Anlysis of the Russian real estate market Essay

Anlysis of the Russian real estate market - Essay Example Real estate products can range from apartment spaces to residential villa spaces in the category of residential products and office spaces, shopping mall spaces to fully developed industrial estates in the category of commercial and business real estate products. The sizes and locations of such real estate products make for a distinct pricing pattern and the concepts of demand and supply apply to each category of such products and help determine the prices. In fact control of the market ,while seemingly impossible due to heavy investments involved-is also not improbable in some degrees where large real estate houses can control and a determine a particular real estate product. The overall picture in the real estate market is largely subservient to the state of the economy; however; in some international instances the real estate sector has either partly or completely belied the state of the economy. In the US itself, for example, the mortgage market saw a slump which was incommensura te with the overall health of the economy; in fact, the horse seems to be driven by the cart in the sense that the mortgages markets threatened to bring down with it the overall US economy. This underscores the importance of the real estate market for the economy as a whole while also explaining the symbiotic relationship between the two. This paper would focus on the analysis of the Russian real estate markets. The core importance would be attached to the Moscow real estate markets as Moscow happens to be the most important city space in the entire Russia. Methodology The methodological tool would essentially involve a thorough and in-depth literature analysis in search of arguments and facts that help us determine the state of the real estate markets in Russia at an a latest date. In additon, wherever required, the paper would also endeavor to include relevant secondary data and figures so as to support the arguments sifted out in the literature review. The paper would conclude with comments on the prevailing state of the Russian real estate markets in nutshell. The paper is written with a view to guide a prospective foreign investor. The literature review would be deployed to gather arguments to substantiate above research objectives and to establish arguments in the research. This research methodology was a detailed, descriptive analysis of the arguments presented in the available research evidence. The research method essentially entailed conduct of intensive interrogation of published documentary materials with the explicit aim of addressing the above stated issues which this paper deals with, providing a critique of existing theory and positions. Standard search approaches were used to retrieve the sample of published and unpublished studies for this in-depth literature review. Appropriate on-line journals were also searched. Citations in bibliographies of identified studies were reviewed to uncover additional references. Retrieval using the ancestry method was used as it is a most fruitful approach.The overall view of the literature review based research method would be a view usually taken in phenomenology . Phenomenology is a science which focuses on describing particular phenomena as lived experience. The

The Impact of Host Country National Managers Contribution to Success Dissertation

The Impact of Host Country National Managers Contribution to Success of Expatriates - Dissertation Example However, research indicates that there are problems with disparities with regard to compensating expatriates working in a wide variety of environments (Caruth & Handlogten-Caruth, 2002; Lee, 2005; Herrera, 2005; Latta, 2006; Minter, 2008). Human resource lacks comprehensive planning in advance for disparities of pay scales, taxation, or even, cultural adaptation; failure to concentrate on offering international training and management development skills for new expatriates. One approach is by asking the following question: what can organizations and their managers do so as to gain a better understanding of policies regarding international compensation? One way to gain a better understanding is through an effective training program for the new expatriate workforce, and compensation policies that are externally competitive and internally equitable for the success of any MNC (Human Development Report, 2009). METHODOLOGY This section shows how data was collected so as to find the answers to the research question, hence fulfilling the purpose of this dissertation paper. This will be subdivided into a description of the purpose of research, research approach and strategy. Later, data collection, sample selection and analysis of data will be presented. Lastly, we conclude the chapter with discussion on how the data collected and presented is valid and reliable (Creswell, 2009). Purpose of the Research This paper aims at showing how the host country’s managers contribute to the success of the expatriates. This objective is descriptive in nature as it seeks to explain how the impact of the host managers leads to success of expatriates. Research Approach Qualitative approach to this research is the most appropriate basing on the purpose of this dissertation paper. It is the most appropriate approach to deal with people’s perceptions that are intangible. It also ensures close contacts to the study objects (Tayeb, 2005). Data Collection Data can either be pri mary or secondary, where each of the methods is a high complement of the other. It is highly recommended that a researcher uses as many measurements as possible so as to improve the validity of the study, hence leading to more convincing and accurate findings and conclusions. In this paper, the main data sources used were interviews evidence from documentation. Interviewing was chosen as the most appropriate primary data collection method as it directly focused on the topic of this dissertation. The discussion involved questions dealing with a wide range of concepts, hence, enabling me attain the open character of the interview. This also ensured flexibility in the respondent’s answers, and at the same time focusing on the certain issues in the guide. Data gathered through documentation is vital in substantiating evidence from other sources (Liu & Shaffer, 2005). Data Analysis Data was analyzed depending on my style of thinking, accompanied with sufficient presentation of evi dence, while considering available alternatives and interpretations. Data was simplified by reducing and later on displayed, from where conclusions based on the findings were drawn. Data Validity and Reliability Validity is the ability of the measuring instrument to determine what it is supposed to access with the highest

How do breakfast show presenters create a lively and engaging Coursework

How do breakfast show presenters create a lively and engaging atmosphere on their radio shows - Coursework Example Steve Price Breakfast Show on the subject of carbon tax legislation illustrates the key features of spoken language that distinguishes it from written language. The topic of the subject focused on the divisions within the ranks of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), environmental activists, and the public. The breakfast show presenter was Luke Grant. The guest of the breakfast show was Greg Hunt, who plays the role of shadow spokesperson on the matter of climate change. The unique features of spoken language that make it possible for the discussants to explore the different perspectives of the subject matter enhance the discussion between the two. The show is interactional in nature and addresses itself to the subject of environmental conservation policies in Australia. Naturally, the primary target audience is the Australian public. This show captures their interest because of the growing concern on matters of environmental conservation. The different policies taken by the government and other interested parties have both long-term and short-term effects on the general population. The secondary audience includes the political class, the business community, and the wider global citizenry because the subject matter is both global and local in nature. The interactional language employed in the show engages the mind of the audience in the sense that they are able to apply their analytical skills in real-time as the show progresses. They are also able to discern the merits of the arguments by pointing out the logical and illogical parts within the debate. At the beginning of the show, the presenter introduces the subject matter through questions: â€Å"Where are we in terms of this debate? It does look a little like game over, doesn’t it?† (Latest News, 2011). These two questions have the effect of attracting the keen interest and concern of the audience. The questions, in their spoken context, imply the possibility of some form of a crisis. Although wr itten language also employs the use of questions, their import, when assessed in the context of spoken language produces a more dramatic effect. This is because questions are rendered in a regulated volume, pitch, and tone. These qualities are very significant in enhancing the meaning-making process. The questions also prepare the audience for the debate since the rest of the debate becomes an effort to resolve the two questions at the beginning. A second sentence by the presenter is equally significant in the context of the spoken language. Grant interrupts the guest with the sentence, â€Å"Glad to hear that, by the way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Latest News, 2011). The value of this sentence could be seen both in terms of its interruptive nature and in terms of its ungrammatical form. The sentence interrupts the initial statement made by Hunt. Interruptions are common features in spoken language in the sense that they enable the clarification of matters or change of focus towards the matter s pertinent to the discussion. It is possible to perceive the value of interruptions as a strategic tool for enhancing the rules of logic as understood within the framework of the discussion. The same sentence is grammatically incorrect. In both form and structure, spoken language tends to assume different aspects from written language. This is because

Markteing Consultancy Report part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Markteing Consultancy Report part 3 - Essay Example duction of iPhone, they changed the way people perceived smart phones – phones that exploit the benefits of what the Internet can offer with their easy to use web applications. The AppStores for iPhone products has created a new market for software programmers, from office applications to modern day games and video softwares. In order for iPhone to increase its market size and improve their profitability, this paper will focus on recommendations of marketing programmes that the company would need. The paper is centred on the Lauterborn’s 4C’s of marketing instead of the traditional McCarthy’s 4P’s. The traditional marketing programmes are concentrated on product, pricing, promotional and place strategies. With Lauterborn’s 4C’s, the marketing programmes will be motivated by consumers, costs, convenience and communication. Forget product. Apple must focus on consumer wants and needs. In today’s highly connected world, a company cannot sell whatever they can make any more. A successful company can only sell what a customer specifically wants to buy. Apple must need to lure each customer one by one and offer something in particular that each customer wants. Mobile phones, nowadays, are seen as a fashion item rather than a functional device. Most of the current mobile phones in the market offer similar features and functionalities. Apple can improve their market share by making iPhone available in different range of colours and features. Each customer must have an option to customize the physical aesthetics of the phone in order to suit their character and mood. A customized mobile phone would give the customer a feeling of ownership and uniqueness. Several designs of phone’s front and back covers should be made available in market in order to lure them to customize their own iPhone. Also, it is recommended that the company would create a suite of Internet based services that delivers email, contacts and calendars that can be linked

Boldwoods Christmas party Essay Example for Free

Boldwoods Christmas party Essay Bathsheba Everdene is the main character in a Thomas Hardy novel called Far From the Madding Crowd. Which is set in Wessex. Bathshebas character is along with many other things decisive, brisk, vain, businesslike, and independent. However you see her evolve throughout the book, mainly as a result of her marriage to Frank Troy. At the beginning of the story Hardy seems to focus on her bad qualities, though you still see people wishing to be married to her. Some good qualities are shown as well like her thoughtful response to save Gabriels life. Her first fault is vanity. This trait is mentioned in chapter one, almost everything else follows on from this. Vanity affects the way she behaves in a powerful way. Her vanity makes her annoyed and angry at not attracting Boldwoods attention. When she meets Frank Troy he plays up to her vanity by paying her compliments and showing her flirtatious affection. By the end of the story she shows that she has grown out of or overcome her vanity. Instead of wanting to stand out and have everyone looking at her, at Boldwoods Christmas party, she dresses down and wants to merge into the background. You can also see she is not vain because when Boldwood praises her beauty the comments have no effect. Her life experiences have caused this change in her. The main life experience is her marriage to Frank Troy which affected her the most. She transforms from a confident character to a submissive and introverted figure she becomes less and less like her usual self. The first sign you see of independence is fairly near the beginning in chapter three, when we see her riding the horse. Instead of doing it the conventional ladylike way we see her lie flat on her back on top of the horses back. This could be showing her independence and unconventional behaviour, this would tie in with an independent spirit too wild. She likes to have independence so later on in the story when this is taken away from her we see her rely on Gabriel Oak. She always had her own independence, but when she got married she lost that independence and we see her seek advice and help from Gabriel Oak. At one point in the story she rejects Gabriels advice, but later on in chapter fifty four she asks for it. This shows a big change in her personality. She once would have done her own thing and maybe even sacked Gabriel for his advice whereas she now values both him and his opinion. Her independence continues to be shown throughout the rest if the story, even after her marriage to Frank Troy. Independence along with confidence is showed when she goes to the corn market and is the only woman there. Another characteristic shown is confidence with businesslike skills. An example of this would be when she takes it upon herself to sack her bailiff. I have formed a resolution to have no bailiff at all. Bathshebas confidence continues to be shown with her decision to pay the workers herself in chapter ten. Bathsheba has a lot of confidence in herself. In short I shall astonish you all. This is said shortly after her decision to have no bailiff when she is convincing the staff that she can manage. The speech shows her self-confidence shining and her belief in her own ability. Towards the end of the novel we see her find an even balance between the overconfidence which she showed through the beginning of the novel which made her appear full of herself, compared with when she had little or no confidence and relied on Frank Troy, to finally become a person who can cope on her own but realises she cannot do everything to the best of her ability without assistance. Before we see her lose her self confidence she shows she believes in herself by going to the Corn Market, making her the only woman present. One thing bothers Bathsheba; the fact that Boldwood is the only person who does not take notice of her. This lack of attention shows us how she craves to be the centre of attention; you could even go as far as calling her an attention seeker. She will do silly antics in an attempt to attract peoples attention. For example the Valentines Day card. Bathsheba tries to make herself popular with everyone especially men; this seems to be her biggest desire. In chapter thirteen she mischievously sends a Valentine card to Boldwood to attract his attention. This starts Bathshebas change. She wants people to notice her and does not sit around waiting she takes action for herself. The sending of the Valentines card shows her vain characteristic. A big characteristic she shows throughout is impulsiveness, she does things without thinking. The Valentines Day card is an example of this; another example of this earlier in the book is when she chases Gabriel Oak after he had been wrongly informed that many men wanted her hand in marriage; though she did not want to accept his proposal. She did not think that her actions would show this until after the conversation her and Gabriel had. Many of her actions are on impulse she doesnt think things through first. Later on however she takes time to think about Fannys grave and she decides to clean it up and replant the bulbs on it. This also shows she can be selfless. When Gabriel gives her advice early in the novel she decides she doesnt like what he has to say. She sacks him whilst she was angry and acting highly impulsively. This demonstrates how she doesnt want to face the truth even though she values his opinion; later in the novel after the drowning of Frank Troy she relents asking him for his thoughts.

Indian Biscuit Market: Segmentation and Customer Analysis

Indian Biscuit Market: Segmentation and Customer Analysis For an effective and efficient segmentation, however, a mix of all of these above mentioned parameters have to be used. Extending the above concept of basis of segmentation, the criteria of segmentation across different conditions is naturally different. For example, for the general understanding of a market, one should keep in mind the benefits sought, product purchase and usage patterns, needs, brand loyalty and switching patterns On the other hand, for positioning studies, product usage, product preference have to be taken into account. On one hand, incase of advertising decisions, when media usage and psychographic /lifestyle is considered seriously, on the other hand for distribution decisions, store loyalty and patronage clubbed with benefits sought in store selection is contemplated over. Also, it has been often concluded that the segment profitability is affected by five principal factors : Industry Competitors and the threat of segment rivalry Potential entrants to the market and the threat of mobility The threat of substitute products Buyers and their relative power Suppliers and their relative power Last but not the least, to decide on segmentation, a knowledge of following five patterns of market coverage is important . They are :- Single segment concentration, selective specialisation, product specialisation, market specialisation, full market coverage. PROMOTION :- For any promotion strategy to be successful, it is primarily important that the flow of thought process behind it be understood. A Marketing Plan is essentially a mix of Product, Place, Price, Promotion, physical evidence and Process Management . This Marketing Plan is a derivative of Marketing strategies and objectives, which is in turn derived from Corporate Objectives. And on an overall level, all of these are derived from the Final Corporate Strategy . Amongst these, the Promotion mix consists of a wide variety of selling tactics like Product Placement, Advertising and advertorials, Packaging, Personal Selling, P.O.S., Publicity .Sponsorship, Sales Promotion, Exhibitions, E-Mails, Text messaging etc. While developing the communications Plan, the following points have to be kept in mind by a Marketer :- The nature and detail of the target audience. The Short-term and Long-term communication objectives The messages that are to be used The Communication channels that will carry the message The Budget The Mix of communication tools that is to be used and how the elements of the promotion mix are to be integrated and how, in turn, the promotions mix is to be integrated with the marketing mix. The measure of the ROI of the campaign. Apart from the above mentioned, approaching the customer in a Integrated Marketing Communication Channel is the most effective. i.e. by achieving a higher level of integration between the individual elements of the communication mix, the planner should achieve a greater degree of clarity and consistency, with the result that there will then be a seamless integration of messages and a broader reach . Brand Management A fundamental element of any product strategy is the role played by the brand. Brands are designed to enable customers to identify products or services that promise specific benefits. As such they are a form of shorthand in that they create a set of expectations in the mind of customers about purpose, performance, quality and price. This in turn allows the strategists to build added value into products and to differentiate them from competitors. To be truly effective, a brand strategy has to develop over time and reflect environmental conditions. There is therefore a need from brand development, the key elements of which involve a detailed understanding of: Current perceptions of the brand amongst customers and the trade The expectations of both customers and the trade The strengths and weakness of each brand within the portfolio The value of each of the brands The links that exist between the different brands owned and the nature and significance of any overlaps and gaps The dangers of brand cannibalization When and where new brand names need to be developed The opportunity for brand stretching Probable competitor moves The starting point for this involves analysing the brand in order to understand detail what it means to customer and how much it is worth. In doing this, the strategist needs to identify the core values, the scope that exists for extending the brand name into other product or market sectors, and the areas that must be avoided at all costs. Developing a brand strategy For many organisations, branding is a fundamental element of the product strategy and provides the basis for a consumer franchise that, if managed effectively, allows for greater marketing flexibility and a higher degree of consumer loyalty. However, it needs to be recognised that branding involves a great deal more than simply putting a name on a package. Instead it is about creating, maintaining and proactively developing perceived customer value, it is only in this way that the organisation is able to promise and continue to deliver to the consumer a superior value than that offered by competitors. It follows from this that any brand strategy is, of necessity, a long term process that involves an investment in and commitment to the development of the brand over time. This long term perspective involves the dovetailing of a number of issues, but in essence can be seen to be concerned with the two principal issue that emerge from the discussion above 1. Where the brand is currently and how it is perceived 2. How the brand is to be perceived in three, five and ten years time, and how this might best be achieved. With regard to the first of these, the starting point for any brand strategy involves identifying: The brands current market positioning Competitors positioning strategies and resource bases The way in which the market is likely to develop, and the implications of product, brand and market life cycles Customers perception of the portfolio of brands in the market Customers expectations and the extent to which these are being met both by the brand and its competitors Levels of customer loyalty across the market The financial, managerial and operational that can be called in managing a brand The bases for competition The relative importance of the brand to the organisation Managerial expectations of the brand It is only against this background that the strategist is able to develop a vision for the brand. Finally in developing the brand strategy, the planner needs to give consideration to a series of financial issues, including the margins and contribution that the brand is required to generate in both the short and the long term, and the levels of investment that the brand needs if it is to achieve the objectives set. Consumer Behaviour From the viewpoint of the marketing planner, the mix of cultural, social, personal and psychological factors that influence behaviour is largely non-controllable. Because of the influence they exert upon patterns of buying, it is essential that as much effort as possible is put into understanding how they interact and ultimately, how they influence purchase behaviour. in doing this, it is important not to lose sight of the differences that exist between customers and consumers, and the implications of these differences for strategy. Against the background of an understanding of the factors influencing motivation, the marketing strategists needs them to consider the influence of perception, since it is the way in which motivated individuals perceive a given situation that determines precisely how they will behave. Consumer is at the centre of all decision making in an organisation. The linkage of the consumer to other aspects is shown in the following diagram. We can see that on the left, the consumer interacts through his perception, understanding (cognition), beliefs and social influences. These aspects determine the behaviour of the consumer. The search for this behaviour is through market research and insight mining. The market Research gives fodder for the strategy to be formulated. MARKSTRAT SUMMARY Before entering any market, it is important to understand what the market stands for, the kind of products in the market, the competitors that the company will face and various external and internal factors that will play a crucial role in making decisions after every quarter/period. The Industry Cheetah has 6 players in the Market namely A, E, I, O, U, Y. After the initial feelers of the whole simulation, it was evident that we would have to focus on certain key areas and others would be on low priority. The key-focus areas that were decided were :- Philosophy, Guiding Principals and Organization Product Portfolio Research Development Advertising and Sales Force Decisions Pricing Effects Competitor Dynamics New Product Launches Production Planning and Inventory Management Financial Focus After setting the above agenda, the next step was to decide what needs to be done in the first period. The single point agenda in this case was to enter the Sonite market while keeping away from the Vodite market . The logic behind this was that to, make Vheetah Y the Stock price leader clubbed with highest ROI. A snapshot of results varying across different periods are as follows :- Base (period 0): 1000 Period 11 (End): 1687 Highest: 2485 (Period 6 End) Lowest: 1000 (base) Highest Stock Price in Industry: 3244 (Cpny. I) Some of the pertinent stock prices Index observations over the periods were :- SPI increased by 68.7% after 11 periods compared to base value. A very encouraging positive growth was seen from Period 0 to Period 6 (138.9% growth from Period 0 to Period 6) On the Contrary there was a continuous decrease in SPI from Period 7 to 11 (32.11% decline in Period 7 to period 11). The high-point of the SPI game was that at the end of Period 6, Cheetah Y was the market leader in terms of SPI. A company vs Company comparison of SPI shows the following results :- The next focus shifted to pushing the Product through Sales and advertising .The logic behind our heavy Advertising Budget was that there was no point in having a perfect product if the target market does not know about it. A fine balance of quality and quantity does the trick.Down the line, Cheetah Y also realised that it is wisest to allocate the money to the products with the highest Return on Investment. Also, from a strategic point of view, it makes a lot of sense to be opportunistic and increase the advertising money when the competitors are squeezed for money . In this regard, the most important function is Competitive Advertising which defines a product (in this case SYGU and SYCA) against what its communication dimensions and message quality are. Initially, the dimensions Economy and Performance and Performance and Convenience fared pretty badly . But towards Period 7 (from Period 3 to Period 7), it reached the message Quality Excellent. Parallely, in the Vodite Market, the product VYLE on the communication dimension Economy Felxibility it scored a message quality of Excellent. A combined overview of how the sales department fared for Cheetah Y is given below. Also, it gives the insight into what cheetah Y fared vis-a-vis competitors and current market scenario. Base (Period 0): (a) Sales Volume: 167.53 Kilo Units (b) Revenue: K$ 48659.3 Million Period 11 (End): (a) Cumulative Sales Volume: 539.60 Kilo Units (b) Cumulative Revenues: K$ 1463564.9 Million Highest Sales in any Period (Units): 788.4 (Period 7 End) Highest Sales in any Period (Revenue): K$ 193776 (Period 7 End) Lowest Sales in any period (Units): Base Lowest Sales in any Period (Value): Base Highest Cumulative Sales (revenue) in industry after 11 periods: K$ 1949822 (Company I) (A snapshot of Sales Volume across all the competitors) After investing in adequate sales force across Speciality Stores, Department stores and Mass Merchandise, the next logical step was to analyse the Market Share after each period. Some of the key highlights in case of market share were :- Market Share at Period 11 (End): 7.03% Highest: 28.35% (Period 5 End) Lowest: 7.03% (Period 11 End) Highest Market Share in Industry (Period 11 end): 38.88% (Company U) The broad strategy to achieve the initially set agenda is that first we enter the Cheetah market with minimum number of products, and with zero product in the Vodite Market. Also, offering the same product across multiple segments enhanced the revenue base. There was an overall increased emphasis on targeted advertising to increase brand awareness. The Pricing strategy also worked in this direction, i.e offer the product at a cheaper price than the competitors (even when the product is superior) . But as dynamic as our market strategies, even the Market threw up a lot of surprises. There were the constantly changing consumer needs, aggressive product development of competition, large disparity in growth rates in different segments of the two markets. Thus a snapshot of the strategies pursued are given below, vis-a-vis what actions were taken . Thus, from the above describes strategies pursued and an analysis of their results, the following lessons were learnt : Offer customized products to each segment in the market Keep track of changing consumer needs; modify products accordingly If the product is not performing well, remove from market Pay emphasis to RD Observe competition and their strategy; tweak strategy suitably Advertising spend does not necessarily lead to greater sales Lowering price will not improve sales even in a price sensitive segment Possible Applications of the learnings :- There is space for growth for additional brands in the customer segments of Buffs and Singles as the entire market is concentrated in just a couple of players. A well positioned and well priced brand definitely has a lot of promise in these segments. We need keep a tap on ideal value evolution of the physical characteristics or dimensions. Continuous re-evaluation and modification of existing brands like SYGU and SYCA should be done and marketing and advertising efforts should be employed keeping the changes in mind. The position of SYGU brand needs to be questioned and, if need be, repositioned with a modified RD project. A product/brand catering exclusively to the Followers segment in the Vodite should be launched with the desired physical characteristics. Need to define the space for competition so that maximum efforts can be employed there with minimal overlap and wastage with any concurrent efforts for any other brand of the company a case in point is Company I which has excellently defined brands in each of the customer segments of Singles, others and followers. Need to use the MDS and SEMANTIC scales more precisely for setting advertising objectives for SYGU and SYCA. COMPANY STRATEGY :- Biscuit industry is the third largest producer and fastest growing industry in FMCG sector.Its Estimated Value is approximately Rs 5000 Crore. It forms a part of the Organized sector: 60% (approximately). Major Segments in which it operates are Glucose, Marie, Cream, Crackers, Milk. Major Brands in the industry right now are : Britannia, ITC, Parle, Priyagold, Dukes etc COMPANY OVERVIEW :- Britannia is Indias second largest food company with Sales close to Rs. 20 billion. Over the years it has shown a Consistent annual growth rate of 15-20% . It Sources products from more than 50 factories spread across the country. Key product lines include Biscuits, Bread, Cakes and Rusk .Product range serves to the whole spectrum from mass market to the premium segment . FINANCIAL ANALYSIS :- An indepth analysis of past few years shows that the Gross sales increased to Rs 2317.11 Cr in 2006-07 indicating a growth of 28% . Britannias Profits declined by 33% due to increase in input prices and stiff competition (like Parle, itc, Priya ). An interesting trend showed that Dividends of the order 100-150% were provided for the past 5 years. Although Britannia followed the industry growth rate for the past 3-4 years, the profit margin followed a zigzag pattern. But owing to Inflation, Costs have increased significantly on the production as well as on selling front. Company has very small debt and its Debt-Equity ratio is 0.01. Company is maintaining good debt rating for future requirements.PBITDM (Profit Before Interest Tax Depreciation Margin) expressed as a percentage of Sales is 6.58.ROE is at a healthy Rate of 21.14% .Current ratio has been improving over the years and hence the solvency position of the company. COMPETITIVE ANLAYSIS :- (Marketing Mix of Britannia ) PRICING :- On the basis of price, the biscuit market can be segmented into the following: Low Range Biscuits (less than Rs 40 per kg.) Medium Range Biscuits (Rs. 40-70 per kg.) High Range Biscuits (over Rs.70 per kg.) Britannia caters to the upper middle and high end of the market with a touch of premium to it. On the price quality matrix, Good Day biscuits can be classified as following a High-Value strategy. PROMOTION :- Britannia has engaged into various Integrated Marketing Communciation activities some of the more prominent ones are mentioned as follows. Since Consumers are becoming more health conscious Swasth Khao Tan Man Jagao (Eat Healthy, Think Better) campaign directly addressed this new trend (Tiger Biscuits). A new logo was created encapsulating the core essence of Britannia healthy, nutritious and optimistic. Good Day is positioned as a healthy and nutritious product and it advocates values that stand for health, hygiene, family, trust and taste. Since events form a major chunk of the Brand visibility agenda, Britannia sponsors a lot of Sports and sporting events as key channel for promotions. One of the majorly acclaimed campaigns of Britannia is Britannia khao, World Cup jao campaign in 1999 and 2003 and was awarded the most recognized sales promotion among all Cricket World Cup-related sales activity SEGMENTATION AND CUSTOMER ANALYSIS :- Before delving deep into Segmentation Targeting and Positioning, it is important to identify what the Key information areas are, specially the Demographic profile of the consumer on the parameters age, sex, income level and occupation. Some of the personal characteristics of consumers include the identification of When do customer consume biscuits, Type of biscuits consumed, Where do the customer purchase, Purpose of buying (personal consumption, gifting, serving guests), How much do consumers spend on biscuits, Factors Affecting the buying decision, order of preference etc. Different products will have different target group depending on the above mentioned factor. Though a Good-day would appeal to the consumers as a mid-range biscuit, a further extension of that product called Good-day Choco-nut falls in the category of High-end biscuits. RD :- Qualitative Research includes an in-depth analysis of the consumer needs and wants and for this, a wide variety of tool may be used. For ex ample, FGDS with a set of consumers to identify major factors influencing the purchase decision of biscuits (and Interacting with friends and family Quantitative Research Customer survey using questionnaire.Survey done through both face to face interviews as well as online. Tools Used are Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Fishbein analysis . Consumer Behavior and MARKET RESEARCH IN CHEETAH Y Market Research forms the basis of almost all of the strategically important decisions that a Company makes over a period of time. Consumer psyche, Brand perceptions, Buying behaviours, Priority or preferences, all of these form the building blocks of information, on the basis of which a decision maker even goes to the extent of changing the very core proposition of a Brand ! BRAND AWARENESS :- To understand the awareness level of brands across our own company Cheetah Y and across competitors, it is important to have a comparative analysis. This has been made possible by Consumer Survey on brand Awareness Segment by Segment . The report delves deep into what exactly is the level of brand knowledge amongst the following segments :- Buffs, Singles, Pros, HiEarners and Others. Initially when the game began, the product SYGU occupied highest mindspace share amongst Singles while the product SYCA occupied highest mindspace amongst Pros. At the end of all 12 periods, SYGU continued to occupy the highest share amongst Singles while also capturing a significantly high percentage amongst Buffs. On the Contrary, the mindspace percentage of SYCA increased excessively for Buffs and Hiearners.Also one more product SYCO was introduced which managed to gain the highest mindspace . This helped in taking proper measures to increase brand awareness amongst the desired segm ent and helped in understanding the impact of increasing advertising expenditure . The next logical step after studying the Brand awareness is to find out that how much of it is actually getting converted into Purchase. To study the Purchase intentions, the report Consumer Survey-purchase Intentions is the apt report. Here we inferred that purchase intention for SYGU was the highest amongst the Singles, which is in sync with the level of Brand awareness amongst them. Also the purchase intention for SYCA was highest amongst the Hiearners which is again in sync with the Brand awareness.IF we analyse the trend across 12 periods, we notice that there is a visible trend reversal i.e. SYGU purchase intention was highest amongst the segment Others while incase of SYCA, the PROS showed the highest purchase intentions . This can be attributed to the fact that a lot of investment was made in the Advertising research and hence overall advertising budget which increased the brand awareness and purchase intention considerably. BUYING BEHAVIOR of consumers :- So where exactly are Cheetah Ys target audience buying from ! This is important to understand because it helped us plan the salesforce and distribute the salesforce accordingly amongst the Speciality stores, Departmental stores and Mass merchandise stores. At the start of period 1, Buffs were mostly buying from Speciality stores, Singles were mostly buying from speciality and Departmental stores while 50% professionals were buying from Speciality stores.High earners preferred to buy through Departmental stores. However, after understanding the buying behaviour, appropriate salesforce was installed in each of these store types. Hence after period 12, singles ended up buying equally from Speciality, Departmental stores and mass Merchandise stores. The result of all the efforts and budget put into Marketing has a direct impact on the market share and stock prices. In this regard, the Report Consumer Panel- Market Shares based on Unit Sales provide the perfect insight into the market share distribution of the two products amongst Buffs, Singles, pros, Hiearners and others. In the Period 1, the highest share of revenue for SYGU was coming from Singles, while highest share of revenue for SYCA was coming from Hiearners (this is in sync with the BRAND AWARENESS report). However, down the line after 11 periods, the highest share of revenue for SYGU was coming from Others while major revenue contributors for SYCA was the segment pros. Since the brand awareness for the product SYCO was low, this duely reflected in in share of revenue being almost nil from each of the segments. After understanding the current scenario and facts and figures related to Brand awareness and Brand purchase intentions, it becomes imperative to do an apt amount of Advertising Research and an estimate of Competitive advertising. The Market research report tells us that initially all the products in the Sonite Market had a rating of poor against the various communication dimensions, except SULI . But over a period of 12 periods, while the communication dimensions and ratings and its corresponding ratings for all the products (and companies) changed, the ratings for SYGU AND SYCA remained poor and only SYCO got a message quality of Good. This can be analysed through the fact that though investment in advertising was being made, simultaneously the changes in the parameters Design, Power, Weight etc through RD was not made. This resulted in a mismatch between the product quality and what is being advertised, hence resulting in poor message quality.

Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Madness in Hamlet Essay -- Essays on

Madness in Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Hamlet's choice to put on an "antic disposition" leads to his downfall; it is a tragic error in judgement (hamartia) which destroys his relationship with Ophelia and Gertrude. It is Hamlet's hubris. Another result from Hamlet's peculiar actions, is that in his own mind he begins to believe that he is mad.   It is unfortunate that Hamlet's plan did not succeed; not only did it lead to his own downfall but he had to witness the downfall of all of the people he loved.   Ã‚  Ã‚   With his choice to put on this act of antic disposition, he takes the risk of losing close touch with his loved ones. With his actions of insanity, he drives Ophelia away from him and this eventually leads to her suicide. Ophelia is greatly saddened when Hamlet continues to push her further and further away. Hamlet commands her to go to a nunnery and this is the point where she believes he is mad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! ( III; i; 147) When Hamlet's act continues to unfold, Ophelia begins to feel very betrayed by his love. With only her feelings of rejected love and betrayal left she takes her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Young men will do't if they come to't.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By Cock, they are to blame.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quoth she, 'Before you tumbled me,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You promised me to wed.' ( IV; v; 60-64) It is after the death of Ophelia that Hamlet realizes his true feelings for her.   This is another contributing factor that leads to Hamlet's own downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚   This tragic error in judgement leads Hamlet to destroy his relationship with his mother, Gertrude. By faking this madness he makes himself a less be... ...t Ophelia he felt as if he had lost much more. His saddness is covered by his jealousy and this leads to further maddness. Hamlet is on a path of destruction with no return.   Ã‚  Ã‚   All these events have built up and contributed to Hamlet's downfall. He lost the love of his life, his dear mother and has lost his own mind. Hamlet's choice to put on this antic disposition was a tragic error in judgement (harmartia). It was Hamlet's hubris. Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations Of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Charney, Maurice. All of Shakespeare. New York, NY. Columbia University Press. 1993. Magill, Frank N. Masterplots. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.