Final Project Draft: Childhood Obesity Essay

Growing up as a child and adolescent in the United States is met with many obstacles including exposure to domestic violence, proper education, lack of proper nutrition and other socioeconomic issues within the family unit. One particular issue that has begun to grow is childhood obesity which can lead to many health and social issues that carry on into adulthood. This epidemic stems partially from genetics but mostly from a combination of things like a lack of tools to educate parents and children on healthier life choices. As this issue reaches a critical point, changes are being set in motion to combat its cause and overall affect. While childhood obesity is not an issue for some parents, they should educate themselves in order to assist their children in making healthier decisions regarding food and physical activity. Making these necessary changes can potentially improve the child’s mental and emotional health and removes certain medical problems later in life resulting in a healthier adult. According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat over what is considered to be healthy. Determining whether a child is obese is determining what is a normal weight for their height and weight. For children and adolescents, obesity is particularly troublesome not only for their health now and in the future but for their self-esteem in their formative years. Self-esteem is so crucial to the development of a young person’s mind, body and soul. It is what helps them to become well-rounded and contributing members of society. Children and adolescents have different body types at all stages of development. Just because a child carries a few extra pounds does not mean they are in any danger of becoming obese or having long-term health problems. With certain ages come different types of developmental changes. Some children have larger body frames that support more body weight. Simply looking at a child is not enough to ascertain if there is a weight problem. For example, during puberty adolescent children do gain weight more rapidly due to an influx of hormones. This type of weight gain is normal as long as the ratio of muscle, bone and body fats are in proportion. Determining whether or not a child has a healthy weight is as simple as calculating body mass index or BMI. Doctors often use this calculation though it can be a little more complicated to determine what is normal for a child. Anyone with children may recall frequent visits to the pediatrician early in the child’s life where the child is measured for height and weight. These numbers are then plotted on a growth chart to determine what percentile that child ranges within. BMI equal to or greater than the 5th percentile and less than the 85th percentile is considered a healthy weight for his or her age (Unknown, 2012). Anything above the 95th percentile is considered obese and at risk for various health-related problems. The averages for boys and girls will differ based on the fact that they develop at different speeds especially during puberty, but it is very important that parents do not jump to conclusion based on appearances and these numbers alone. One must also consider that an athletic child or teen may have more muscle mass which can also increase BMI. The most common contributor to childhood obesity is improper nutrition, food choices, and too little physical activity. Less common but still a factor are some genetic and hormonal disorders. Unfortunately many parents will use the knowledge of these disorders to rationalize a weight issue their child might have. In an age of technology, children and teens spend excess amount of time sedentary playing video games, watching television, using computers, and mobile devices. Commercials on television entice children to eat fast food and drink highly caffeinated, sugary drinks. The choices being made are not in the interest of the health of the child. Most parents spend 40 hours or more at work, leaving the children alone to fend for themselves which is when they make decisions on what to eat, drink and do to entertain themselves. Family history also presents a risk factor for childhood obesity. One might assume that a family with several or more overweight family member will have children in an environment where high-calorie food and drink is always readily available. In these types of households, physical activity is not stressed nor is it encouraged. Some families also inadvertently teach their children to be â€Å"emotional eaters.† The family that relies on the convenience of quick cooking meals is also at risk for overweight children because of high calorie content. Certain socioeconomic factors cause families to rely on these types of foods because it is all they can afford. With childhood obesity comes many complications that can affect a child’s physical, emotional and social well-being. One of the more well-known physical complications is Type 2 diabetes which affects the way a child metabolizes sugar. Usually a simple change in diet and exercise can keep a child from suffering this chronic disorder. A parent may notice that their overweight child seems to be going into puberty sooner than other children which is also another complication of obesity. Carrying around extra weight can cause breathing problems and issue with the development of the child’s lungs which can lead to asthma or even sleep apnea (abnormal breathing during sleep). If a child has a poor diet, he or she may also suffer from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These factors can eventually lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries causing a stroke or heart attack later in life. These complications overall are known as â€Å"metabolic syndrome.† This is not a disease in itself but a cluster of problems suffered at once. Beyond the physical issues caused by obesity are the matters of social and emotional complications. Youth is difficult under the best circumstances but contribute being overwe ight and a whole new host of issues present themselves. For example, school-age children tend to tease their overweight peers leading to further bullying and loss of self-esteem. According to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic overweight children tend to have more anxiety and poorer social skills than children with a normal weight. These children may withdraw into themselves or act out and disrupt their classrooms or families. Eventually these issues can lead to the more serious problem of depression which is an overwhelming feeling of sadness and hopelessness. If a parent suspects that their child is suffering from depression, a doctor should be immediately contacted and consulted. Parents play a very meaningful role in the causes and risk factors for childhood obesity. They are the first to make the child feel loved and in control of their own bodies. Sensitivity to a child’s emotional needs and feelings is very important in helping that child develop into a healthy adult. If a parent feels that his or her child is at risk for obesity, the issue needs to be addressed in a kind and considerate manner. Directness and openness are the best method and one cannot be overly critical or judgmental. Lifestyle changes are difficult for a child to make so giving choices makes them more likely to stick to something new. Praising a child’s effort to change will also help boost their self-esteem and keep them going in a positive direction. Some medical issues are brought on by heredity which is to say that people are just â€Å"born with them,† but in the case of childhood obesity, it is a completely preventable problem. As with most issues that affect children and teenagers, home is the first line of defense against future problems. Educating parents and providing them support is an excellent way to ensure that children gain the proper instruction on lifestyle and health choices. Most do not realize that obesity is costly to each state. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, in 2003, annual medical expenses geared towards obesity and its effects were estimated at $75 billion dollars. Starting in 2005, state legislature became very active in considering programs and policies to address the epidemic. One of the most positive changes to occur is schools providing the nutritional content of the food on its menus enabling students to make better choices during breakfast and lunch. This is also being done at chain restaurants nationwide. â€Å"Super sizing† was removed from all menus and alternatives for kids’ meals are part of this change as well. Even some convenience store chains banished their massive fountain drink cups to combat the obesity epidemic among children as well as adults. The battle for the health of children begins with education and monitoring. If parents maintain an open line of communication with their children, they will be privy to the issues affecting them. Childhood obesity is not just a physical or medical issue. It affects the psychological and emotional well-being of the child which follows them all throughout the rest of their lives. Children need the best start possible so parents should always remember to pay attention and lead by example. References John, A. M., Charles, J. G., Stephen, R. D., & Wang, P. (2012). Race, childhood insulin, childhood caloric intake, and class 3 obesity at age 24: 14-year prospective study of schoolgirls. Obesity, 20(3), 597-604. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/oby.2011.126 Mooney, B. (2012). Childhood obesity: time to wake up to the facts. World Of Irish Nursing & Midwifery, 20(7), 41-42. Wojcicki, J. M., & Heyman, M. B. (2012). Reducing Childhood Obesity by Eliminating 100% Fruit Juice. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(9), 1630-1633. doi:10.2105/ AJPH. 2012.300719 Willis, T. A., Potrata, B. B., Hunt, C. C., & J. (2012). Training community practitioners to work more effectively with parents to prevent childhood obesity: the impact of HENRY upon Children’s Centres and their staff. Journal Of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 25(5), 460-468. doi:10.1111/j.1365-277X.2012.01247.x

Native Americans in the United States Essay

Today, race is seen less as culture and history and more as your intelligence, wealth, morals, and how you should act. Unfortunately, racism, stereotypes, and prejudice have been around so long it’s become some what subconscious of us to pair actions and personalities with a skin color. In Princess Oreo Speaks Out by Dwan Carter, people around her are shocked by how she acts and even go as far as calling her â€Å"white† or â€Å"not black enough. † Carter states, â€Å"It seems that, for a lot of people around me, being black is an attitude. † In society today, people, especially young teens, are pressured to act a certain way based on how they look to feel accepted and ‘normal. ’ A personality that may be perfectly fine if you were one race is found weird and strange in another. In reality, though, race is only skin deep and the color of your skin can not affect how you choose to act. Indian mascot controversies have been going on for years and years. Teams with mascots and names many consider offensive towards Indians exist from high school teams all the way up to professional leagues. Some examples include the Illini Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Indians. Redskins team owner Dan Snyder says, â€Å"After 81 years, the team name ‘Redskins’ continues to hold the memories and meaning of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in the years to come. † Even though the name has traditions, it nevertheless has a negative impact and should be retired. The term ‘Redskins is defined in dictionaries as an offensive racial slur. You shouldn’t be using a racial slur to sell a sports team to America and especially not for entertainment. The word is degrading and in a way dehumanizing because of the imagery that goes along with it. The name that claims to be honorable in fact actually leads to negative stereotypes of Native Americans. In arenas across the nation you will witness war chants, face paint, animal feathers, and savage like behavior in the stands. Theses images suggest that Native Americans act like they did 150 years ago. We are ignoring who Native people are today and we are treating them as objects of the past rather than people just like us. Racial integration in schools is very important for kids to be exposed to different races. In Why Are American Schools Still Segregated, studies are showing that schools seem to be falling back towards their segregated pasts. Racial integration in schools is not only important because of unfair educational opportunities and outcomes, but I believe it is also important for kids to be exposed to different races. The studies are showing that the minority races are slowly becoming the majority and that White population is getting smaller. This is even more reason for students to need to learn how to interact in a diverse environment. There are also advantages of having students work with others who are not of the same background. We live in a country founded on the principle of equality of all people regardless of race, but we still struggle to meet that ideal. Some people think we should be colorblind to peoples race, but on the other hand other people think you should pay attention to race because people of different races have encountered different things that need to be taken into account. Kids in highschool who are just starting to figure out who they are have lots of pressures to be someone that they might not necessarily be just because of how they happen to look. I think it’s important to know someone as an individual rather than a person of a specific race. It’s also important to recognize racism in life wherever you may encounter it like on tv, in books, and even things people say and then even start challenging it.

Introduction of Shipping Containers Essay

Until the 1960s, shipping had not changed much in decades. Handling cargo was a labor-intensive activity, and transportation costs and times—whether by land or by sea—were huge obstacles to trade, often making transcontinental, let alone global, and trade economically unfeasible. However something happened that changed that. That was the invention of the shipping container. The birth of the shipping container dates back to April 26, 1956 when a crane lifted fifty-eight aluminum truck bodies aboard an a ship called the Ideal-X docked in Newark, New Jersey. Five days later, the ship sailed in Houston, where fifty- eight trucks waited to take on the metal boxes and take them to their destinations. This heralded the beginning of a new era. Decades have passed since that fateful day which changed the world. Today we live in a globalized world so it is very difficult for us to even imagine the extent to which the container changed the world. In 1956, China was not the world’s workshop. It was not common to find Japanese electronics and cars in the middle of Dhaka. Western apparel brands didn’t have their products manufactured in Bangladesh either. Before the advent of the container, transporting goods was expensive. So expensive that it did not pay to ship many things halfway across the country, much less halfway around the world. The introduction of the container had an enormous impact upon the world’s economy. The masses of poorly paid workers who once made their livings loading and unloading ships ended up losing their jobs. Cities that had been centers of maritime commerce for ages, such as New York and Liverpool, saw their harbors decline due to them being unsuited to the container trade. Merchant sailors, who had sailed out to see the world, had their traditional days-long shore leave in exotic harbors replaced by a few hours ashore at a remote parking lot for containers, their vessel ready to weigh anchor the instant the high-speed cranes finished putting huge metal boxes off and on the ship. But even as it helped destroy the old economy, the container helped build a new one. Harbors such as Busan and Seattle moved into the front ranks of the world’s ports, and massive new ports were built in places like Felixstowe, in England, and Tanjung Pelepas, in Malaysia. Small towns, far away from the cities, could take advantage of their cheap land and low wages to attracted factories freed from the need to be near a port to enjoy cheap transportation. Extensive industrial complexes where thousands of workers manufactured products from start to finish gave way to smaller, more specialized plants that shipped components and half-finished goods to one another in ever lengthening supply chains. Poor countries, desperate for economic development, could realistically dream of becoming suppliers to wealthy countries far away. Huge industrial complexes were built in places Los Angeles and Hong Kong, only because the cost of bringing raw materials in and sending finished goods dropped extensively. The container made shipping cheap, and by doing so changed the economic geography of the world. It was now easier than ever before to transport goods all over the world. Goods could now be manufactured anywhere and sold anywhere. Thanks to the container the world had become a smaller place. This new economic geography allowed firms whose ambitions had been purely domestic to become international companies, allowing them to export their products and selling them abroad almost as effortlessly as selling them nearby. Those who had no desire to go international learned that they had no choice. Whether they liked it or not, they were competing globally because the global market was coming to them. High shipping costs no longer offered protection to high-cost producers whose biggest advantage was being geographically close to their customers. Even with customs duties and time delays, factories in Malaysia could deliver blouses to Macy’s in Herald Square more cheaply than could blouse manufacturers in the nearby lofts of New York’s garment district. The world was full of small manufacturers selling locally in 1956 but by the end of the twentieth century, purely local markets for goods of any sort were extremely rare. The container as useful as it was to facilitating economic growth was not warmly received by the workers. The workers, as consumers gained plenty due to the container. They enjoyed infinitely more choices thanks to the global trade stimulated by the consumer. The increased trade brought about an increased level of competition which held prices down. Consumers all over the world enjoyed higher living standards due to the ready availability of inexpensive imported consumer goods. However as wage earners the workers weren’t too receptive of containers. In the years after World War II, wartime devastation created vast demand while low levels of international trade kept competitive forces under control. In this exceptional environment, workers and trade unions in North America, Western Europe, and Japan were able to egotiate nearly continuous improvements in wages and benefits, while government programs provided ever stronger safety nets. The workweek grew shorter, disability pay was made more generous, and retirement at sixty or sixty-two became the norm. The container helped bring an end to that unprecedented advance. Low shipping costs helped make capital even more mobile, increasing the bargaining power of employers against their far less mobile workers. In this highly integrated world economy, the pay of workers in Dhaka sets limits on wages in New York. For manufacturers it became more preferable to manufacture abroad in underdeveloped countries as pay and work place standards are low in underdeveloped countries. How much the container matters to the world economy is impossible to quantify. In the ideal world, we would like to know how much it cost to send one thousand men’s shirts from Dhaka to Toronto in 1955, and to track how that cost changed as containerization came into use. Such data do not exist, but it seems clear that the container brought sweeping reductions in the cost of moving freight. From a ship carrying a few dozen containers that would not fit on any other vessel, container shipping matured into a highly automated, highly standardized industry on a global scale. An enormous containership can be loaded with a minute fraction of the labor and time required to handle a small conventional ship half a century ago. A few crew members can manage the entire vessel. A trucker can deposit a trailer at a customer’s loading dock, hook up another trailer, and drive on immediately, rather than watching his expensive rig stand idle while the contents are removed. All of those changes are consequences of the container revolution. Transportation has become so efficient that for many purposes, freight costs do not much effect economic decisions. Containerization has without a doubt changed the world. It has caused time-space compression that has greatly impacted economic geography. Places far away could now transfer all kinds of goods between them due to shipping containers. In simple words it has made the world a smaller place.

Critically evaluate the extent to which the change process in Essay

Critically evaluate the extent to which the change process in organisations is influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of individual managers more than the dynamics within the group - Essay Example The success of ant change program determines the success of the management as change has become one of the major challenges facing human resource managers and employees in equal measures. Changes in an organization are known to affect the people in such organizations positively or negatively depending on the position of an individual in the leadership hierarchy2. Resistance to change has become part of any organization and this explains the multiple academic researchers conducted to evaluate the impacts of resistance on the success of an organization. For an organization to successfully change from its traditional approach to a new one based on market needs, a number of factors must be visible within the organization3. Their attitude and belief in the change being implemented impacts to a lager extent on the success on the plan as opposed to the dynamism of the organization and its structural willingness to adapt to new methods of conducting business. In this paper, the level by which the attitude and belief of managers and top leaders of an organization influence the change program will be evaluated relative to the impact of the dynamism of the organization to the same. Attitude is defined as the feeling and perception that an individual develops towards a particular event or process which affects their ability to adopt a given program or idea. The attitude of managers on change impact on the change program in a similar or in a greater manner on the change process in an organization and such an attitude is easily passed to the employees that these managers are tasked to supervise. Within the psychological discourse, attitude has been shown to influence the tendency of an individual to act, feel, reason and even respond to a particular stimuli in life4. Attitude thus affects the cognition of an individual towards changes in an

E-Procurement and Supply Chain Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Procurement and Supply Chain - Assignment Example Manufacturing Source Preparing (MRP) as part of SCM can help plan and figure out the needs and timeframes for new development procedures to be able to estimate item distribution daily activities, and reply to changes in the marketplace or item. It is an application based development planning and inventory control system used to handle manufacturing procedures (Blanchard 2010). Before the internet came along, the ambitions of supply chain application enthusiasts were restricted to enhancing their capability to estimate demand from customers and create their own supply chain run more easily. But the cheap, popular characteristics of the internet, along with its simple, globally approved interaction requirements, have tossed things open up (Blanchard 2010). Now, organizations can link their supply chain with the supply chain of their providers and clients together in a single wide system that improves expenses and possibilities for everyone engaged. This was the reason for the B2B explosion; the idea that everyone a company does business with could be linked together into one big satisfied, supportive family (Simchi-Levi 2007). Of course, truth isn't quite that satisfied and supportive. But these days most organizations discuss at least some data with their supply chain associates.... Suppliers wouldn't have to think how many raw components to purchase, and producers wouldn't have to purchase more than they need from providers to create sure they have enough on side if need for their products suddenly improves. And suppliers would have less vacant racks if they distributed the details they had about income of a company's item in all their shops with the maker (Petrovic-Lazarevic et al 2007). The internet makes displaying your side to others possible, but hundreds of years of mistrust and lack of synchronization within sectors create it difficult (Jacoby 2009.). The benefit of appropriate and precise supply chain details is the capability to create or deliver only as much of an item as there is an industry for. This is the exercise known as just-in-time manufacturing, and it allows organizations to decrease the amount of inventory that they keep. This can cut expenses considerably, since you no longer need to pay to generate and store unwanted products. But many or ganizations and their supply chain associates have a long way to go before that stage of supply chain versatility can be carried out (Jacoby 2009). The benefits from business resource planning are stated to include: lower inventory holding costs lower purchasing costs lower development costs lower bookkeeping and documentation costs lower transport costs lower investment in equipment lower investment in plant lower investment in land reduced assembly-line down-times more versatile manufacturing processes more effective lot styles and scheduling reduced mistakes due to better coordination the cost and efficiency improvements (mentioned above) could increase profitability or increase market share (at a lower price) reduced number of

The Nurses Role in Prevention of Central Venous Line Infection Essay

The Nurses Role in Prevention of Central Venous Line Infection - Essay Example The problems identified for this research are that CVLI presents a serious health risk to patients, nurses are frequently in a position to contribute to the problem, and that training and prevention strategies should be employed to reduce the frequency and severity of CVLI. Significance of the Problem. The significance of CVLI cannot be overstated. It increases the morbidity and mortality rates of patients who suffer infection as a result of bacterial introduction and growth in what is often an immunosuppressed environment. This issue is important to nursing for two primary reasons; nurses are in a position to contribute to the frequency and severity of the problem, and they are also the first line of defense in prevention, detection, and resolution of CVLI. Research Hypothesis. The expectations for this research are that it will clearly demonstrate; that most cases of CVLI are preventable, the incidence of nurse contribution to the condition is high, a program of training and preventative strategies would reduce the frequency of infection, and that more research is needed to determine the protocols for a program of prevention. Literature Review. There are several studies on the subject of CVLI and the contributory issues involved. While this body of literature is informative, it does not obviate the need for the research proposed herein. From Hadaway, we know t... The expectations for this research are that it will clearly demonstrate; that most cases of CVLI are preventable, the incidence of nurse contribution to the condition is high, a program of training and preventative strategies would reduce the frequency of infection, and that more research is needed to determine the protocols for a program of prevention. CHAPTER TWO Literature Review. There are several studies on the subject of CVLI and the contributory issues involved. While this body of literature is informative, it does not obviate the need for the research proposed herein. From Hadaway, we know that central venous lines are much more likely to increase the frequency, as well as the seriousness, of infections than are short peripheral catheters. She points out that two factors that contribute to this fact are that the patients themselves tend to be more vulnerable, and the exposure to microorganisms is increased due to the more frequent access required in maintaining central venous lines (Hadaway, 2006, p. 58) These infections, particularly those at the site of the intravascular device, are a major source of morbidity, occur frequently, and have the ability to increase both the length of a patient's stay at the hospital as well as the costs associated with that period of convalescence (Musher, el al., 2002, p. 769). The research of Dr. Oudiz and his co-authors has found that early detection of infection in such patients is crucial, though it can be difficult given the fact that the symptoms often present in a generalized way and do not initially appear as an acute infection (Oudiz, et al., 2004, p. 92). When those symptoms do present, however, it is often necessary to remove the central venous line in order to eradicate the infection (Brooks &

How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence - Essay Example However, with the changing patterns of prices, different products may have different ‘best buying times’. For example, the best time to buy a compact disc is a few days after it has come to the market. For digital cameras, the best time to buy is the sprint where new models are produced and prices on the old stock are reduced. Â  The article gives some very common sense examples of how someone who wishes to be an early adopter of the latest technology gadget will have to pay a premium over someone who wishes to stay one generation behind the curve. For example, the article reports that the prices of video games fall on average by 30% every three to four months as newer titles are released on to the market and demand for older titles is reduced. Â  In the apparel industry, the increase of the amount of clothing sold on sale shows that retailers have to look at how and when they decide to put items on sale for their customers since clothes are most likely to be bought when they have been reduced from their standard retail prices. In a market where more than 60% of all clothes are sold on sale, market share is most likely to go to a retailer who has sales often and gives good discounts over regular prices. Â  Another good practice which can be used by retailers to preserve market share is the idea of bundling where one product at a sharp discount is bundled with another product with a high margin to gain a competitive advantage. In this manner, not only can the retailer look at sustaining its market share for a certain type of product, it can also seek to expand its market share for allied and complementary goods at the same time. Â  In some cases, the nature of the product itself may bring price competition to the forefront since it would be the only manner in which sellers can compete.

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Design Essay

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Design - Essay Example The balancing of these aspects in the new product development design is the outlook of ‘Sustainable product development and design’. â€Å"To create sustainable products and services that increase stakeholders quality of life, whilst at the same time achieving major reductions in resource and energy use, will require a significant emphasis on stimulating new ideas through higher levels of creativity and innovation†- e generation Business Learning Centre. Thus it becomes evident that creating new designs may need increased creativity as well as the fullest involvement form the varied strata of people, if new solutions and designs are to be generated which will substantiate the Sustainable Product Design Development. In general ‘sustainable development’ is to be seen as a basic human concept dealing with the kind of environment the people would like to live in. Sustainable development is a strong image but a provocative one. The best place to get good suggestions on the sustained development is the ‘customers’. Many companies have forgotten to talk to customers but have focused inwardly on the technological and improvements required for, primarily eco-design using less energy and less components etc. In many cases such suggestions may not be the right solution but nevertheless, it can be demonstrated that new ideas can reach marketplace if the conditions are right.† Quite understandably, the majority of people do not understand the academic concept of sustainable development. Indeed, research for the Department of Environment in the UK, indicated that sustainable development was seen as a government construct to keep people out of environmental issues† Marti n Charter and Anne Chick (1997). Keeping this context in view, this paper attempts to cover an overview of creation of new sustainable product designs to manufacture products, services and

Marketing information to run business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing information to run business - Essay Example Rufedge also needs marketing research.   â€Å"Market research is the process of systematically gathering, recording and analyzing data and information about customers, competitors and the market. Its uses include to help create a business plan, launch a new product or service, fine tune existing products and services, and expand into new markets† (Wikipedia 2008). Task 2Livlong needs to be advised how an understanding of market segmentation might help him improve his business prospects.   The purpose of this task is to write a report advising Livlong of this concept through discussing the appropriate segmentation criteria and provide an example of how they might be used in the health food market.â€Å"A market segment is a subgroup of people or organizations sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product needs. Market segmentation is the process in marketing of dividing a market into distinct subsets (segments) that behave in the same way or have similar needs. Because each segment is fairly homogeneous in their needs and attitudes, they are likely to respond similarly to a given marketing strategy. That is, they are likely to have similar feelings and ideas about a marketing mix comprised of a given product or service, sold at a given price, distributed in a certain way and promoted in a certain way† (Wikipedia 2008).Health food stores tend to cater to a vastly different segment than do traditional stores.   For example, look at Whole Foods Market compared to Albertson’s.  ... Market segmentation is the process in marketing of dividing a market into distinct subsets (segments) that behave in the same way or have similar needs. Because each segment is fairly homogeneous in their needs and attitudes, they are likely to respond similarly to a given marketing strategy. That is, they are likely to have similar feelings and ideas about a marketing mix comprised of a given product or service, sold at a given price, distributed in a certain way and promoted in a certain way" (Wikipedia 2008). Health food stores tend to cater to a vastly different segment than do traditional stores. For example, look at Whole Foods Market compared to Albertson's. Albertson's sells popular items of various content, while Whole Foods looks to sell only organic and healthy foods. Therefore, the type of person who would seek out Whole Foods would more likely be health-conscious and could even be a vegetarian or dieter. Task 3 Livlong claims that many of the managers in the company are ignorant of issues concerning consumer behavior. He believes this problem could be solved it managers could become more customer-oriented, which would result in increased sales. The purpose of this task is to consider a potential seminar for the management team entitled 'Understanding consumer behavior-how it can increase our sales' and discuss how it can increase sales, provide details of the issues to be presented, and provide practical examples that could illustrate the talk. "Consumer behavior is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, sociopsychology, anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It

(Urgent) Small business management (Due to the midnight of May 24 at Essay

(Urgent) Small business management (Due to the midnight of May 24 at latest) - Essay Example Perhaps, someone who has been successful in his educational attainments has contributed a lot in enabling the small business to become competitive and profitable. The two articles I have chosen are both referring to the functions of Small Businesses. These articles have been chosen to give us a better understanding on the factors that may contribute to the success of a small company. The first article, an international based journal, highlights the effect of recruiting outside board members to handle a small family business. The UK-based journal discuss about the impact of ownership on the behaviour and performance of a small company. In line with the outstanding performance of a small company, it is important that we determine the impact of both internal and external factors that could directly and/or indirectly affect the efficiency of the business operations and profitability. Internal factors that may contribute to the success of an organization include the type of management, type of business ownership, the leadership style of the managers, the size of the business organization, organizational culture and traditions, emotional attachment of the owners to the business, organizational performance, and the barriers to the implementation of a strategy. Based on the This study aims to analyse the point-of-view of the authors by considering the key arguments in each article. The theory behind the small business functions used in the articles will be discussed thoroughly. As part of the conclusion, this paper will compare and contrast the main evaluation of the two selected articles. According to Ghobadian and O’Regan (2006), the transformation leadership style is more common in independent plants than the transactional leadership style. The authors has concluded that the transactional leadership style is usually adapted by the subsidiary plants

‘Friendship Changes Its Meaning and Function Through the Life Course Essay Example for Free

‘Friendship Changes Its Meaning and Function Through the Life Course Essay In many western societies, friendship is portrayed in a very positive and desirable light, and most of all something people have the freedom to choose, unlike kinship. However as examined further in this essay, friendship means and functions as many different things to different people and can be influenced by an array of different social factors. There are various stages in the life-course that provide both opportunities and threats to the development and maintenance of friendships, yet it is evident that friendship does change and evolve in meaning and function through the life course. Some sociologists believe that social change has affected the significance of friendship, and thus changed its function throughout the life course. Due to social change, choice and reciprocity have become highly valued in relationships; which is expected in today’s post-industrial society. Many see the traditional ‘nuclear’ family as diminishing. This can be explained by the individualisation thesis (Giddens 1992, Ulrich Beck and Beck Gersheim 1995), who argue that set traditions and social rules are in decline, thus giving rise to voluntarism and democracy distinct from kinship; which can be recognised in the notion of the ‘pure relationship’ (Giddens 1992). Therefore friendship can be seen as the ideal relationship in society; differing much from the ‘fixed’ or ‘given’ relationships with kin and the community, which are seen to be declining in significance. This has allowed friends to take the roles traditionally formed by families. The idea of ‘families of choice’ (Weeks et al 2001:9) suggests that trends such as increasing cohabitation, divorce rates, greater social and geographical mobility, increasing levels of female education, increased participation of females in the labour market, and the growth of non-heterosexual household arrangements along with a strong sense of individualization have led to families of choice. This social suffusion of family and friends is especially evident amongst non-heterosexuals, due to their exclusion from the ‘family’ and ‘marriage’ in which they haven’t received support from families; they’ve chosen their own networks of relationships conceived as families. However it is important not to overstate the significance of friendship compared to relationships with family with much empirical evidence stating family relationships still remain significant. Firstly, it is important to recognise that there isn’t a single universal definition of friendship; which can cause many sociologists to encounter problems when researching the notion of friendship, and thus how its meaning and function may change and evolve through the life course. There are many different forms of friendships, ranging from diverse and complex friendships which are ever-changing and evolving. Whether it is those we file in our address books to those who have a profound presence in our lives. People attach the label ‘friend’ to those whom they’ve simply had a pleasant association with or as for as those who they’ve shared a lifelong relationship with. Some believe it is ‘the valuing of the other person for whatever is perceived as their unique and pleasing qualities’ (Wright 1978), which is said to be a defining characteristic. Research into what friendship means, reveals friendship as being voluntary rather than obligatory. Though as explored further this element of choice of who we categorise as our friends, can be highly influenced by other social factors and elements of homophily; which changes as we enter different stages of the life course. There is much diversity within friendship, with every relationship being completely unique. There are many recurrent types of friendships, such as associates, useful contacts, favour friends and a fun friend which are categorized as a simple friend, which ranges to a helpmate, comforter, confidant and a soul mate; which constitute towards a complex friendship. Research has found that the degree of intimacy of a friendship is affected by the amount of time friends have known each other. Furthermore, Pahl and Spencer categories the types of friendships people have in their personal communities into different types of friendship repertoire. They identify between the basic, intense, focal and broad repertoire, these typologies allow us recognise that some friendships strengthen in meaning whereas some even tend to get lost ad fade away as people enter different stages of the life course. Through stages in the life course such as leaving school, going to college, starting work, living with a partner/getting married, having children, getting divorced, moving home and retiring etc, can provide new opportunities for friendship whilst even threaten existing ones. Kinship ties and especially primary kinship ties generally continue in some form, whereas change in friendship is routine and normal. Indeed some friendships are long-term with some even life-long, although for the majority this isn’t the case. Usually friends occupy similar social positions to one another; tending to be the same age, be of a similar class position, same gender and occupy similar positions in the life course. Friendships are active in certain periods of our life and then gradually become less significant and meaningful, due to a change in people’s circumstances as they enter in stages of the life course, therefore sustaining that relationship becomes difficult. There are a variety of domestic circumstances that can affect friendship. Typically there appears to be changes in people’s friendship patterns when they get married. This is because their existing relationships with other single people tends to become less central to their lives and be replaced by other couple friendships (Cohen 1992), this is how couples create a marital relationship in which ‘togetherness’ and mutual involvement is paramount. Along with this is sharing leisure and sociability therefore maintaining friendships with those who are single becomes difficult. Not only that but divorce can also dramatically alter friendship, for men the effect may be less who will continue to be involved in the same work and leisure activities whereas women with children, their friendships patterns will alter more significantly due a change in their social, economic and domestic circumstances (Milardo 1987). Similarly shifts can occur in friendship when children are born, the aspects of family life will affect the space available for friendship. Old activities that were once shared between two people often become problematic, especially in the early years of childhood Having children can be a very demanding job, therefore less time is left for developing new and servicing old friendships, and thus gradually old friends who are at different stages of their life course become less involved and are replaced by others who share a similar social position. In the same way, caring for an elderly relative can constrain the freedom for sociability. However, we can also see how gender is affected within childcare which affects the space for friendship. As many women have less extensive social participation, and their character of domestic and paid labour, therefore there is less opportunity to develop social ties. Whereas, men tend to have more time and financial resources to devote to sociability because of their role within the domestic and paid division of labour. Equally, as people enter old age and retirement this can also affect the opportunities for friendship. For some retirement may present them with more time to spend with friends, with the absence of work commitments. However others the reduced financial circumstances mean the engagement through social activities is limited, and the pool of social contacts is reduced through employment. Friendships can also alter due to a change in a person’s social location. For instance, if someone was to gain a promotion at work it could affect their friendship ties. Not only that but with the idea of work as someone is in a different position within a hierarchy, they may have authority over others and thus increased earning capacity and an alteration of their life-style, maintaining existing friends becomes difficult especially as friendship is seen to be based on equality. Despite friendship being based on liking and trust and not on status hierarchy or difference, in essence the friendships becomes less active, and new friends who lead similar life-styles and of similar status replace old friends. A persons work situation affects the opportunities they have in meeting others as well as the resources of time, money and energy they have for sociability (Allen 1989). The demands and organization of a person’s work can also pattern their friendships both inside and outside the workplace. For example, different shift patterns, different levels of physical and mention exertion and different times being away from home call affect and individual’s capability and willingness to participate in sociability. Nevertheless, it may be thought that due advances in technology, email and social networking increase the possibility of forming friendships with face to face conversation being absent. Yet, despite these new forms of communication, we are still more likely to have closer ties with people who live in closer geographical proximity to us. Friendship is dynamic; it may become deeper or fade as we enter different stages of the life course nonetheless as Pahl claims it does change meaning and functions throughout the life course. Patterns of people’s friendships throughout the life course are structured around, people’s social and economic circumstances which influence their opportunities for social involvement. Different aspects of structural location such as work situation and domestic situation alter during the life course and change the meaning and function of friendship’s. Friendship is also linked to broader social and economic factors, and individual’s immediate social environment influences who they come in contact with and thus who they build friendships with. Word Count: 1,575.

Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay Example for Free

Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay * Relate value systems and critical thinking to your sexual decision making before and after this course. * Describe the effect of environment and historical perspectives on your sexuality. * Discuss the development of your gender identity. * Analyze the effect of attraction and love in your relationships. * Discuss another topic of this course that is interesting and useful to you. Relate this topic to your life. When I first started this class I had no idea of what I was in for and then the first class took me back to when I was a young girl and had no clue about what I wanted or who. I never thought about boys much when I was in school and that made think maybe I was different than other girls, because they dated and I didn’t, was there something wrong with me or was I just waiting until I met the right person. I now know that I was just waiting for the right guy and the right time to even think about sex.I have learned in this class that even though I am not confused now that back then it was a normal thing to be confused and wonder if I was different. Back when I was young the fear of being different was about the only thing that we ever had to face (besides getting pregnant), I was raised Catholic and being different was and still is frowned upon, so when I would talk to my mother she would simply tell me that my body wasn’t ready and now after this class I can see that what she said was right, my body and my mind wasn’t ready to make that choice and when it was I knew what I wanted. That is still what a lot of the youth today have to face and understand, if their bodies are ready they have to make sure that they understand everything that goes along with being sexually active. The biggest thing that helped me understand my sexuality is that I grew up watching â€Å"Little House† and my parent’s, and also my grandparent’s. These things made me realize that I was meant to be with a man and to love only one person for life. I know that before I started dating I thought at one time that maybe I was meant to be with a girl not a boy, but then I went to church more often and after reading the bible (a lot) I was to be with a man if I wanted to be part of my family.  Even today if I was to be with a woman not my husband my family would never talk to me again. That is a lot for one person to have to deal with and that is what a lot of people have to deal with on a daily basis. I believe that if you want to be with the same sex then you should do what is going to make you happy, not everyone around you. In history if you laid down with the same sex as you everyone thought that you had something wrong with you and wanted you locked up, to make you change. I never wanted to be a problem for anyone, so I choose to do the right thing and go along with what everyone in my Catholic family told me that I should be like. I don’t regret it, but sometimes wonder if I gave in to easily and was too scared to be different. History has not been kind to people who are different and the same goes for people these days, if you’re different than them then they want to change you and make you like them. I was always told that I would go to hell if I ever even thought about women the way I was to think about a man, today I tell my daughters that if a women can make them happy and not hurt them then go ahead, I wish that that had been said to me. When I first started to date me only went out with people that I knew my parents wanted me to date, I never thought about being attracted to them or even interested in them. I know that being attracted to someone is one of the most important things when thinking of going out with them, but sometimes people do it (have sex) without thinking about it or any feeling at all. That is what I did for a long time and that took me some time to realize that I was onl y hurting myself and the men didn’t care why I was doing it. When I first fell in love with my husband we weren’t even dating, I met him at my sister’s and felt my heart beat faster every time he was around, that made me want to change for the better and the more I thought about him the more I wanted to be with only him. I know that love doesn’t always happen when you want it to or for whom you want, but it does happen. People I think need to be patient and kind to others and learn that putting yourself out there (so to speak) is the only way that you will realize that someone can love you and once you know that and learn to love yourself in spite of everything that has happened in the past, love is a wonderful thing and so is just being attracted to someone. Just knowing that my husband is going to be there no matter what I do or say gives me the sense of self that I can’t control. The topic that hit home really hard for me during this class was: Sexual Abuse  of Children. This hits home on two different levels, first I was abused as a child by my uncle and my grandfather. No one believed me and I felt completely alone and scared all the time. I do believe that this was one big factor on me not knowing who I was or what I wanted when I was the dating age (as my mother would say), I wouldn’t look or talk to any of the boys and got into fights with the girls, I always tried not to be home when my uncle had to watch us, but it never worked. So I ran away and that was when I started talking to someone who could help me deal with all the feeling that I was having. It took me (what seemed like forever) some time and at times even today I think about it and just want to cry, I still to this day don’t have anything to do with that uncle and never have forgiven him and never let him around any of my daughter’s. The second reason for this topic is that my daughter was raped when she was 15 and that brought up all of the feelings that I had as a young girl. I did everything that I could, I got her counseling and we pressed charges against the man who did it to her. She is doing some what alright,except she only wants to date a lot older men and started being sexually active shortly after that happened to her, she still has night terrors over it, but is getting the help that she needs and is talking more about it which is one of the best ways of dealing with childhood trauma. After taking this class my daughters and I are a lot closer because we talked about my assignments every week and they seem to want to talk to me more about what is going on with them. I never really talked to my mother about what I was feeling and that did more harm than good in my eyes. No day’s you have to be open and honest with young people and then maybe they will want to be open with you. Telling my girls that no matter what is going on with them I will always be there for them is the best thing that I could do for them. If there was one thing that I could change about the way that my thinking was before this class, it would be to be more open minded about things that I wonder about, like how can someone who has been with a man/women all there life’s change and flip it.I mean that I was always confused as to how someone would be gay,bi,and how did they know without a dought in their minds. I never really had any friends that were not straight and this class helped open my eye’s as to maybe why someone would be the way that they are without passing a bad thought about it.I’m really glad that I had the chance to get to know myself a little bit  better and understand a few other things that had me wondering.

The Distribution Channel And Market Analysis Marketing Essay

The Distribution Channel And Market Analysis Marketing Essay The project Study of the distribution channel and market analysis of the of the products distributed and marketed by Keventer Agro under the license of Parle Agro involves the study of the strategies undertaken by Keventer Agro to distribute and market products of Parle Agro which includes HIPPO and BAILEY PACKAGED DRINKING WATER and BAILEY SODA. Keventer Agro: The Company Keventer Agro Limited is a subsidiary of Keventer Group which has been operating years in the Food Processing Industry in India for more than 125 years. Keventer exports Alphonso Mango Pulp, Totapuri Mango Pulp, Guava Pulp, Sweetened Alphonso Mango Pulp, Mango Pickle, Sesame Seed, Cashew Nuts, Peanuts, Cumin Seed, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek, Coriander Seed, Bakery Ingredients, Fruit Jams, Tutti Fruiti, Red Chilies Button Mushrooms etc. to various countries. Keventer Agro Ltd. (KAL) was established in the year 1986. The division exports food products such as Mango Pulp, Guava Pulp, Sesame Seeds, and Bakery Ingredients to various customers across the globe. In no time, it earned the coronet of being the first to introduce aseptic packaging in the beverage category (a high-end packaging procedure that preserved the natural goodness of drinks in hygienic packs). The Group entered into a franchisee agreement with the food and beverage giant PARLE to manufacture, package, distribute and mark et its well-known brands namely FROOTI a popular mango drink, APPY and APPY FIZZ- the in-style apple drinks and BAILEY PACKAGED DRINKING WATER mostly in the eastern parts of India. In late 2010, Parle Agro inked another agreement with Keventer Agro to set up a plant at Barasat. This new unit manufactures Parle Agros snack brand Hippo. Besides manufacturing, Keventer is also responsible for marketing, sales and distribution of Hippo. Parle Agro chose to partner Keventer for their range of food brands which wÑ-ll hà Ã‚ µlÑâ‚ ¬ them to expand Hippos market share in the eastern part of India. Parle Agro: The Company Parle Agro is a household name in the beverages industry and has leading brands like Frooti, Appy, Appy Fizz and packaged drinking water, Bailley. A pioneer in the Indian industry, Parle Agro were the first to introduce fruit drinks in tetra packaging, first to introduce apple nectar and the first to introduce fruit drinks in PET bottles. In 2007, Parle Agro forayed into foods with the launch of two confectionery brands, Mintrox mints and Buttercup candies. This was soon followed by two more brands Buttercup Softease and Softease Mithai. Recent beverage products from Parle Agro include Saint Juice, LMN and Grappo Fizz. In 2009, Parle Agro forayed into snacks with the launch of Hippo, in line with the companys vision of becoming a major player in the foods and beverages industry. The snack brand Hippo, was launched in the western region starting with Maharashtra and then it was soon rolled out nationally. Parle Agro commenced operations in 1984. Starting with only beverages and diver sifying to include bottled water in 1993 and confectionery in 2007. Frooti was the first product that was rolled out of Parle Agro in 1985. It went on to become Indias favourite mango drink. It still has a leading market share. Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd operates under three business vertical Beverages fruit drinks, nectars, 100% Juice, sparkling drinks, Water Packaged Drinking Water and Foods confectionery, snacks Product Industry Overview HIPPO: Parle Agro forayed into snacks with the launch of Hippo, in line with the companys vision of becoming a major player in the foods and beverages industry. Hippo is a toasted bread snack. Its ingredients include wheat flour, edible vegetable oils, seasoning mix, corn starch, sugar, raising agent, milk solids, salt, emulsifier, yeast extract powder, instant yeast. It contains added natural color and added natural identical flavoring substances; but no added MSG, no GMO and no Trans Fat. It comes in two variant; Hippo Munchies and Hippo Round-Round. The Hippo Munchies comes in 7 flavors (Chinese Manchurian, Hot-n-Sweet Tomato, Thai Chilli, Yoghurt Mint Chutney, Italian Pizza, Indian Chatpata and Arabian Salted) and Hippo Round-Round comes in 5 flavors (Punjab Da Pickle, Gujrati Mango Chatni, Shillong Noodle Masala, Goan Butter and Garlic, Firangi Cheese n Spice). It is available in three sizes which are priced at Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20. Industry to which Hippo belongs: Hippo is a player of the snack food industry of India. The Indian snack industry is one of the largest when considered in the global level. With rising standard of living, people are more resorting to snacks items during breakfast, supper or any time; snacks most often take the place of meals. Right from production, using up, export and growth prospects owing to emerging markets, increasing demand, and incorporation of latest technologies, the snack industry in India has witnessed a dramatic change. Ready-to-eat foods, samosas, kachoris, namkeen, chips, are few of the snacks that are most preferred by Indians. Given the rising demand, the snack industry is going to witness further growth in the future. The snacks food industry in India can broadly be categorised into three segments staple (biscuits category), traditional (namkeens) and ready-to-eat packaged snacks (chips / crisps). The snack food market in India is $3 billion; with the organized segment accounting for almost half of the market share and growing at rate of 15 to 20 percent per year. A growing economy, changing lifestyles, rise in disposable incomes and preference for quality products of U.S. origin will continue to fuel growth of imported U.S. snack food items in India. As per an industry estimate, the branded and organized snack food segment dominated by major players such as Frito Lay, Con Agra, Kelloggs, Marico, Dabur, HLL, ITC, Parle, Haldirams, Nestle, Britannia, Cadbury, Bikano and Balaji is estimated to grow by 15 to 20 percent per year; whereas the growth of un-branded snack food is likely to grow modestly at 8 percent per year in the near future. Frito-Lay India led sweet and savory snacks with a retail value share of 46% in 2009. The companys Kurkure, Lehar and Lays Stax offerings have helped it to consolidate its leadership during the year. Haldiram Foods International Ltd and ITC Ltd remained the second and third ranked players respectively. Products like Hippo claim to be made from healthier ingredients than chips/crisps. With Indian consumers becoming more health conscious and more inquisitive about the ingredients in their food, sweet and savory snacks will witness an increase in products which are positioned as better for you and healthier snacks. BAILEY PACKAGED DRINKING WATER: Another product of Parle Agro that is managed by Keventer Agro. It is the first water brand to be issued an ISI certification and the first to launch special four-sided 200ml bottles catering to premium airlines like Jet Airways and British Airways. Bailey is available in 200ml, 300ml, 500ml, 1 ltr. 2 ltr. PET and 5 ltr., 20 ltr., 25 ltr. Jars. The target market is thirsty, hygiene conscious people and Hotel, Restaurant and Cafe (HORECA). Bailey the brand that is owned by Ramesh Chauhans brother Prakash Chauhan is very popular in the southern part of India Industry to which Bailley belongs: Indias bottled water industry is bubbling with a 25-30% growth each year. As the competition heats up, branding will become imperative in the commoditised Rs 1,100 crore market. There are more than 200 bottled water brands in India and among them nearly 80 per cent are local brands. In fact, making bottled water is today a cottage industry in the country. Leaving alone the metros, where a bottled-water manufacturer can be found even in a one-room shop, in every medium and small city and even some prosperous rural areas there are bottled water manufacturers. While India ranks in the top 10 largest bottled water consumers in the world, its per capita per annum consumption of bottled water is estimated to be five litres which is comparatively lower than the global average of 24 litres. Today it is one of Indias fastest growing industrial sectors. Between 1999 and 2004, the Indian bottled water market grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 per cent the highest in the world. The total annual bottled water consumption in India had tripled to 5 billion liters in 2004 from 1.5 billion liters in 1999. Global consumption of bottled water was nearing 200 billion liters in 2006. The market leader is Bisleri International, which boasts a 40 per cent share. It is followed by Coca- Cocas Kinley (around 25 per cent) and PepsiCos Aquafina (around 10 per cent). The top players in bottled water industry in India are the major international giants like Coca cola, Pepsi, Nestle and noticeable presence of national players like Mount Everest, Manikchand, Kingfisher, Mohan Meakins, SKN Breweries , Indian Railways so on. Almost all major national and international brands have taken a plunge. Parles Bisleri that virtually monopolised the bottled water market is now vying with Nestle, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Manikchand, UB and Britannia. According to a national-level study, there are close to 200 bottled water brands in India. Nearly 80 per cent of these are local brands. Bottled water is sold in a variety of packages right from 200 ml pouches and glasses, to 330 ml bottles, 500 ml bottles, to one-liter bottles and even 20- to 50-litre bulk water packs. In terms of cost the bottled water business in India can be divided broadly into three segments, premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water. BAILLEY SODA: It was first introduced way back in the year of 1998 but due to fierce competition from the local brands it could not sustain in the market. Parle has relaunched its soda. Parle Agro within renewed zeal has again introduced Soda with much better packaging and product. The product has a gas volume of 5.4% V/V of carbon dioxide compared to 4.5% V/V of carbon dioxide which makes it stronger followed by Grenade like label on the bottle. Objectives of the Project For HIPPO To execute a qualitative study on the trend of packaged snack industry To gauge the acceptance of baked and healthy-snacks To understand competitors strategy in the market To study the sales and distribution structure, pricing (both to the retailer and to the consumer) of Hippo and problems in those respected area. To develop marketing strategies for Hippo To analyze the markets and determine the factors responsible for sale of products and provide recommendations about the scope for improvement. To provide a statement of collective responses of the retailersand determine the scope for improvement in the distribution channel for the products and the problems faced by the retailers. To study the pattern of consumer behavior and their awareness towards HIPPO To find out the problems faced by HIPPO if any and suggest solution to address those problems For BAILLEY PACKAGED DRINKING WATER and SODA To find out the potential of bailey packaged drinking water and soda in the market To understand the bargaining power of the company in respect to the product To understand the retailers view about the products To find put the main competitors operating in the market To provide a statement of collective responses of the retailers and determine the scope for improvement in the distribution channel for the products and the problems faced by the retailers. To find out the problems faced by bailey packaged water and soda if any and suggest solution to address those problems To understand the market and suggest ways that would lead to increase in sales for bailey packaged drinking water and soda Project Methodology Primary Research is done through market survey. The research is mainly based on: Questionnaire Method Interview Method Observation Method Secondary Research has also been used as a supporting tool like: Some of the data related to holistic picture of the industry has been gathered from the data available on the internet M A I N T E X T Since the project revolves around two types of products distributed and marketed by Keventer Agro under the license of Parle Agro, work done so far involves both the products Hippo and Bailley packaged drinking water and soda. The initial phase constituted of mainly studying and analyzing the distribution channel of Hippo and doing a market analysis of the product with respect to pricing, competition, brand awareness and consumer behavior of Hippo. As per the objective of the project, two sets of questionnaire were prepared; For the retailer which aimed to assess the availability of Hippo, pricing of Hippo, sales, defect handling and some financial aspect of Hippo viz. its competitors and the other for the consumers. For the consumer which aimed to gauge awareness of the product and the brand, product acceptance, their choice of product and buying pattern. PHASE ONE Refer Annexure I for further details. This phase involved daily visits from the stock point to the designated markets. The markets covered were Salt Lake, Lake Town, S.K. Deb Road Market, Nagerbazar, Mrinalini Cinema Hall Market, New Market, Ultadanga, Kankurgachi, Bagmari, Beadon Street , Aurobindo Road and Vivekananda Road area, Shyambazar, Rajballavpara and Baghbazar. Every shop that kept branded snacks in the respective area was approached. The initial plan was to conduct the survey through questionnaire method but while performing the survey the method had to be changed to schedule, observation and interview method as it was not convenient for the retailers to fill up the questionnaire. Observations through observation method The visibility of Hippo and of competitors product Mode of storing Hippo and competitors i.e. whether it is on shelve or in the basket or inside almirah The location of the store i.e. whether it is beside main road or inside a lane or on a square Type of store Approximate demography Observations through schedule method was based on three perspectives About Hippo: Whether he keeps Hippo or not, if not the reason, its availability, reorder period, quality of defective product handling, margin offered, supply of banners and danglers. About Competitor: The competition brand kept, approximate margin they offer. About the market as a whole: The most selling brand. The interview methodology aimed to gain the intrinsic details of the market functions such as; if the retailers does not keep Hippo would he like to keep it afterward, the credit policy, frequency of visit of sales representative, retailers view on Hippos marketing strategy and scope of improvement. Findings by Area Area: Salt-Lake [KC block, Law College, Opposite of Hyatt Regency and some other places in Salt Lake] Sample size = 12 The distribution in the Salt Lake area is managed by Sonata Distribution. Survey was conducted on those shops where products were supplied by the company. Accompanying sales representative was Mr. Maiti who works for Sonata Distribution. Observations by observation method: The area Opposite of Hyatt is a kind of Slum. It is beside the main road. The area is not so developed. Most of the shops are very small but product visibility is relatively good as they suspend the chain of Hippo on rope supported by a bamboo structure. The area near by The NUJS Law College is quite polished but the shops are mostly of shack kind and are sparsely distributed. The visibility is good since they also suspend the chains of Hippo on the rope supported by a bamboo structure. KC block is quite dormant. Most of the shops are neither small nor large. Some of the shops were inside a residential complex. Observations by Schedule method: Every shop keeps Hippo. The reorder level is about a week. Most of the retailers are extremely satisfied with the supply and availability of Hippo. The product supplied are almost defect free otherwise it is replaced without much hassle. No banner or dangler is supplied to most of the retailers. They are not very satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo is neither too high nor too low. Small pack of Goan Butter and Garlic flavor sells the most. Few retailers are aware of the fact that Hippo is baked and not fried but none of the retailers pitch it while selling. Competitive brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Zengo, Kids Fun, Bingo. Bingo provides highest margin while Lays is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method: Some of the retailers demanded for hanger as they were finding it difficult to store the product. Other information: Retailer Scheme: With 12 pieces (a chain) of small pack Hippo, a small pack of Hippo is free With 18 pieces of medium pack Hippo, a 200ml Tetra pack Frooti is free With 34 pieces of medium pack of Hippo, two 200ml Tetra pack Frooti is free The sales representative (Mr. Maiti) shares a very good relationship with the retailers. The retailers respect him and trust him which is a prime requisite for the last mile distribution. Mode of transport: Light Commercial Vehicle (Auto). Area: From Nager Bazar towards Airport Gate no 1 Sample size = 12 The distribution in the Nager Bazar area is managed by Dazzle Infotech. It is a new distribution house. Earlier the distribution was done by some other house. The reason behind the change is that, the earlier distributor could not perform. Survey was conducted on those shops where products were supplied by the company. Accompanying sales representative was Mr. Sukalpa who works for Dazzle Infotech Observations by observation method: Proper Nagerbazar is quite busy but while moving towards Airport Gate no 1, the area became quieter and less developed. Factories like Jessop Coach Works, Ordnance factory, His Masters Voice(HMV) lies on the area of research. Most of the shops in the proper Nagerbazar area are neither large nor small but the shops towards airport gate no 1 were smaller and some were of the kind of shack. Product visibility is not so as very few hangers have been supplied by the Keventer. However some shops manage to display Hippo by using competitors hanger. Observations by Schedule method: Most of the shops keep Hippo. The reorder level is about a week. All the retailers are extremely satisfied with the supply and availability of Hippo. The products supplied are mostly defect free otherwise it is replaced without much hassle. No banner or dangler is supplied to most of the retailers. They are not very satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo is on the upper crest. Small pack of Punjab Da Pickle flavor sells the most. Few retailers are aware of the fact that Hippo is baked and not fried but none of the retailers pitch it while selling. Competition brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Bingo, Mukhorochok Potato Chips, Lehar, Haldirams, Parle (Products). Lays provides highest margin and is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method Most of the retailers demanded for hanger as they were finding it difficult to display the product. A product lot, that was supplied about six months before was defective. It has had a negative impact on the brand image and perception of Hippo among the retailers. Some retailers complained about defective products that were supplied by the earlier distributor were not replaced. Retailers are quite confused of multiple distributor, multiple division policy. Most of the retailers were seeking for credit policy and some of them even said that if credit policy is not made available then it would be difficult for them to sell Hippo anymore. Other information: Retailer Scheme: With 12 pieces (a chain) of small pack Hippo, a small pack of Hippo is free With 18 pieces of medium pack Hippo, a 200ml Tetra pack Frooti is free With 34 pieces of medium pack of Hippo, two 200ml Tetra pack Frooti is free The sales representative (Mr. Sukalpa) is very hard-working but straight. He is not allowed to go beyond the schemes as per the order of his firms proprietor, Mr.Saikat Das. The proprietor believes that if retailers are supplied beyond the schemes provided, then it would work initially but in the long run it would dilute the brand bargaining power. Mode of transport: Van rickshaw Area: Lake Town Sample size = 11 The distribution in the Lake Town area is managed by JDP Enterprise. Survey was conducted on all the shops that kept branded snacks. No accompanying sales representative was present with us. Observations by observation method: Lake town is quite busy and is a considerably a large market. The area has school, movie theater, departmental stores, large branded showroom etc. Most of the shops in the Lake Town area are on larger side but shops towards S K Deb lane were smaller. S K Deb lane also had a fish market sort of market. Product visibility is very good for competitors brand. Parle Chips can be found outside every shop with very good product arrangement and orientation. Observations by Schedule method: Only 27% of the sample keeps Hippo and 36% of the sample used to keep Hippo. The reorder level is about a week. All the retailers are more or less satisfied with the supply and availability of Hippo. The products supplied are mostly defect free otherwise it is replaced without much hassle. No banner or dangler is supplied to any of the retailers. They are not satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo was initially high but currently it is low. Small pack of Punjab Da Pickle and Gujrati Mango Chutney flavor sells the most. Only 27% retailers are aware of the fact that Hippo is baked and not fried and none of the retailers pitch it while selling. Competition brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Bingo, Haldirams, Parle (Products), Apna, Pogo. Lays provides highest margin and is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method Most of the retailers demanded for hanger as they were finding it difficult to display the product. A product lot, that was supplied about six months before was defective. It has had a negative impact on the brand image and perception of Hippo among the retailers. Some retailers complained about defective products that were supplied by the earlier distributor were not replaced. Credit facility is provided to some of the select retailers. One of the shop doesnt keep Hippo because the opposite shop gets credit facility but he does not. It hampers the morale of the retailer. Most of the retailer said that nobody demands for Hippo. They would only keep Hippo when its market become stable. Many of the retailers said that nobody approached from the Company( Keventer). Out of 36% of retailers who use to keep Hippo, many of the retailers said that they does not keep Hippo because of its low sales. Area: New Market Sample size = 17 The distribution in the Lake Town area is managed by Haji Enterprise. Survey was conducted on all the shops that kept branded snacks. No accompanying sales representative was present with us. Observations by observation method: New market is one of the most popular markets of Kolkata. It is mostly dominated by hawkers but one can find any segment of shops starting from branded franchise, mall, large retail and even grey/black market peddler. As it is not a residential area, snacks are usually bought by impulse. As most of the shops are small, their shelve space is limited. So they keep the most selling brands on the shelve. Moreover competitor brands flood their product in to their shelve leaving no space for Hippo. Observations by Schedule method: None of the shops keep Hippo currently. However 35% of the shops use to keep Hippo previously. 47% of the shops were not approached by Keventer. Some of the shops that use to keep Hippo earlier had reorder period of about a week and some a month. Retailers are not at all satisfied with the supply of Hippo. Some of the products that were supplied earlier had defect and were not replaced properly. No banner or dangler is supplied to any of the retailers. They are not satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo was always low. The most selling flavor could not be gauged. Only one of the retailers was aware of the fact that Hippo is baked and not fried but he did not pitch it while selling. Competition brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Bingo, Haldirams, Peppy. Lays provides highest margin and is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method Few retailers are ready to keep Hippo if approached by the company. Supply has been halted for six months during the transition period of distributor re-appointment. Some retailers complained of poor quality product. Credit facility was not provided to any of the retailers. Most of the retailers would keep Hippo after the product is demanded by consumers. Out of 35% of retailers who use to keep Hippo, some of the retailers said that they does not keep Hippo because of its low sales and some said nobody came from the company after one or two consignments i.e. no follow up. Area: Ultadanga, Bagmari, Kankurgachi and Murari Pukur Sample size = 25 The distribution in the Lake Town area is managed by Sree Laxmi Distributor. Survey was conducted on all the shops that kept branded snacks. No accompanying sales representative was present with us. Observations by observation method: Proper Ultadanga and Kankurgachi is very busy with lines of shops of different sizes. Most of the shops are on the larger side. The market is very developed. Many offices and residential complexes are present in Ultadanga, Kankurgachi area. They are prime location and connects to different parts of Kolkata. However Bagmari has a slum and Murari Pukur is not so developed. Visibility of the product in the shops are good in all the areas. However Observations by Schedule method: Only 16% of the shops keep Hippo currently. However 32% of the shops use to keep Hippo previously. Some of the shops that use to keep Hippo earlier had reorder period of about a week and some a month. Most of the retailers are not at all satisfied with the supply of Hippo. Some of the products had defect and were not replaced properly. No banner or dangler is supplied to any of the retailers. They are not satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo was on the upper side. Most selling flavor is Punjab Da Pickle. Very few retailers were aware of the nutrition fact of Hippo but none of the pitch it while selling it. Competition brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Bingo, Haldirams, Peppy, Pik-Nik, Timbakto, Ringa-Ring, Simba and local pouched snacks. Lays provides highest margin and is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method Few retailers are ready to keep Hippo if approached by the company. Supply has been halted for some couple of months. The reason is not known. Many of the retailers does not keep Hippo because of the competition brand that floods their product into the shelve, leaving no shelve space for Hippo. One of the retailer said that he does not keep Hippo because the sales representative was rude to him. Some of the retailer said that they might keep Hippo if they are being supplied by rack and basket because of both; lack of space and trouble created by mice. Credit facility was not provided to any of the retailers. Many of the shops were never approached by the company. In those shops when asked if they interested to keep Hippo, most of them had a positive gesture. Area: Shyambazar and its neighboring areas Sample size = 53 The distribution in the Lake Town area is managed by Baba Taraknath Agency. Survey was conducted on all the shops that kept branded snacks. No accompanying sales representative was present with us. Observations by observation method: The area is very clean and organized with wide roads and greenery. The area has a touch of tradition and is one of the oldest modest areas of Kolkata. The kiosks of the shops are small but has a greater depth. The area is not that busy but lively. The shopkeepers are very well-behaved and some of them even offered some valuable suggestions. The area has got everything starting from school, movie theater, pilgrimage etc. Shops with local pouched snacks as sole product can be found. Pogo Chips has good penetration and is visible in many shops. Observations by Schedule method: 47% of the shops keep Hippo currently. However 20% of the shops use to keep Hippo previously. There is nothing definite about the reorder period the shops. For some shop the reorder peroid is a week, some fortnight and some even a month Most of the retailers are quite satisfied with the supply of Hippo. Some of the products had defect and were not replaced properly. No banner or dangler is supplied to most of the retailers. Only 1 shop had a rack. They are not satisfied with the margin offered by Hippo. The demand for Hippo was on the lower side. Most selling flavor is Punjab Da Pickle. Considerably more retailers are aware of the nutrition fact of Hippo but none of the pitch it while selling it. Competition brands are Lays, Kur-kure, Cheetos, Bingo, Haldirams, Pogo, Nabadeep, Apna, Max-G, Tofo, Keka, Mukhorochok, Pringle, Tofo, Sony, Timbakto, Zeng and local pouched snacks. Local pouched snack and Pogo provides highest margin but Lays is the most selling brand. Observations by interview method They said the schemes provided by Lays is better. Lays has scheme that if they can sell Frito-Lay product of Rs 10000/month then they would get cash rebate on further purchase and gifts. Some said that the Hippo as a product is poor. Its just a toasted bread sprinkled with spices. Its wont suffice upto the expectation and taste of the consumer The sell goes up when the schools are open. Most of them complained about the cash policy of Hippo. One of the retailer said that his shelve space is limited and he would only the best selling products and more-over Hippo doesnt provide either great margin or credit facility and moreover nobody demands for it. So he doesnt find it feasible to keep Hippo.

Electricity Generation Essay -- Energy Fossils Electical Environment P

Electricity is a secondary form of energy, the primary being fossil fuels, which are used to generate it. The world’s production of electricity was twelve trillion kilowatt hours in 1997, and is expected to be close to twenty-one trillion kilowatt hours by 2020. (Fay and Golomb, 2002, 16) This is a cause of concern because based on the United States Department of Energy’s International Energy Outlook 1997 the world’s electricity generation is primarily (63%) from fossil fuels, which release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burned. The unnatural amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is already beginning to make some changes in our weather patterns, and predictions for the future look grim. Therefore, alternatives in electricity generation must be explored. In order to be able to take alternative electricity generation techniques into consideration, one must know the basics about how electricity is generated. The generation of electricity is usually done in a power plant of sorts and then sent out over the power grid to homes. The employment of step up transformers that convert the twelve kilovolts normally outputted by the power plant, into four hundred kilovolts for long range transmission over high voltage transmission lines are critical to insure minimal power loss during transport. (Urone, 2001, 573) A step down transformer is then used to bring the voltage down to levels that are safe for home use, thirteen kilovolts over normal power lines, and two hundred forty volts or one hundred twenty volts (Europe and United States respectively) to the actual home. The actual driving force behind electric powered appliances is electric current. Electricity is merely electric current used as a ... ...logy, could take off in the future. Of course, as with any type of technology, each method does have it’s own list of pros and cons. However, one thing is for sure, the current trend calls for fossil fuels to continue their domination of the energy market, which poses severe environmental risks for the future. Advancements in research and technology are making people more aware of the dangers that lie ahead. The time is now to demand a responsible energy policy from the government, in hopes of a brighter tomorrow. List of Sources: Fay A., James and Golomb S., Dan. 2002. Energy and the Environment. Oxford University Press, New York. Ristinen A., Robert and Kraushar J., Jack. 1999.Energy and the Environment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Urone Peter, Paul. 2001. College Physics, 2nd ed. Wadsworth Group. Brooks/Cole. Thomson Learning, Inc., New York.

Dame Lyonet and Dame Lyonesse :: Morte Darthur Lyonet Lyonesse Essays

Dame Lyonet and Dame Lyonesse Dame Lyonet was first mentioned in the book, Le Morte Darthur, which has many tales about the Arthurian time. Dame Lyonet was mentioned in the tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney. In this tale Lyonet was sent to find a noble knight to rescue her sister from the Red Knight of the Red Launds.When she came to King Arthur’s court to ask of such a knight to aid her, a man to the name of Sir Beaumains asked to be the one to rescue the sister of Lyonet. At this point of the tale Sir Beaumains was considered to be not as noble as Lyonet had wanted. Beaumains wouldn’t leave her on her journey back to her sister. Lyonet kept referring to Beaumains as a kitchen knave from King Arthur’s court and would give him no respect as a knight. Throughout the journey Beaumains would not reveal his true identity and Lyonet kept wishing him gone. She would tell all of the knights that they came across in their journey what kind of man he was and taunt them to get them to fight. Every time Beaumains would win. Finally Beumains overcame the Red knight of the Red Launds and saved Lyonet’s sister, Dame Lyonesse. Once Lyonesse was freed she fell madly in love w ith Beaumains and wanted to be with him. Everytime Lyonesse would sneak into the room to â€Å"be with† Beaumains Lyonet would send a knight into the room and to do great harm to Beaumains so that they could not do the things they were trying to do. Lyonet never trusted Beaumains to be a truly noble knight until his name was revealed and his lineage was known. This tale reveals much about who Lyonet was and what she did. Lyonet was a strong-willed woman who went through great deal to save her sister from not only the Red Knight but also from doing things with Beaumains before they were married. She wasn’t very trusting with people she came across and did not believe them to be what they said. Although Beaumains tried in many ways to prove himself it took many trials to prove he was a noble knight to Lyonet. She had strong feelings about what she wanted from men, herself and for her sister. She settled for nothing but the best. Lyonet was know as the woman who called Sir Gareth the kitchen knave while he was doing her great honor by following her to save her sister.

The Development of Object Permanence Essay -- Piaget Psychology Psycho

The Development of Object Permanence I never realized when I played Peek-A-Boo with different infants in my family, that I was teaching them one of the most valuable lessons in their life. I just thought it was a game that infants liked to play and it made them laugh. I didn’t know that this was so funny to them because they were fascinated with the fact that for one moment I wasn’t there and a moment later I popped back up. Little did I know I was teaching them one of their most important accomplishments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adults and older children never give a second thought to the fact that when something disappears out of sight that it still exists. It never crosses our minds to think about when exactly did the ability to â€Å"just know†develop. If something ceases to exist that was once right in someone’s hand right before our eyes we think we must be at a magic show. However, people don’t know that when they were an infant they had to develop the knowledge that when you don’t see something it still exists on earth. Technically, infants must be looking at a magic show everyday for months.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Piaget coined the term object permanence in 1954 to describe the understanding that objects continue to exist, even when they cannot be directly seen, heard or touched. While conducting an experiment on his son as Piaget often did he found that his son did not reach for a toy that he had hidden with a cover. Piaget took that to mean that his son must not know that they toy exists anymore. When Piaget started these experiments to test this phenomenon light bulbs lit up in the heads of developmental psychologists around the world as they probably said to themselves,†I never thought about that before†. Since the emergence of the idea of object permanence many psychologists have conducted experiments to either prove or disprove Piaget’s theory. Experiments to test the development of this phenomenon have been conducted for decades and continue to be a topic that many developmental psychologists study.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his book written in 1954 Piaget stated that â€Å"for young infants objects are not permanent entities that exist continuously in time but instead are transient entities that cease to exist when they are no longer visible and begin to exist anew when they come back into view.† He proposed the notion that infants do not begin to understand the object of object p... ...d they continue to hear it for years to come. However, that still doesn’t explain to me why infants find the game of Peek-A-Boo so amusing. After all this research I’m starting to think that they laugh and say to themselves inside their heads, â€Å"look a this fool, she thinks I don’t know she’s there when she covers her face. What a joke she is.† References Baillargeon, R. (1994). How do infants learn about the physical world? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3, 133-140. Baillergeon, R., Spelke, E., & Wasserman, S. (Aug, 1985). Object permanence in five-month-old infants. Cognition, 20(3), 191-208. Baillargeon, R., & DeVos, J. (1991). Object permanence in 3.5 and 4.5-month-old infants: further evidence. Child Development, 62, 1227-1246. Baillargeon, R., & Graber, M. (1987). Where’s the rabbit? 5.5 month-old infants’ representation of the height of a hidden object. Cognitive Development, 2, 375-392. Jonsson, B., & von Hofsten, C. (2003). Infants’ ability to track and reach for temporary occluded objects. Developmental Science, 6(1), 86-99. Siegler, R., & Alibali, M. (2005). Children’s Thinking Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall Inc. Upper Saddle River NJ.

Does the Internet Make You Dumber Essay

A psychologist, Patricia Greenfield has reviewed studies in our cognitive abilities from which Carr claims demonstrates we are becoming â€Å"shallower† (Carr 2010, p. w1). Carr refers to two specific examples. An experiment at Cornwell University, this was a small survey conducted in a classroom, the number of pupils was not documented in the article. Another experiment conducted at Stanford University with the conclusion being heavy multi-taskers were not effective at multi-tasking, as everything became a distraction. The more the person multi-tasks the more easily distracted and ‘had less control over their attention’. This experiment was more comprehensive. To back up claims that the internet changes the way we think, Carr refers to an experiment done on primates in the 1970s and 1980s. The test seems extensive on how quickly our brains circuits responce can change based on our can experience. This doesn’t talk about how quickly the brain can therefore revert back when needed for more reflective activities such as when reading a book. Carr assumes that the increased level of visual-spatial intelligence needed for fast internet usage is a negative. Carr hasn’t considered the effectiveness the increased spatial intelligence gives its user in other areas of technological advancement that require this skill set. Carr assumes that the internet is the main reason for people becoming distracted and therefore having low cognitive abilities, Carr’s studies don’t include how distractions can come in all forms not just pop ups and advertisements on a computer screen. He further assumes the classroom experiment revealing the internet didn’t help the learners is typical for all internet users. Undeniably Carr is right in his notions of the internet being an easy distraction; multi-tasking and prioritising are learnt skills and ones that are undeniably tested by the internets powers of distraction. In our increasingly fast paced world multitasking is a necessary for survival, and therefore will continue to be a required skill for our future. Multitasking is needed in all facets of life making the skill a valuable one. References Carr, N 2010, ‘Does the internet make you dumber? , The Wall Street Journal p W1

Cineplex Entertainment – Loyalty Programs

S w 9B08A008 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT: THE LOYALTY PROGRAM Renee Zatzman wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Kenneth G. Hardy solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2008, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2009-05-15 INTROD UCTION Sarah Lewthwaite, marketing director for Cineplex Entertainment, was approached by chief executive officer (CEO) Ellis Jacob in August 2006 to resume the development of a loyalty program.The movie industry yielded inconsistent revenues each year, and Jacob wanted to increase and stabilize Cineplex’s revenues. As chair of the Loyalty Steering Committee (the committee), Lewthwaite was scheduled to present her recommendations to the committee the following week. She would need to make a persuasive argument that included recommendations on program development, the reward structure and the type of promotional campaign that would be most effective under the existing budget constraints. Finally, she needed to suggest whether the rogram should launch regionally or nationally. Her recommendations would be reviewed by senior Cineplex executives to ensure that the recommendations aligned with their criteria. CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT Cineplex Entertainment (Cineplex) was founded in 1979 as a small chain of movie theaters under the Cineplex Odeon name. In 2003, under the direction of Onex Corporation, a Canadian private equity firm that held a major ownership claim in the company, Cineplex merged with Galaxy Entertainment Inc. (Galaxy). The CEO of Galaxy, Ellis Jacob, took over the newly merged company.In late 2005, Cineplex Galaxy acquired its largest competitor, Famous Players, and became Cineplex Entertainment — Canada’s largest film exhibitor. With a box-office market share of 64 per cent, the chain enjoyed approximately 40 million visits per year under the Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players and Cinema City brands. 1 Cineplex’s corporate mission focused on offering movie-goers â€Å"an exceptional entertainment experience. † In addition to seeing a movie, customers could eat at various branded concession counters or play in the arcade.In 2005, Cineplex expanded its strategy to focus on developing new markets, using the theate rs’ 1 Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report,http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/Annual%20Report% 202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 2 9B08A008 large screens to showcase live events, such as major hockey games, wrestling matches and the Metropolitan Opera. These events contributed greatly to Cineplex’s success, which was measured primarily on customer traffic and revenue per guest (RPG), which was in turn composed of box-office and concession revenues.In 2005, weak box-office attendance throughout the movie theater industry had affected Cineplex’s operating performance (see Exhibit 1 for Cineplex’s income statements for 2003, 2004 and 2005). Following the acquisition of Famous Players in 2005, Cineplex executives adjusted the pricing and products in the food and beverage concessions in 2006. With these moves, Cineplex was able to increase its average box-office RPG to $7. 73 and its average concession RPG to $3. 44 (see Exhi bit 2).A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY Like the entire industry, Cineplex faced variable attendance levels depending on the crop of new movies. Additionally, RPG fluctuated based on the film genre. Cineplex executives knew that audiences for actionthemed and children’s movies purchased a high volume of concession items, which typically resulted in a higher RPG than dramas. From these viewing patterns, Cineplex executives were able to distinguish the groups of customers that were particularly valuable.However, with no actual link to individual customers, they faced challenges targeting customers for specific movies and special events. Although market research was helpful on an aggregate level, Cineplex executives wanted to link box-office and concession purchases to a particular customer. Senior executives were supportive of Lewthwaite and the committee collecting this information through a customer relationship management program. FILM EXHIBITION The first Canadian film screening took p lace in 1896, in Montreal, Quebec, and the earliest cinema opened in 1906. Attending the cinemas, also known as theaters, became a popular social activity; by the 1930s, a variety of independent and studio-owned theaters competed for customer attention. In 1979, Canada’s first 18-theater multiplex opened in Toronto, Ontario, with several other multiplexes following in subsequent years. After a series of consolidations, by 2005, only three major theater companies existed in the Canadian movie and event exhibition market. To showcase films, theaters required licensing from distributors who purchased rights from the production studios.The licensing agreement stipulated the â€Å"box-office split,† also known as the percentage of proceeds that the theater received from a given film over a specified duration. Although both parties were mutually dependent, distributors held the balance of power and theaters relied heavily on concession revenues, of which they retained 100 pe r cent of the receipts. The margins on customers’ purchases of concession treats and beverages were 65 per cent on average. 3 Table 1 (below) shows one way of characterizing the motivations and frequency of movie-going behavior according to various age segments. Marcus Robinson, â€Å"A History of Film Exhibition in Canada,† Playback: Canada's Broadcast and Production Journal (2005), accessed December 30, 2007. 3 Janet Wasko, How Hollywood Works, Sage Publications, London, 2003. Page 3 9B08A008 Table 1 OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOTIVATIONS AND FREQUENCY OF MOVIE ATTENDANCE BY AGE Frequency, reasons for attendance* Age Segment Labels 13-15 â€Å"Teenagers† 16-19 â€Å"Young Adults† 20-24 â€Å"Young Working† Medium (Special Movies) High (Routine) 36-54 â€Å"Older Families† X Low (Special Events) 25-35 â€Å"Young Families† 55+ â€Å"Retirees† X X X X X These observations were drawn from an independent focus group study conducted in 2 003. â€Å"Teenagers† — Teenagers use the movie theatre and arcade for social gatherings because locations are accessible and movie-viewing is considered by parents to be an appropriate social activity. They are among the highest frequency of visitors. â€Å"Young Adults† — This segment has access to a variety of other social venues because they can drive. Some in this segment are still in high school and others are post-secondary students; this segment visits theatres with high frequency. Young Working† — This segment has disposable income and they combine movies with socializing at other venues such as bars and restaurants. This segment has a high frequency of movie visits. â€Å"Young Families† — This segment struggles to balance family and work-related obligations; they take their children to special movies occasionally. â€Å"Older Families† — With a busy work and family life and varying interests within the h ousehold, older families attend theatres only for special events, and seldom attend as a family unit. Retirees† — This segment has significant free time to attend movies. They attend movies at a medium frequency. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) Customer relationship management (CRM) is a marketing approach in which a company collects individual purchasing information to improve its ability to understand and respond to customer desires and buying patterns. The information is typically stored in a central database from which the company managers can analyse trends and the purchasing behavior of particular market segments.A better understanding of customers enables organizations to develop targeted campaigns to increase marketing effectiveness, such as restructuring its products and services. For Cineplex, a CRM program could also be Page 4 9B08A008 used to share valuable information with concession suppliers and movie distributors. Through the sharing of this infor mation, partners would be better able to develop products for Cineplex’s customer base. Although several mechanisms were available to collect customer information, the most frequently used systems were point-of-sale systems, which scanned barcodes on wallet-sized cards or key chains.A recent trend for CRM programs was to offer incentives such as discounts or points that could be collected and redeemed for merchandise in return for the customer’s permission for the company to collect data on the customer’s buying habits. Among the Canadian companies following this trend were Shoppers Drug Mart with the Optimum card program, Air Canada with the Aeroplan rewards program and Office Depot and Boston Pizza which both participated in the Flight Miles card campaign. CREATING LOYALTY Even with 65 per cent market share in Canada, Cineplex had to aggressively compete for customer attention.Ongoing film piracy, rental movies, concerts and sporting events, combined with inco nsistent box-office revenues encouraged Cineplex managers to explore ways to increase customer spending and frequency, particularly within the lucrative 16- to 24-year-old segment. Before merging with Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy Entertainment had established the Galaxy Elite card, which offered customers the opportunity to accumulate points toward free movie viewing. Although the program had no CRM capabilities, it had been successful in driving customer traffic.During the merger with Cineplex, the program had been disbanded and Galaxy’s customer traffic had promptly waned. In a survey of Cineplex customers in May and June 2005, 95 per cent of respondents stated they were interested in joining a movie rewards program (see Exhibit 3). In 2004, a steering committee composed of different department representatives was established to investigate CRM opportunities for Cineplex. After being put on hold during the acquisition of Famous Players, the committee was anxious to move forward i n investigating a joint loyalty/CRM program.Senior managers had several concerns, primarily regarding data control and ownership, which would be relevant if the program were disbanded. Another criterion concerned resource requirements; a program this size would be a costly investment and would likely require new employees to manage it. Lewthwaite would need to prove that it was a worthy financial investment. Finally, the committee needed to consider the length of time required to establish a new database because most committee members believed that conclusive information on customer behavior could be drawn only from a minimum of 500,000 members.Further, although they thought that an investment in such a program could be largely beneficial for Cineplex, if implemented poorly, the organization’s image and its ability to deliver customer value could suffer widespread harm. Lewthwaite knew that although the following partner options might not meet all the committee’s crite ria, she had to evaluate the most important considerations. LOYALTY PARTNER OPTIONS Internal Development Under this option, Cineplex managers would develop and operate the program; they would then know their brand best and would have complete control over the direction of the program and the data ownership.However, the organization would incur the entire cost estimated at $5. 5 million in the first year with diminishing costs in subsequent years. The company would also be fully exposed to the financial risk of unredeemed points and could face difficulty in divesting the program if it proved unsuccessful; a new Page 5 9B08A008 department would need to be created to manage the exit of the program. This option would also require a new database, which, depending on promotional effectiveness, could take several years to create.However, because of the unlimited data access and control, this option appealed to several members of the committee. Flight Miles Partnership With 72 per cent of C anadian households as active members, Flight Miles was the top Canadian loyalty program. 4 This program gave cardholders the opportunity to earn leisure and travel rewards by purchasing products at various retailers across the country. Flight Miles executives viewed Cineplex as an opportunity to increase its youth membership, and their executives approached Cineplex executives to propose a special joint program.In this program, traditional Flight Miles cards would be used to collect points. Supplementary key tags would be issued for movie customers who opted to receive additional member benefits and rewards. Although the key tags might confuse other existing Flight Miles members, the proposal seemed to offer numerous benefits to Cineplex, including immediate entrance into a database of seven million people. Cineplex would also have the opportunity to access data from other Flight Miles partners, which would be beneficial in targeting specific retail buyers for niche films.Lewthwaite estimated that access to the Flight Miles program would cost Cineplex yearly fees of approximately $5 million. Cineplex would also be required to pay $0. 09 for each point issued. Lewthwaite thought users of the program would expect each movie transaction to be worth a minimum of 10 Flight Miles points. Cineplex would also be required to pay each time it accessed the data, which Flight Miles would own. A commitment of three years would be required, and if Cineplex decided to leave the program, it would lose all access to accumulated data.Lewthwaite recognized that Cineplex would be required to adhere to the partnership’s decisions; no easy out was available if she did not like some aspect of the program after they signed the deal. To make the proposal more attractive, Flight Miles executives offered to contribute $250,000 to launch a Cineplex-designed and -initiated marketing campaign. Scotiabank Proposal Just as Lewthwaite and her committee sat down to examine the two optio ns in further detail, Scotiabank executives approached Cineplex as a potential loyalty partner. The bank had a relationship with Cineplex derived from earlier corporate sponsorships.As one of the Big Five banks in Canada, Scotiabank offered a diverse range of financial services, including domestic banking, wholesale banking and wealth management. Through 950 branches, Scotiabank served approximately 6. 8 million Canadians in 2005. 5 Because banks competed in an intensely competitive marketplace, many banks aligned their brands with sporting events, venues and other companies through corporate sponsorship. Scotiabank executives were interested in acquiring new youth accounts and increasing overall transactions, so they viewed a partnership with Cineplex as a means to achieve their objectives while sharing financial risk.Scotiabank, which had prior experience with data management companies through its gold credit card program, proposed 50-50 cost-sharing. In return for partnering on t he program, Scotiabank expected naming rights on three major theaters and an exclusivity agreement for Scotiabank bank machines in all Cineplex theaters. 4 5 â€Å"Air Miles Rewards Program,† http://www. loyalty. com/what/airmiles/index. html. accessed November 2, 2007. Scotiabank, 2005 Annual Report, http://cgi. scotiabank. com/annrep2005/en/rbl_ov. html, accessed February 10, 2008. Page 6 9B08A008Scotiabank proposed a three-card rewards strategy. The basic reward card would be Cineplex-branded and used at theaters; the Scotiabank debit and credit cards would act as reward accelerators that accumulated additional points based on customers’ purchasing habits. Any Scotiabank debit- or credit-card user enrolled in this program would be issued the Cineplex card, and holders of basic Cineplex theater cards would not be required to open an account at Scotiabank. Lewthwaite considered that the multiple card system might discourage some customers who disliked carrying additio nal cards.Secondly, because it would be a 50-50 partnership, Cineplex’s decision-making power would be constrained, and the direction of the program would be subject to mutual agreement. Also, owing to privacy laws, Cineplex executives would not be able to access individual-level banking information on the Scotiabank program users, data that might be helpful in targeting specific retail consumers. However, this program could be promoted in theaters and bank branches across the country. The costs to develop and maintain Cineplex’s portion of the partnership were estimated to be $3 million, $1. million and $1. 9 million in years 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Lewthwaite had to fully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of each proposal and weigh them against Cineplex’s criteria before recommending which partner to select. She also acknowledged other options were available beyond those that were presented. She knew that this decision could not be made without an alysing the potential reward structure of the program because the committee would expect a detailed net benefit analysis to support her recommendation. STRUCTURING THE REWARD PROGRAMLewthwaite believed it was essential to create a program that would appeal to customers. However, creating a program with valuable and easy-to-gain rewards might be too costly to carry out for an extended period of time. If Cineplex went forward with the Flight Miles partnership, an offer of 10 Flight Miles points per transaction would be required to align with cardholder expectations and could be supplemented with Cineplex discounts. If Cineplex went forward with other loyalty partnerships, it would have full design control over the reward structure of the program.Points could be earned based on box-office transactions, concession transactions, or both. The points could then be used towards movies and concession items. Determining the number and value of points to be given per transaction and the requir ed price per transaction were aspects that Lewthwaite needed to determine. She also needed to decide on the number of points required for particular rewards and whether different reward levels should be created. Among the other options, Cineplex could reward cardholders with a permanent discount on theater tickets or concession items (or both) or possibly provide first access to special events.If Lewthwaite went forward with free or discounted movies and concession items, she would need to estimate the extent to which she would be rewarding customers who would have attended without being offered any rewards,6 the so-called cannibalization rate (see Exhibit 4). To determine the other potential revenues, Lewthwaite needed to perform a sensitivity analysis around any increases in the concession RPG, which she hoped might increase by five to 15 per cent for loyalty program members. She also had the option of charging a nominal one-time or annual membership fee of $2 to $5.Finally, as wi th any loyalty point program, Lewthwaite knew that only 40 per cent of earned points would be redeemed annually. She drafted a preliminary list of four unique reward structures she thought could be effective, but was unsure which, if any, would maximize customer appeal through retail value while minimizing costs (see Exhibit 5). 6 Cannibalization refers to the number of free visits redeemed that would have been paid visits in the absence of a loyalty program. Page 7 9B08A008 SELECTING THE DATABASE VENDORIf a recommendation were made to move forward with program development, the committee would need to select a database vendor to manage customer data and the e-communication site. This vendor would need strong website design capabilities and a technology platform that could collect a variety of data on Cineplex’s customers. Because Canada had only a few such vendors, Cineplex released a request for proposal (RFP) to three major companies: Alpha, Kappa, and Gamma. Each company r esponded with a unique proposal for the project (see Exhibit 6). THE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNCineplex executives wanted to enroll 500,000 customers per year for the first three years in any loyalty program, After the first year, she believed the data bank would be large enough to derive meaningful customer information, and the organization could then focus on customer retention. To meet these targets, Cineplex would need to build substantial awareness of the program, particularly in markets where the Galaxy Elite card had previously existed. Launching the loyalty card would also require a marketing campaign to fit a variety of geographic markets, including Quebec, a province whose official language was French.Lewthwaite had a budget of $300,000, and she needed to make some creative decisions, including the name of the program, the marketing message to customers and the media to be used to deliver the message. In-Theater Advertising In 2005, Cineplex served 5. 3 million uniq ue visitors annually with an average of 7. 5 visits per guest. No costs were associated with in-theater advertising, and Lewthwaite knew it was an excellent way to reach the market but she was unsure which media would be most effective without overwhelming movie-goers.The program could be promoted on concession products, point-of-purchase displays, backlit posters or on the website. The program could also be advertised to a captive audience via the digital pre-show or during the presentation of upcoming attractions. Newspaper Advertising Lewthwaite wondered whether the target market would respond to regional newspaper advertisements. She knew that the committee was opposed to advertising in a national newspaper, such as the Globe and Mail, because it did not have strong reach in every market in which Cineplex operated.However, Cineplex was accustomed to promoting events through half-page ads in regional papers. Although this option would be more costly than advertising solely in a n ational paper, several more movie-going markets could be reached. The average weekly cost per half-page ad in the small to medium markets was $1,200, and $3,600 for larger markets, with a development cost of $850 for each advertisement. If this option were selected, Lewthwaite would need to determine in which papers to advertise, and the message and frequency of the insertions (see Exhibit 7).Radio Advertising Local radio advertisements could achieve significant coverage in key markets across Canada. The average weekly cost per 30-second commercial was $160 in small-and medium-sized markets and $225 in larger Page 8 9B08A008 markets. Development of local radio ads would cost approximately $1,100 per city. Because Cineplex had used this medium for other events, particularly in rural theater markets, Lewthwaite was confident Cineplex could also negotiate free advertisement space on many radio station’s websites. Online AdvertisingIn addition to advertising on the Cineplex websi te, the program could be promoted through various websites, such as Google, Muchmusic. ca, MTV. ca and canoe. qc. ca, a French-language news site. Costs varied according to advertisement format and site (see Exhibit 8). Grass Roots Initiatives Lewthwaite had also considered smaller initiatives with the goal of spreading word-of-mouth publicity. Event teams could promote on college and university campuses or at highly visited attractions, thereby raising awareness for the program. Cineplex could also engage in corporate sponsorships.She was unsure what costs would be associated with these options. LAUNCH Launching the program was the final recommendation to be made. Cineplex’s head office was located in Toronto, Ontario, and the company operated in six provincial markets — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia — but none of the four Atlantic provinces. Lewthwaite would have to decide whether the program should be launched regionall y or across all six provinces. In early 2006, Cineplex had completed the installation of a new point-of-sale platform, which had the technological capability to support a national loyalty rollout.A national launch was appealing to Lewthwaite because it would be cost-efficient and would accrue revenues faster than a regional rollout. However, it was also riskier than a regional rollout: any problem would affect all markets. A regional launch would give Cineplex the opportunity to resolve problems before full implementation. The regional rollout would be more expensive at completion, but it would allow Cineplex to stretch funds over a longer time period. If Lewthwaite recommended the regional option, she would need to decide how the regional launch would be phased in.Lewthwaite knew several complex decisions needed to be made, and she had little time before the steering committee’s meeting the following week. Having a more comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and de mographics was important in improving Cineplex’s success, but could a loyalty program be implemented in such a way to fit senior management’s criteria? If she recommended going ahead with the program, which loyalty partner should she use? How should the rewards be structured and promoted? What would the promotional campaign entail, and how should the launch take place?As she leaned back in her chair, she knew it was going to be a very long week. Page 9 9B08A008 Exhibit 1 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT INCOME STATEMENTS 2003–2005 (Cdn$ in Thousands) Total revenue Cost of operations Gross income Amortization Loss on debt Impairment on assets Loss (gain) on disposal of assets Interest on long-term debt Interest on loan Interest income Foreign exchange gain Income taxes Income from discontinued operations Non-controlling interest Net Income 2005 490,299 421,529 68,770 42,948 4,156 4,296 122 2004 315,786 248,818 66,968 22,530 – (111) 2003 295,540 242,636 52,904 18,404 – – (92) 18,401 8,280 4,020 14,000 (378) – (1,463) 14,000 (473) – (1,149) 1,381 (922) (3,696) 366 28,116 6,357 6,184 1,828 12,976 – 30,248 304 39,323 Source: Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report, http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/annual%20report%202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 10 9B08A008 Exhibit 2 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT ATTENDANCE AND REVENUE PER GUEST DATA Attendance Box office RPG Concession RPG Film cost as a per cent of box-office revenue 2006E 61,000,000 – 2005 9,945,000 $7. 73 $3. 44 51. 7% 2004 28,096,000 $7. 45 $3. 04 51. 6% 2003 27,073,000 $7. 28 $2. 91 52. 1% Source: Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report, http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/annual%20report%202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 11 9B08A008 Exhibit 3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM CINEPLEX EMAIL SURVEY OF CURRENT CUSTOMERS Survey Period: May–June 17, 2005 Respondents: 4,261 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ à ¢â‚¬ ¢ 95 per cent of respondents were interested in joining a Cineplex Entertainment movie rewards program 87 per cent of respondents currently elonged to the Flight Miles program, and 39 per cent identified Flight Miles as their â€Å"favorite rewards program† 31 per cent of respondents were interested in the opportunity to collect Aeroplan points 56 per cent of respondents indicated that they would be interested in receiving a 10 per cent discount at concessions The majority of respondents suggested that they would be more inclined to join if there were no additional card to carry Page 12 9B08A008 Exhibit 4 SUMMARY OF REVENUES AND CANNIBALIZATION RATES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Membership fee possibilities, a one-time fee of $2 to $5 Increase in concession RPG of from 5 per cent to 15 per cent Net increase in attendance (actual incremental attendance times 1- the estimated cannibalization rate) Cannibalization rate assumptions Worst: 50 per cent Most Likely: 25 per ce nt Best: 12. 5 per cent Page 13 9B08A008 Exhibit 5 PRELIMINARY REWARD STRUCTURE OPTIONS Option 1 Membership fee Permanent concessions discount Points? Sign-up points Points per adult movie transaction Points per concession combo transaction Option 2Option 3 Annually $5 Option 4 No One-time $2 – 10% 15% 10% Yes Yes No Yes 500 100 – 250 100 100 – 100 – 75 – – No Reward Items and Maximum Retail Value Points Required 500 750 Free child admission $8. 50 Free concession combo $12. 37 – – – – – – 1000 adult Free adult Free admission admission $10. 95 $10. 95 – 1500 Free event Free event admission1 admission $19. 95 $19. 95 – Free adult admission/concession combo ($23. 32) – Free adult/2 children admission $27. 95 – – 2,000 2,500 – – – Night package2 Free adult admission $10. 95 out $37. 47 1 2Includes admission to the following viewings: the Metropolit an Opera, NHL series, or WWE series. A Night out package includes two adult movie admissions, two large sodas and one large popcorn. Page 14 9B08A008 Exhibit 6 SUMMARY OF CINEPLEX’S REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW Cineplex Entertainment is looking into the possibility of creating a new entertainment-focused loyalty program. Members will earn points that can be redeemed for free movies or other entertainment-related rewards. An ongoing marketing program requiring a member database and website is required. VENDORS TO PROVIDE †¢ †¢A proposed approach and high level design concept for the website that is creative and functional Pricing for the database and website build WEBSITE GOALS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Acquire new customers and deepen relationships with existing customers by enticing them to sign up, then encouraging them to remain active in the loyalty program Provide an easy way to sign up, check status of points earned, get information on rewards t hat can be earned, redeem points, and interact with other members The site will be a major marketing channel to reach members. It will be used for viral and targeted online promotionsProvide an online community for members DATABASE USE †¢ †¢ †¢ For program administration, analysis and reporting For analysis and reporting on moviegoer’s behavior and preferences For marketing to customers THE TARGET MARKET †¢ †¢ †¢ Is very comfortable with the online environment, text messaging, downloading, and browsing Wants and expects discounts and free offers in an attainable timeframe Wants simplicity and convenience WEBSITE REQUIRES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ A public section accessible to all, a member’s section accessible with member ID and password and an administrative site to be used for customer supportSite must connect to program database to collect, maintain, retrieve and report member data including demographic information and po ints data Integration with Cineplex’s POS equipment and mobile channels for marketing Site will link to and from the sites of main partners and vendors Site must be available in English and French Page 15 9B08A008 Exhibit 6 (continued) VENDORS’ RESPONSES TO THE CINEPLEX REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Alpha Alpha was a leading marketing firm specializing in loyalty programs and performance improvement.As a global company, Alpha’s clients include American Express, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft. Alpha has served the Canadian marketplace since 1980, and its focus is helping organizations identify, retain, and build customer relationships in order to maximize profit and drive long-term success. With a history of designing and implementing loyalty programs, Alpha’s technology platforms focused on customer behavior tracking and loyalty rewards fulfillment. In preparing its response, Alpha held focus groups to help determine what type of website appealed to Cin eplex’s target market.These groups indicated the importance of security, easy navigation, and keeping site content up-to-date; they also spoke out against pop-up advertisements. All respondents were familiar with e-newsletters, and noted that loyalty members should have the option to opt in, because they do not want to be overwhelmed with promotional messages. Alpha used this information in conjunction with Cineplex’s specifications to present how the website would be designed. The approximate investment cost for the program design was $500,000 with $40,000 per month required for website upkeep.Kappa Known for managing data for the Royal Bank of Canada, Kappa was one of the largest global marketing agencies. With a strong focus on customer loyalty programs, Kappa offered a high standard in data privacy and security and was the undisputed industry leader in mobile marketing, which linked strongly to Cineplex’s target market. The Kappa proposal focused on creating a youth-driven brand identity that engaged viewers to join the program through program incentives and links to third-party social networking sites, such as MySpace.With a significant portfolio of integrated loyalty program solutions, Kappa also had entertainment industry experience, having previously worked on technology platforms with Famous Players, the Toronto International Film Festival and IMAX. Kappa’s main differentiating factor was its proposal to have two distinct sites, one for members and one for non-members. Although similar in nature, one site would focus on member acquisition and program information while the other would focus on member retention through contest promotions and access to personal account activity.Approximate costs would be $1 million. Gamma Gamma, a competitor in the Canadian marketplace for four years, had vast experience in information technology strategy and a track record of developing CRM programs for leading organizations, such as Kaplan U niversity and Citi Financial. Gamma’s response to the RFP included a proposal to plan, design, and manage Cineplex’s marketing and technology programs on its specialized marketing platform that supported all aspects of email management and e-communication campaigns.This platform would also enable Cineplex to track members on an ongoing basis through different promotional mediums, such as web advertisements and search functions, and to respond instantly to member behavior through messaging for those leaving the site. Gamma’s offer was appealing because it included a fixed-price, fixed-time model. Gamma was unable to provide costs for data management because it was unsure of Cineplex’s technical capabilities, but preliminary planning and design costs were estimated at around $200,000. Page 16 9B08A008 Exhibit 7LARGE MEDIA MARKETS Market Calgary Edmonton Montreal Ottawa Toronto Vancouver Newspaper Calgary Herald Edmonton Journal Montreal Gazette Ottawa Citiz en Toronto Star Vancouver Sun Radio VIBE 98. 5 Sonic 102. 9 Q92 BOB FM Mix 99. 9 Z95 FM SMALL- AND MEDIUM SIZED MEDIA MARKETS Market Barrie Cornwall Guelph Kitchener London North Bay Owen Sound Quebec City Regina Saskatoon Sault Ste. Marie St. Thomas Sudbury Thunderbay Windsor Winnipeg Newspaper Barrie Examiner Standard Freeholder Guelph Mercury Kitchener Record London Free Press North Bay NuggetOwen Sound Sun Times Quebec City Journale Regina Leader Post The Star Phoenix Sault Ste. Marie Star St. Thomas Times-Journal Sudbury Star Chronicle Journal Windsor Star Winnipeg Free Press Radio Rock 95 FM Rock 101. 9 Magic FM KOOL FM Fresh FM EZ Rock Mix 106 Le 93. 3 Z-99 C95 EZ Rock 100. 5 Fresh FM Big Daddy 103. 9 FM Rock 94 89X Q94 Page 17 9B08A008 Exhibit 8 COST PER THOUSAND IMPRESSIONS (in Cdn$) Website google. ca mtv. ca muchmusic. ca yahoo. ca imdb. com canoe. qc. ca Big Box Advertisement 20 27 29 19 17 26 Banner Advertisement 12 35 32 13 9 –