Strategic Marketing for The UK confectionery market Term Paper

Strategic Marketing for The UK confectionery market - Term Paper Example SWOT Strengths ïÆ'Ëœ Confectionery sector is recession-proof ïÆ'Ëœ Consumers engage in impulse buying because of targeted advertisements ïÆ'Ëœ Chocolates considered an affordable, harmless indulgence (Adwan, 2003). Weakness ïÆ'Ëœ Rising obesity ïÆ'Ëœ Rising prices ïÆ'Ëœ Consolidation in the market Opportunity ïÆ'Ëœ Sugar-free confectionery fetches better margin for retailers ïÆ'Ëœ This can be introduced for mainstream buyers and not just for the diabetics or the obese population. ïÆ'Ëœ Preference for fair-trade products is high as main competitors switching to fair-trade confectionery (The Fairtrade Foundation 2010). Fair-trade public procurement has strong public support in UK. Threats ïÆ'Ëœ High cocoa price exerts pressure on profit margins ïÆ'Ëœ Sugar-free products more expensive than standard products but gaining popularity ïÆ'Ëœ Three main competitors with rising market share Analysis The opportunities and threats suggest that market for sugar-free confectionery is growing because of rising obesity. The company should focus on fair-trade and people would be willing to pay a premium price for it. Accordingly the marketing strategy should be as follows. ... In the first year of operation it may not be possible to achieve any profits but efforts would be made to ensure no loss too is incurred. Marketing Mix Product – Premium quality sugar-free chocolates catering to a discerning client base as this is the market-demand. Fair trade would be used for production. Price – The price would not be kept too low because low pricing creates an adverse image of the product. To enter the market the right perception is important. Premium pricing attract the target segment but pricing would be formulate taking into account prices of competitors. Promotion – consumers have become conscious of ethical and fair-trade and hence all promotions would carry messages of fair-trade. Introductory slabs can be clubbed with other products such as energy drinks. Advertisements should be made through television, popular dailies, and through magazines. Advertisements should highlight sugar-free element to attract the conscious consumers. Consume r interest should be sustained by changing the advertisements often. Advertisements should be appealing as consumers engage in impulse buying. Place - Distribution should be through all retail outlets, social clubs. It could be sold through kiosks at supermarkets. Online distribution strategy is also picking up and gift packs should be made available through online orders. Energy Drink Background Obesity is on the rise in UK with. Obesity has been linked to the quality of food and drinks consumed, in addition to the sedentary lifestyle which prevents people from visiting the gym or engaging in any sort of physical activity. Due to the quality of food consumed people lack the energy to exercise. People

Windows server 2008R Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Windows server 2008R - Assignment Example The hardware recommendations and specifications for windows server 2008 include, the processor must be a minimum of 1 GHz for processors with the rating of x86 and 1.4GHz for processors with the rating of x64. The recommended clock speed for the processor is 2 GHz which is the most ideal processor for optimum performance of the Windows Server 2008. For Itanium based systems, for Windows Server 2008 to be installed properly, an intel Itanium 2 processor is required. Another hardware requirement for the installation of Windows Server 2008 is a minimum memory of 512 Megabytes Random Access Memory (RAM). However the recommended memory value for installation is 2 Gigabytes RAM or greater. The maximum memory for a 32 bit system for a standard system is 4Gigabytes while for a Datacenter or an enterprise 64 Gigabytes would work perfectly. For a 64 bit system, the maximum memory for a standard system is 32 Gigabytes while for a Datacenter or an Enterprise, 1 terabyte and 2 terabyte for an Itanium based system. (Mathews, 2008) Available disk space is another hardware specification requirement for the installation of a Windows Server 2008 operating system. The minimum available disk space for installation should be 10 gigabytes while the recommended available disk space is 40 gigabytes. However, for computers with more than 16 gigabytes of Random Access Memory (RAM), they will require more disk space for the installation of a Windows Server 2008 operating system. This is for the purposes of paging, hibernation and dump files. The final hardware requirement for the installation of Windows Server 2008 operating system is the display and the peripherals. These include a super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution monitor, a keyboard and a Microsoft mouse (or any other) or compatible pointing devices. Windows Server 2008 operating system also requires a drive, i.e.

Antivuris Programs Essay Example for Free

Antivuris Programs Essay Today, people rely on computers to create, store, and manage critical information, many times via a home computer network. Information transmitted over networks has a higher degree of security risk than information kept in a user’s home or company premises. Thus, it is crucial that they take measures to protect their computers and data from loss, damage, and misuse resulting from computer security risks. Antivirus programs are an effective way to protect a computer against viruses. An antivirus program protects a computer against viruses by identifying and removing any computer virus found in memory, on storage media, or on incoming files. When you purchase a new computer, it often includes antivirus software. Antivirus programs work by scanning for programs that attempt to modify the boot program, the operating system, and other programs that normally are read from but not modified. In addition, many antivirus programs automatically scan files downloaded from the Web, e-mail attachments, opened files, and all types of removable media inserted in the computer (Karanos 201-205). One Technique that antivirus programs use to identify a virus is to look for virus signatures, or virus definitions, which are known specific patterns of virus code. According to Shelly and Cashman (Antivirus Programs), many vendors of antivirus programs allow registered users to update virus signature files automatically from the Web at no cost for a specified time. Updating the Antivirus program’s signature files regularly is important, because it will download any new virus definitions that have been added since the last update. Methods that guarantee a computer or network is safe from computer viruses simply do not exist. Installing, updating, and using an antivirus program, though, is an effective technique to safeguard your computer from loss.

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index Test

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index Test CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY AND EMPERICAL RESULT OFÂ  OPTIMAL ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY INDEX 4.0 Introduction This chapter discussed about the methodology, data analysis and the results obtained from different tests for Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index. The generalized method of moments (GMM) parameter is using to estimate the benchmark parameters for the small structural model following by the grid search method. Lastly this chapter will closing by a conclusion. 4.1 Model Specification of OEUI The optimal economic uncertainty index is using the small structural model which is described by Svensson (2000 as the basic idea of contemporaneous model of the economic uncertainty. The equations of small structural model is written in logarithmic form which are represent the inputs for the small structural model except the real interest rate gap, the inflation gap and the economic uncertainty index. All of the variables in this model are presenting in gap form by using potential value or equilibrium value as a benchmark to calculated the deviations of the actual value from the potential values. is the real output gap, is the inflation gap, is the real exchange rate gap, is the real interest rate gap. The equations can be written as below: (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Equation 2 is an IS curve which is explain the relationship of aggregates output, real interest rate and real exchange rate and the Equation 3 is presenting an open economy Phillips curve which is explain the relation of unemployment and inflation to derive the aggregate supply curve. Following equation 4 is a reduced form of the exchange rate which is determines the real exchange rate gap and captures the concept that a higher real interest rate gap. And Equation 5 is a monetary policy reaction function. Equation 6 is a contemporaneous economic uncertainty function. This function assumes describes the relation of economic uncertainty with the shocks of macro variables and policy variables which is output gap, inflation gap, exchange rate gap and interest rate gap. The positive signs on and indicate that the output gap mitigation and the inflation reduction could reduce economic uncertainty. However the negative signs on and indicate that the central bank increasing the exchange rate and the interest rate to reduce economic uncertainty. The origin of the theoretic model of the optimal economic uncertainty index assumes that the central bank minimize the discounted expected loss subject to the small structural model by using a set of inflation, output gap and interest rate values. Below is the model of central bank’s period loss function which is assumed to be quadratic for the inflation gap, the output gap and the interest rate gap. (7) , and stand for the weights attached to the stabilization of the real output gap, the inflation gap and the real interest rate gap. In addition, as the discount factor ÃŽ ² of the loss function of structural Eq.1 approaches unity, it can be shown that the loss becomes proportional to the expected unconditional value of the period loss function as below where is and represent the unconditional variance of the real output gap and the inflation gap, respectively. (8) The variance in the monetary policy instrument is often put in the loss function of the central bank. The unconditional variance of the real interest rate gap ( ) is mainly to prevent an unrealistic situation of high interest rate volatility. , and are the weights attributed to the stabilization of the real output gap, the inflation gap and the real interest rate gap, respectively. 4.2 Data Description This study are using the quarterly from quarter one 1994 to quarter four 2012 taken from a variety of sources which is discusses in chapter 3. The gap form data series is generated by: The real output gap (): the difference between the logged time series of the current real output and the potential real outputs, which is then multiplied by 100. The real interest rate gap (): the difference between the current real interest rate and the potential real interest rates The real exchange rate gap ( ): the differences between the logged time series of the current REER and the potential REER The inflation gap (): the difference between the current inflation rate and the potential inflation rates. The potential real output, desired inflation, real interest rate at the potential output and real exchange rate at potential output is generated by using The Hodrick–Prescott (HP) filter with a smoothing parameter (ÃŽ ») 1600. 4.3 Empirical Result The grid search method calibrates the small structural model using the generalized method of moments (GMM) parameter estimation for the benchmark parameters. The GMM method has been commonly applied to estimate small-scale macroeconomic models (Clarida et al. 1988; Gali and Gertler1999; Smets 2003). The parameters estimated from the small structural model using the GMM method are reported in Table 1. Table 1 GMM estimation of the standard macroeconomic reaction function Dependent variable Independent variable(s) Parameter China Indonesia Selected Asian countries 0.908***(0.037) 0.504***(0.056) -0.219***(0.041) -0.640***(0.074) -0.084***(0.016) -0.106***(0.029) 0.074*(0.041) 0.313***(0.031) 0.403***(0.101) 0.285***(0.078) -0.047**(0.023) -0.098***(0.018) 1.223***(0.309) 1.370***(0.500) 0.575***(0.109) 0.144*(0.085) 0.373*(0.214) 1.188***(0.101) -0.141**(0.071) -0.081***(0.030) Table 2 continued Dependent variable Independent variable(s) Parameter Thailand Selected Asian countries 0.760***(0.047) -1.185***(0.231) -0.197***(0.069) 0.077***(0.015) 0.335***(0.113) -0.023***(0.007) 1.344***(0.410) 0.107***(0.037) 0.656***(0.103) -0.112**(0.050) Source Author’s calculations using EViews software Standard errors are in parentheses. *, **, and *** denote statistical significance at the 10%, 5%and 1%levels, respectively. The list of instrumental variables for the estimates above includes lagged values of the real output gap, the inflation gap, the real interest rate gap and the real exchange rate gap. Following Table 3 shows the estimated optimal coefficients of economic uncertainty in the benchmark setting. These coefficients are globally optimal because they depend on all of the state variables. Specifically, optimized economic uncertainties are optimal only in the sense that they represent solutions to the specified constrained optimization problem. Table 3 Optimal coefficients, unconditional variances of goal variables, losses (result depend on , and ) and optimized economic uncertainty index for selected Asian countries Preference Selected Asian countries , , China Indonesia Thailand 2.95 2.95 2.50 0.25 0.40 0.10 0.40 1.45 1.45 1.90 2.95 2.95 1.584 1.141 1.220 1.190 1.116 1.109 2.460 1.800 1.726 3.389 2.708 2.760 : selected Asian countries China Indonesia Thailand Source Author’s calculations using RATS econometrics software ais . b is the contemporaneous optimal economic uncertainty index; The estimated optimal coefficients of the optimal economic uncertainty index enable to derive the optimal economic uncertainty index over the sample period. This specification includes all related endogenous variables at the optimal level, specifically the real output gap, inflation gap, real exchange rate gap and real interest rate gap. These variables are then weighted using the estimated optimal coefficients and aggregated to find the optimal economic uncertainty index. To find out the validity of the derived indexes as measures of economic uncertainty, four significant economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety are selected as benchmarks for discussion: the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007) and the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The computed time series of the optimal economic uncertainty index for all of the selected countries are stationary. Figure 4.1 Optimal economic uncertainty index for China The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in China has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. A higher positive value of OEUI was shown on the Asian crisis and the dot-com bubble. Afterward, a higher MCI higher positive value of OEUI also shown between the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis on year 2008. Figure 4.2 Optimal economic uncertainty index for Indonesia The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Figure 4.2 shows the optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) for Indonesia. According to figure 4.2, Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in Indonesia has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. It was a sharply drop of MCI during the Asian crisis. Thereafter, a higher OEUI was shown on the dot-com bubble during the year 2000. Anyway, OEUI of Indonesia merely stable during the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis. Figure 4.3 Optimal economic uncertainty index for Thailand The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Figure 4.3 shows the optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) for Thailand. According to figure 4.3, Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in Thailand has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. It was a rose of OEUI during the Asian crisis. Thereafter, a negatif value of OEUI was shown on the dot-com bubble during the year 2000, the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis.

Nonverbal Communication Essay -- Communication Language Communicating

Nonverbal Communication Any communication interaction involves two major components in terms of how people are perceived: verbal, or what words are spoken and nonverbal, the cues such as facial expressions, posture, verbal intonations, and other body gestures. Many people believe it is their words that convey the primary messages but it is really their nonverbal cues. The hypothesis for this research paper was: facial expressions directly impact how a person is perceived. A brief literature search confirmed this hypothesis. Every communication interaction involves two parts: the verbal and the nonverbal. Furthermore, every person is always communicating even when they are not saying a word, thus, it is possible to send an exclusively nonverbal message but it is not possible to send an exclusively verbal message. Nonverbal cues in the interaction are always more powerful indicators of what a speaker means and what the speaker feels. Consider a very simple example: a mother tells her two-year old to stop running around the house but as she makes her direction, she is smiling. The toddler gets two messages: verbally to stop running; nonverbally the smile means mom is pleased with what he is doing. Which direction will the child follow; probably, the second one - mom is pleased regardless of her words so he will continue doing what he was doing. These sorts of communication interpretation conflicts occur numerous times in every day. Here is another example from the poll questions. The manager has said she is available if you have a problem and need to talk with her. You make an appointment, go in, and within a few minutes she receives a phone call which she answers and spends five minutes talking with the caller. Are you likely to believe she is interested in what you are saying? No, in fact, you are likely to feel that you are not very important; you may feel embarrassed and try to make your excuses to just leave. Nonverbal cues involve everything but the spoken word which includes: body posture and facial expressions, gestures, eyebrows, eyes, tone of voice, speed of delivery, inflections, volume, and proximity. Even one's attire sends messages to others. Each area of the nonverbal has the power to send a message; combined they tell the listener what is meant and what is felt. The power of the nonverbal cannot be over-rated; it will almost always ... ...viduals are perceived according to their facial expressions more so than the words they speak is supported by the literature. Nonverbal cues of all kinds have a direct impact on how a person is perceived; facial expressions are extremely crucial in that impression. Bibliography Burgoon, J. K. Buller, D. B. and Woodall W. G. (1989). Nonverbal Communication: The Unspoken Dialogue. New York: Harper & Row. Cherney, Marcia and Tynan, Susan. (1989). Communicoding. NY: Dorset. Chevrier, Donna. (1994, July). Let's Face It. CMA Magazine, Vol. 68, pp. 26 - 27. Elgin, Suzette Haden. (1980). The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense. NY: Prentice-Hall. Hickson, M. I. and Stacks, D. W. (1989). Nonverbal Communication: Studies and Applications. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown, 1989. Jackson, Daryl. (1993). "The Nonverbal Cues." Communication Briefings, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 1-2. Knapp, M. L. (1992). Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. Leathers, Dale G. (1986). Successful Nonverbal Communication: Principles and Applications. NY: Macmillan Publishing Company. Nolen, William E. (1995, April). Reading people. Internal Auditor, Vol. 52, pp. 48 - 52.

Robert E. Lee Essay -- essays research papers

The battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1 through July 3, 1863, considered by most military historians the turning point in the American Civil War (Johnson 84). The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive engagement in that it arrested the Confederates’ second and last major invasion of the North, destroyed their offensive strategy, and forced them to fight a defensive war in which the slowness of their manufacturing capacity and transportation facilities doomed them to defeat (McPherson 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Army of the Potomac, under the Union general George Gordon Meade, numbered about 85,000; the Confederate army, under General Robert E. Lee, numbered about 75,000 (Johnson 90). After the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2 to 4, an important victory for the Confederates, Lee divided his army into three corps, commanded by three lieutenant generals: James Longstreet, Richard Stoddert Ewell, and Ambrose Powell Hill (Johnson 91). Lee then formulated a plan for invading Pennsylvania, hoping to avert another federal offensive in Virginia and planning to fight if he could get the federal army into a vulnerable position; he also hoped that the invasion might increase Northern war-weariness and lead the North to recognize the independence of the Confederate States of America (Johnson 85). In pursuit of this plan, Lee crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains, proceeded up the Shenandoah Valley, and, crossing Maryland, entered Pennsylvania (Clark 86). Upon learning federal troops were north of the Potomac, Lee decided to concentrate his whole army at Gettysburg (Clark 86). On June 30, Confederate troops from General Hill’s corps, on their way to Gettysburg, saw federal troops that Meade had moved down to intercept the Confederate army (McPherson 102). The Battle began on July 1 outside of Gettysburg with an encounter between Hill’s advance brigades and the federal cavalry division commanded by Major General John Buford, supported by infantry under Major General John Fulton Reynolds (McPherson 103). Hill encountered stubborn resistance, and the fighting was undecided until Ewell arrived from the north in the afternoon. The Confederates pushed against General Oliver Howard’s corps and forced the federal troops to retreat from their forward positions to Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Ridge, southeast of Gettysb... ... captured or missing (Johnson 91).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lee retreated west and southwest through Hagerstown, Maryland and into Virginia. Imboden’s wagon train, composing of wagons and ambulances, stretched for over 17 miles (Johnson 190). Meade considered pursuit, but determined that the defensive nature of the Appalachian passes prohibited full pursuit (Johnson 191). Meade did harass Lee’s retreat, which resulted in minor skirmishes and capture of various Confederate units, but did not materialize (Johnson 191). Meade’s decision not to pursue Lee angered Lincoln, who expected a decisive victory (Johnson 192). Also, the lack of vigorous pursuit showed Meade as being too cautious. Lee hurting from Gettysburg, was forced to return to Virginia. The war was far from over and lasted another 2 years (Johnson 192).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gettysburg Address, a famous speech, was delivered later that year by United States president Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (McPherson 192). He presented it in dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery honoring those who died in the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg.

Experiencing Salvation in as I Lay Dying

Experiencing Salvation in As I Lay Dying ENGLISH 215 October 31, 2011 William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying centers on the absurd journey that the Bundren family takes to Jefferson to bury their dead mother, Addie. Faulkner frames this journey through the lens of various narrators with a specific focus on the characters’ innermost thoughts and deep interior monologues. Although the novel’s plot revolves around the Bundren family, characters outside of the family are essential to provide an objective view. Without these outside characters, much of Faulkner’s commentary would be lost.One of the most important characters outside of the Bundren family is Cora Tull. It is through her character that Faulkner makes his most potent commentary on the ideas of sin, salvation, and hypocrisy. With the strong irony that is employed throughout the novel, Faulkner twists Cora’s seemingly ideal moral character and uses her instead as an example of what not to be. Throu gh the juxtaposition of Addie and Cora, Faulkner seeks to highlight religious hypocrisy and show that Cora’s idea of religious salvation is faulty.Instead, Faulkner believes (as demonstrated through Addie) that true salvation consists of an enlightened state of self-awareness and concrete understanding of one’s own sin. Religion is echoed in every facet of Cora’s life. On the surface, she appears to be a warm-hearted Christian spirit, but it becomes quickly evident that Cora’s perception of religion is skewed. Cora is always seen serving her neighbors but Cora’s charity is not genuine. She serves not out of love, but to keep up a Christian appearance and receive a promised heavenly reward (23, 93).When Cora attempts to serve, even her husband (Vernon Tull) comments that she tries to â€Å"crowd the other folks away and get in closer than anybody else (71). †She is very concerned with the eternal state of others around her, but again, her con cern is not out of love. Cora states that only God can see into the heart (167), but in her piety Cora criticizes others and believes that they will only be saved if they adopt her works based religion.Cora’s life experiences have only increased her desire to serve more dutifully because she has earned the respect of others in the community. In this ironic way, Cora’s hypocrisy has served her well on this earth. In contrast, Addie’s life experiences have molded her into a defiant, unfulfilled and bitter woman. Through Cora’s eyes, Addie is a bad mother and is in desperate need of repentance. Cora believes that Addie is blind to her own sin and that it is sacrilegious to trust in Jewel instead of turning to God for salvation.However, it is Cora that cannot see and passes judgment blindly. Cora does not know the implications behind Addie’s favoritism to Jewel and that the man Cora has placed on such a holy pedestal (Minister Whitfield) is in fact a s ource of Addie’s sin. Cora does not know that it was Minister Whitfield that wanted to cover up the affair and that Addie’s consent to remain quiet were out of love for the brief satisfaction she had found in him – Addie has always remained genuine; she had no desire to be deceitful.Cora’s misinformed judgments are full of words that â€Å"go straight up in a thin line, quick and harmless (173). † In Addie’s section in the novel, she describes the scene where Cora wants Addie to pray with her to receive a salvation (168, 174). The reason Cora thought that Addie could receive salvation by saying a prayer is because Cora’s religion is empty, full of mindless words and â€Å"people to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words too (176). Cora’s word-oriented religious hypocrisy is a direct manifestation of Addie’s idea that words lack meaning and are just â€Å"shape(s) to fill a lack (172). † In distinguishing the differences between Addie and Cora, it is made clear who can ultimately experience salvation. Even though pious Cora may have experienced some worldly success, Faulkner is suggesting that she will never obtain salvation because she is blinded in her hypocrisy and is consumed with duty and a works-based religion. Cora knows sin as it can be expressed in words but not in practice.Addie knows the extent of sin because (unlike Cora) she has truly experienced it. Even though Addie expresses discontent, she is at least aware of her sin and its relationship to the nature of her being. Faulkner criticizes Cora’s judgmental, insincere, and pious character and instead presents Addie’s self-aware, authentic, and pragmatic understanding as the way to experience sanctification in this life. It is Addie, not Cora, who will receive the reward of true enlightenment and salvation.