Hoyts Cover Leter

Manager Hoyts Cinemas Dear Sir/Madam, I am apply for you position as team member at Hoyts Cinemas, Broadmeadows. I believe I am the best candidate, as I not only fill the stated requirements for the position but, offer to your company my talents, determination and keen interest in customer service. I have a very welcoming personality and a warm approach to not only my employment interactions but also my fellow employees. My former position as Crew Member at KFC had allowed me to display enthusiasm, persistence and attention to detail; all qualities that I believe would be an excellent addition to your establishment.Achieving excellence in customer service and connecting well with clients has always been of high importance throughout my work experience. I consider it necessary to build up a good rapport with all customers so that they enjoy their experience and have a desire to return. I hope to have the opportunity to prove that I am able to perform not only my set duties but to bran ch out, using initiative and flexibility in other tasks. I endeavour to understand exactly what clients’ need and promote as much as is necessary without being overbearing.I am also familiar with Windows and Mac processing and have excellent written and verbal communication. I am available to work weekends and would be happy to take on other days, if necessary. In writing this letter, I have attempted to convey my personality and expose strengths that are of use to your company. Actions however, do speak louder than words, and so I suggest a meeting, where you will better understand my inviting manner and hospitable nature. I am eager to meet with you so please, do not hesitate to call or email me. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Arsa

Spiegel Online Economics Edgar Atukeren MBA SBS (Swiss Business School) Alex Rau, Daria Revanchenkova, Arsa Grgurevic Table of Content: 1 Background 2 Assignment 3 Interactive Classified Advertising in Germany 4 Choosing the right segments 5 Business Idea and Concept 6 Competition 7 Financial Projections 8 The Problem 9 Possible Solutions 10 Conclusion 11 Recommendations and Lesson Learned Background Spiegel Online is one of the leading news Web sites in Germany and other German speaking countries, as Austria and Switzerland.It is a part of a Spiegel Group, publisher of several print products in addition to Der Spiegel and producer of the Spiegel TV Magazine. The Spiegel Group was also active in television film production. It took first steps toward internationalization by English-language editions of Spiegel special and the monthly publication of magazines in Hungary and Poland. In 2005 the Spiegel Group had more than 1,400 employees. Total revenues of the Spiegel Group were approxi mately around 322 million euro, of which Spiegel Online contributed 15 million euro. 0% of revenues resulted from online advertising, making this the most important source of income for Spiegel Online. The webpage is covering various topics as politics, business, panorama, arts, science, education, entertainment, sports, and travel. Spiegel is also a major contributor to the Hamburg Media School. It organized as a public-private partnership and offers MBA in Media Management, film, and journalism. In their second year, MBA students typically engaged in consulting projects with major media companies. Assignment This year the students must research on 2 questions: ) Were there any chances for an economically successful entry into the market for interactive classifieds? 2) What would the business model look like in detail? They had only 2 restrictions: anything in the adult segment was seen as inappropriate and the budget will be limited. The student team split their analysis into four steps: * Research of market volume and growth * Analyses of possible competitors * Selection of lucrative niches * Development of adequate concepts Interactive Classified Advertising in Germany The interactive advertising in Germany is based on offering space for classified ads for other companies.There are approximately 20,500 Web sites, which are doing that and they generate around 4 percent of all online revenues. Online services had gradually replaced newspapers and magazines in the classifieds segment. There are 3 most important interactive segments nowadays: * Automotive (which cover 1/3 of all customers looking for a car) * Real estate (200 billion euro are generated per year) * Job advertisement (30% of jobs are found online) Choosing the right segments Spiegel Online is following a brand new strategy: horizontal integration into a new market (interactive ads). The company decided to expand and cover new arket, which can generate additional revenue for the company. As autom otive, real estate, and jobs interactive segments are already dominated by large competitors, Spiegel Online needs to interfere in the industry, by carefully choosing the segments, which are the most profitable ones. So it decided to concentrate on high quality standards and products that matched the image of Spiegel and chose high-quality cars, high- paying jobs and art objects. Spiegel Online Art Platform The team prepared a full business plan on each of the three market segments. The automotive and job segments seemed to be generally profitable and growing.Art, on the other hand, promised to be an interesting niche that had not yet been covered by any well-known company. Competition Most Web sites were positioned in the upper price segment. Serve as a marketing and sales tool for high-value objects. In the lower price segment, Web sites are mostly created by amateurs and hobby artists. These Web sites did not attract large audiences. The online art market had received some attent ion from investors and media companies (Example Burda-photo gallery Lumas). Opportunity for Spiegel online is to create platform in the middle and lower price segment.Business Idea and Concept The concept consisted of two integrated parts for the Spiegel online users interested in the arts: a selling platform and a community platform. Art platform Core to the Spiegel Online art platform was the sales platform. The sales platform homepage would lead to all art objects up for sale. A search engine would allow sorting objects by price, style, size, artist†¦ Navigation menu would allow quick access to additional site functions. The home page would also include a voting area. Community The Virtual Art Gallery could be customized, like MySpace. Users can create their own profiles.The profile included a virtual walk-through to gallery. Artist and galleries could use the Virtual Art Gallery as a marketing tool. Target group The Spiegel Online art platform addressed two target groups: f irst, people interested in art, and second, artist and galleries. Consumer benefits For buyers: low-risk playing field, moderate prices, high transparency, users don’t need specialized knowledge. For sellers: Low entry barriers, low sellers fees, attractive for young unknown artists. Benefits for Spiegel online Monetary: New revenues by commissions, insertion fees, and shop sales. Non-monetary: Parent brand, high-quality image.

Political Participation and Representation of Women in Indian Politics Essay

Women’s participation in mainstream political activity has important implications for the broader arena of governance in any country. Governance relates to a set of rules, institutions, and values that are involved in the management of state and society. Governance institutions and processes include political parties, parliaments, government and their interactions with society. Although governance is a generic term which could mean good government or management, the governance values, types of government, the nature of political processes, the political parties and organizations, which/whose interests are represented and protected, and the extent of power that the masses have to challenge the state or in suggesting alternatives in methods of governance etc. may vary in different political systems. Liberal democracy is founded on reason, law, and freedom of choice but the position of different social groups in the social and political space where power is located is not always equal in practice. This is particularly so in the case of women. The nature of society or state has a decisive impact on the extent and effectiveness of women’s political presence and participation. Notions of democracy, governance and the state are often not gender neutral constructs but result from both historical factors and experiences. The state and its organizational entities reflect the same social forces as other social organizations. It is thus necessary to examine the gender balance in women’s participation in the political process, decision making and policy formulation. The limited nature of female participation and representation in national decision making institutions has important consequences for women and for the legitimacy of the institutions. Where women constitute half the population in a political system which supports equality and where both women and men are legally eligible for political office, women’s participation should be equal to that of men. If this is not the case, it signifies deep flaws within the political system. Representation is not only a means of ensuring individual participation. It is also the responsibility of the representatives to act on behalf of the constituents, including women, who elected them and reflect their ideas and aspirations. Women’s disproportionate absence from the political process would mean that the concerns of half the population cannot be sufficiently attended to or acted ? Rtd Principal, Daulat Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 2 Human Rights, Gender & Environment pon as it denies their viewpoints sufficient opportunity to be integrated in the political system. While the Indian democratic state is committed to the protection of individual rights within the context of citizenship, a closer look at how it operates for the women reveals that these rights are not accessible in the public and private spheres in their full potential to all the women in India. There are historical, social and cultural factors that have limited women’s capacity and chances to exercise their freedom to participate in the political processes. The evolution of Indian democracy through the 14 general elections so far has reflected a low representation of women in Parliament, State legislatures, in political parties and other decision-making bodies. The under representation of women in the political sphere is inextricably linked with the low and inferior status of women in society in India especially in the context of the declining sex ratio (Table 1), increasing violence and crimes against women and their marginalized status in employment, education and health sectors. (Human Development in South Asia:2000). The comparative position of gender-related development index (GDI) reveals that among 177 countries, India ranks 113th, indicating its very low gender-equity status as evident from the Table below: Table : Comparative Position of Gender-related Development Index of Selected Countries Adult literacy rate (%age 15 & above) 2004 g enrolment ratio for primary, secondary & tertiary. Although the gap between male and female literacy rates has been narrowing, there is still very large disparity in this regard. While male literacy rate in India is 75. 3 per cent, female literacy rate is only 53. 7 per cent. It is even worse among Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Among, the SC 50 per cent males are literate, while only 24 per cent females can read and write and among ST, 41 per cent males and only 18 per cent females are literate. An average Indian woman has little control over her own fertility and reproductive health. More women are illiterates compared to men and more women drop out of school. There are fewer women in the paid workforce than men. Women’s work is undervalued and unrecognized. Women work longer hours than men and carry the major share of household and community work which is unpaid and invisible. Women and men earn unequal wages. Women are legally discriminated against in land and property rights. Women face violence inside and outside the family throughout their lives. Most women in India have very little say in decisions affecting their own lives. The cumulative effect of all this is that women tend to lack the self-confidence and skills needed to function effectively in the public sphere. (Sen, Kalyani Menon &. Shiva Kumar A. K: 2001). The under representation of women and absence of women from positions of power and decision-making reinforces their exploitation and deprivation. It is in this context that women’s greater political representation becomes all the more necessary. Political Participation and Representation of women in India Women in India raised the issue of representation in politics first in 1917. At that time it was basically a demand for universal adult franchise and political participation. By 1930 women had gained the Right to vote, which initially benefited women from elite families. Women’s involvement in struggles for political and civil rights in India were however sought to be linked to nationalist movements in alliance with males against the common foreign enemy. In any case women’s involvement in nationalist struggles changed their lives in that even though they were denied equal opportunities to shape the new state, they gained constitutional and legal rights. But even after the right to vote became a reality for all women, their representation in the parliament, political parties and other decision making bodies remained low even after independence, and after the Indian Constitution came into force in 1950. (Susheela Kaushik:1993:1996,Veena Mazumdar:1993). A few women no doubt attained University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 4 Human Rights, Gender & Environment positions as members of parliament and state legislatures and as leaders of opposition, etc. mostly through family dynasties or through male political patronage. However, the percentage of women in legislatures and decision making positions always remained low. Women do not share the power of decision- making and are not involved in policy making in Indian democracy in proportion to their numerical strength. Thus there is a gap between the formal idea of women’s participation and their meaningful use of power. (Susheela Kaushik:1993). The quest for greater political representation of women is, therefore, still relevant. (Asha Kapur Mehta et al:2001) Women in India have lesser opportunities of public influence or for entering politics. Women also lack opportunities to move within the hierarchies without patronage of male leaders or mentors. The women’s wings of political parties may have given visibility to women in the form of a platform for participation rather than integrating them into central power structures. Women do not have necessary resources to enter and compete in contemporary political arena. Thus improved social indicators in development graphs may not automatically ease women’s access to political power or improve political participation and representation. They do not necessarily translate into collective gains nor sustained political power. Of course the scope for women’s public activism varies across class, caste and region in India. The effectiveness of women’s participation also depends on the local configuration of power and cultural environment apart from problems of poverty, illiteracy, lack of economic resources, negative social and legal environments, family and household pressures, male dominated bureaucracy and politicians that the women face. The case for women’s wider participation and representation Women in India constitute nearly half the population of the country (Table 1), but they are poorly represented in the various governance and decision making bodies. The position depicted through the 14 general elections so far reflects a low representation of women in Parliament, State legislatures, in political parties and other decision-making bodies. Less than 8% of Parliamentary seats, less than 6% Cabinet positions, less than 4% of seats in High Courts and the Supreme Court, have been occupied by women. Less than 3% of the administrators and managers are women. The average percentage of women’s representation in the Parliament, Assemblies and Council of Ministers taken together has been around 10%. UNIFEM:2000). The Indian Constitution guarantees to all women the fundamental right to equality (Article 14) and equal voting rights and political participation to both men and women. As reflected in the Preamble, the Indian Constitution is firmly grounded in the principles of liberty, fraternity, equality and justice and contains a number of provisions for the empowerment of women. Women’s right to equality and nondiscrimination are defined as justiciable fundamental rights (Article 15) and there University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 5 Human Rights, Gender & Environment is enough room for affirmative action programmes for women. Equality of opportunity in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State is a fundamental right (Article 16). The Directive Principles of State Policy stress on the right to an adequate means of livelihood for both men and women equally (Article 39a), equal pay for equal work for both men and women (Article 39d), provision for just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief (Article 39e). Directives for promoting harmony and renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women are also provided for in the Indian Constitution. The political rights of women are recognized without any discrimination, or distinction and they have the right to participate in decision making at all levels equally with men. The right to constitutional equality has been supplemented by legal equality by the passage of a number of Acts through which the traditional inequalities in respect of marriage, divorce and property rights are sought to be eliminated. However, in spite of these constitutional and legal provisions, the ground reality is that women have not obtained adequate and proportionate representation in the legislative and other decision-making bodies. There is certainly a need for women’s more effective role in decision-making processes for the democratic and constitutional assurances of equal citizenship and rights in the Indian Constitution to become a reality at the operational level. Citizenship is linked to political participation and representation. Lack of ability and opportunity to participate in the political system implies a lack of full membership in the system. For true equality to become a reality for women, the sharing of power on equal terms with men is essential. But the reality is that women continue to be marginally represented even in areas where the various policies have a direct impact on them. There is still a great gap between constitutional guarantees and the actual representation of women in the political system in India Political Mobilization and Participation Historically many women have been active in the informal political sphere in terms of political mobilization and they have participated in large numbers in political demonstrations and mass agitations as well as in the activities of nationalist and political bodies and organizations. The political mobilization and participation of women has been impressive in the Indian National Movement, in revolutionary Left movements, anti-price rise stirs, on legislation on rape, against the practice of widow immolation, in the anti-liquor movements and movements against deforestation etc. During the National Movement against colonialism women were mobilized actively particularly under Gandhi’s leadership and women’s organizations within the political parties participated actively in the cause against colonialism for instance in the Civil Disobedience Movements and Salt Satyagraha etc. But once freedom was won, the women’s wings were more or less marginalized and assigned areas that primarily dealt with women and children or other ‘welfare’ activities and women’s organizations ended up playing University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 6 Human Rights, Gender & Environment a secondary and supportive role to the male leadership in power. The leaders of such organizations were seldom women with independent political careers unless they were from political families with the backing of male political activists. It is worth noting that the political mobilization of women and their participation in elections has steadily increased since the first General Elections of 1952. (Table 2, 3, 4 & 5). Between 1952 –1980 for instance, women’s participation increased by 12% against the turnout of men which increased by only 6%. In the general elections of 2004, the all India percentage of women voter turnout was 48%. As regards women voters’ turnout, from 37. 1 per cent in the first general elections in 1952 it increased gradually over the years to 55. 6 by 1999. Notably, the gap between female and male voters was 15. 9 per cent in 1952, but it decreased slowly over successive elections and came down to 8. 4 per cent in 1996 (Table 3). It has remained at 8. 3 per cent in 2004 general elections. (Deshpande: 2004) This percentage increase in the turnout of women in elections has however not ranslated into a larger number of women being represented in the legislative bodies. Competitive elections and democracy has not necessarily led to better political representation of women in Indian politics. The candidates fielded by the various political parties are still predominantly male and women account for only five to ten percent of all candidates across parties and regions. As reflected in Table 6, the percentage of representation of women in the Lok Sabha varies from 4. 4 in 1952 to 8. 1 in 1984, declining to 5. 2 in 1989, rising to 7. 9 in 1998 and 9. 2 in 1999 and again declining to 8. 1 in 2004. In Rajya Sabha, proportion of female members started with 7. 3 per cent in 1952 and rose to 15. 5 per cent in 1991, but again declined to 6 per cent in 1998 and rose to 10. 3 per cent in 2005, again slightly declining to 9. 9 per cent in 2006. (Table 7). On the whole the representation of women in Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and the State Assemblies remains low. (Tables 8, 9 & 10). Thus despite the increase in electoral participation of women, their representation in the formal political structures has not changed much. Table 11) Though voting is an important indicator of political participation and mobilization, it is not necessarily indicative of representation. Voting is a tool of political equality and it mobilizes women but voting by itself d oes not result in the desired end of equality. Almost all parties vie with each other in appealing to women’s votes at the time of elections but very few women get to contest in the elections. Almost all parties hesitate to field women candidates. Hence the number of women candidates fielded by various political parties has always been very low as compared to their numbers in the population. Table 12) Though a large number of women participate in voting, their low numbers in decision making bodies including those of political parties in India is notable. (Table 14) Among women who manage to rise in the political echelons, in spite of their ability in administration and the art of political articulation, very few women reach the level of cabinet ministers. Mostly they remain deputy ministers or ministers of state. When women reach the few ministerial positions, they are generally assigned University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course Human Rights, Gender & Environment portfolios in the social service sectors of Health, Education, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development etc. (Human Development in South Asia:2000) Representation By the 1980s, issues raised by the women’s movements in India led to political part ies realizing the importance of female voters and women’s wings became active. Mainstream political parties became conscious of women as a constituency and this was reflected in their election manifestoes and their considering women as candidates with potential votes. By the ninth Lok Sabha elections in 1989, one could find a conscious focus on women’s issues in the manifestoes of political parties. However, this did not translate into more seats for women in the political bodies and most parties resorted to tokenism and symbolism when it came to representation of women. Women issues were not taken up by parties in a serious manner nor translated into programmes, policies and legislation nor were they mandated specifically to address issues of women. Almost all political parties set up a women’s cell or wing but they worked as ancillary bodies. Very few women were able to capture seats of power. The number of women in the legislatures remained very small. Very few women reached the position of party president or leader of legislative party. (Ranjana Kumari:1994). More recently major political parties have indeed made a conscious effort to induct more women into the various levels of the party organization. The CPM has made an effort to induct more women into its district committees and state level bodies. The membership of women in the party however remains below 10%. But the membership of women in mass organizations as the Kisan Sabha and the CITU has shown an improvement. The CPM changed its stance on gender-based reservation only after 1988. The BJP had the highest percentage of women in decision-making bodies from the Parliamentary Board and the Election Committee down to the ward level. (Rita Manchanda:1998). Traditionally, the Congress Party has fielded the largest number of women candidates and has had the largest number of women members in Parliament though the Congress working Committee has a rather low level of representation of women. In spite of the efforts of political parties to induct more women, the extent of representation of women has not changed much. The number of women candidates in the 1998 parliamentary elections was not even half the number of women in the 1996 elections. In 1998 there were only 274 women candidates as against 599 in the 1996 elections. In the general elections in 1999, the same proportion of women were put up for elections by both the parties favoring the 84th Amendment Bill on the reservation for women in Parliament and the parties which were opposed to it. (Rita Manchanda:1998). The Congress Party led by a woman had only 10% of women among the candidates. The BJP and the CPM had 7% of women among the candidates. Jayati Ghosh:1999). The idea of 33% reservation for women in parliament was actively endorsed by most of the major University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 8 Human Rights, Gender & Environment political parties and this had raised expectation that many more women would be nominated to contest the elections. The election manifestoes and the public pronouncements of parties as well as th e print and electronic media highlighted the idea of women’s representation by reservation or by nomination of more women for elections signifying a more conscious political stand on women’s representation. However, these stances did not translate actually into more nomination of women candidates during elections. Many parties ended up allotting some seats to women candidates only as a token and to symbolize their pro women egalitarian policy. (Table 12) In the inner party structures in the decision-making levels and the posts within the party, women are even less represented in most political parties. Women have a very low representation if at all in the actual decision-making bodies and rarely influence the more significant party policies (Table 14). Most often they are relegated to the ‘women’s wing’ of the party where they are required to deal with what are considered to be â€Å"women’s issues’ such as dowry and rape cases and sometimes on more general concerns like price rise which are considered to affect ‘housewives’. Issues like child and family welfare are largely seen as women issues, and falling in a realm which is not political. By and large a masculine view of political priorities is in operation. Most of the women’s wings of political parties have very little power and have hardly any say in the decision making and important policy matters. Political parties assert that it is difficult to get sufficiently qualified women candidates. Other arguments have also been advanced. It has been held that women are not independent voters; a majority of them are illiterate; a majority of them make their choice on the basis of suggestions from male members of their families-husbands or sons; women lack information and political awareness or that women are not politically conscious. On the other hand, in reality women have been active and vocal both in times of peace and crisis. They have been active in movements of peace, women and child welfare, trade unionism, food adulteration, price rise and deforestation and many other issues. Power rather than Representation The real reason for the low political representation of women in the formal political structures and decision making levels, seems to lie in the compulsions of competitive elections and the quest for power by the political parties in a multiparty democracy. Increasingly the compulsions of the political parties due to narrow majorities, precarious coalitions and hung parliaments have made the question of power rather than that of representation the determining factor. Women’s issues and women’s participation and representation are encouraged only within the parameters of power and are constrained by the basic objectives and interest of the parties either to capture power or survival, if in power. While women are mobilized to vote by all the parties, at the stage of distributing tickets University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 9 Human Rights, Gender & Environment for standing for elections, the number of women drops dramatically. At this stage, political parties are driven more by power considerations with an eye on the ‘winnability’ of the candidates from the angle of the prospect of government formation. Women lose out at this stage as the imperative of ‘winnability’ seems to compel political parties to deny tickets to women unless they are sure to win. Women are considered to have less chances of winning, which is not necessarily true. In the 1996 elections, Uttar Pradesh had the largest number of women candidates contesting the elections: 55 for 85 seats. In Rajasthan 17 women contested in 25 constituencies. Orissa had 10 for 21 constituences and in West Bengal, 21 women contested in 42 constituencies. However Kerala with better social indicators including female literacy had only 4 women contesting. A total of 599 women contested the elections. With all this women constituted only 3. 4% of the total number of contestants. In 1998 there were only 274 women candidates out of a total of 4750 candidates contesting the elections. In 1999, out of 284 women who contested, 49 won, the success rate being 17. 3% and for men it was 11. 3 %. Women therefore had a better percentage of winning. In the General Elections of 2004, out of 355 women who contested from the main Political Parties, 44 won, the success rate being 12. 4 % whereas men’s success rate was 9. 8 %. (Table 5). It is interesting to note that though the number of women representatives in Parliament has not been very impressive their success rate in terms of percentage of contestants getting elected had always been igher than that of the male contestants. Women of Power and Women in power in Indian Politics In spite of the low political representation of women in Indian politics, it must be noted that some women leaders have an important place in Indian politics today. Jayalalithaa as leader of AIADMK, Mamata Bannerji as leader of Trinamul Congress and Mayawati as leader of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are instances in point. Some of them head impor tant and strong regional political parties which have been in alliance with major national political parties both outside and in national government. Even though the rise of some of these women leaders might be linked to their proximity to male leaders, they now hold a position of leadership within the party in their own right who can influence the decisions of their own party as well as the course of national politics. In addition, the example of Indira Gandhi who rose to be Prime Minister of India, and later of Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, both of whom had the dynastic advantage underpinning their leadership and position of power and decision-making in the Congress Party and the government can hardly be ignored. But the positions of authority of these women leaders did not include any specific mandate to address only women issues. In this sense as leaders of political parties, they were as power driven as their male peers. Political leadership by women is not University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 10 Human Rights, Gender & Environment dramatically different from that of men. Women leaders are no better or worse than men. Nor have women leaders been typically anxious to give greater representation to other women within their own organizations or in the political process generally. Representation of women has not necessarily increased greatly under the leadership of women. In fact interestingly the 73rd Constitutional amendment and the policy and implementation of 33% reservation for women in Panchayats received strong support and impetus due to Rajiv Gandhi’s interest and advocacy in the matter. Thus the Indian political system cannot be said to be non-receptive to the emergence and dominance of women leaders even though the political representation of women has not particularly registered a significant increase over the last 14 general elections. While on the one hand most women politicians have found it difficult to rise within male dominated party hierarchies, on the other hand some women have managed to become leaders when they have set up parties of their own. Once they have established themselves as leaders, there has been an unquestioning acceptance of their leadership and decisions by the party rank and file, even if it is largely male. Women in parliament or legislatures do not necessarily confine themselves to women issues only. In the absence of a specific mandate for representing women issues, most of them feel that they represent both men and women of their constituencies. Like men they are drawn into the game of power with all its ruthlessness even though women’s approach to politics may not be identical to that of men. In fact even the women’s wings or organizations of parties are not necessarily marked by kind of feminist perspective or sensitivity. Also, the patriarchal articulations whether by male politicians and leaders or internalized by women candidates in presenting themselves as ‘bahus’ and ‘betis’ relying on traditional patriarchal notions of femininity are not absent in Indian politics. Many times women public figures do adapt to and adopt male priorities predominating in public life in order to be acceptable. Many women internalize the norms and roles of patriarchal political structures and merely replicate them instead of questioning them, resulting in reinforcing existing hierarchies of power. Questions have been raised as to whether an increase in numerical strength of women in the political process and decision making bodies automatically leads to a qualitative shift in power and whether women on balance pay greater attention to the concerns of women more than male politicians. Problems of tokenism, visibility, marginality etc. are often discussed in referring to women as a ‘minority’ operating in a male domain. Women’s rights and responsibilities to participate equally in political life should not however be treated as a ‘minority’ issue. The political space must belong to all citizens – women and men. There is no doubt that fewer the women in public life the lesser the likelihood of distinctively female values, priorities and characteristics finding expression. Hence women’s involvement in political University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 11 Human Rights, Gender & Environment process and decision-making in greater numbers can make a significant difference. Does that mean that only people similar to a group can represent its interests? This may not necessarily be true. In this context it is important to examine what interests women in the public/political sphere are furthering. It could be argued that issues important to women could be reasonably represented as well by male Members of Parliament. But many strongly feel that without a sufficient female presence in the national and other decision making bodies, it seems unlikely that issues which women as a group are more prone to be faced with – concerning reproduction or challenging other inequalities within the social and economic sphere – would be adequately addressed. While it is considered important to bring women to positions of power, it is equally necessary to sensitize those in power whether men or women about gender. Along with this the importance of women’s economic independence, education and awareness and their improvement in the socio economic sphere can hardly be stressed. The restructuring of gender relations within both the family and society is an equally important step towards freedom, equality and justice. Representation through Reservation Various strategies have been proposed to further the political representation of women in India. From a reservation of 33% seats at various levels including the Parliament, it has also been suggested that political parties reserve 33% of their seats for women in the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party recently announced such a reservation in its organization. However, it has been questioned whether women constitute an undifferentiated category and whether collective identification and mobilization of women as a ‘disadvantaged’ group in general on the basis of gender is a viable proposition in the politically accepted sense of the term particularly in view of caste and class differences among them. Mere presence of women in Parliament even if greater in numbers will not mean much unless they are truly representative of women’s concerns covering all categories. In the ongoing debate about reservation of seats for women in the Parliament it has been pointed out that an undifferentiated reservation for women will reinforce the existing inequalities in women’s access to positions of power. It is the elite and politicized families from which there is a smooth entry for women in politics. Women playing supportive roles to males in the family and emerging from their shadows have also found easy entry. Another trend has been the entry of widows of prominent political figures into politics and positions of power. On the whole the important factors for women’s active presence in politics in India as trends show are in general: family background, political influence, family financial position, existing involvement in politics, literacy, local conditions, campaign strategy, influence within the party and personality traits etc. rather than only competence, capability and merit. The combined result of all these factors is that very few women manage to get or are given party tickets. If the factors of University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 12 Human Rights, Gender & Environment economic dependence, prohibitive election costs, threats of violence and character assassination are added, even fewer can get seats in the legislature. In any case, it is argued by those in favour of reservation, there is no doubt that democracy and representation will be strengthened with compulsorily more presence of women through reservation. This is evident from the impact of the implementation of 33% reservation of seats for women in the local bodies (panchayats) in India by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment as a result of which the representation of women in the formal structures of governance at the local level has recorded a steady increase. (Table 13). Women’s presence at the decision making levels will not only enhance the status of women but will also strengthen democratic traditions and make democracy more meaningful in fighting injustice and oppression while at the same time help to bring a different, explicitly female perspective to the political arena. Unless women are brought into the decision-making levels directly, important women issues will never be tackled with the seriousness they require. In addition, democracy demands the regard for not only the interests of those who support in elections but also the aspirations of those who expect to be represented. The recognition of the right of every citizen to participate in public decisions is a basic element of democracy, which, to be effective, requires that the needs and interests of all members of the society are respected and represented. Even if others might claim to represent them, there is no guarantee of justice and equity if one half of the population is consistently excluded from taking part fully in decision making as is the case with women in Indian politics and governance. There is therefore need for more inclusive processes of achieving representation. The value of inclusion of women in governance and decision-making institutions lies in the diversity of experiences women will bring to governance whether there are ‘female’ concerns or not. Comprehensive representation would be obtained if women constituting half the population find a proportionate number of seats in government. Conclusion It is important to stress that like the equal right to vote, participation and representation in legislative bodies may not in itself be enough for women’s political empowerment or to remedy the problems of discrimination faced by women in Indian society. Equality with equity is a goal which may not easily be achieved only by high representation of women in legislatures and other public bodies but has to be buttressed by other supportive measures. Even so, the demand for reservation of seats for women in political bodies to rectify the imbalance has gained strength in India in the light of persisting gender gaps in the various spheres of development. In the absence of any serious political selfcorrection so far, the demand for reservation of seats in legislatures and party structures has been stressed in India aiming at such an equitable representation. University of Delhi BA Programme II Foundation Course 13 Human Rights, Gender & Environment While the steady increase in the electoral participation and mobilization of women in India has increased the visibility of women in the legislative politics this has not happened in the exercise of executive and judicial power due to their lack of presence in the decision making structures. From this perspective, the important question is what are the benefits of democracy for women.. Electoral participation and quotas through affirmative action alone are not enough to result in gender equity.

Marriage and Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Music Videos, Sexuality, and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Skin Morbidity - Essay Example Moreover, the cultural viewpoint should be used in the assessment and perception of skin disease because ethnic groups may differ in their views of the diseases. Most data on skin diseases in the general population come from Western subjects who have been diagnosed in hospitals. Self-reported cases on skin morbidity have shown that skin disease is related to overall poor health and low socioeconomic status. Thus, the goal of this research study was to determine the presence of ethnic differences in self-reported skin morbidity among adults of ethnic groups in a Norwegian urban community. The study design was cross-sectional, involving residents of Oslo County in Norway. A questionnaire was mailed to 40,888 individuals, of which 18,747 responded. The invitation to participate was based on the participant’s age, socio-demographic status, and country of birth. The questionnaires obtained information on socio-demographic factors and aspects of health and self-reported health conditions, which included details on health conditions. From their responses, participants were further grouped based on migration history, diet, language and religion. One hundred fifteen nationalities were represented in the sample and were classified according to their region of origin and income. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The sample population had an approximately uniform age and contained more females. Eighty-four percent of the sample was from Norway, with the rest coming from Western countries, Eastern Europe, East Asia, Middle East, India and Africa. In men, more reports of skin itch came from East Asians, while dry and sore skin was more common in those from Middle East and North Africa. Hair loss was the main complaint of Indian, Middle Eastern and North African males. In contrast, the women reported different skin problems. Pimples prevailed in Africans, and sweat in Eastern Europeans,

Consider whether Health Impact Assessment would be worthwhile for the Essay

Consider whether Health Impact Assessment would be worthwhile for the Lancashire County Councils transport strategy for 2011-2021 - Essay Example This gives the project a frontline in laying down a Health Impact Assessment. Lancashire County Council’s transport strategy for 2011-2021 has put forth a Masterplan; Central Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan to address problems associated with highway transport system in Lancashire County. The Masterplan sets out to overseeing the future of Central Lancashire Highway and transport networks. Among the options listed for the improvement of the future of Lancashire’s transport system include, improving on the available existing infrastructure to expand on the highway and transport system. The result will be fruitful, as it will significantly improve public transport in the country. Nevertheless, despite the improvement of public transport in the country, does the policy have any impact on the health of the community at Lancashire? Stages of HIA include screening as first step whereby possible health impacts of the project are identified, wide range of stakeholders and informants are met with, stakeholders examine project details. In Lancashire, the Masterplan has stakeholders who are the city dwellers and collaborating partners. It also has informants who are the ones who have come up with the idea of Highway expansion. Project details such as the budget, the timeframe, and labor force can be examined from the Masterplan. In addition, HIA must possess the characteristics of a project touching on the health of the public at large. Lancashire Highway and transportation Masterplan will greatly affect the health of the public in both a positive and negative way. For instance, public health is affected by a range of factors, which may include housing, employment opportunities, security of the public and education, to mention but a few. The Lancashire Highway and Transportation Masterplan touches on all these aspects. To support this,all public realms for the Masterplan are designed with safety improvement at mind. In inner East Preston,

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What makes Shakespeare's plays so very popular, even after all these years - Research Paper Example Shakespeare’s plays are universal in the sense that they reflect reality. This reality is not the objective reality. Rather it is a kind of inner reality that dwell within the being of a man and that shapes the objective reality itself. In apparently simplistic language, but with rich metaphors and imagery, most of the Shakespeare’s plays lay bare the existence of that very existential being before the audiences. Indeed Shakespeare was a modern artist ahead of modernism, because though â€Å"Existentialism officially emerged in the middle of the 20th century many authors expressed familiar ideas much earlier. Shakespeare’s Hamlet posts some existentialist questions and expresses existentialist ideas† (Essay-911). Along with this exposure of a modern man’s naked inner self, his artistic bent to present the most complicated and the most clandestine truth through the simplest and the most appealing poetic language wins the heart of modern people with the least effort, as in this regard Johnson says, â€Å"Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life† (3). His art of characterizations also takes him to the core of human heart. His characters are not confined within the norms and rituals of a particular society; rather they are shaped by the common dynamics of human nature that exists in all the societies. Shakespeare’s portrayal of the characters is â€Å"not modified by the customs of particular places, unpractised by the rest of the world; by the peculiarities of studies or professions† (5). Modern existentialist scholars tend to mark the universality of the characters -of Shakespeare’s plays- as the portrayal of human’s very existential self. Such appraisal of Shakespeare’s art of characterization appears to be partial, not complete. But Johnson marks Shakespeare’s characters as the portrayal of humanity as he says,

THE ROLE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS Case Study

THE ROLE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS - Case Study Example In this regard, a teacher who has just started her career may be motivated by the salary he or she gets at the end of the month. However, as time goes, the same teacher wants more in order to get satisfaction from his job. By more, it is not in terms of the salary they get but by the role he or she plays in the society. Every teacher, after some years in teaching wants to have the guarantee that he or she is contributing positively to the society. He or she wants to see himself as an inspirer and as a person who contributes in a positive way to the society. If the society perceives him as a source of inspiration for the young minds, he will receive admiration and this will fulfill him. This perception will help in making the teacher feel more important and this also helps in improving the way he regards his work as a professional. When a teacher feels that the society and possibly his students believe that his role is important, he is most likely to invest more time in his professional development and be even better. These perceptions can be revealed in a number of ways. First, the way the parents delegate some of the parenting roles to the teacher such as disciplining their child can be indicative of the way the parent perceives the teacher. This perception will also determine how the teacher relates with his students. Of importance to understand is that the way the teacher is treated will also affect her perception of how important his role is. If the teacher perceives that the society (such as the parents, the students, the school) don’t treat her with dignity, this will change the way the teacher will relate with her students. The teacher can use these perceptions to determine how he or she is going to relate with the students and this will determine whether she will be defensive or affective. They will determine whether the

Targeting Teenagers Essay Example for Free

Targeting Teenagers Essay When taking a look around at the night life of any city of the western culture we may come to a conclusion that pubs and party places are stuffed with under aged children below 20 or even 18. These kids need more energy to survive the rush of the nightlife therefore it is not unusual to see them drinking energy drinks – or even mixing it with alcoholic beverages. Do the producers and marketers of such energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster think of the unhealthy effects of these drinks on adolescents? A perception can be made that such beverages are highly effecting and endangering the health of their consumers – teenagers and adults – however, their producers are targeting at the most vulnerable and willing to spend audience – the teenagers of the western cosmopolitan cities. The long term goal of producers and marketers of energy drinks is not less but to own as high percentage of the market share as possible, using any kinds of marketing tools, without taking into consideration ethics and the health risks caused by energy drinks. Health Effects. It is a well-known fact that energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster contain ingredients that could be harmful not only for teens but for adults as well in the long run. According to pharmaceutical studies of Clauson et al. (2008) ginseng, taurine, guarana, bitter orange, and caffeine – key ingredients of energy drinks – may interact with each other in a way that can cause symptoms varying from headache, insomnia, high blood-pressure, stroke, or even heart attack. Various sources from the Internet show evidence that teenagers‘ health was harmed after consuming energy drinks. In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students in Broward County, Florida, went to the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline. (Parker-Pope, 2008) ‘Three years ago, Ross Cooney, 18, from Ireland, died after he shared four cans of Red Bull and played in a basketball match. ‘ (Nordqvist, 2004). In the mean time it must be mentioned that not only the ingredients can be harmful and risky for the teenage consumers but the lack of responsibility during drinking energy drinks plays an important role as well. While adults are – or should be – able to keep their limits, teenagers act in the most unexpected ways. ‘But the biggest worry is how some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison ­center calls from young people getting sick from too much caffeine. ‘ (Johnson, 2006). Other sources underline that another factor effecting adolescents is strongly in connection with their behaviour. Energy drinks may negatively affect those teenagers, who are more aggressive by nature, ‘High consumption of energy drinks is associated with toxic jock behavior, a constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors including unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence. ‘ (Parker-Pope, 2008) Based on the above risk factors and several other additional ones numerous countries and states have already banned – or attempted to ban energy drinks, however, they were not able to sustain the state of rejection for a longer time span. For instance France, Denmark and Norway have banned Red Bull for a certain amount of time – the ban was upheld by the European Court mainly because the caffeine levels were considered to be safe and negative effects of other ingredients were not supported. The European Union enforced Red Bull and other energy drink providers to warn their consumers of the high caffeine content (Nordqvist, 2004). In the United States there have been several attempts as well to ban energy drinks – to protect adolescents, but the law does not make any restrictions possible. Energy drinks, which are classified as dietary supplements, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means they dont have to follow the same strict limits that the FDA places on potentially harmful ingredients such as caffeine (a primary component of energy drinks) that soda makers must follow. (Park, 2011) Based on the above studies a conclusion can be made that even though energy drinks contain ingredients that can be harmful if consumed un-responsibly, the level of ingredients are still considered to be safe. Teenagers must be taught that consumption of such beverages should be kept below a certain limit or should be avoided. Attracting Teenagers Why is it so attractive for teenagers to consume Red Bull, Hell, Burn, Monster, or any other energy drinks? Most probably because these drinks are considered to be the drink of popular, young, successful people – mostly sportsmen. Goodman’s video about The Merchants of cool (2001) describes this situation clearly – being cool is essential to teenagers to be in the spotlight. Marketing cool became very popular these days, due to the well known fact that teenagers of metropolitan cities tend to use – eat, drink, wear – whatever they believe is cool and in the mean time their parents are willing to pay for these items. In the sudden a product becomes mass or becomes un-cool according to these teenagers, they are not willing to purchase them anymore. The teenagers who are willing to pay for the products represent a strong and rich audience. Therefore marketers should keep this in front of their eyes when designing new marketing strategies, mostly when talking about brands that tend to target the teenagers. If we take a look at what the energy drink brands represent, it is visible that they are either committed sponsors of extreme sports, other popular sports, (Ho, 2006) or position themselves in the centre of leisure and parties (Arlidge, 2004). This certainly is cool amongst adolescents. It can be stated that Red Bull, Monster, or other beverages are the representatives of cool. Which cool teenager would not like snow boarding, skate boarding, monster trucks, air shows, Formula-1, cross motors, car racing or any other dangerous extreme sport like skydiving? (Helm, 2005) Therefore these producers target teenage buyers exactly they way they should be targeted. Does this seem unfair, or is this an example of perfect targeting? It must me mentioned that these energy drinks give the message to teens never to rest and always do something – to be always on the move. Today a usual American watches television approximately 4 hours 45 minutes per day (Shea et al. 2010, p. 165) hours per day. By the age an average teenager reaches the age of 21 he or she has watched more than 20 000 hours of television already. Most teenagers use the Internet throughout the day, however, only 28% of them looks for fitness and health tips (Oblinger, 2005). It is also stated that over 155 million children are overweight world wide, similarly in the United States and in the European Union, approximately 35% of adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese. (Shea et al. 2010, p. 166) Red Bull spends annually billions of dollars on not only sponsoring sports, but also building its own sports teams (Ho, 2006). Varying from numerous different sport categories, Red Bull attracts millions of teenagers towards these sports. For instance skate boarders Ryan Sheckler, Zered Bassett, Joey Brezinski, or Nick Dompierre are well known endorsers of Red Bull. They have millions of fans worldwide and hundreds of teenagers started skate boarding because of them. We can mention thousands of examples where an energy drink brand sponsored sport idol became the hero of teenagers. Because of these idols teenagers later on started doing sports instead of just sitting at home. Should parents thank Red Bull or Monster for doing this? Red Bull can easily reach its target audience through showing them how popular and trendy it is to drink their beverages. In the mean time they give the message to teenagers never to rest, and to do some sports, therefore they can become the cool and popular actors of their environment. Etical Behaviour After seeing what product Red Bull offers to teenagers, and knowing how these adolescents are reached, it is essential to take into consideration whether marketing tools of energy drink providers are ethical or not. The American Marketing Association clearly defines what is considered to be ethical from marketing point of view, however, it must be mentioned that acting ethically is always relative, it depends on the values and norms what a certain individual, or what the society tends to understand as ethical. American Marketing Association states that norms are the following: do not harm; foster trust in the marketing system; embrace ethical values; while ethical values are: honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency, citizenship (American Marketing Association, n. d.). Let us take a look at these one by one through the actions of Red Bull. Do not harm: ‘This means consciously avoiding harmful actions or omissions by embodying high ethical standards and adhering to all applicable laws and regulations in the choices we make. ‘ (American Marketing Association, n. d. ) We have seen that even though we cannot state clearly that energy drinks are harmful for teenagers, they could have negative effects if they are consumed un-responsibly. Red Bull strongly covers its decisions of the ingredients of beverages through a legal perspective. Currently the amount of caffeine and taurine are below the unhealthy limits, therefore Red Bull cannot be questioned from legal point of view. On the other hand if we take a look at a can of Red Bull it is not described clearly how many milligrams of caffeine or taurine could or should be consumed per day, or how many cans of energy drink can an adult drink without risking his or her health. Just like on the package of cigarettes or alcoholic beverages it should be mentioned in a visible, obvious way that drinking more than one can of energy drink per day could have harmful effects on health. Red Bull does not harm its buyers, however, the consumers should be educated more about the beverage. In return for this action Red Bull could be representing the care towards consumers. Foster trust in the marketing system: This means striving for good faith and fair dealing so as to contribute toward the efficacy of the exchange process as well as avoiding deception in product design, pricing, communication, and delivery of distribution (American Marketing Association, n. d. ). Red Bull communicates towards customers that their drinks will ‘Give you wings‘. They position themselves in the centre of extreme sports and parties where extra energy is essential. The picture they have built throughout the years is representing values of the company in an obvious, clear, and fair way. When we take a look at the price of a can of Red Bull it also represents that this beverage somehow stands out from other non-alcoholic drinks such as Coke or Sprite (Helm, 2005). Therefore they clearly give the message that this drink is something special and should be consumed only when the human body needs extra energy and wants to be on the top. Embrace ethical values: ‘This means building relationships and enhancing consumer confidence in the integrity of marketing by affirming these core values: honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship. ‘ (American Marketing Association, n. d. ) Red Bull’s target audience is the male population, from teenagers to 25-30 year old adults (Helm, 2005), however, when looking at teenagers, those who really purchase – or pay for – the drinks are mostly their parents, of which Red Bull is confident, therefore they should give a message to the parents as well about honesty, responsibility, fairness, etc. Right now – according to previous studies of this paper – parents are the ones who trust the least these energy drinks and are scared of its negative effects on their teen children. Red Bull is honest, since what they state is true. Their beverage contains a high amount of taurine and caffeine that gives more energy and ‘wings‘. On the other hand it is hard to say they are responsible. They do not focus on telling their teen consumers that the drink can be harmful, and in the mean time they drag the adolescents to dangerous extreme sports. These surely will not win the trust of parents. Red Bull and other energy drink providers should win the trust of parents by either not letting teenagers drink their beverages, or create a certain type of drink that is – even if consumed un-responsibly – cannot have any negative effect on adolescents. All in all Red Bull’s actions of marketing are legally covered and they cannot be mentioned as an unethical company, however, certain restrictions and actions would make them appear in a much more positive scene. Conclusion and Recommendations We have come to the final conclusion that energy drinks contain ingredients that can be harmful for consumers – teens, adolescents, or adults – however; they are endangering health only if they are consumed irresponsibly. It is truly visible that the target audience of the highly caffeinated drinks are male adolescents (age 18-25), who tend to use more energy, or show the society how popular and cool they are. Sources have underlined that energy drinks are consumed by even younger teenagers, whose drinking habits may become dangerous, since they do not tend to focus on the healthy consumption of energy drinks. Red Bull and other similar beverage providers should put more focus on teenagers and provide them more details on how the energy drinks should be consumed. Marketers of Red Bull and other energy drinks focus obviously on gaining the highest market share possible, however, they are keeping all the necessary limits to be legally covered. Besides the possible unhealthy effects of the beverages these firm focus on sponsoring sports, which can help the health of teenagers in the long run, and attract them towards sports. The more they can effect teenagers to start doing some sports, the more helpful they can get for parents – therefore the presence of energy drinks on the market causes controversies. To avoid confrontation with parents in the future energy drink producers should focus more on educating consumers how to drink their beverages, and state clearly on the cans the ingredients of their products. The best possible solution would be to mention on the packaging visibly that teenagers below 18 should not consume energy drinks, or to create a product for younger teens that can be consumed without limits, at any time of the day. List of References American Marketing Association (n. d. ). Statement of Ethics. Available at: http://www. marketingpower. com/AboutAMA/Pages/Statement%20of%20Ethics. aspx (Accessed: 1 November 2011) Arlidge, J. (2004). How Red Bull woke up the teen market. The Guardian, 5 December [Online]. Available at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/media/2004/dec/05/advertising. formulaone (Accessed: 31 October 2011) Clauson et al. (2008). Safety issues associated with commercially available energy drinks. Pharmacy Today 14 (5), pp. 52–59. Conway, C. (2011). A Sports Marketing Success Story. Available at: http://www. sportsnetworker. com/2011/03/08/a-sports-marketing-success-story/ (Accessed: 29 October 2011) Helm, B. (2005). Energy Drinks Build Their Buzz. Bloomberg Businessweek, 5 January [Online]. Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/smallbiz/content/jan2005/sb2005015_8196_sb017. htm (Accessed: 29 October 2011) Ho, M. (2006). For Red Bull, Its Here, There and Everywhere. The Washington Post, 23 August [Online]. Available at: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/22/AR2006082201516. html (Accessed: 28 October 2011) Merchants of Cool, The (2001). Directed by Barak Goodman [DVD]. A Report on the Creators Marketers of Popular Culture for Teenagers. s. l. , PBS Nordqvist, C. (2004). French ban on Red Bull (drink) upheld by European Court. Available at: http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/releases/5753. php (Accessed: 29 October 2011) Oblinger, D. G. (2005). Educating the Net Generation. s. l. , s. n. Olson, J. (2011) For some kids, drinks can pack a risky punch. Star Tribune, 13 February [Online]. Available at: http://www. startribune. com/lifestyle/wellness/116136804. html (Accessed: 1 November 2011) Park, A. (2011). Energy Drinks May Harm Health, Especially for Children. The Time, 14 February [Online]. Available at: http://healthland. time. com/2011/02/14/energy-drinks-may-harm-health/#ixzz1cRphxGJE (Accessed: 28 October 2011) Parker-Pope, T. (2008). Energy drinks linked to risky behavior among teenagers. The New York Times, 27 May [Online]. Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/05/27/health/27iht-27well. 13247828. html (Accessed: 28 October 2011) Sarasalin, K. , Watthanachai T. (2009). The internationalization process of Red Bull from the perspectives of global expansion. Master Thesis. Malardalen University. Shea B. , Harvey-Berino J. , Johnson R. (2010). Watching television: how does it influence the dietary quality of children?. Nutrition Bulletin 35(2) pp. 165-171. Academic Search Complete [Online]. Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com (Accessed: 1 November 2011) Sonneville K. , Gortmaker S. (2008). Total energy intake, adolescent discretionary behaviors and the energy gap. International Journal Of Obesity 32 (19-27). Academic Search Complete [Online]. Available at: http://web. ebscohost. com (Accessed: 1 November 2011).

Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay Cadbury is the icon of the British confectionary industry, with a heritage which dates back to 1824. Since then, Cadbury has expanded its business throughout the world, through both organic and acquisition led growth. Today Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company, operating in over 60 countries. Cadbury has an outstanding portfolio of Chocolate, Gum and Candy brands. In 2008, Cadbury enjoyed a 10.5% market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue of GBP5.4 billion. The company employs about 50,000 people and work with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers globally. Cadbury manufactures markets and sells unique brands which give pleasure to millions of people around the world every day. Cadburys Vision is to be the biggest and best confectionary company in the world. One of Cadburys Strategic goals for 2009 to 2011 is to increase market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue growths of 4% to 6% annually. Cadbury believes that the confectionery business still has significant unused potential. By exploiting the strengths of its innovative products/brands, it believes it can continue to grow its market share and returns, and achieve its Vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision The Vision into action (VIA) plan embodies all aspects of our strategy. Our governing objective is to deliver superior shareowner returns by realizing our vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. Cadburys Philosophy Cadburys philosophy of Vision into Action (VIA), a strategic plan for 2008 to 2011 is an example of how business strategy is translated to a Marketing plan to deliver positive impact to its revenue and margin performance. Cadburys growth ambition is based on the following:- Strengths of its brands and market position Increased investment in Innovation, Marketing Sales Greater exposure to faster growing categories (e.g. gum) and markets (e.g. emerging markets) 1.2 Product, Market Operational Characteristics Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. Cadbury created few famous brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. Flakes Green Blacks Halls Hollywood Stimorol Eclairs Cadbury featured brands are: Cadbury featured brand: Bubbaloo Cadbury Crà ¨me Egg Cadbury Dairy Milk Clorets Dentyne Born in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then Cadbury have expanded their business throughout the world by a program of organic and acquisition led growth. On 7 May 2008, the separation of the confectionery and Americas Beverages businesses was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds BIGGEST and BEST confectionery company. Cadbury operates in over 60 countries and worked with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers. Cadbury have employ around 50,000 employees all over the world. Cadbury plc  is managed by the Cadbury plc Board of Directors which delegates day-to-day management to the Chief Executives Committee (CEC). Cadbury business is segmented to four main regions and they are:- America Britain, Ireland, Middle East and Africa Europe Asia Pacific Cadburys Values Cadbury team is performance driven, values led. Throughout changing times, our constant values have inspired us to be pioneers in business and in corporate responsibility. They help ensure we are proud of our company and are critical to our core purpose of creating brands people love. Cadburys values are: Performance, Quality, Respect, Integrity and Responsibility to social, economic and the environment Our Business Principles  are our code of conduct and also take account of global and local cultural and legal standards. They confirm our commitment to the highest standards of ethics and business conduct. 02. Task One 2.1 Marketing Planning Principals Analysis of the Market Being in the confectionery business and dealing with consumers, Cadbury has always been a market and consumer focused organization. It consistently conducts market studies to determine the positioning of its brands, in current, new and future markets. This forms the foundation of the Marketing Plan. Setting the Marketing Objectives In order to deliver growth, Cadbury conducts many marketing programs for its brands every year. Each marketing program is accompanied with a Marketing Plan. Each marketing plan has clearly defined objectives for the project team to deliver. Establishing the Strategies Tactics Based on the market analysis and set objectives, each Marketing Plan will contain strategies and tactics which will be necessary in delivering the desired outcome. Developing an Action Plan This is one of Cadburys key philosophies, making things happen. Therefore, every Marketing Plan in Cadbury has specific actions to be implemented by a person responsible, and within set time targets. Monitoring of Progress In Cadbury, every Marketing Plan is monitored monthly by the Senior Management Team of the respective SBU, to track the progress of the plan, as well as to make any necessary improvements or changes. Resource Financial Management Once a marketing program has been approved by the Senior Management Team of Cadbury, the necessary resources will be provided in order to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. As in the case of providing the necessary resources, Cadbury also provides an appropriate financial budget for the project to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. Measuring Success Cadbury continuously measures the success of each of its marketing projects, and compares the results achieved vs. the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. 2.2 Marketing Audit / Situational Analysis 2.2.1 Market Environment Conducts a complete external marketing audit which includes both the macro and micro environment of the confectionary industry and how these may have an impact on Cadburys Chocolate, Gum and Candy businesses. From this audit, the company will be able to identify the key issues impacting each business, and how the business can develop an effective plan with tactics and strategies to tackle these issues and ultimately achieve the Marketing Objectives. 2.2.1.2 Macro Environment Macro factors are factors that we totally have no or extremely little control off. It is not just looking at a segment of the industry, but the effects these factors have on the whole industry. An example of an audit tool is the PESTEL analysis, which identifies the opportunities and threats of the external environment, which then helps the Company to develop appropriate plans. Political Being in a confectionary industry, political factors have little impact on Cadburys business as chocolates, gums and candies are well established consumer products, and available everywhere. There are no political factors which restricts consumers from purchasing these products. However, in Singapore, the Government has banned the sale of gum, as it is seen as a nuisance to the environment. Therefore, in the UK, Cadburys businesses have no impact politically. Economic The state of the economy has an impact to most businesses. The credit crunch and slow down of economic growth, as we are currently experiencing, does effect consumer buying power, and hence Cadburys businesses. However, the reduction in interest rates does help consumers, as it creates consumer spending, and hence Cadburys businesses may have minimal impact. Social In terms of social factors, there are many consumer groups which voices their own opinions and sometimes this have a major impact on regulations and legislations. Consumer businesses are highly impacted by social factors. As an example, Cadburys chocolate business may be impacted by health reasons, such as sugar and obesity, which will influence the sugar and ingredient content of its product, and ultimately the formulation and taste. The introduction of sugar free gums and dark chocolates are good examples of how the gum and chocolate industry has evolved over the past 2 decades. Technological The increase use of internet has impacted businesses worldwide. Consumers are more aware of product offerings, have greater access to information and knowledge about products and can make more educated choices of products. The internet has also brought consumers closer to companies such as Cadbury, who now have faster feedback from consumers about their products. All of this has both positive and negative impact to Cadburys businesses. Advancement in manufacturing technology has also influenced the confectionery industry in terms of cost of production, shapes, sizes, packaging etc. All of these do affect Cadburys businesses in many ways. Environmental As the world experiences greater environmental challenges, such as global warming, environmental legislations do impact Cadburys manufacturing, product and packaging. As a responsible company, Cadbury practices a zero discharge to the environment, which increases the companys manufacturing costs. It also uses bio-degradable packaging material, which is a requirement in the EU. Legal The confectionery industry is a highly regulated industry. In each country, as in the UK, it is governed by legislations and monitored by the Food and Drug authorities. Influences from Environmental and Social groups, may introduce changes in legislations, which in turn impacts the confectionery business. As an example, the use of artificial colors, additives deemed to increase hyperactivity in children, has forced Cadbury and other confectionery companies to find alternatives, at higher costs. The increasing manufacturing standards for food products have also impacted Cadburys businesses. Tighter standards means higher costs to manufacturers. Whilst this is good for society, it has a negative impact to Cadburys businesses. 2.2.1.2 Micro Environment Analysis of the micro environment is equally important. These are the issues relating specifically within the organization and it is crucial that we clearly understand this in order to plan and develop the marketing plan. There are 6 factors and we use a simple tool SPICC Supplier The Supplier is important to any business, as they can either support or destroy value. In the case of Cadbury, due to its economy of scale, and long standing partnerships with suppliers, it is able to obtain good support from its suppliers. This provides Cadbury with the necessary competitive advantage it requires. Public In general the consumer and public at large tend to support a well established and responsible company such as Cadbury. However, there will always be minority groups who voice their concerns about products and companies, and these have to be handled with sensitivity. Intermediaries The retailers and stores tend to have less power to negotiate when it is dealing with a company as big and well known as Cadbury. Every store wants to have the Cadbury brands on their shelves and would tend to agree with terms offered by Cadbury due to the pull of consumers this brand brings to their shop. Customers Customers do play a big part on the success of a company or its brands. As there are many choices in the market, the customer determines the value of a brand. 2.2.2 Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces is very useful in this analysis; Treat of Substitutes Bargaining power of Buyer Rivalry Bargaining power of Supplier Threat of new Entrants Each of Porter Five Forces model contributes to the competitive environment in an industry: Threat of new Entrants With the confectionery industry showing good growth potential, new players may enter the market to get a small market share of a very large industry. However, due to high entry barriers, such as establishing a renowned Brand, as well as high manufacturing standards, the threat of new entrants remains low for the confectionery industry. Threat of Substitutes With new entrants in the market, a group of existing or new competitor may introduce new products/brands, for the chocolate sector, claiming the same consumer satisfaction, but at lower costs, e.g. Ice-creams, puddings which claim to be cheaper and healthier. The threat of substitutes is moderately high for the chocolate sector. Bargaining power of Suppliers As a long established player in the confectionery industry, Cadbury has the economics of scale to bargain for low cost raw materials. It works with the best suppliers in the world in order to ensure consistent quality and low cost materials. Therefore, the bargaining power of Cadburys suppliers is relatively low. Bargaining Power of Buyers In todays world consumers have many choices, due to the intense rivalry in the confectionery industry. However, Cadbury has a number of established brands which command a relatively stronger pull, hence the bargaining power of buyers (eg wholesalers and supermarkets, B2B) is low but the bargaining power of the consumer is moderately high. (B2C) Rivalry among Existing firms The confectionery industry is a crowded, with many players. Some are well established players, such as Nestle and Mars, who have equally strong brands as Cadburys. Some have carved out sectors, e.g. in-house brands of Tesco, Marks Spenser and Sainsbury. There are also many small players who have good positions in small sectors of the industry. Hence the rivalry among existing players is moderately high. However, Cadburys well established brands do provide some level of edge in the industry. 2.2.3 SWOT Analysis There are factors within a company which affect the internal environment and these should be addressed. Being a global leader in the chocolate business, the product, Brand and Corporate image, service, value of the product and quality is inseparable. Therefore an audit of the internal environment is also important. The SWOT analysis is a useful method in determining the key issues of a company, and will the company to develop a plan to mitigate threats and focus on opportunities. SWOT analysis of Cadbury Strengths Well established company since 1824 Global brands and innovative products One of the top 4 leading confectionery companies in the world Only focuses on confectionary products. Products available in almost all distribution Channels. Financially strong, with continued revenue And profit growth annually. Weaknesses Too many products and brands Highly dependent on confectionery market High cost base when compared to some Smaller confectionery companies. Relatively small presence in emerging Markets. Opportunities Entry into new markets (e.g. India China) with its established Brands. Ability to introduce new product extensions in existing markets using its established Brands Acquisitions of other confectionery companies. Threats New legislations and regulations which may increase costs Social impact from consumer groups on health related issues New entrants into the confectionery industry Products could be easily copied by competitors (carbon copy) 2.2.4 Value Chain Analysis Support Activities Firm Infrastructure Formation: Includes general management, planning management, finance, legal, accounting, quality management, public affairs, etc . Human Resource Management Personal activities: All activities that links with recruiting, development (training, education), retention and compensation of employees, manager, etc . Technology Development R D, etc : Include the technology development to support the value chain activities, i.e., Process automation, Research Development, design and redesign, etc. Procurement Purchasing inputs: The role of purchasing inputs i.e., procurement of raw materials, machines, spare parts, servicing, buildings, etc . Primary Activities Inbound Logistics Receiving inputs : Activities that associates with receiving, storing, transportation scheduling, inventory control Operations Building the product/ providing the service : Includes packaging, assembly, machining, maintenance, testing, activities that transform the final input into final product Outbound Logistics Distributing the product to buyers : Activities that involved the finished product to get to the customers; warehouse, orders, transportation, distribution, etc Marketing Sales Pre-sale support : Activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product including channel selection, promotion, advertising selling, pricing, retail management, etc Customer Service Post-sale support : the activities that maintain enhance the products value, including customer support, repair services, installation, training, spare parts management, upgrading, etc Task 02 3.1 Marketing Objectives As the business still has significant untapped potential both in terms of top line growth and returns. By exploiting the strength of our leadership positions to continue to grow their market share and significantly increase the margins and returns, cadbury aim to achieve their vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision into Action (VIA) plan for 2008 to 2011 aligns the energies and efforts of the teams around the world behind a number of priorities which will make the most impact on our revenue and margin performance. In order to generate superior returns for our shareowners, our VIA will deliver six financial targets. These are set out in our financial performance scorecard below: Organic revenue growth of 4% 6% every year Total confectionery share gain Mid-teens trading margins by 2011 Strong dividend growth An efficient balance sheet Growth in Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) To achieve these financial goals, have a growth and efficiency strategy which aligns behind our focus on fewer, faster, bigger and better. This focus is being applied to all aspects of our business. Corporate objective: Achieve sales of min. GBP25 Mil in 2009 UK Market Achieve sales of GBP80Mil in 20011, UK Market Functional objective: To increase 6% by end 2009 Operational objective: Achieve min of 80% consumer awareness of CCE Twisted within 12 months of launch Marketing Products, price, place promo, people, process, physical evidence Director Or CEO 3.2 Strategy The strategy for any marketing project is the key to the success of the project. It should map out what needs to be done, targeting which consumers, and providing them with what value, through the product offered. 3.2.1 Segmentation of Market Cadbury segments the UK Chocolate market based on Geography, Demographics and Psychographics to identify the target market segments for their Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Geography Cadbury geographically segments the UK chocolate market by:- Urban market (Cities) e.g. London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, etc Suburb markets (Towns) e.g. Barnstable, Abingdon, Stamford Others (Villages) e.g. Sawston The company identifies the size of the chocolate market, per capita consumption, growth trends, as well as analyses each segment in terms of Cadburys market share, Cream Egg lovers and chocolate bar consumption. This will provide Cadbury the necessary information to target the right market for Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Demographic Demographic segmentation allows Cadbury to understand the chocolate market by age, gender, income group, etc. This allows Cadbury to identify which groups are the chocolate lovers, which group prefers Cream Eggs, which group prefers bar chocolates, etc. Psychographic Psychographic segmentation is based on consumer lifestyle, attitudes and motives. Cadbury segments the UK chocolate market, based on consumers who prefer branded goods, those who prefer taste, texture or shapes. By doing this, the company is able to identify the target segment which will best suit the Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted product. 3.2.2 Targeting the market After establishing the market segmentation, the next step is to evaluate each segment and choose which possible segments should the company target and offer Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted in order to meet its marketing objectives. Based on the segmentation analysis, Cadbury is targeting the following groups:- All locations around UK, with greater focus on urban markets. Across all channels, especially super and hyper markets, and convenient stores, where the chocolate consumption per capita is high. Children, teenagers and females, who are seen to be lovers of Cadbury Chocolate bar lovers, the group which Cadbury is hoping to switch from traditional bars to the Cadbury 3.2.3 Positioning Cadbury Cadbury is having broader ranges targeting many segments. Youth segment should position as Love and entertainment. Teenagers can attract through adventure aspiration. Childrens mind goes to various tastes and small gifts they are getting. Therefore should do the positioning accordingly. 3.2.4 BCG Matrix The BCG or Boston Consulting Matrix is a tool used to analyze the portfolio of a company. It classifies business units or product ranges into four categories based on a matrix of market growth rate and market share position. The market growth rate determines the attractiveness of the industry and the relative market share shows the competitive position of the business. Below is the BCG Matrix. Details about the 4 categories are as follows:- Cash Cows business units that have large market share in a mature, slow growing industry. Cash cows require little investment and generate cash that can be used to invest in other business units. Stars- business units that have large market shares in a fast growing industries stars may generate cash, but because the market is growing rapidly they require investment to maintain their lead. If successful, a star will become a cash cow when its industry matures. Question Marks business units that have small market shares in high growth markets. These business units require resources to grow market share, but whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown. Dogs business units that have small market shares in mature industries. A dog may not require substantial cash but it ties up capital that could better be deployed elsewhere. Unless a dog has some other strategic purpose it should be liquidated if it has little prospect for it to gain market share. In summary, the BCG matrix provides a framework for allocating resources among business units within a company, and it will be useful for us to review the portfolio of our Chocolate Business. 3.3 Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a combination of critical factors that make up the marketing strategy for a product, which helps the company to successfully achieve the set marketing objectives. 3.3.1 Product Cadbury UK emphasizes on the need for strong brand image, and therefore all the decisions they make with regards to its products are in line with the brand image. The product and packaging are designed to project and communicate the brand image reflecting Cadbury as who they are. The product reflects the innovation, high quality and nutritional value it provides to its customers, whilst the packaging clearly reflects the familiar purple corporate brand color and corporate brand logo, associated with reliability and quality. Cadbury maintains the original Cream features and taste, which is a well loved product. Uses no artificial colorants or banned additives, and meets all EU food standards. Product is in a twisted bar form to attract chocolate bar lovers. Personality of the Brand is fun and novel to target the young trendy and female market segment. Specially lovers Packaging is colorful, to attract the children, teenage and young adult market. 3.3.2 Price Pricing of products is key in reflecting the image of a brand. This is why Cadbury carefully considers the image of the product, the value it offers to the consumer and who is the target consumer, before it determines the price of any of its products. It is obvious that different Cadbury products, targeted at different segments of the market are priced differently. The decision on pricing does have an impact to the brand. For example Cadbury offers its bar chocolates at a premium price compared to Tescos or Sainsbury bar chocolates, for the mass market. Cadbury also sells some of its high end products to reflect a luxury image, and can command good premiums, example Cadbury Milk Tray, Cadbury Roses and Green Blacks. The price of a product is also dependent on customers perception of the brand which Cadbury takes into account before it prices its products. However, with the current economic scenario, Cadbury gives special deals, for example Cadbury Dairy Milk bars 20% more (means big ger size) at the same selling price without reducing the price and affecting the brand image. Cadbury priced to competitive price GBP per gram it is cheaper than the Cream, which allows differentiation. 3.3.3 Placement Cadbury chooses carefully the distribution channels it places its products based on the brand image of the products. For example for its Cadbury Dairy Milk bar range of products, because it is targeted to the mass consumer, this range of products are accessible across all channels, in all super and hypermarkets, chain retail outlets, other convenience stores and even in the mom and pop shops. For the premium products, eg Green Blacks brand, Cadbury carefully places them at high end outlet, such as Selfridges and Airports. Cadbury will be available across all distribution channels in the UK market. Focus will be in Hyper and Supermarkets as well as convenient stores, at prominent locations within the stores. Greater visibility will be provided at urban segments (both cities and towns). 3.3.4 Promotion Depending on the brand image, the target consumer and market, Cadbury carefully chooses its communication strategy to meet the objectives of increasing awareness and ultimately pulling the consumer to purchase its products. Every promotional activity has its own strategy and this can can vary from increasing brand awareness, maintaining the brand value, educate consumers about a new product, increasing seasonal purchases, or campaigns such as choose Cadbury to highlight the positive emotional value of the brand. However, due to the current economic downturn, Cadbury carefully selects its promotional activities; such that it has maximum returns for its promotional spend. With the advent of the electronic media, Cadbury has created a number of websites for its popular brands for consumer/members to be active. These websites have education information, games, good associates such as purple goes green, cocoa partnership and fair-trade. Cadbury has recently agreed to partnership with the 2012 Olympic, which will give its brands, global recognition. Websites are www.cadbury.co.uk, www.cadburycremeegg.co.uk. www.aglassandahalffullproduction.com, etc. Above the line promotion via TV, Radio and print media. Advertising will focus on target groups, e.g. children, teenagers, young adults and females. Below the line activities will be carried out at urban markets at high traffic outlets, such as Hyper and Supermarket concourses. Special standees will be appropriately designed to portray the fun and novel personality of the product, and placed in major outlets. Task 03 4.1 Key Issues faced by Cadbury and Implications to the Marketing Plan Key Issues Implication to the Marketing Plan The economic slowdown and credit crunch Possibility that the market will shrink Competition will be intensive driving prices to be more competitive. Pressure from consumer groups on health related issues Need to have more PR with consumer groups Need to educate consumers on ingredients used in products Higher legislations and standards for industry To support this in order to create higher barriers to entry for new entrants into the industry Too many products and brands To implement a rationalization program to weed out older and low margin brands Consumer awareness to create pull To conduct effective AP programs to bring awareness to consumers. Conduct market research to establish consumer needs and trends Growing in a challenging market Introduce new products in existing markets using established Brands Introduce existing Brands in new markets Understanding the Competition Conduct market research to determine level and position of competitors in the market 4.2 McKenzies 7S Framework The McKenzies 7S framework is a value based management model, which looks at all the key elements which make up an organization, and it enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our Marketing organization. An effective organization achieves a fit between all these 7 key elements, and should any element change, it affects all other elements and hence the organization as a whole. The McKenzies 7S framework is made up of hard and soft elements. Hard elements are those which are easily identifiable and visible, whilst the Soft elements are those which are less visible and are below the surface. Most organizations tend to focus on the hard elements, and ignore the soft ones, which tends to be an ineffective way of diagnosing and solving an organization issue. The 7S framework is a useful tool used to analyze the current state of an organization. Below is a pictorial view of the McKenzies 7S framework showing the Hard elements (green) and Soft elements (yellow) Hard Elements Strategy plans for the allocation of a firms scarce resources over time to reach identified goals. Structure the way the organizations units relate to each other; centralized, functional divisions (top-down); decentralized (the trend in larger organizations), matrix, network, holding etc. Systems the procedures, processes routines that characteri