Calls for marijuana legalization

The debate on whether or not to legalize marijuana trade and consumption has been ranging on for a long time with calls for its total ban equally as loud as those that fight for its legalization. This debate a times takes a religious and an emotional perspective. This paper seeks to strengthen with factual support, the calls that support its legalization. It will give reasons behind those views as well as analyze the opposing sentiments. All this is in the believe that marijuana, if legalized, stands to be more beneficial to the society that the way it is today.My first argument towards legalization of marijuana will take an economic perspective. Billions of tax payer’s money is going to waste in the process of arresting and prosecuting people accused of consuming marijuana. This money should be channeled towards other important purposes like healthcare and providing education to our children (Barnett P.G 166-171).Every year in America, thousands of people are huddled in drug courts faced with all manner of charges ranging from consuming to trafficking marijuana, then handed undeserving sentences. Process requires millions of dollars. This is money that should be spent in giving counseling and treatment to the affected rather than trying to catch the few of the majority that smokes. It is apparent that our money is surely going to waste; the war against drugs has never been won and is not going to be won any time soon.The cost of maintaining prisoners arraigned in court over marijuana related cases each year is estimated at 1.2 billion dollars ever year. â€Å"This does not include the cost of investigating, arresting, a prosecuting and hundreds of thousands of marijuana users arrested every year† (Wayne Hall 7) this to me is a waste of scarce resources, money that otherwise should not be used had we legalized marijuana.Still in economics, the marijuana is a multibillion industry that continues to place food on the table for millions of people wor ld wide, illegally of course. I this industry can operate legally; it would be able to secure jobs to millions more as well as contributing billion of dollars through taxation. About 11 billion dollars would be gained from the tax. (Douglas Mc Ray58). The marketing of marijuana has its illegal form is left to black marketers this meaning that currently their proceeds go untaxed.Economic benefits of legalized marijuana will be two fold. First it will be from the funds saved from the efforts to suppress and eradicate its use and then secondly benefits arising form its taxation. Marijuana should be legalized, either way whether legalized or illegal consumption still takes place. There are no statistics available to indicate that its continued legal suppression over maybe the last 30 years has had any consequent impact. Prohibition does not decrease its use. Its popularity does not wane. Netherlands has done it. It’s a good case study that â€Å"marijuana legalization would not be the disaster that opponents say it would be† (Douglas Mc Kay29-32)Debate still rages on possible effects of legalizing marijuana on the health of the users. There are those who argue that it has adverse effects on health while others argue that the overall effects are insignificant. Without looking at the worst case scenarios and moderation cases, both studies indicate that there are no known risks associated with its overdose; possible side effects can only be exhibited in the behaviors of the user. (Douglas Mc Kay) these results indicate that marijuana use is not more hazardous than alcohol consumption unlimitedly.Tobacco use is equally harmful and yet it is legal. The reason why marijuana remains illegal is due to its peeved adverse effects on the users. The government in its social responsibility role has to limit its use/abuse. This to me is based on flimsy grounds. Alcohol and tobacco are also harmful, then why ban one poison and out rightly allow the usage of the oth er one. This is illegal.Marijuana decriminalization will allow people to explore the possible medicinal values it has.   Studies have shown, according to Baker D.(2003 561-567),that â€Å"cannnabinoids† (contained in marijuana) provide a novel therapeutic target, not only for controlling symptoms, but also slowing disease progression through inhibition of neurodeneration.† Disregarding its side effects, marijuana is hailed to have many therapeutic benefits like subsiding pain in cancer patients; it is basically used with pain and muscle stiffness in patients.Criminalization of marijuana literally closes these windows of research. Doctors and health experts are barred from researching with it or administering on any of their patients despite indications that it can effectively be used for medical purpose with only some mile side effects. We are making it inaccessible to millions of people out there who are maybe suffering form cancer and would want some relieve.This co untry boasts of respect and exercising fundamental freedoms for all persons. Freedom of worship is a key right that should be exercised by all and is guaranteed by the constitution. Rastafaricinism, a dominant faith in Jamaica openly advocates for marijuana usage citing its religious importance. Criminalization of marijuana clearly is in contravention of people right not only to exercise their right of worship but also their basic right to choice as long these choices do not affect others negatively.I believe it should be left to the respective individuals to make an informed choice on whether consume or not.   They should be left alone to exercise the individual liberty. People to, are left alone to choose on whether to drink or smoke, despite their known harms, people too, I think should be given leeway over marijuana.As I had noted earlier, the proponents of marijuana criminalization are equally vocal and belief they have solid reasons as to why the status quo should remain. Ma rijuana just like most drug is known to induce addictive tendencies, this is where it’s continued use results to the user being hooked to it to an extent that they are unable to function normally without it. I must say however, that addiction is not limited to marijuana alone alcohol, tobacco and also other prescribed drugs are known to cause addddiction even of a higher degree than cannabis.There is also the argument that it legalization is tantamount to sending a message especialy to underage that its consumption is indeed good. It will remove the stigma currently associated with it making it attracitve to most persons. Although this point contains some truth in it, legalization of cannabis in Netherlands failed to indicate this. Although there were a few new users, occassioned by its decriminalization, their numbers were not significantly high to warrant any concerns.Initial lifting of the ban would see maybe attraction of new users but this would later change as Clement k (1999,p49) says,..on the other hand,the disappearance of the forbidden fruits characteristics of marijuana would tend to lower consumption.†This waters down the argument that lifting the ban would see increased use.Marijuana too if allowed will lead to more expenses on the government to cope with its abuse. There will be increased allocations for the rehabs and medical facilities tao cope with its possible rampant usage. It would also mean more investments to cope with drug related crimes resulting from drug abuse. I must insist however, that findings doen do not ling marijuana to any violent crimes more than they do other drugs or specifically to alcohol. Also, a simple lsot benefit analysis refutes that the government stands to spend more on rehabs. By legalising it, any additional investment on rehabs is surpassed by the savings on marijuana policies and prosecutions in additional to the likely benefits emanating from taxes. (Aldrich, M. et al, 75-81).ConclusionThere is a n eed to review the current laws banning marijuana use in total.It is more beneficial to the general society and particularly the government.The benefits gained through taxation and employment creation surpasses the negative effects of rehabilitating the abusers.In addition too are the millions of dollars the federal government would save.The resources used to fight marijuana through prosecutions,arrests and maintaining thousands in jail would be rechanelled to other vital sectors.The benefits outweigh the costs,this should be the sole logic behind its legalisation.More benefits too stand to be reaped through the possible advances made in the medicine sector.It will see more research being done to establish ways in which marijuana can be used to ease pain in cancer patients as well as other medicinal values being explored.Works CitedAidriach, M. and T. uikuriya. â€Å"Savings in Carlifornia Marijuana law enforcement costsattributable to the Moscone Act of 1976†. Journal of Psyc hoactive drugs 20, 1998.75-81. Appraisals of the adverse health effects of cannabis use: Ideology andEvidence. June 1999.The FAS Drug policy Analysis Bulletin. Washington DC. Accessed on 3rd August 2007.https://fas.org/#3>Baker D. Pryce G. The therapeutic Potential of cannabis in multiple sclerosis. Expertopinion on investigations drugs. 2003, 561-567.Barnett, P.G. â€Å"The cost-effectiveness of substance abuse treatment†. Current psychiatryreports. 1999. 166-171.Thornton, M. â€Å"Prohibition US. Legalisation: Do Economists reach a conclusion of drug  policy? Ludwig Von Mises Institute 2002. pp.27Marijuana Legalisation: the time is now. 1998. The psycheditic Library home page.Clement K W; Daryal M.: The Economics of Marijuana Consumption.Crawley, Australia: University of Western Australia Economic Research center.1999, p 49.  indicate that marijuana resutls aviors of the user. ases, both studies indicate that there are no known risks associated with it

Project On Bajaj Auto Limited

November 14, 2009 Project On Bajaj Auto Limited Submitted by Team TiTanS -Amit Sheth -Anand Dube -Darshna Chande – Mrinal Kaul -Subrato Das -Vinay Chaudhary Page 1 of 23 1 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 Index 1. 0 Introduction 2. 0 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO. 2. 1 Product life cycle of the various products. 2. 2 A BCG Matrix of Various products. 3. 0 Key Brands – Top Three in terms of volume and revenue 3. 1 Bajaj Pulsar. 3. 2 RE (3 Wheeler). 3. 3 Discover. 4. 0 Positioning of the top three brands of the company. 4. 1 Pulsar. 4. 2 Discover. 4. Bajaj Auto (Commercial Vehicle). 5. 0 Competitors and the differentiation of each based on positioning. 5. 1 Pulsar key Competitors. 5. 2 Bajaj Auto Commercial Vehicles. 5. 3 Discover key Competitors.6. 0 Key marketing communications and the evolution of the same since 1995 7. 0 The Future. 7. 1 Recommendations. 8. 0 Graphs. 8. 1 Sales data of BAL and Industry Comparison. 8. 2 BAL in International Market. 8. 3 3 Year Projection for Comme rcial unit of BAL 8. 4 BAL projection for Domestic Sales 9. 0 References. Page 2 of 23 2 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 BAJAJ AUTO LTD 1. Introduction Bajaj Auto is India's largest and the world's 4th largest two and three-wheeler manufacturer. It is based in Pune, Maharashtra, with plants in Akurdi and Chakan (near Pune) and Waluj and Patnagar in Uttaranchal. Bajaj Auto produces and exports scooters, motorcycles and auto rickshaws. Over the last decade, the company has successfully changed its image from a scooter manufacturer to all round two wheeler manufacturer. Its product range encompasses scooters and motorcycles. Founded in 1926, at the height of India's movement for independence from the British, the group has an illustrious history.The integrity, dedication, resourcefulness and determination to succeed are characteristics of the group even today and can be traced back to its birth during those days of relentless devotion to a common cause. Jamnalal Bajaj, founder of the group, was a close confidant and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, Gandhiji had adopted him as his son. This close relationship and his deep involvement in the independence movement did not leave Jamnalal Bajaj with much time to spend on his newly launched business venture.His son, Kamalnayan Bajaj, then 27, took over the reins of business in 1942. He too was close to Gandhiji and it was only after Independence in 1947, that he was able to give his full attention to the business. Its’ real growth in numbers has come in the last four years after successful introduction of a few models in the motorcycle segment. The company is headed by Rahul Bajaj who is worth more than US$1. 5 billion. Bajaj Auto came into existence on November 29, 1945 as M/s Bachraj Trading Corporation Private Limited. It started off by selling imported two and three-wheelers in India.In 1959, it obtained license from the Government of India to manufacture two and three-wheelers and it went public in 196 0. In 1970, it rolled out its 100,000th vehicle. In 1977, it managed to produce and sell 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1985, it started producing at Waluj in Aurangabad. In 1986, it managed to produce and sell 500,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1995, it rolled out its ten millionth vehicles and produced and sold 1 million vehicles in a year. Kamalnayan Bajaj not only consolidated the group, but also diversified into various manufacturing activities.The present Chairman of the group, Rahul Bajaj, took charge of the business in 1965. Under his leadership, the turnover of the Bajaj Auto the flagship company has gone up from Rs. 72 million to Rs. 46. 16 billion (USD 936 million), its product portfolio expanded and the brand has found a global market. He is one of India's most distinguished business leaders and internationally respected for his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. Page 3 of 23 3 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 2. 0 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Product Portfolio Two Wheelers Three Wheelers Entry Level Mid Level PeformancePassenger Carrier Goods Carrier Platina 100cc & 125 cc DTSi Kristal DTSi XCD 135 cc DTSi Discover 100cc & 135 cc DTSi Pulsar 150, 180, 200 & 220 cc DTSi Avenger 200 DTSi RE-2 Stroke 2 Diesel & CNG RE – 4 Stroke Diesek & CNG GC MAx Diesel & CNG In 1972, it introduced Ba Bajaj Chetek. The company formed a joint venture with . Maharashtra Scooters in 1975. Bajaj Auto established Waluj production plant in Aurangabad, in 1985. In the following year, the company entered into the technical tie-up with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan to produce a range of two up Japan two-wheelers in India.The company signed agreements with Kubota, Japan for the development of diesel engines for three-wheelers, and with Tokyo research and development for un wheelers, ungeared Scooter and moped development, in 1995. In 1999, Bajaj Auto commenced the production at Chakan plant. The company introduced Bajaj Saffire in 2000. In the following year, Bajaj Auto launched Eliminator and Pulsar bikes. Bajaj Auto launched Bajaj Wind 125, Pulsar 150cc and 180cc sports styled bikes, in 2 180cc 2001. In the next year, Bajaj Auto launched Bajaj CT100 and Bajaj Discover DTS The company DTS-i. aunched Bajaj Discover, Bajaj Avenger DTS i, and Bajaj Wave DTS in 2005. In DTS-i, DTS-i, the following year, it launched Bajaj Platina. Bajaj Auto launched 200 cc Pulsar DT DTSi, and Bajaj Kristal DTS-i in February 2007. Bajaj Auto started a new plant at i Pantnagar, Uttarakhand in April 2007. In the following month, the company demerged to form three separate entities: Bajaj Auto (automobiles); Bajaj Holdings and Investment Limited (an investment company); and Bajaj Finserv Limited (wind ited power and financial services company).Bajaj Auto launched its ‘XCD 125 DTS DTS-Si', a 125cc motor bike in September 2007. In May 2008, Bajaj Auto, Renault and Nissan Corporation formed a joint-venture company to develop, produce a nd market the car ure code-named ULC with wholesale price range starting from $2500. The joint named joint-venture company would be 50% owned by Bajaj Auto, 25% by Renault and 25% by Nissan, and to construct the plant in Chakan (Maharashtra state) in India with an initial (Maharashtra planned capacity of 400,000 units per year. In February 2009, Bajaj launched XCD Page 4 of 23 4BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 135 cc DTSi. Bajaj Auto has a distribution network in 50 countries and presence in India, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Central America, Peru and Egypt. The company has global partnerships with the shipping lines of Maersk Sealand, P&O Nedloyd and APL. The company's subsidiaries include: Bajaj Auto International Holdings, a 100% Netherlands based subsidiary; and PT Bajaj Indonesia which assembles and markets Pulsars in Indonesia. 2. 1 Product life cycle of the various products is shown below.INTRODUCTION STAGE: Products like Discover 100 DTSi and Pulsar 220cc. GROWT H STAGE: Products like Discover 135 cc have a great potential to grow and become market leaders in their segment. MATURITY STAGE: Products like Bajaj Pulsar 150 ; 180cc are at their maturity stage. DECLINE STAGE: Bikes like Avenger, Platina, Pulsar 200 cc market have ready substitutes available resulting in lower demand and lower market share. 2. 2 A BCG MATRIX OF VARIOUS PRODUCTS ARE SHOWN BELOW STARS BAJAJ PULSAR SERIES DISCOVER 100cc COWS DISCOVER 125CC DISCOVER 135CC Page 5 of 23 5QUESTION MARK XCD 125CC PLATINA 100cc DOGS AVENGER KRYSTAL BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 3. 0 Key Brands – Top Three in terms of volume and revenue 1. Bajaj Pulsar 2. RE (3 wheeler) 3. Bajaj Discover 3. 1 Bajaj Pulsar It is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. It was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with motorcycle designer Glynn Kerr, Tokyo R;D. Currently there are four variants available with engine capacities of 150cc, 180cc and two var iants with capacities of 220cc. More than a million units of Pulsar were sold by November 2005.Pulsar 200 variant was discontinued in July 2009. With monthly sales of more than 48,000 units in June 2009, Pulsar is the leader in the 150 cc + segment in India with a market share of 43%. The following is the sales data of Pulsar Brand for the last five months. Month Sales (Units) June 48062 July 49621 August September October 65000 55413 56000 3. 2 RE (3 Wheeler) The leading three wheeler manufacturers in India are Bajaj Auto, Mahindra ; Mahindra and the Italy-based Piaggio. In the three wheeler segment, the classification is broadly in terms of carriage and passenger vehicles.Since the former does have a very limited capacity to carry goods and is not preferred by many, the three wheeler manufacturers are more into the passenger three wheelers. Bajaj Auto has a range of models for passenger three wheelers namely RE 2S,RE 4S,RE 4S CNG,RE 4S LPG,RE Diesel and RE Diesel mega . Page 6 of 23 6 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 TVS Motor has recently entered the fray with its own model of a three wheeler and with the market recording an impressive 18% CAGR rate over the last fiscal, the three wheeler manufacturers still have plenty to laugh about. 3. . Discover The Bajaj Discover a motorcycle made by Bajaj Auto in Chakan, India, debuted in 2004. This is the second indigenous bike from Bajaj. During mid 2005, the Discover was made a single variant model. It was revamped with new graphics, and other features like sns(spring in spring) suspension, self-start, etc. The Bajaj Discover has been the highest selling 125 cc bike in India since the day of its inception and has proven to be a very popular executive commuter. 135cc model has recently released which features a front disk brake, auto-start and black alloy wheels.The following are the sales figure for the last two months for Bajaj Discover. Month Sales (Units) September 94000 October 95139 4. 0 Positioning of the top three brands of the company 4. 1 Pulsar Pulsar was launched in direct competition to the Hero Honda's ‘CBZ' model in 150 cc plus segment. The campaign bore innovative punch line of â€Å"Definitely Male† positioning Pulsar to be a masculine-looking model with an appeal to the performance sensitive customers. The Pulsar went one step ahead of Hero Honda's ‘CBZ' and launched a twin variant of Pulsar with the 180 cc model.The model was a great success and has already crossed 1 million mark in sales. The Big Idea was to position the bike as World's first bike endowed with a gender. Page 7 of 23 7 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 Pulsar changed its tagline to â€Å"The Fastest Indian† for its 220cc bike. After dumping the â€Å"Definitely Male† tagline, Pulsar advertisements never were a thriller. The product qualities made the brand a huge success. The new ad and new tagline gives a remarkable boost to this brand. It is very wise for the brand to own th e highest superlative.Pulsar has owned the â€Å"Fastest† superlative, which means another brand cannot be faster than the fastest. This is a powerful positioning strategy adopted by the brand. Pulsar has become synonymous with Bajaj. It single handedly brought Bajaj from a state where it was thought that it would be sold or it was running for family prestige. Pulsar Mania was supposed to be the answer to MTV hero Honda roadies which had become synonymous plus a huge success between the youth. Target Audience Bajaj targeted the 18-24 with Pulsar but later found that the brand appealed to a much older audience.This helped Bajaj to change its target audience to 21-35 years 4. 2 Discover Pulsar helped Bajaj to establish itself as a serious player in the Indian motorcycle market. Bajaj had failures in establishing its presence in the executive segment where Hero Honda's Splendour rules. Hence Bajaj launched Discover DTSI with Page 8 of 23 8 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 much f anfare. The brand ambassador was none less than the legendary Jackie Chan. Things were perfect for a bestseller. But had Discover delivered? Still, No.This was partly because Bajaj was still struggling with the positioning of its brand. The same mistake was done with Calibre. Bajaj was trying to sell Discover by its looks. But then the new commercial suggested something else. The new commercial with a Harry Potter look alike was well executed but had no marketing significance. What was being communicated to the customer? Just like the Hoodibaba campaign involving cartoon characters which actually killed the product, Discover campaigns was based on fantasy. Positioning has to be realistic and hould differentiate the product from its competitors. That is the theory and it works also. So, Bajaj decided that the platform at which Discover is going to be placed is going to be sold as both stylish and performance bike. This bike is the perfect choice for the people with average height as people with more six feet of height may face some difficulty in adjusting their knee position on the tank. Otherwise, this bike offers the great comfort and handling due to its well placed seat and handles. It offers a good mileage of 70-80 kmpl. Therefore it is positioned as a fuel efficient bike.Also, Bajaj wanted to make this bike for masses, so it launched Discover in different variants of 100cc, 125cc, and 135cc. Next year Bajaj is also planning to launch the Page 9 of 23 9 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 bike in 150 cc to cater the needs of the power hungry people who can’t afford Pulsar. So overall Bajaj is trying to position Discover as a bike for each segment of people. 4. 3 Bajaj Auto (3-Wheeler) Talk of passenger vehicle, and first thing that comes to mind is Bajaj Auto. It is very popular throughout India, and people use them in quite frequently as daily means of transport.Bajaj in auto rickshaws, is already the global market leader. In the domestic market of app roximately 6 million motorcycles annually. Bajaj Auto launches eco-friendly auto rickshaw the vehicle incorporates the latest Gasoline Technology – the Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine, to achieve substantially lower emissions than even alternative clean fuels like Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Combusted Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles 5. 0 Competitors and the differentiation of each based on positioning 5. 1 Pulsar Key Competitors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Apache CBZ Hunk Karizma Pulsar is the Flagship brand of Bajaj.It has been the great success story of modern Bajaj from â€Å"Hamara Bajaj â€Å" to â€Å" Distinctly Ahead â€Å" . The basic differentiation strategy, loaded with the first movers’ advantage, was the technological edge it had over others (Using a patented technology). It mixed performance with killer looks, unlike any of its predecessors was targeted to capture the minds of youth which it did with great success. It was the first bike w hich took India towards full auto-ignition and power bikes. Every now and then it comes with something new and innovative and no doubt Bajaj bikes have mass appeal as well.TVS: With its presence in 160 cc and 180 cc market it is the most potent threat to Pulsar, but erratic nature of TVS motors may pull it down in the longer run. Honda / Hero Honda: The real first mover in 150 cc segment, with CBZ has been the traditional rival, has always been there but has never been really able to really challenge pulsars supremacy. It has launched Hunk and Karizma but never lived up Page 10 of 23 10 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 to the expectations because of its steep price as against the brand of Pulsar that has a presence across all the segments (150, 180, 200, 220) ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 80,000. 5. 2 Bajaj Auto Commercial Vehicles: Key Competitors: †¢ Mahindra and Mahindra †¢ Piaggio In the three wheeler segment, the classification is broadly in terms of carriage and pass enger vehicles. Since the former does have a very limited capacity to carry goods and is not preferred by many, the three wheeler manufacturers are more into the passenger three wheelers. Bajaj Auto has a range of models for passenger three wheelers namely RE 2S, RE 4S, RE 4S CNG, RE 4S LPG, RE Diesel and RE Diesel Mega while its existing carriage three wheeler is called GC 1000.It has enjoyed monopoly in this market. In this segment it achieved differentiation on basis of trust and reliability from its competitors; moreover it had a huge first movers’ advantage. The basic customers for this product are low end business men. Mahindra ; Mahindra has got the Champion range of three wheelers. There are Champion pick up and Champion delivery vans while the Champion Passenger carrier is mostly seen in the western parts of the country. The Alfa three wheeler carriages of the M;M has a wide and tall cabin, heavy duty gear box, unique designed chassis and hydraulic shock absorbers.Th e Italian auto major Piaggio manufactures Ape 50 in association with Bajaj Auto at Pune with a 150cc engine. This three-wheeler has different body forms and matches the specifications of various countries wherever it is produced. TVS Motor has recently entered the fray with its own model of a three wheeler and with the market recording an impressive 18% CAGR rate over the last fiscal. 5. 3 Discover Key Competitors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Ambition ( Hero Honda ) Splendor CD Dawn Star City Page 11 of 23 11 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 The Discovers as of now seems to enjoy a bull run in the market as there is no visible completion from anyone.It beats its competition on both looks as well as power; in fact it doesn’t have any direct completion in 135 cc segment. The target customer for this bike is the middle aged middle class who are looking for a bike with a bit of looks a bit of power, a bit of economy as well as an affordable price. 6. 0 Key marketing communica tions and the evolution of the same since 1995. Bajaj was the undisputed ruler of the Indian 2-wheeler market . It continued its domination in through the 1980 into mid 1990’s. Then the tagline used to be â€Å"HAMARA BAJAJ â€Å".This brand image was employed to instil a patriotic fervour in the minds of the middle classed dominated Indian society. With this campaign they tried to reach the masses, which had dreams and aspirations to become big. â€Å"Hamara Bajaj† †¦. Became a household jingle and Bajaj marched to become the leading two wheeler manufacturer in the absence of any significant completion. During this phase Bajaj had a monopoly over the scooter market with its flagship brand Chetak. But by the beginning of 1990 things started to change; new players were entering the market in JV with the local entities.New and advanced technology was now available. Honda aligned with Kinetic and Hero group of Munjals while Suzuki partnered with TVS. Hamara Bajaj w as facing the brunt without any partners and new technology to harbour them. They were continuously focusing on continuous reduction of production cost, thus overlooking the threat of new entrants consequently their market share kept on declining. Page 12 of 23 12 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 Declining market Share of Bajaj The biggest problem faced by the Bajaj was that it was losing the scooter market. People were no longer interested in scooters as the market was looded with many new models and variants. Honda was gaining momentum in the Indian market. By 1998 Bajaj was looking right down the barrel. They were facing a tough choice â€Å"To replace a legend is never easy. To replace a legend when the legacy needs a major overhaul is even more difficultâ€Å", but desperate situations call for desperate measures, Bajaj auto decided to go big time into motorcycles and do away with its flagship brand of Chetak. During this passage they launched several products †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Boxer Caliber Wind 115 Saffair Legend Page 13 of 23 13 BAJAJ AUTO LTDNovember 14, 2009 But somehow they all failed to capture the target market. Ever since losing its leadership position, Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) was trying out new strategies including use of new technology and new marketing communication campaigns. For instance, in the early 2000s it started focusing more on the motorcycle market with new product launches, complemented by new communication campaigns to inject vibrancy into the Bajaj brand. The ad spots launched in late 2001 showed ‘slice of life' situations of â€Å"new age â€Å"India. . Porter’s 5 Forces for Bajaj during 1990’sBy now Bajaj had come a long way from Hamara Baja to its latest message, trying to capture the new India, the young India, the fast paced India, and The ever changing India. With this intention Bajaj made a last effort re-launch itself, repositioning the Hamara Bajaj in the minds of the young v ibrant India. Page 14 of 23 14 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 But it failed to gel in the market. The Bajaj was dying. Its JV with Kawasaki was falling apart and the killer blow came from Hero Honda CBZ in 1999. First time in its lifetime the market share of Bajaj went below 40%.The Change in the Brand message of Bajaj From Hamara Bajaj they transformed to Inspiring Confidence, thus trying to emphasize on the fact they are such an old name in the market and their name inspires confidence. But unfortunately this did not work for them and within two years they again changed their tagline to Distinctly Ahead. This time around they emphasized on the fact that they had better technology than anybody else in the market. And it worked. For that they went for a complete overhaul. Page 15 of 23 15 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009Bajaj logo : Brand transformation They underwent a complete change in the brand image; they changed their logo, which was done in 2004. The reason behind Bajaj cha nging its logo was that people used to associate Bajaj with its old image of â€Å"Hamara Bajaj† and carrying that image Bajaj was not able to communicate its message that effectively to the youth who is its major target customer now as the market for the scooters is almost over and 80% of the 2-wheeler market is covered by bikes. The new logo flying B as it has been named represents style and technology.It connotes speed and open for denotes transparency. Today Bajaj is known with â€Å"Distinctively Ahead â€Å". The recent ad campaigns for Bajaj are associated with stunts and modern gizmos. The concept of Definitely Male was well accepted by the people and Bajaj came out with some astonishing ads. Though the DTSi technology was new, people accepted it very well. It easily conveyed the message it wanted to. The following picture strips conveys the advertisement: Getting on to his bike, a man gets all set to make a move. As he puts his helmet on, a message appears on the w indshield,While the biker cruises through the city, some army men are out for their jog. Just before they cross a road, a zebra crossing forms ahead them and disappears after them, while the biker waits patiently. Page 16 of 23 16 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 A young lady talks to her beau on the phone, while an image of his forms before her. She switches the phone off and the image disappears, in time for her to catch a glimpse of the bike. Riding on, he spots a child playing with a remote controlled toy. In the next shot the toy turns out to be a roller coaster, with children inside enjoying the ride.On arriving home, the biker is greeted by a As he takes off his helmet everything turns robotic dog. back to it's usual self. MVO: â€Å"Imagine a world as advanced as the new Pulsar DTSi†¦ After these ads were successful, Bajaj came out with a second ad wherein a man is shown performing various stunts on his DTSi Pulsar. Even this one was an outstanding one. . The Latest Pu lsar Campaign Page 17 of 23 17 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 DTSi came out to be a good one with proper publicity advertisements and that too without any highly paid brand ambassadors.Unlike its rivals who have highly paid actors or cricket stars as their brand ambassador. 7. 0 The Future Although the avalanche of motorcycles offered Indian consumers a wide variety of models to choose from, it also resulted in increased pressure on the companies to concentrate on cost-cuts, technology enhancements, upgrades and styling. Their margins came under pressure as marketing costs escalated. The companies were forced to reduce prices and offer discounts to survive the competition. Moreover, analysts were skeptical about the segment's ability to maintain the growth rate in the years to come.One of the major assumptions underlying the motorcycles rush was that if the market was considerably large and was growing at a constant pace, there was room for a profitable existence for all brands. I n 2001, there were over 30 motorcycle brands in the market. However, with the top five brands accounting for more than 60% of the market, only 40% of the market was available for all other new brands put together. Despite the launch of more vehicles, the survival prospects of many of the individual brands were deemed to be rather bleak. Page 18 of 23 18 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 SWOT Analysis for Bajaj AutoFurther, the growth in the motorcycle segment was dependant on continuing favorable market conditions. Analysts claimed that to sustain this growth rate, the segment would have to completely cannibalize the market for scooters and a considerable part of the market for scooterettes and mopeds. Considering the fast growing scooters segment, with high demand from female customers, followed by the moderately growing moped segment and the restructuring in the scooter segment with major national and foreign players reinforcing their presence, it was unlikely that the entire growt h in the two-wheeler sector would be due to motorcycles.Analysts also commented that as the two-wheeler industry had grown steadily for eight years, stages in the product life cycle would apply to the field sooner, rather than later and the decline stage would invariably come some day. There was little differentiation between the brands being launched apart from styling as most companies had introduced their four-stroke vehicles. Focus on High Margin Products: Around 50% of the two-wheeler consumers buy high quality products (products of executive and premium segment motorcycles). Margins on these products are higher. Page 19 of 23 19 BAJAJ AUTO LTDNovember 14, 2009 BAL should adopt a deliberate strategy of focusing on executive and premium segment motorcycles and three-wheelers, and a couple of brands on lower-end of motorcycles (to grab the market share) and scooters segment. High margin products – Pulsar, Discover, Three-wheelers, Avenger. Low margin products – Plat ina, Scooters, Mopeds. Second Hand Market: Second hand market in 2-wheeler is one of the most un-tapped market without any competitor. BAL must try and establish a unit dealing with the sales of Second Hand Vehicle something on the lines of Maruti True value and Mahindra First.Car Market: With the launch of the low budget car it can capitalize this market as there are not many players in this market and they already have the network and the knowhow of the elements of the local market as well as the technology (from its foreign partners). 7. 1 Recommendations: Below are the recommendations: †¢ Company should keep focusing on the fast growing motorcycle segment. †¢ In view of the new threat posed by Honda Motors in the scooter segment, the company needs to review its products line-up and launch new products to cater the changed demand. The company needs to take a look at its ungeared scooter offerings and need to adapt to the latest trends(compete with models like Honda Acti va) †¢ The company needs to tap the export market more efficiently as there is a huge potential to make India as the world's two-wheelers production base. For this, it needs to look for joint ventures abroad. †¢ Look to expand their base outside further. It already has a strong presence in Africa and other South Asian Countries. †¢ It needs to target the young age group more effectively as this group is extremely trend savvy.The advertising should have a fresh look and the product should live up to the Gen-X's expectations †¢ Focus on Easy Credit Lending – In the present economical crisis, Bajaj can utilize its subsidiary, Bajaj insurance in coming up with schemes that will help consumers buy two wheelers on friendly terms. †¢ BAL needs to scale up its service centers both in numbers and in capacity. Keeping in line with its growth target for the next 5 years, its service centers should not only cater to two wheelers but should also be upgraded to cat er to the needs of four wheelers that Bajaj plans to launch.Page 20 of 23 20 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 8. 0 Graphs 8. 1 Sales data of BAL and Industry Comparison. 8. 2 BAL in International Market Page 21 of 23 21 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 8. 3 : 3 Year Projection for Commercial unit of BAL 9. 1 BAL projection for Domestic Sales Page 22 of 23 22 BAJAJ AUTO LTD November 14, 2009 9. 0 References. Marketing Management by Philip Kotler & Kevin L Keller www. wikipedia. com www. Bajajauto. com www. howstuffworks. com www. bikeadvice. in BAL Annual Report www. youtube. com Page 23 of 23 23

Personality Case Study Essay

Personality can be defined as the characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and acting that make a person an individual (Fletcher & Garton, 2007). There are a number of different personality theories that aim to explain an individual’s personality, such as the Learning theory studied by B. F Skinner and the Trait theory studied by Cost and McCrae. By examining these personality theories in relation to a particular case study, it is possible to understand how an individual’s personality is influenced and how it develops. An example of a personality case study is that of Kate, a 20 year old university student. She is described as kind, caring and loyal and prefers watching movies and reading rather than going out to a party. Kate works hard studying psychology at university and volunteers to help children with autism. Kate has a strong relationship with her family and isn’t expected to contribute to household expenses. By examining the case study of Kate through the Learning and Trait personality theories, it is possible to have a greater understanding of Kate’s personality characteristics. The Learning theory of personality is one theory that can be used to examine an individual’s personality. One of the most influential theorists in this area was B. F Skinner who believed behaviour people think reflects personality is simply behaviour that has been learnt from past experiences with the world (Fletcher & Garton, 2007). The theorists of the learning theory basically believe that if a person’s behaviour is positively rewarded, they are more likely to repeat the action. However, if their behaviour was punished, it is less likely to happen again. This theory has been criticised for being too simplistic by not taking into account a person’s genetics and factors other than a person’s environment (such as thought processes, beliefs and motivation) that can influence their personality. Another argument is that personality consist of more than just behaviour. However, the learning theory is still a very influential personality theory and Skinner’s findings are still widely used as the basis for behaviour modification techniques. In relation to the case study of Kate, Skinner would argue that Kate’s personality and behaviour is a result of both reward and punishment as a child. For example, she works hard in her studies to achieve high results. It is possible that when she was younger, Kate’s parents rewarded her for achieving well at school or punished her for receiving a bad result. Skinner would argue that Kate demonstrates a solid work ethic because she was rewarded for similar behaviour earlier in her life. Another theory of personality that is commonly used is the Trait theory, studied by Costa and McCrae. This theory suggests there a five main dimensions of personality. These are: extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. An individual’s personality is a combination of high and low ratings in each of these dimensions. This theory claims that all these personality traits are stable and enduring. Some criticisms are that this theory isn’t specific enough as to how much of an individual’s personality is a result of genetics or environment. Also, this theory does consider unconscious thoughts and processes that may influence a person’s behaviour. The Trait theory is however a widely accepted personality theory which has been the basis for many studies and research. Costa and McCrae’s trait theory can be applied to the case study of Kate. She is described as being kind, caring and loyal. Kate also prefers watching movies and reading rather than going out. In terms of the Trait theory, Kate would be described as being introverted, conscientious, hard-working and well organised. The Trait Theory and the Learning theory are two very different understandings of personality, both with their own contributions and limitations, but both are relevant and useful when trying to understand an individual’s personality. Each theory is applicable to the case study of Kate in attempting to examine her personality type.

Olympia, Edouard Manet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Olympia, Edouard Manet - Essay Example While the initial attempt with â€Å"Starry Night† received harsh critique on the bizarre aspect of his painting, van Gogh managed to justify â€Å"Starry Night Over the Rhone† with logical elements of texture and color fashioned to project the expressionist’s rich astronomical influence and perspective with the nocturnal theme of the work. Van Gogh is primarily drawn to the attractive contrasts emerging between the natural light of the stars and the gaseous luminescence radiating via man-made lamps. In particular, he is profoundly caught with the beautiful pattern the ‘Big Dipper’ makes with the rest of the constellation. Based on this, one may observe an apparent connection between darkness and the mental struggle, which van Gogh tends to exhibit with intensity, yet the well-balanced sparks of the European river in equilibrium with the sky creates symbolism for appreciation of the wonderful state of gloom. Besides fascination at the concept of blen ding lights from different dimensions as viewed from Arles with ample reference to the ‘Big Dipper’ or the ‘Great Bear’, by other name, van Gogh may be recognized to possess extended interest on astronomical geometry which is largely depicted by the manner the stars are spatially distributed so as to cast the night to its lovely degree or at least to the standard of van Gogh’s intellectual design. How mundane tasks and hard-work of training dance are carried out prior to the scene in which the moment of dance becomes an object of pure delight.

What is the difference in the international court of justice ICJs Essay

What is the difference in the international court of justice ICJs approach with respect to the law of maritime delimitations between the North Sea Continental - Essay Example Disputes are provided for through a separate optional protocol, parties to the Convention are obliged to exhaust the settlement procedure, preferably through direct talks between the parties. If direct negotiation fails, then the parties can submit the dispute to either the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Court of Justice, binding international arbitration procedures or an expert arbitration tribunal. The decisions of the ICJ have spelt out the principle to be found in the Ad Hoc Committee Report, which states that there is â€Å"an area of the sea bed and the ocean floor underlying the high seas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.†1 This falls under the Common Heritage of Mankind principle, adopted without dissent in the United Nations General Assembly and applied to the sea bed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (Brown, 1994:262). Therefore, this has spelt out an important principle of maritime delimitation, whereby in some in stances it may not be possible for a coastal state to claim maritime territory, which may more appropriately fall within the scope of international jurisdiction and therefore unavailable to any State in particular. The emergence of the EEZ concept and further seaward extension of the outer limit of the continental shelf has focused attention on maritime boundary delimitation in contemporary international law. Equity now plays a greater role in interstate relations and the pragmatic issues of managing the delimitation of natural resources and boundaries. In so far as delimitation of the territorial sea is concerned, the UN Convention of the Sea states that when two countries are adjacent to or opposite to each other, neither one is entitled to â€Å"extend its territorial sea beyond the median line every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points on the baselines from

Advanced auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advanced auditing - Essay Example Rob Gray tries to identify the scope of social accounting as "the preparation and publication of an account about an organisation's social,environmental,employee,community, customer and other stakeholders' interactions and activities and where possible the consequences of those interactions and activities" With the increase in the business activities backed by globalization, business enterprises have started locating their production facilities across the world, breaking cross border barriers. Such a rapid development, many a times will result in the firms overlooking their social obligations in the interest of maximizing their profits. Hence there has been a good deal of efforts being taken to devise the techniques that measure the contribution of an enterprise to the society. These developments may be considered as the result of the increasing realization of the Social Responsibilities of the enterprises and it becomes necessary that the performance of these enterprises should be s een in the context of their fulfilling their social obligations.According to George Clark "What is now coming to be called Social Auditing is similar in many ways to Financial Auditing except that it is about everything else that an organisation does apart from handling money."There has been a number of proposals put forth to design an extended accounting system that measures the social performance of an enterprise. Linowes has proposed the preparation of a Socio-Economic Operating Statement (SEOS) to show the various social costs and benefits of actions of enterprises. This statement proposes to indicate monetary values of various actions of an enterprise classified in to following categories: Relations with people - to include items like training programmes for handicapped workers, contribution to schools for employees, extra costs incurred in hiring persons from minority or suppressed communities. These items would constitute the contribution of the enterprise in 'improving' the relations with the people. The 'detriments' that need to be shown may be items like postponement of installing safety devices etc Relations with Environment - monetary values of improvements and detriments are to be listed and the net effect shown separately. Relations with Products - In a similar way, monetary values of improvements and detriments are to be listed. Since there is yet to be a significant development to take place in this area, many of the existing models aim at measuring the performance of an enterprise vis--vis the society tales into account the factors like human resource contribution, public contribution, environmental contribution, product or service contribution and net income of the enterprise. 1.2 Environmental Audit: "An environmental audit is a means by which businesses can assess the environmental impacts of their operations. At its core is the measurement and evaluation of all inputs and outputs from the production process." (Australian Government) In the context of the increasing emphasis on protection of environment, environmental accounting and auditing have assumed special importance in recent years. Environmental Accounting aims at measuring the impact of the activities of an organization on the environment. The resultant product is the environmental statement, containing the following among other things to be asserted by the management: A brief description of the activities of the organization and the effect of such activities on the environment as envisaged by the organization A description of the organisation's environmental policy, programme and management systems to implement the stated policies A summary of the figures of emissions which may cause pollution of air and water, waste generation, consumption of raw material, energy, water and other significant environmental aspects. There should also be presented a comparison of such data with the legal norms if any

Technological Advancements in Historic Preservation Research Paper

Technological Advancements in Historic Preservation - Research Paper Example Historic buildings have been designed with sustainable features that respond to both site and prevailing climate (WBDG). The effectiveness of sustainable features used to preserve traditional buildings and, when incorporated in modern buildings, those features can result in substantial energy savings. The current technologically improved sustainable preservation of buildings has, therefore, been derived and adapted to supplement the inherent sustainable features in many historical buildings without compromising the unique and historic character of such buildings. For example, the Adobe houses or those made of dried bricks are among the oldest buildings made of the most common materials that are known to man today (Old House Web). The adobe bricks were not fired initially but were sun-baked first and only then used in the construction process. These bricks consist of sand, clay, water, gravel and straw or grass that are mixed with hands in wooden moulds and then are being dried in the sun (Old House Web). As the adobe bricks are not fired in a kiln, the bricks never harden permanently but remain unstable during their life time. These bricks are, therefore, prone to shrinking as water content changes with their strength fluctuating over time: the higher the water content, the lower the strength (Old House Web). The adobe bricks, though having been successfully used in the buildings, cannot bond to metal, wood or stone as they exhibit greater movements than these materials. Attempts to bond these materials resulted in cracking, separating or twisting at the interfaces, which led to cracking and failure of the buildings in most of cases. This prejudiced the preservation of these buildings. In the majority of cases, where traditional methods may not present enough strength in buildings, other technologies in the modern building construction are used to reinforce these traditional buildings to ensure sustainability and preservation of a historic fabric (Fischetti, 42 ). The early adobe building foundations varied greatly according to their differences in local building construction and available materials, which resulted in great variability in these buildings, including their sustainability (Old House Web). Lack of professionals at planning or preservation stage of a huge number of traditional buildings has had a bad effect on those buildings, thus, numerous efforts to innovate and elaborate plans for preservation in these buildings have been made recently; though there has been a growing belief in the inclusion of planning and growth management in preservation of these buildings (WBDG). Though preserving a building has been recognized as an ultimate recycling of projects, the majority of preservationists in most of cases fight the stigma of historic buildings being inefficient and stress on the need to take daunting corrective measures in order to retrofit for energy saving devices and systems with the green sustainable design being increasing ly popular in both construction and preservation of new industries (WBDG). These shortcomings in the traditional buildings and preservation approaches are continuously being reviewed though the improved technologies in both preservation of buildings and documentation of building projects so that to enhance effective preservation. The growing technological advances have made it possible to improve building preservation efficiency and accuracy with record keeping in architectural and construction projects being enhanced to

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Education - Essay Example Additionally, the educational purposes of English will be weighed out in the classroom and in the outside world. This essay will be based on the small scale research I carried out during my serial practice week. I sought to bring together school staff’s opinion and perception of the National Curriculum and Framework, along with pupils’ views in order to justify the place of English. The given research, which includes interviews with teachers and pupils, and theoretical justification of the place of English in modern education, will also act as a foundation for conclusions made on the basis of practical and theoretical findings. I will begin with the evaluation of the role of English in the National Curriculum and the Framework. Although I have not found any evident research that would provide an explicit justification of the place of English in the current Curriculum, the justification which my study will be built upon is based on a practical consideration of both positive and negative personal and generally accepted views on the issue, on the current Curriculum and my academic readings. Trying to define English in ‘Literacy: Reading the Word and the World’ Freire’s understanding of English derives from English’ being a ‘critical literacy’ (Moss, 1998 p6); it is considered to be an active instrumental approach to encourage pupils to: Literacy is viewed as a common tool used by teachers during English lessons: pupils are encouraged to make meanings by evaluating and discovering the range of techniques that the author crafts. This critical awareness comes forth as pupils are encouraged to adopt a critical understanding of the text. They begin to consider how texts are trying to influence and change them as members of society. As a result, such an understanding changes their thinking process, both personally and socially, and influences the formation of a

Research a country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research a country - Essay Example The highest point in the country above sea level in the country is 600 ft (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 15). The highest mountains in the country are 3327 ft high situated in Carpathians. It had been part of the Habsurg and Ottoman empires from the 16th century but after World War 1, it became an independent country. Following the results of the last census, the country has close to 10 million people with 92.3% Hungarians inhibiting the country. People from other regions occupy the other percentage with Romans occupying 1.9% of the population. This makes the Hungarian language the mostly spoken in the country. The language is a member of the Finno-Ugric family one of the few languages spoken in European Union. The main religion in the country is Roman Catholic with close to 37.2% of the population been Catholics. The Calvinist religion comes close to Roman Catholic with an estimated 11.6% (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 23). In 10 million people in the country, people below 14 years constitute like 15% of the total population. People between 15 to 24 years constitute 11.9%. 24-54 age brackets, makes up the most people in the country, as it constitutes close to 41.6% (Hebbert, Norm and Dan 23). The country’s medium age is 41 years with that of male being 39 years and that of female 43 years. The ur ban population makes up 69.5% of the country’s total population. The education sector has undergone various changes in the country but the quality of education in the country is unparalleled and is best known for excelling in mathematics education. One of the famous mathematical scientists to hail from the country is Farkas Bolyai. The Hungarian folk music is the popular music listened at the country. The National Assembly members after every 5 years elect the country’s president whose role is mainly ceremonial as he or she is nominally the armed forces’ commander in chief. Some of the powers vetted to the president is to

Choose ONE of the topics below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose ONE of the topics below - Essay Example Of the two, perhaps it was Voltaire who did not mince any words when it came to criticizing the work of Rousseau. For example, when he received Rousseau’s The Social Contract, Voltaire wrote a letter to Rousseau in which he notes, â€Å"Never was such a cleverness used in the design of making us all stupid. One longs, in reading your book, to walk on all fours. But as I have lost that habit for more than sixty years, I feel unhappily the impossibility of resuming it (Nosotro, 2007, Pg. 1)†. These words also form the basis of their disagreement since Voltaire had very different ideas about society and government as compared to the very democratic ideals of Rousseau. The high society and the aristocratic manners of Voltaire would certainly put him at odds with Rousseau who had a lower class beginning and could only find patrons to help him in paying for his living expenses as he continued to write and give the world philosophical ideas. However, they were both forced into exile largely through the force of their own ideas. Voltaire frank criticism, as exemplified by what he told Rousseau about his book, angered many French aristocrats and he was eventually forced into exile to England. On the other hand, Rousseau’s ideas were widely rejected by the French and he too had to spend some time in Switzerland and then England. In terms of ideas, Voltaire emphasized individual tolerance and a person’s right to be able to express him/herself freely. The religious and personal freedoms given by the English government were much respected by him and he wanted to change French society to bring them closer to the freedoms enjoyed by the English. Voltaire was also against the church since he believed the message of the church was one of intolerance. Duffy (2008) notes this as an interesting dichotomy since Voltaire was disdainful of religion itself but supported religious tolerance. It seems that blind faith was unacceptable to Voltaire since he

Any organism or group of organisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Any organism or group of organisms - Essay Example Most have two auxiliary pairs of appendages. The first is the chelicerae, or mouthparts on which you find their fangs. These are used for feeding and defense functions, grabbing or poisoning prey. The second pair is called the pedipalps. They have mainly three functions: for feeding, movement and reproducing. Another feature of arachnids that makes distinguishing insects from them easy are the fact that arachnids do not possess any antennae or wings. All arachnids also contain exoskeletons just as all arthropods. Arachnids are typically meat-eating organisms. They feed on pre-digested remains of insects and other little organisms such as flies, bees, ants, crickets, wasps, grasshoppers, beetles, bugs and even others of their kind. Only two kinds, the  harvestmen also known and commonly called as the daddy longlegs,  and several mites like the house dust mite for instance, consume solid food particles. Because of this, they are out in the open to other internal parasites, though i t is not obscure for spiders to digest their own silk. Quite a lot of groups have the ability to exude  toxin and lethal venom  from specific  ducts or glands  to poison prey or threats. ... At the back of the mouth, there is a powerful hardened pharynx. This operates as a pump, drawing the food in to the body, from the esophagus which sometimes functions as a secondary further pump. The stomach in an arachnid is shaped like a tube, with a couple of outpouchings stretching all the way through the entire body. Both the stomach and these outpouchings called diverticula manufacture digestive proteins. They also soak up nutrients from the prey. This connects to a tiny hardened intestine and anus which is found in the rear part of the abdomen of the arachnid’s body. Eyes of arachnids are complex and very complicated, having two kinds namely the median ocelli and the lateral ocelli. Compound eyes have probably evolved into the lateral ocelli. They may possibly have a  tapetum. This helps in enhancing the absorption and the gathering of light. At the same time, the median ocelli may have been arisen from a crosswise crease of the  ectoderm. These eyes, in its ancient form, were probably both present in ancestors of arachnids. In contrast, modern arachnids that we see today are either lacking in one type or the other. The  cornea  acts as a light-focusing lens. underneath is a see-through body that resembles that of glass, then the  retina and sometimes, the tapetum. Nearly all arachnids have two other sensory organs. One of the most common and the most fundamental for most arachnids are the sensory hairs that are cover up the entire body. This also provides the arachnid’s sense of touch. Most other arachnids possess other sensory organs, even more complex and intricate such as trichobothria, or elongated hair-like structures that is used in detecting

Why PE Should Be In Every School Essay Example for Free

Why PE Should Be In Every School Essay In high school, students have a full schedule for five days on a week to always study about subjects like mathematics, biology, economy etc. Have a full schedule like that can make the students body and mind disturbed and confused. PE or physical education in high school helps students to refreshed their body and mind in that full busy week of schedule. There are a lot of advantages of PE or sport that many people know, but there also some of disadvantages that few people know about sport or PE. PE, physical education is one of the subjects in high school. PE is an education process through phycical activity, physical exercise or sport to achieve educational purpose. PE is done with well-organized program by the teacher that involve not only the physical activity but also provide a media for the student to explore and to learn the environment. The advantages of PE according to Mahendra (2013), generally said that the advantages of PE in school include the following: 1. Fullfill the needs of the children of move. 2. Introduce the children to the environtment and the potential skill of them. 3. To set up the bneficial of basics skill. 4. Direct the excessive energy to a better way. 5. An simultaneously eduational process of both physically, mentally and emotionally. PE in high school is held once a week so the students can maintain their health routinely on a week. PE also needed by the students to refresh their body and mind from the busy schedule of study on a week. PE or sport also has some disadvantages. If it done excessively, it can affect students health and result in side effects to the body. Exhaustion, of course if you impose your body to work more than before you must feel tired. Physical activity like running or with high intensity can endanger the heart health, it makes your heart bigger. Bigger heart makes you get more tired easily. Another example of high intensity physical activity side effects is blood clots. As experienced by Danielle Yalop from Manchester, England. Yalop had to undergo a rib removal surgery because of blood clots, or Deep Vein Thrombosis. A blood clots that can plug up artery and causing death. Another side effect of excessive physical activity is a headache. If you feel a headache when you are doing or done doing physical activity, it means that your body lacking water or dehydration. Headache is a simptom of dehydration. The more you doing physical activity, the more water leave your body. In addition of the advantages of PE that Mahendra said, PE might help you to keep your body healthy and fit, removing toxins, keep the heart healthy and stable, reducing body fat. Of course you have to exercise regulary as needed and not doing it excessively. PE is important not only in high school but also in elementary and junior high school. Sometimes, PE is considered not necessary by the school committee. PE only considered as a refreshing time so the physical activity and the education not be taken seriously and not done properly. In fact, PE is very important to keep balance between physical education and the primary one. If PE is taken seriously, it can helps developed knowledge and skills that related to social development, self-confident and developed the personal value through participating in a physical activity group. Although PE in some school only considered not necessary, PE is important and every school and student must have and do PE within the busy schedule in scho ol life. If school committe take PE seriously and think that PE is important because of the advantages, they might be doing it twice a week. Hiring a competent PE teacher and well-organized PE program that can help the students maintaining their health , body, mind and help them to upgrade their primary education.

Sources Of Municipal Solid Waste In Delhi Environmental Sciences Essay

Sources Of Municipal Solid Waste In Delhi Environmental Sciences Essay India is the second most populated country a second fastest growing economy in the world. From the period of 2001-2026 the population of India is to increase from 1030 million to 1400 million, if we consider the increase rate to be 1.2 % annually then there will be an increase of 36% in 2026.accordingly about 285 million live in urban areas and about 742 million live in rural areas. (Census of India, 2001).In India urbanisation is becoming more because people are moving from villages to cities and there is a rapid increase in population in the metropolitan cities .Mumbai is the largest populated city followed by New Delhi and Kolkata. Generally, the greater the economic prosperity and the higher the percentage of urban population, the greater is the amount of solid waste produced (Hoornweg and Laura, 1999). In Hoornweg and Laura, 1999 1996 about 114,576 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste was generated by the urban population of India, by the end of 2026 it is predicted to increase to 440,460  tonnes/day This great increase in the amount of MSW generated is due to changing lifestyle and living standards urban population(Hoornweg and Laura, 1999). STUDY AREA Delhi is a very densely populated area and is the capital of India. Since Delhi is an urbanised city the annual growth rate is increasing very rapidly in the last decade the growth rate has increased by 3.85%. Delhi is the capital of India this tells us that it is the centre for commerce trade and power, since it is one of the largest cities and the capital it produces excellent job opportunities, which account for its rapid increase in its population and increased pace of urbanization. Due to the fast urbanisation and the growing population the production of municipal solid waste is also increasing very rapidly. According to a survey Delhi generates about 7000 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste and this municipal waste is to ride about 17000-25000 tonnes/day by the year 2026.due to the rapid increase in the population and municipal solid waste the disposal of the waste has become a great head ache for the municipality in Delhi. Out of the waste gathered only 70-80% of municipal sol id waste is collected while the remaining is dumped onto streets or open ditches. Out of the 70-805 collected only 9% of the collected municipal solid waste is treated by composting the remaining is sent to the land fill sites. New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) are three municipal entities responsible for MSW management in Delhi. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES, TYPES AND COMPOSITION OF MUNCIPAL SOLID WASTE IN DELHI Sources and types of solid waste in Delhi: Residential:-the residence might be single family or multiple family dwellers the types of waste they produce are paper, food wastes , cardboard , leather, yard wastes, textiles, glass, special wastes, metals, plastics , ashes, wood and household hazardous wastes. Industrial: industries produce ashes, food wastes, packaging, special wastes, housekeeping wastes, construction and demolition materials and hazardous wastes. Commercial Institutional: they produce wood, metals, cardboard, glass, special wastes, Paper, food wastes, hazardous wastes. Municipal services: landscape and tree trimmings, Street sweepings, general wastes from beaches, parks, and other recreational areas, sludge. (Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999) Composition of waste: The population of Delhi is 13.9 million they produce 7000 tonnes/day of municipal solid waste at the rate of 0.500 kg/capital/day and accordingly the population as well as the MSW in increasing by 2026 the municipal solid waste generated will increase to 17,000-25,000 tonnes/day. Because of the increase in the MSW the municipal body will face a lot of problem after composting and incineration they would still have to deal with a lot of waste and this waste would generally go to landfill sites. The characterisation of the waste by its type, composition and source is important this will make monitoring and management of solid waste easy. Based on this we can use different types of processes to dispose the solid waste. The following information will tell about the generation of MSW from various sources is Delhi in the year 2004. Source wise generation of the MSW (tonnes/day) in Delhi Sources MSW(Tonnes/day) Residential waste 3010 Industrial waste 502 Hospital waste 107 Main shopping centres 1017 Construction waste 382 Vegetable and fruit markets 538 Source 🙠 MCD, 2004) The Tata Energy Research Institute conducted a study in 2002 in Delhi to determine the physical and chemical composition of municipal solid waste. This study in 2002 tells us that the composition of MSW is not changed that much from the past decade. According to the study the major part of the MSW consists of biodegradables fallowed by other wastes. Physical composition (as wt. %) of MSW Chemical composition (as wt. %) of MSW Parameters 2002 Biodegradable 38.6 Inert 34.7 Glass and Crockery 1.0 Paper 5.6 Non-biodegradable 13.9 Plastic 6.0 Parameters 2002 Moisture 43.8 Phosphorus as P2O5 0.3 Organic carbon 20.5 nitrogen 0.9 C/N ratio 24.1 Calorific value (kCal/kg) 713.0 Source 🙠 TERI, 2002) The composition of MSW of an urban population depends on various factors like place location, climate, commercial activities, population, cultural activities, economic status if the residence and urban structure .Before we do anything we need to know the composition of the MSW so we can determine the best suited operations and equipment for the facilities that dispose of the MSW. There was a survey conducted by Municipal Corporation of Delhi to evaluate the composition and properties of MSW. This study involved the different places in Delhi where MSW was produces. The following table tells the details of the study Composition (as wt. %) of MSW generating from various sources in Delhi Parameters Food waste Recyclables Inert Others Moisture Ash content C/N ratio Lower CV (kcal/kg) Higher CV (kcal/kg) Residential waste 1.low income group 58.4 15.7 22.8 3.1 54 21.8 39 754-2226 2238-4844 2. Middle income group 76.6 21.2 0.5 1.7 65 6.3 30 732-1939 3415-6307 3.High income group 71.9 23.1 0.3 4.7 59 10.9 31 1300-1887 4503-5359 4. JJ Clusters (Slums) 69.4 14.1 15.8 0.7 63 15.6 46 204-1548 1582-4912 Vegetable markets 97.2 2.3 0.5 76 3.3 16 0-1309 3083-4442 Institutional areas 59.7 33.8 4 2.5 50 6.7 35 129-3778 2642-5459 Streets 28.4 12 56.1 3.5 19 56.7 51 1007-2041 1188-3289 Commercial areas 15.6 68 16.4 18 8.8 158 1815-4593 3373-6185 Landfills 73.7 9.2 10.8 6.3 47 15.3 38 191-4495 2042-5315 Source :- (MCD, 2004) RELEVANT REGULATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA The major policies and legislative frameworks for the municipal solid waste management in Delhi are Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000: according to this policy there is a set process for the collection, sorting, storage, transportation and disposal of the MSW. The Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and Amendment Rules, 2003:- bio-medical waste should be treated according to the standards of schedule v. The Delhi plastic bag (Manufacture, Sales and Usage) And Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 2000: according to this plastic bags should be recycled and non-degradable plastic bags should not be dumped in public drains. Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 and Amendment Rules, 2000 and 2003:-there are limitations for the import and export of hazardous wastes and there should be proper handling and management of hazardous waste. (Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000) MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGENENT IN DELHI Primary collection and storage of MSW in Delhi According to the Delhi municipal corporation act 1957 the owners, tenants or the person who is occupying the residence, commercial or industrial area is responsible for the disposal of the MSW at a particular area provided by the municipal corporation. But this rule was changed in 2000 which stated that the collection of MSW would be from house to house because of this rule the municipality cooperation faced a lot of problem due to the rise in population as well as residential houses so doth the systems are being applied to collect MSW. The municipal cooperation of Delhi is getting awareness programs to help the citizens understand the need of segregating the municipal solid waste by placing two separate bins one for recycling materials and the other non-recycling materials. By doing this the municipality is reducing the work load and they can dispose of the material in an easy way without any fuss. The municipal authority has a schedule for the collection of the waste example a part icular area will have a particular day for the collection of MSW. The Delhi municipal authority provides a primary storage facilities like dustbins, metal containers that have different capacities ranging from 1m3 ,4m3,10m3 to 12-15 tonnes these containers are placed in locations that are easily accusable to people. The size of the containers that are place at a primary storage location depends on the amount of MSW being produced by the area and the population of the area. These metal containers and bins are emptied with the help of modern hydraulic collection trucks. In Delhi on an average there are 3-4 collection sites. The MCD has employed about 50,000 people for primary storage collection, 2600 for secondary storage collection and about 370 people foe sweeping the streets. (Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000) Transportation The MCD has many vehicles for the collection of primary and secondary storage waste. The MSD in its fleet contains refuse removal trucks, tractors and loaders they have about 100 vehicles to do the job. What these vehicles do is they collect the waste and take them to the landfill sites. Recycling and re-use Recycling and re-use of MSW is done in a widespread manner where waste pickers are employed as well as there are self employed waste pickers who collect the waste and sell them. How the system works is that these waste pickers and waste collectors gather waste from the residential areas, commercial areas, streets and landfill sites and they sell them to the dealers these dealers range from small, medium and large dealers. After the dealers purchase the materials they are sent to the recycling plant that is established by the government. The following table tells us at what rate the materials are sold (Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004) Prices of recyclable materials at different recycling levels Recyclable material Recyclable material Price at small recyclable dealer (Rs.) Price at medium recyclable dealer (Rs.) Price at large recyclable dealer (Rs.) Value added in the Process (%) Plastic PET bottles 1.75 2.25-2.50 3.75-4 121 Milk packets 5.5-6.5 6-7 8-8.50 37.5 Hard plastic like shampoo bottles, caps 7-7.25 9 10-10.5 41 Plastic thread, fibres, ropes, chair cane 6-7 8-8.50 10 67 Plastic cups and glasses 7-8 10-12 13-14 80 Paper White paper 3-3.25 3.75-4 5-6 76 Mix shredded paper 2-2.25 2.25-2.50 3-3.25 47 Cartons and brown packing Papers 2.25 2.50 3 33 Fresh newspaper 3-3.50 3.25-3.75 4.50-4.75 42 Tetra pack 1.75-2 2-2.25 2.75-3 53 Glass Broken glass 0.50 0.90-1 90 Bottles 2 2.25-2.50 19 Aluminium Beer and cold drink cans 40-45 43-48 75-85 88 Deodorant, scent cans 42-45 55-60 90-95 113 Aluminium foil 20-22 25-27 30-32 48 Other metals Steel utensils 20-22 25-27 30 43 Copper wire 70-75 80-85 95-100 35 Source 🙠 Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004) Composting: Coming to composting only 9% of the total MSW is composted the remaining 91% is sent to landfill sites. There are three places set up by the Delhi municipal authority for composting MSW where as two plants are set up at Okhala and the other one is set up at Bhalswa .These plant has a treatment capacity of 150 tonnes/day but they are not utilised to the fullest because of the cost. The treatment capacity of the plant at Bhalswa is 500 tonnes/day. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008) Incineration: The municipal cooperation of Delhi also tried incarnation they built an incineration plant with the help of a foreign company. But this was shut down immediately because the MSW did not have enough calorific value the minimum calorific value is between 1200-1400 kcal/kg. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). Final disposal of MSW: Of the total amount of MSW collected 91% is sent to landfill. These landfill sites are located at the outskirts of the city. The land fill sites are the nearest available low line area or waste lands. The transfer of the MSW to these sites is by the vehicles that the Delhi municipality has. These landfill sites are chosen based only on availability and not on any other reason. These landfill sites are poorly maintained which arises a problem of health and safety as well as environmental concerns. There is another big issue because of the poor maintenance of the landfill sites there is a lot of leachate that is being produced mostly in the rainy season due to which the ground water as well as the river next to the landfill sites is getting contaminated. At these landfill sites with the help of bulldozers the MSW is levelled and compressed. The MSW is compressed to a layer of 2-5m and a covering is provided. At the binging there were 20 landfill sites that were created by the Delhi mun icipality out of which 15 are exhausted already. At present there are 3 landfill sites that are being operated one is at Gazipur it was started in 1984 , the other landfill site is located at Bhalswa it was started in 1993 ,the last operating land fill site is located in Okhala it was started in 1994. (Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008). HEALTH AND SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS Health and safety and environmental risks are a major concern in the MSW management in Delhi. The workers as well as the waste pickers are not provided with proper health and safety equipment like boots and gloves. The working conditions are unhygienic .the chance of transfer of infection is high and because of this if a worker gets sick he loses his wages. The workers are also not provided with medical insurance. The environmental risk is also high because the landfill sites are not maintained properly and the leachate gets leaked into the underground water as well as the river Yamuna .these issues should be looked into very carefully. IMPROVEMENTE We can improve these poor conditions by privatisation. We can let the private sectors help in the disposal of MSW. The Delhi municipal authorities can open the incineration plant and dispose the waste. They can also involve the local communities as well as the NGOs to help in the disposal of waste. The municipal authorities should identify a proper treatment technology. The authorities should increase standards of reuse and recycling of waste mainly composting. CONCLUSION With the rapid increase in population and fast urbanisation of Delhi the current policies and regulations want be sufficient for controlling the rapid increase in the MSW. Due to this the health and safety as well as the environmental risks are increasing .The municipal authorities of Delhi cannot keep up with the MSW that is being produced now but according to a prediction the MSW by 2026 is going to increase 4 folds if this happens the municipal authorities will be facing a lot of problem. Even the Delhi government has realised this and they are making changes in the form of master plans. The government is also approaching the public and private sectors for help like the citizens and the NGOs. First of all people should be educated on proper disposal of MSW. The government should see to that the master plans are being properly followed at all levels. Only by doing this the Delhi municipal authorities can keep the MSW in control. Referencing Ankit agarwal, Ashish Singhmar, 2004. Municipal solid waste recycling and associated markets in Delhi, India. Resources, Conservation and Recycling Census of India,.2001 . Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (GoI). [Online].available http://www.censusindia.net Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999. Working Paper Series Nr. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit. East Asia and Pacific Region. Page 5. [Online] http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/urbanenvironment/sectors/solid-waste-sources.html. Hoornweg, D., Laura, T., 1999. What a waste: solid management in Asia. Working Paper Series No. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region, the World Bank, Washington, DC MCD, 2004. Feasibility study and master plan report for optimal solid waste treatment and disposal for the entire state of Delhi based on public and private partnership solution, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi, India. Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000.the gazette of India. [Online]. Available http://envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/mswmhr.html TERI, 2002.Performance Measurements of Pilot Cities, Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, India. Vikash Talyan, R.P. Dahiya, 2008. State of municipal solid waste management in Delhi, the capital of India, Waste Management Volume 28, Issue 7, 2008, Pages 1276-1287

Haagen Dasz Co. Inc Integrated Marketing Report

Haagen Dasz Co. Inc Integrated Marketing Report 1. Introduction Recent years, especially the period that has started since the maturing of the electronic media and the proliferation of the internet, have seen widespread and far-reaching changes in forms of communication. A number of changes in the global business environment, including factors like market splintering, greater segmentation, information technology and globalisation, have led to the emergence of a new concept in holistic communication. Known in management parlance as Integrated Marketing Communication, (IMC) experts feel it to be integral to the improvement of competitive advantage in marketing. (Pelsmacker and Kitchen, 2004) IMC is a marketing practice intended to ensure the working together of all components of marketing, for example, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, electronic, 121 and direct marketing in a unified manner, rather than separate and disparate forces, with little in common with each other. Marketing communications comprises five broad categories, namely personal selling, advertising, public relations, direct marketing and sales promotions. Each has its own set of pros and cons and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. However, the key is to look at the available options in a comprehensive way and to ensure consistency throughout the selected media. (Vargas, 2005) The creation and nourishment of a unified message in all elements of marketing is integral to its concept. Driven by a need for integrating communication components, and the organisational exigency of large advertisers, the rapid growth of IMC has led many advertising agencies to take it up as a primary service area. This report aims to examine the different elements involved in Integrated Marketing Communication, and recommend a plan for its implementation for Haagen Dasz, Inc. (HDI) The report is structured into sections that take up the concept of IMC, the strategies adopted by HDI to communicate its messages until now, and possible ways to adapt and change them in light of alterations in the marketplace, as well as in the modes of communication. 2. Integrated Marketing Communication Communication, an integral component of all relationships relates to the exchange of information, concepts, ideas and emotions. These exchanges occur through a range of communication avenues, each of which makes its own contribution to the total exchange process. Marketers, steeped in communication theory, were quick to realise this phenomenon and adopted numerous ways to communicate with their customers, e.g., newspapers, hoardings, radio, television, and progressively direct mail, as well as the internet. â€Å"Marketing communications is the process by which the marketer develops and presents an appropriate set of communications stimuli to a defined target audience with the intention of eliciting a desired set of responses.† (Vargas, 2005) Marketing has a number of distinct avenues, namely advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling, and in recent times, internet marketing. Each of these avenues works towards achieving specific objecti ves and great synergies come about when used in mutually reinforcing modes. In the eighties, most marketing experts saw each of these avenues as separate and deserving of different treatment. The concept of integrating all these separate components into one umbrella usage first gained currency in North-western University’s Medill School of Journalism†, through the efforts of Don Schultz. (IMC is) a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communications disciplines (for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations) and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact. (Schultz et al., 1993) Most experts were quick to understand the innate common sense behind integrating these different sub streams of communication and using them to convey one unified message. One major reason for this was due to the realization that different marketing communication tools had very dissimilar attributes, for example while the ability of advertising to reach a large audience is large it proves to be quite ineffective in delivering personal messages. Similarly, personal selling can be very effective in delivering personal messages but is not effective in reaching large audiences. Direct marketing, on the other hand, can deliver personal messages, and reach reasonably large audiences. Differences like these characterise the various attributes of different communication tools, namely, (a) the ability to deliver personal messages, (b) the ability to reach a large audiences, (c) the level of interaction (d) the level of credibility and (c) costs, in total and per unit. (Integrated Marketing Co mmunication, 2007) In addition to this factor, the use of IMC increased because of the many shifts that took place in the advertising industry. Advertising focus shifted from being reliant on media to other forms of communication like specialised media, promotions and mailers. The market shifted from the domination of manufacturers to the influence of retailers and control of consumers. Advertising also shifted from being general towards becoming databased and advertising agencies became much more accountable for marketing success. The introduction of IMC also led to the creation of a number of benefits that included increased impact of communication, improved effectiveness of creative ideas, greater consistency in communication and better returns on communication investment. Even though marketing experts have come to recognise the benefits and efficacy of IMC, a number of unlikely obstacles continue to hinder its growth. Many companies have different teams of people working on different elements and it quite often proves to be difficult and highly challenging to produce communication with very similar messages for different types of media, considering that they have different uses and objectives. â€Å"For example, television ads are generally used for awareness generation, print to educate, and outdoor and radio to keep the message top-of-mind. In reality, the goal of all advertising, including packaging, is to sell.† (Young, 2006) Apart from this issue, a number of other obstacles also hinder the implementation of IMC strategies. Moriarty (1994) considered the cross-disciplinary managerial skills the biggest barrier to IMC, while Duncan and Everett (1993) reported that egos and turf battles were primary obstacles to integration. Eagle and Kitchen (2000) identified four groups of potential barriers to IMC success in their study of New Zealand advertising agencies and the marketing industry: power, coordination and control issues; client skills, centralization/organizational and cultural issues; agency skills/talents, overall time/resources issues; and flexibility/modification issues. Schultz (2000) saw structure the way the firm is put together as the most challenging problem of integration. Very obviously, successful implementation of Integrated Marketing Communication at Haagen Dazs will have to take account of these likely obstacles and ensure that they do not interfere in the process. 3. Assessment of the Current Position of Haagen Dazs Haagen Dazs is a pioneer in marketing and in conveying different messages in appealing ways to its consumers. The company, since its inception, has never hesitated to adopt a contrarian attitude and has gone against conservative thinking with great success. Its history of unique and different messaging started with the adoption of its name, which though it had no real connotation, gave an impression of exotica and cold Scandinavian companies. Packaging containing maps of Denmark served to reinforce this impression, a feeling carried to this day. (Chakraborty and Govind, 2006) The first break with accepted marketing thought came when Haagen Dazs introduced small portions of superior quality, extremely creamy ice cream at significantly more expensive prices. Its first forays in advertising were restricted to strictly word of mouth communication and the product depended upon its distinctively rich quality to do the talking. Over the years, through changes in ownership the company has re mained strongly committed to the concept of producing thick, rich, and creamy ice cream, and constantly reinforced its advocacy of the good life, of enjoyment, physical pleasures and sensuousness. The company has achieved tremendous success, in every market it has entered, a fact that speaks very strongly of the superior quality of the product and of the communication of the company. The company has continuously worked on the basis of a few strongly held beliefs, namely, (a) developing the brand with an attached history of perfection and luxury, (b) using the finest ingredients to deliver product excellence, (c) investing in consumer research to understand tastes and preferences of customers, (d) using selective distribution and delayed mass marketing until the establishment of minimum critical mass, (e) not shifting in its priorities and objectives and (f) using creativity and innovativeness to support brand identity. This helped the company in establishing its current competitive strengths and premium pricing. Its initiative of introducing ice cream flavoured postage stamps, in collaboration with the Austrian government, which could be used for checking out flavours as well as using on postage was an enormous success. While the number of people who use the ordinary mail in these days of broadband and email is questionable, the initiative, discussed at great length across western countries, served its purpose of strengthening the image of a quirky, fun loving and enjoyment centred product. (Marketing Concept and Market Segmentation, 2005) Haagen Dazs now operates in a number of countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. While the company saw huge successes in the USA, it had to face enormous competition in Europe from competitors like Ben and Jerry’s, and to some extent, from Baskin Robbins. The company operates in a niche market catering to affluent and brand conscious customers willing to pay premium prices for luxury products. Its main strengths lie in its fabulous image as a premium quality, expensive brand. The company also has a very wide range of exotically named products that strengthen its image of luxury and indulgence. Few people associate the company with plain vanilla, even though it was one of the original flavours of the company, and customers think more of sticky toffee and strawberry cheesecake when they walk into a Haagen Dazs cafà ©. In recent years, the company has pioneered a range of low fat flavours in the same price range. The company, apart from making its products available in high street supermarkets, operates through well-appointed owned and franchised cafes, where visitors receive special attention, gifts, and invitations to attend special occasions tasting sessions. The company operates in limited market segments and this definitely restricts its scope to grow into the economy segments. When the company introduced its range of low fat ice creams at similar rates customer, queries about the high price led to explanations about special technology, long and intricate processes and the use of only natural ingredients. This also restricts the company’s opportunities to expand overseas and it must necessarily enter markets with high-income profiles. The company faces threats from other ice cream companies and an environment where technology makes it possible to duplicate flavours with ease. This negates the efforts of product research and development, and first mover advantage, if at all, does not last beyond short time periods. The ability to keep on producing new flavours is a source of competitive advantage in the ice cream industry, a Haagen Dazs attribute that now stands blunted to some extent. (Marketing Concept and Market Segmentation, 2 005) The company does not face any political pressures, other than from lobbies that espouse low fat foods. Company efforts to address these groups with the introduction of low fat products, apart from opening up a market segment, has helped in blunting criticism from these quarters. The company’s products target affluent customers, and global upturns in business and disposable incomes helps such companies; who deal at the higher end of the market. Inversely any prolonged depression, like in the eighties, will hit such companies hard. The fact that the company operates in the foods segment in a number of international markets makes it necessary for the company to consider local traditions, cultures and norms. Research in this area was responsible for the introduction of the successful green tea flavour in Japan. Advertising strategy, until now, has focussed on luxury and life style, on desire, taste and indulgence. Advertisements are carefully constructed with emphasis on aesthetics and use ice creams, or people as subjects. Promotional activities reflect the same association with class. Wimbledon, Ascot and the Paris Opera preferred events and reinforce the image of luxury. The advertising history of the company has been marked by its rivalry with Ben and Jerry’s, competition that intensified after Unilever took over the company. In 2004, Haagen Dazs mounted a campaign called the â€Å"Made for Each Other† campaign that sought to revitalize the image of the company. The campaign, based upon television commercials, used soft music, poetry and gentle visuals, in stark contrast to the bright and bold messages, in vogue with other advertisers. The campaign worked very successfully and led to an increase of 3.6 % in sales when the market for ice creams was otherwise witnessing a do wnturn. (Chakraborty and Govind, 2006) Recent years have seen intensification in competition in the ice cream market and a change in customer preference to move away towards healthier alternatives. While companies like Ben and Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins have also become more aggressive in their marketing moves, new companies like the US based Cold Stone Creamery are also moving aggressively into new markets. The increase in internet usage also needs suitable response from marketing departments to ensure that opportunities available are utilised appropriately. 4. Recommendations Haagen Dazs is known for its superior quality, rich taste and lifestyle connotations. The success of the company been built on these factors and it would be unwise to discard the core values represented by the brand. The Austrian campaign â€Å"Let your tongue travel† using flavoured postage stamps proved to be immensely successful because of its newness and the opportunity for many people to taste a range of exotic flavours. The emergence of a young and affluent market all over the world makes it imperative for the company to target this segment to protect and augment future sales. Advertising initiatives should focus on being youth friendly and concentrate on current obsessions like Formula One rather than on events like horse races. While tennis remains an eternal youth fixation on a global basis, the emergence of Formula One as an adventurous and affluent sport makes it an ideal platform for long-term sponsorship. Apart from changing the thrust of sponsorships messages mus t necessarily take heed of the current fascination with health, fitness and low fat foods. The company should step up efforts to push its range of low fat ice creams through appropriate advertising messages designed to attract the health conscious market. It would possibly be a great idea to introduce a range of vitamin and mineral fortified ice creams to take advantage of the current obsession with health and promote it strongly across various media. The company has recently been very successful in it Crà ¨me de la Crà ¨me campaign in the San Diego market, wherein a number of high-end restaurants participated in serving company products to high-end clientele. We saw Hà ¤agen-Dazs as a great fit for San Diegos high-end restaurants because it is made with only the finest natural ingredients, and the local scene is unique because of its many farms and availability of organic, fresh produce, said Sarah Znerold, SZPRs president. The first program, held last August, was called Creme de la Creme. Chefs from 10 top local restaurants were each invited to develop a creative and tasty Hà ¤agen-Dazs ice cream concoction and have it judged at an event featuring San Diego media and industry VIPs, Znerold said. (Slavens, 2007) Campaigns like this in different towns are bound to increase the visibility of the company’s products. The vast number of owned and franchised shops also makes it very easy for the company to obtain personal details of visitors to these establishments. The company has the opportunity to use these personal details to put together a well-designed one to one campaign, wherein customers could be continuously informed of new products, health connotations, and offered a range of benefits including invitations to special occasions and discounts on purchases. The integrated marketing communications strategy must primarily look at five functions, namely identifying target audiences, determining the communications objectives, designing the messaging content, selecting the means of communication, determine the mix of media and budget priorities and implement a system to measure the effectiveness of the efforts. In the case of Haagen Dazs, market segment targeted continues to be the affluent, quality conscious customer. It is however important to realise that the segment will have a higher proportion of younger people, especially in emerging markets and take account of their preferences. The current marketing mix is effective in meeting the needs of the target segment and a stronger targeting of the youth segment will lead to more visitors to cafes, leading to an increase in tasting and appreciation of new flavours. The communication objectives range from countering competition from competitors like Ben and Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins, as well as spreading awareness about the product. Effective messaging is obviously critical to the whole exercise and needs great thought. This is however a company strength, evidenced by the highly successful messages carried by the company in the past. The media has to necessarily place much greater emphasis on internet and direct marketing, using the plethora of customer information that could be accessed through company cafes. The use of the internet will make it possible for the company to establish personal contact with customers on a large scale, learn about customer preferences, step up research efforts and plan effectively for new products. It will also act as a very effective vehicle for spreading information about the company’s new range of low fat, health products, in both the ice cream and yoghurt range. It is important to ensure that the results of the IMC strategy be ascertained and recorded properly. While sales movement will tell its own story, strong and properly planned research will be able to ascertain the success of IMC efforts and throw up deficiencies that will need to be corrected. Bibliography Chakraborty, I, and Govind, S, 2006, Haagen Dazs: repositioning of a cult brand, ICFAI Centre for Management Research Gronstedt, A., Thorson, E. 1996, Five Approaches to Organize an Integrated Marketing Communications Agency. Journal of Advertising Research, 36(2), 48+. 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J. 1997, Integrated Marketing Communications in U.S. Advertising Agencies: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Advertising Research, 37(5), 7+. Slavens, R, 2007, Haagen Dazs tastes success with crà ¨me de la crà ¨me campaign, B2B, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/FREE/701150759/1004/VERTICAL_EE Vargas, 2005, Integrated Marketing Communications, An effective comprehensive approach, Business ventures, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/publications/bv4q05.pdf Varey, R. J. ,2001, Marketing Communication: An Introduction to Contemporary Issues. New York: Routledge.