Daffodils by William Wordsworth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Daffodils by William Wordsworth - Essay Example â€Å"Daffodils† takes one on the journey of the Romantic age, where one can find all the elements of love, passion, excitement, and praise for the blossoming fields occupied with waving daffodils. In Daffodils the poet narrates the story of his encounter with the God’s most beautiful creation, the daffodils. The first stanza describes the gloominess on the poets face when he is wandering pointlessly beside the lake surrounded by loneliness he notices a floating cloud in the sky, sweeping above the valleys and the hills. And then his eyes meet a large number of daffodils gathered by the side of the lake. Sheltered by a growing tree the daffodils were glowing and gleaming like gold. The constant push of the airy breeze was making them dance in joy and delight. The yellow sheet of daffodils made the entire atmosphere vibrant and full of life. The line: â€Å"A host, of golden daffodils† describes the richness to the color of the flower. Gold is a highly treasured piece of metal, very rare on earth. The poet gives the same status to daffodils which beauty has captured the attention of the poet. According to the poet, the aligned daffodils resemble the shining stars up in the night sky in the form of Milky Way, enlightening the entire space with their glow and imperfection. The use of night sky to describe the imperfection of daffodils can be explained by the example of darkness in a closed room; darkness is associated with loneliness and despair, but as the moonlight enters the room it suddenly lights up and the feeling of isolation is gone. As the poet glance at the dancing daffodils, he also lights up from within and is unable to escape the feeling of joy. The power of daffodils accentuates the entire atmosphere and the waves of the lake also start to dance with them.  

Financial Regulation & Supervision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial Regulation & Supervision - Essay Example These regulations not only protect the firms involved in online transactions but also the cardholders from being exploited by the online frauds. Such compliance requirements have posed new challenges as to how to minimize compliance costs and continuously monitor the security systems to stay ahead of web criminals. Nevertheless, the benefits seem to surpass the costs associated with these regulations. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Facts of the Case 5 Andrews’ Options with Bank 6 Advantages of PCI DSS Compliance Advisor 10 Conclusion 11 References 13 Bibliography 15 Introduction A few years back the fraud in payment cards was conducted by small time criminals who used to take the advantage of opportunities as they came along. However, today it has become a well organized crime where sensitive customer information is stolen and ruthlessly exploited, affecting millions of cardholders and retail businesses. Considering this the PCI DSS we re introduced. PCI refers to ‘Payment Card Industry’ and DSS to ‘Data Security Standard’ (Carpenter, 2010). ... ember 2006 for the management and development of PCI security standards to improve the payment account security in transaction process (PCI Compliance Guide, n.d.). PCI SSC was formed by major credit card brands like VISA, American Express, MasterCard, JCB and Discover (Kim and Solomon, 2010, p.395). These brands and their acquirers are responsible for the enforcement of compliance with the standards. All the merchant companies that process transmit and store the cardholder data should be PCI DSS compliant. There are three steps in adherence to the standards: 1. Assess: This involves identification of cardholder data, inventory of business processes and IT assets along with an analysis of vulnerability in the security system for potential cardholder data exposure. 2. Remediate: No to store cardholder data unless needed and fix the vulnerabilities identified in step 1. 3. Report: Compilation and submission of required validation records and compliance report to the acquiring bank and the payment card company (Hart et al, 2010, p.357). There are four merchant levels: Level 1: The level 1 merchant has aggregate annual online transactions of more than six million and has been subject to cardholder data breach or poses significant risk. They are required to have an onsite audit every year by Qualified Security Assessor and quarterly network security scan by Approved Scanning Vendor (Bradley, 2007, p.209). Level 2: The level 2 merchant has annual aggregate transaction between one million and six million. They should submit PCI DSS self assessment questionnaire on an annual basis and conduct network scans every three months by Approved Scanning Vendor. Level 3: The level 3 merchants have annual aggregate transactions between 20,000 and one million; therefore, they should PCI

Causation and Intervening Acts in Criminal Law Essay Example for Free

Causation and Intervening Acts in Criminal Law Essay According to Robin J.A. in Malette v Shulman[1], â€Å"the right of self-determination which underlies the doctrine of informed consent also obviously encompasses the right to refuse medical treatment. A competent adult is generally entitled to reject a specific treatment or all treatment, or to select an alternate form of treatment, even if the decision may entail risks as serious as death†¦The doctrine of informed consent is plainly intended to ensure the freedom of individuals to make choices concerning their medical care. For this freedom to be meaningful, people must have the right to make choices that accord with their own values regardless of how unwise or foolish those choices may appear to others.†[2] R v Blaue[3], a famous causation case in criminal law, brings to foreground a thought-provoking debate about whether an individual’s religious beliefs and other psychological values could be included in the ‘thin skull’ rule and whether the refusal to take lifesaving medical treatment breaks the chain of causation that exists between the defendant’s wrongdoing and the purported outcome of that wrongdoing. The facts of the case are as follows Blaue, the defendant, stabbed a woman numerous times after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him. She was a Jehovah’s Witness and was therefore not in favour of blood transfusions. After the stabbing, she was taken to a hospital and was told that she urgently needed to have a blood transfusion, without which she would die. Owing to her religious beliefs, she refused to consent with the suggested treatment. As a result, she died in the hospital. While giving the judgment, Lawton L.J. stated that â€Å"those who use violence on other people must take their victims as they find them.†[4] This, according to him, not only includes victims’ physical characteristics, but also their emotional, psychological and spiritual values and beliefs. This decision has proved to be extremely controversial and gives rise to various debates. Most understand the rationale behind the court’s judgment and agree that the defendant is , as a matter of fact, criminally liable for causing the injury. After all, the victim was at the receiving end of several stabbings, imposed by the defendant, who clearly had an intention of causing serious bodily harm, if not death. However, some feel that the death was the result of the victim’s refusal to carry out the blood transfusion. They feel that the defendant should not be responsible for the unusual, irrational and unjustified religious beliefs of the victim. In addition, the defendant could not have possibly foreseen her backing out of receiving medical treatment in the hospital. The Blaue case creates many doubts about the doctrine of causation in criminal law. Was Blaue responsible for the victim’s death or was it an act of the victim, since it was her decision to refuse a blood transfusion? If we conclude that Blaue is indeed responsible for her death, another question comes to mind: Why is the victim not responsible for her own death? First and foremost, it is a fact that the victim sustained injuries due to numerous stabbings and it was Blaue who had inflicted them upon her. Her not taking any steps to save herself did not instigate her death. Secondly, there is an application of the ‘thin skull’ rule in this case. An important principle of the law of causation is that defendants must ‘take their victims as they find them.’ This means that if a defendant pushes someone and because they have a thin skull, they crack their head and die, the defendant will be liable for causing their death. The Court of Appeal in Blaue indicated that the decision could be seen as a ‘thin skull’ example. It was established that the ‘thin skull’ rule goes beyond the physical characteristics of individuals, also including a person’s moral and religious beliefs. Thirdly, the victim’s decision to not undergo blood transfusion, which would have clearly saved her life, was based on profound religious views and hence, did not constitute a novus actus interveniens. That is, it was not an intervening act. Nevertheless, the judgment has been critisised on various grounds. Why was the vict im’s decision to refuse medical treatment seen as a subsisting condition rather than an intervening cause? Would it have been the same if the refusal was due to a fear of needles or the fact that she could not bear the pain and thought dying was the only way to end the agony? A decision steered by religious beliefs is a moral choice, that is, a free decision. Why should the defendant endure the responsibility if the victim makes a free choice to kill herself any more than he should if, weakened by the injury, the victim took a controversial choice to end her life with dignity rather than enduring pain and life-long humiliation? Thus, to understand the Blaue case, we not only need to take into account causation in criminal law, but also the two doctrines which apply to the concept of proximate causation; the ‘thin skull’ rule and the principle of novus actus interveniens. Causation In criminal law, individuals that are guilty of a crime are penalised for the harm they cause if both the physical and the mental element of committing an offence is present. There must be a valid connection between an individual’s conduct and the result alleged to constitute an offence. The causation requirement attaches criminal responsibility to those individuals whose conduct is sufficient enough to bring about serious bodily injury or death. In Hallett[5], the accused assaulted a man and left him on a beach. Over the next few hours, the man drowned. The court concluded that Hallett’s contribution to his death was more than minimal to hold him responsible for it. However, in Blaue, the defendant was found to be the substantial and operating cause of the woman’s death. That is, his stabbings is why she was admitted to a hospital in the first place. ‘Thin skull’ rule The defendant must take the victim as he finds him or her and this means ‘the whole man and not just the physical man.’ This rule applies irrespective of whether the defendant is aware of the condition in the victim. On one hand, there are instances where the victim suffers from a pre-existing condition which renders him or her more vulnerable to injuries. On the other hand, there are cases where the victim does not take medical treatment to heal wounds and suffers serious harm as a result. A defendant cannot escape liability for a victim’s death as a result of an abnormality pres ent in the victim or an internal, subsisting belief of the victim. It is his fault that he caused harm in the first place. In R v Hayward[6], a man chased his wife into the street shouting threats and kicked her. She collapsed and died from an unusual thyroid condition which made her susceptible to physical exertion and fear. He was convicted of manslaughter because he aggravated her pre-existing condition by physically assaulting her. This case is a good example of the ‘thin skull’ rule applying to the physical characteristics of an individual. The fact that he could not possibly foresee her dying is not an excuse. However, can a victims religious beliefs constitute a thin skull? With reference to Blaue, according to Hart and Honorà ©: â€Å"The question is not whether it is reasonable to believe that blood transfusion is wrong, but whether a person whose life is in danger can reasonably be expected to abandon a firmly held religious belief. The answer must be surely no.†[7] Religious beliefs and convictions are an internal cha racteristic of individuals, which is deeply rooted in their way of thinking and life. It is intrinsic to every person. Hence, people cannot be held legally accountable for possessing such sentiments. Novus Actus Interveniens The general principle is that an intervention by a third party will break the chain of causation if it is ‘free, deliberate and informed.’ In R v Kennedy[8], Kennedy prepared a syringe for the victim, who injected himself and died due to an overdose. Kennedy was convicted of unlawful manslaughter. The act of the victim, in injecting himself with the drug, was an intentional, free, deliberate and an informed action. Thus, the drug dealer is not guilty of unlawful manslaughter. In contrast, in R v Dear[9], the defendant slashed the victim repeatedly with a knife. The victim died two days later. The defendant appealed against his conviction for murder, arguing that the chain of causation had been broken because the victim had committed suicide either by reopening his wounds or because he had failed to take steps to stop the blood flow after the wounds had reopened them selves. The court dismissed the appeal and held that the real question was whether the injuries inflicted by the defendant were a substantial and operating cause of the death. The victims death resulted from excessive bleeding from the artery, which was triggered by the defendant when he attacked the victim. In Blaue, the refusal to get treatment does not break the chain of causation, despite the fact that it was informed and deliberate, because having such a belief is involuntary and requisite. According to Hart and Honorà ©, â€Å"the question to be decided is whether the decision to refuse treatment is not merely deliberate and informed but also a free one. In view of the high value attached in our society to the matters of conscience, the victim, though free to accept any belief she wished, is not thereafter free to abandon her chosen belief merely because she finds herself in a situation in which her life may otherwise be in danger. So it was not her free act to refuse a transfusion.†[10] It was reasonably foreseeable that a Jehovah’s Witness would refuse a blood transfusion. The victim had no choice due to her religion. It was not a free decision because, in a way, she was bound by it. It could be said that she simply let the wound take its natural course. Moreover, the death was caused due to the bleeding arising from the penetration of the lungs, which was brought about by the stabbings. The substantial and operating cause test does not take into account a victim’s distinct characteristic. So long as victim died of internal bleeding due to the wound administered by Blaue, we need not ask further questions. However, if the principle of ‘taking your victims as you find them, including their beliefs’ is applied to more cases, it would have varying results. Let’s assume that X assaults Y. Y ends up committing suicide because she is mentally unstable or because she hopes to get X behind bars. Another example could be that X shoots Y on his left leg. Y could go to the hospital but decides to remove the bullet by himself. Unable to do so and still refusing medical treatment, he dies. Should X ‘take’ Y’s unstable, vengeful or negligent behaviour? Is that justified or is it unfair? [ 1 ]. Malette v Shulman [1991] 2 Med LR 162. [ 2 ]. Jerome Edmund Bickenback, Canadian cases in the philosophy of law, 4th edition, at 160 to 161. [ 3 ]. R v Blaue [1975] 1 WLR 1411. [ 4 ]. Michael T. Molan, Sourcebook on Criminal Law, 2nd edition, at 67. [ 5 ]. Hallett [1969] SASR 141. [ 6 ]. R v Hayward (1908) 21 Cox 692. [ 7 ]. Denis Klimchuk, Causation, Thin Skulls and Equality (1998) at pg. 126. [ 8 ]. R v Kennedy [2007] UKHL 38. [ 9 ]. R v Dear [1996] Crim LR 595. [ 10 ]. Alan Norrie, Crime, Reason and History: A Critical Introduction to Criminal Law, at pg. 143.

The Story of an Hour Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour Essay The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, interprets the liberation of subjugation and a despondent marriage. The nineteenth century setting is that of a man’s world.   The general plot of â€Å"Story of an Hour† symbolic of anticipation of possibilities for women abiding the tyrannical impact of a male- controlled society. For Louise Mallard she had a fitful response when she learned that her husband has been supposedly killed in a train mishap. She confines herself in her room and sits in front of the window in isolation. She begins to muse about life without her husband. Commencing with distress, Louise slowly converts to joy. â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin, n.d.). Louise knew that the normal response was to grieve the death of her husband, but deep within her new found liberation procures. Decisively she imagines living for herself and achieving things she had yearned to accomplish. Louise does not see this as adversity but as an opportunity, another endeavor at life. Compelling belief of freedom ends in dismay when Brently Mallard arrives at the door, alive and well. â€Å"Someone was opening the front door with a latchkey.† (Chopin, n.d.) Profound freedom was merely reverie. Ironically her disarray of emotions ultimately led to her death. Louise dying of simple â€Å"heart disease† reveals that her emotional agony was internal. The theme in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is the role of men and women in the 19th century. Life was male dominated, with women being prisoners of their husbands. In the story Louise Mallard is jubilant that she would no longer  have to stoop to the desires of her husband. There is one primary conflict in â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. The conflict is internal and one of freedom versus the imprisonment of the marriage. Mrs. Mallard, hears of the believed death of her husband, she is impaired with a heart condition, and the news could possibly kill her. Further reading explains, she is merely an animal in a glorified pen. The death of her husband would offer freedom and understanding that she has been trapped in a marriage in which her husband dominated her, which has created a conflict within her. Therefore, the desired freedom being an internal conflict. In conclusion, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is of the nineteenth century formation of male oppression and the thoughts of freedom resulting in death.

Candia Milk: Expansion Strategy and SWOT

Candia Milk: Expansion Strategy and SWOT CDL (Chaudhry Dairy Limited) is one of the reputable and renowned companies in Pakistan. CDL was established in 1984 as a private limited company. The company came up with its first product Haleeb Milk ´ and continued to expand its product line. In 1988, CDL introduced Haleeb Cream ´ which was not only launched directly for consumer market but also supplied to many ice cream factories where it was used as a core ingredient. The company has its head office in Lahore and a plant located 65-km from Lahore in BhaiPheru. The plant is equipped with latest equipment and technology, specialized workers scientists and professionals who assure quality at every level of production process. Chaudhry Dairies limited is one of those who have entered the dairy industry of Pakistan and have posed serious threats to well established firms like Nestle. The name of Chaudhry Dairies limited was changed to Haleeb Foods Limited with effect from February, 2004. Candia is a product of CDL, which was launched in 1999. Candia is a French brand and it is processed and packed under and licensed in CDL. Candia already is a very popular brand in Europe and other 52 countries. Now it is also available in Pakistans major cities under CDL distribution channels. CDL invested around 200 million rupees to launch Candia in Pakistan out of which 10 to 15 million were spent on its advertisements as it was launched early during the World Cup of 1999. Candia is Europes Number One selling milk. CDL Foods Limited and Candia of France have joined hands to bring the people highest quality milk. For the first time in Pakistan, CDL Foods Limited has introduced milk packed in food grade plastic bottles. These bottles are manufactured from imported materials at CDL Foods latest plant. They ensure longer shelf life, highest quality and storage with ease of use. SWOT Analysis Strengths The Major strength of Candia is the product itself because there is no other product with such uniqueness in the market. Thickness: It is more caramelized milk in its nature. Convenience: It is in a bottle shape so it is easier to open. Just take the lid off and pour milk. Weaknesses Their product is ignoring female taste; Mostly, Men use to drink thick milk as compared to Women. The color of the milk was yellowish thus making the consumers reluctant to buy. There is no running promotion. Only Niche markets targeted to serve the likes of N.W.F.P and Punjab. Music plays a vital role in marketing of any product. According to one research in 70% ads, it is music, which attracts the attention of audience. The ads for Candia did not have any music or melody in them. Opportunities Big Market is there because 77% of the market share is yet to be captured. Threats Haleeb bottle milk is its biggest threat since there will be a cannibalizing situation in the market. Tetra Pack is the biggest threat for CANDIA because it is the only bottled natural product in Pakistan. Reasons Why Candia Milk Failed In Pakistan According to research, it was noticed that there are areas of weaknesses in the market efforts of Candia. Candia has not shown the result which was expected of it.It launched the whole advertisement expense in the beginning and it only paid in for the first three months. After that, the sale of Candia milk has been falling and it is forcing the company to cut down on its promotional expenses. Following are the major factors of its failure: POOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN Candia milk failed to do a proper advertisement and marketing campaign. There was hardly any on air advertisement and no other medium for advertisement was used let alone marketing. COLOR AND TASTE The important attributes that Candia lacks are color and taste of the milk. The color is not purely white due to which people begin to think that the milk is not pure and hygienic. AGE GROUP Candia does not cover all ages of group. It fails to cover all age groups. It targets the age group of 6-12. People over this age barrier; Youth and elderly people, they are not targeted. The young people aged 20-34 have a high purchasing power. However, they do not prefer Candia or any other packaged milk and prefer fresh milk. PRICING Another area of weakness is the pricing strategy used for Candia. Its price was higher than the other brands available in Pakistan. This did not allow Candia to penetrate the market effectively. PACKAGING Packaging is the the most important factor contributing to bad taste and coloring of the milk. Even though it has a USP packaging but if exposed in the sunlight, the milk is discolored. BRANDING The name Candia was relatively unknown to the people of Pakistan and many thought it was some kind of candy or something of that sort. They were and still not aware of the original Candia, which was so popular in Europe and other 52 countries around the world. The brand has flavor of milks rather than just plain milk. DEPTH Another major reason for the failure of Candia is that the company has not been able to increase the depth of their product since launching its flavors, colors, sizes, and overall variety. These innovations are necessary tocreate a good image of the brand in the mind of the consumer. INCENTIVES No incentive or discounts are offered to the consumers. No bulk discounts are given either. The competitors however, follow this practice. CDL is also not providing deep freezers and fridges to big retail outlets and departmental stores of Candia. Due to this, there are many areas where Candia milk is not performing well, especially in areas of their target markets. Candia milk targets the high-income person living in pushing areas, which has dramatically reduced its sale. Research Material The concept of packaged milk has grown over the last decade and is getting increasingly popular. The questionnaire that we floated adamants this as 62% of the people said they consumed packaged milk whereas 38% did not. One of the main reasons for the increased trend, as depicted by our questionnaire was the peoples concern for hygiene. A large percentage, nearly 46% of the people said they consumed packaged milk since they thought it was much more hygienic. About 20% ought for it based on its convenience, 15% as per the recommendation of their family/friends and 18% because of its longer shelf life. According to our questionnaire, 40% of the people believe that they consider high-priced milk brands to be deceiving and do not fulfill their quality criterion. 23% perceived such a brand to be of higher quality, 29% were indifferent and a negligible 8% thought they would see it as targeting a specific market segment. About 36% of the people said that a tune or a jingle could single-handedly be the most important factor in making them notice or recall an advertisement. 16% said that the theme of the ad would be that important factor, whereas the duration, frequency, and endorser scored 20%, 18%, and 10% respectively. 5. As per the stats that we received from our questionnaire, 49% of the people believe that the color of the milk itself affects their buying decision. Whereas 38% disagree with this and a mere 13% were not particularly sure on either one of thee. Upon asking, what sort of packaging did the consumers preferred to buy the milk in, to half; 54% of the people said they preferred it in a bottle. The remaining favored otherwise, meaning they preferred the packaging to be either in a pouch or a tetra pack. The percentages were 16% and 30% respectively. A high percentage of the consumers, 35%, errand the diversity in flavors offered in a milk brand to affect their buying habits of consuming a particular milk brand. Whereas 26% said that, the catchiness of the advertisements itself increases their chances of choosing milk brand. Apart from that, a relatively similar amount of consumers were affected by the popularity, type and pricing of the milk brand. The medium of advertisement that the consumers thought hooked them the most again, had more or less the same percentages. However, 39% of the people said that, it was not just one medium of promotion but it was instead the amalgamation of all these means together, the combined advertisement through all these mediums that caught their attention the most. The mediums being Television, Magazines, Radio, Social media and Signboards. In accordance with the data that we gathered from the questionnaire, Candia as a milk brand is seen/recalled by 39% of the people as a brand that was not promoted a lot let alone highly advertised. About 15% of the people remember it as being highly priced, 13% as popular, 15% as targeting a target market, and 18% as a brand imparting high quality. 10. A fairly high amount of the people recommended that Candia ought to use a much more catchy theme, along with a nice jingle, something that clicks the minds of the people and stays in their heads. They also proposed that Candia should advertise its brand much more than it already does so that the people are more aware of the brand. Apart from that, they projected the possibility of success of Candia if they targeted not just the youngsters or a specific target market but a mass market instead. Changing Consumers Perception Consumers come across many products daily but do not always remember them all. The ones they recall are usually the ones they have experienced or just the ones they are exposed to.There are some products to which they get exposed in such a way that the memory of that product stays with them. Such products have attributes like flashy packaging or something unusual. Other such factors include the way the product is promoted, how it is advertised, and who endorses it. The medium used for advertising plays an important part in the learning and memory of a consumer concerning a particular product. The frequency of a television ad might be more than a print ad or a billboard and that television ads incorporate the sense of sight and hearing. It is seen that most consumers over time associate the product with a jingle or melody used in the ad as it seems to be repetitive and catchy in nature. The slogan, Candia All-purpose milk The best for your family shows that the company is trying to position the brand as having a high quality in the consumers mind and right for everyone in the family, also depicting a change of lifestyle.This indicates that Candia has now employed a more aggressive promotional approach and is trying to be more persuasive and displaying a new brand personality and attitude. Candia has looked at similar factors in its re-launch as previously it was lacking;a musical television ad thus not engrossing the consumers in the ad itself. Its new ad has a very catchy tune and triggers the happy mood. In addition, the way the advertisement is shot is quite different from its competitors that exist in the market. They typically show how the milk is processed and tested or simply show a family using milk forming a story ad. According to the survey, Candia is recalled as a lowly promoted milk brand, therefore Candia has now engrossed in heavy promotional activities to persuade the consumers. Also the fact that how the ad would be shown, at what times and at what frequency has been looked at by the company as it plays a vital role. Too much repetition of the ad tends to annoy the viewers so keeping that in mind it shall not be repeated at short intervals instead it would be aired at the peak times at which people watch television. Furthermore the billboards along the road are put up in such a way that while driving or passing by that area it comes within the threshold and is easily viewed by everyone who passes by. While advertising it is important to keep in mind to somehow involve the consumers and trigger their sensory receptors immediately to capture their attention. Candia in its ad has done the same, the melody used in it immediately grabs attention and also the innovativeness in the ad, the concept of stop motion used in the ad is interesting and visually appealing and makes sure that the viewer watches till the end as it seems to be stimulating seeing a bottle of milk moving on its own. Companies tend to use more than one sensory appeal and the most important in a television ad are both sight and hearing as in the Candia ad. Thus, this can be counted as a competitive advantage for the company. Until this date, the consumers tend to remember Candia as the first milk brand in Pakistan that was launched in a plastic bottle. Keeping that in mind, while re-launching, Candia used this and changed the shape of the bottle a bit, so that it stays at the differential threshold level. According to the survey, 54% of the people preferred to buy milk in a bottle with a handle, thus Candia made the changes required. Candia Consumer Related Factors Candia was introduced in Pakistan in 1999, and although, when launched, it had high expectations attached, it failed to deliver. If it were to be re-launched, Candia would have to change its overall perception in the minds of the consumer. Factors like Self-Concept, Self Esteem, Personality and Life style of the consumer and overall consumer attitude do have an impact on the sales of a certain product. Hence, Candia should focus on these concepts to understand their consumers in a better way and to make their product more appealing to the consumer mind. Self Concept- The term self-concept is a general term used to refer to how someone thinks about or perceives him or herself. The self-concept is how we think about and evaluate ourselves. To be aware of oneself is to have a concept of oneself. The self-concept is a very complex structure. We describe attributes of self-concept along with dimensions such as content, positivity, intensity, and stability over time and accuracy. In the discipline of consumer behavior, people derive their sense of self at least partially from the goods and services they consume. Through the consumption of the symbols contained in products, consumers attempt to enhance their self-concepts by using products to communicate particular personal characteristics to themselves and others. When it was first launched, Candia mainly focused the younger generation. If it were to be re-launched now, it should target people of all ages. They should present themselves in a way that everyone can associate himself or herself with Candia. Nestle is a brand that was very successful in doing so. It should highlight how it is healthy, because a major portion of the market is kids and they should focus on attracting the mothers and focusing on how the consumption of Candia is good for their kids can do that. Self Esteem- The term self esteem refers to the positivity of a persons self-concept. People with low self-esteem feel that they will not perform very well, and they would try to avoid embarrassment, failure, or rejection. If Candia were to re-launch it would have to plan its strategies out in such a way that the consumers feel that consuming Candia would be good for their image. When asked in a questionnaire whether the color of the milk was of any relevance to the consumer a majority of 49 % said yes. This affected the self-esteem of the consumer as they felt that the milk that they were consuming as not pure/ healthy. Candia should plan their strategies out in a way that people would feel good about consuming it and feel that they made the right decision in choosing Candia as a brand. Personality- Each person has personality characteristics that influence his or her buying behavior. By personality, we mean a set of distinguishing human psychological traits that lead to relatively consistent and enduring responses to environmental stimuli. Personality is often described in terms of such traits as self-confidence, dominance, autonomy, deference, sociability, defensiveness, and adaptability. Personality can be useful variable in analyzing consumer brand choices. The idea is that brands also have personalities, and consumers are likely to choose brands whose personalities match their own. We define brand personality as the specific mix of human traits that may be attributed to a particular brand. 1. Sincerity (down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, and cheerful) 2. Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, and up-to-date.) 3. Competence (reliable, intelligent, and successful) 4. Sophistication (upper-class and charming) 5. Ruggedness (outdoorsy and tough) Candia should go for the personality attributes of Sincerity and Competence. As the brand would be targeting the mass, the consumers should feel that what they are consuming is good for them and the brand would give good value. Lifestyles- Lifestyles defines a pattern of consumption and reflects a persons choices on how to spend his/her time and money. In an economic sense your lifestyle represents the way to elect to allocate income. Candia should strategize in a way that the consumer feels that they are able to meet high standards of quality and fit their perceived lifestyles within the disposable income that they have. Consumer Attitude- An attitude is a predisposition to evaluate an object or product positively or negatively. We form attitudes towards products and services that often determine whether we will purchase them or not. The strategy that Candia should adopt should focus on it being a safe brand. The consumer should think of it as a brand that would deliver value and is able to meet high standards of Quality. Candia was criticized for not using very effective promotions. This resulted in the consumers forming a very negative attitude about the brand. They should focus on their promotions and they need to maintain consistency among their promotional messages. Gaining Competitive Edge over Competitors Concentrate on the consumers and try to understand their physical and emotional desires. Introduce a wide range of products that can be consumed by all age groups. Try to understand the economic, geographic and social factors which affect the diets of the consumers and try to concentrate on the nutritional and health value of the products. Also in the long run concentrate on the lower-income consumers and make their products available at affordable prices while providing a diet compensating the local dietary deficiencies and including relevant nutrition. Try to understand the motivations, routines, decision making and purchasing habits of the customers by spending time with the people Has to become a more market oriented company to understand the customer or market needs and produce products accordingly to achieve the organizations goals. Should try to create a brand name as strong as; A Nestle brand name on a product is a promise to the customer that it is safe to consume, that it complies with all regulations and that it meets high standards of quality Candia can try to be at the forefront of developing new customer- centric health products and align their researches accordingly with consumer and business needs. Should use promotion as one of the major sources to reach their customers to make them aware of the different products introduced in the market and the value of the products introduced. Candia should adopt a promotion mix with a perfect blend of several different promotion tools to promote the value of its product and make the customers aware of their different products. Advertisements should be attractive through all the possible media. Internet is one of the latest media and should be used by Candia to promote their products, where they have different websites hosted for different products. Different strategies for each product like online competitions and distribution. Through public relations Candia can try to bring to the attention of all the customers and organizations concerned about the various issues or concerns and the current approach they are taking towards these concerns. Candia should adopt a favorable marketing channel, which is most appropriate for the consumers. They should try to focus on differentiation strategy. They differentiate their products with their competitors by giving them better customer satisfaction and quality with in an acceptable price limit. They reduce the risk of complexity of supply chain and lower attractiveness for discounters to follow this differentiation strategy In addition, Candia must maintain a good customer relationship according to the taste and demand of the emerging market. Corrective Actions To Be Taken By The Company Buyer behavior and readiness: Candias market share was declining and there was a need to make a comeback policy to strengthen the brand and this can only be done through promotion mix to make an image in the minds of the people. Advertising strategy: During summers, as the milk production declines because of low supply of raw milk from dairy farms, the supply decreases, which increases the demand for packaged milk, it was recommended that the management should emphasize on a Pull strategy as Candia now may be used as an alternative product. Advertisements, print media, electric media campaign, etc.must be used for the heavy promotion of the product. Sales promotion strategy: During winters, push strategy was recommended by giving incentives to the consumers because the milk supply is good and the competition is intense. Personal selling tools: Emotions- sales force should target the emotions of parents and persuade them to select Candia as drinking milk for their kids. Direct marketing tools: It was strongly recommended that Haleeb foods must have an effective web presence in this interactive world. To promote the entire site, an online marketing program was launched. A comprehensive, highly targeted group of destination web sites was chosen for the program. The web site was registered with yahoo search portal and a number of tactical elements helped drive online awareness and inquiries into the program Internal Communication: Over the years, organizations have now started understanding the importance of internal communication in achieving corporate goals and objectives. We strongly believed that by implementing the above-mentioned strategies the management has been capable of enhancing corporate profitability; create a resounding brand name of Candia. Positioning strategy: Candia has a current positioning strategy that Candia milk is mostly meant for drinking purposes. It is firmly believed that the management has modified the product positioning and has positioned it as being a multipurpose milk brand that can be consumed by all age groups. Promotion strategy: Following ways were adopted for the promotion of Candia that was helpful for the improvement of the sale of Candia Television Television played an important role for the promotion of Candia a marketing budget was spent on the ad on different TV channels for the promotion of that product. Newspapers Haleeb Foods advertised Candia Milk in all reputed daily newspapers like Jung, Dawn, Din, Nawa-e-Waqat, The Nation etc. Sign Boards Sign boards and billboards can also play a vital role in the promotion of Candia. Neon Candia signs can be easilynoticed by the eye and must be displayed on most eye-catching locations in the cities.

Forming Public Policy on AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa :: essays research papers

Jarrod Stafford Government 9 A.M. Forming Public Policy on AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa Strengths of Current Policy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 billion dollars of aid over 5 years †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bring African AIDS epidemic to forefront †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dispersing resources quickly †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using new approaches and leadership model †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employing evidence-based decisions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Demanding accountability for results  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weaknesses of Current Policy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not attacking root causes of problem †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waited many years to act effectively Opportunities †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug testing †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug market †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Showing long term good will around world †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase influence in government and economy. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case study for HIV/AIDS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threats †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase spread of HIV/AIDS throughout world †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compound economic and societal problems such as starvation, lack of education, and poverty †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reduce the ability of the government to handle the rising social structure dilemmas and healthcare costs †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exacerbate regional and ethnic tensions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Further strain on economy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discourage foreign investment and tourism The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a horrific plight affecting every country in the world. HIV stands for 'human immunodeficiency virus'. HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and destroys or impairs their function. AIDS stands for 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' and describes the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system. At the end of 2004, 39.4 million people worldwide were estimated to be infected . No other area has been hit harder than the Sub-Sahara Africa region. Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world’s population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV—some 25.4 million . Africa’s AIDS challenge is a multifaceted problem which requires a unique, flexible, and multipronged approach. Education, prevention, and treatment are a necessary start but the United States must look deeper in order to effectively and properly help the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa. Current US policy under President George W. Bush is a massive change to previous policy. It commits 15 billion dollars of aid over a five year period. It is supposed to get resources to the frontlines of this battle quite quickly, use new approaches and a new leadership model. It is described to employ evidence-based decisions and demand accountability for results as well. The world must pray that the enemy has not grown too efficient in the 14 years since it has been identified. It does lack a focus on key issues that are at the root of the problem. AIDS, as are many diseases, is spread rapidly in areas of poverty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many threats and even a few opportunities relating to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Left unchecked this situation would most definitely spill over and increase the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS through out the world.

Saccharin :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saccharin is one of the most disputed sugar substitutes in the United States today. Since 1977, it has been regarded as potentially carcinogenic (â€Å"Saccharin†, 1999). The sweetness of saccharin compared to sugarcane is utterly amazing. When measured up to sugarcane, saccharin is 550 times as sweet in its pure state. Also, it is estimated to have a sweetening power of 375 times that of sugar (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000)! This drug may be amazing, but some people say that it causes a dangerous disease, cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1879, while developing new food preservatives a young Johns Hopkins chemistry research assistant accidentally discovered that one of the organic compounds he was testing was intensely sweet. He named it â€Å"saccharum†, the Greek word for sugar. He further learned that it passed through the body unchanged and was thus a safe artificial sweetener for diabetics (Anderson, 1995). Similar sugar substitutes are used today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saccharin, which is also known as ortho-sulpho benzimide, is a white crystalline solid derived form coal tar. Them chemical formula is known as C6H4CONHSO2 (â€Å"Saccharin†, 1999). In 1977, saccharin was banned in Canada, but it has been kept on the market in the United States (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000). It may be legal in the United States, but warning labels are necessary on saccharin-containing foods (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000). In 1997, a group of scientists urged the federal agency to keep the artificial on its list of cancer-causing agents (CSPI, 1997). The National Toxicology Program, NTP, said that declaring saccharin sage would, â€Å"result in greater exposure to this probable carcinogen in tens of millions of people†¦ If saccharin is even a weak carcinogen, this unnecessary additive would pose an intolerable risk to the public,† (CSPI, 1997). They felt that even if it is weak, it still is a carcinogen. Samuel Epstein, a professor of environmental medicine at Illinois Medical Center in Chicago said, â€Å"In light of the many animal and human studies clearly demonstrating that saccharin is a carcinogenic, it is astonishing that the NTP is even considering delisting saccharin, â€Å" (CSPI, 1997). Many other scientist still today believe and have proven that saccharin is a cancer causing agent (at high doses in lab animals), but still people use it day in and day out at restaurants and their homes. Still many people are trying to have it removed from the list of carcinogens. Saccharin was also test on many laboratory animals, especially lab rats. They concluded that a high dietary dose of sodium saccharin causes urinary bladder tumors in rats (Bell, 1998).