Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a type of a mental disease characterized by prolonged personality function failure, variability and disturbance of moods. Ultimately, it leads one to unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships, behavior, identity, and self image. The proceeding results are periods of dissociation and isolation. When one is disturbed this way, he or she may develop pervasive negativity within the facets of life psychologically. Difficult in developing and maintaining work, social settings and home relationships are experienced.When the victims are not given the effective therapy and proper care, complete or attempted suicides are possible outcomes (Kantor, 1993, pp. 135). Current research on this disorder has revealed the specific symptoms that can help one establish early signs of the disease. The first recognitive experience of this disease is a turmoil relationship that takes a hate-love track as time goes by. After perceived slight misunderstandings, victims of this disorder furiously and immediately drop their friends.The victims have a general difficult in agreeing on gray areas with the other people they interact with (Lachkar, 2004, pp. 23). Current research from Britain encyclopedia has come up with a wide range of the factors that may lead to this disorder. The causes are said to be complex and diverse. They include child sexual abuse or childhood trauma, brain abnormalities, environmental factors, neurobiological factors and genetic predisposition. The disease itself is mental but the repercussions mostly rest and affect social behavior of the concerned.The affected spends most of the time mentally alternating between extremes of devaluation and idealization. The perceived identity disturbance is generated because of the psychological unrest in evaluating ones sense of self and self image. In the process of finding a solution to these encounters, impulsive thought that are far much self damaging come in mind. They may inc lude reckless driving, substance abuse, binge eating, eating disorders, promiscuous and unprotected sex (Lubbe, 2000, pp. 450). At individual level, suicidal threats, gestures and behavior are experienced.This may also be coupled with behaviors that are self mutilating including excoriation or interfering with body scars that may be healing, cutting or picking at oneself. Due to affective instability, moods can be marked by high reactivity such as irritability, dysphoria, and intense episodic or sometimes high anxiety. Chronic feelings such as worthlessness and emptiness, frequent displays of recurrent physical fights, constant anger and temper, dissociate symptoms, delusions, paranoid ideation and transient stress are symptoms that indicate prevalence of Borderline Personality Disorder (Lachkar, 2004, pp.24). The Chinese society of psychiatry has carried out an extensive study on the diagnostic paths in handling this mental illness. The diagnosisitnvolves the so called mood swings. Mood swings describes reactivity of mood and marked liability which can be defined as emotional dysregulation. It is a reaction of the victim to external intrapsychic and psychosocial stressors which is believed to subside or arise with time. The above medical research body has come up with several areas of concentration in the attempts to curb the prevalence of the disease globally (Muller, 1994, pp. 87).The approach in treating the disorder has ranged from socialization programs to medication programs. The medical section has given a prior attention to hospitalization, medications and psychotherapy interventions. After carrying out the research, the core treatment of the disorder is psychotherapy. The two mainly used and effective disorders are Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It is an approach that applies high skills in teaching the regulation techniques of ones relationships, emotions and tolerating distress. It can be a face to face or phone counseling which can be done at individual level or through a group consultation.The second type of psychotherapy is the Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). This kind of approach concentrates on the relationship between the victim of emotions and the therapist. It helps in understanding the challenges that may come along with social interactions and how to deal with the difficulties. These researchers have identified that medications can not adequately cure this disorder. They can only treat the problems that are associated with the disorder. It can approach and counter situations like anxiety, impulsitivity and depression.These medications include anti anxiety medications, antipsychotic and antidepressant. The hospitalization program is usually designed to keep the victim safe from self injury. Consultation of mental health providers gives the directions and precautions to undertake in containing the disease (Muller, 1994. pp. 87). The world health organization has also involved itself in the search for co ntingency measures in handling of the above disorder. It has proposed and enhanced group based psychological services. These programs motivate people to engage, participate and encourage group and solitary activities.It has thus developed therapeutic communities in Europe, that have led the campaigns towards treatment or lowering of the severity associated with this personality disorder. These communities focus on future prevention of the disease, handle the current victims and extend their material assistance to these individuals. The mission of these research organizations is to provide improved psychiatric rehabilitation services. The rehabilitation is achieved through encouraging engagement in meaningful activities and avoiding of social exclusion and stigmatic endeavors.The world organization also provides mutual support and promotes co-counseling groups all over the world to prevent unexpected and harmful spread of the disorder. The victim can get involved in alternative medic inal techniques. Doing exercises and ensuring physical fitness can be improved by including team sports and occupational therapy techniques. Engaging in a sort of employment encourages the spirit of self efficacy, competence and having a social role and obligation to perform in the society. This in turn promotes self esteem (McCallum, 2001, pp.234). This body has also provided antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor that has been presented in randomized and controlled trials around the world. It has been reported to improve attendant symptoms related to depression, anxiety, hostility and anger. A higher dose of the above depressant is required in the treatment of mood disorders in comparison with depression. The benefits of this depressant are realized within a period of three months in treating mood disorders and a period of six weeks if it is made to treat depression.Mentalization based treatments assumes that victims of this disorder experience attachment di sturbance because of parent child relations in the early childhood stages. Lack of enough early child attunement and mirroring by parents can result to the child’s mentalization deficiency. This lowers the capacity of such child to attach some kind of correlation between the mental state and the potential causing action. Under normal conditions, there must exist some kind of relatedness between the driving force towards an action and the state of the mind.Studies have attached the perceived mental failure in this disorder to problematic impulse control and instability in moods (Acocella, 1999, pp. 108). Mentalization oriented treatments highly and frequently employ psycho dynamically informed multimodal treatment criterion in the process of ensuring a sustained capacity of self regulation of the patient. This criterion goes ahead to incorporate both individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy in an outpatient context, partial hospitalization or therapeutic community.Comb ination of these medical and non medical elements helps to reduce the emotional states which are closely associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. The categories of the disorders include feelings of victimization, feeling of lack of identity or fragmentation, feeling of self destructiveness and extreme need for isolation. When these people are completely attacked by the disorder they become hyper alert to signals of rejection, less or no valuation, insecurity, ambivalence, avoidance and demonstration of fearful preoccupation in relationship patterns.All these issues are encountered in the process of novelty seeking or intimacy seeking of the patients (Livesley, 2003, pp. 90). Cultural, age and gender considerations of the disorder Several studies upon the relatedness of this disorder to gender aspects or differences have been done. It is an area that has raised a lot of controversies and critics in the attempt of justifying the perspective that this disorder dominates in fema le gender as compared to the males.It has thus received a very high feministic criticism. A group of scholars believe that patients of this disorder have a history of abuse in lines to do with sex during their early childhood. This ideology argues that girls are more exposed to the danger of sexual abuse compared to boys, definitely and inevitably justifying that the disease is common among ladies. On the other hand, women who have survived childhood sexual abuse perceive traumatization when interacting with abusive mental health services.This happens because of the fact that Borderline Personality Disorder is a diagnosis full of traumatization and thus it evokes negative or abusive responses and answers from mental health providers. To acknowledge the abuse of sex inflicted on these women, several feminist thinkers have suggested that it is better to use diagnosis of post traumatic disorder for this class of women. This medication is however made to medicalize the disorder but it d oes not handle the root cause of the problem within the society (Acocella, 1999, pp.180). Clinical officers respond differently to similar complains or symptoms, depending on whether it originates from a woman or a man. For example if both sexes report cases of angriness and other promiscuous behaviors a man is likely to be diagnosed by use of Antisocial Personality Disorder whereas a woman will be diagnosed with Borderline Personal Disorder. If a woman portrays manhood characteristics such as hostility, success or sexual activity, she is entitled to a diagnosis of personality disorder.If on the other hand the woman shows psychiatric symptoms that conform not to the sick role considered traditionally passive, she is likely to be labeled and considered as a difficult patient. This situation leads to the patient receiving the stigmatizing diagnosis of the borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder seemingly is associated with urban settings and low economic and s ocial status. Diagnosis of this disease may at times be applied to the wrong group of persons or individuals.In some areas engagement in some behaviors is perceived as a protective approach or a presumed survival strategy. In making diagnosis analysis, it is of great importance for the clinician involved to consider the economic and social context in which the perceived emotional difficult occurred. Diagnosis of this disorder should not be performed before the age of eighteen years. This is because some observations made at early ages are associated with childhood. After this age, any symptoms can be diagnosed because every sense of maturity s assumed upon an individual (McCallum, 2001, pp. 234).Many sample based studies in the world have shown that the prevalence of this disorder in males is 1% and 3% in females. The origin of the individuals used in the sample has also contributed to variations in the study’s results, depending on the surrounding social and economic scenari os. Urban settings have indicated a percentage of 30% prevalence compared to 3% found in rural areas. This state has prevailed in many nations because urban settings are subjected to many social evils and crimes that highly contribute to emotional reactions. Substance abuses are believed to be highest in towns and cities.This disorder does not have a well defined course in ones life. It is however believed through experimentations and research activities that it disappears as one gets older and older. It has been observed to disappear in the fourth decade of life cycle. The remission of this disorder is not however automatic but depends on the frequency of engaging in criminal activities or activities that can interfere negatively with ones psychological and emotional state. There is a natural impact that forces one to reduce the spectrum of behaviors such as substance abuse (McCallum, 2001, pp.234). Future considerations of the disorder The future diagnosis of this disorder require s an improvement and a further consideration of emotional difficulties to avoid misconceptions. This is because many reports have been produced where this disorder is persistently misdiagnosed. If this problem is not properly handled, it may lead to marked distress. This also promotes impairment in occupational, role functional and social obligations of the patients. When diagnostic results are released, the patient simply believes in the results without any doubt.Any diagnosis whether true or not is very much impactive on the emotional state of the patient. The patient will therefore adapt the living styles of fellow partners who are suffering from the disorder. Any further research on this work should be in position to offer updated synthesis which concretely incorporates rational clinical attention and current scientific knowledge. It should comprehensively reconstruct the minds of patients for it to serve as a vital caveat utilizing the treatment recommendations with appreciatio ns and not view them as limiting to their ambitions in life.The nature of supportive advance should determine the treatment recommendations. These recommendations should be keyed with respect to confidence level provided by coded evidence (Acocella, 1999, pp. 108). In the future, researchers should not only concentrate on the medication issues but also pay attention to the socialization programs that can be adopted to prevent and at the same time help to cure who are suffering from the disorder. Emotional complications can not occur when the social atmosphere is not disturbed.Borderline disorder is sensitive to the environmental state. It is just a psychological response or reaction towards an emotional embarrassment from a certain source. If sexual abuse among children at early childhood is minimized or stopped, the rate at which the disorder is spreading can be cut down to lower ends. Therefore, programs should be launched to encourage the public through sensitization programs to take a personal initiative, aimed at a collective goal, a counter reaction towards Borderline Personality Disorder (Livesley, 2003, pp. 90). Reference: Acocella Joan, 1999. Creating Hysteria: Women and Multiple Personality Disorder. London, Jossey-Bass publishers, pp. 108. Kantor Martin, 1993. A Guide to Avoidance and Avoidant Personality Disorder. Mahwah, NJ, Praeger publishers, pp. 135. Lachkar Joan, 2004. The Narcissistic/ Borderline Couple: New Approaches to Marital Therapy. London, Brunner-Routledge, pp. 23, 25. Livesley John, 2003. Practical Management of Personality Disorder. London, Guilford Press, pp. 90. Lubbe Trevor, 2000. The Borderline Psychotic Child: A Selective Integration. London, Routledge, pp. 450. McCallum David, 2001. Personality and Dangerousness: Genealogies of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Cambridge University Press, pp. 234. Muller Ryse, 1994. Anatomy of a Splitting Borderline: Description and Analysis of a case History, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 87.

Character and Point of View in “The Red Convertible” Essay

â€Å"The Red Convertible† is a short story by Louis Erdrich, in which two native American brothers named Marty and Henry decide to buy a red convertible Oldsmobile together. The two brothers spend much of the summer travelling around together in the car until the older brother, Stephan, is deployed to Vietnam. When Stephan returns, he is not the same and Marty tries desperately to recover their past relationship. The round, static, perseverant character of Marty in â€Å"The Red Convertible† is revealed through the first person point of view. The younger brother in the story, Marty, is round and static. Throughout the entire story, the reader is given insight into Marty’s thoughts and feelings, such as, â€Å"I was sorry I’d ever bought it, though, because of Stephan, and I was also sorry I’d bought color† (Erdrich 5). Marty does not openly convey this statement to his family. Marty’s beliefs and values do not change over the course of the story. In the beginning he, â€Å"thought back to times we’d sat still for whole afternoons† (5) and in the end of the story he yells at Stephan, â€Å"wake up, wake up, wake up!† (8). This shows that at the end of the story, Marty wants things to be normal just like he did in the beginning of the story. Marty’s perseverant nature influences the story because it shows how deeply he longs for his relationship with his brother to be normal again, and creates a sense of desperation. For example, Marty says, â€Å"One night Stephan was off somewhere. I took myself a hammer. I went out to that car and I did a number to its underside. Whacked it up† (6). This shows how much he is willing to do to make Stephan normal again despite Stephan’s serious condition. Also, when Marty says, â€Å"By the time I get out of the river, off the snag I pulled myself onto, the sun is down† it is implied that he tried to save Stephan from drowning, again showing how desperate Marty is to have his brother back. The point of view of the story is first. The author repeatedly uses statements like â€Å"I’m laughing so hard† (10) and, â€Å"I walk back to the car† (10). This makes it clear that the story is being told from Marty’s point of  view. The effect of using a first person point of view in the story is allowing the reader to have an emotional connection with Marty because it puts the reader in his shoes. The story may not be effective if told from another point of view such as third dramatic because the reader would not be able to fully understand the depth of Marty’s connection with his brother because his feelings would not be expressed in the story. The round, static, perseverant character of Marty is revealed through the first person point of view. Because the story is told from Marty’s perspective, it reveals how desperately he wants Stephan to get better. For example, Marty says â€Å"I tell you right then I wanted to smash that tube to pieces† (5). This shows how he was ready to destroy something he worked hard for in hopes it will help to make his brother better. Throughout the story Marty continues to do things to try to make Stephan better and through the first person point of view the reader sees how often he hopes and tries to accomplish this. By the authors use of the first person point of view, it allows the reader to be put into Marty’s shoes, therefore developing a round, static character and reveals to the reader how perseverant Marty was due to his relationship with his brother. Work Cited Erdrich, Louise. The Red Convertible. Print.

Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence UNIT 4 IP Essay

Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence UNIT 4 IP - Essay Example Although Spearman's Intelligence Model is a useful guide to the comprehension and measurement of the phenomenon of human intelligence, Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Model is both more precise and comprehensive, rendering it more consistent with psychology today. Spearman's Model of Intelligence maintains human intelligence to be comprised of two factors. These are General Intelligence, "g," and Specific Intelligence, "s" (Deary et al., 2004). General Intelligence refers to the general performance of individuals across a wide variety of tasks and is a measurement of their capacity to assimilate and utilise information/knowledge. Specific intelligence, on the other hand, refers to the performance of individuals on specific tasks, as in their gift, or lack thereof, in certain areas (Deary et al., 2004). Specific intelligence, as Spearman contends, and as may be inferred from both definitions, is partially predicated upon general intelligence, with the inference here being that general intelligence supports and promotes specific intelligence. Spearman established the correlation between the two through mathematical formulae (Deary et al., 2004). Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Models can be defined as a step beyond Spearman's Model of Intelligence and identified as a more evolved model. ... These are (1) verbal/linguistic; (2) musical; (3) logical/mathematical; (4) visual/spatial; (5) bodily kinaesthetic; (6) interpersonal; (7) intrapersonal; and (9) naturalist (Shearer, 2004; Jie-Qi Chen, 2004). A review of Gardner's different intelligence types indicates that his theory of intelligence is consistent with Spearman's insofar as he similarly identifies and defines specific intelligences. The primary difference between the two, and as attested to by Jie-Qi Chen (2004) is that Gardner specifies the different types of specific intelligence. It is, thus, that his model can be identified as a progression of the Spearman model. The value of Gardner's model of intelligence lies in the fact that it recognises the complexity of the human intelligence phenomenon, and concedes to the fact that an individual can display gifted intelligence levels in one area while exhibiting below average intelligence levels in another. Shearer draws attention to this particular aspect of the Gardner Multiple Intelligences Model Shearer (2004) and highlights the fact that it builds upon the Spearman one. Quite simply stated, the Gardner model focuses upon the factor of specific intelligences and identifies and defines them. More importantly, by defining and identifying the various types of specific intelligences, Gardner furnishes an explanation as to why some individuals are highly gifted in a particular skill set, such as mathematics, while being under-skilled in other areas, such as bodily kinaesthetic. In attempting to determine which of the two models is more consistent with the study of psychology today, one is bound to, as are Brten and Strms (2005) favour the Gardner model. As Brten and Strms (2005) contend, psychology has,

Microsoft vs. Apple OS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Microsoft vs. Apple OS - Research Paper Example Operating systems handles the details of the interaction between the user and the hardware. The operating systems are generally used in nearly all computing devices ranging from desktop computers to video games. There basically two prominent operating systems that exist for various functions and professionals; Microsoft windows and the Apple operating system. Depending on the function, the two operating systems exhibit some dissimilarity. For example, for architects and landscape architects, Microsoft windows has traditionally been one of the dominant operating system as it is compatible with a variety of programs relevant to the field such as the Autodesk AutoCAD (Cantrell & Michaels CHAP 1). The operating system OS X and Windows are two different types of operating systems that are created by Apple and the Microsoft companies respectively. The operating system OS X will run on Apple hardware only otherwise referred to as Mac computers, but Windows operating system will run on almos t any compatible hardware referred to as PC computers as well as those produced by Apple organization. Most people who prefer the Apple Mac computers operating on the apple OS X platform argue that Mac accessories are more reliable, that is, they are less prone to program crashing or unexpected shut-downs than PCs which operate on the Microsoft windows platform. However, this remains to a matter to be debated upon by proponents of both operating systems. According to a consumer report survey of laptop computers for the year 2008, two computer gadgets emerged out as the best laptop brands (Peterka pp17-19). These were Mac manufactured by Apple and the Lenovo which incidentally runs on the Microsoft windows operating system. But of the two, Lenovo had a better score than the former in terms of reliability. The Mac on the contrary also recorded a higher score than Lenovo in terms client service and satisfaction. Arguments have therefore erupted as to which operating system is more supe rior to the other. Microsoft windows operating system on the other hand, is a computer software developed by the Microsoft corporation. It is indeed among the leading personal computing platform. The organization’s nature of allowing for the licensing of its windows software products to some firms that have been in the computer manufacturing business, has been the key factor that has seen to Microsoft domination in the computer market. In most cases, Microsoft windows has work in hand in hand with other giant computer manufacturing firms such as HP, Toshiba, Dell and many others. They have availed some of their hardware to virtually all computer users owing to their high compatibility with a variety of computer sets (Silverman pp5-10). The ease of availability of Microsoft products has therefore means that the organization greatly benefits from economies of scale in a way that the cost of these products becomes less expensive. This consequently implies that Microsoft operatin g system based computer products are affordable and easily accessible when compared to the Apple Macs. The affordability of Microsoft products has also been associated with certain stumbling blocks. For instance, through Microsoft’s ever willingness to partner with virtually any party intending to do computer related business activities, the company is therefore usually obliged to carry out all that is within its premise to ascertain that their clients are able to get a Microsoft software that is compatible with the new hardware that the partner company is manufacturing. This might the cost the company a great deal in terms of constant updating of its products which may put the Microsoft Corporation at a shear point of bloating. Also, Microsoft operating system has won the favor of the majority of people owing to the fact that more often than not, it usually ensures that its even its newer operating system can still be compatible even with the older operating system. However, but just like other case, this has also

Arguing for Offenders being Supported towards Higher Education Literature review

Arguing for Offenders being Supported towards Higher Education - Literature review Example Quite apart from the life enhancing benefits to prisoners themselves, who were able to gain insight into their own situation and formulate new and positive strategies for their future lives, there are obvious and positive impacts for society at large in opening up access to Higher Educations to prisoners. In general it is clear that the benefits of providing such access far outweighed the financial costs. What is less clear, is how best to deliver more access to higher education for the most excluded portion of citizens, namely those who are in the care of prisons and probation officers. Major shifts in criminal justice policies and in UK Higher Education. In the UK in recent years there have been some big ideological debates surrounding prisons, sentencing and the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. At the same time there have been major changes in the UK Higher Education sector, with increasing privatisation of delivery and substantial fee increases. Vignoles and Crawford ( 2009, p. 49) point out that it has been difficult in the UK, even in the general population outside prisons, to widen access to access to Higher Education. Despite well-publicised efforts in the mid to late 1990s, to introduce policies to widen access, the gap in HE participation rates between higher and lower social classes actually widened. Adult learners, who are just one of several target groups in the widening access agenda, experience significant barriers to Higher Education entry which are only partially addressed by access courses and other outreach measures initiated by further and higher education institutions. The extent of the difference caused by socio- economic factors is still very large, and apparently growing: â€Å"Recent evidence from HEFCE (2005) indicates that the 20 per cent most disadvantaged students are around six times less likely to participate in higher education compared to the 20 per cent most advantaged pupils† (Vignoles and Crawford, 2009, p. 4 9). The introduction of very high fees in the mainstream higher education sector in the UK has caused a marked commercialisation of the whole student experience. There is a system in place which requires universities to make â€Å"Access Agreements† which in theory guarantee that special provision is made for students who have difficulty in meeting the high cost of fees. It has been noted already that the democratisation of higher education through these new measures has been only a partial success, with new universities in particular exceeding their targets in widening participation, while at the same time there appears to be a worrying entrenchment of top fifth, redbrick and elite institutions which perform below their expected benchmark (David, 2009, p. 46). There is a danger that these measures will increase access to the lower portion of Higher Education, such as foundation degrees and some BA and BSc programmes in some institutions, while actually increasing the exclusi vity of popular courses in well-regarded universities. There is, of course, a tension between these financially driven reforms, and the objective of widening participation. Hartley sums up the main direction of the reforms of the early 1990s in Ritzer’s (1993) somewhat provocative term â€Å"McDonaldization† which postulates four key dimensions â€Å"efficiency, calculability, predictability and control† in post-modern organisations (Hartley, 1995, p. 409). This

Shifting cultural attitudes towards smoking Essay

Shifting cultural attitudes towards smoking - Essay Example Attitudes towards smoking have undergone considerable changes over the past six decades. In the 1950s, there was minimal, if any, awareness amongst the population regarding the effects of smoking.In fact smoking became a common practice amongst physicians after the World War I. Doctors did not warn people against engaging in smoking, active or passive; some of them were even involved in the promotion of the tobacco industry without disclosing the deleterious nature of smoking (Novella). Advertising companies employed such tactics to make people believe that smoking was not harmful since a large proportion of the doctors smoked. In fact doctors used to recommend patients to smoke to pacify their nerves as exemplified by the advertisements of Camel cigarettes â€Å"If you are acting grumpy, then have a smoke and mellow out† (Hoover). Advertisements in the 1940s and 1950s used to reflect the same consumer trend. In one such advertisement, a doctor is questioned â€Å"what brand of cigarettes do you smoke, doctor?† (Novella). Novella observes that the 1950s represented a paternalistic relationship between the doctor and the patient. The doctor used to be the final authority and no one used to doubt his judgment. However the 1950s saw a change in the cultural attitudes towards smoking. This change is attributable to the completion of three significant epidemiological studies which concluded a strong relationship between smoking and cancer.... According to Job Fowles, a Harvard University Graduate, by analyzing six advertisements between 1940 and 2000, one can appreciate how subtly advertising has encouraged youth to initiate smoking. One of the reasons why such advertisements have been successful is because they tend to create the impression that smoking can provide what the youth are looking for. Typically, these advertisements have attracted the youth by promoting that they deliver prominence and a means of escape and affiliation to the youth; this has been at least the case for the earlier smoking advertisements. An advertisement of Philip Morris in 1956, for example, focused more on how younger generation, having â€Å"fresher, unspoiled tastes† are able to appreciate the â€Å"gentleness and delicate flavor† of the cigarettes (Media Awareness Network). Marlboro, in 1955, started featuring well-built men with tattooed arms and the 1960s saw the company showing cowboys and the American West. A lot of mone y was put into the advertisements of tobacco by tobacco companies, working towards making people believe that smoking was a trendy and fashionable thing. Smoking was classy and enjoyable and was expected to provide sex appeal, style and longevity (Chickenhead Productions). Indy Speedway reviewed the changes in cigarette advertisements over the past few decades. According to it, Camel cigarettes introduced the images of men and commercialized their toughness even in the 1970s. They emphasized on the uniqueness and physical appearance of the men. The advertisements of Camel cigarettes also featured women, admiring the men, and every advertisement used to have a different woman staring at the men. Indy

Marketing Principles and Practices - (2013_14) Essay

Marketing Principles and Practices - (2013_14) - Essay Example It also started to employ more designers who made up an efficient production line that produced Apple II computers (Lusted, 2012.p.100). Apple II computers were one of the most successful micro PCs. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh. The next flagship product was launched in 1998, the iMac, which remains the fastest-selling PC in history. Since then, the company has released other technology dictating products such as the iBooks and PowerBooks. At the turn of the century (early 2000s), Apple shifted its focus to design and production of mobile electronic devices. In 2001, the first mobile electronic device was released, the iPod. The iPod which was a palm sized music player became the best selling portable music player in history. Another defining moment came in 2007, besides the change of name to Apple Inc. the company also released the cutting edge iPhone and the iPod Touch. Shortly after, in 2010, Apple launched the iPad. By 2012, Apple had become an iconic brand and one of th e most popular cool brands (Gogerly, 2012.p.21). It is important to note that the success of Apple Inc. has not been without major challenges. It is documented that after the success of the Apple I and the Apple II home computers, Apple struggled to remain a viable company, especially after the resignations of its founders. After financial failures such as the Apple Lisa and the Newton PDA, it was not until Steve Jobs rejoined the company that it found its niche, both with computers and other electronic products (Lusted, 2012 .p.100). Presently, Apple’s products have changed the way people all over the world access technology, communicate, and entertain themselves. These aspects have become synonymous with the company that it becomes hard to think of them and not think about Apple Inc. With the launch of the iPod that set up Apple Inc. in the 21st Century Apple became one of the hottest companies in youth culture. According to cool hunters, these are researchers who track buy ing trends among young people, Apple has continually surfaced in their conversations (Kahney, 2005.p.62). One of the major reasons explaining the appreciation of Apple was the fact that most celebrities whom the young perceive as cool use its products. The company’s slick advertising has also helped raise its profile and contribute to the cool image. Besides the cool image to the youth, Apple Inc. has been able to produce products for everyone. What Apple ‘means’ to most people is a combination of ever-advancing technology and a certain elegance of design and function (Middleton, 2012.p.16). In return, Apple products are pleasing to the eye and to the touch, as well as being simple and generally intuitive in the way they work (Middleton, 2012.p.16). Apple has a reputation for leading-edge technology and attention to detail, particularly style detail. Very few other brands generate such interest and inspire the number of brand ambassadors that Apple does. Apple cu stomers believe that the company really cares about the way the use the technology and about the way people look while using the technology (Masterson & Pickton .p.431). Brand Concept-Apple Inc. The concept of a brand leaves its own mark-a signature-that imparts its own meaning. It is this concept which is generally the force behind brand creation. A brand without its own unique signature would just not

Evaluation Of IT Architectural Consideration Term Paper

Evaluation Of IT Architectural Consideration - Term Paper Example With this solution, client or customers will be using a voice over internet protocol to communicate with service providers from the company, who would in turn dispatch emergency service to the clients. This will replace the use of plain old telephone system (POTS) as a medical alert system. IT Architectural Considerations By consideration of the business orientation of GER UMUC and the proposed Salesforce Platform, the customer relationship management is selected as the most useful enterprise solution for the company. According to O’Brien and Marakas (2011), customer relationship management (CRM) involves the use of technology to manage a company’s present and future clients or customers. In effect, CRM requires that the company undertakes specific interactions with its existing and potential clients to ensure that they receive the best of service and sale products. Given the fact that the business orientation of GER UMUC puts them as manufacturers of emergency response products, the use of customer relationship management will ensure that the company’s clients who are often in need of solutions to end emergency situations will receive user-centered and customized attention from the company. The Salesforce Platform will also ensure that customers are offered prompt interaction avenues. IT characteristics Accessibility Because GER UMUC belongs to a specific industry, which identifies itself with emergency response, it is important that the manufacturing and service provision lines of the company become directed towards clients who require and give emergency services. It is for this reason that the characteristic of accessibility must be incorporated into the Salesforce Platform to ensure that access to the system is limited to specific users who require urgent emergency products and services. Indeed the advantage that such need for accessibility will create is that it will relieve the system of unnecessary pressure from people who do not req uire its usage (Avison, 2007). Availability Disasters and events that bring about emergency situations, requiring the attention and service of GER UMUC have been said to be highly unpredictable (Bodker, 2006). This means that the Salesforce Platform must be make available on a 24/7 basis. Once this is done, efficiency with the system can be guaranteed and enhanced because it will be possible to provide sufficient service within defined time frame, a principle that O’Brien and Marakas (2011) note are necessary for effective management of information systems. Reliability Several studies have been undertaken to compare the functional reliability of the plain old telephone system (POTS) to the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) in terms of provision of quality communication service. In this, it has been noted that whereas the POTS is fast becoming an outmoded technology, VoIP is fast taking its place. To this end, developers have given much attention to the advancement of VoIP t o ensure that it provides tailored and advanced service (Bertelsen, 2000). The proposed technology solution is therefore expected to be one that will function accurately and provide correct information. Usability It will be noted that it is not all members of staff of GER UMUC who have background in information and communication technology specializations. Meanwhile, for the system to be

Write a report discussing The state of the graduate market now and Essay

Write a report discussing The state of the graduate market now and what prediction for the future when you graduate - Essay Example Although the employment rate may have reduced in the past few years, the resultant rise in salaries and the emphasis on better productivity of the human resource by the employers is giving a more economically sustainable perspective to the labor market. A number of surveys and researches carried out on the job market scenario for the Graduates of 2012 and the possible projections for the up-coming years point out the basic factors on which recruitment in today’s market depends. The general scenario for graduates appears to show a decrease in job openings, with a significant raise in starting salaries for graduates, hired on the basis of student experiences acquired prior to completion of the degree course. Among these, the number of job openings in comparison to the number of graduates joining the job hunt is the greatest determination factor for the level of competition present. After the major decrease of job vacancies in 2008 and 2009 by 6.7% and 17.8% respectively as a resultant of the recession, the general trend for graduate job openings has improved in the past two years. Consequently, it is expected that the job market of 2012 will supply a 6.4% increase in the U.K. (H.E.C.S.U & HighFliers Research Limited, 2012), 3% being graduate job openings. This figure, however, is the lowest since the economy recovered from the crisis in 2010. Therefore, in spite of the apparent increase in the number of jobs form the last year, there are other factors which have impeded the growth. While evaluating the unemployment rate, it is essential to take into account the rising number of graduates competing for the available jobs. According to the latest publication of The Graduate Market in 2012 by Higher Education Career Services Unit (H.E.C.S.U), a single job vacancy attracts an average of 83 applications (H.E.C.S.U & HighFliers Research Limited, 2012). Furthermore, the rise of the Global Unemployment Rate has not resumed to the original level of 5.5% in 2008,

Engine Management Systems Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Engine Management Systems - Coursework Example The FADEC controls the fuel injection and timing; hence, optimize engine power. This adds the considerable amount of wiring to the system due to the needed separate power supply for backup from the alternator. The extra weight of parts of FADEC system has to be checked and recalculated for adjustment. FADEC has cockpit controls and other extra switches added to this system to control the fuel pump. These systems are protected by the FADEC power supply (Gunston, 1990)). The ECU has a 3D memory map, which controls fuel injection under varied circumstances for instance, air pressure density and the air temperature, with respect to throttle settings and the RPM. The Electronic Control Unit can sense barometric pressure and respond by injecting fuel. The spark plug ignition timing is controlled depending on load for each throttle settings. The ignition timing variations yields faster engine starting and smoother operations with the variable loads. The FADEC engine does not need chocking d uring starting since the ECU controls fuel for every cylinder and assists in retarding the ignition. FADEC system does not use the carburetor and the ignition and does not also depend on aircraft electrical system (Guttman, 2009). On the other hand, in the hydromechanical control system, the driver is in control of the aircraft power plant using an internal combustion engine. The sensors and control are the alternator and the battery masters. The battery master activates the battery contractor that connects the battery to the electrical bus aircraft. Alternator master applies power to the field circuit of the alternator to activate the circuit. The two switches provide power to the aircraft systems. The throttle sets up the required power level and controls the massive air-flow rate in the carbureted engines that are delivered to the cylinder. Pitch control adjust the speed unit, which then adjusts the propeller pitch and controls the load required by the engine in maintaining the R PM. The mixture control will in turn set the needed fuel to add to the airflow intake. At high altitudes, the oxygen levels reduce and, therefore, volume of the fuel must readjust to the required air-fuel mixture. The ignition switch opens the ‘P’’lead circuit by activating the magnetos. The magnetron maintains the process of sending the output voltage to spark plugs and connects the engine through the gearing. Movement in the crankshaft causes the magnetrons to generate voltage for sparking (Hispano-Suiza, 2001). TASK 2: FADEC SYSTEM The FADEC system is connected to inputs and outputs as illustrated in the diagram 01 Diagram 01: INPUT AND OUTPUTS OF A FADEC FADEC system is the most current system used to control the aircraft engines. The computers form part of its components and have the ability to process more data than the hydromechanical control system. This, therefore. enables the FADEC to optimize the operation of the engine system, as well performs other f unctions. This includes fuel control, power management, Sourcing data for ECM controlling of thrust reverser, shutting down, detecting of faults for the system, monitoring all components of the engine, as well as sourcing data to be used for engine indication. In order to achieve these tasks, the FADEC has various components. These components include Electronic Engine Control (EEC) and the auxiliary components. These auxiliary components include the sensors, ignition systems the stator valves, the actuator controller, FADEC Alternator, the Reverser

Whu I Am going To Be A Succesful Teacher Essay Example for Free

Whu I Am going To Be A Succesful Teacher Essay In pursuing a goal or an objective, a profound level of commitment must first be assured.   I contemplate my dreams and purposes in life along such premise.   And then, I reckon and inculcate values that will equip me along the way.   As such, my goal to become a successful teacher will be achieved because of the prime values I consider my strengths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I am sure of my commitment, I develop total patience in my total perception and pursuit of my goals.    The first step I take to sustain my patience is acceptance and acknowledgement of responsibilities towards a goal.   As I acknowledge what is the level and amount of responsibilities involved, I then work out the features involved to meet them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Working towards a goal requires a very positive attitude.   Even though I immediately acknowledge the various ups and downs, I see to it that â€Å"hope springs eternal†.   I exert my best efforts to be unyielding and sustain persevering outlook towards the best there is towards a goal.   I keep the faith that I can find my way through any difficulty – even at an unknown length of time.   It is the inspiration of rewards and fulfillment that will make me endure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dedication and commitment towards a goal must be more than deep-rooted in my mind, it must be soul-felt.   My passion towards a goal is set not only because of the rewards due in achieving a goal, but more so because of the sense of completing my being.   It is the glory of an internal satisfaction that will give me a good night’s sleep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being effective and successful as teacher will enhance my creativity and originality.   Teaching and molding young minds to the universal sea of knowledge will keep me always on my toes to make my presentations interesting, efficient, clear and challenging.   And working out the plans to achieve the same will encourage me to ensure that my students will experience a unique, yet understandable, awakening to knowledge.

Reflection of the Role and Responsibilities of the Teacher Essay Example for Free

Reflection of the Role and Responsibilities of the Teacher Essay Roles and Responsibilities of a teacher are vital and must be learnt, as a general rule, to ensure quality of teaching. To embark on this journey it is essential to attain enough knowledge about the subject and gather the correct material for teaching. It is not only sufficient to hold good quality knowledge on the subject, but also have a presentable appearance. The teacher is responsible for student behaviour and classroom management, as well as to understand the capability of the learners. Therefore it is essential for teachers to assess the students level of understanding. As all students learn in different ways, there is the Honey and Mumford theory learning styles (Honey, P. Mumford, A. 1992), to assist teachers. By carrying out group work it will provide a good chance to get students working together as it facilitates the need for productive talk, (Edwards Mercer, 1987). Here the sociological learning style can be applied. By implementing this on the students it allows them to learn from each other and share ideas with one another. The students can also participate in exploratory talk (Mercer Hodgkinson 2008) which allows them to teach each other and take ownership of their own ideas. This is very encouraging as it allows the students to indulge deeply on the knowledge they hold, when explaining to other individuals. Also with the help of the internet and modern technology there are many ways to get the students interactively involved with lessons. To allow them to work on their own, will be a better way of learning as they will be learning on their own terms. Here one other learning style has been applied, which is the tactile style, this is where the student learns best when they are given the opportunity by doing something by themselves. On the other hand there is the auditory learning style whereby a learner benefits from simply listening, so if the lectures are well planned and class discussions are carried out it will benefit this type of learner. If the above was applied to the students they would stay engaged and involved with the teacher, which is important for effective learning. Also possessing a great amount of creativity when teaching and trying new ways of explaining areas of the subject will bring great outcomes to the students’ level of learning. As Wilson (2008), states on similar terms that the oles are functions of a teacher, which are, planning and preparing for the class, developing interesting way to deliver the lesson, assessing the impact of learning and ensuring safe learning. Therefore ensuring suitable accommodation facilities, which are available, in order to provide the desired learning setting. If the roles and responsibilities of a teacher are in good practice the teacher will be in a position where she/he can be approached with comfort and ease by the student, not only to discuss about the subject but anything they wish to discuss. Again this brings great benefit allowing the teacher to understand the learner and to provide the correct resources. Moreover the safeguarding of children is taken very seriously and usually new teachers are supplied with key documents, which are required to be read and understood and complied with, for example if a teacher knows a child is being abused the teacher will have to know how to deal with the situation using the advice given and who to report it to. One other important part of being a teacher is knowing how well he/she is teaching, this can be achieved by assessing the students, and from these assessments changes for improvement can take place. When assessing through assignments or exams, it is highly important teachers provide positive feedback as it will always encourage the student to learn more. On concluding this, teaching should be delivered to the learner in a way that is informative, creative, interactive and responsive within a relaxed environment, to enable high learning performance from the learners. The teachers holds many roles and responsibilities, however, most importantly there are in search of constant ways of finding better ways of students to learn, by using different unique methods to allow the learner to achieve their best outcome, which will then make them accessible for contributing positively in society, or going onto higher education, and providing a better lifestyle for one self.

Economic Growth of Dubai

Economic Growth of Dubai Is Dubai Playing It Right? Nowadays there doesnt seem to be an end to human needs. People aspire for prosperity prosperous life, a good job, a good house, to drive a well manufactured car, and even to have a huge Bank account!! These aims may be a little bit crashed because of the economic crisis that has recently hit the world. Many countries after this crisis tried to recover and rebuilt their economy and return to be stronger and face this crisis. Others couldnt do that as this economy crisis hit it very hard as this country resources are not good enough or rich enough to get over it. From the countries that were hit by this economic crisis is Dubai. Dubai is a very fast growing country economically, it is the meeting point between the East and the West, it links between western modern life and eastern hospitality. Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates UAE. There is nothing you cant find in Dubai from beautiful beaches and clear aqua blue seas to indoor activities, an underwater hotel and skyscrapers, there is never a shortage of things to do in Dubai. It has the biggest airport in the world, the largest man-made port in the world, the largest Mall in the world, the only 7 Stars Hotel in the World, the largest Skyscraper in the world and finally the largest Theme Park in the world which is about 3 times bigger in size than Disney World in Orlando !! as came in DubaiCondoProperty.com. The question is; is it a right way to become a leading economic country at this short time? People might think that it is not the best path for development; because there are some barriers. First, resources being under stress. Second, large amounts of loans leading to debts, and Third, people that might lose their jobs and companies that might shut down if the economy falls down. One of the reasons that support this point of view is that any developing country it should have enough resources for investment especially if we are talking about the UAE, many of these countries contain Oil resources except Dubai This city state is purely a business city wholly depending upon tourism and other business. Dubai World, attract world entrepreneurs that started spending more and more on building fine roads, and 7 Star Hotels. Prasadjain said in an article entitled Financial crisis in Dubai, reasons and effects. So Dubai is not an Oil Country and depend mainly on money that it earns from these investments especially tourism sector. But immediately after this economic crisis a rumor spread that after the Atlantis opening ( which cost about 1.5Bn Dollars ) the hotel was only charging 10 percent of the original price and has only about 26 percent occupancy as mentioned in Diversification Dubais Downfall by Helena Axelson Fisk. Also it was published that Dubai began to pron ounce a plan for building two more villages like Al Nakheel (Palm Island) which is a group of Islands on the shape of a Palm that cost about 110Bn Dollars before it was even completed! As published in BBC News website. Huge investments surely need massive amount of money, this condition is not available in Dubai, it tend to Borrow money from Banks all over the world, leading to debts then failure to repay. UAE faces up to $184 Billion total debt according to estimates by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, also the Bank said that Dubai only faces almost $50 billion of debt amortization in the next three years: $12 billion in 2010, $19 billion in 2011 and $18 billion in 2012as mentioned by Sebastian Tong in article entitled UAE faces up to $184 billion total debt: BofA-Merrill Lynch. Also there are many Banks that were hit because of Dubai inability to repay Banks were hit particularly hard on concerns over Dubais ability to pay back its debts as came on BBC News, some of these Banks are Barclays which was the biggest faller down by 8%, followed by Royal Bank of Scotland, which lost 7.8%. Dubai asked for a six-month delay on debt repayments it was due to repay $3.5Bn in December. Other reason that strengthens my position is that a fast economic growing country should have a strong market study and economic plan to preserve peoples jobs as when it falls down, people might lose their jobs and companies might shut down, thats what happened in Dubai when it was hit by economic crisis. Nowadays a lot of people were fired and lost their jobs because companies couldnt pay them. Lots of people have left my neighbor, an architect from the US, was fired and her whole company was shut down. A western journalist said as mentioned in BBC News. Other witness to these incidents A lot of our friends have lost jobs, particularly senior management in human resources and information technology, some have stayed here, but others have left, says Grace, in an article by Michael Buchanan. It reached that people leaving Dubai and parking their cars in the airport. On a recent walk around the car park at Dubai Airport, there were more than two dozens cars that looked completely aban doned by their owners. Some people wrote little messages on the layers of sand that have gathered on the vehicles. One says Gone 4 Ever, and another says He will return Inshallah This was mentioned by Michael Buchanan as well. Concerning losing jobs as well Buchanan mentioned that The competition for jobs is fierce now, whereas there would be two people for one job before, I think there is ten now. The opportunities arent there as much and the salaries arent there. Its just getting worse and worse! On the other hand, some people might disagree with this point of view and assure that Dubai will make it and survive peacefully from this economic trap as Abu Dhabi; Dubais Twin has just lent it $ 10Bn to repay her debts as mentioned by Margaret Coker in an article entitled Dubais Rescue Boosts Others. But it would be the same and the circle would not stop as its going to be a Series of Debts. Finally, Dubai should take step by step in her economical growth and not jumps, plus its not the top needs of citizens to have this luxurious fantasy life, by this amount of money Dubai might have done many important projects to help the 3rd World Countries, these amounts of money can be charged to many productions that might aid the needs of people all over the world. Works Cited Title: UAE faces up to $184 billion total debt: BofA-Merrill Lynch Site: www.reuters.com Date Published: 27 Nov. 2009 Date Access: 15 Dec. 2009 URL http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AQ28C20091127 Name: Prasdjain Title: Financial crisis in Dubai Reasons and Effects Site: www.hubpages.com Date Access: 17 Dec. 2009 URL http://hubpages.com/hub/FINANCIAL-CRISIS-IN-DUBAI-REASINS-AND-EFFECTS Title: Shares hit by Dubai debt problems Site: www.bbcnews.com Date Published: 26 Nov. 2009 Date Access: 15 Dec. 2009 URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8381258.stm Name: Helena Axelson Fisk Title: Diversification Dubais Downfall Site: www.global-economy.suite101.com Date Published: 30 Nov. 2008 Date Access: 15 Dec. 2009 URL http://global-economy.suite101.com/article.cfm/diversification_dubais_downfall Title: Views from Dubai The end of the dream Site: www.bbcnews.com Date Published: 27 Nov. 2009 Date Access: 15 Dec. 2009 URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8381363.stm Name: Michael Buchanan Title: Time of transition in Dubai as construction work cut Site: www.bbcnews.com Date Published: 6 Dec. 2009 Date Access: 17 Dec. 2009 URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8397832.stm

Death Penalty Arguments Essay -- Informative Essays

Many victims of murdered people say that the death penalty should be re-introduced in to our society. They say that the murderer doesn't deserve to live while others argue the point. I will examine the arguments on both sides. If we turn to the bible for some advice whether or not to re-introduce the death penalty we can find help in the Old Testament. The covenant recorded in Genesis 9 says, "whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed." This is the same as what the Old Testament teaches us stating, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Does this mean that if someone murders our loved ones that we should have the right to kill them? If we look to Genesis again we see the bible telling us, "so God looked upon the Earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the Earth. And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the Earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them." This shows us that without the death penalty, lawl...

Empirical Research Essay -- science

Empirical Research Empirical research is defined by the context of two separate types of study. Both methods are of value to the researcher in his/her quest for better understanding of the test subjects. However, correlational and experimental studies each has its own set of qualifications which allow for differences in subject and matter. Scientifically, some of these are useful, though others could be viewed as problematic. Correlational research is the process of studying the relationship between two variables. The examiner does not manipulate a relational study. Findings can either be positive, negative, or unrelated. Though scientific in the final statistical manner; the researcher uses his senses to observe and ultimately determine into which category a study falls. A positive correlation shows increases in both variables. Alternately, negative correlation looks at the increase in one variable, and the relation to the decrease in the other variable. There has to be an association between the two, or the result is unrelational. The scientific element to a correlational study is a measurable expression of degree defined as the correlational coefficient. It is a practical technique that gives a representation to the study. Numbers correspond with the level of correlation from a negative one demonstrating a perfect negative correlation, to positive one, showing a precise positive correlation. A zero on this graph would indicate no relation, or an unrelational cor...

Decision Making in End-of-life Circumstances :: Right To Die Death Essays

Decision Making in End-of-life Circumstances Traveling home on a cold January evening in 1983, a car loses control going around a slippery corner. The car spins, then flips, and the woman inside is thrown into a ditch thirty feet from where the car eventually comes to rest. She sustained numerous injuries and eventually stopped breathing. By the time paramedics arrived, she had not taken a breath for at least 15 minutes, her blood pressure was 0 over 0 and her pulse was 0 beats per minute: This is what is known as a â€Å"Code Blue† (PBS Frontline). Twenty minutes had passed before adequate amounts of oxygen had reached her brain. (Permanent brain damage generally results after six minutes without oxygen.) The woman’s name is Nancy Cruzan and her story is considered one of the most important milestones in the development of â€Å"right to die† policies in the United States because it is the first right to die case the Supreme Court ever heard. After extensive evaluation following her accident, Nancy was diagnosed with â€Å"probable brain damage compounded by significant oxygen deprivation† (Sisters of Leavenworth). Nancy remained in a coma for approximately three weeks and then progressed to an unconscious state in which she was able to ingest some nutrients orally. However, it soon became too difficult for Nancy to orally ingest the proper amount of nutrition, and it was necessary to implant a feeding and hydration tube. The tube was placed under consent from her father. Nancy’s eyes were open and she could move her mouth, but she did not have an understanding of what she heard or saw and could not speak. Nancy was described as being in a â€Å"permanent vegetative state† (American Medical Association). Ten months after her tragic accident, Nancy was moved to a state hospital, where various treatments and rehabilitative efforts were shown to be unsuccessful. After the realization that Nancy would most probably never regain her mental faculties, her parents Joe and Joyce Cruzan asked for the cessation of the administration of medically assisted nutrition and hydration via the gastronomy tube. The hospital did not feel they were authorized to honor the family’s request without court approval (Sisters of Leavenworth). The family was now faced with the emotional difficulties of requesting the removal of the same tube of which they had authorized the placement just a short time before.

Peanut Butter in Germany

Jif Peanut Butter in Germany [pic] Man cannot live by bread alone. He must have peanut butter. – Bill Cosby Part 1: Executive Summary In order to maximize profit, J. M. Smucker could increase sales of Jif peanut butter, its best selling product, into growing markets. Prior to any expansion a full analysis of the market is necessary. The country with the largest market potential for peanut butter in Europe is Germany (ibid 79). The country climate of Germany gives a positive outlook for peanut butter, the primary option being as a breakfast option in the bread spread category. Daily patterns are malleable to suggest that peanut butter be a component, an additive, an ingredient, or a snack. Jif as a stand-alone brand is a U. S. -based product that has never, through company initiative, introduced any of their products internationally. Therefore there is no past experience in new market expansion. Jif has the branding business model. One main question is whether to copy the previous model for new entry (acquisition) or develop a new strategy that will better align with the targeted market. The target market for Jif in its home market of the US is families with children with the slogan â€Å"Choosy moms choose Jif. Based on the 360 degree profile of customer segments in Germany, the segments were evaluated on margin, persuasion, and volume potential. It was determined that the target market will also be families with children in Germany. Although the target market is the same, Jif will have a very different problem in Germany, getting users to switch to pean ut butter instead of Nutella and recognizing alternative uses. In comparison, the primary marketing challenge in the U. S. is getting users to switch from another peanut butter brand to Jif. The following report found multiple challenges of introducing Jif to a new market, including multiple points of resistance from the target market, such as: association of peanut butter with fatty American foods, current use is only as a bread spread, and entrenched competitors in the bread spread category such as Nutella and Ultje. Peanut butter is more nutritious than the leading bread spread. Peanut butter is high in monounsaturated fats, which actually reduce cholesterol. Peanut butter is also a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans and is gluten-free and kosher. Therefore, the points of resistance can be addressed by clearly communicating the nutritional benefits of peanut butter as well as alternative uses. Options for alternative uses of peanut butter include integrating peanut butter as an ingredient in cooking. The communication of alternative uses could be through recipes. The main competition is in substitutes. Although it is identified as a substitute rather than a direct competitor, Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread, will be Jif’s primary competition in the German market. Holding 17% of the market share, Nutella is the number one choice of bread spreads. Peanut butter is currently not a large competitor in Germany in the bread spread category, as evidenced by its 1% market share. As a direct competitor, Ultje will present the most aggressive barriers to Jif’s entry. Ultje is a company that has been present for a long time, is locally based, and has a presence in the market due to its well-recognized cartoon figure, jingle, and celebrity endorsements. To combat both competitors the campaign should suggest peanut butter as a complement to the Nutella product. Selecting distributors and developing relationships with value chain members is also a challenge. There are several wholesalers of peanut butter in Germany, which can be used to distribute peanut butter to retailers where consumers can then purchase the product. In conclusion, while the German market has high potential, it will be a difficult venture into Germany. If the decision is to enter the market some changes will need to be made, but the basic business branding model will remain the same as in the U. S. Jif will have to be keenly aware of how their brand – their marketing message, tagline, jingle, label packaging, etc. – is perceived in the German market. Part 2: Company Background Jif’s flagship creamy peanut butter spread was first introduced in 1958. Since 1981, Jif has been the leading peanut butter brand in the United States. As of 1998, Jif had an estimated 42. 5% of the market share, dwarfing closest competitor Skippy at 28. 8% (Marigny 99). In 2002, The J. M. Smucker Company purchased the Jif brand from Proctor and Gamble. The purchase of the largest peanut butter brand in the U. S. by the famous jelly manufacturer was likely a strategic move to streamline distribution of the complementary products. Peanut butter is sold primarily as a bread spread, and secondarily as an ingredient for other meals. The distribution of peanut butter is about 70% creamy to 30% crunchy (Kellogg). In 2005, peanut butter had a U. S. household penetration rate of 93%, with an even higher percentage in households with children (see Exhibit 2A). Jif has historically averaged near 40% of the market share (Kellogg). Business Model. Branding is very important to Jif, and their branding efforts have been consistent over the years. Jif’s marketing program has been primarily family focused, with the popular tagline â€Å"Choosy Moms Choose Jif. † Also notable is brand-building of the widely recognizable Jif label, with its striking vertical bars in basic red, blue, and green. As an instantly-recognizable brand, Jif has enjoyed long-term customer loyalty. Jif’s brand portfolio includes the core brand – the original creamy spread – along with newer varieties such as Extra Crunchy, Reduced Fat, Natural, Simply Jif, Jif Omega-3, Peanut Butter & Honey, as well as complementary products such as to-go miniature containers (Jif website). The stage of business development in this market is very mature, and the competitive landscape is quite saturated. As a result, Jif does not emphasize margins, as their price is set very competitively. Rather, Jif emphasizes increasing volume among existing customers in two ways. First, they encourage increasing the quantity of product purchased by offering multiple varieties. Cannot decide between creamy or crunchy, omega-3 or reduced fat? Try one of each! Secondly, they encourage increasing the volume of product purchased by creating new uses and purchase occasions. Jif’s website is replete with recipes and serving suggestions, including an array of international dinners from Senegalese Beef Peanut Butter Stew to Mexican Chicken Peanut Mole. You can even sign up to have Jif recipes delivered to your Yahoo or Google page via RSS feed, downloaded to your iPod, or sent newsletter-style to your email. A final strategy to increase volume as well as exposure to the brand is an annual contest called the â€Å"Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. † The winner receives a $25,000 dollar scholarship fund. The event draws a multitude of families and local media (Jif website). Target Market. Jif’s advertisements, tagline, and website clearly target mothers of young children. Jif’s label and homepage both boast an icon saying it is the â€Å"#1 Choice of Choosy Moms†, and the website includes a prominent link to a â€Å"Mom Advisor† page. Recently, Jif toyed with a more politically correct tagline, briefly updating it to â€Å"Choosy Moms, and Dads, Choose Jif†. In a comparison study with other leading brands, Jif’s consumers are clearly mothers or parents in the 35-44 year-old age range, and tend to be employed part-time in non-professional roles (see Exhibit 2B). Notably, the primary indicator of peanut butter purchasing for all three of the top brands is having a household of 5 or more people. Having kids age 2-5 is the second strongest indicator for Jif (Marigny 221). â€Å"Marketers have historically targeted children and their mothers in product advertising, and even the names of the major brands are childlike—Jif, Peter Pan, Skippy† (ibid 33). See Exhibit 2C for a 360-degree profile of common consumer segments, showing the â€Å"housewives† category as having the highest persuasion potential with Jif’s existing position in the U. S. market. Value Proposition. Jif creates value for their customers – the choosy moms segment – by assuring them that they are â€Å"America’s favorite peanut butter† because of their â€Å"fresh-roasted peanut taste. † This proposition allows busy moms to know that their choice at the supermarket is an easy one; it doesn’t require a lot of time or effort, and they will be satisfied with their purchase time and again. Secondarily, since this segment values healthful meals and having family dinner together, value is also created by providing creative recipes via RSS feed or email as described earlier. Strategy, Marketing Program and Positioning. Jif’s main competitors are Unilever’s Skippy and ConAgra’s Peter Pan, accounting for 60% of the category, plus a variety of private-label brands (Kellogg). Jif has several points-of-parity with their main competitors, namely in product attributes, price, and physical placement. All three companies offer similar varieties of peanut butter, similar sizes, and similar prices. They also have similar marketing techniques, mainly television ads featuring children shown during daytime programming. In the U. S. , peanut butter is firmly positioned in supermarkets, accounting for 95% of sales. Mass merchandisers (such as Costco and restaurant suppliers) make up another 4% (Marigny 199). Peanut butters are almost always positioned on the shelf next to complementary products such as jelly and honey. The companies do maintain points-of-difference, however, mainly in their positioning as described below. Skippy, the #2 brand in the U. S. , has traditionally positioned itself as the wholesome, healthful brand. Skippy has emphasized peanut butter’s high protein content more than the other brands, and has used celebrity endorsements such as former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello and athlete Derek Jeter (Gidman). Skippy claims to have less sugar than other brands, and in 1990 attempted to convince adults of the health benefits of peanut butter, using fresh vegetables and other foods in its advertising – which resulted in a dramatic decrease in market share. Since 1990 Skippy has repositioned itself as the â€Å"best testing peanut butter† (Kellogg). Today, Skippy’s website (with the enviable peanutbutter. com URL) is clearly kid-focused, with games, cartoons, and a â€Å"Kid’s Corner. † Skippy is also the highest-price per oz brand of the three- they package in the smallest container size at 16. 3 ounces. Peter Pan is positioned as the low-price brand. Advertising and information on their website is skimpy, and the company appears to prefer to â€Å"comfortably coast along in its third-place standing† (Gidman). In the past, Peter Pan has attempted to target kids, then adult non-users, and has also claimed to be â€Å"the best tasting peanut butter† (Kellogg). Peter Pan is the only brand in the top three to have been actually recalled by the FDA due to salmonella poisoning. Jif’s main point-of-difference from competitors is their obvious appeal to mothers as the target audience. As we have described, the tagline â€Å"Choosy Moms Choose Jif,† the company’s marketing efforts (recipes, contests, etc. , and the website are very much geared toward mothers with young children. After competing head-to-head throughout the 1980s and 1990s on which brand is the best-tasting, Jif has settled on a subtle yet specific difference: it has more of a â€Å"fresh roasted peanut taste. † Jif is also the large st advertiser of the three, but doesn’t use consumer promotions as much as their competitors. Although Jif has been able to claim the #1 spot since 1981, it maintains a price point below Skippy. They have also taken a swipe at Skippy by pointing out the difference in product sizes on their label, â€Å"We’re Still 18 oz. Refer to Exhibit 2D for a product positioning map. Part 3: Company Analysis Company’s capability in entering new market. Jif as a stand-alone brand is a U. S. -based product that has never, through company initiative, introduced any of their products internationally. So taking their peanut butter to Germany will be a first time experience for Jif. Therefore, the only predictability we can use here is that of the mother company: The J. M. Smucker Company. From their history, Smucker’s has penetrated various food industries in Canada, mostly through acquisition. None of these acquisitions were peanut butter related. So as they are preparing to enter Germany with one of their most popular brands, Jif peanut butter, the main question remains whether to copy the previous model for new entry (acquisition) or develop a new strategy that will better align with the targeted market. In order to assess the company’s capabilities in entering the German market with peanut butter, it is important to note that the Germans in their traditional cuisine do not use peanut butter. In Germany as in many other parts of the world, peanut butter is considered â€Å"an unpalatable American curiosity† (Kellogg). With the emerging immigrant population in Germany, the use of peanut butter has slowly established itself over the years, although the growth rate since 2004 has remained relatively stagnant  (see Exhibit 3A). But based on another study of the market in Europe, Germany has the largest potential market for peanut butter (see Exhibit 3B). One challenge in entering Germany for Smucker's Jif is a general reluctance to use American products as they are seen as high in fat (Avini). However, based on the Cultural Navigator, Germans use facts and empirical data in the decision making process and expert opinion plays a major role. In this regard, Jif may be able to enter the German market by emphasizing facts such as the nutritional benefits of their product line. Identification of business model. Since there are some very specific points of resistance in the German consumers’ perception of peanut butter, Jif’s primary responsibility will be to build brand awareness and break the points of resistance with effective communication. Jif will have to be keenly aware of how their brand – their marketing message, tagline, jingle, label packaging, etc. – is perceived in the German market. While some changes will need to be made to enter the German market, the basic business model will remain the same as in the U. S. for Jif. Core competency, activity management, innovation, and relationship management are also important to the company, but what they must absolutely positively get right is their branding. Controlling the largest domestic market share in the U. S. has enabled the company to guarantee some level of profitability through the years; not to mention their effort to always drive an increase in sales volume through programs that keep the Jif brand alive in the mind of their customers. Looking at the German peanut butter market today, it is clear that the sales volume and values have slightly decreased since 2008 (see Exhibit 3C). With volume potential as a main component in the profit impact equation, Jif in today’s German peanut butter market may have a hard time achieving market share and thus profitability. Therefore, increasing the overall nut-based market share (which increases the sales volume as well) will be necessary to ensure sustainable growth in that new market. Exhibit 3C also shows that the spread market share is large enough to provide a good market to Jif if the right marketing strategy is applied. In considering Jif’s aggressiveness in attacking the U. S. market today, it will be a good tool for them in the German market where there is large potential to tap into the competitor's market. Another avenue using the current market share may be to explore Blue Ocean that will result in lowering variable cost and may increase the sales volume; because considering increasing price to a market that is stagnant will only force the market to decrease. The success of penetrating the German peanut butter market will be very much dependent on the marketing/advertising program that is associated with it. Part 4: Customer Analysis Identification and 360-degree profile of customer segments. Segments of food consumption analyzed: young families with children, young families without children, seniors, young singles, restaurants, and hotels. A 360-Degree Profile was then performed for these segments with regard to Demographics, Psychographics, and Product Usage. Demographics: |Young Families |Young Families with No |Young Singles |Seniors | | |with Children |Children | | | |Barney’s Best |Bulk import |creamy or crunchy peanut|Company has very little information online |Depends on grocery store outlet | | | |butter | | | |Ultje |Premium |creamy, crunchy, or |Aggressive marketing, including pop |Pictures show these in a | | | |low-fat peanut butter |star/celebrity endorsements; promoted as |non-prominent position next to | | | | |heal thful, quality snack; company is |marshmallow fluff, applesauce, | | | | |promoted as an innovative expert in |etc. | | | | |nut-based snacks | |Algood Food Company|Bulk export |creamy or crunchy peanut|Company promoted as an expert: â€Å"Forgive us,|Depends on grocery store outlet | | | |butter, includes |but peanuts are our bread and butter† | | | | |specialty items such as | | | | | |No-Stir Natural and PB &| | | | | |J Stripe | | | |Calve Pindakaas |$5. 49 |creamy peanut butter |Product promoted as healthful and specialty|Only available online | |Rinatura |2. 9 EUR |organic peanut butter |Promoted as all-natural, organic, the |Elaborate displays of all types | | | | |choice for health-conscious consumers |of products from this company – | | | | | |peanut butter is one of many – | | | | | |all products have matching labels| |REWE/PENNY |â€Å"discount store |organic peanut butter |REWE has a corner on the market since they |â€Å"PENNY will display the org anic | | |pricing† | |own a large chain of grocery stores; |foods side-by-side with their | | | | |obviously their label will get prominent |counterparts from conventional | | | | |display and marketing |production. This will direct the | | | | | |attention of PENNY customers to | | | | | |ecological alternative products | | | | | |and new items in a targeted | | | | | |fashion. † | |Other private-label|3. 59 EUR (see |varies |varies |Pictures show these in a | | |Exhibit 5E) | | |non-prominent position next to | | | | | |marshmallow fluff, applesauce, | | | | | |etc. | |Nutella |1. 95-2. 9 Euro for|Chocolate-hazelnut |Promoted as â€Å"part of healthy breakfast† |Depends on grocery store outlet | | |400g |spread |targeted at children; sold in glass jars | | | | | |which can also be used for drinking; hosts | | | | | |an interactive online community | | | | | |(http://www. nutellaville. it/); sells | | | | | |t-shirts and other promotional products | | Positioning of competitors’ product/brand. Within the nut-based spreads subsector, the competitive landscape is not highly differentiated. Products have a similar price and position. In order to penetrate the market, however, J if will need to consider the broader-based spreads sector, which includes peanut butters alongside Nutella, honeys, jams, etc. See Exhibit 5F for these product positioning maps. As we have discussed, Jif will have to re-position peanut butter to be as useful in consumers’ minds as the better-selling spreads. Assessment of industry attractiveness and competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. The worldwide market potential of peanut butter in Germany is the largest in Europe. At the same time, sales and profits are declining. We attribute that to a lack of wide acceptance of the product, rather than being in the late-maturity stage of the product lifecycle. There are plenty of competitors in the nut-based spreads market, yet the market is not saturated. Of the competitors present, we believe Ultje will present the most aggressive barriers to Jif’s entry. Ultje is a company that has been present for a long time, is locally-based, and has a presence in the market due to its well-recognized cartoon figure, jingle, and celebrity endorsements. A review of online opinion polls, blogs, expatriates and former German nationals now living in the U. S. shows that of the products available locally, such as Ultje, none taste quite the same as that good old-fashioned American peanut butter. We are tasked with bringing the American taste and texture, but not the American image, since German consumers have a general reluctance to use American products. Part of the marketing challenge will be to dispel the myth that peanut butter is fatty; being high in monounsaturated fat actually reduces cholesterol. We will also need to remove the emphasis on being an American company and instead focus on creating a German image using local scenes and labeling. As we have learned, Germans use facts and empirical data in the decision making process, so we believe the right marketing and communication effort will succeed in overcoming these challenges. We believe the biggest competition will come from Ferrero’s Nutella, a chocolate-based spread or a â€Å"substitute† product, rather than other peanut butter spreads directly. Again, this indicates a lack of acceptance of peanut butter on its own merits – something Jif, with the right marketing plan, can correct. Part 6: Channel Analysis It is important to select channel partners that provide value to the relationship, which can be done through devoting resources to marketing Jif or helping to create a competitive difference. It is important that the selected channel partners serve the target market and have an image consistent with the positioning of the company. There are several channels that could be used to get the product from Smucker’s to the end consumer. These possible channels are shown in the channel map below. Channel Map 1) Jif -> Consumer 2) Jif -> Online Store (retailer) -> Consumer 3) Jif -> Grocery Store (retailer) -> Consumer ) Jif -> Wholesaler -> Grocery Store (retailer) -> Consumer 5) Jif -> Wholesaler -> Grocery Store (retailer) -> Agent -> Consumer The target market for Jif peanut butter shops in grocery stores, so in order to reach the target market, the channel selected should include a grocery store. Therefore, we can eliminate the first two channel options. A lthough the number of retail chains in Germany is increasing, there are still a vast number of independently grocery stores where the target market shops. Therefore, to improve efficiency in the value chain, a wholesaler could be used to distribute the Jif peanut butter to retailers who will then sell to the end consumer. However, the use of an agent may not be value added and does have a large additional cost. Therefore, we should select option four with the potential of adding an agent between the retailer and consumer in the future if necessary. However, we must know which retailers serve the target consumers in order to select the proper wholesaler. Evaluation of Potential Retailers Retail chain stores in Germany that contain food products are: Real, Galleria Kaufhof, Kaufhaus, Aldi, and Schlecker. It is beneficial to partner with a retail chain as once a relationship is developed, the product will be supported in several locations whereas with individual retailers there would be many more relationships to maintain. All of these retail chains serve the target market. However, Schlecker and Aldi do not have an image consistent with the quality image of Jif. Aldi is viewed as a discount chain and peanut butter is not a discount product. Schlecker is viewed as more of a drug store or convenience store and does not have a large variety of products, which is not consistent with the image of Jif. Evaluation of Potential Wholesalers There are 14 wholesalers of peanut butter currently in Germany as can be seen in Exhibit 6A. Wholesalers must be analyzed to determine who would provide the most value to the partnership, such as devoting resources to marketing peanut butter, a network to distribute across the country, supplier of target retailers defined above: Real, Galleria Kaufhof, and Kaufhaus in order to reach the target market. Several wholesalers can be eliminated from the list as they are more diversified and the focus should be on those with a peanut butter expertise. Part 7: Country Climate (Environmental) Analysis Profiling the environment is critical to marketing success. Utilizing the DEEPLIST method the German scenario was analyzed by trends in population, current economic and political stability, technology for advertising, the familial social institution, and food and daily life. Population. Germany is a country of 82. 3 million inhabitants of which 74% are urban dwellers; Germans have a 99% literacy rate with a growth rate of -. 053% (CIA World Fact Book). There are two primary trends affecting the population. The fertility remains well below the replacement ratio and net immigration is low†¦the population is ageing rapidly as a result of greater longevity and low fertility rates (EIU 13). † While the percentage of females to males, in the ‘productive age range of 15-64 years old is 66% to 34%,’ with an overall low replacement rate there are fewer women opting to have children (CIA World Fact Book). This will affect our long-term prospects of marketing peanut butter to mothers and children. As Germany has a negative population replacement rate there are less anticipated children to enter into and support our target market. We analyzed the opposite extreme of the prospectus, that the ageing population could potentially be a target market. The ratio of elderly population (>65 years of age) to the working-age population (20-64 years of age) is forecast to increase substantially from 32% in 2005 to 62% in 2050 (EIU 13). † Peanut butter could easily be integrated as an easily accessible, low cost, high-protein option for seniors; however, we found their margin potential measured low and declining, very unattractive. Economy & Politics. As the â€Å"world’s third largest economy†¦ (EIU 22)† Germany has emerged as a stable environment for business, both economically and politically. â€Å"The European Commission forecasts that the German economy will remain in positive territory for the coming months but that it will barely grow in the fourth quarter of 2009 at 0. 1% after expanding an anticipated 0. % in the third quarter (PRS Group). † This suggests continued stability and growth, albeit contracted, for the upcoming years. This works as an advantage for peanut butter positioning as a wholes ome product, at a lower cost. Introducing the product now can position peanut butter for the economic rebound. If families become accustomed to integrating peanut butter now it will continue to transition as a diet component when their income allocation changes. Politically, â€Å"Germany is a stable democracy organized on federal lines (EIU 3). † The democratic political infrastructure scored â€Å"Germany [as] 13th in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2006 democracy index. It scores highly in terms of electoral process and civil liberties, fairly high in terms of political culture and government functioning (the latter including accountability and absence of corruption†¦ (EIU 9) and little political risk. It is not anticipated that issues of nationalization or high repatriation percentages will play any role in disrupting the distribution – nor revenues – of peanut butter. Although the strong economy and stable political system will not contribute risk factors Germany has â€Å"†¦what is currently one of the most complex tax codes in the world (PRS Group). † Recent changes will affect supply chain costs and total purchase costs. For example, â€Å"a 3-percentage-point increase in value-added tax (VAT) was added in 2007 (EIU 11). † This affects the purchase price and may deter consumers. Other taxes will play a role in the consumer’s decision making. Most of our target market is from the middle class who has income taxes at top of mind – rightfully so as taxes subtract a large portion of disposable income. â€Å"The overall top income tax rate is now 47. 5% (EIU 20). † Although most families will not face as extreme a rate the income distribution, after tax, should be considered in pricing the product. Additionally, while overall corporate taxes have decreased they remain extremely high. â€Å"From 2008 the headline rate of corporation tax was cut from 25% to 15%, reducing the combined rates of corporation tax, local trade tax, and the Solidarity Tax from 38. 65% to 29. 8% (EIU 20). This could serve as the replacement to any currency risk or otherwise with repatriation taxes. Technology. Implementing marketing campaigns requires knowledge of how consumers receive messages. Since 1995 Germany has had a strong history of media communication and av ailability via television with 373 stations (CIA World Fact Book). The birth of the Internet provided faster delivery of information and availability to the 61. 97 million Internet users, ranking it as the 6th most connected country in the world (as of 2008, CIA World Fact Book). Having strong TV, and Internet availability ensures a range of publicity options and flexibility in reaching our target market. However, one potentially costly issue for a nationwide media presence is the â€Å"limited amount of advertising carried by public radio and television companies, which operate under the supervision of the authorities of the individual states (EIU 9). † Not only is advertising limited, it is fractured amongst the states. Contracts would need to be negotiated within each of the 16 states. Social/Cultural. The most critical environmental factors revolve around the family and its social structure. â€Å"The family is still the first and most important social group of people and one of the most significant social institutions (Hintereder). † Women play the most essential role in the structure. While women continue in a traditional role responsibilities are changing within the classes. Currently, they face the main obstacle in career advancement of the â€Å"fact that the network of childcare facilities particularly for small infants is not so good on a European comparison†¦ women, even those in employment, invest twice as much time looking after children as men. To date it was almost exclusively women who have taken parental leave (Hintereder). † This supports marketing to moms and their young children. Moms select the products in their household pantry and mold the taste likes and dislikes of their children. As the employment of women increases (either full-time working moms or part-time), â€Å"now at 64 percent,† peanut butter can play a likewise increasing role (Hintereder). Instead of only â€Å"Choosy Moms,† the marketing campaign can also publicize for â€Å"Busy Moms. † Yet, working mothers alter the size of families and can decrease demand. â€Å"Families have become smaller†¦single-child families [and] two-child families are typical. Almost one third of women born in 1965 still have no children today. As the social institution ebbs and flows marketing peanut butter will likewise have to ebb and flow. Food & Daily Life. After understanding the family structure the next most key element assesses diet, nutrition, and food patterns. â€Å"Most Germans acquire food from both supermarkets and specialty shops, such as bakeries and butcher shops (Every Culture). Staple daily food items include bread, cheese, pork, vegetables (mostly starches and root, CIA World Fact Book). Many meals are accompanied by beer. While the previous data in this report noted Germans appreciating a nutritious approach to their diet many of their staple items are carbohydrate based. This supports eating a heavier, more substance based product like peanut butter. The German meal pattern suggests positive angles for where to insert peanut butter into daily life. A primary option could be at breakfast to accompany bread and the afternoon Kaffee. â€Å"Bread is the main food at both breakfast and supper. The warm meal of the day is still often eaten at noon, though modern work routines seem to encourage assimilation to American patterns. Large family meals are still common at noontime on Saturdays and Sundays. These are often followed in mid-afternoon by Kaffee und Kuchen, the German version of tea time (Every Culture). † The meals identify which daily patterns are malleable in how to suggest peanut butter be a component, an additive, an ingredient, or snack. Hotels in Germany typically include breakfast. It is very common to find small packages of Nutella provided in hotels for breakfast. Jif currently has an â€Å"on the go† packaging currently in place, a 2. 25 oz container, which could be used to directly compete with small packets of Nutella. Part 8: Recommended Marketing Objectives and Strategy Marketing objective. Within 12 months, Jif will increase volume of peanut butter purchases among all consumer categories by providing a healthful, low-cost, convenient staple item which belongs in every kitchen pantry. †¢ Time period: There are several points of resistance to enter the German market. Enough time should be taken for Jif to be able to create awareness and change consumer attitudes, but we will recommend a time period of 12 months to evaluate success. †¢ Profit impact: By increasing awareness of peanut butter’s benefits across all consumer categories, volume will be increased both in the number of containers purchased, and the purchase occasion itself. †¢ Target market: All consumer categories have a need for peanut butter in their pantry. Whether young or old, peanut butter makes an excellent bread spread for breakfast or lunch; an easy snack item; a delicious ingredient in baked goods and ethnic meals; a fuel recharger for hikers; a protein substitute for vegetarians, vegans, and those with dental problems; a gluten-free product for those with wheat allergies; a kosher product; a delicious and filling product for those on a low-carbohydrate diet such as Atkins, South Beach, Zone, etc; the list goes on! †¢ Value proposition: From the customer’s perspective, peanut butter adds value because it is healthful, convenient, long-lived, inexpensive, and versatile. Very few consumer products can claim all those benefits! Marketing strategy and proposed positioning. Jif is an essential pantry product for all consumers among all staple food products because it is the only truly healthful, low-cost, convenient, delicious, and versatile product available on the market. Jif’s offerings are different from competitors in the following ways: †¢ It is much more healthful than Nutella, which is presumed to be healthful but is actually is high in added sugar and fats. †¢ It is much more versatile than Nutella, which is marketed as solely a bread spread. †¢ It is much more convenient than the natural peanut butters already available in Germany, which are not as long-lasting, must be refrigerated, must be brought to room temperature and stirred before useful as a spread. †¢ It is different from existing spreadable peanut butters available in Germany because it will be aggressively marketed as a quality, low-cost global brand with a million uses. Other competitors position it as bread spread only. Branding objective. Because of the points of resistance for German consumers, namely an unfavorable image of the product and country-of-origin, as well as a lack of awareness of the versatility of the product, the communication regarding the product will have to be changed quite significantly from the U. S. program. However, the product itself will remain the same, which will generate significant scale advantages. Our branding strategy then will be a combination of product extension and communication adaptation. The brand will need to portray that it is a sophisticated global product, yet de-emphasize its American roots. This is necessary due to the perception of the German consumer that American products are fattening. Part 9: Marketing Mix Program Product. Since we have identified a German perception of peanut butter as unhealthful, we need to combat that belief by marketing the peanut butter types that are more wholesome. Out of the Jif product line, we will take Creamy and Chunky have been the quintessential best-sellers. The smaller sizes would be introduced first, which is 18 oz. To compete with small packages of Nutella served in many restaurants and hotels for breakfast, the â€Å"Jif To Go† packages should also be introduced, which are 2. 25 oz cups. Ideally, Jif should have multiple product lines and sizes in Germany so that multiple facings of its containers will be seen on grocery store shelves. This repetition of name and pattern on the shelf will help to increase brand familiarity. However, the rest of the Jif product line will be withheld initially while the consumer is acclimated to the two main peanut butter choices. The other product lines such as Jif with honey, and Jif Omega-3 may be introduced later in small quantities; possibly as a consumer preference test. As peanut butter sales grow in Germany, Jif can plan to grandstand new product line introductions as well as the larger size containers, such as the 40 oz size. These campaigns will serve to reinforce peanut butter in the consumers mind, and entice consumers to try the hottest new flavor from Jif. Personal service. Jif will create and maintain a localized website for the German market, with an easy-to-remember URL which will be displayed prominently on all advertising. The website will be customer-focused, with clearly labeled sections for nutrition information, recipes, types of products, store locator, an FAQ section, a â€Å"contact us† link for questions or comments, and a money-back guarantee for customer satisfaction. The website should be functional yet elegant, as the Ferrero website is today. Each customer segment should be represented (a page specifically for kids, moms, vegetarians, etc. ) showing the benefits that peanut butter provides for them specifically. This will enable vegetarians doing a Google search in Germany to find a hit on the Jif website, for example. Price. Jif should be particularly cautious about pricing in Germany. The price should be maintained at an affordable level to spur consumer interest as a snack food, but not so low as to have unwanted perceptions of low-quality or that the product may be close to expiration. Any price reductions should be limited to sales with widespread advertising attached to gain customer awareness. The normal pricing level should be set very near to the level of Nutella, and with margins similar to that of the U. S. Comfortable margins should help the marketing team to convince grocers to provide superior shelving locations and multiple facings. Current peanut butter pricing is around 3-4 EU (see Exhibit 5E). Smaller containers are prevalent in Germany; therefore Jif will have a higher fixed cost due to the packaging. Price per gram will likely be higher than the Jif pricing in the U. S. to cover these costs. In Germany, we anticipate a similar price as the U. S. , only for a smaller container. Placement. Jif should strive to get the best shelving possible initially, to get large consumer attention. End caps of isles, and free product tasting tables should be used. At the tasting tables, peanut butter should be served on fresh bread as we anticipate the product will be used that way most. In addition, the service should contain other healthful ways of eating peanut butter, such as in a celery stock. All parts of the presentation should be arefully considered to create the perception of healthfulness. The placement should be put together to appeal to mothers, and to be highly attractive to kids in the cart as well. Promotion or Communication. Our number one goal is to increase awareness of the Jif product. Peanut butter has such a low penetration in the spreads market in Germany today; consumers just don’t consider the product as a necessary item in their pantry. Therefore, we recommend a startling, attention-grabbing promotion that runs via internet and television commercials for a short period, perhaps 30 days. The idea is to generate attention with ad that has the potential to generate excitement. After creating a buzz and an interest in the product, our next objective is to clearly communicate the benefits of peanut butter, including communication on the nutritional benefits, quality processing, and alternative uses. The advertisements will be done via television, internet and print ads that all show images of the various ways that peanut butter is enjoyed. Until a spoken segment at the end of the television or internet commercial, the images in the ads are displayed wordless. On television, the absence of words is an attention-grabber itself. Viewers who have â€Å"tuned out† during the commercial break may think their TV has stopped working, or their regular programming has resumed. If we can capture their attention and then hold it through a series of captivating images, we will have succeeded in creating awareness. Another benefit of the simple image campaign is that it can be easily reinforced in the product’s website and print ads such as magazines, billboards, newspaper coupons, mailers, etc. , by using the same images, thus tying the whole theme together. The website, which is clearly communicated in all advertisements, will prominently display the nutritional benefits, recipe ideas (see Exhibit 9B), and a store locator, as well as repeating the branding from the ad campaign. There are numerous examples of images that could be used. There’s the hiker who needs to refuel and pulls out a tube of peanut butter; the kid opening his lunchbox at school with a heart-shaped peanut butter sandwich from Mom, or making one for himself as an after-school snack; the hip cocktail party eaturing celery sticks and peanut sauce; the vegetarian (wearing an â€Å"I heart animals† sticker to show she’s vegetarian) getting her protein fix; the kosher individual; the dieter; the Germa n immigrants enjoying peanut sauce in a Thai dish, and mole in a Mexican dish; and finally, getting back to the roots of when the product was created, there’s the old toothless man with a huge smile, eating peanut butter right out of the jar. See Exhibit 9A for images of this cast of characters. At the end of the series of images, again the Jif jar is superimposed with the tagline (translated into German): â€Å"Peanut Butter: It’s more than you think. † The images are wordless, except at the very end when the tagline and a brief list of the nutritive benefits are spoken. The benefits include that the product is high in protein and monounsaturated fat which is good for your cholesterol, low in saturated fat and sugar, high in dietary fiber and other vitamins. Peanut butter is vegan, low-carbohydrate, gluten-free and kosher. Another popular promotion in the U. S. was a recipe contest in using Jif as an ingredient with a financial prize. This could be replicated in Germany. It should be noted that all advertising campaigns will require partnering with a local firm to choose the right wording, and to make sure that none of our taglines or acronyms could be misused in a non-flattering way. Professional Sales force. The sales force will be tasked first and foremost with getting entry to German grocery stores and getting the premium shelving during the peanut butter â€Å"awakening campaign. The sales force should be tasked with stocking the shelves, and working the free product testing tables. Peanut butter is not a discount product and the expert German salespeople should be therefore groomed to present the desired company image of quality. The Jif sales force will be tasked to develop recipes for caterers and restaurants, and to provide comprehensive sampling and product use education to chefs. Award winning chefs and restaurants may be compensated to develop German dishes using peanut butter. Jif may sponsor cookbook authors that include recipes with Jif. The sales force should exhaust all avenues to increase German familiarity with peanut butter. Part 10: SWOT Analysis External Analysis: Opportunities. The country with the largest market potential for peanut butter in Europe is Germany (ibid 79). Peanuts and peanut flavoring are already present and popular in Germany, such as in Thai Cuisine or the popular snack Erdnuss Flips. Therefore Germany can be looked at as a strong potential peanut butter target market. Peanut butter is more nutritious than the leading bread spread as it is high in monounsaturated fats, which actually reduce cholesterol. Peanut butter is also a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. Germany is a member of the European Union which will allow Jif to easily extend their target market to other parts of Europe as long term growth strategy. The infrastructure is also well advanced to facilitate the transportation of products from initial manufacturing plants to various distribution locations or for the easy transportations of required suppliers. External Analysis: Threats. With all the above mentioned opportunities, there are some challenges that Jif is called to highlight and be aware of in other to successfully execute in the German environment. There is the threat of a salmonella outbreak which would create a scare of consumers. One key element is the fact that Germans view American food as being high in fat. Jif being an American brand could pose a threat to the overall strategy if not well presented and the nutritional benefits presented. Also there is an existing peanut butter company that happens to be more local than Jif when starting, and it will require that Jif differentiate itself to the customer based as a way to establish their brand in that market. Going after Nutella could be challenging as they are well positioned internationally and in Germany; their brand is established and well known. Therefore, marketing Jif will require investment in time and energy to compete. Overall, the spread market in Germany is very limited therefore requires that Jif not only tap into the existing market but also strategize to increase it using non peanut butter company spread customer base. Particularly, they need to focus on stealing Nutella’s market share. Doing business at the international level will also raise other challenges that Jif will need to deal with such as hedging of the currency, the legal requirements of the host country (Germany) vs.. that of the mother country (USA); The company will have to opt for one way of presenting their financial statement, that may need to be converted into the mother currency with all the possible implications that comes with reporting their final profit at the end of each financial year. Jif also been a new product with Germany as their first international base, has no recognized trademark internationally. Internal Analysis: Strengths. The strengths of Jif when compared to substitute products is its nutritional benefits and versatility, when compared to direct industry rivals in peanut butter is convenience. Jif’s main point of difference from competitors is their obvious appeal to mothers as the target market with their focus on the nutritional benefits of peanut butter, in the established market in the U. S. and also in Germany. Jif has a strength in advertising nutritional benefits in their home market, which is experience that could be used in Germany as well. Jif peanut butter is not only more nutritious than the leading bread spread, it is also more versatile. Jif can create an internal strength by providing many recipes that demonstrate uses of peanut butter as more than a bread spread. In Germany, many of the peanut butter brands currently available are organic, or natural, peanut butter. Organic peanut butter is less convenient as it must be refrigerated, brought to room temperature, and then stirred prior to being used as a bread spread. Whereas Jif is shelf-stable. In Germany, the refrigerators are much smaller than American refrigerators and the space must be used sparingly. Another convenience factor for hotels is that Jif already has an â€Å"on the go† packaging currently in place, a 2. 25 oz container, which could be used to directly compete with small packets of Nutella. Internal Analysis: Weaknesses. Although this program has done a great deal in addressing the gap and defining a differentiation positioning as they enter the German market, there are still few elements that remains uncertain as for their impact to the outcome. The relationship with the wholesalers and retailers cannot quite be predicted. But it is important to focus in building it right from the beginning to ensure the sustainability of the business in the long term. We need to note that Jif strategy is coming from a competitive disadvantage to current competitors as most of them have been operating in that ground for many years and had grown to establish their brand in that market. There is also the fact that this whole program’s growth depend on the fact that Jif will be able to turn over the population’s old eating habit to more include peanut butter. Although well elaborated, there is no guarantee that this campaign will be successful in increasing the target market of spread in general and that of peanut butter in particular. Conclusion and Recommendation Considering the above analysis, there is great potential for sales of Jif peanut butter in Germany. To overcome points of resistance, a focus would need to be placed on the communication of nutritional benefits and alternative uses. One of the main challenges is selecting wholesalers to work with and developing relationships with wholesalers and retailers. In developing the Jif brand, a lot will be invested monetarily, and may not see clear signs that this market may increase for many months. The program that has been proposed requires massive spending. Therefore, Jif in Germany does not seem to be profitable in the short term but could be a great success in the long run; if successful in turning people’s behavior. Exhibit 2A: Household Penetration Rates in U. S. Market [pic] Source: Dairy and Food Communications, page 217 Exhibit 2B: Demographic Characteristics of Peanut Butter Brand Use in U. S. Market [pic] Source: Marigny, page 237 Exhibit 2C: 360-Degree Profile of Consumers in U. S. Market Demographics |Housewife |Single Parent |Senior |Young Professional | |Age |25-45 |20-40 |55+ |25-35 | |Gender |Female |N/A |N/A |N/A | |Income |Low to Mid |Low |Mid – Stable |Mid – Growing | |Education |HS Grad+ |HS Grad |College Grad |College Grad | |Occupation |None to part-time |Full-time; non professional |Retired or nea r; professional |Full-time; professional | |Marital/Family Status |Married with young children |Single with young children |Married with grown children |Single without kids | |Psychographics | | | | | |Spending Habits |Conservative; will cut coupons |Concerned; will buy cheapest |Confident; will take time to |Confident and Curious; will | | | |product; no time for coupons |find best value (not just |try new products | | | | |based on price) | | |Activities & Interests |Raising kids; preparing meals at|Not a lot of free time for |Wide variety of activities and|Focus on physical fitness and | | |home; eating dinner together |activities; rarely sit down to |hobbies; very news-focused and|outdoors; hobbies and | | | |dinner together |aware |experimentation with new | | | | |things such as exotic recipes | |Opinions & Values |Value quality and nutrition over|Value quick; convenient; cheap |Quality matters above all |Interested in gaining | | |convenience | | |experience and stories | |Pu rchase Characteristics | | | | | |Purchase Occasion |Will purchase on regular trips |Will purchase on regular trips |Will purchase on regular trips|Will purchase as needed; may | | |to grocery store whenever supply|to grocery store only if needed |to grocery store whenever |be inspired by interesting ads| | |at home is running low | |supply at home is running low |or new products | |Benefits Sought |Quality and Convenience – ready |Convenience – ready to use, |Quality and health benefits; |Convenience – ready to use, | | |to use, relatively healthful, |stable on shelf, makes quick |consistency also good for |stable on shelf, makes quick | | |stable on shelf; will pay for |meals |dentures |meals; Nutrition; Prestige | | |brand name to avoid cost of | | |(â€Å"have you tried†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) | | |experimentation with a new brand| | | | | |family may not like | | | | |Product Usage |Breakfast on toast; PB&J |Breakfast on toast; PB&J |Breakfast on toast; PB&J |As a staple; also as an | | |sandwiches for lunch; as a snack|sandwiches for lunch |sandwiches for lunch; as a |ingredient in exotic new dish | | |on crackers or celery sticks; | |snack on crackers or celery | | | |peanut-butter cookies; | sticks | | | |occasional dinner recipe | | | | |Margin Potential |Low |Low |Low |Low | |Volume Potential |High |Med |Med |Low | |Persuasion Potential |High |Low |Med |Med | Exhibit 2D: Product Positioning Map in U. S. Market [pic] Exhibit 3A: Sales Volume and Value Trends of Nut-Based Products in Germany [pic] Source: Euromonitor, page 3 Exhibit 3B: Market Potential for Peanut Butter in Europe [pic] [pic] Source: Parker, page 79 Exhibit 3C: Sales Volume and Value Trends of Spreads in Germany [pic] Source: Euromonitor, page 2-3 Exhibit 5A: Actual and Forecasted Sales of Spreads in Germany 2009 Sales |volume in ‘000 tonnes | |value in EUR millions | |% volume growth | |% value growth | | | | | | |2008/09 | |2008/09 | |Jams and preserves |138 |44| | 55|44% | |0. 4 | | | |% | |3. | | | | | | | | |4 | | | | |Jams and preserves |139. |45% | |Nutella |Ferrero |17. 1 | |Schwartau |Schwartauer Werke |9. 5 | |Breitsamer & Ulrich |Breitsamer & Ulrich |5. 0 | |Zentis |Zentis |4. 9 | |Langnese |Langnese Honig |4. | |Movenpick |Schwartauer Werke |3. 2 | |Nutoka |Aldi Einkauf |3. 0 | |Biophar |Fursten-Reform Dr Med Hans Plumer Nachf |2. 3 | |Bel Royal |Zentis |1. 8 | |BelFruit |Zentis |1. 0 | |Biogold Reformkost |Biogold Reformkost |0. | |Barney's Best |Dockhorn & Co |0. 7 | |Dr Kriegers |Fursten-Reform Dr Med Hans Plumer Nachf |0. 6 | |Nudossi |Vadossi |0. 4 | |Ultje |Ultje |0. 2 | |Milky Way |Mars Deutschland |0. 2 | |Snickers |Mars Deutschland |0. 2 | |Private label |30. 0 | |Others | |14. 5 | | | |100. 0 | Source: Euromonitor, page 4 Exhibit 5C: Nutella’s Nutrition Information [pic] Clicking â€Å"Ingredients†: [pic] Source: http://www. nutellausa. com/nutrition. htm Exhibit 5D: Nutrition Panels Compared Jif Cream y Peanut Butter: Nutella: [pic][pic] Source: Jif website Source: Nutella website Exhibit 5E: Local Competitors and Pricing [pic] [pic] Source: Photographs taken by team member Cesar Palma Perez in Germany store Exhibit 5F: Product Positioning Maps Nut-based subsector: [pic] Spreads market in general: [pic] Exhibit 6A: Peanut Butter Wholesalers in Germany |Wholesaler |Area of Expertise | |Jakob Distler Gmbh in Nurnberg, Bayern, Germany |Salted and roasted nuts and seeds, Nuts, glace, Confectionery, Roasted Nuts and Peanut| | |Butter Manufacturing, Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing, Confectionery Merchant| | |Wholesalers†¦ |Lauenburgische Gewurzmuhle Und Rosterei Gmbh & CoKg |Nuts: dried, dehydrated, salted or roasted, Packaging and Labeling Services, Roasted | |in Elmenhorst, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |coffee, Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing, Packaging and Labeling Services,| | |Coffee and Tea Manufacturing†¦ | |Irecge NussverarbeitungsgesMbh in Tornesch, |Salted and roasted nuts and seeds, Nuts, salted or roasted, Roasted Nuts and Peanut | |Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |Butter Manufact uring, Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers†¦ | |Schummer-Fruchthandelsgesellschaft Mbh in |Nuts: dried, dehydrated, salted or roasted, Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter | |Birkenfeld, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany |Manufacturing†¦ |Rudolf Muller in Buchen (Odenwald), |Architectural Services, Architectural Services, Professional engineer, Engineering | |Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany |Services, Nuts: dried, dehydrated, salted or roasted, Nuts, Roasted Nuts and Peanut | | |Butter Manufacturing, Confectionery and Nut Stores, Photographic equipme