Beowulf Not Just A KidS Story Essays - Beowulf, Grendel, Unfer

Beowulf: Not Just A Kid'S Story When you compare Beowulf to any modern novel or movie, Beowulf seems childlike at best. Beowulf is told in a straightforward, uncomplicated manner very unlike many of today's works, which contain complex plots and themes. What makes Beowulf readable to an adult and not just children? Why do people find stories such as Beowulf so intriguing? Why is Beowulf, or any myth, significant? Beowulf, the story of the young Beowulf sent by fate to save a kingdom plagued with a nightmarish monster, a rather basic plot synopsis especially for a story that has been around for more than one thousand years. However Beowulf contains far more long-standing impact than a slew of the best selling books at any bookstore. Beowulf, as any myth, teaches many moral lessons giving us a detailed insight into the culture and writer's beliefs through written accounts of morality and religion and through the tale's deep symbolism. And it also provides for an entertaining ride filled with supernatural feats and monsters with an inspirational hero or role model for the reader. In contrast to some other popular mythological stories such as the tales of the Greek gods, Beowulf is almost believable. Beowulf is just over the edge of ?real?, it pushes our definition of what exists but not to the point to where we cannot imagine what is happening in the story. Also I feel that Beowulf is a superior work of mythology because Beowulf is a true and perfect hero, and represents the personality and courage most people wish they had In Episode 1 the story begins with the tale of Scyld Sceafing, which parallels Beowulf's evolution, it is the motif of a helpless child turning into a great king. Similarly, Sceafing arrives from the water to the Danish lands in the same way Beowulf arrives. This is a popular theme in many myths, a small and weak one rising to be strong and a leader (i.e. Jesus). Part of the beauty of mythology is the repetition of motifs such as this one. Another facet of mythology that is uncovered in Episode 1 is religion. In every myth religion is dealt with in some way. Unlike most myths, however, the religious affiliation and code is hard to decipher. References to the Old Testament are made often (i.e. Cain and Abel, the flood), but it is never made quite clear of what the religious beliefs of the Danes are. The writer himself is definitely familiar with the Bible, and was probably actually a monk, but the Danes do not seem to be. This raises the question of whether the original oral presentations contained the religious references or sub-stories that the written one does. Obviously the hero of the story does not completely fit the humble pacifist Christian personality, so it is a reasonable inquiry. As shown here, part of the reason myths are so fascinating is because of the questions and speculations they cause to arise about the culture and its ideas from which the myth evolved. In Episode 3 the phenomenal Beowulf arrives on the Herot scene to slay Grendel. Beowulf in Beowulf is a very strong individual, so strong in fact that he rips archrival Grendel's arm cleanly off! This is impossible of course, for a man to do such thing, physiology doesn't permit it. Even more unbelievable is Grendel himself. Grendel's ?fingers were nails like steel? (Beowulf Episode 5) and ?no battle sword could harm him - he had enchantment against the edges of weapons? (Beowulf Episode 6). A fantastic hero and villain is a key to mythology. Why have such an unreal hero? It's simple because he is a hero, a role model, and so why not make him as powerful and super human as desirable. When the story originated, and was thus truthfully believed, many youngsters probably idolized the mighty Beowulf, and wanted to equal his valor and courage. It evoked emotional inspiration to conquer evil with bravery and goodness, a very desirable goal in any culture. Demonstrated in Episode 4 was some very dramatic language that made the story very compelling and entertaining. The author uses some vivid imagery and language to describe the approaching Grendel's character ?Came then from the

Renault Story in India Essays

Renault Story in India Essays Renault Story in India Essay Renault Story in India Essay Since 2012 the Indian automobile industry is going through a tumultuous period. Worsening macro-economic conditions within the country, high interest rates and rising input costs are fast eroding the profitability of most of the car manufactures. Despite price cuts and other incentives, car sales in India remained sluggish. Analysts are pointing to a second straight year of declining sales in what was one of the world’s fastest growing auto markets. The slowdown in the overall automobile demand in the country was a concern for the product managers of Renault. Though amidst all the gloom, Renault had some reasons to cheer.Since its launch in summer of 2012, Renault’s compact SUV Duster’s market performance had been far beyond the expectations of the Renault management. After a string of unsuccessful partnerships and product launches, the product managers at Renault had finally managed to launch a product which struck a chord with the Indian consumers. The fact tha t SUVs have been registering good growth in an otherwise somnambulistic car market has clearly helped the Duster’s cause. Yet, there was tremendous hard work put in by the Renault India team to get everything right from the features and mileage to the final price.Now amidst all the economic gloom and slew of fresh competition posed by new launches by Ford and Maruti, the coming year appears to be a much more challenging proposition. Product management team of Duster was poring over the market reports and surveys to figure the next move. 2Renault’s story in India Renault is a French multinational vehicle manufacturer established in 1899 by Louis Renault and his two brothers. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past, trucks, tractors, tanks, buses/coaches and autorail vehicles.In order to better scale up globally and to cross leverage the RD expertise, Renault and Nissan forged a strategic alliance in 1999. The Alliance is a strategic partnership b ased on the rationale that, due to substantial cross-shareholding investments, each company acts in the financial interest of the other- while maintaining individual brand identities and independent corporate cultures. Renault currently has a 44. 4 percent stake in Nissan, and Nissan holds a 15 percent stake in Renault (non-voting, giving Renault effective control). The car group sold 8. million cars worldwide in 2012, behind Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen for total volume. Renault entered the Indian market much later than the other global competitors. At the time of its entry the Indian market was primarily dominated by small and compact hatchbacks offered by Korean and Indian companies. Maruti along with the Hyundai were the top two manufactures within the country offering slew of models in between the 3-5 lacks segment. Poor road conditions along with the cost conscious customer base posed a significant design and marketing challenge to the car companies to package the rig ht features at an affordable price.In order to crack the Indian auto market puzzle, Renault decided to enter the Indian market in partnership with Mahindra. Together the partner launched Logan which received Logan which met with a mixed response from the Indian market. Logan failed to attract consumers due to its length of fractionally - more than 4 meters - that required a factory gate duty of 22% compared to 10% for the less-than-4 meter cars. The Logan was criticized for its boxy looks and awkward ergonomics. Due to uncompetitive pricing, Logan struggled to sustain volumes and was soon confined only to Taxi segment.After constant tussle between the two partners, Mahindra and Renault decided to cancel their unhappy marriage. Renault temporarily dabbled with the idea of the partnering with Bajaj for a low end car, and then finally decided to go all out alone in the market. In March 2010, Renault India and Nissan India opened a production facility in Chennai. Established with an i nitial investment of 45 billion (US$760 million), the plant has a combined annual capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles. Each partner is entitled to half the production capacity. Since the start of its own operation Renault has launched the following models.

Internet and Everyday Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Internet and Everyday Life - Essay Example Consequently, the present research contains profound sociological significance in its nature and scope. The internet is rightly viewed to be one of the most influencing inventions of all times, which has paved the way towards introducing of fastest possible modes of communication and interactions for the people across the globe (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 59). Consequently, one could enter into a detailed and comprehensive communication with the persons living thousands of miles away from him within a jiffy (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 60). The individuals can enter into business contracts, and could have an access to sufficient information about health, learning and other topics while staying at one’s computer by one click only through the internet. Hence, internet has made the contemporary era life to be exceptionally swift and speedy one in all regards; same is equally the case with the amusement and recreational activities people get involved into in one way or the other, predominantly sex, romance and dating (Gibbs et al 2011, p. 72). Burkitt has declared both performing of professional obligations as well as enjoying recreational moments as inevitable parts of everyday life (2011, p. 212). Bakardjieva is of the opinion that the internet surfing has obtained the status of an essential part of daily routine, which is consumed during both professional and recreational activities in contemporary era (2011, p. 58). Cooper (2000) ascertains that over one tenth of the aggregate internet users spend over 11 hours a week searching for and looking at sexual content (Zitzman 2007, p. 11). Hence, a considerable part of daily routine is spent on the internet; out of which most of the time is consumed in watching porn sites (Attwood & Smith 2014, p. 2). In past, internet was consumed by the professionals only at offices and workplaces, and was meant

Theory of the five disciplines as a method of change Term Paper

Theory of the five disciplines as a method of change - Term Paper Example Theory of the five disciplines as a method of change A successful change management process is one which benefits the management and defines measure or the stakeholder’s aims, devises an effective education, training or skills upgrading system for the organization, counters the resistance from the employees and aligns them towards the strategic direction of the organization, provides personal counseling to any change related fears (Hayes, 2010).The 10 principles that guidelines the change management is address the human side systematically, it should start at the top, change should involve every layer, make the formal case, create ownership, communicate the message, address culture explicitly , assessing the cultural landscape, speak to the individual and prepare for the unexpected. John Kotter has proposed the 8-step change model for the change management process. The 8-step change model comprises of - Creating urgency , by identifying threats and developing scenarios to forecast what can happen in future to create a sense of u rgency of change, examining opportunities that could be exploited, to start honest discussions and convincing reasons to enable people talking and thinking, request support from the stakeholders to support the argument. Form a powerful coalition, in order to convince people that change is necessary, and bring together a coalition or team of some influential people whose power comes from various sources, the change coalition needs to work as a team to continuously create the need and urgency for change.

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols Assignment

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols - Assignment Example The first international standard is ISO/IEC 18000-7. This standard came up after a series of consultations between the international Standard Organization and a number of stakeholders in the wireless technology, where they found it fit to develop this standard in regulating the wireless communication industry (Thomas, 2009). The stakeholders agreed with International Standard Organization proposal and formed a working group called DASH7 Alliance. DASH7 Alliance together with experts from International Standards Organization developed DASH7 standard which have a significant impact on wireless communication technologies. The DASH7 standard was accepted by international standard organization technical committee and came into effect in 2004. The DASH7 standard has a number of requirements on the corporate sector, concerning the wireless technology. It requires that the corporate sector need to transmit data at a frequency of 433MHz. The standard also requires the corporate sector to use similar electronic gadgets of data exchange to eliminate difficulties of compatibility and encourage easy communication (Thomas, 2009). The standard further requires that all organizations should maintain similar frequency accuracy of 433MHz as a standard way of coding data. This makes decoding easy and encourage use of chips that are similar and easy to operate. The standard also required use of data communication devices that have low modulation and low power consumption. These requirement brought a lot of impacts to the corporate sector in many ways. The standard made the automation of the corporate sector buildings possible. The DASH7 network, with its new frequency of 433MHz, was able to penetrate walls and other impediments that were serving as barriers to automation of buildings. With new frequency, the networks needed less installations than what the previous wireless networks required in making automation of buildings. This frequency of 433MHz made it possible to transmit d ata to smartcards, tickets, and watches in order to establish their location (Norair, 2009). The DASH7 standards pulled the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth out of the market since these standards advocated for use of low power consumption. This made it impossible for these devices to be powered by such low voltages. The DASH7 standard also led to the manufacture of other devices that used very little power. The use of low power made it possible for devices such as watch and smartcard to be automated since they could be tracked from a distance. DASH7 also enabled the development of electric billboards that were used in advertising corporate products. This technology, therefore, boosted e-commerce and enabled companies to make more profits due to low cost of advertisement. The DASH7 technology also led to development of gadgets that utilize the frequency of 433MHz and is commonly used to monitor pressure in car tires (MacManus, 2010). Another gadget called TPMS provides the driver with accurate t ire pressure readings. This enables drivers to save fuel, reduce tire tear and wear, and ensure the overall safety of motorists. The DASH7 technology products are also being used in the management of supply chain. Since DASH7 wireless network has high coverage due to its low frequency of 433 MHz, it is being used in the tracking of maritime vessels, cars, and containers. This is allowing businesses to have control over their assets and, therefore, businesses can be assured of more profit. The use of DASH7

The Unilever market analysis and overview

The Unilever market analysis and overview To add vitality to life is Unilevers everlasting corporate mission, and it works to create a better future every day. Ever since Unilever was established in 1884 by the founder William Hesketh Lever, It has grown to one of worlds leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods. Winning in the market place is one of the core secrets of its success (Unilever Global, 2010). In 1996, Unilevers market share of powder category in Brazil reached as high as 81 per cent with three brands: Omo, Minerva and Campeiro. Despite its brand name and company goodwill Unilever was unable to penetrate the detergent market in the North East (NE) of Brazil. The North East of Brazil constitutes twenty eight percent of Brazils total population with close to forty eight million low income consumers (Chandon Pacheco 2007).This report therefore aims at providing recommendations on the marketing strategy that Unilever should employ to target the low-income consumer segment. The report is structured into three parts namely consumer behaviour, brand identity, and the marketing mix followed by our recommendations. First we shall identify the consumer behaviour differences among laundry products customers in Brazil. Second we shall discuss whether Unilever should bring out a new brand, reposition its existing brand or go ahead with a brand extension to target the North Eastern Brazilian market. We will then briefly touch upon the positioning of the brand and discuss in detail the marketing mix. Theories and empirical data shall be applied where necessary. CONSUMER DIFFERENCES In order to make an effective marketing strategy, we should first analyse the consumer behaviour differences between the SE and NE segments of the laundry product market in Brazil. A deep understanding of the target consumer group is the first step in promoting a successful product to a new market (Chandon Pacheco 2007). The following table clearly shows the consumer behaviour differences between the two market segments. NORTH EAST SOUTH EAST 53% of the population live on less than two minimum wages. 21% of the population live on less than two minimum wages. Only 28% of households own a washing machine. Washing machines are a necessity with 67% of the population possessing a machine. Women scrub clothes using bars. Then they add bleach to remove stains little detergent powder at the end to make clothes smell good. Women mix powder detergent and softener in a washing machine and use laundry soap and bleach only to remove the toughest stains. North-easterners use a lot more soap (20kg) South Easterners use a lot less soap than the NE (7kg) Women often do their washing in a public place Most women wash clothes alone at home People attach the symbolic value to cleanliness; women see it as the dedication towards her family. Cleanliness has much lower relevance for self-esteem and social status It is essential to analyse the buyer role framework to understand the shopping habits of low income consumer. This in turn will help the firm in its marketing mix. Table 2 below analyses the buyer role framework for the laundry products in the NE segment: INITIATOR Women of the house INFLUENCER Friends, neighbours or relatives that the women meet at the public laundry area DECIDER Husband or in the case of the unmarried woman the financial head of the family sometimes even themselves. BUYER Husband and Wife or either one of them USER The Whole Family/Household Table 2: NE BUYER ROLE FRAMEWORK SOURCE- OWN COMPILATION Why are there such varied differences between the two consumer segments? The reasons can be attributed to some factors which influence their choices. All these factors can be divided into four aspects: cultural, social, personal and psychological. The first factor that should be taken into consideration is motivation which belongs to the psychological aspect; because the motives drive consumers to buy. We all know Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. According to his theory, motives can be divided into five categories: the physiological needs, the safety needs, the love needs, the esteem needs and the need for self-actualization. Among these categories, the physiological is the basic need, which means the fundamentals of survival (Maslow 1943, 370-396). Only if the lower needs are well gratified, can new set of higher needs emerge (Maslow 1943). As stated in the case, women in the NE of Brazil, who have very low incomes and poor living conditions, are just fulfilling the most basic need and hence will prefer a product that offers value for money. Another factor related to psychological aspect is beliefs and attitudes. Women in NE of Brazil attach symbolic value to the cleanliness of the clothes. They regard it as the dedication of the mother to her family. Due to this they would probably buy a laundry product with ability to remove stains. Lifestyle is also an important factor that influences behaviour under personal aspect. Lifestyle refers to the pattern of living as expressed in a persons activities, interests and opinions. Lifestyle analysis, categorizes consumers according to their beliefs, activities, values, and demographic characteristics such as education and income (Jobber, D. 2007). Women in the NE of Brazil, viewing washing clothes as one of the pleasurable routine activities of their week. The forth factor which influences their consumer behaviour is the social class. It is a sub factor of cultural aspect. People in NE of Brazil are the working class and those at lowest level of subsistence. Their social class is at the bottom of the pyramid. Their income can only sustain their daily basic needs, and these factors greatly affect their buying attitudes towards the laundry products. This is one reason for their extensive laundry soap usage. One factor of classifying households is based on their geographic location. This analysis is called geo demographics and is based on population census data. (Jobber, D. 2007). The households different economic conditions determine whether they will buy the kind of laundry product which may be less effective but with a more reasonable price or the best product without considering its price. The geographic location differences can enlighten the company to make the marketing strategies accordingly. BRAND IDENTITY Marketing managers aim at developing their products into brands to help them create a unique position in the minds of their customers (Jobber, 2007, p. 326). It is therefore essential to understand the difference between a product and a brand. A product can be anything that has the capacity to satisfy customer need. Branding is the process by which companies distinguish their product offering from the competition. (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 133). Branding enables customers to build relationship in terms of prestige, status, economy and eases the purchase decision (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 134). After analyzing the needs of the target market we as a strategic marketing team propose that Unilever should employ the brand extension strategy. 3.1 BRAND EXTENSION Brand extension refers to the use of an established brand name on a new brand within the same broad market (Jobber Fahy, 2006). As mentioned earlier, Unilever has three brands namely Omo, Minerva and Campeiro. Their prices are coherent with the order in which they are listed. Omo has been positioned as an expensive product with the ability to remove stains with low quantity when used in washing machines, thus reducing the need for soap or bleach. Minerva, the only brand having penetrated the laundry soap market and the detergent market has positioned itself has having an emotional appeal where as Campeiro stands out as the price brand (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 132). After closely examining the performance, characteristics, consumer preference and market penetration (in both the categories of laundry products) of the three brands we propose that Unilever should apply the brand extension strategy to Minerva. This will provide a good opportunity for Minerva as a brand to increase its mar ket share in the laundry soap market, which is currently being dominated by other local or international products. Also the strong brand identity of Minerva can be sustained into the future through this extension (Jobber, 2007, p. 370). Minerva proves to be the right choice for brand extension because it is correctly priced and positioned unlike its sister brands which are either too low (Campeiro) giving the idea of low quality, or either too high (Omo) making it out of reach to our target market. Our target market being the women in the North East of Brazil and considering their washing traits (Table 1) we propose that Minervas extension be a laundry soap that will try to cater to all of the needs of the North Eastern women or household. Also the North East market for laundry soap is very fragmented because laundry soap is much easier to produce than powdered detergent. Laundry soap is also seen as multi-use product that has many home and personal care uses. The brand will be called Minerva Brilhar- Sabà £o Multi Purpose (Multi Purpose Soap). Under the brand flagship we propose to launch three products namely Minerva Brilhar Alfazema, Minerva Brilhar Cà ­trico and Minerva Brilhar Coco.The reason for choosing three variants is to reduce the risk of the product not being acknowledged by the mass. A detailed explanation of all the three variants will be discussed under the marketing mix. 3.1.1 JUSTIFICATION FOR CHOOSING BRAND EXTENSION A strong brand provides a strong foundation for leveraging positive perceptions and goodwill from the core brand to brand extensions. The new brand benefits from the added value that the brand equity of the core brand bestows on the extension (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 136). Minerva as a brand has a considerable share in both the laundry soap and detergent market. Though not the largest in terms of sales or market share, its positioning makes it the most popular or sought after brand. The use of brand extension is an important marketing tool. The two main advantages of brand extension in launching new products are that: Reduces risk Less costly than alternative launch strategies (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142). Both distributors and consumers may perceive less risk if the new brand comes or is part of an already established brand name (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142). The North Eastern side of Brazil has very few malls and supermarkets. Small retailers with small-to- midsized shops are very dominant. Due to their restricted clientele and their spending power shopkeepers would generally be skeptical in shelving a new brand, until and unless they were being paid for shelving the particular product. Consumers generally seem to attribute the quality associations they have of the original brand to the new one (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142).Launch costs may also be reduced by using brand extension. Since the established brand name is already well known the task of building awareness of the new brand is not required. Consequently advertising, sales and promotional costs are reduced (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142). Furthermore, there is the likelihood that the company may be able to bank upon advertising economies of scale since advertisements for the original brand and its extension reinforce each other (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142). Looking at the other side of the coin, there is also the danger that the marketing management will underfund the launch of the product, beleiving that the spin off effects of the original brand name will compensate. This can lead to low awareness. Another effect is cannibalization, which refers to a situation where the new brand gains sales at the expense of the existing brand. There is also the danger that bad publicity for one brand can affect the reputation of the other brands under the same umbrella. Also if a brand name is extended too far there can be a loss of credibility and this is something that the management needs to guard itself against (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 142). Brand extensions are likely to be successful if they make sense to the consumer. If the values and aspirations of the new target segement (s) match those of the original segement, and the qualities of the brand name are likewise highly prized then success is likely (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 143). 4. MARKETING STRATEGIES: 4.1Market segmentation Targeting: Market segmentation is the technique used by marketers to gain an understanding about a diverse nature of markets. Market segmentation may be defined as the identification of individuals or organisations with similar characteristics that have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy (Jobber, 2007, p. 275) Market segmentation provides the basis for the selection of target markets. The company decides the target market that it wants to serve. As customers in the target market segment are homogenous, a single marketing mix strategy can be developed to match those requirements (Jobber, 2007). The consumer segmentation criteria can be classified into three broad groups: Behavioural, psychological and profile variables (Jobber, 2007).In reference to the case at hand, Unilever is focussing on marketing its laundry products to the low income consumers in North East part of Brazil. Since the consumers in this region are homogenous a single marketing mix strategy can be developed. The launch of Minerva Brilhar aims at targeting the market with the following factors taken into consideration: Buyers: Household women from NE part of Brazil Benefits Sought: Fragrance, Multi-use product. Purchase occasion: Self Buy Lifestyle: Conservatives with traditional values. Gender: Female Social Class: Lower income. Income: 53% of population live on less than two minimum wages. Geographic: North East VS South East part of Brazil. 5. Marketing Mix Marketing Mix is the planned management of the customer relationship including product, price, place and promotion (Jobber, 2007, p. 1001). In what follows, each of the aforementioned elements of marketing mix is discussed in further detail. 5.1 Product Strategies: For some time now it has been conventional for marketers to think in terms of different product levels (Jobber Fahy, 2006).Managing products from a marketing perspective can be explained using the three product levels namely core product, actual product and augmented product as seen in Figure 3. Figure 3: PRODUCT FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE SOURCE ADAPTED: (Jobber Fahy, 2006) The three product levels that are depicted in the figure above can be applied to the case of Minerva Brilhar as shown in Table 3. Core product Convenience, Familiarity, Reassurance and Fragrance Actual Product Plastic pack, Images with text, Modern look to the laundry bar with a ready to use image Augmented Product Satisfaction, Guarantee, Ease of use. Table 3: PRODUCT LEVEL ANALYSIS OF MINERVA BRILHAR SOURCE: OWN COMPILATION USING TEXT FROM (Jobber Fahy, 2006). The characteristics of Minerva Brilhar are discussed below across various criterions: Key product drivers: Various fragrances to choose from, ability to remove stains, better grip, multi-use product (can be used for other home and personal care uses), value for money and longer life of the product. Packaging: Plastic pack of 250 gms x 4 bars with images and text. Each flavour will be packed in individually. Flavour and Ingredients: Three flavours namely Lavender (Alfazema), Citrus (Citrico) and Coconut (Coco). The patented formulae and technology developed by Hindustan Unilever in India for its brand Rin Supreme (sister company) will also be used to develop the above mentioned products. The technology used by HUL is called Pure Clean. The supposed technology would keep clothes looking new for longer unlike other detergent bars which contains 40% mined ingredients (Exchange4media, 2002) Product positioning: Our products tag line would be Keeps your family spotless for longer. The images of the product Minerva Brilhar are seen below. Minerva Brilhar- Sabà £o Multi Purpose SOURCE:OWN COMPILATION SOURCE:OWN COMPILATION 5.2 Price Strategy: Price from a marketing perspective can be defined as the sacrifice a consumer is prepared to make in exchange for the benefits of having a product or service, in order to achieve good value. The value is determined as a function of price, functional benefits and emotional benefits (Jobber Fahy, 2006).Therefore in reference to Minerva Brilhar; we provide improved value to customers by using the differentiation approach strategy wherein the product benefits are enhanced by maintaining the price. Minerva Brilhar is reasonably priced as compared to the other Unilever detergent brands. The product provides enhanced value in terms of functional benefits such as ease of use with a better grip and is a multipurpose product. It also caters to the emotional benefits of the NE Brazilian customers such as cleanliness and provides a range of pleasant fragrances. 5.21: FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PRICING DECISIONS OF MINERVA BRILHAR: The pricing decision of products is influenced by internal and external factors. While deciding the price for Minerva Brilhar the following factors were taken into consideration. Marketing strategy: The differentiation strategy of pricing is suggested since the product has enhanced value and is priced at a nominally higher price than the existing Unilever products. Marketing Mix: The quality of the product was enhanced in terms of better grip and more variety of fragrances for multipurpose use. Length of the distribution channel: The length of the distribution channel is long in the NE Brazilian market therefore the distributor mark up price is increased slightly. 5.22: KEY BASES FOR PRICE SETTING: There are three key methods used by managers to set prices namely cost based pricing, competition pricing and marketing pricing. The figure below briefly explains the three pricing methods. Figure 4: KEY BASES FOR SETTING PRICE SOURCE ADAPTED FROM: (Jobber Fahy, 2006) The pricing method adopted in the case of Minerva Brilhar is the marketing/customer based pricing wherein the price of the product is designed based on attaching appropriate price to reflect the benefits offered to the customers (Dr.Angela Tregear, 2010). The market orientation approach was used to decide the prices. Minerva Brilhar will be priced at 1.71$/kg. Table 4 will outline the cost break up of Minerva Brilhar The cost break up constitutes of formulation cost of 1.05$/kg due to added features in the product such as three variants in flavour and better grip with a pure clean formula. The packaging cost will be 0.15$/kg as it is a plastic pack with four bars. The promotional cost is slightly higher at 0.32 $/kg as heavy promotion is needed to build awareness for the brand extension. The major challenge faced by Unilever in pricing their products was to divert its funds from its premium brands to invest in a lower margin market. Therefore, pricing Minerva Brilhar at a price that is affordable by the mass can allow Unilever to penetrate the market better. 5.3 Promotion strategies: Promotional activities can be broad and are aimed at the market as a whole. The overall range of techniques available to the marketer is usually known as the promotional mix and comprises seven main elements which are represented in Figure 4 (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 217). Figure 5: SEVEN MAIN ELEMENTS OF PROMOTIONAL MIX SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM (Jobber Fahy, 2006) The promotion of Minerva Brilhar will be done through advertising, sales promotion and sponsorship. A key point to note here is that almost all Brazilians irrespective of their incomes are avid television watchers (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 133). Despite of this fact, Unilever has responded by reducing the amount of advertising it places on television and instead switching to outdoor and internet advertising (Jobber Fahy, 2006).Therefore retaining the existing Unilever marketing strategy of outdoor and internet advertising the product will be advertised will the help of posters on small stores. Radio will also be used as an alternative to television for delivering the message across to a wide number of audiences. The other means of promotion that we propose for the new brand is through sales promotions. Consumer promotion techniques such as free samples can be introduced to encourage trial as this can be effective for brand extension (Jobber Fahy, 2006). In the case of Minerva Brilhar we will sell 20g of free sample with the purchase of each pack of any flavour. The final step of promotion for our brand will be through sponsorship. Considering the popularity of football in Brazil we propose that the sponsorship be in the form of a football match played by four teams namely Minerva, Minerva Brilhar Alfazema, Minerva Brilhar Cà ­trico and Minerva Brilhar Coco. We will encourage the North Eastern locals to participate in the match.This will indeed create an awareness among the minds of the consumers.There will also be wet demos of the product at the end of the match for consumers to visualise the features of the product.Radio shall also be used inorder to promote the event. 5.4 Distribution strategy: The final part of the jigsaw is the distribution,the place element of the marketing mix.Products must be available in adequate quantities, in convienent locations and at times when customers want to buy them.According to Jobber and Fahy,distribution channel is the means by which products are moved from producer to end consumer (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 285).Choosing the most effective marketing channel is as crucial aspect of a marketing strategy. 5.41 COMPONENTS OF DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY: All products require a channel for distribution. There are various channels of distributions. The most difficult decision is to decide which channel of distribution to choose. The distribution strategy comprises of three components namely channel selection, distribution intensity and channel integration. Channel selection: The main challenge for Unilever was that they lacked a strong distribution network in NE part of Brazil (Jobber Fahy, 2006, p. 134).This makes it indeed difficult for a product that is new to the market to position itself well. Keeping the practicality of the situation in mind, to establish a strong distribution channel for Minerva Brilhar would be to get access to as many specialised distributors as possible for the product to be recognised in the market. By keeping the channel length short, we will be able to cater to the mark up price of distributors. Distribution intensity: The distribution intensity for Minerva Brilhar will be intensive as it essential for the product to reach the 75,000 small outlets spread over the North East. The product should be easily accessible or else the purpose of creating a brand extension is defeated. 6. CONCLUSION: Prahalad Hart (2002) in an article state an interesting statement that low income markets present a prodigious opportunity for the worlds wealthiest companies-to seek their fortunes and bring prosperity to the aspiring poor (Prahalad Hart, 2002). Unilevers own analysis of Nirma and HLLs competition in the detergent business reveals more about the profit potential of the marketplace at the bottom of the pyramid (Prahalad Hart, 2002).This theory is widely known as the bottom of the pyramid theory. It is essential for an organisation to bear in mind that they must focus on low income consumer segments as value-demanding customers (Rajghatta, 2010). In relevance to the case at hand, Unilever can adopt the bottom of pyramid theory and develop products exclusively for the lower income segments wherein producing only cheap and low quality products must not be an ultimate goal. The company can earn immense profits if it rightly creates a good quality product with the value for money. The brand extension strategy as proposed should be the right decision for Unilever as it can provide a wide range of products with value for money to the customers. If Unilever adopts the bottom of the pyramid theory in the right fashion it surely will move towards the road of success.

Experience is knowledge :: essays research papers

Option # 1 Write an essay with the theme of your first quotation â€Å"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is by saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.† - Alexander Pope (1688-1744)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Experience is Knowledge†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many regrets may burden ones mind throughout their life. This is a totally normal part of ones life that one may have no control over. â€Å"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is by saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.† - Alexander Pope (1688-1744) It is important that one will learn from their mistakes and take out a valuable lesson learned through their actions. The world does not stop for your sake, it simply keeps going and does not put into consideration that the day did not go accordingly to plans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is perfectly normal for one to feel question or doubt of a certain action performed. Anyone that is human would have this reaction to something that was a difficult decision to make. As many will come to see, life was not equipped with a pause button to put everything on hold so life as we know it can be put back into order. So many little things happen everyday, if a person would let all of these things get under their skin, life would be better known as â€Å"hell.† The best advice one could use would be to learn from the mistakes made, and become wiser with each one made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Should mistakes be looked at as something to be ashamed of? Being a human, mistake are inevitable. There is no such thing as someone who has not ever questioned an action performed or a decision made. Humans are given a conscious, this is strictly for making decisions. It helps one makes decisions by questioning everything. By doing this, uncertainty is not out of the question. Wrong choices, and bad actions are not something one should ever be ashamed of. Wrong choices, and bad actions that are performed more then once are something one should be ashamed of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wisdom comes with experience, engorging oneself in many opportunities comes with its mistakes. If one can comes out of a bad experience with some sort of knowledge that will help them, or teach them anything, it was not something to be ashamed of.