Essay --

Alex opened his eyes to the taste of dust and blood. His head was on the floor. He tried to lift it, but to no avail. A small groan escaped his lips, followed by a fit of coughing. What happened? The scene before him was something out of a Michael Bay movie. Grey concrete, rebar, settling dust, unconscious bodies. Unconscious, or maybe dead. What happened? He tried to move his leg, with the effectiveness of putting out a fire with gasoline. It was crushed by several tonnes of concrete and twisted metal. What happened? He finally found the strength to raise his head a fraction of an inch from the concrete. Caroline. He desparately searched the carnage around him until his eyes locked on a face. His wife. Dammit, what the hell happened? He tried to lift his head further, but only succeeded in inducing a coughing fit, forcing him to relinquish the small amount of progress he had made. Suddenly, a weak, sickly sounding voice pierced the unnatual stillness that had enveloped the space since he awoke. â€Å"Hey.† Her lips were powder white, and the voice was barely above a whisper, but she was alive. He managed a weak smile before moving his own lips. â€Å"Hey.† His eyes traced a line from her face, down her body, only to see a foot of rebar protruding from her ribcage. His smile wavered, but he forced himself to keep a smile plastered on his own powder-caked face. Later. Later I’ll tell her. â€Å"How are you doing love?† â€Å"A little sore.† She managed a weak trace of a smile, that quickly turned into a grimace. Her labored breathing caused the rebar to sway back and forth, like a macabre tree in an invisible breeze. The effort of talking obviously exhausted her. He once again started examining the surrounding wreckage, giving her a little ti... ...bye to the love of his life. He gripped the steering wheel, and put the car in reverse, swinging out of the parking spot, and onto the open road, Caroline’s last words echoing in his head. â€Å"’Til Death do us part.† The words echoed all the way home, and followed him into the house. His every thought was occupied by her. The more he thought, the more he realized it felt like she was actually there. He closed his eyes, and opened them, disappointed to find that it wasn’t actually true. Despite this, he smiled and laid back, his head propped up, the way he used to do when she laid on top of him, often falling asleep on a summer afternoon, and only waking up to go to bed. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that made her seem absolutely tangible to him, despite the absense of her presense. He finally said, to nobody in particular, â€Å"Darling, you’ll never be dead to me.†

Ingredient Branding of Industrial Goods

Ingredient Branding of Industrial Goods: A case study of two distinct different automotive suppliers Waldemar Pfoertsch[1] / Johannes Rid[2] / Christian Linder[3] Abstract This paper concerns ingredient branding; more specifically, ingredient branding for industrial goods. Although research in ingredient branding has been quite intensive in the area of fast moving consumer goods, considerably less research has been carried out for industrial goods. In this paper, the authors provide insight into whether successful ingredient branding can be transferred to industries where it has not been a common phenomenon: automotive suppliers.Two major companies in the automotive industry are analyzed in this paper: Autoliv, a major player in car-safety supplies and equipment like seat belts and airbags, and Bosch, producers of a large variety of car components, like diesel and gasoline injection systems, braking components (e. g. ABS and ESP), and starting motors and alternators. The findings inc lude enormous potential for B2B companies in the field of ingredient branding. Car suppliers, for instance, have rarely used the option of branding their ingredients at the finished product.The authors give a historical perspective, show e. g. that ABS braking system, invented by German supplier Bosch would have been a perfect candidate for branding to the final customer. In the purchasing decision of potential car buyers, the ingredient ABS, provided by a strong ingredient manufacturer (e. g. Bosch) could have led to a preference of buying a specific car, and in the end, added to the supplier’s reputation and revenue. 1. Leveraging the brand We now live in a world where consumers receive thousands of impressions and messages every day.Ever increasing competition makes it more difficult for a message to reach the audience and target group, with the consequence that it becomes harder for a consumer to differentiate between brands. Furthermore, as competitive advantages and inn ovations are copied at a higher speed, products and services become more alike. In this kind of environment, it is important for producers to find a position for their product or service in order to focus and clarify the attributes that make their product unique to the customer.In response to this current business environment, research and best practice show that more and more firms have come to the realization that one of their most valuable assets is the brand name associated with their products or services. (Keller,2003, Pfoertsch/Mueller, 2006). Producers understand that powerful brands are beneficial to the company: â€Å"Brands, therefore, are genuine assets and, like other forms of asset, they can appreciate considerably as a result of careful management and development. † (Blackett, in: Murphy, 1989).Kotler/Pfoetsch (2006) have proved that B2B branding offers strong competitive advantages, â€Å"by implementing a holistic brand approach companies can accelerate and i ncrease their overall success† compared to companies that do not go the path of B2B branding. Brands should be seen in a holistic manner where all activities of a company should be integrated to get the maximum advantage (Kotler/Pfoertsch, 2006). Strategic success might be achieved through leveraging the brand, because the brand is one of the most strategic and worthy assets a firm owns.Possibilities to leverage the brand include line extensions, stretching the brand vertically, brand extensions, and co-branding (Pfoertsch/Schmid, 2005). Co-branding means that two brands form an alliance in one or several areas that lead to a new product branded with both brands. Ingredient branding, on the other hand, is a brand that is solely used as a component of a branded article (Riezebos, 2003). According to Norris (1992), there are two relevant criterias that must be fulfilled for ingredient branding. First, the component can only be bought and consumed by consumers as a part of the br anded article.Second, the brand name of the component is only used for such an ingredient (and not for ‘normal’ branded articles as well). 2. Can you ingredient brand where branding is not a common phenomenon? The reason companies start to co-operate is due to technological and psychological changes of the business environment. There are two reasons why this occurs (Uggla, 2000): First, technology and new distribution patterns open up new possibilities for cooperation where brand extension and brand alliances become more interesting from a strategic point of view.Second, consumers look for risk reduction, and brand extension and brand alliances might be the right strategies to reduce consumer risk. Strategies to meet the demands of a changing world are co-branding and ingredient branding. There are some good examples of ingredient branding of durable goods on the market, such as Shimano as a component supplier of cycles, and Intel in the computer industry. Intel, for in stance, â€Å"positioned itself to be the heart and soul of personal computers.The strategy was to create a brand, and it worked – for PCs† (Karolefski, 2001). In other industries that produce industrial goods, like the car industry, ingredient branding has not been a common strategy. The primary question that guides us through this paper is: Is it possible for industrial goods industry like the automotive industry to adopt an ingredient brand when ingredient branding is not a common phenomenon? 3. Analyzing with real world data In this paper, real world data from two different companies were collected and compared.A qualitative approach was chosen, which enables us to analyze, understand and interpret the situation rather than giving standardized results. The aim was to understand the strategy of ingredient branding as a whole. Research was mainly based on collecting data through interviews with decision makers (respondent interviews), which implies that the interview s are of a strategic nature. A case study approach gives the possibility of getting deeper insight into a certain problem or situation and to ascertain how interviewees perceive their situations.The presented cases are Bosch and Autoliv, two companies representing the car SUPPLIER manufacturing industries. Since this study aims to help understand why and under what circumstances companies choose an ingredient brand strategy, the case study approach was seen as the most appropriate. The Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart offers a wide range of products to the market, both as a supplier to different kinds of manufactures, as well as a producer of consumer goods. It had 2007 a turnover of â‚ ¬46,7 billion and employs over 271,000 people in about 50 countries.Today, 70% of Bosch turnover is from the car industry – it is a pioneer in the automotive supplier industry, with products that include ABS and ESP, injection systems, brakes, starter motors and alternators. Another major car s upplier, Autoliv Inc. is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the result of a merger between Autoliv of Sweden, founded in 1953, and the American company Automotive Safety Production, started in 1997. Autoliv of Sweden was the inventor of seat belts, which first came onto the market in 1956, and developed the first airbag for cars in 1980.Autoliv has about 30% market share in its segment on a worldwide basis, and employs about 6,000 people, with sales in 2004 of $ 5 billion. 4. Leveraging the brand for industrial goods If a company realizes that it cannot capitalize on its own brand alone, it might choose to capitalize on another brand. This implies that company A wants to â€Å"borrow† association of a brand from company B. It follows that company B in turn must also want to have something from A, since B must also benefit from its association with A.Generally speaking, three prerequisites must be fulfilled before company A and B collaborate: 1) Both companies must have suffi cient brand equity, otherwise they would not be able to â€Å"borrow out† any associations (Keller, 2003); 2) company A and B should have a common basis of associations, meaning that A and B’s identity should have a certain degree of fit (Riezebos, 2003); and 3) that company A should be able to â€Å"offer† associations which B does not have and vice versa (Park/Jun/Shocker, 1996). (1) Sufficient brand equity The first prerequisite in terms of brand identity is that both brands have ufficiently strong and unique associations; that both of the brands (ingredient and host brand) separately have enough brand equity (Keller, 2003, p. 362). In this study, the question is whether Autoliv and Bosch each offer enough brand equity so that they could be potentially interesting partners for a host brand seeking to leverage its brand identity. The brand equity of Bosch can be rated as high. Bosch has successfully leveraged its own brand with brand extensions and line extens ions. Bosch, in its beginnings, was a producer of car parts like starting motors and alternators.Over time, Bosch began to capitalize and leverage its own brand by extending their product range, including the development and production of power tools, mobile telephones, security systems, and industrial packing machines. The other company in this case study, the car safety producer Autoliv, is a well-known brand among B2B customers. Autoliv wants to work together with the best automotive companies in the field of car safety: â€Å"The identity of Autoliv is a company that always has the technical leadership in the area of car safety equipment like airbags and seat belts.Autoliv strives to always be the first with technical development in their area. † (Mats Odman, Autoliv). (2) Common basis of associations The second prerequisite is that the companies working together should have a certain degree of similarity in their brand identity (Riezebos, 2003). According to Keller (2003 ), the logical fit (image and product) between the two brands is the most important requirement for a successful collaboration between two brands.That means a) that both companies’ brand identities (host and ingredient brand) should be in correspondence with each other, and b) that the ingredient offers complementary brand associations. Main associations connected with Bosch are: quality and innovation. Most car manufacturers have these associations as well, therefore, a common basis of associations does exist. Bosch representatives say that â€Å"products from Bosch contribute key values to the brand such as a promise from Bosch about product quality. Bosch products are also innovative in the car industry which is reflected in their slogan ‘We bring innovation’, e. . Bosch was first to introduce engine injection systems with 1600 bar pressure† (Stefan Seiberth, Bosch). On the negative side, Bosch has the problem of being a supplier to virtually every car manufacturer in the world, and these car manufacturers have widely different brand identities (e. g. the brand identity of BMW is totally different than that of Volkswagen). Autoliv can be more precise in common associations. Autoliv aims to develop projects with car manufacturers that are striving for the latest technology in car safety, most likely with car manufacturers in the premium segment.A logical fit exists here because Autoliv has the same aim of technical leadership as the car manufacturers they choose to work together with. (3) Offering complementary associations Finally, cooperation between brands will only work if the partner brand offers complementary associations, which the host brand does not have, and vice versa (Park/Jun/Shocker, 1996). The concept of brand identity system is central here (Aaker, 1996), and includes the following definition: â€Å"Brand identity is a unique set of brand associations that the brand strategist desires to create or maintain.These as sociations represent what the brand stands for† (Aaker, 1996). Brand identity consists of twelve dimensions organized around four perspectives – the brand-as-product (product scope, product attributes, quality/value, uses, users, country of origin), brand-as-organization (organizational attributes, local versus global), brand-as-person (brand personality, brand-customer relationships), and brand-as-symbol (visual imagery/metaphors and brand heritage). Though not all perspectives might be appropriate for every brand, it should help firms to consider different brand elements to be able to enrich and differentiate their brand identity.The brand identity model is structured into core and extended identity. The core identity is the timeless and central essence of the brand. Therefore, it will most likely remain constant while the brand is stretched to new markets and products. The extended identity consists of brand identity elements, which complete the core identity, such a s a slogan, sub-brands, and the brand personality (e. g. reliable, American, German engineering, friendly). [pic] Figure 1: Aaker’s model for brand identity modified with results from the case studyTo be able to identify and analyze what the case companies Bosch and Autoliv have to offer to their partners (host brands) in terms of desirable attributes, the above figure based on Aaker’s (1996) model summarizes the most important advantages of the examined cases. The reader should note that this paper is based on a study from the supplier’s perspective (partner brand). Therefore, spill-over effects which the case companies might receive from the producer side are not examined. Bosch offers associations which the partner brand possibly does not have.Attributes like ‘German engineering’, ‘reliable’ and ‘innovation’ could be easily used and benefited from by car manufacturer building middle and lower-class cars. Autoliv’s contribution to collaboration is technical leadership. One could say that Autoliv is a premium brand in their field of competence, thus offering strong associations in quality. To summarize, we can conclude that brand equity is one of the most, if not the most, valuable assets a company has. The company’s brand identity is the most important factor in creating or pushing the company’s brand equity.Company’s management should continuously try to leverage the brand’s identity. Our case companies Bosch and Autoliv prove that leveraging is fully possible in the area of industrial goods 5. Fit between brands So far, the authors have analyzed whether the examined companies and the industrial goods sector could offer enough brand equity and possibilities to leverage. In other words, up until this part of the analysis, we have looked upon whether our case companies would be interesting partners for the producers in their industries, and if the case companies ful fill the prerequisites to make co-branding successful.Now let’s look closer into the fit of brands and the field of brand association base. Image transfer What does theory say about the transferring process? Riezebos (2003) defines image transfer through the term deductive inference, which is the deduction of results/conclusions from brand images already in existence. Deductive inference is important when associations from one brand or entity is carried over to another brand/entity.For the transfer process, a source, which consumers must have certain associations with in terms of where it comes from, and a target (inductive inference, meaning that the associations load the image of the target) is needed. In summary, image transfer is a positive transfer from source to target, and similarly a positive feedback from target to source (Riezebos, 2003). For transferring associations, it is both necessary that source and target have something in common (e. g. common brand name), an d that the target evokes certain brand associations.Ingredient branding and co-branding are brand-stretching strategies based on image transfer. Critical success factors for image transfer are 1) the sources’ level of brand-added value, 2) how the products are related to each other (target and source should only to a minor degree differ from each other), 3) the target group similarity (Park, 1991), and 4) family resemblance (different packages sharing the same facings). Brand association base Simonin and Ruth (1998) stress the fit between brands (and between the products), which significantly affects the attitudes towards the alliance.Leading researchers agree that companies should integrate the brands they cooperate with within their overall brand architecture. The authors have used the brand association base described by Uggla (2003) to examine the question of fit. The result can be seen in the figure below where the association base model has been modified with the finding s from the case studies. The association base is a relevant tool for this purpose – to organize brand alliances and the brand structure from a leader brand perspective and intention.The association base describes how brands can be organized together. The model contains four different core components: leader brand associations, partner brand associations, institutional associations and the customer’s brand image. In a cooperation of brands, the advantage for the leading brand is that it adds values and positive associations to the product. The partner brand gets access to the distributions channels leading to the end-consumer market. The collaboration between the leader brand and the partner will determine an association base.The customer will evaluate the perceived equity from the association base and shape a specific brand image (Uggla, 2001). Figure 2: Modified brand association base (Uggla, 2003) Bosch, as a car part producer with German quality and innovation as th eir base of associations, could definitely contribute to the car manufacturer’s base of associations as for Mercedes-Benz: Enduring Passion. Autoliv has valuable associations for a potential host brand in terms of car safety. On the other hand, Autoliv does not build brand value, Autoliv would be a weaker partner brand according to the collaboration theory.The partner brand should help to expand the base of associations of the leader brand, and the partner brand’s core identity should lead into the direction the leader brand wants to go to, and the direction should be defined by the leader brand. The partner brand should also help to strengthen the base of associations while bringing in exclusivity and differentiation. Once more, Bosch has proven to be a valuable partner when tested against this theory. Autoliv stands weaker in this respect because the company is not actively building brand equity towards the final customer.To summarize, Uggla (2003) suggests that a le ss familiar leader brand should be connected to a strong partner brand with high brand familiarity. A lesser-known and/or unfamiliar car manufacturer (e. g. Asian car manufacturers who want to enter new markets outside Asia) using Bosch in-car equipment, for example, would be a positive example of this guideline. Functional and emotional incentives for brand collaboration A way of defining the motives for collaboration is given by Uggla (2001). He suggests a model based on a matrix, which is divided into emotional and functional benefits, to be able to understand why brands engage in co-operation.The model is based upon Aaker’s theory about the brand’s identity, but focuses on how the components of the value proposition are divided and shared among partners. The model divides the brands engaged in co-operation to a leader brand and (one or more) partner brand(s). The leader brand can choose to develop own associations or choose to capitalize on other brands’ ass ociations. The partner brand’s contribution should be to expand to the leader brand’s base of associations and add critical physical and/or emotional attributes.Two different incentives for collaboration are functional and emotional benefits (Uggla, 2001). An example for a functional alliance is Intel because Intel contributes with a product (the processor for a computer) for which they have core competence. With emotional incentives, the aim of the leader brand is to endorse reputation (Cooke, 2000), which is the aim to get a better image and/or quality association with the help of the partner brand. On the other hand, the partner brand can profit from the leader brand’s functional attributes. [pic] Figure 3: Applied incentive model from leader and partner brand perspectiveThe authors have modified this model in respect to the case analysis (see Fig. 3). As mentioned above, a brand that wants to lend associations to another brand strong must have strong incenti ves that can be either functional or emotional. For car producers, working together with Bosch could gain core competence and expand the value proposition (e. g. Bosch as a technology leader in ESP, ABS and diesel technology). This is according to the theory (Uggla, 2003), which says that collaboration based on functional incentives implies that the one brand contributes with core competence.Bosch would also profit from brand collaboration through shared costs in R&D. Bosch might expand the legitimate territory for their products if the car manufactures allow Bosch to brand their ingredients. Accentuating emotional attributes are also a possibility for Bosch: â€Å"It is our strategy to position Bosch as an innovative, international, modern company† (Stefan Seiberth, Bosch). A car producer might also want to work together with Autoliv based on functional motives because Autoliv has core competency and is a leading manufacturer of car safety equipment (intelligent seat belts, irbags, etc. ). The focus for Autoliv is choosing partners who have a commitment to actively work with the development of safety in cars. As it is the case with Bosch, Autoliv would gain from collaborations by sharing costs for R&D. Emotional incentives are also important for the company and play a certain role in choosing partners for a new project, according to Autoliv. The image of the car manufacturer is important; therefore, the company strives to share development with car manufacturers in the premium segment† (Mats Odman, Autoliv).To summarize, according to the incentive model, both Bosch and Autoliv offer sufficient incentives, both from partner brand as well as from the leader brand perspective. 6. Results: Transferring successful ingredient branding to the car industry The authors have taken into account the findings from the secondary sources of Moon (2002), Aaker (1996), and Keller (2003), all of which present a deeper analysis of ingredient branding strategies, an d have compared these findings with the information from the car suppliers Bosch and Autoliv.We first want to emphasize that successful companies invest in and put the brand first. Moreover, the most effective strategy for a company is to become a brand-driven organization (Kotler/Pfoertsch, 2006). These companies not only differentiate themselves through their technology, but also through their level of service and through all employees working effectively towards the success of the brand, and thus, the company. In addition, ingredient branding is a form of multi-stage branding (Baumgarth, 2001). Therefore, the whole value chain, from (ingredient) producer to the final customer, needs to be considered.In the case of Bosch or Autoliv, the retailer, the producer of the final good, and the final customer need to be connected. This implies that all downstream markets need to be part of the strategy. Hillyer/Tikoo proved that consumers are cognitive misers (Hillyer/Tikoo, 1995). This me ans that consumers simply trust that a well-known manufacturer would not allow itself to collaborate with a low quality supplier. This has been proven with the success of Intel. Customers simply transferred the decision making to the computer manufacturers by trusting that the manufacturers have chosen the right microprocessor supplier, Intel.In terms of transferring these findings to the car industry, Autoliv could step into the shoes of Intel. Autoliv could act as a retrieval cue (Hillyer/Tikoo, 1995) for potential car buyers, where the car buyer trusts the car manufacturer to have picked a trustworthy brand in the area of car safety. Also, for a successful ingredient branding strategy, it is crucial that the right opportunity in time be identified. If we look at the success of Intel, often regarded as one of the most successful ingredient branders, one aspect that is different between Intel and the automotive industry is the timing of the ingredient branding.The computer industry matured during an era when computer sales were strongly on the rise accompanied by a period of increasing sensitivity to the value of branding (Cook, 2003). The car industry is already mature, therefore, the timing is not optimal for an ingredient brand strategy: â€Å"It would be great to replicate [Intel’s success in the automotive industry], but it’s 80 years too late to do it† (Klaus Deller, Bosch Group, in: Cook, 2003). The authors want to stress though, that even the car industry will offer windows of opportunities, especially when supplier come up with decisive inventions and innovations.Another factor to consider is that In contrast to the situation like Intel, where producers were actively looking for co-operations, car manufacturers often want to control their brand image and are currently not actively seeking brand collaboration with supplier. This fact makes the ingredient branding strategy even more complicated to implement. A solution to this woul d be for suppliers like Autoliv and Bosch to adopt a pull strategy by creating consumer demand.The pull principle is also the basic underlying concept that is best suited for ingredient branding, meaning that the ingredient manufacturer directly addresses the final customer (Pfoertsch/Schmid, 2005). Bosch is, through its automotive advertising campaigns in 2006 and 2007, on its way to utilizing such a strategy. Building strong association could even be implemented into the car industry. The OEM’s in the car industry could effectively promote their associations, which in the case of Bosch could be ‘braking safety’ (ABS, ESP), and ‘passenger safety’ (Airbags), in the case of Autoliv.The authors conclude that it is entirely possible for auto suppliers to establish an ingredient branding strategy. Bosch and Autoliv proved to have substantial possibilities for ingredient branding. This conclusion can be drawn through congruence of findings of the empirica l research with theory. It is vital to the success of the strategy, though, that the whole organization not only strives for the same objective, but also consistently delivers the brand promise. Only with this â€Å"quality thinking† in the organization, can an ingredient succeed in the final industrial good.And – not to forget – it is time-consuming to create and establish a brand. Therefore, the overall strategy needs to be a long-term engagement in the marketing and branding investment. 7. Suggestions for future research This paper has examined the question of ingredient branding as a viable strategy for producers of industrial goods. In particular, we tested automotive suppliers Autoliv and Bosch (Norris, 1992; Keller, 2003; Riezebos, 2003). Since the scope of this paper could only cover the basics of this question, it would be interesting to go deeper into other aspects.A question for further research would be to find out how a model of the appropriateness of ingredient branding could be derived. Further research could cover even more industry segments in B2B marketing, thereby giving deeper insights into why certain industries have seen companies with successful ingredient branding, while others have not. Additionally, to discuss questions about an implementation strategy for ingredient branding needs more insight and research, including a possible guideline for companies that have decided to brand its ingredient.Examples from other industries could also be examined since the implementation process is very complex and many aspects need to be considered. Literature Aaker, D. A. , and Joachimsthaler, E. , â€Å"Brand Leadership†, The Fress Press, New York, 2000 Aaker, D. A. , and Keller, K. L. , â€Å"Consumer Evaluations of Brand Extensions†, Journal of Marketing, 54, January 1990, pp. 27-41 Aaker, D. A. , Building Strong Brands, The Free Press, New York, 1996 Baumgarth, C. , Ingredient Branding. Begriff und theoretische Begrundung, in : Esch, F. -R. : Moderne Markenfuhrung, Wiesbaden 2001, p. 17-343 Blackett, T and Boad, B: Co-branding, the Science Of Alliance, Macmillan Business, Interbrand, England, 1999 Blackett, T. , The Nature of Brands, in: Murphy, John, Brand Valuation, Hutchinson Business Books, 1989, pp. 1-11. Cook, B. , Can Bosch spark its OEM brand? , www. brandchannel. com, 2003 Cooke, S. , and Ryan, P. , â€Å"Brand Alliances: From Reputation Endorsement to Collaboration on Core Competencies†, Irish Marketing Review, Vol. 13, 2000, p. 36-41 Hillyer, C. , and Tikoo, S. , â€Å"Effect of Cobranding on Consumer Product Evaluations†, Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 22, 1995 Kapferer, J. -N. Reinventing the Brand, Kogan Page, London, 2001 Kapferer, J. -N. , â€Å"Strategic Brand Management†, Kogan Page, London, 1992 Karolefski, John, â€Å"Intel Outside†, www. brandchannel. com, 2001 Keller, K. L. , â€Å"Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer- Based Brand Equity†, Journal of Marketing, January 1993, pp. 1-29 Keller, K. L. , Strategic Brand Management: building, measuring, and managing brand equity, Prentice-Hall International (UK) Limited, London, 1998 Keller, K. L. , Strategic Brand Management: building, measuring, and managing brand equity, Prentice-Hall International (UK) Limited, London, second edition, 2003 Kotler, P. et al. , Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall Europe, 1996 Kotler, P. , and Pfoertsch, W. , „B2B Brand Managementâ€Å", Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2006 McCarthy, M. S. , and Norris, D. G. , â€Å"Improving Competitive Position Using Branded Ingredients†, Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 8, Nr. 4, 1999, pp. 267-285 Moon, Y. , â€Å"Inside Intel Inside†, Harvard Business Review, October 15, 2002 Norris, Donald G. , â€Å"Ingredient Branding: A Strategy Option with Multiple Beneficiaries†, The Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1992 Park, C. W. , Jun, S.Y. , and Shocker, A. D. , â€Å"Composite Brand Alliances: An Investigation of Extension and Feedback Effects†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 33, 4, 1996, pp. 453-466 Pfoertsch, W. , and Schmid, M. , „B2B-Markenmanagement: Konzepte – Methoden – Fallbeispieleâ€Å", Franz Vahlen, Munich, 2005 Pfoertsch, W. , and Mueller, J. Die Marke in der Marke Bedeutung und Macht des Ingredient Branding, Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2006 Riezebos, Rik, â€Å"Brand Management: A Theoretical and Practical Approach†, Pearson Education Limited, 2003 Simonin, B. L. , and Ruth, J. A. â€Å"Is the Company known by the Company it keeps? Assessing the Spillover Effects of Brand Alliances on Consumer Brand Attitudes†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 35, February 1998, pp. 30-42 Uggla, H. , â€Å"The Brand Association Base: A Model for Strategically Leveraging Partner Brand Equity†, Unpublished Paper, 2003 Uggla, Henrik, †Managing the Bra nd-Association Base†, Akademitryck AB, Edsbruk, 2000 Uggla, H. , †Organisation av varumarken†, Liber Ekonomi, Malmo, 2001 Uggla, H. , †Varumarkesarkitektur – strategi, teori och kritik†, Liber Ekonomi, Malmo. 001 ———————– [1] Waldemar Pfoertsch – Professor of Business Marketing – CEIBS China Europe International Business School Shanghai – Hongfeng Road Shanghai – 201206, China – Tel: +86(21) 28905662 – [email  protected] edu and Professor of International Business – Pforzheim University – Tiefenbronnerstrasse 65 – 75175 Pforzheim, Germany [2] Johannes Rid, National Sales Manager, Pirelli Tyre Nordic AB, Gustavslundsvagen 141, P. O. Box 14147, 16714 Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden,Tel: +46. 8. 6220850, Fax: +46. 8. 7550941, johannes. [email  protected] et [3] Christian Linder – Research Assistant – Pforzheim Business S chool – Pforzheim University – Tiefenbronnerstrasse 65 – 75175 Pforzheim, Germany – Tel: +49 7231 28-6466, christian. [email  protected] de ———————– Bosch: Expand the legitimate territory Emotional incentives Functional incentives Bosch: Expand value proposition, modify brand personality Bosch: Engineering core com Autoliv: Core competence in car petence safety Partner brand perspective Leader brand perspective Bosch: Cost efficiency (R&D), Short cut to awareness and distribution. Autoliv: Cost efficiency (R&D)Institutional Associations Image Transfer Identity Transfer Customers’ image of the brand Leader Brand Associations e. g. Mercedes-Benz: Enduring Passion [pic]*fgyz}†°S? z  Ã‚ ©? iO?  ©i? i~? i? hM8([email  protected]>zhuT;CJOJ[4]QJ[5]^J[6][email  protected]>zhuT;5? 6? 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The Effects Of Immigration On The Middle East - 1558 Words

To measure societal acceptance towards immigrants, attitudinal data can be utilized to better understand the effects of immigration on both societies. One way to measure the general political reaction of each country towards the influx of immigrants. Though such data is constrained by temporal boundaries, a blanket understanding can be gleamed from surveys taken in nations during different periods. Further, in both countries, support for the importance of mainstream right-wing strategies has exacerbated the politicization of the immigrant issue. A survey asking identical questions in the two countries was conducted by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in 2000. The Swedes tend to be more positive than the Danes, but the differences are not dramatic. However, similarly to Denmark, societal attention to the issue increased in the 1980s, not least due to a considerable growth in the number of refugees from the Middle East. In both nations, there are clear trends that reveal a significant rise in negative attitudes towards immigrants; but, the levels of said societal and political attention towards immigrants and the policies enacted which affect immigrants differ greatly in Sweden and Denmark. Sweden’s political reaction is both measurable and significant in terms of the incessantly evolving political climate of Europe towards the immigration issue. Since 1989, the Swedes have been asked annually what issues they think are the most important in SwedenShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Illegal Immigration1541 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the illegal immigration There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014, 14.4 million under the mandate of UNHCR, around 2.9 million more than in 2013. Illegal immigration, is the migrations of people across national borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination country, most of the time the illegal immigrant moves from a poorer to a richer country, however, it is also noted that illegal immigrants tend not to be the poorest within their population.Read MoreIllegal Immigrants : Illegal Immigration1627 Words   |  7 PagesIllegal Immigration in the US What does illegal immigration mean to a hard working, middle class worker providing for a family of four? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is getting jobs taken right underneath them from illegal immigrants that are willing to work the same job for a lower paycheck? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is in need for a job? Illegal immigration is an epidemic occurring in the United States of America, the land of the free (to the legal citizens)Read MoreImmigration Of The United States828 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration without Assimilation An immigration policy in the United States assessed to be one of the boiling issues of political debates for more than two decades which drives to its foreign policy through consideration on national and societal security in its soil, particularly in a global arena. Some might express that auspicious immigration policy can be a threat to national security of the United States, in contrast, others may argue that it does not pose such a threat to its soil. Since endRead MoreThe United States And The Middle East1351 Words   |  6 Pageslife. But in this scenario The Middle East is the thriving united nation that stands for the ideal of freedom. You and your family spend weeks and months trying to get to the United Arab States(UAS), but yet they reject you because there people do not want to help you from an undeniable death. None of you would deny that you would want UAS to take you and your family as a refugee. But yet this story is not a scenario; this is exactly what s happening in the Middle East and America won t help thoseRead MoreThe War On Immigration : The United States1285 Words   |  6 PagesThe War on Immigration The United States of America declared its independence from Britain in 1776 and became its own nation. We were created by immigrants from all over the world and from this, the country obtained the nick name â€Å"the Melting Pot.† America gained this prestigious title by staying true to the American Dream, where people can start from nothing and climb the ladder to the top. This dream seems to be slipping further and further from the peoples grasp due to immigration policies currentlyRead MoreAre Aliens Are Human Too?999 Words   |  4 Pagesopposite lifestyle. The less fortunate tend to do whatever is in their hands to obtain a brighter future. Most of these individuals find the need to migrate to a different country to be the best solution. Though their entry may or may not be welcomed. Immigration is a worldwide issue; people every day migrate from one country to another with no intentions of returning from where they came from. Although immigrants migrate from different countries, they all share a common factor that triggered their migratingRead MoreImpact Of Discrimination On Arab Americans1722 Words   |  7 PagesJordan, Algeria, Bahram, the commores Islands, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Saudi, Syria, Morocco, Mauritania, Somali, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen). (Samhan 1) According to some researchers, the immigration of Arabs to the US is typically described as having occurred in two waves. The first wave was from 1890- 1940 and consisted of Christian merchants and farmers trying to find jobs. There were motivated by economic factors. After world war one, theRead MoreThe Future Of The European Union1451 Words   |  6 Pagesthird scenario is the possibility of a breakup. Within ten years (or even less) the European Union could collapse and disappear. With more countries suffering economic hardship, the core countries (France and Germany) will also start feeling the effects of a severe economic crisis. The European central bank and other financial institution will fail to implement reforms. Regarding security, terrorist groups intensified their attacks making countries like France, Germany and Belgium more vulnerableRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1710 Words   |  7 PagesIllegal Immigration in the US What does illegal immigration mean to a hardworking, middle class worker providing for a family of four? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is getting jobs taken right underneath them from illegal immigrants that are willing to work the same job for a lower paycheck? Illegal immigration is an epidemic occurring in the United States of America, the land of the free (to the legal citizens). There are many reasons why immigration is harmful and in some casesRead MoreEssay on Canada’s Immigration Policy from 1914 to 2000994 Words   |  4 PagesCanada’s Immigration Policy from 1914 to 2000 Canada’s immigration policy has got fairer from the middle of the century on to the end of the century. At the start of the century, Canada’s immigration policy, Canada’s immigration policy wasn’t fair but as the century comes to an end, Canada’s immigration policy became entirely different. There were a lot of racism in the first half of the century but most of this racism in the immigration policy disappeared from 1967 and on. As the years go by

10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies

People love watching colorful butterflies float from flower to flower. But from the tiniest blues to the largest swallowtails,  how much do you really know about these insects? Here are 10 butterfly facts youll find fascinating. Butterfly wings are transparent How can that be? We know butterflies as perhaps the most colorful, vibrant insects around! Well, a butterflys wings are covered by thousands of tiny scales, and these scales reflect light in different colors. But underneath all of those scales, a  butterfly wing is actually formed by layers of chitin—the same protein that makes up an insects exoskeleton. These layers are so thin you can see right through them. As a butterfly ages, scales fall off the wings, leaving spots of transparency where the chitin layer is exposed. Butterflies taste with their feet Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet to help them find their host plants and locate food. A female butterfly lands on different plants, drumming the leaves with her feet until the plant releases its juices. Spines on the back of her legs have chemoreceptors that detect the right match of plant chemicals. When she identifies the right plant, she lays her eggs. A butterfly of any biological sex will also step on its food, using organs that sense dissolved sugars to taste food sources like fermenting fruit. Butterflies live on an all-liquid diet Speaking of butterflies eating, adult butterflies can only feed on liquids—usually nectar. Their mouthparts are modified to enable them to drink, but they cant chew solids. A proboscis, which functions as a drinking straw, stays curled up under the butterflys chin until it finds a source of nectar or other liquid nutrition. The long, tubular structure then unfurls and sips up a meal. A few species of butterflies feed on sap, and some even resort to sipping from carrion. No matter the meal, they suck it up a straw. A butterfly must assemble its own proboscis—quickly A butterfly that cant drink nectar is doomed. One of its first jobs as an adult butterfly is to assemble its mouthparts. When a new adult emerges from the pupal case or chrysalis, its mouth is in two pieces. Using palpi located adjacent to the proboscis, the butterfly begins working the two parts together to form a single, tubular proboscis. You may see a newly emerged butterfly curling and uncurling the proboscis over and over, testing it out. Butterflies drink from mud puddles A butterfly cannot live on sugar alone; it needs minerals, too. To supplement its diet of nectar, a butterfly will occasionally sip from mud puddles, which are rich in minerals and salts. This behavior, called puddling, occurs more often in male butterflies, which incorporate the minerals into their sperm. These nutrients are then transferred to the female during mating and help improve the viability of her eggs. Butterflies cant fly if theyre cold Butterflies need an ideal body temperature of about 85 degrees Fahrenheit to fly. Since theyre cold-blooded animals, they cant regulate their own body temperatures. As a result, the surrounding air temperature has a big impact on their ability to function. If the air temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, butterflies are rendered immobile—unable to flee from predators or feed. When air temperatures range between 82 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, butterflies can fly with ease. Cooler days require a butterfly to warm up its flight muscles, either by shivering or basking in the sun. A newly emerged butterfly cant fly Inside the chrysalis, a developing butterfly waits to emerge with its wings collapsed around its body. When it finally breaks free of the pupal case, it greets the world with tiny, shriveled wings. The butterfly must immediately pump body fluid through its wing veins to expand them. Once its wings reach their full size, the butterfly must rest for a few hours to allow its body to dry and harden before it can take its first flight. Butterflies often live just a few weeks Once it emerges from its chrysalis as an adult, a butterfly has only two to four short weeks to live, in most cases. During that time, it focuses all its energy on two tasks: eating and mating. Some of the smallest butterflies, the blues, may only survive a few days. However, butterflies that overwinter as adults, like monarchs and mourning cloaks, can live as long as 9 months. Butterflies are nearsighted, but can see colors Within about 10–12 feet, butterfly eyesight is quite good. Anything beyond that distance gets a little blurry, though. Despite that, butterflies can see not just some of the colors that we can see, but also a range of ultraviolet colors that are invisible to the human eye. The butterflies themselves may even have ultraviolet markings on their wings to help them identify one another and locate potential mates. Flowers, too, display ultraviolet markings that act as traffic signals to incoming pollinators like butterflies. Butterflies employ tricks to avoid being eaten Butterflies rank pretty low on the food chain, with lots of hungry predators happy to make a meal of them. Therefore, they need some defense mechanisms. Some butterflies fold their wings to blend into the background, using camouflage to render themselves all but invisible to predators. Others try the opposite strategy, wearing vibrant colors and patterns that boldly announce their presence. Bright colored insects often pack a toxic punch if eaten, so predators learn to avoid them.

Hate Crime - 990 Words

Hate Crime The simplest definition of what a hate crime is, is a crime committed against a victim due to his or her perceived role in a social group. Social groups can be defined by many factors such as sexual orientation, race, disability, religion, age, gender and many other factors. Within this essay I aim to evaluate the causes of hate crime and also to assess the impact of crime on victims and the strategies used for responding to hate crime. The types of hate crime I am going to be focusing on are race, sexual orientation and gender. What is hate crime? Defining hate crime has proven to be a difficult task, shown by the multiple academic and professional definitions that exist. Barbara Perry (2001) suggests that â€Å"as is the case†¦show more content†¦How will we know if these actions truly constitute a hate crime? What crimes are we going to include in our definition?† Jacobs and Potter (1998: 27) suggest that â€Å"how much hate crime there is and what the appropriate response should be depends upon how hate crime is conceptualised and defined†. So far I have outlined a number of academic definitions of hate crime and also the implications of defining such a crime. I am now going to describe the three types of hate crime I am focusing on which are race, sexual orientation and gender. Macpherson (1999) suggests that a racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person†. The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) state that â€Å"a racial group refers to persons defined by reference to their race, colour, nationality, or ethnic or national origins†. The figures for race related hate crimes taking place are at the highest with a staggering 43,426 people involved in hate crime at the moment. Despite all the public awareness of hate crimes since Stephen Lawrence’s murder, racially motivated hate crime is still taking place and does not seem to be decreasing. This brings me to question why figures are still rising despite law changes and public awareness. Research shows that few criminals are being prosecuted for committing a hate crime. Ministry of Justice (2008) â€Å"in 2006 only 11,500 charges of racially aggravated offending were prosecuted in EnglandShow MoreRelatedHate Crime : Hate Crimes1454 Words    |  6 PagesHate Crimes Hate crimes, two small words with a very big meaning. Hate crimes are happening everywhere, some hit the news, some go into newspapers and others don’t even make it to the point of any social awareness at all. Hate crimes are a targeted attack, one that should not be taken lightly. While hate crime laws infringe on free speech rights, acts of hate should be criminalized because groups of hate crimes have had a huge impact on social behavior for a long period of time, hate crimes victimizeRead MoreHate Crimes Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesCrimes I. Intro-What is a hate crime . A hate crime is when a person intentionally selects a victim because of the race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. A person who commits a hate crime can come from any background and be any race. The term hate crime is meant to differentiate criminal behavior that is caused by prejudice from behavior that is motivated by greed jealously, anger, politics and like. Hate groups differ from one another in terms of membershipRead MoreThe Issue Of Hate Crimes2025 Words   |  9 Pagesfacing in the world are hate crimes. Despite this being a major issues, there appears to be no solution in sight to put a stop to hate crimes. For this paper I chose to focus on hate crimes I can gain more knowledge about this topic and because it s something that I have personally experienced. Throughout U.S. history, a significant proportion of all murders, assaults, and acts of vandalism have been fueled by hatred. As Native Americans have been described as the f irst hate crime victims, members ofRead MoreEssay on hate crimes661 Words   |  3 Pages Defining Hate Crimes Hate crimes has become an increasing problem here in the united states ranging from racial hatred to gender discrimination but what are hate crimes? According to Dr. Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston Hate crimes are message crimes, Hate crimes are defined as crimes that are violent act against people, property, or organizations because of the group to which they belong or identify with. The coined term â€Å"hate crimes† was first used No matterRead MoreHate Crimes Essay936 Words   |  4 Pagesare the roots of the violence/hate crimes today in our contemporary society? What can we do to reduce them? Explain. The world is full of HATE. What is this word? What makes someone HATE someone else enough to kill or harm another human being? Hate crimes are criminal actions intended to harm or intimidate people because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or other minority group status. They are also referred to as bias crimes. Hate crimes have been going on in the worldRead MoreHate Crimes Laws And Hate Crime1543 Words   |  7 PagesHate Crimes What is a hate crime? Although the definition can vary based on what groups are included (Cogan, 2006, p. 174) the simplest definition would be, violence against a person or group of people based on their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, race or disability (Burgess, Regehr, Roberts, 2013). Hate Crimes do not just effect the victim but also the community. Those who become victims of hate crime are not chosen at random, it is because of the group they identify with orRead MoreEssay on Hate Crime Analysis1420 Words   |  6 PagesHate Crime Analysis Kim Hull CJA/540 Criminological Theory October 13, 2011 Facilitator David Mailloux CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I  certify that  the attached  paper is my original work. I am familiar with, and acknowledge my responsibilities which are part of, the University of Phoenix Student Code of Academic Integrity. I affirm that any section of the paper which has been submitted previously is attributed and cited as such, and that this paper has not been submitted by anyone else.  I haveRead MoreHate Crimes, By Nelson Mandela1393 Words   |  6 PagesHate crimes consist of actions done against individuals or groups of people as a result of prejudice attitudes. These prejudices are based on race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Some crimes even go so far as to display actions against gender or physical and mental abilities (McDevitt, J., Levin, J., Bennett, S, 2002). As Nelson Mandela stated, a hateful attitude against others must be learned (Brainz, n.d.). Hate crimes are a learned attitude of prejudice against others because ofRead MoreThe Crime Of Hate Crimes1607 Words   |  7 P agesHate crimes are very common in today’s society, they can range from various ethnicities and orientations as well as the severity of the crime committed. A hate crime is defined as â€Å"the violence of intolerance and bigotry, intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious, sexual orientation, or disability. The purveyors of hate use explosives, arson, weapons, vandalism, physical violence, and verbal threats of violence to instill fear in their victimsRead MoreReligion and Hate Crimes Essay2507 Words   |  11 PagesIn 2007, according to the Federal Bureau Investigation of the Nation’s law enforcement agencies â€Å"there were 9,535 victims of hate crimes; of these victims17.1 percent were victimized because of a bias against a religious belief which totaled to be 1,628 victims of an anti-religious hate crime† (1). Almost ten thousand people were victims of hate crimes alone in 2007. That is something to be alarmed about because part of living in the U.S.A as minority is to have freedom to do and be anything you

Mexico Current Issues Drug War Free Essays

?Stefan Tian Period 2 War in the Cities Recently, Mexico has been facing a horrendous civil war. This internal conflict is coming from the country’s powerful drug leaders. This epic drug war was been taking place ever since these â€Å"cartels† relocated from the South American nation of Columbia to Mexico in the mid 1980s. We will write a custom essay sample on Mexico Current Issues: Drug War or any similar topic only for you Order Now since then , this bloody conflict has arose several issues in Mexico. Mexico’s new president, Felipe Calderon, just recently launched an all out military campaign against these drug lords in 2007. This campaign included increased military personnel stationed in locations of intense combat. These increased troops eventually ammounted to more than 25,000 troops stationed throughout Mexico(1). But still, this drug war rages on and has dramatically affected Mexico in negative ways. If not stopped, this drug war will continually drag down the Mexican economy as well as the continued corruption of the Mexican infrastructure. One of the more shocking results of this ongoing drug war is its diminishing effect on the Mexican economy. This horrendous civil war, unfortunately takes place on Mexican soil. Specifically, it takes place in the bustling urban cities that make up Mexico’s tourism and industrial trade. For example, one of the most heated spots of this drug war is at Tijuana. This is obviousley due to its close proximity to the United States. Tijuana faces constant suburban warfare between the cartels and the mexican military. This conflict in Tijuana climaxed on April 26, 2008 when a major battle took place and ended up in the deaths of 17 people(2). Because of this extreme violence , the citizens, as well as factories of Tijuana are scared to go out of their homes or begin to operate. They have reached a mere standstill. This is a huge problem because Tijuana is Mexico’s sixth largest city and its annual GDP is higher than the nation’s average by 35,000. Its GDP is the 3rd highest in the country, closely trailing Cancun and Mexico City(3). These conflicts have been immobilizing whole cities, such as Tijuana, the whole state of Michoacan, Morelia, and Tijuana. These battles have not only been a direct detriment to the economy, but they have also provided many indirect factors. Because of all the crime and violence occuring in Mexico, foreign investors are beginning to worry about their investments. They are starting withdraw some of the money that they had put into Mexico in fear of governmental collapse. According to Mexican Finance Minister, Agustin Carstens,†the deterioriating security level is reducing gross domsetic product annually by 1 percent in Latin America’s second-largest economy. †(4) This one percent decrease is from the withdrawal of investors alone, not including the immobilization of cities and slowing of production. Now, some may argue that the drug industry has been beneficial to the Mexican economy. They claim that the illegal drug trade has been a vital part of Mexico’s international trade. According to the United Nations, the annual revenue generated by the illegal drug industry is at 400 billion dollars. (6) This money is in turn introduced to the Mexican economy, giving it substantial stipulus. While, this may be true, we have to look at the fact that in the process of acquiring this money, people’s lives were held in danger. In the process of this war, over 7768 people’s lives have been lost. (5) Also, the money that the Mexican federal government put in to counteract these illegal practices is also substantial. The 400 billion dollars gained from this trade is not worth the thousands of lives sacrificed for it. The economy has been lowering in a drastically sharp manor due to this drug war. Another major consequence of this raging drug war is that it’s corrupting affect on the Mexican infrastructure. The drug cartels have infiltrated the core of the Mexican government. They have been able to corrupt the very federal police that is supposed to combat them. Their vast influence has been able to penetrate the supposed upholders of the law. The Attorney Geenral of Mexico did a scan of his federal police force and found that 1/5 of all federal officers are now put under investigation for criminal activity. Also, 1500 AFI’s are also put under criminal activity. (7) This creates a severe unresting feeling in the mexican population as to whether who they can trust. If the drug cartels had already infiltrated the system to the point that they had influences in the very law enforcement department, that is an extensive amount of corruption. The reasons for this corruption is that these cops and federal agents see the kind of money that these cartels generate in the course of a year and they flock to them. They have a considerable amount of revenue, and these cartels know that bribing these officers would help in their peration by ten-fold. The mexican government needs to be careful of their law enforcement department and purge their systems regularly in order to get rid of the corrupted officers. This Mexican drug war has become more than just a nation wide epidemic. Its influences have begun to spread farther, into the United States as well as other South American nations. Once we do settle this conflict with the cartels, a system wide purging is needed too of the government infrastructure. What would probably work better is a whole reorganization of the sytem in order to make sure that no corrupt officers hold any power. Mexico needs to keep this situation under control in order to become one of the top world powers that it currently has the potential to be. 1. http://www. iht. com/articles/ap/2006/12/11/america/LA_GEN_Mexico_Drug_Violence. php 2. http://www. reuters. com/article/newsOne/idUSN2639514820080427 3. http://www. inegi. gob. mx/lib/buscador/busqueda. aspx? s=esttextoBus=tijuanae=seccionBus=bieb 4. http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601087sid=akDCw. fUKYOcrefer=home 5. http://www. eluniversal. com. mx/notas/560074. html 6. http://www. dpft. org/hernandez/ 7. ttp://ftp. fas. org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215. pdf Annotated Bibliography Cook,Colleen â€Å"Mexico’s Drug Cartels† CRS Report for Congress 2007, Oct 17. http://ftp. fas. org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215. pdf Epstein, Jerry â€Å"Esquiel Hernandez Killing† Drug Policy Forum 1998, March 15 http://www. dpft. org/hernandez/ Unknown â€Å"Ejecuciones rompen record: van cinco mil† El Universal 2008, December. http://www . eluniversal. com. mx/notas/560074. html Gould, Jens â€Å"Mexico’s Drug War turns into Terrorism† Bloomberg 2008, Oct 20 http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601087sid=akDCw. UKYOcrefe r=home Unknown â€Å"Banco de Informacion Economica† Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Geografia 2005, Jun 4 http://www. inegi. gob. mx/lib/buscador/busqueda. aspx? s=esttextoBus=tijuanae=seccionBus=bieb Diaz Lizbeth â€Å"Seventeen Killed in Mexico’s Drug War† Reuters 2008, Apr 26 http://www. reuters. com/article/newsOne/idUSN2639514820080427 Unknown â€Å"Mexican Government sends 6500 troops to state scarred by violence,drugs, and beheadings. † Herald Tribune 2006, Dec 11 http://www. iht. com/articles/ap/2006/12/11/america/LA_GEN_Mexico_Drug_Violence. php How to cite Mexico Current Issues: Drug War, Papers

Analyzing Industries and Competitors - Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Analyzing Industries and Competitors. Answer: Introduction There is an increased demand for renewable energy and with an increased global population, the demand is expected to double or triple over the next few decades (Nanda et al., 2013). This presents a big business opportunity for the companies that produce energy. The Statistical Review of World Energy, 2012 highlighted that of all energy requirements, renewable energy contributed only to 8% of the energy produced, the rest coming from other non renewable sources like coal, natural gas and oil (Nanda et al., 2013). Apart from increased demand for energy, fossil fuels as an energy source cause damage to the environment through green house gases emissions thus leading to governments promoting use of alternative energy sources that do not contribute to emissions in the environment especially in the US and Europe. Non renewable energy is also limited in supply and the prices have been on the rise. Companies therefore need to be innovative in renewable energy production and supply in order t o enjoy the benefits. Origin Energy manufactures renewable energy from wind and solar and stores it then sells it as electricity. This paper will discuss innovation and entrepreneurship for Origin Energy. Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Renewable Energy According to Porter (1990), firms are competitive only through continuous innovation. For Origin Energy to survive and thrive in this industry it must be innovative and come up with new and unique products for customers. Innovation relates to new products but also to new ways of manufacturing, distribution and marketing of products. All competitors in the energy industry have an equal advantage for resources and innovation and thus competition is stiff. With ground breaking innovations and the ability to deliver first world products, solar companies have been successful in making the industry very competitive. Companies have to invest a lot in RD to ensure rapid innovations and remain the leaders in the industry (Kenney and Pon, 2011). Innovation in the energy sector will not only add the much required source of energy in the world, but it will also lead to better and efficient ways of production and distribution, and thus more benefits to both the company in terms of profits and to the consumers. Only through innovation will energy companies manage to compete with others in the industry and also change the energy focus from the non renewable sources and save the environment while saving on cost (Stern, 2005). Rosenberg, 1994, proposes that in order to make radical technological changes, the companies have to continue conducting economic experiments, in order to identify which innovations work best in this industry. Entrepreneurship directs whether a company will be successful or will exit the market. The companies that exist have to be innovative and come up with new customer solutions in order to compete. Buchholz and Rosenthal (2005) identify some qualities for entrepreneurship which include imagination, creativity, novelty. New businesses emerge from cutting edge innovation and technology leads to a paradigm shift leaving behind companies that do not invest in new and emerging technologies. Entrepreneurship is not limited to new ventures but to all companies that hope to remain competitive. It involves generation of new resource combination to extend the organizations competence (Burgelman, 1984). Drucker (1985) argued that innovation is a factor of entrepreneurship and they both demand us of creativity. A business that has entrepreneurship is concerned about developing new products, new processes or new markets. This company adapts to a changing business environment, challenges the status quo and considers other alternative approaches to doing things. Innovation uses new ideas to create value for customers. A company that does not innovate becomes obsolete. Companies worldwide are facing challenges arising from competition, high costs, new technologies, automation, among others. They must therefore become highly innovative with new products in order to survive. Some innovations in the renewable energy are helping to revolutionize the world and Origin Energy can continue to enhance these innovations to remain competitive in the industry. The innovations include development of new products and also in the way f distribution of the renewable energy. The innovations also include the way consumers pay for the products including use of mobile commerce, sharing payments and others. These innovations will keep the businesses on a growth path while those that are left behind will not survive. Below are some of the innovations in the energy industry that are having big impact in the world. The solar dishes are being used to increase the conversion of the suns energy in to electricity thus contributing to worlds manufacture of clean energy. The use of solar powered batteries is another innovation in the renewable energy industry that can also allow electricity to be shared with neighbors making it cost effective to the consumers. Portable solar also enables access to consumers of energy source that is mobile. This is very helpful for example in disaster situations when infrastructure has been destroyed like in an earthquake situation. Solar energy can also be used for desalination of water, thus using the suns ultra violet rays water which was not fit for consumption is purified and a solar powered machine used to remove excessive salt from the water. Solar transportation is another innovation where solar roads can generate extra energy. The Solar Impulse 2was the worlds first solar plane which can sustain travel at night using only solar energy (Chow, 2015). There are also solar windows which have been invented allowing for production of electricity. These windows have ability to convert the suns rays in to energy. Solar balloons are used to harvest solar energy from directing solar energy on to solar cells. Using nano-technology, light absorbing nano-wires absorb the suns energy better than silicon and thus it becomes more efficient. Residential houses use the inverter which transforms DC power from solar panels in to AC power which is used in the residential houses. With Microinverters, a residential house can use just one panel to generate solar power. Theories and Models of Industry Analysis There are several theories and models that can be used to analyze the renewable energy industry to enable the company develop strategies for success. These include PESTEL Analysis and Porters five forces model among others. The analysis assists the company to understand its internal environment and the environment it is operating in order to formulate ways in which to overcome any challenges that may exist and also exploit the opportunities that exist for success. PESTEL analysis involves analysis of the external environment that the company or industry operates in. The PESTEL factors include Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors (Yksel, 2012, p 52). The influence of the PESTEL factors implies that an organization has to take competitive actions and strategic choices to be successful (Howard, 2007). The diagram below represents the PESTEL factors. Political factors include government involvement in the industry, which affects the way business operates. The prices of non renewable energy including oil and gas have been on the increase and they are inadequate to meet the global demands. Most governments are therefore supporting a change to the renewable sources of energy. This presents a big opportunity for Origin energy in this industry. Governments are putting in place legislation to encourage use of renewable energy and reduce use of non renewable energy due to the negative effects it has on the environment. An example is The Climate Change Act 2008 in the UK which aims at reducing greenhouse gases emissions. It is also a key strategic initiative by the European Union to reduce the carbon emissions by adoption of low carbon emission energy sources (Arantegui, et al., 2011). Economic factors are those that affect peoples purchasing power, the currency exchange rates, interest rates and others that affect the way an organization conducts business. Renewable energy is cheaper than the traditional sources of energy and thus will be affordable to majority of the population. Companies make savings on energy costs by adopting either solar or wind energy. This offers an advantage to Origin Energy. Social factors are those shared beliefs in a community. Renewable energy may have some social consequences. These may arise due to the fact that the developments may take place in vast pieces of land which may displace people from their land. It may also affect the natural biodiversity. The company must be involved in social responsibility activities in order to show that it cares for the people and avoid negative publicity. Origin energy can also get involved in teaching people on the benefits of renewable energy as compared with non renewable energy in terms of prot ecting the environment to get their buy in. Technological factors include innovations in products, systems or other ways of doing business. The energy industry has seen a number of technological advancements that have impact in the world. Innovation makes a company cost effective thus passing the benefit of cost to the consumers. Success from innovation in a business results from new ideas that result in social and organizational benefit (Okpara, 2007). Origin Energy has to keep innovating in order to effectively compete in this industry. Origin energy should utilize the highly trained personnel who can continuously come up with innovative products that benefit the customers. There is current push by consumers worldwide for organizations to conduct businesses in ways that protect the environment. Renewable energy sources are seen as one way of protecting the environment and the scarce natural resources and are sustainable. The company needs to conduct environmental assessments by its projects to ensure there are no negative effects to the environment. Porter (1998) identified five forces for businesses to analyze the operating environment which are: Competition rivalry, Power of suppliers, Power of customers, Threat of substitutes and Potential of new entrants into the industry. This model assists to analyze the environment and develop strategies for competitive advantage. The business takes advantage of its strength and develops strategies for success as the collective strength of these forces determines if the business will make profits (Michael, 2014). Porters Five Forces Model Origin Energy faces stiff competition in this industry and rivalry among the competitors continues to increase. The major global players have invested a lot capital and have the manpower to continue with innovative ideas which increase the competition. Origin energy must also continue to invest in research and development in order to compete in this industry. Due to the increased support by governments of the renewable energy industry, this leads to a high threat of new entrants in to the industry. The huge start up costs are however an impediment for companies that may want to easily get on to the industry. Power of suppliers is high due to the specialized requirements of the industry leading to fewer suppliers. The buyer power is also high as the new technology has not been fully embraced by the people. The company will have to keep educating people on the advantage of using solar and wind energy in order to win many customers. Substitutes exist in the form of the traditional sources of energy. The focus on renewable sources of energy will continue to win many customers in the future leading to increased markets. Conclusion Origin Energy Company is operating in the renewable energy industry. The company has to be innovative and entrepreneurial in order to succeed in the highly competitive and technologically advancing industry. It is important to understand the environment using the available models and theories that include PESTEL and Porters five forces model. From the analysis, the industry is growing and has support from the governments due to the fact that it dies not harm the environment like the traditional energy sources. The rising prices of oil and gas energy sources give the renewable energy chance for a bright business future. This paper has discussed innovation and entrepreneurship in the renewable energy industry and concludes that Origin Energy has to invest highly in research and development to become innovative and entrepreneurial in order to remain competitive in this industry. References Arantegui, et al., (2011). Renewable Energy: Highlights on Technological Developments Beyond 2020. Research Gate. Retrieved May 8, 2017 from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276173647_Renewable_energy_Highlights_on_technological_developments_beyond_2020. Buchholz, R. Rosenthal, S. (2005). The Spirit of Entrepreneurship and the Qualities of Moral Decision Making. Journal of Business Ethics, 60, 307-315. Chow, L. (2015). 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