Lidl Grocery Store Example For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2531 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Case study Tags: Future Essay Did you like this example? The UK grocery market is a highly competitive and saturated market with thousands of competitors. Demand is distinct for being price elastic such is the nature of the market. This makes it notoriously difficult to make any advances on market share (Burt and Sparks, 2003). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lidl Grocery Store Example For Free" essay for you Create order Since entering this market in 1994, Lidl have become deeply entrenched with over 600 stores at its disposal which expresses the phenomenal success that they have achieved (Lidl 2012). They are now a formidable competitor feared by the other major supermarkets. The big four supermarkets in the UK such as Tesco and Asda have now endured a decrease to their market share, as the discount supermarket Lidl has made gains (Butler, 2015). Brinded (2015) outlined that as of May 2015, Lidl had accomplished a record market share of 3.9% with an 8.8% increase in sales. Such displays of growth are very much owed to the marketing strategy implemented by Lidl. Fifield (1998, p.27) defines marketing strategy as the process by which the organisation translates its business objective and business strategy into market activity. He also emphasises the importance of executing plans quickly in response to various market changes. Lidl as will be explained has executed this definition to great success. This essay will analyse the marketing strategies devised by Lidl and will also propose suitable recommendations to enhance the marketing strategy to sustain financial performance and UK expansion, with a brief insight into the enormous challenges encountered by Lidl. Barriers to Entry With the price per majority of products being relatively small it is crucial that stores sell a high volume with great variety. Therefore a large and repeat buying consumer base is crucial for any long term success (Oliver, 1999). Such a rigid outline for success means that the barriers to entry are quite formidable. Stigler (1968, p.67) categorised barriers to entry as a cost of producing that must be borne by firms seeking to enter an industry but is not borne by firms already. Of course Lidl was and still is a massive supermarket in Germany from the 1980s and was recognised throughout other European countries but it was completely diverse to the stores in the UK which made Lidls introduction a risk. It doesnt seem cynical to suggest that there also exists a long established oligopoly whose economic dominance makes the market even more challenging to infiltrate (Blythman, 2008). BBC (2006) support this view by reporting in 2006 that Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons controlle d 74.4% of the market. This oligopoly means that there are higher barriers of entry, requiring significant capital to overcome. It has also fostered extreme levels of customer loyalty which is a complex obstacle in itself to overturn. Such dominance translates to quite high profit margins when compared to discount stores. Ferrell and Hartline (2014) identified capital, advertising, government regulations and adequate infrastructure as the primary barriers to entry in a market which is oligopolistic. Marketing Strategy incorporated by Lidl From their European operations Lidl had already amassed a substantial budget, giving it the economic strength to establish a corporate base in the UK market. However initially Lidl did not aim to match supermarkets such as Tesco for store size as they recognised that their brand simple wasnt reputable enough in the UK for such an aggressive strategy. They operated on a financial scale below that of the larger supermarkets which helped them to systematically build their operations from a small and solid foundation. Aaker and Mcloughlin (2010) distinguished four key principles needed to ensure a successful marketing strategy. These were strategic analysis, innovation, multiple businesses and sustainable advantage. Lidls marketing strategy was extremely competent at orchestrating these principles as interpreted below; Strategic Analysis- Lidls rise to prominence during the financial crisis was a massive example of how strategic analysis benefited their marketing strategy. Senior an d Swailes (2010) were adamant that for any successful marketing strategy the information needed to be accurate and timely. In specific they pinpointed environmental triggers of change which encompasses, political, economic, social, technological, legal and ecological factors. Lidl regarded the financial crisis as an opportunity and began to stock greater numbers of cheaper products. Most notably middle class consumers who before the crisis would not have shopped at a discount store were attracted by the cheaper prices of products. This stimulated an uplift in customers, leading to a massive increase in sales. It is evident that Lidls marketing strategy is identifiable with that of the evolutionary approach, whereby reacting to changing market conditions by launching initiatives has been a success (Fifield, 1998). Johnson and Scholes (2000) believed a SWOT analysis was an efficient method of enhancing any marketing strategy. While a SWOT analysis portrays the financial crisis as an o pportunity it would also highlight major weaknesses so that they can be confronted. Poor reputation and brand image would seem to be Lidls major weakness with Connolly (2008) exposing poor working conditions and minimum wage throughout the UK stores. This illustrates that there are areas which Lidls marketing strategy did not address. Innovation- Although simplistic, Lidl incorporated a basic standard of store interior where stock was commonly placed in bulk on pallets with minimal or no additional services such as a butchers which is a familiar service in most supermarkets. It is apparent that Lidl have relied heavily on the framework of the generic strategy of cost leadership. Porter (1985) presented this strategy as one where a competitive advantage is engineered by minimising costs and lowering prices. This has been cardinal to Lidl capturing market share, whilst producing considerable profits. This strategy has also been successful for huge multinational companies such as Ry anair who can offer greatly reduced prices by maintaining a low standard of service. As can be seen with Porters (1985) generic strategies matrix, Lidls marketing strategy achieved optimum success as they had a broad market scope to aim at. Figure 1. Porters Generic Strategies Matrix (Porter, 1985 p.12) Multiple Businesses- Lidl was already a major force in mainland Europe and therefore had massive capital to sustain large scale expansion into other countries. The marketing resources were present and availed of in an ambitious marketing strategy where Lidl would operate below the level of the larger supermarkets, aspiring to build themselves up eventually to that pedigree. Hooley et al (2008, p.289) commentated that marketing assets and capabilities have potential for exploitation. Lidls marketing strategy utilised the assets of the company to allow them to continuously grow without any cash flow shortages. Sustainable Advantage- Higher quality consumables that can matc h the quality of household brands primarily stocked in the major supermarkets has attracted a larger range of consumers. Moreover it has provided an effective competitive advantage which diversifies Lidl. Small, unknown brands mean that Lidl can comparatively sell at a much lower price than what is demanded from market leading brands. Durrani (2015) highlighted that in 2012 alone Lidl had spent ÂÂ £21 million on advertising activity, another key factor in the effectiveness of their strategy. In contrast to Porters theory of cost leadership, it must be appreciated that this strategy in isolation does not sell the product. McCarthy (1960) constructed the marketing mix which gives a much more definitive portrayal of how to produce sales. From the above analysis it is clear that Lidls marketing mix which as McCarthy (1960) outlines involves product, pricing, place and promotion worked with emphatic success. Recommendations for Future Interestingly it has been contested that much of Lidls success has been owed to the financial crisis of 2008. While this does demonstrate Lidls competency at processing information and intelligent decision making, they now must be proactive and plan for the future. It is likely that they will again exist in a strong economy where consumers will be more inclined to spend on luxury brands and in stores such as Marks and Spencers. With the grocery market being so dynamic and volatile it is crucial that Lidl engage in further market research to identify exactly what consumers want so that the company can be improved to accommodate for these demands. If done so correctly customer loyalty will be retained. Oliver (1999, p.33) has discovered that the net present value increase in profits that results from a 5% increase in customer retention varies between 25% and 95% in 14 different countries. With regards to this information it would be advisable for Lidl to engage in loyalty schemes whe re repeat buyers are rewarded with discount and exclusive offers. However it is a complex task to estimate factors such as consumer spending as explained by Dekimpe et al (2010, p.29) who states that predicting aggregate consumer spending is vitally important to marketing planning, yet traditional economic theory holds that predicting changes in aggregate consumer spending is not possible. This demonstrates how challenging it is to make accurate assumptions. As proposed by Chisnall (1995) it would be recommendable that Lidl should execute multiple sourcing on a wider scale whereby a larger variety of suppliers are contracted. He explained that this would secure expansion as it would limit the consequences of a main supplier defaulting. Brand repositioning is the possibly the most important recommendation to ensure Lidl continue making substantial market gains. Burt (2000) noted that although discount stores can potentially make significant gains it is essential that for long term success their brand image must be improved. It was revealed by igd (2015) that the UK market on March 31st was worth ÂÂ £177.5 billion, an increase of 1.7% from the previous year. An indication that consumers may begin to expect greater quality, which could leave Lidl surplus to requirements. To reinforce the need to improve the brand image Ross Millar, the managing director of Lidl Scotland (Lidl 2012) revealed that 63% of customers interviewed agreed that if they had more money they would buy better quality food. It is clear that Lidl will have to improve the quality of produce that they source. Further large investment is required to modernise store interiors with additional services needed to be established. This will not only increase revenue due to diversification but as mentioned above the brand image will be vastly improved. Lidl will be transformed from the perception of being solely a discount retailer to being a one stop shop where consumers can purchase all of the groceries that they plan on purchasing. Furthermore a popular feature of larger supermarkets is online shopping whereby by customers can make online orders for home delivery. It has been a huge success for Tesco which has also boosted its brand image. For Lidl to continue to compete with the larger supermarkets in the future and to prosper, they too must develop an online shopping service. Such is the age we now live in where spending is heavily dictated by technology it would be naÃÆ'Â ¯ve of Lidl to ignore such an opportunity (Burt and Sparks, 2003). It also promotes brand awareness. Blackman (1975) suggested that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is another factor which many large multinational companies are having to introduce as it ranks highly in priorities demanded by stakeholders in the 21st century. Lidl have already began to source fair trade products, but they must do a lot more as consumers now expect fresh produce and a range of ethical products. Drucker (1984) was of the view that CSR will influence consumer behaviour greatly as it is increasingly in the interest of society. However Boulstridge and Carrigan (2000) maintained that price, quality, brand familiarity and value were still the key factors that controlled consumer spending. Conclusion Lidls marketing strategy has been as innovative as it has been opportunistic, which reflects the position it now finds itself. Ferrell and Hartline (2014, p.17) stated that marketing strategy is a plan for how the organisation will use its strengths and capabilities to match the needs and requirements of the market. It is apparent that Lidl have executed their marketing strategy to maximum effect, exploiting an opportunity in the market with exceptional financial performance as a result. Lidls ascendency is summarised by Fuller (1999, p.3) who defines marketing success as satisfied consumers and concurrent profit for the firm. Lidls performance as a direct result of their marketing strategy firmly reflects this concept, which is testimony to all that they have achieved. However just as change brought Lidl success, it must be acknowledged that it can usher in collapse. Lidl have constructed a vast infrastructure in the UK that will allow them to pursue even more market share. The st rategies that they deployed in the past seven years may no longer be adequate so it is vital that they continue to evaluate their environment and make decisions accordingly. Brand awareness and changing brand perception is the most vital area for the future marketing strategy as it will determine continued customer loyalty. Lidl now undoubtedly have the platform to become a market leader in the long term future if they continue to fuel growth by reacting to the ever changing consumer demands which has helped them climb to such a prosperous position. Structural inertia must not be allowed to breed, with moving forward the primary focus. References Aaker, D.A., McLoughlin, D. (2010) Strategic Market Management: Global perspectives. West Sussex: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Blackman, J. (1975) Social responsibility and accountability. New York: New York University Press. Blythman, J. (2008) The rise of Lidl Britain during the credit crunch. Telegraph. [online] Available from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3637902/The-rise-of-Lidl-Britain-during-the-credit-crunch.html Connolly, K. (2008) German supermarket chain Lidl accused of snooping on staff. The Guardian. [online] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/27/germany.supermarkets Boulstridge, E. and Carrigan, M. (2000) Do consumers really care about corporate responsibility? Highlighting the attitude gap. Journal of Communication Management, 4 (4), pp.221-245. Brinded, L. (2015) Aldi and Lidl are crushing Britains supermarkets. Business Insider. [online] Available from: https://uk.businessinsider.com/kantar-worldpanel-data-aldi-and-lidl- market-share-2015-6 Burt, S. (2000) The strategic role of retail brands in British grocery retiling. European Journal of Marketing, 34 (8), pp.874-889. Burt, S. and Sparks, L. (2003) Power and competition in the UK retail grocery market. British Journal of Management, 14 (3), pp.236-253. Butler, S. (2015) Grocery price falls hurting UK supermarkets. The Independent. [online] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/06/grocery-price-falls-hurting-all-uk-supermarkets-kantar Chisnall, P.M. (1995) Strategic Business Marketing. 3rd ed. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International Limited. Dekimpe, M.G., Fornell, C. and Rust, R.T. (2010) The effect of customer satisfaction on consumer spending growth. Journal of Marketing Research, 47 (1), pp.28-35. Drucker, P. (1984) The new meaning of corporate social responsibility. California Management Review, 26 (2), pp. 52-64. Durrani, A. (2015) Lidl calls ÂÂ £50 media review. Campaign. [online] Availabl e from: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lidl-calls-50m-media-review/1351383 Ferrell, O.C. and Hartline, M.D. (2014) Marketing Strategy. 6th ed. United States if America: Cengage Learning. Fifield, P. (1998) Marketing Strategy. 2ND ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Fuller, D.A. (1999) Sustainable Marketing: managerial-ecological issues. California: SAGE Publications Inc. Hooley, G., Nicolaud, B. and Piercy, N.F. (2008) Market Strategy and Competitive Positioning. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited. Igd (2015) UK grocery retailing. [Online] Available from: https://www.igd.com/Research/Retail/retail-outlook/3371/UK-Grocery-Retailing/ Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2000) Exploring corporate strategy. Harlow: Pearson education. Lidl (2012). [online] Available from: https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/659.htm McCarthy, E.J. (1960) Basic marketing: a managerial approach. Homewood: Richard D. Irwin Inc. Oliver, R.L. (1999) Fundamental issues and directions f or marketing. Journal of Marketing, 63 (3), pp.33-44. Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive advantage. New York: Free Press. Senior, B. and Swailes, S. (2000) Organizational Change. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited. Stigler, G.J. (1968) The organisation of industry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Walmarts Sustainable Business Development - 1666 Words

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Prostitution The Uncontrollable Vice Essay Example For Students

Prostitution: The Uncontrollable Vice Essay There are women who search for love, and there are those that search for money. Today, the term woman simply denotes ones sex. It does not define her character, morals and values, or even her profession. However, this was not always the case. At the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, during the Progressive Era, there was a drive for reform. Various social problems became targets for investigation and intervention: child labour, juvenile delinquency, corruption in city government and police departments, and prostitution. These things were newly discovered social problems; the only differences during this period were the new assumptions, strategies, and expectations of a broad organization of activists. Progressive reform actively decided to take more of a role in regulating the social welfare of its citizens, and those private and public spheres of activity could not be disentangled. Prostitution was an issue that underscored the relationship between home life and street life, wages of sin and low wages of women workers, double sexual standards and transmission of venereal disease. The late nineteenth century response to prostitution revealed the competing ideologies within Progressive reform activity over social justice and social control. Most attempts to deal with prostitution have consisted almost exclusively of more or less vigorous attempts to suppress it altogether by forcing the closing of brothels, and by increased police activities against individual prostitutes and against those individual places, such as taverns, where prostitutes frequently solicit. This paper seeks to prove that the reformers were unable to stamp out prostitution during the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century for a variety of factors. First, I will look at why women in the late nineteenth, and early twentieth century became prostitutes. The gender differences between sex roles will be analyzed in relation to prostitution. Finally, the various failed attempts to abolish prostitution will be discussed. Legally prostitution is often defined as the hiring out of the body for sexual intercourse. Some say that the exchange of money does not need to take place. Albert Ellis, one well-known sexologist and author would define prostitution as, A woman or a man engaging in sexual relations for non-sexual and non-amotive considerations. This definition would therefore include girls who trade their sexual favors for food, entertainment or other gifts. Each individual may have different views as to what a prostitute is or how they feel about them. During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century reformers, for example, wanted to eradicate prostitution. It was looked at as the cause of all evil and poverty, among other things. But, it was over the place, girls supplying their bodies for the males high compulsion to satisfy their sexual desires. Canadas industrial development equipped many women with outlet for their skills and energies in addition to the home and other work places. With all the improvements in transportation and communications, growth of the cities is the availability of new consumer goods provided in an age of national growth. However, with all of this came economic and social tensions. Most Canadians were concerned with the presence of certain ethnic groups, poverty in the cities and an increasing crime rate. With this new found awareness of social problems, came the belief that by identifying and classifying problems the nature of the world could be reformed to insure a moral, civilized society. There are many reasons why one would choose upon a career of prostitution. They range from quick money to language barriers (most girls were foreign born or their parents were foreign born), from curiosity to alcoholism. Most prostitutes are believed to have started at a young age and despite much talk about white slavery, no cases were ever found of a women unwillingly detained in a brothel. Up until about mid way through the twentieth century a large percentage of all the women engaged in prostitution were professional prostitutes, registered or widely known to be such, and often working in brothels. .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .postImageUrl , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:hover , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:visited , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:active { border:0!important; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:active , .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734 .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uacacf40a50e8713db012ba7fd96b8734:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Atomic Bomb Essay A the 1916s Unemployment Commission had observed, working girls seemed to be unable to stick out jobs for more than a few months, and many were so frivolous and irresponsible that they were justifiably dismissed. .

Law Of ASIC v NSG services Pty Ltd (2017) †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Law Of ASIC v NSG services Pty Ltd (2017). Answer: Introduction The decision laid down by Federal court in the leading case of Australian Securities and Investment Commission v NSG services pty ltd[1] is a landmark case which was decided on 30th March 2017. The leading case establishes the civil penalty action that is taken by Australian Securities and Investment Commission for the violation of the best interest duty established under section 961 (B) of the Corporation Act 2001 and also in evaluating the nature of the best interest duty that is imposed under the Corporation Act 2001. The decision is very significant from the point of view that the duty to act in the best interest is imposed upon the advisor who is providing advice to their retail clients. Facts Prior understating the basis upon which the decisions of laid down by the federal court, it is first important to understand the background facts on the basis of which the preset case is raised. In 2012, there are two statutory changes that are brought in, that is, Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Act 2012(Cth) and the Corporations Amendment (Further Future of Financial Advice) Act 2012(Cth) which are considered as the Future of Financial Advice reforms[2]. The Corporations Amendment (Further Future of Financial Advice) Act 2012(Cth) is the enactment that has established an obligation of best interest under Part 7.7A, Division 2 of theCorporations Act 2001(Cth).[3] Now, because of the said enactments, a duty of best interest is imposed upon the people who provide personal advice to its retail clients. The duty that is enshrined under Part 7.7A, Division 2 of theCorporations Act 2001(Cth) (section 961 (1) (2)), is not an exhaustive list and there are various statutory duties that are incorporated in the same, for instance[4]: Section 961-B-F establish duty to act in the best interest of the client; As per section 961G A duty to furnish advice to the clients is only imposed upon the advisers when the advisor would reasonably conclude that the advice so provided is appropriate to the clients; In the said case, the best interest of FoFA is under scanner and the obligations of the licensees and advisors are taken into account. The case laws establishes as how the licensees and the advisors are not able to comply with their duties to furnish best interest of their clients.[5] The facts submit that an Australian Financial Services Licensee (NSG) is under the tasks of providing advice regarding the life risk insurance and superannuation products. The advice is normally provided by the authorized representatives of the representatives of the NSG. NSG has provided personal advice to their client and it was alleged by the ASIC that when furnishing such personal advice, the NSG is in violation of section 961B and section 961G of the Corporation act 2001[6]. Thus, on the basis of these facts, there were few contentions that were raised by Australian Securities and Investment Commission. The main contentions of Australian Securities and Investment Commission Based on the said fact, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission has initiated pecuniary penalties, declaratory relief and costs proceedings against NSG. The proceedings were initiated by Australian Securities and Investment Commission in mid 2016. There are several contentions that are raised by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission against the NSG Services Pty Ltd and the same are submitted herein below: It is submitted that when NSG Services Pty Ltd representatives were providing advice to its retail clients, then, at that time, they fail to meet the statutory requirements that are mentioned under section 961B and 961 G of the Corporation Act 2001 because of which the retail clients entered into arrangements that were unsuitable. Costly and result in un-required financial arrangements. Violation of section 961L of the Act There are various instances where it was found that there is violation of section 61L of the Act. the same are: One of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person C, Person D on 15th July 2014. one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person E, on 15th July 2013 and 20th August 2013 meetings respectively. Also, one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person F, on 24th November 2014. Also, one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person G, on 15 July 2014. Also, one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person H, on 20 August 2013. Also, one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person A, on 19July 2013. Also, one of the representative of NSG failed to take reasonable steps and violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Person B, on 20August 2015. Thus, it is submitted that when the representations were furnishing advice to their retail clients at that time they did not take reasonable steps to make sure that the best interest obligation towards their retail clients are met and thus they are in violation of section 916L of the Corporation Act 2001. That there is violation of section 961K (2) of the Act That the representatives (other than authorized representative of NSG) are in violation of section 961K (2) of the Act. It is submitted that one representative of NSG (Trinh) violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Pearson A (client of NSG) on 19th July 2013 meeting. Also, there is violation of section 961K (2) of the Act when the representatives (Ozak) violated section 961B (1) and section 961G of the Act when furnishing advice to Pearson A (client of NSG) on 20th August 2013 meeting. Thus, some of the representatives of NSG Services Pty Ltd who were not the authorized representatives of NSG Services Pty Ltd failed to comply with their best interest obligations and thus were in violation of section 961K (2) of the Corporation Act 2001. It is submitted that all the allegations that are raised by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, that is, violation of section 61B, 961G, 961L and 961K of the corporation Act 2001 were accepted by NSG Services Pty Ltd[7]. Both NSG and Australian Securities and Investment Commission have applied to the court for declarations by consent[8]. It is now first important to analyze the provisions of section 961 of the Corporation Act 2001 that are applicable in the given scenario. Section 916 of the Corporation Act 2001 - Observations by the court Before analyzing the decision that laid down by the Federal court, there are two important observations that are made by MOSHINSKY J. The same are[9]: That the duty that is imposed under section 961 B (2) must be treated as a safe harbour for the advice providers. This implies that if the advisers are able to prove that all the statutory requirements that are mentioned under section 961 B (2) of the corporation Act 2001 is comply with then the advice providers has comply with his duty to look for the best interest of his retail clients. The court observed that the main concern of section 961B is that procedure or the process that is to be comply with by the adviser prior furnishing advice which must be in the best interest of the client. But, section 961G of the Corporation act contains the substance or content of the advice. On the basis of the above two observations, the court has tried to interpret the two meaning of section 961B of the Corporation Act 2001. It was submitted by the court that the functions that are attributed by section 961B (1) and section 961B 2) are different in nature. The core duty to serve best interest is served under section 961B (1) of the Corporation Act 2001 whereas the statutory defense is provided under section 961 B (2) of the Corporation Act 2001. Both the sections are affected in the manner and the process in which the advice is furnished by the advice provider. The court submitted that the correct and justified interpretation of section 961B of the Corporation Act 2001 is that it deals with the manner and the process in which the advice is furnished. The basic interpretation that is provided by the court to interpret section 961 of the Corporation Act 2001 is that: That the steps that are laid down in section 961B (2) mainly deals with the process within which the advice is furnished and is not concerned with the outcomes that results from such advice; That section 961G of the act is different from section 961B of the Act. Section 961B deals with the process within which the advice is furnished and is not concerned with the outcomes Decision by the Court The main reasons for the decision that are made by the court are[10]: That the client advice process that is adopted by NSG is complied very quickly. Because of the quickness the clients are not able to reflect on the advice so furnished proper its implementation. Because of this quick procedure the information that is provided to the clients was found to be insufficient in nature; There are various obligations that must be comply with by the representatives of the NSG prior providing advice to their retail clients however, the regulatory and the legal obligations that must be required to be followed are not provided to the advisors neither NSG has provided with proper training to their representatives which has ultimately has resulted in the violated of their statutory obligations. The advisors who are representing NSG while furnishing advice to the retail clients are representing NSG, but, NSG has not laid down any kind of review analysis of such representatives (substantial or regular). There were instances when few internal audits are conducted by NSG but whenever any advisor has been found to be in contravention of the statutory provisions of the Corporation Act, then, there were no disciplinary actions that were taken by NSG against such defaulting advisors. The external audits of NSG are carried out by third parties. These audits identify the issues relating to the provisions of advice. But, the advice which is so furnished by the external auditors were not comply with of followed by the NSG. Neither any changes that were addressed or implemented by the external auditors were ever given heed[11]. The court also observed that the compliance policies that are adopted by NSG were also not adequate as per the given circumstances. No regulator or legal duties that must be furnished by the representatives were quoted in the compliance policies of the NDG, if any. Even if complaints are received by the NSG regarding any irregularity, still, no action is ever taken up by NSG. Considering all the above acts that are carried out by the NSG and its representatives while catering advice to its retail client, it has been observed by the court that the duties to act in the best interest as enshrined under section 961B of the Act are not comply with resulting in violation of the duties. Thus, the federal court was right in imposing penalties over NSG for its violation of statutory obligations. References Case laws Avoca Consultants Pty Ltd v Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd (2009) 179 FCR 46, ASIC v NSG services Pty ltd (2017); Australian Securities and Investments Commissionv Newcrest Mining Ltd(2014) 101 ACSR 46 Legislation Corporation Act 2001 Online Material ASIC (2017) ASIC v NSG services Pty ltd (2017) (online). Available at: https://download.asic.gov.au/media/4210761/17-100mr-asic-v-nsg-services.pdf. Accessed on 26th September 2017. Federal Court of Australia (2017) ASIC v NSG (online). Available at: https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2017/2017fca0345. Accessed on 27th September 2017. Soljo and Walsh (2017) UNRAVELLED: RECENT DECISION ON FOFA ADVICE PROVISIONS ASIC V NS (Online). Available at: https://www.allens.com.au/pubs/fsr/170505-unravelled-02.htm. Accessed on 27th September 2017. Turks Legal (2017) Federal Court finds first breach of best interests duty (online). Available at: https://www.turkslegal.com.au/sites/default/files/Case_ASIC%20v%20NSG_.pdf. Accessed on 27th September 2017. Vrisakisand Zhou (2017) The Best Interests Duty: Process Or Outcomes? (online). Available at: https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/latest-thinking/the-best-interests-duty-process-or-outcomes. Accessed on 26th September 2017.

Emersons Self-Reliance Essays - Lecturers, Mystics,

Emerson's Self-Reliance Ralph Emerson wrote many journals and essays dealing with the subject of transcendentalism. One of his most famous works is the essay ?Self-Reliance.? In ?Self-Reliance,? Emerson hit on the idea that the individual should be completely reliant on God, and that every person has been put into their certain life and position by God and that the person needs to trust themselves. He said that God has put the power to handle things, think, and act into each individual and that the individual needs to trust what God has put inside them to do things with their lives. The idea is almost that of predestination, except for the fact that we have the choice of which road to take. Predestination is the idea that a higher power, or God, has planned everything that will happen to a person in their life. Emerson's idea is that God has put the choice to us, but he has given us all of our unique gifts for the paths we can choose to take. In ?Self-Reliance,? Emerson wrote, ?Trust thyself: every heart vi brates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contempararies, the connection of events? (Runes 362). Emerson also gave the idea of trusting ourselves through God. He said that you have to trust in God to tell you what to do and what to think. He said that if you do this that God will provide answers (363). Another quote from his popular essay, ?Self-Reliance,? supports this. ?And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark? (363). Emerson also had the idea that we need to be ourselves, especially in the things that we say. Again from the popular essay, ?Self-Reliance,? he spoke about how we need to say what we think one day, and then speak what is on your mind the next day, even if you completely contradict what you said in the first day. Then he said that people will definitely not understand you if this happens (365). That goes along with the whole idea above about how transcendentalism was widely misunderstood because even the great minds that thought it up don't fully understand everything about the philosophy. Emerson concludes this thought to say that, ?To be great is to be misunderstood? (365). Emerson is obviously the father of transcendentalism, and his great ideas were conveyed in his brilliant essays, journals, and poems. He helped pass the philosophy on to other philosophers and writers. One of these writers is Thoreau. Thoreau studied under Emerson and also wrote many pieces dealing with the subject of transcendentalism. One of his most popular pieces of writing about transcendentalism is ?Walden.?

White Tigers essays

White Tigers essays White tigers are an endangered species and it is said that less than a dozen have been seen in India in about a hundred years. In fact no sightings have been reported since 1951. This may be caused by the fact that the Royal Bengal tiger population has dropped from 40,000 to 1,800 in the past ten years and as few as one in every 10,000 tigers is white (www.cranes.org/whitetiger). White tigers are neither albinos nor a special species. They differ from the normally colored tigers by having blue eyes, a pink nose, and creamy white fur with black stripes. If they were albinos they would have pink eyes and a lighter nose color. A tigers stripes are just like human fingerprints meaning that no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes. White tigers aren't necessarily born from other white tigers. White tigers get their color by a double recessive allele. A Bengal tiger with two normal alleles or one normal and one white allele is colored orange. Only a double dose of the mutant allele results in white tigers (www.cranes.org/whitetiger). In fact it is even normal to find normal colored cubs in a litter of white tigers (www.5tigers.org.com). The scientific name for a tiger is Panthera Tigris Tigris. It was initially felis tigris but the genus was changed to panthera because of the tiger's characteristic round pupils (www.geocities.com). The largest of the big cats may grow to over 12 feet long from its head to the tip of its tail, and weigh as much as 660 pounds (Cavendish,696). The white tiger has long been the focus of human fear and respect for years because of its powerful muscular body, loud roar, and frightening snarl revealing large, sharp teeth. Tigers spend all of their time alone which is very unusual (Thapar,115). Each tiger has its own territory, which it marks by scratching the barks of trees, spraying urine, and leaving piles of feces (Cavendish,696). Males are particularly aggressive toward other males...

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American History - Essay Example Through speeches and demonstrations, black Americans to a considerable extent had their grievances heard. Among such blacks include; Booker T. Washington whose accommodative perspective as witnessed in his famous speech delivered in 1895 at the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta fundamentally appealed for the understanding of the significance of the mutual relationship between blacks and whites which was popularly termed as The Atlanta Compromise while Stokely Carmichael who while at Howard University became the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, that later changed its goal to a violent organization that could be used to forcefully address issues faced by black Americans gave rise to the famous slogan of The Black Power. This paper, through the analysis of Washington The Atlanta Compromise and Stokely’s The Black Power seeks to illustrate the differences, similarities, goals, and perceptions towards members of the white community by these two famous pe ople within the context of American history. In the famous Atlanta Compromise address, Washington underscores the essence of a friendly relationship between the whites and blacks.... He emphasized on the need to cultivate friendly relations between blacks and whites across all professions, be it in mechanics, agriculture, domestic service, and in commerce. Washington passionately appealed to the black Americans never to permit their grievances to overshadow their opportunities through asserting that meaningful life ought to progress from the bottom and not the top. He primarily underscored the need for a compromise between the black and white communities in order to attain common consensus in decision making. Just in the same way he reprimanded his fellow members of the black race, Washington conveyed the same message to the whites, â€Å"To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits of prosperity of the south, Cast down your bucket where you are† (Booker 28). From the Atlanta Compromise speech, it is apparent that blacks while serving as slaves to whites, they did it honestly and diligently. Th is is expressed in his own appeal â€Å"†¦ Negroes whose habits you know whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides, cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labor wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, build your railroads and cities,† (Booker 28). According to Washington, blacks in essence have the most beneficial characteristics that the white community had to tap. He describes blacks as being the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful group of people that the world has seen (Booker 28). He appeals to the white community while guaranteeing that this relationship between

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example The distribution networks handle yogurt as one of the most interesting products in fresh food division. The consumers have also their own preferences where market and product development are also hinged on. An adult consumer is particularly interested in the health/nutrition component of the product thus she chooses yogurt with added probiotics, or natural yogurt. She consumes the product as a breakfast or a main meal of the day. While the young consumers eat yogurt mainly as a snack for self-indulgence though they still consider health and nutritional value. For the children consumers, they have mothers who choose the product, are considers self-gratification and at the same time the nutritional aspect. The dominant competitors in this sector which have a national scope are the incumbent players such as Sitia Yomo, Danone, and Parmalat; and the new entrant Muller. Other firms operating in the dairy industry (Nestle, Granarolo, Lactis, A.L.A., Milkon, Latteria Sociale Vipiteno) had also their share in the yogurt industry, including the importers (Ehrmann, Stuffer) which caters a multi-regional market. There were emerging challenges among competitors because of the entry of new players in the industry. This has reduced the amount of display space allocation to market leaders and brands. Also, the overcrowding of the sector has increased the discretional power of distribution. The growth in commercial brands and price brackets (from average to medium price) has reduced the linear shelf space available and thus has increased the referencing costs of the major companies. The emergence of modern distribution channels has also raised the level of competition among players with regard to the economic crisis and the development of distribution formulas, e.g., hard discount stores. This has caused major distributors to take actions aiming to improve price perception of the end consumers. They inserted commercial brands in the market and introduced premium prices. Development of new products was done by traditionally marketing oriented companies. On the part of product developers, there are also challenges that can be considered to better compete in the industry. These concerns the choices and evolving values of the end-consumers: the emerging culture of valuing low calorie and health aspects of foods; the fact that proper meals are becoming less popular; because of fast-paced life, there was less time spent for breakfast. 1.2 Changes and reasons Thus, the intense competition among major players in the industry, the not-so-fast paced growth rate, and highly price sensitive consumers have contributed in the structure change. On the part of Yomo, Danone, and Parmalat, they have opted to maintain substantial investments in advertising of their products as well as improving their trade investments. While Yomo has continued to give a high retail price positioning, Danone, Parmalat and Muller has opted to become aggressive in determining and enforcing their pricing policies. The creation of new refrigerated sections and reduction of linear shelf space given to other fresh products such as pre-packed salami, butter or margarine has expanded the display shelf space allotted

Tucson 4th ave streetcar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tucson 4th ave streetcar - Essay Example So far, the development plan is underway and the streetcar is soon getting an operation, however, the project draws a number of criticisms right from its planning to the effects of the finished railroad in the city. Efficiency in transportation reduces time lost in traffic thereby making the economy more efficient. For a long time the city of Tucson has merely relied on the efficient road network to provide connections to all the places within the city. The city has a dedicated metropolitan bus service coupled with a number of private taxi services that have by far ensured efficient transportation in and out of the city. However, the city just as any other part of the country is expanding. The city continues to attract more investors, which implies that more people move into the city all of who require effective means of transportation. This implies that while the sizes and the conditions of the road network have remained unchanged for quite some time, the demand has significantly in creased resulting in both congestion in the public places such as bus stations and traffic jams on the roads and major highways. The city therefore needed some more radical means of transportation, one which could transport a large number of people and do so efficiently fast. This could drastically reduce congestion and save time. Expansion of the road networks seemed more expensive and had more severe economic ramifications, the rest of the world and even New York among other cities in the United States have all tried and tested the efficiency of streetcars a feature, which prompted the council government of Tucson to employ one. However, the cost constructing one would overburden the taxpayers, which is the key source of revenue for the council government. The project, which expected to complete in June 2013, had an initial budget of one hundred and fifty million dollars but that has since increased to two hundred million owing to readjustments on a number of construction features (Golem and Janet 33). The project draws its funding from the voter approved regional transportation authority and federal agents both of which rely on taxes. Once completed the project is expected to relieve the public transport system and revamp business in the city’s major business districts. The project has so far served as one of the highest employers in the city of Tucson, its construction process alone has caused more than a thousand temporary construction jobs but the streetcar project is expected to create more than two thousand permanent jobs once it gets operational. Additionally, more than twenty construction companies set up in the neighborhood to sustain the construction process. More than one thousand five hundred more people will be employed by the Sun Link Tucson Transport Company to sustain the entire transportation process. Furthermore, the electricity powered streetcar promises efficiency, The Sun Link Tucson, which is the company mandated with operating t he streetcar, has a success history with managing public transportation and won the Best Transit system in 2005. It is therefore expected that the streetcar project will attain similar efficiency thereby decongesting the city. The mapping of the streetcar route passes

Marketing Strategies Of Loreal Marketing Essay

Marketing Strategies Of Loreal Marketing Essay The market chosen for this assignment is for cosmetic products which have already a huge market and growing at a rapid rate with consumers having contrasting working attitudes and style, and companies producing goods according to the local requirement in accordance to the wants of the customers and consumers. This is more evident when we compare the DE (Developing and Emerging) pyramid of global population in 2009 getting transformed into a Diamond from a positive transition from Not Yet to Aspiring and to Have Lots. This assignment compares and contrasts the way in which two different companies, LOreal and Unilever carry out their international marketing. Initially this assignment revolves around the two mega cosmetic brand industry LOreal and Unilever and their marketing tactics and strategies around the globe in a few countries. LOreal a cosmetic giant is operating in over 130 countries worldwide and recorded a turnover à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 17.5 billion in 2009. The company records a consistent growth of over the years while there is a dip from 2008 to 2009 especially due to economic slowdown in the global market. The consistent growth of the company and the share in the particular market is due to its varied marketing activities and innovation in Research and Development. The Company, in 2009, has spent à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5.4 Billion as Advertising and Promotion which is close to 30% of their annual revenue and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 0.6 billion in Research and Development, almost quarter of their annual Operating Profit. The company differs itself from other companies in the sphere of product/service design; packaging; brand name/logo; price; advertising; sales promotion; distribution channel(s). Their website reads: At LOreal, we have made cosmetics the focus of all our energy and know-how for nearly a century. We are fully committed to putting all our expertise and research resources to work for the well-being of men and women, in all their diversity, around the world Unilever, another multinational giant operating in 100 countries (products sold in 170 countries) recorded annual revenue of close to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40 billion in 2009. Unilever spent à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.3 billion (13% of their revenue) for their Advertisement and Promotion budget and close to 18% (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.9 billion) on their Research and Development. Unilever realise that innovation is key to their progress, and through cutting-edge science they are constantly enhancing their brands, improving their nutritional properties, taste, fragrance, or functionality. It is quite interesting to read the first sentence of their website: On any given day, two billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life Global reach allows both the companies to get closer to consumers in local markets to understand diverse needs and priorities of peoples lives in so many different ways. The success of Brand LOreal lies in the fact that the company succeeded in reaching out to the customers of different countries of the world, across different income ranges and cultural patterns, giving them the appropriate product they are worthy of. The area of expertise of LOreal being that it succeeded almost in every country that it entered. The strategies of LOreal was varied enough to help it and stop itself from restricting itself in a single country. LOreal sold its product on the basis of customer demand and country want rather than keeping the product identical across the globe. It built ample number of brands or mammoth brands entrenched to the restricted culture and which appealed to a variety of segment of the universal market instead of generalising the brand and edible in innumerable culture. LOreal went on to being a local product in every international market. The brand extension of LOreal also came in the same sector or the same segment of market. LOreal believed i n growing its expertise in the segment it is conscious of rather than going into a completely new sector of market LOreal had built a dozen or so mega brands rooted in the local culture and appealing to different segments of the global market. Instead of homogenizing the various brands and making them palatable in myriad cultures, Owen-Jones decided to embody their (the brands) country of origin, turning what many marketing gurus considered a narrowing factor into a marketing virtue. As a senior LOreal manager put it, You have to be local and as strong as the best locals but backed by an international image and strategy. We have made a conscious effort to diversify the cultural origins of our brands. Brand Extensions LOreal realized the need for caution in case of brand extensions. The company extended its brands after doing a thorough research. When LOreal decided to enter the kids shampoo category in 1998, it debated whether to launch a new brand or go for an extension. The company realized the LOreal name, long associated with womens hair care, would capture instant credibility with moms. But Kids was really a child-oriented product. When LOreal first unveiled its LOreal Kids shampoo line early 1998, retailers were sceptical. Retailers say the value isnt there. We say it is that the child establishes value. We were pretty tenacious. mentioned Carol Hamilton, 45, senior VP-marketing for the LOreal retail division of Cosmair LOreal professionals mechanises with LOreal professional salons in order to not only promote their product but also to help hairdressers to have a vision, excel and accomplish. LOreal has divided their product range in five different categories to focus its marketing activities exclusively designed for the targeted market audience. Professional products for the service sector business holders like hair salons. Consumer Products for mass consumption of local people. Luxury Products for those who want to pay a little more extra and who are cautious about how they look. Cosmetics general cosmetics. Body Shop a new sector of product range said to have based its products after getting inspired from the nature. The body shop was founded in 1976 in the United Kingdom well known for its strong product base of natural ingredients and having a network of over 2550 stores in 63 countries Unilever on the other hand is a British-Dutch multinational company owning ample number of consumer products in the food, beverage and the personal care product sector. Promises to give a consistent evolution in the sustainable living plan of the commoners. In a world of hype and stereotypes, the Dove Unilever provides a refreshing alternative for women who recognise that beauty isnt simply about how you look but it makes a genuine difference. Dove Unilever is committed to widening the definition of beauty for women because it believes real beauty comes in all ages, shapes and sizes. To help enjoy your own brand of beauty, Dove provides an extensive range of cleansing and personal care products that make a genuine difference to the condition and feel of skin and hair. Dove is the UKs top Bar Soap brand and 45% of the population bought a Dove product in 2010. In fact, 10.1 million women use Dove every week in the UK. Unilever first launched its products in the US during the 1950s, and in 1957 the basic Dove bar formula was refined and developed into the Original Dove Beauty bar. It was launched as a beauty soap that was clinically proven to be milder on dry and sensitive skins. The following years saw the launch of more bath time treats like beauty baths and moisturising body washes. Unilever Dove then expanded its brand into antiperspirant deodorants and Pro-Age, a range of skin cream and hair care products specifically designed in accordance to the requirement of the local women. Unilever re-defined the definition of beauty for women. In 2010 Unilever Dove came out with another revolutionary product of Damage therapy which could be used by the consumers at home rather than spending a fortune on other beauty therapies to keep their hair strong damage free. In 2010 Unilever also diversifies its Dove products from the female sector to the male and hence the birth of a completely new brand of products in which Unilever had never stepped its foot into, the Dove Men Care brand was formed offering deodorants and body washes specifically designed for the male skin. LOreal entered India with the hair colour product, they changed the way consumers viewed the product. From being a product for the old-age to turn grey hair into shining black, LOreal targeted the young market for whom looking stylish and to the modern mark wasimportant, a very tough job to change the mind-sets of the people. Dove entered India in the late 1993. Dove-known to be a custodian to promise gave products to women to satisfy them all over the world. Dove started giving out products which fitted to their customer requirement in the female sector. In India Dove became the fastest growing hair care shampoo product in fifteen month of its launch proving its Promotional strategies to be worth. LOreal launched a shampoo+oil in India under Garnier brand name which is best suited for local Indian market but Unilever standardized the product rather than launching a new brand in a local market. LOreal focuses on target customers and then tailored their supply chain model according to the need of the specific geographical location while Unilever focus on mass market and depend on the overall economic development and the increasing purchasing power of the people. Portfolio of Brand management of Unilever is quite huge although 75% of their revenue comes from only 25 major brands. Therefore strategy of Unilever is on a much broader scale of mass consumption. However, LOreal spends their major advertisement activities towards focussed clientele and depends heavily on new product innovation; in 2009 alone LOreal has filed for 674 patent applications. ADVERTISING LOreal-because you are worth it, gives a kind of a fulfilment to the consumer that the kind of product the consumer was looking for, this is it. It gives the customer the belief that the product worth a lot and hence they are worth it validates to them being as worthy as the product though most of planning and thinking is only a virtual belief. LOreal started its advertising campaign in the late 1920 via posters and other such mediums. It first time appeared onscreen in 1950s in movies. In todays date LOreal got celebrity of all ages to promote their product. The strategy that LOreal used here is to use local celebrities to whom the common man relate to rather than having just one celebrity to promote their product globally. For example in India LOreal used ex Miss World Aishwariya Rai to promote their product where as in the United Kingdom they used Penelope Cruz to promote their product. This got LOreal the image of Traditional Beauty. LOreal knew that the best way to attract customers was to bestow the customers with the image that they could become as beautiful as their favourite celebrities. Dove on the other hand used the tactic of complementing their customers giving them a profound positive vibe by giving a positive line of you are beautiful. Dove uses various creative marketing strategies like using Facebook which is a social commerce networking site to promote its product. Dove has made its products available to the customers on the social website. Dove believes that it makes complete sense to move from a social networking website to a purchase worthwhile at the same place.Launching a competitive advertisement in competition with LOreal with the tag line Dove is No.1 Shampoo sending prospective customers personalised emails with such adverts and making customer believe that it is the best the customer can get. Given the image of real women Dove never used or endorsed their products through celebrities like in the case of LOreal. Instead Unilever built a new strategy for Dove. Given the cote of being Real Women Dove used a corporate advertising strategy by various cultures of women and projecting an image of self-satisfaction for the Unilever brands. Unilever tried to get their customer in the real world and by not giving them a fake hope that they could be liketheir favourite celebrity but giving them a hope that they could be beautiful with the real beauty bestowed in them. Unilever made its product Dove available to the customers through Facebook and other social networking sites in the United States and other parts of the world, with Unilever unveiling the new ecommerce offering shortly Marshall Manson, Europe Middle East and Africa managing director of digital at Unilevers PR agency Edelman, said: It makes sense to allow users to move directly from a social word-of-mouth recommendation, or from information a brand has shared, to purchase. He also said that the move makes it easier for Dove to connect social activity with business values and measure their effectiveness. The news comes just days after a study by Foresee found that consumers prefer email marketing messages than social media interactions with retailer websites in the UK. Larry Freed, president and chief executive officer of ForeSee Results, said brands need to be aware of how their target markets are influenced by promotional emails, advertising on Facebook or word-of-mouth recommendations. SALES PROMOTION In India LOreal brought the international style by transforming the looks in the form of amenities to its customers. LOreal marked its products through hair salons, owning over 2000 saloons over 36 cities in India. LOreal and Unilever competed on getting positioned in the shelf-space in the United States to be in the eye of the customers. Dove on the other hand promoted its product by positioning itself the best that is as the number one product and also with the help of dove the seven day challenge, where dove promised healthy hair or money back guarantee. In the United States Dove bought about the half-faced challenge. Dove asked the American customers to use the product on half of their face and feel the difference. Dove relies on websites to carry out its major sales promotions. Dove used theOscar ceremony by paying huge amount to broadcast live on television on the prime advertising time a 45second advertisement to bring their product into the eyes of the people. The real beauty code used by Unilever for Dove gained a lot of intangible possession towards Dove by Increasing customer loyalty and sales towards the brand. This led to a continuous rise in the sales of Dove; from 2005 to 2006 sales of dove grew by 10.1%. LOreal on the other hand promised a reduction in the hair fall or healthy hair. LOreal carried out its sales promotion having a wide assortment with varying range of products for premium and the middle class. Though LOreals premium product was at low demand, LOreal kept on reinforcing them through promoting their premium brand as a look of necessity. LOreal produced its goods in the form of services to the market by distributing it through professional hair-dressers. LOreals products came with various names such as the LOreal Paris hair colour which imbibed the country name in the brand which fostered the customer the urge of possessing that product. WEBSITE The LOreal website not only gives a brief introduction of its varied product features but it also gives information about the company history and also about the various product ranges for women in the market supplementing it with a little extra of for women categorising it specifically for them. LOreal in China launched a website in mandarin to help customer easy accessibility and making it easy for them to use the website. Due to this strategy of LOreal the customers felt more close to the brand and made it easy for the customers to access the product easily. Unilever for dove maintains its simplicity in its website also but to it dove also adds up a space for testimonials to looks at the customer response and also gave out various offers and promotions. To that Dove had also added up an interactive session and video to show how dove has helped peoples hair giving the customers the proof to what they claimed. They also came up with advertisement of the websites specific to that part of the region. Unilever wanted the local customer to be able to relate with the brand and see for themselves how they could look beautiful just by themselves. For example the Indian website had adverts of Dove dry hair shampoo which helped rough dry hair and prevented split-ends whereas in the United Kingdome Unilever had a range of special shampoo to reduce and prevent hair fall which generally happened in accordance to the hard water. DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL A market channel is one of the most important factors in the marketing of a product. It closures the period, space and hole in the market between the consumers and the product manufacturers. In India to distribute its product Dove Unilever uses three approaches, indirect coverage, and direct coverage and Streamline method. Dove Unilever looked out for short supply-chain for distribution to meet its customers needs and to reach out to a huge population. In India Unilever elected sub-stockist that covered up the mass part of the marketing areas where as in the Unites Kingdome Unilever were in direct contact with the retailers. Over 180 million units are produced in the United Kingdom annum and 65% of it is exported overseas. LOreal believes that its their obligation to generate value for the customers and hence adopts various sales strategies to the precise distribution channel of every individual market. http://en.oboulo.com/l-oreal-s-penetration-into-the-indian-market-64841.html http://company.monster.com/lorealusafr.aspx With 290 subsidiaries, more than 100 distributors and 42 plants, all spread out in about 130 countries, LOreal is the leader of the cosmetic industry. The group has begun its internationalisation in 1912 by following three steps: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First, commercialisation of professional shampoos to hair-dressers via distributors in near Europe (Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Germany and Poland) and in the Americas first landing; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second, local firms are taken over for example in the USA (Redken 1993, Maybelline 1996 etc.), in Argentina (Miss Y lang 2000) go native; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Third, subsidiaries (production, research and development) are directly created (Greenfield investment) without any first passage via distribution. It is the case in Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) globalisation. The group has to face harsh competition and new stakes like diversify its product segments (baby-boomers which become mammy-boomers; American, French and Japanese young with specific tastes; and men), exploit new means of distribution (like on line sales) and finally, take advantage before the competitors, of new emerging markets like Asia, India, Latin America, Africa and East European countries. When LOreals Professional Products Division entered India in 1997, hairdressing Industry as a market segment is almost insignificant. There were no organized education and training, couple of dubious domestic products and prohibitive expensive foreign brands. The first strategy of LOreal was to exploit this inherent gap in the nascent industry and invested heavily in hairdressing and training. Their head start also ensured broad distribution in the focussed market. We skim the top 100 cities in India and have the largest salon base in the country, of which 20 per cent is exclusive to us, contributing to 40 per cent of our revenue. Says Sharma, Director, LOreal Professional Products Division. He further adds Our biggest cost is the education of our trade. We have over 40 trainers; its an entire machine that needs constant oiling. In 2009, this industry alone in India isà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 33 Mio, growing in double digits, and LOreal Professional Products Professionnel and Kerastase are market leaders. LOreal Professional Products prides itself on a product they believe is technologically unmatched. 3.5 per cent of our sales are pumped back into research development; the best technology goes back into the trade, says Vismay Sharma, director, LOreal Professional Products Division. The challenge is to beat competitors who is adopting the same strategy. But competitors are eating into the same strategy. Both Schwarzkopf, at the number two position in the industry, and Wella have launched technical training centres. Schwarzkopf even launched a by-invitation-only hairdressers club and flew 150 members to Goa for an inaugural meeting. Strategy of Schwarzkopf is to demand an increased commitment to turnover in return from these loyal and exclusive customers to become high volume buyers. Wella, the other brand which entered India in 2001, is aiming to be in 5,000 salons by June 2006. LOreal organizes Colour trophy, a nationwide quest to find the most creative hairdressers in the country and also sponsor hair shows besides their annual showcasing of global fashions in hairdressing and colour to give a platform to unleash creativity and lead to creating new trends in the industry. And in a revision of distribution strategy, Schwarzkopf has just begun retailing their hair colour range to power growth. Sharma reacts, LOreal Professional Products began by selling through Parisienne salons. Thats at the heart of our business; we will not dilute it by retailing for home use. Okay, so the LOreal brand is strong, well established within target markets, and Sharma claims sales are up in India, although figures dont come by easily in the discussion. Well, this was the time, then, to become more proactive than ever before; to begin the task of figuring out just what it was going to take to sustain their competitive advantage and ensure that they stay at the cutting edge of their field. And so, in February this year, LOreal announced the arrival of Matrix (their number one brand in the US), an affordable range of hair products to add to their existing offering to offer Indian hairdressers the option of using a professional brand at this price point. The value proposition is similar. Both brands offer all the support hairdressers need, from education, complete in-salon marketing, and salon promotions. Matrix, however will thrive on depth of distribution, with a training centre in every city it retails in. LOreal India is the only company to offer products at three different price points luxury, premium and affordable. With this they will have a combination no one can beat. LOreal hasextensive campaign for LOreal Paris Lip Colour. They also wish to modify the product by adding SPF, so that lips can be protected from harmful. They are also putting ads in TV and out of home advertisements like hoardings, at malls on digital screen Marketing Strategy Distribution: Will widen distribution network by giving various incentives to distributers, retailers, stockiest in order, not to loseself-space to competition. Promotion: Will be distributing complementary lip care guide on minimum purchase, having tips on how the various brand ambassadors of LOreal Paris apply Lip Colour on themselves and take care of their lips. Social Responsibility: LOreal supports campaign for safe cosmetics which was started in October 2007. This will help in building consumer confidence, that LOreal Lip colour is safeBrand Management LOreal had built a dozen or so mega brands rooted in the local culture and appealing to different segments of the global market. Instead of homogenizing the various brands and making them palatable in myriad cultures, Owen-Jones decided to embody their country of origin, turning what marketing experts considered a narrowing factor into a marketing virtue. LOreal believed as being local but being backed up by the global international image diversifying the traditionalroots of brands. Brand Extensions: LOreal realized the need for caution in case of brand extensions. When LOreal decided to enter the kids shampoo category in 1998, it debated whether to launch a new brand or go for an extension. The company realized the LOreal name, long associated with womens hair care, would capture instant credibility with moms. But Kids was really a child-oriented product. When LOreal first unveiled its LOreal Kids shampoo line early 1998, retailers were sceptical. Advertising and Promotion LOreal backed its product innovations with the twelfth-largest media budget in the world. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, external charges, which included LOreals advertising and promotions expenditure jumped from 37% to 47% of sales. LOreal increased its global ad spending to $1.25 billion in 1998. LOreal had a unique promotion policy for all its brands. A brand, which sold in mass-market outlets, advertised and promoted itself in a way similar to brands sold in department stores. Corporate Structure LOreal was organized as a clutch of small profit centres, some with as few as ten employees. The companys work culture encouraged audits and budget meetings to focus less on the spilled milk of the past, and more on leading indicators of how things would look at year-end. These meetings encouraged discussions to find out which overlooked products showed signs of life but were undercapitalized and which products were not matching expectations and needed pruning. The structure allowed LOreal to move fast Competition LOreal faced competition from various formidable rivals. On one side, cosmetic majors like Revlon and Avon and Nivea vied for shelf space. On the other, there were the giant FMCG companies like Unilever and PG. There were also local competitors like HLL-Lakme in India, Dark and Lovely in Africa, and the erstwhile Shu Umera in Japan (LOreal later acquired this brand). Dove brand has grown inIndia from a mere à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12.5 Mio to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬85 Mio in 2006 with products across the soap, shampoo, deodorant and skin care segments.Dove brand became Indias premium brand within one year of its launch. Some years ago the key to success was penetration in the market but it has changed now to educating the target customers about the benefit of the product and using it the right way. Unilever in India is well positioned because they have the right portfolio, focussed brands and operates at various price points. Being the market leader in India and estimated market growth is at 40-50%, Unilevers strategy is to build the market and translate other opportunities for launching new products like serum, masks and treatments under umbrella brand of Dove. To continue its leadership position, Unilever is constantly upgrading Dove from time to time to meet customers needs like Dove Daily, Dove dry therapy, Dove breakage therapy and son on. Levers strategy is to build rural market for increasing consumption level. Market estimate that 80% rural population have used shampoo but the big challenge is to convert the one time consumers to repeat purchasers, are they buying next weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.next month, next quarter? The strategy and challenge is to go deeper to media dark villages and build sales which will become the market of the future. Just for an example close to 30-40% of UP, the largest state in India, is media dark. Unilever in India has started running one of their largest consumer connect initiatives Khushiyon Ki Doli. It allows them to go deeper to villages with population of 5000 people. The heartening part is that consumers are will to embrace new things in life if they see a value proposition. The strategy of Unilever is broadly on the following basis: Adopted Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) which means Zero Error and Zero Loss Short supply chain module to enhance customer service To meet everyones needs at various product level and price points Penetrate, educate and build markets for the future> Project Shakti is targeted towards reaching small villages through micro financing model to reach village women. Integrate economic, environmental and social objectives with sustainable business agenda. Conclusion:

Death Of A Salesman: Societys Alienation Of Willy Loman :: essays research papers

Death of a Salesman: Society's Alienation of Willy Loman It is often stated that society is very judgmental. It can be seen in movies, literary works, or just an everyday walk of life. Arthur Miller chooses to portray society's prejudice against the protagonist, Willy Loman, in his play, Death of a Salesman. Society, in this case, rejects Willy Loman because he isn't upper class, and because he is getting up in age. Many occurrances highlight society's judging of Willy, including him being fired, the "spite" that he recieves from his sons, and the way he alienates himself. All of these eventually lead to the downfall of a strong, determined, but confused character. Perhaps the most defeating action that happened to Willy was the loss of his job. All he had ever been in life was a salesman, therefore it was the only trade that he was any good at. When he had the conference with Howard, he had his hopes up. Willy had regained his confidence in himself and was ready to take control of his life at a very crucial time. However, Howard crushed all of that by firing Willy, simply because he thought Willy, "needed some rest." Actually, Howard never intended to give Willy his job back. He was merely trying to take Willy's position because he didn't believe Willy could hack it anymore. This is a reflection of society's present day treatment of the elderly. Younger generations now, move older people into rest homes and try to keep them out of public view, for risk of embarassment. This is reflected by Howard's statement, "I don't want you to represent us anymore." Society's assumption of Willy's capabilities, in this case, cost him his job. A second occurrance that displayed Willy's alienation happened in his own family. Biff doesn't believe whatsoever in his father and has no hope for him at all. Biff even says in act one that his father has no character. Biff is a perfect symbol for society in the play. Biff knows his father has problems, but even as a son, "can't get near him." Even though he accepts his father as a fake later in life, Biff tries over and over again to reach his father and to help him, but an unseen barrier prevents Biff from doing so. Happy is the type that knows what's going on with his father, but won't try to help him. Although it is never actually said verbatum, it is obvious that Willy has some kind of mental problem that needs some attention. Yet even in his own home, he can't get

Expert Hair Testimony Essay

Hello ladies and gentlemen of the jury my name is Brittany Marroquin. I am a hair analysis expert. I am here today to determine whether or not the suspects are responsible for the crime that has been committed. I have here the lab results depicting the crime scene. The trace evidence (small but measurable amounts of physical or biological material found at a crime scene) found at the crime scene was the killers hair, and the victim’s own hair to exclude any hair samples found similar to the victim. There are three suspect and one sample hair found at the scene of the crime. After analyzing the crime scene hair we found that the hair was light brown, transparent and have no medulla, (the central core of a hair fiber) with an imbricate (cuticles scales that are flattened and narrow) cuticle (the tough outer covering of a hair composed of overlapping scales). When analyzing the hair follicles (the actively growing root or base of a hair containing DNA and living cells), you can g o at it two ways macroscopically (in a such a way as to be large enough to be visible to the naked eye; in a way which is comprehensive or is concerned with large units) and microscopically (Too small to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be studied under a microscope). When analyzing the hair macroscopically you should look at the length, color, sheen, whether it’s wavy or straight, and the presence or absence of follicle tissue or not.

Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Essays

Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Essays Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Paper Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Paper 1995). The early symptoms of this disease include rusty brown streaks in the leaves which later turn blighted and water soaked and finally wilting of the whole plant. The internal symptoms are the vascular discoloration, water soaking and finally the rotting of pseudo- stem. Fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt may occur singly or together as a complex in the field and had contributed much to the devastation of abaca in major growing areas in the Philippines. Host plant resistance is the most effective means of controlling wilt diseases. But the development of a resistant plant however takes time, effort and many resources. Resistance in plants however can be induced using chemical and biological elicitors. Several studies have shown that certain chemicals can induce the resistance of plants and some of which are boost and salicylic acid. Boost is a novel synthetic chemical, benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-8-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) was intially shown to induce acquired resistance in wheat (Gorlach, et al, 1996) and which is produced by Novartis and distributed in the Philippines by Syngenta. Aspirin or acetyl salicylic acid was also found to induce resistance in some plants (Gleason, 1999; Owen, 1996). Salicylic acid (SA) has been reported to be elevated on plants that exhibit SAR for example in cucumber (Metraux, et al, 1990), tobacco (Malamy, et al, 1990), and Arabidopsis (Uknes, et al, 1993). There are evidences that suggest that SA plays an important role in the transduction pathway leading to SAR. Recent studies however indicate that SA is not likely to be the systematically transmitted signal (Vernooij, et al, 1994). ] There are also biotic elicitors that have been reported to elicit resistance in plants which includes chitin and chitosan. Chitin is a safe material and was reported to induce resistance against soil-borne diseases ((Kuchitsu, et al, 1993). Moreover, chitin was reported to be used as soil fertilizer. Chitosan which can be extracted from chitin has anti-fungal activity against many plant pathogens (Herano, et al, 1990; El-mougy, et al, 2002). Moreover, chitosan is also reported to induce resistance against soil-borne fungi. Chitosan was also found to have anti-bacterial property and is capable of inducing resistance to the bacterial blight disease of rice cause Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Modina, 2007). Boost is a novel synthetic chemical, benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-8-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) was intially shown to induce acquired resistance in wheat (Gorlach, et al, 1996) and which is produced by Novartis and distributed in the Philippines by Syngenta. Aspirin or acetyl salicylic acid was also found to induce resistance in some plants (Gleason, 1999; Owen, 1996). Salicylic acid (SA) has been reported to be elevated on plants that exhibit SAR for example in cucumber (Metraux, et al, 1990), tobacco (Malamy, et al, 1990), and Arabidopsis (Uknes, et al, 1993). There are evidences that suggest that SA lays an important role in the transduction pathway leading to SAR. Recent studies however indicate that SA is not likely to be the systematically transmitted signal (Vernooij, et al, 1994). ] This study therefore aimed to compare and contrast the efficacy of suspected elicitors of resistance in controlling the wilt disease complex in abaca. The efficacy of potential biological a nd chemical elicitors of systemic acquired resistance to control wilt disease complex of abaca caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Ralstonia solanacearum was also evaluated. METHODOLOGY Preparation and Sterilization of Culture Media Potato dextrose agar (PDA) for the culture of FOC was prepared by dissolving 39 grams dehydrated PDA to 1 liter dH2O in a double boiler and cooked until the agar dissolves in H2O. It was dispensed to 250 ml Erlenmeyer Flasks and test tubes. Nutrient agar for the culture of Ralstonia solanacearum was prepared by dissolving 3g beef extract, 5 grams peptone and 17g agar to 1 liter dH2O in a double boiler and cooked until agar dissolves in H2O. It was dispensed to 250 Erlenmeyer Flasks and test tubes. The media were sterilized in a pressure cooker at 15 lbs/in2 pressure or 121 °C temperature for 15 minutes. Sterile media were allowed to cool. PDA and NA in tubes were slanted and stored in the refrigerator until use. Collection, Isolation and Culture of FOC Isolation plates were prepared by melting the stored PDA in flasks, pouring into sterile Petri plates and allowed to solidify. Fusarium wilt– infected abaca was collected from the National Abaca Research Center and it was brought to the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for isolation of the pathogen. Infected tissues from the advancing portion of the disease were disinfected with 1% sodium hypochlorite and were planted onto solidified PDA in plates (4 sections per plate). After 2 or more days, mycelia that have radiated from the planted abaca tissue were cut aseptically using flamed sterilized flattened needle and were transferred to PDA slants where they were stored and maintained until use. Collection, Isolation and Culture of Ralstonia solanacearum Nutrient agar in flasks were melted and aseptically poured to Petri plates. The medium were allowed to solidify. The bacterial wilt pathogen, R. solanacaerum was isolated from a banana fruit infected with â€Å"Bugtok† disease. Infected tissues from the advancing portion of the disease were cut, disinfected with 1% hypochlorite and reused with sterile H20. The sections were then placed in sterile water in a test tube and allowed to stand for 10 minutes to allow the bacteria to ooze out of the tissue. A loopful of the resulting bacterial suspension was streaked onto the solidified NA on plates and incubated. After 2 days individual colonies were picked with sterile wire loop and transferred to NA slants to purify. The cultures were incubated for 2 days and stored in the refrigerator for future use. Procurement and Preparation of Test Plants Four weeks old tissue cultured abaca plantlets were procured from National Abaca Research Center (NARC). They were maintained in the vicinity of the Department of Pest Management and were given necessary care and maintenance such as watering, weeding, and fertilization. The plants were numbered and tagged according to the desired treatments. In numbering and tagging the plants, we gave them equal chances in belonging to a group. We did this through the drawn by lot method. Thus, we have used the technique randomization in giving names to the plants. Preparation and Application of Treatments The plants were sprayed with the different treatments (Fig. 1) at 15 days interval starting when the plants were 6 weeks old. Treatments| Illustration| T0 (Water)| | T1 (Fomes at 100ppm)| | T2 (Attenuated Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae)| | T3 (Aspirin or Acetyl Salicylic Acid at 100ppm)| | T4 (Boost at 100ppm)| | T5 (Nordox at 100ppm)| | Fig. 1. The different treatments used Fomes was prepared by oven drying (50? C for 3 days) and by pulverizing using mortar and pestle. After pulverizing, 0. 75g was obtained and was mixed with 750ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was prepared by transferring an isolate of Xoo (courtesy of PDDL at VSU) in NA slants 2 days before its scheduled time of application. On the application time, 10ml sterile H20 was poured on the test tube slants and the bacteria were scraped using a wire loop without causing damage to the medium. Ten slants were used and the solution was diluted into a beaker to make 100 ml suspension. An approximately 650 ml H20 was added to have a total of 750 ml suspension. The suspension was heated for 5 minutes to attenuate the bacterium. Aspirin or Acetyl Salicylic Acid was prepared by making a stock solution. A tablet of aspirin was diluted to 1L H20 to make a 300 ppm suspension. Then, a volume of 37. 5ml was measured out from the stock and was added to 712. ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Boost was obtained from Syngenta Philippines. Two ml Boost was diluted and mixed to 1998 ml H20 to make a 2000 ppm suspension. A volume of 37. 5 ml was obtained out from the stock and was added to 712. 5 ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Nordox, copper-based fungicide with bactericidal activity was used as the positive check at the manufacturer’s recommended rate. It was prepared by weighing 1. 9g of Nordox and by mixing it thoroughly to 750 ml H2O. After preparing, the treatments were sprayed to the plants using a sprayit gun powered by an electric compressor starting from Water down to Nordox. Each plant equally received 50ml of the said treatments (Fig. 2). The experiment was laid in a Completely Randomized Design. The six treatments were replicated 3 times and 5 plantlets constituted one replicate making a total of 90 plantlets needed for the experiment. Two consecutive spray applications of the treatments at 15 days interval were done before pathogen inoculation and sprayings were done until the last disease scoring. Fig. 2 Application of treatments to the plants Preparation of FOC Inoculum The pure cultures were first examined under the microscope to confirm the presence of real FOC pathogen (Fig. ) before they were mass cultured for inoculation. FOC that was used for inoculation to test plants was cultured and mass produced in corn meal-sand medium (CMS) which was prepared by mixing 1 part ground corn every 20 parts of sand. The mixture was placed in glass jars about 2/3 full and moistened and covered with aluminum foil then bound with rubber band at rim (Fig 4). They were sterilized at 15 lbs/in2 pressure and 121 °C temperature for 1 hour. Pure culture of FOC from the PDA slant were aseptically seeded into the prepared CMS medium and incubated at room temperature until completely colonized by the fungus. Fig 3. Photomicrograph of FOC macroconidia and microconidia Fig 4. Corn meal-sand medium with FOC Inoculation of FOC CMS cultures of FOC were first mixed thoroughly on a tray to assure even distribution of the fungal spores to the CMS medium before inoculation. FOC was inoculated into the soil of each potted plant by incorporating 1 tbsp of the inoculum near the base of the abaca plantlet and covering the inoculum with soil. Inoculation was done 2 days after the second spraying of the different treatments. Preparation of Ralstonia solanacearum, the bacterial wilt pathogen Bacterial wilt pathogen was transferred to fresh NA slants. Two days after the isolation, each NA culture was mixed with 10ml dH2O and the pathogen was scraped using a wire loop without causing damage to the medium. Overall, 120ml of the bacterial suspension was used. One ml was injected to the stem of each plant. Bacterial Inoculation was done 12 days after FOC inoculation. Data Gathered The following data were gathered: A. Initial and Final Plant Height – This was gathered per plant basis before the application of treatments and inoculation of the pathogen and during the termination of the study. B. Percent infection – (No. of plants showing foliage yellowing or wilting / Total No. of plants) x 100 starting 1 week after inoculation and weekly until most of the plants have died in any of the treatments. C. Visual Disease Severity Rating – This was gathered using a devised scale below: We gathered this data at 1 week interval until the termination of the study. Rating| Description| 0| No wilting| 1| Slight yellowing of lower leaves| 2| Yellowing of most leaves but no dried leaves yet| 3| Extensive yellowing and moderate wilting| 4| Extensive wilting but plant still alive| | Plant totally dead| D. Percent Area of Vascular Discoloration – This was taken during the termination of the study wherein all the plants were uprooted and the pseudostems were sliced longitudinally (Fig 5). Each plant was rated using the following scale (Borines et al. 2007) Rating | Description| 0-1| No discoloration| 1-2| Isolated points of vascular discoloration| 2. 1-3| Discoloratio n up to 1/3 of vascular tissue| 3. 1-4| Discoloration between 1/3 – 2/3 of vascular tissue| 4. 1-5| Discoloration greater than 2/3 of vascular tissue| 5. -6| Total discoloration of vascular tissue| Fig. 5 Slicing of pseudostem longitudinally E. No. of surviving plants per replicate per treatment. (Gathered at the termination of the experiment. ) Data gathered were analyzed using simple CRD with three replications. Treatments were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (DMRT). 9) Disposal of Inoculated Plants After the experiment, the inoculated plants were exposed to direct sunlight and burned when dried. RESULTS and DISCUSSION Table 1 shows the percent infected plants at 14, 21, and 28 days after inoculation. Based on the results, Boost produced significantly lower percentage infected plants compared to the control especially at 14 days after inoculation. At 21 and 28 days after inoculation, Boost still produced lower disease incidence although not statistically different from the control. Fomes, Boost and Nordox also showed lesser disease incidence values although not significantly different from the control. Table 1. Percent infected plants at 14, 21 and 28 days after inoculation Treatment| Percent Infected Plants| Days After Inoculation| 14 days| 21 days| 28 days| T0 (Control)| 73. 3 ab| 93. 33| 100| T1 (Fomes)| 66. 67 ab| 73. 33| 73. 33| T2 (Xoo)| 100. 00 a| 100. 00| 100| T3 (Aspirin)| 73. 33 ab| 100. 00| 100| T4 (Boost)| 26. 67 c| 60. 00| 80| T5 (Nordox)| 53. 33 bc| 66. 67| 83. 33| CV(%)| 26. 91| 26. 27| 21. 60| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT. Another parameter used to measure the effect of the treatments was the mean disease severity rat ing per plant (Table 2). Based on this parameter, Boost, Nordox and Fomes have lower means of disease severity compared to the Control especially at 21 days after inoculation. Xoo and Acetyl Salicylic Acid on the other hand have significantly higher means compared to Water. Thus the two treatments have even triggered the increase in wilt disease severity ratings of the plants. Table 2. Mean wilt severity rating per plant as affected by the different treatments Treatment| Mean Disease Severity Rating| Days After Inoculation| 14 days| 21 days| 28 days| T0 (Control)| 0. 93 c| 2. 47 ab| 3. 13 ab| T1 (Fomes)| 0. 80 c| 1. 53 bc| 2. 27 b| T2 (Xoo)| 2. 87 a| 3. 45 a| 3. 92 ab| T3 (Aspirin. )| 2. 07 b| 3. 20 a| 4. 33 a| T4 (Boost)| 0. 40 c | 1. 27 c| 2. 3 b| T5 (Nordox)| 0. 73 c| 1. 07 c| 2. 47 b| CV (%)| 27. 6| 25. 7| 27. 6| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT. The percent area of vascular discoloration per plant is shown in Table 3. This was gathered upon termination of the study. All plants were uprooted and the pseudostems were sliced longitudinally. This actually shows the internal manifestations of disease and effects of the treatments to the plants. Based on statistical analysis, Boost still consistently showed lesser percent area of vascular discoloration compared to Water (Fig. ) which further confirm its effectiveness in controlling the wilt disease complex. Fomes and Nordox also showed much lower percent area of vascular discoloration compared to control, Xoo and Aspirin. Table No. 3 Percent Area of Vascular Discoloration Treatment| Percent area of vascular discoloration| No. of Live Plants Remaining| T0 (Control)| 55. 27 ab| 3. 00 ab| T1 (Fomes)| 38. 47 b | 3. 33 ab| T2 (Xoo)| 79. 27 a| 2. 00 bc| T3 (Aspirin)| 80. 27 a| 1. 33 c| T4 (Boost)| 37. 67 b| 4. 00 a| T5 (Nordox)| 38. 47 ab| 3. 33 ab| CV (%)| 31. 37| 52. 18| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT Fig. 6 Internal Vascular Discoloration of Plants (left-right) Control, Fomes, Xoo, Salicylic Acid, Boost, Nordox The number of live plants remaining was also gathered during the termination of the study and shown in Table 3. Boost, had the highest average number of remaining live plants followed by Fomes and Nordox. Aspirin had the lowest no. of live plants or highest mortality which was even higher than that of water (Fig. 8d, p. 24). The height of abaca plants is shown in Fig. 7. Based on the graph, the plants sprayed with Boost and Nordox have higher plant height compared to Conrol, Xoo, Fomes, and Aspirin. Among the parameters used to measure the effects of the different treatments, the mean disease severity rating on a per plant basis and mean percent area of vascular discoloration were able to differentiate more the effect of the different treatments and were considered more reliable compared to the rest of the parameters used. Fig. 7 Height of Abaca Plants at the start of the experiment, at 7, 14, 21 days and the final height before the termination of the study b c d ef Fig. 8. Group of abaca plants treated with a) water, b) Fomes, c) Xoo, d) Aspirin, e) Boost and f) Nordox. Boost is a commercially available elicitor of resistance in plants and it was found very effective in controlling the wilt disease complex in abaca. Boost, however is a little expensive, one spray cost P0. 65. Nordox is a commercial fungicide with bactericidal activity and it has als o reduced the wilt disease incidence and severity. This is a little cheaper (P0. 45) compared to Boost. A cost-effective control for the wilt disease complex was Fomes. It was able also to reduce disease incidence and severity. Although not as effective as Boost but, no cost has been incurred, except for the labor in gathering, drying and pulverizing. The use of Fomes as a biological elicitor of resistance in abaca to control wilt disease complex has been explored in this research. Most probably, being a fungus, the chitin in Fomes could be the elicitor of resistance. Kutchitsu et al (1993) reported that chitin induced resistance of plants. The active component of Fomes, that could elicit resistance in plants could be isolated in future research endeavor. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Boost (chemical elicitor) and Fomes (potential biological elicitor and Nordox (fungicide with bactericidal activity), were able to effectively control the fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt disease complex of abaca. Xoo and Aspirin were not able to control the disease but instead has aggravated the wilting of the plants. A follow-up study maybe conducted to re-evaluate the same elicitors for their effect on either fusarium wilt or bacterial wilt alone. Likewise, a study maybe conducted to further evaluate the potential of Fomes as biological elicitors of resistance to other diseases of abaca or to other plant diseases. Furthermore, several other indigenously occurring biological elicitors of resistance may be evaluated against the wilt diseases of abaca. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, we would like to extend our gratitude to all the people behind the success of this study. We would like to thank our adviser, Dr. Lucia Borines for sharing to us her knowledge, skills effort and even her time though with a hectic schedule. To Ms. Christine Advincula, Ms. Victoria Palermo and Ms. Robleyn Piamonte, thank you so much for patiently guiding and helping us everytime we need assistance especially when our adviser is on travel. Thank you also to Mr. George Valenzona, for the analysis of our data, and Mr. Marlon Tambis and Mr. Victor Calunangan for the computer assistance. In addition, our heartfelt thanks is extended to our loving parents who supported us in our financial needs and for enlightening our faith that we could be able to finish this research on time. No words indeed can express how much we owe you this success. REFERENCES 1) BASTASA, G. N. and A. A. BALIAD. 2005. 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