable competitive advantage, meet the needs of consumers and satisfy stakeholder’s expectations (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2004). Before formulating a strategy, an organization has to gauge its current position in the market using strategic analysis. This involves the use of internal and external analysis tools to gain both an inside view of an organization and the macro environment. Internal analysis tools are used to identify and evaluate an organization’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of its resources, operational capabilities and core competencies. This gives the organization a picture of what strengths to exploit and develop further, and what weaknesses should be corrected to reduce market liability (Hill and Jones 2012). External analysis tools such as Porter’s five forces gives a view of the immediate competitive environment to reveal market opportunities and threats. It allows the organization to identify the market forces, which they have little to no control over, in order to develop contingencies into their strategic plans (Porter 1980). Dynamic capabilities such as SWOT analysis, is a combination of internal and external analysis to reflect an organization’s ability to adapt to volatile markets (Teece 2009). The strategic analysis process would provide a comprehensive overview of an organization’s competency, which then provides the basis for strategic formulation. A suitable approach to strategy formulation would strongly depend on the size and nature of the organization. One method that can be applied across different industries as well as organizations sizes is Porter’s generic strategy. It involves three different strategy classification; low cost leadership, product differentiation and target market focus (Porter 1980). Another method is Miles and Snow’s (1978) typology. It suggests that competing organizations are characterized based on their individual view of the competitive environment and how they allocate resources accordingly. The four basic categories are defender, prospector, analyzer, and reactor. Formulated strategies are not always acted upon, but may serve as a learning process towards more efficient strategy formulation. Allio (2005) states â€Å"immediately following the formal ratification of the firm’s vision and set of strategies, implementation can begin in earnest†. However, implementation of a strategy is considered the greatest challenge due to the risk of setbacks such as the lack of communication throughout the organization, unclear planning as well as poor monitoring and controls. Lastly, a key performance index is used to measure the current or future success of a strategy. It should be closely monitored as it measures performance aspects, which are critical towards the success of the organization (Paramenter 2007). Plans never always work out as anticipated, and contingency plans should be established to better prepare for unforeseen events (Steiner 1979). Therefore, strategy management should be treated with the utmost importance, as it differentiates between the success and failure of the firm. Section 2: Application of key concepts and ideas to the current business news (600 words) Griffin and Kucera (2012) article talks about PayPal’s tie up with Discover to achieve a competitive edge and strengthen its market position. By applying Porter’s five forces (1980) to access their strategic position, majority of forces are posing a challenge for PayPal and Discover. There is high competitive rivalry amongst major credit card companies with Discover  trailing after Visa, MasterCard and American Express (Barr 2012). Forecasted to surpass $171. 5 billion in 2012, up from a value of $105. 9 billion in 2011 (Gartner 2012), the burgeoning mobile payment market has attracted a high number of new entrants. Many major companies are creating their own individual systems to compete for a share of the market. One example is the Isis system by the major telecommunication companies (Johnson 2012). Finally, there is a high threat of substitute as consumers might find it more convenient to simply use cash or swipe their plastic card as compared to the new mobile payment method (Passy 2012). However, one market grabbing force is the low bargaining power of suppliers as the merchants supplying the service would be subjected to lower transaction costs under the PayPal system as compared to their counterparts (Hamblen 2012). Nevertheless, the bargaining power of customers in conjunction to new entrants and substitutes remains high, as there are just too many choices to choose from. Therefore, PayPal and Discover are in an unfavorable position. Welch’s (2012) article talks about how Campbell is innovating its soup products to meet the taste of a new generation. Through the use of the SWOT analysis (Andrews 1971), majority of factors prove positive. With the threat of a declining domestic soup market and difference in preference of a younger generation, it presents Campbell with an opportunity to innovate and differentiate its products in order to achieve market growth (Schultz 2012). Relying on its strengths to introduce new and innovative products fast, Campbell was able to generate a line of new products to address the needs of the new generation. However, Campbell’s weakness lies in the high selling price of its new line of products, three times the price of a can of normal soup. This along with the threat of cheaper alternatives by their competitors, such as Healthy Choice, may prove detrimental to Campbell’s success. Nevertheless, Campbell has had previous successes with higher priced products due to their strength to innovate their products towards the needs of the consumers. They also invest millions in target marketing and merchandising to extend its reach to consumers (Todd 2012). Therefore, it is a good strategy. Edwards (2012) article talks about GameStop’s shifted efforts into the refurbishing of Apple products to counter a declining market. Using the Boston Consulting Group’s Growth Share Matrix (Phadtare 2011), this strategy shows high return potential. With the decline of the gaming industry, sales fell by 25% from last year (Tassi 2012), GameStop’s former ‘Star’ which is the sale of new and used gaming hardware and software, has shifted into a ‘Cash Cow’ due to the decline of market growth. This shift presents an investment opportunity for ‘Question Mark’ to become a ‘Star’, through the conversion from a console game supplier, into the repair and resale of  Apple gadgets. However, with the dwindling interest of consumer to purchase overpriced resale items (Munarriz 2012), GameStop’s ‘Cash Cow’ would eventually shift to a ‘Dog’, providing difficulty in profit generation. There is also a risk that their ‘Question Mark’ would not become a ‘Star’ and just cost large efforts with little return. Nevertheless, Apple products still presents the biggest opportunity due to its large consumer base of over 230 million apple devices. Just by reselling 5 percent of the market, GameStop stands to gain $1 billion of new revenue over the next few years.

Tsingtao Marketing Strategy

Tsingtao Marketing Strategy This report base on Tsingtao Brewery Companys marketing strategy. Tsingtao beer is one of the most famous products in China. It has over 100 years history. The following market assessment has five sections. In the first section, there are some basic details of Tsingtao Brewery Company. And then the report will explain environment of Tsingtao beer in China; in the next section, there is the market mix strategies analysis which will be made to identify how Tsingtao beer use its strategies to adapt changing environment. In the fourth section, the report shows how the company operates STP strategies and percent examples. In the last part, connecting with brief SWOT analysis, writer rise up some recommendations. 1. Company Background Tsingtao Beer is the main product of Tsingtao Brewery Limited Company which is the oldest brewery in China. Its root can be traced back to 1903 when its predecessor Germanic beer Qingdao stock company, was established by the German businessmen and British businessman and joint venture in Qingdao (Tsingtao Brewery Limited Company, 2011). The Company was registered on 16 June 1993, and then issued H-shares in Hong Kong (Tsingtao Beer Stock (0168)), which were listed on the Stock of Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on 15 July 1993. It is the first domestic enterprise listed on an overseas stock exchange.(Hong Kong Stock Exchange, 2012) In the same year, the company issued A-shares in China (Qingdao beer (600600)), which were listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange on 27 August . This firm is the first company which listed in two places at the same time (Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited Official Web, 2012). After 100 years of development, Tsingtao Beer was listed among the top 500 brands all around the world successfully and became one of the official sponsors of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The business scope of the Company is the production and sales of beer, and other related business. It occupies leading position in the domestic beer industry in terms of size and market share with 56 breweries in 18 provinces, cities and regions all over China (Tsingtao Beer, 2011). The value of its brand is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥50.258 billion as at 2012 (ChinaNews, 2011). 2. Business Environment It is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. Once a marketer makes the initial decision to enter a new business, the company must have a good understanding of the local conditions in that region (Solomon, 2013). Usually, a market can be divided into two kinds of environment: macro and micro. 2.1  PEST Analysis of Tsingtao In macro environment analysis, PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) is the most frequent decision to be used. This way focuses on the external, macro-environment in which your business operates. It provides the big picture framework, which helps business owners to build a vision of the future and to decide on appropriate actions that take into account (Dynamiq, 2012). (P)olitical Factors During the period of adopting the Reforming-and-Opening Policies, China has maintained social stability as it achieved rapid economic growth and raised peoples living standards. Productivity improves continuously. In such a policy environment, people do no longer just notice solving the problem of food and clothing, but the condition to achieve a higher quality of life. In this century, Chinese government started to encourage consuming and issue new economic strategies to stimulate that. Beer industry had a rapid development. In 2011, the beer industry achieved sales revenue, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥158.94 billion more than last year the corresponding period grows 22.9%, higher than the growth of beer production, liters of beer sales increase of 11.1% over the previous year(National Bureau of Statistics of China,2012). At the same time, China government increased the import tariffs on drinks, in a recent policy issued on the 15th Notice of Chinese General Administration of Customs by General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China in March 2012: From 15th April, a new duty tariff table entry articles will enforce. It said that the wines (including beer, wine, etc.) tariff rate increase to 50%. So it offers a good protection to the national beer enterprises, which has played a positive role in promoting sales (General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China, 2012). In addition, the Chinese government made a number of policies to regulate the food processing industries vigorously, in order to improve the admittance threshold, to improve the recall and delisting system and to strengthen the punishment on the illegal processing food industries. And they use product packaging policy to prevent vicious competition between beer enterprises (China International Beer Web, 2010). (E)conomic Factors The current economic situation in China now is keeping a stable growth. In 2008, the government decided to stimulate consumption, so there was a high rate of Economic growth. But in 2010, China cancel stimulate consumption policy gradually. Economic growth rate has dropped, but still keep in a normal range. Such growth not only shows Chinas growing potential of the Chinese market, but also led to the improvement to the Chinese peoples standard of livings. Since the economic crisis, the export volume of the international barley decline sharply. At the same time, the barley demand of Chinese beer industry is increasing. In this supply behind demand situation, the rising price of raw materials is another economic factor. Chinese beer industry has to maintain high speed development for many years, and become the largest beer barley importer all over the world. At present Chinese beer industry development speed is still as high as about 15% (China International Beer Web, 2011). However, although there is a huge demand of barley in China, China is not the traditional planting countries of barley. Rice in barley prices lead to the increasing of production cost greatly. (S)ocial-Cultural Factors Along with the beer market increasingly expanded in China, beer consumption gets bigger. Drinking beer has been transformed into a form of beer culture. The enthusiasm of Chinese seems to be gradually warming; they love to use beer to exchange emotions on the table. Comparing with drinking spirit, the feeling of drinking beer is cooler and more relax. It is suitable for all kinds of social occasions. The Olympics add passion, fashion, happy young elements into the products. It promotes the market share. An investigation shows that, in last few years, the amount of consumers who are 18-29 become the largest consumer groups of Tsingtao beer, risen by 14%(NBD, 2009). This will enhance the competitiveness of Tsingtao in the future. (T)echnical Factors In todays society, people pay more attention to health. So they improve the quality requirements of alcoholic drinks. Development of technology can improve the production efficiency, reduce production cost. Beer is a kind of popular drink, domestic and foreign constantly develops new technology beer production. Scientists found that, with the wavelength 410 mm, the intensity is 0.2 w / à £Ã… ½Ã‚ ¡of fluorescent lamp to yeast suspension uniform illumination hours later, fermentation activity can improve the 25-30%, and fermentation time shorten one day(Forhecz ,2009). 2.2 Micro Environment Marketing managements job is to attract and build relationships with customers by creating customer value and satisfaction (Kotler, 2005). It is related to the micro environment. In this section, the report mentions two aspects. 2.2.1 Competitors Analysis As alcoholic drinks, alternative products of Tsingtao beer exist. The first kind is called product competitor. This competitor can be divided into two kinds: soft drinks (nonalcoholic drinks) and alcohol. Soft drinks include carbonated drinks, fruit juices, dairy products and mineral water, etc. In some family parties, hotel get-together party banquets, they often become the beers alternative products. In terms of alternative products, the competitiveness yellow wine and spirit is not strong. But wine and beer for high-end customers are certain competitors. Of course, beer has its unique market positioning. In celebrating or party occasions, if people dont want to get drunk, beer will be the best choice. The second kind of competitors is Brand competitors. Main competitors are Snow beer and Yanjing beer. From the regional distribution, Tsingtao beer bases on Shandong province, and has made the good record in the south China, east China; Snow started from northeast China, then set up base areas in Sichuan, Anhui and Tianjin; Yanjing beer occupied more than 95% of the market in Beijing firmly(Liu, 2008). However, we need notice that in China, there is not any manufacturer having the absolute control of market share. In 2011, Tsingtao beer only has 19% of the share, the sum share of former three manufacturers market (Tsingtao, Yanjing, Snow) is less than 45%. So the company faced this extremely competitive market environment (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2012). 2.2.2 Customer Behavior Analysis In China, with the improvement of living standards and the deregulation of government, buying beer has become routine problem solving (Solomon, 2013). As a kind of fast moving consumer goods, beer appears in the Chinese daily life frequently. When people need to drink beer, everyone will have some brands for choosing. Some of them are come from internal experience, such as middle-aged people, they have many drinking experience. On the other hand, for the younger, it is likely come from the external experience, such as advertisings or recommendations (Mooij, 2011). In addition, when consumers are making purchase decision, they may have preferences of beers taste, price or the enterprise culture. The taste of Tsingtao is light type. It is conform to the Asian habit. Most products strategy of Tsingtao is high quality and high price. When feting friend or business mates, Chinese are more willing to choose this to show their sincerity. 3. Marketing Mix A planned mix of the controllable elements of a products marketing plan commonly termed as 4Ps: product, price, place and promotion (BusinessDictionary, 2012). 3.1 Production The product is the code of the marketing operation. The enterprises all behavior is focus on the product. When the products purchased in different situation, they meet the diverse needs from different consumers. This is what the companys managers should consider. Tsingtao beer introduced different types of beer to satisfy the requirements of different social activities. Such as in the south of China, the people prefer sweet and refreshing beer, so Tsingtao introduced Draft beer; And successful middle-aged business people normally need higher life quality and have certain economic ability, so in business negotiation occasion, they will choose Gold beer; Besides, the economic ability of university graduates who just enter the society is limited, in the leisure occasions, they would choose Shanshui beer which the price is a bit lower(Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited Official Web, 2012). Tsingtao beer also develops new products actively and gives them heterogeneity packages. Such as in the packing of Gold beer, Pure Draft beer, there are clearly epidemic elements. It establishes a solid foundation for entering the market of the Tsingtao beer. For the high-end product, as Gold beer, managers mainly adopt unified luxury packaging strategy, but the cost of product packaging is higher. Luxury packaging reflected their high grade brand strategy in order to maintain consumer idea of high quality low. 3.2 Price More and more consumers buy the product rationally. As long as the product of each attribute can meet consumers psychological recognition, the price is no longer the key influence factors. In the modern marketing, the high grade product is still accepted by consumers even sold in high price. Tsingtao beer adopts differentiated pricing strategy. Its product positioning is very clear, so different product has different price. Company distributes products from the low to high level. For example, Shanshui beer, low-end products, has a low price which basically close to the cost. The result of this strategy is the increasing of their market share. Such as Tsingtao canned beer market price is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥3.50 each can. Comparing with the similar product of other brands, there is more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥0.5 to 0.7 higher. Meanwhile, High-end products, such as Tsingtao Pure Draft, Tsingtao Gold, can increase sales of Tsingtao beer, and make positive effects on the own brand shaping, so the price is over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥8 generally(Alibaba, 2012). 3.3 Place The sale channel is divided according to the product classes in Tsingtao beer. In beer industry, many products are divided into three levels. The channels are divided into three categories: food straight channel, super market retail channels, circulation wholesale channel, different grades of products is corresponding to the different terminal; terminal is corresponding to the different channels. In China, Tsingtao beer keep setting up relationship with various levels terminals what including the national distributor, high-grade restaurant, super market retail store, places of entertainment and community retail terminal. At the same time actively strengthen the same they maintain the good cooperation relations with operators. 3.4 Promotion 1) Advertisement Tsingtao beer advertising is Centaury as one, passion achievement dream (Tsingtao beer, 2011). It not only mentions the companys history, but also gives their products with a sense of the Times image and full of vitality. In the Tsingtao beers official website, home page design unique creativity. In the left, a bottle of beer gives a person the feeling of sweet and refresh. The light yellow foam shows the high quality and high grade of Tsingtao beer. This design sets up the heart guide to the potential customers who have never tried Tsingtao beer. At the same time, in view of the different brands of products for different types of star endorsement also play a guiding role. Such as Pure Draft series looking for China is a very famous band, advertising effect is good. 2) Public Relation In the public relations Tsingtao beer mainly uses the government marketing, Olympic marketing to attract consumers eyes. After Beijings bid for the Olympic Games the success, they became Olympic sponsors, and actively use the Olympic platform to promote the brand in the international influence. Tsingtao beer has been insisting on the concept of the Olympic Games, the Olympic spirit of communicators. In order for the greatest degree of spread the Olympic spirit and enhance the brand image, Tsingtao beer made in stages of Olympic marketing plan, respectively for 2006 years light the passion, 2007 transfer passion, 2008 release passion, 2009 deductive passion'(China International Beer Web, 2010). Furthermore, they connected beer to music, sports through a variety of activities. Now Tsingtao international beer festival is Chinas most influential one of the beer festival, to the world propaganda Tsingtao beer long beer culture. At the same time, Tsingtao Beer Company did public charity in 2008. It shows the companys social responsibility, in this way a wide range of publicity, consumers won the favor deeply. 3) Sales Promotion In the daily sales activity, Tsingtao beer in order to be able to improve sales, the company puts forward for all kinds of promotional activities. Such as, for the people who purchase with a certain amount of Tsingtao beer in one time will present a new research and development of products to customers. It is not only the way to increase sales, but also can promote new products to customers. Personnel promotion is commonly used. The enterprise sent promotions specialist on the site promotion, such as promotion to consumers, evening show supermarket shopping guide, etc. 4. Segmentation, Targeting and Position Strategy 4.1 Segment Strategy Market segmentation is the inevitable trend of the development of market maturity. Segments of the market stand from the point of view of consumers in the division. The overall market of a certain product divided into several consumer groups, each consumer group is a market segment. Due to the beer belong to fast moving consumer goods, the average price is low in price by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥2-15, and Chinas average annual income per capita is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¥24,000 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2012). So in the national scope, consumers purchase ability are basic same. Tsingtao beer uses the many kinds of segmentation methods. The first is the regional segmentation. Although the national regional consumer purchasing power is similar, but different areas formed different tastes, because of the influence of their eating habits. Through the investigation, the northern people like to powerful, roundly type of beer; Jiangsu, Shanghai and people from the south like gentle type of taste. Guangdong, Fujian coastal areas is fond like tasting strong alcohol and acid with bitter taste. According to this difference, the company will form different taste characteristics of beer to meet the needs of the consumers. Secondly, the company does the vertical segmentation in population. With age as segmentation criteria, different age paragraph has different demand. Such as young people like light beer. In the party, they can have a good time, and do not need to worry drunk. Middle-aged group people be fond of liking taste a little strong beer. It is to be in commonly business negotiation or with friends and family to get together to drink. In addition, the age always related the income level. Usually, age and consumption is proportional to the ability. So the market can be divided into high-end market and mid-low market. 4.2 Targeting Strategy and Positioning Strategy This two operations have close relationship. Market targeting is when the market segmentation later, in a number of subsidiaries in the process of optimization. Meanwhile, the market positioning is the enterprise according to the target market similar products competitive situation, in view of the customer for this kind of products are some characteristics or attribute value degree, for the enterprise products shape strong, distinctive bright individual character, and the vivid image transfer to the customer, get customer recognition(MBAlib, 2012). After one hundred years of development process, market targeting has gradually determined for high-end market. Market positioning of products is the noble, elegant, have grade and fashionable. From the product strategy, the Tsingtao beer products completely have into the target market conditions. In Germany the traditional brewing process and the improvement of science and technology, Tsingtao beers quality is undoubted fantastic. Additionally, the companys pricing is also slightly higher than other brand. No matter in hotel or the places of entertainment or the large supermarket, as long as consumers spend some money to buy high quality, high grade of beer. But as the market competition has been more intense, Tsingtao beer began to consider to enter the lower level market. So they develop Tsingtao beer family series wine. Its brand positioning is popular, cheap and fine, amiable. The situation is the consumer to Tsingtao beer high-end product of high popularity. Due to the expansion of the company mid-low products in 2000 was launched, so they need time to further improve the business. 5. Recommendation Integrated above four parts analysis, we can know that Tsingtao beer now has some advantages and disadvantages, as well as they need to face the opportunities and threats. As the leader of industry, brand awareness of Tsingtao is high, has obvious brand advantages. And they owned breweries distributed in all parts of the country. This is favorable conditions for Tsingtao beer into except outside Shandong. But at the same time, the regional differences also can become one disadvantage of Tsingtao beer. Although the beer brands of local place are not as famous as Tsingtao beer, but they have deep knowledge by locals. When Tsingtao beer gets merger and acquisition of these enterprises, if they do not pay attention the replacement of excessive of the brand, it will deeply touch native inner to local cultural beliefs. Then it will make local consumers ricing up a big rejection mood, and lead to the agent cannot easily agent, and the sales cannot reach expected. Furthermore, Tsingtao beer is beer brand from the north, though in the north of the city has many reputation, to the south of the consumers, it is still a relatively new brand. In addition, Tsingtao beer through way of merger in process with the original formula keeps consistent, but due to the reason of soil and water, it maybe cannot keep its original quality. At the soma time, the situations of acquisition enterprise are intermingled. So the completed integration is difficult. The government policy and the support of the huge beer consumption space is a good opportunity Tsingtao beer. Because of listing in both of Hong Kong and Shanghai, new issues bring new opportunities to the development of Tsingtao beer. It is an important opportunity that cooperates with important events. Each year, the international Tsingtao beer festival brings a large number of consumers and partners. It Expand the Tsingtao beers popularity. But there is growing number of new brands into the beer market. The promotion strategies which they use will drive the whole market declining profits. And raw material prices also bring pressure to the firm. At present, Tsingtao beer has entered into the mature period. Tsingtao beer market prospect is very broad. Along with the social development progress continuously, and social activities become more and more frequently, people put forward higher the quality of life of the new requirements. This requires the Tsingtao beer with the continuous development of society to improve product quality to increase the added value of products. Tsingtao beer sales area is narrow; the high-end product market share is low. In the sales channels, they should expand sales channels, and make full use of the dealers financial products into the domestic big cities. The strategic alliance and domestic and foreign well-known hotel for strategic alliance is right choice, like Pepsi and KFC as alliance. Tsingtao beer enterprise must be good at catch opponents weak and then open marketing offensive. Such as Beijing Yanjing, Nanjing dealer for instant noodles, beverage and other non now drink terminal product distributors. They are lack of operation drink terminal market corresponding network and the actual status of the experience. Tsingtao beer should increase in Beijing drink terminal market in terms of has formed a fixed consumer groups.

The Man with the Twisted Lip by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: English Literature

The Man with the Twisted Lip by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle In ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used the disrespect of the Victorian public with regards to the Police to create his own successful amateur detective. The reason for this clear lack of respect is that the notorious Jack the Ripper was roaming the streets of London, and the police could do nothing to stop him. Indeed Jack the Ripper was never caught by the Police. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also uses the fear that Victorians had of the knowledge that Jack the Ripper was present on London streets. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses words such as, â€Å"lurking† and â€Å"sluggishly† to describe Upper Swandam Lane and the way the River Thames flowing, adding to the feeling of disquiet and revulsion within the reader. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also describes Upper Swandam Lane as being, â€Å"vile† All three of these words make the reader feel uncomfortable about the settings because the words represent life and creatures that are evil and dangerous. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also tells us of a, â€Å"low room thick and heavy with the opium smoke† In the Victorian period, opium was legal and was smoked by many people. The thick smoke in the room made it difficult to breathe clean air. The word, â€Å"sottish† is used to describe an opium smoker who clearly has no control over his mind and body. This could be a hint that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not approve of the smoking of opium that took place in that time. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also describes those opium smokers as being, â€Å"bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, bowed shoulders, bent knees, heads thrown back and chins pointed upwards, with here and there a dark, lack-lustre eye turned on the newcomer† This sentence gives the reader a further suggestion that the people in the opium den are intoxicated under the influence of opium, and also Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s dislike of the habit of opium smoking. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes the path down to the opium den as, â€Å"a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave† This could be likened to a descent into hell, reminding the reader of the dreadful descent into the railway cutting in ‘The Signalman’, and suggesting that the opium den is not a place where religious people could be found. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle manipulates the importance that Victorians placed on social values and respectability. The Victorians were very proud people, and knew that money meant respect. This is shown when the character of Neville St.

A Healing Touch? Essay -- Child Psychology Psychological Papers

A Healing Touch? Several weeks ago in our biology, Professor Grobstein mentioned that his college seminar class was holding a bake sale in our campus center. He approached his sales pitch by asking if we were stressed from the workload of the end of the semester. Inevitably we all nodded our heads in agreement that the homework had begun to take its toll. He urged us all to support his class's efforts and their somewhat atypical offer including an optional hug with the purchase of a brownie. After class I found myself thinking about his association with stress and the need for a hug. I know from personal experience that a hug or even a pat on the back can cheer me up. I've also read that people who make appropriate physical contact in business transactions-a firm handshake or a hand on the shoulder-are more likely to land the deal than those who keep to themselves. However, the necessity of physical interaction goes beyond the role of a mere stress reliever or business etiquette; rather it is essential to the development of an infant-both socially and physically. Among the most well known experiments on the subject were those of Harry Harlow in the 1950s and 1960s. Through his series of tests with infant monkeys and their application to humans, he brought a new understanding of child psychology and our own behavior (7). Until his experiments, most scientists assumed that the affection infants displayed for their mothers was an association between the mother and the quenching of primary needs-hunger, thirst, and pain (11). Harlow ran a series of experiments in which he separated infant rhesus monkeys from their mothers six to twelve hours after birth (6). At first he raised the infant monkeys i... ...ers.rcn.com/napier.interport/cwm/experim.html 7) Harry Harlow , from The Psi Cafà © http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Harlow.htm 8) Birth and the Origins of Violence http://www.birthpsychology.com/violence/prescott.html 9) Alienation of Affection http://www.violence.de/prescott/pt/article.html 10) Rock A Bye Baby , Time Life documentary and summary http://www.violence.de/tv/rockabye.html 11)The Nature of Love, from Classics in the History of Psychology http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/love.htm 12) The Journey Home: A Romanian Adoption , from CBC http://www.tv.cbc.ca/witness/rom/romhis.htm 13)"Nature" And "Nurture" Interact In Sequential Stages , from Classrooms of the 21st Century http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/SER/BE/whatc.html 14) A Decisive Decade of Protection , from Unicef http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm A Healing Touch? Essay -- Child Psychology Psychological Papers A Healing Touch? Several weeks ago in our biology, Professor Grobstein mentioned that his college seminar class was holding a bake sale in our campus center. He approached his sales pitch by asking if we were stressed from the workload of the end of the semester. Inevitably we all nodded our heads in agreement that the homework had begun to take its toll. He urged us all to support his class's efforts and their somewhat atypical offer including an optional hug with the purchase of a brownie. After class I found myself thinking about his association with stress and the need for a hug. I know from personal experience that a hug or even a pat on the back can cheer me up. I've also read that people who make appropriate physical contact in business transactions-a firm handshake or a hand on the shoulder-are more likely to land the deal than those who keep to themselves. However, the necessity of physical interaction goes beyond the role of a mere stress reliever or business etiquette; rather it is essential to the development of an infant-both socially and physically. Among the most well known experiments on the subject were those of Harry Harlow in the 1950s and 1960s. Through his series of tests with infant monkeys and their application to humans, he brought a new understanding of child psychology and our own behavior (7). Until his experiments, most scientists assumed that the affection infants displayed for their mothers was an association between the mother and the quenching of primary needs-hunger, thirst, and pain (11). Harlow ran a series of experiments in which he separated infant rhesus monkeys from their mothers six to twelve hours after birth (6). At first he raised the infant monkeys i... ...ers.rcn.com/napier.interport/cwm/experim.html 7) Harry Harlow , from The Psi Cafà © http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Harlow.htm 8) Birth and the Origins of Violence http://www.birthpsychology.com/violence/prescott.html 9) Alienation of Affection http://www.violence.de/prescott/pt/article.html 10) Rock A Bye Baby , Time Life documentary and summary http://www.violence.de/tv/rockabye.html 11)The Nature of Love, from Classics in the History of Psychology http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/love.htm 12) The Journey Home: A Romanian Adoption , from CBC http://www.tv.cbc.ca/witness/rom/romhis.htm 13)"Nature" And "Nurture" Interact In Sequential Stages , from Classrooms of the 21st Century http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/SER/BE/whatc.html 14) A Decisive Decade of Protection , from Unicef http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm

Marketing Communication McDonalds

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest fast food chain, selling primarily hamburgers, chicken, french fries and carbonated drinks; and more recently salads, fruit and carrot sticks. The business was founded in 1940 with a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac McDonald. It was their introduction of the â€Å"Speedee Service System† in 1948 that established the principles of the fast-food restaurant. However, the company today dates its â€Å"founding† to the opening of CEO Ray Kroc's first franchised restaurant, the company's ninth, in 1955. He opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in April 1955 (Wikipedia).McDonald’s is one of the world’s largest brand for a reason. They take marketing communications seriously. McDonald’s spends billions of dollars with outside advertising and promotional agencies to communicate to its customers. According to Allison Perlik (2005), McDonald’s relies highly on targeted advertising an d marketing communications and this is a central reason it is one of the world’s best-known brands. San Francisco-based researcher Interbrand ranked it 7th among the 100 most powerful brands in the world last year. It values the McDonald’s brand at $25 billion, up 1% (and up one notch in the ranking) from 2003 thanks to the chain’s sales rebound (Perlik, 2005).McDonald’s has had its deepest impact as a marketer has been through the variety of its messages to consumers. Larry Light’s (McDonald’s Global Marketing Officer) term for the company’s marketing strategy is â€Å"brand journalism† which means telling different stories to several demographic groups through a variety of media, while ensuring that all those communications reinforce a single brand image. For decades, McDonald’s has simultaneously addressed kids, teens,Marketing Communication McDonalds  adults, moms, parents, grandparents, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and others with marketing meant to connect the brand with people’s lives (Perlik, 2005).The most recent campaign the fastfood giant deployed is i'm lovin' it. According to Wikepedia, this is an international branding campaign by primarily aimed at people aged 15-24. It was created by Heye & Partner, a longtime McDonald's agency based in Unterhaching, Germany, near Munich, and a member of the DDB Worldwide Communications Group, Inc. It was the company's first global advertising campaign and was launched in Munich, Germany on September 2, 2003, under the German title ich liebe es.The English part of the campaign was launched on September 29, 2003 with the music of Tom Batoy and Franco Tortora (Mona Davis Music) and vocals by Justin Timberlake in which the slogan appears used in many of the introductory spots. The campaign is proving to be successful as it is being popularly used around the globe.Another strategy the company has been carrying out is â€Å"standardizatio n†. This means replicating its menu and look across the world. But the truth is that there always has been a restlessness at McDonald’s, leading it to explore variations in both menu and building style. It started in the 1960s when Ray Kroc began installing outdoor seating in new units, transforming what had been a drive-in concept to a restaurant.Indoor seating, drive-thru windows, play areas for kids and other modifications followed. Limited-menu kiosks under such names as McSnack Spot, McTreat Spot and McStop have been tested with varying success. In the last 15 years, changes in consumer eating habits and in the restaurant industry have led McDonald’s to test some radical departures from its standard design (Perlik, 2005).Marketing Communication McDonaldsThe span of McDonald’s target market is very wide. As mentioned above, McDonald’s reaches different age brackets through the use of â€Å"brand journalism†. For instance, they had a tagli ne â€Å"You need a Break†. This is intended for adults who are busy working and are looking for a happy time, and McDonald’s delivers that. There are a number of reasons why people love McDonald’s and why they have served millions of burgers to millions of people. It could be that people still want their food fast and instantly, without sacrificing the taste, and at the same time, having fun. For the kids, they love the characters and definitely, the happy meal. This toy inside a meal is one of the most successful promotional strategies of McDonald’s.Its competitors like Carl's Jr. and Burger King have directed advertising towards a different demographic – young teenage and college-age men – with trendy, often sexualised, imagery and messages that target men's supposed desire for large, meat-filled burgers and rich, satisfying food. In 2005, for example, Carl's Jr. debuted a controversial ad featuring a bikini-clad Paris Hilton writhing sen suously on an expensive Bentley luxury car while enjoying a large burger. The ad provoked outrage from a number of groups, but Carl's Jr. sales climbed impressively (Wikipedia).Others may try but no one beats McDonald’s in being able to serve both kids and adults. The company, unlike Carl’s Jr. and Burger King, need not choose which specific market to serve. However, the culture of healthy eating is becoming a threat to fast food chains, even our giant McDonald’s. All of a sudden the country has gone into ‘health’ overdrive. The government published a White Paper called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Choosing Health†, that revealed their plans to invest money into better advertising campaigns promoting healthy eating in children. Unsurprisingly, Z-lists celebrities jumped on the band wagon and have either released a book or a workout video (Goldie, 2006). Goldie adds that as a result of this ongoing obesity debate, McDonald's and the fast-foodMarketing Communicati on McDonalds  industry as a whole saw itself on the receiving end of negative publicity and suffered major criticism for providing unhealthy food. 2004 was the first year McDonald's announced a loss in profits, coinciding with the release of the film documentary â€Å"Super Size Me† in July. The film follows the journey of Morgan Spurlock, who set out to discover the implications of eating nothing but Maccy D's for a whole month, following three rules: he could only eat what was available, no super-sizing unless offered, and he had to eat every item on the menu at least once.Although the healthy eating trend is posing a threat to McDonald’s, Ronald and his friends are here to stay. I believe that McDonald’s marketing communications spears through this trend and reaches the hearts and palettes of millions of kids and adults worldwide through their campaigns. McDonald’s successfully gives us a reason every now and then why we should go there and bring our kids with us. It is not only food that people love in McDonald’s but the culture, feeling, and happiness that it has seeded for the past 50 years in millions of kids and kids at heart.Bibliography:Perlik, A 2005, ‘Redefining McDonald's’, Rimag.com, viewed 12 December 2006, < http://www.rimag.com/archives/2005/03a/design.asp>.Perlik, A 2005, ‘McDonald's 50th: Marketing’, Rimag.com, viewed 12 December 2006, < http://www.rimag.com/archives/2005/03a/marketing.asp>.Goldie, C 2004, ‘McDonalds, healthy eating, and the Happy Meal of the future’, Public Sphere, 12 December 2006, .‘McDonalds’, Wikipedia, 12 December 2006, .‘Im lovin it’, Wikipedia, 12 December 2006,