“After Apple-picking” Robert Frost and “Prospero’s Epilogue” by William Shakespeare Essay

There are simply a select few individuals in this world that could be considered as exceptional. There are many great names in the world of literature, but this paper would only focus on two great writers and their respective works.   William Shakespeare is considered by many as the greatest writer that has ever lived. He is even nicknamed â€Å"the immortal† by literature enthusiasts. On the other hand Robert Frost is a great poet, whose works had taken the poetry genre by storm. This paper will make a comparison of two works of these two great writers: Shakespeare’s Epilogue for Prospero and Frost’s â€Å"After Apple-Picking.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two works were communicated under the same medium, poetry. Both works were utilizing poetic devices such as symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The function of both works is to assault the emotions of the readers. â€Å"After Apple-Picking† is a poem about writing a poem. Frost tells the readers that writing poetry is an arduous task â€Å"I am overtired† (Line 29) But that tiredness of a poet could be relieved by the audience appreciation â€Å"of the great harvest I myself desired.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The image of the many apples is a symbol for creativity. Frost is simply arguing that there is an abundance of creativity—the problem is that harvesting that creativity could tire out an artist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, Shakespeare’s words through Prospero is specifically categorized as a soliloquy. This particular literary technique is made famous by Shakespearean plays, like in Hamlet’s â€Å"to be or not to be† soliloquy. A soliloquy is basically done when a character of the play directly addresses the audience. In traditional theater, there is the existence of the â€Å"fourth wall.† The â€Å"fourth wall† is highly technical to discuss but it basically refers to the gap between the actors and the audience. In other terms, the reality in the stage is very far from the reality of real life. Formalistically in plays, a character should never interact with the audience, simply because it ruins the illusion. This may be the very deign of Shakespeare for Prospero’s soliloquy. Shakespeare does not want his work to be a mere illusion, he wanted it to be something real. And according to the text, what could make it real, or Prospero free, is only the applause of the audience. Conclusion Shakespeare’s message is no different with Frost’s. During Prospero’s epilogue, Prospero is simply asking for an applause to set him free â€Å"†¦without applause / my plan to please you has failed† It is similar in both of the works to recognize that there is an audience. Both of them may have simply saying that the readers/audiences are just as important as the piece itself. If it was not for the appreciation of those who enjoy the beauty of words, literature would not exists. References Frost, Robert. â€Å"After Apple-picking†. Retrieved 5 June 2008 Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Retrieved 5 June 2008 < shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/full.html>

QSR Industry In India Essay

Executive Summary 4 ï‚ ¨ India is witnessing rapid urbanization of small towns and growth of mid-sized cities. This along with rising population in key metros and higher disposable incomes is fuelling growth in every industry. 35% of India‟s population will be in urban centres by 2020 totaling to 53 crores compared to the current urban population of 32 crores. ï‚ ¨ Consumer markets are being driven by the country‟s youth population. Be it college goers or the young working class, exposure to the international environment and culture, has created a demand for world-class products at affordable prices. ï‚ ¨ This has led to the rise of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in India, the fastest growing segment in the eating out market. By 2012, there will be at least 2000 more QSR outlets across India. ï‚ ¨ With QSR giants like Starbucks and Dunkin‟ Donuts yet to foray in the market, there is a lot to look forward to. 5 Industry Overview 7% of the total restaurant market comprises of QSRs 6 ï‚ ¨ The Indian fast food market is growing at an annual rate of 25-30 per cent, Foreign fast food chains are Estimated Size of the Indian Restaurant Industry Organized Eating Out Market, Rs. 8600 Cr. Growth : 20% (20%) aggressively increasing their presence in the country. ï‚ ¨ The market is dominated by global brands like McDonalds, KFC and Dominos specially in the organized fast food segment. Growing trend of Unorganized Market, Rs.3 4400 Cr. (80%) Growth : 5-6% consumption of new cuisines and increasing brand awareness has led to the increase of global players. The new age Indian consumers have also played a QSR Market Rs.3000 Crores 7% significant role. ï‚ ¨ Organized modern formats like malls, multiplexes and Organized Restaurant Market (Except QSRs) Rs.5600 Crores 13% food courts have also become a favoured destination. Larger companies are teaming up with small franchisors to set-up their brand. ï‚ ¨ QSRs started with big metros, but are now building their presence in Tier 2 cities like Unorganized Restaurant Market Rs.34400 Crores 80% Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bangalore. Sources: www.nrai.org,, www.rncos.com Total Restaurant Industry Rs. 43000 Crore Market Segmentation 7 Restaurant Industry †¢Road-side location †¢No technical standards †¢No accounting standardization Unorganized Full-Service Restaurants QSRs Fine Dining Take-away Casual Dining Organized Home Delivery Eat-in Bars and Lounges †¢Accounting Transparency †¢Organized Supply Chain †¢Quality Control †¢Sourcing Norms †¢Multiple Outlets †¢Dominated by Global Players Kiosks/Carts Highest growth segment. Maximum Footfall due to increasing traffic at airports, railway stations, malls, multiplexes and supermarkets Growth Drivers 8 25% of population eats out at least twice a month and spends Rs.150-Rs.500 / meal Urbanization Youth Spending Expanding Middle Class 2% 11% Better logistics A younger and richer India is fuelling rapid growth in the eating-out segment 29% Affuent Upper Middle Class 300 million 29.5 % or 88.5 million Key consumption areas 2% 5% Total population of Gen Next (13-24 Age Group) Total population of Gen Next living in urban areas Household Distribution By Annual Income 1% Nuclear families Mall and Multiplex boom Clothing & accessories, Food, Entertainment and durables Spending Power Rs.3000-40000 per month †¢ †¢ Lower Middle Class 86% 64% Bottom of the pyramid Urban youth behaviour †¢ †¢ 2010 2020 Sources: Marketing Whitebook 2011-12, Economic Times, MGI Socially active Hangs out at coffee shops and malls Prefers to be seen at the right places Expresses one‟s identity through choice of brands consumed Maintaining Consistency in product and quality of service are the biggest challenges faced by QSRs 9 Challenges Demand Side Supply Side Health and hygiene concerns among buyers Maintaining Quality of Service Acquiring Key Talent Building a costeffective supply chain QSR customers are very easy to sell to, but also very easy to lose Localization of Menu Managing high attrition rate amongst junior level employees Establishing a supply chain in a new region Beating local competition Standardization of product across outlets Low entry barriers Monitoring multiple outlets Reducing service time – efficient assembly line Talent Supply Chain Monitoring quality of products procured from third parties SWOT Analysis 10 STRENGTH OPPOTUNITIES †¢ Burgeoning middle class †¢ Risk-sharing in a franchise based model †¢ Abundance of cheap labour in India †¢ Increase in malls and Positive multiplexes †¢ Increasing youth spending †¢ Urbanization WEAKNESS THREATS †¢ Sourcing Talent †¢ Food Inflation †¢ Monitoring franchisees †¢ Product imitation †¢ Maintaining quality standards across outlets †¢ Understanding Indian tastes Internal Factors †¢ Price Competition †¢ Dependency on third parties †¢ Local Competition External Factors Negative Urban Youth Make Up The Prime Target Audience 11 Particulars Low Cost in terms of initial investment as well as operating cost Target Audience Profile Category Young Urban Professionals on the move Low Risk Key Features of a QSR Teenagers High Impulse products Students Best Retail Locations Multiplex audience Competitive Prices Shoppers Target Audience Behaviour Age group 16-35 Hygiene & Taste conscious Location Cities and towns Social Class Middle and Upper Middle Class Lifecycle Dependent and Pre-Family* Brand conscious Westernized culture Seeking international standards Value seekers Experimental *based on Sagacity Lifestyle Model 12 Working of a QSR Brand Image, Ambience and Overall Experience are important intangible factors for QSR customers 13 ï‚ ¨ A QSR is meant to create instant interest in the mind of the consumer. It has to have ï‚ ¤ Intangible parameters that make a QSR successful Mass appeal Brand ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¤ A unique experience ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¨ A characteristic ambience A strong brand identity One cannot find Ronald at any other burger joint except McDonalds. ï‚ ¨ The service, which is the only human touch, plays a big role in creating a unique experience. A lot of time and resources are spent on training the staff ,as they represent the brand. KFC employees are expected to live up to their 3 F‟s to create to perfect environment – Fun, Friendly and Familiar. ï‚ ¨ In an effort to maintain the same experience across outlets, the service, interiors and menu items are standardized . Experience Ambience QSR Formats and Locations 14 QSR FORMATS LOCATIONS Malls Restaurants Tourist hubs Food Court Counters Corporate hubs Kiosks/Food Carts Take-away/Delivery Drive-ins Shopping Centers Multiplexes Airports/ Railway Stations Setting up a Franchise Outlet 15 Initial Qualification †¢ Application Review †¢ Background and Credit Check †¢ Assess training needs †¢ Signing of Franchise Disclosure Document †¢ Verify Assets Site Registration †¢ Franchisor sends site registration to brand for approval †¢ Franchisee remits funds Operation Plan Site Exploration and Securing Control †¢ Prospective franchisee makes an operation plan which is reviewed thoroughly Franchise Onboarding †¢ Franchisee arranges for Financing †¢ Hires a Team †¢ Franchisor provides Support and Training †¢ Builds Restaurant †¢ Supports in Grand Opening †¢ Determine Site Selection Strategy †¢ Identify focus areas †¢ Franchisor completes Action Plan for Trade Area †¢ Franchisee negotiates for the site and sends letter of intent Franchisor’s Role after the launch †¢ On-site Training is provided for every procedure. †¢ The Franchisor has an approved vendor list from where the ingredients can be sourced. †¢ They have an annual promotional and advertising plan that they implement with the support of the franchisees. †¢ Quality checks are conducted via Consumer Feedback, Food SafetyAudits and Standard Audits Managing Human Resources 16 ï‚ ¨ Acquisition When QSRs come to India, they find it difficult to get experienced talent for Human Resource Tree at at a typical QSR outlet strategic positions. There are very few people with relevant experience, Restaurant Manager especially in a global firm. Poaching employees from competitors would mean huge incentives and salary raises. Thus a lot of companies hire people in the same function but from a different industry. ï‚ ¨ First Asst. Manager Support & training The franchisors offer support and training to the franchisees for effectively Trainee Manager running the small format franchise business. Training is conducted at 3 stages: ïÆ'Ëœ Induction ïÆ'Ëœ On-going ïÆ'Ëœ Refresher ï‚ ¨ Retention Trainee Floor Manager Out of 10000 emloyees, KFC has to replace 7000 employees each year. This means cost for fresh recruitments, training and relieving employees is very high. Dominos has increased salaries of store front employees by 20% and implemented an incentive plan in order to reduce attrition rate. Training Squad Crew Member Second Asst. Manager Marketing Strategies 17 ï  ± QSRs have to play on their strengths to create and communicate a brand promise. ï  ± The brand promise can be anything from fast service to low prices to healthy food. ï  ± Successful QSR chains have been able to take their brand promise very effectively to the masses. 1 †¢ A large burger chain targeted the value seeker community and created highest value for money as its brand promise. 2 †¢ India‟s largest Pizza chain targeted the customers who wanted fast service at their doorsteps. It created the brand promise of assured fast delivery and communicated it with its â€Å"30 mins or its free† campaigns 3 †¢ A large coffee shop chain wanted to position itself as not just a coffee shop but a place to hangout with friends and family. They marketed themselves with the tag line â€Å" A lot can happen over coffee† which clearly communicated that they wanted their customers to have a complete experience much beyond just coffee. Pricing Strategies 18 ï  ± Its important for QSRs to price their products carefully because of the stiff competition that they face. ï  ± The strategy is to price their products in such a way that the maximum number of customers can be retained and at the same time higher margins are abstracted from the customers who do not mind paying more for extra value. This is achieved by: DIFFERENTIAL PRICING Pricing the base product aggressively and keeping higher margins on the side orders This strategy is for the price conscious consumer who sees great value in the base product and can choose to not take the side orders At the same time it allows the QSR to charge the customer for whom price does not matter, much more through the high margin side orders Most QSRs keep fighter brands in their menu to remain competitive. VALUE PRICING Value combos allow the QSR to sell more no of high margin products with the low margin base products. Eg: QSRs try to sell more French fries and cold drinks through their value meals. Pizza chains sell more garlic bread and cold drinks through their value meals Growth Strategies of QSRs 19 A large burger chain in India has the highest foot fall amongst all countries, but the lowest average bill. Growth in India is achieved based on volumes, hence every QSR is looking to expand its presence . A coffee trading company who supplies coffee beans, started a retail business of coffee shops all over India. Forward Integration A casual restaurant chain diversified into food court stalls., thus entering the QSR market. Horizontal Diversification A coffee shop chain diversified its coffee shops business by establishing express outlets and coffee machines. Concentric Diversification A soft drink giant branched out to form a new company with Pizza and Fried Chicken chains in its umbrella. It sold off its stake, but is in a lifetime contract with the firm Lateral Diversification Menu Planning 20 Menu Selection is critical, especially when localizing in markets like India and China where traditions, religion and local taste are cannot be ignored. Enlisted below are some of the important factors: Size of outlets Target in terms of demographics Local taste preference †¢ QSRs do not keep the full menu at all outlets. †¢ Instead they include only a few high volume products at outlets with space limitations like food courts and express kiosks †¢ Depending upon the age group they are targeting, QSRs have to adjust their menus. †¢ QSRs targeting older age groups have to include healthier and more traditional food items in their menus where as QSRs targeting the youth can have more experimental and/or fast food items. †¢ Product adaptation according to customer preferences is really important for QSRs to succeed. †¢ International chains in India have to adjust their menus to include more vegetarian and spicy items. A Fried Chicken brand has the most extensive range of items in India amongst all its worldwide outlets †¢ Most QSR giants avoid using beef and pork due to cultural taboos. The 4 pronged approach to ensure standardization across all outlets 21 Standardized aspects of every outlet There are 4 important factors that enable standardization for a restaurant with multiple outlets: Training Equipment †¢Every new employee has to go through a specific pre-designed training program for that level of employment. Recipes Procurement of Products †¢The same machines are used by all outlets for making the  dishes. Standard recipes have to be followed by the chefs who receive thorough training for the same. †¢QSRs have centralized approved vendors from where they  procure and process raw materials. They also procure finished products like spices and condiments from the same vendor and distribute it. Case Study – Dominos India 22 60 9000+ 400 364 9000 Jubilant Foodworks Ltd. operates the 364 Dominos international markets outlets in India, pursuant to a Master Franchise Agreement International, which operate Domino’s pizza delivery stores and the associated trademarks in the operation of stores in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The pizza million pizzas sold each year employees in India Domino’s provides them with the exclusive right to develop and outlets worldwide outlets in India with stores in Sri Lanka are operated by their subfranchisee, DP Lanka. It is the largest Pizza chain in India, way ahead of its immediate competitor Pizza Hut with 50% of market share in the Indian Pizza market and 70% market share in the home delivery market. Source: dominos.com, dominos.co.in, reuters.com Case Study – Dominos India 23 Particulars Market share in the Indian Pizza market – 50% Market share in the home delivery segment –70% Sales Per Day Per Outlet Rs.56600 80% of their sales come from the Pizza segment, and EBIDTA margin (9M FY2011) 18% the remaining is attributed to beverages and side items. Same Store Sales Growth (9M 38.7% 80% of sales come from home delivery and 20% from 65% FY2011) Market Share OTC sales. Sales Break-up: Cuisine-wise 4% Sales Break-up: Segment-wise 20% 16% Pizzas Home Delivery Beverages Over-the-Counter Others 80% 80% Source: indiainfoline.com, dominos.co.in Critical Success Factors of Dominos India 24 Critical Success Factors 1. Delivery-oriented model reduces cost 2. Dominos has a vertically integrated supply chain. (as seen below) 3. Franchising model Supply Chain of Dominos Regional warehouse Raw Material Supplier (Approved vendor) Regional Centralized Facilities for processing raw material like dough – 4 centres across India Refrigerated trucks carry the finished items to retail outlets Retail Outlets Items are prepared based on orders and sent to end consumer 25 Key Players‟ Profiles Key Player Profiles 26 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets Expansion Plans in India McDonalds Burgers Hard Castle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts, Drive-in 210 To add 20-25 outlets by 2013 KFC Fried Chicken Devyani International Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts 110 500 outlets by 2015 Chicking Fried Chicken Mirah Group UAE South Zone Dine-In 14 – Bangs Fried Chicken Fried Chicken Bangs India India South Zone Dine-In, Food Courts 7 100 outlets by FY2011 Pizza Hut Pizzas Devyani International Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In 171 300+ outlets by 2015 Dominos Pizzas Jubilant Foodworks USA PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery , Food Courts 364 To add 70 outlets in 2011 Papa Johns Pizzas Om Pizzas& Eats USA West Zone Dine-In 25 – Pizza Corner Pizzas Global Franchise Architects India South Zone Dine-In, Delivery 50 – US Pizza Pizzas United Restaurants Ltd. India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 77 – Smokin‟ Joes Pizzas Smokin‟ Joes Pizza Pvt. Ltd. India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 52 – Garcia‟s Pizzas Garcias Famous Pizza India West Zone Dine-in, Delivery 20 To add 20 outlets Slice of Italy Pizzas Green House & Hestoft Foods Pvt. Ltd. India North Zone Dine-In, Delivery 16 – Key Player Profiles 27 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets in India Expansion Plans in India Barista Coffee Shop Barista Coffee Company Ltd. India PAN-India Espresso bars, High end cafes 230 – Costa Coffee Coffee Shop Devyani International Ltd. England PAN-India Cafes 75 300 outlets by 2014 CCD Coffee Shop Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Co. India PAN-India Cafes, Mall & Airport kiosks, Office outlets 1090 To add 200+_ outlets by 2014 Gloria Jean‟s Coffee Shop Citymax Hospitality Australia Metros Cafes 15 40 outlets by 2012 Kent‟s Fast Food Burgers Kents Fast Food India North Zone Dine-In 15 – Subway Submarine Sandwiches Subway Systems India Pvt. Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts 200 250 outlets by end of 2011 Tacobell Tex-Mex Yum Restaurants USA Bangalore Dine-In 3 100 outlets by 2015 Falafel Veg. Hummus House Lebanese Mirah Group India Mumbai Dine-In, Kiosks 8 100 outlets by 2011 Wimpy Burgers Famous Brands Ltd. UK Delhi Dine-In 3 – Yo! China Asian Moods Hospitality Pvt. Ltd Delhi, India PAN-India Dine-In, Kiosks 80+ – Key Player Profiles 28 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets Expansion Plans in India Dosa Plaza South Indian Prem Sagar Dosa Plaza Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, India PAN-India Dine-In, Food Court 35 – Jumboking Vadapav Jumboking Foods pvt.ltd. Mumbai, India West Zone Express, Restaurant & Takeaway 43 250 outlets by 2011-12 Kaati Zone Mughlai East West Ethnic Foods Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore , India South Zone Dine-In 15 – Mast Kalandar Indian Spring Leaf Retail Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore , India South Zone Dine-In 21 – Nirula‟s MultiCuisine Nirula‟s Corner House Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In, Kiosks 80+ To add 50 outlets by 2012 Kailash Parbat MultiCuisine Kailash Parbat Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, India PAN-India Food Court Stalls 15+ – Comesum MultiCuisine RK Group Delhi, India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 11 – Haldiram‟s MultiCuisine Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In 18 – Bikano Chat Cafe MultiCuisine Bikanervala Foods Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Restaurant, Institutional Tuck Shops, Food Cart 68 – Sagar Ratna MultiCuisine Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In, Food Court 53 – Tibbs Frankie Frankie J.Tibbs & Co. Mumbai, India West Zone Kiosks 20+ Key Players‟ Segmentation 29 Segmentation based on Size of the Chain Local Chain Jumboking National Chain International Chain Segmentation based on Cuisine Pizzas Burgers & Sandwiches Coffee Shops Indian Specialty Cuisine Dominos McDonalds CCD Comesum Jumboking Pizza Hut KFC Barista Sagar Ratna Yo!China Pizza Corner Wimpy Costa Coffee Kailash Parbat Tabobell Papa Johns Subway Gloria Jeans Mast Kalandar Falafel Pizza Hut Smokin Joes Kents Fast Food Kaati Zone Tibbs Frankie Barista Pizza Corner Garcia‟s Haldirams Haldiram‟s Cafà © Coffee Day Papa Johns Slice of Italy Nirulas Sagar Ratna Tibbs Frankie Tacobell US Pizza Bikano Chat Cafe Comesum McDonalds Nirulas Dosa Plaza KFC Mast Kalandar Kailash Parbat Subway Kaati Zone Yo! China Wimpy Garcia‟s Smokin‟ Joes Dominos Falafel‟s US Pizza Bang‟s Fried Chicken Bikano Chat Cafà © Costa Coffee Kents Fast Food Gloria Jeans Geographical Segmentation 30 PAN-India : International Cuisine McDonalds* NORTH ZONE Nirula‟s Haldiram‟s Bikano Chat Cafà © Slice of Italy Kent‟s Fast Food Sagar Ratna Wimpy PAN-India : Coffee Shops Gloria Jean* KFC* Costa Coffee* Subway* Barista Pizza Hut* Cafà © Coffee Day Dominos* US Pizza Smokin‟ Joes WEST ZONE Papa Johns* Garcia‟s Falafel Jumbo King PAN-India : Indian and Specialty Cuisine Dosa Plaza Comesum 65% of Dominos‟ revenues are contributed by the top 7 cities out of 70 cities it is present in. 50% of their outlets are in Maharashtra, New Delhi and Karnataka SOUTH ZONE Pizza Corner* Chicking* Tacobell* Kaati Zone Bangs Fried Chicken Mast Kalandar *International Brands Kailash Parbat Yo! China Tibbs Frankie Key Players‟ Positioning 31 PAN-India Ethnic Cuisine Ethnic Cuisine PAN-India Pizza Hut Dominos Comesum* Dosa Plaza* Kailash Parbat* Yo! China* Cafà © Coffee Day* Barista* Gloria Jeans Costa Coffee Sagar Ratna* Haldiram‟s* Mast Kalandar* Jumbo king* Kaati Zone* Bikano Chat Cafà ©* Nirula‟s* Zonal Tacobell Falafel Pizza Corner Papa Johns US Pizza* Smokin Joes* Slice of Italy* Garcias* McDonalds KFC Wimpy Subway International Cuisine Chicking Bang‟s Fried Chicken* Kent‟s Fast Food* Tibb‟s Frankie*International Cuisine Zonal *Indian originated chains Dominos and Cafà © Coffee Day are the largest QSRs in India in terms of reach and number of outlets 32 No. Of Outlets v/s Geographical Spread of Pizza Chains Pizza Chain Outlets Spread Origin Indian 52 PAN-India Indian 50 South Zone International 25 West Zone International 20 West Zone Indian Slice of Italy 16 North Zone Indian Chain Outlets Cities 1090 120 PAN-India Indian 364 87 PAN-India International McDonalds 210 45 PAN-India International Pizza Hut 171 34 PAN-India International Barista 230 30 PAN-India Indian Subway No. of Outlets PAN-India Dominos 115 77 Cafà © Coffee Day No. of Cities 65 International Garcias 15 PAN-India Papa Johns No. Of Outlets v/s No. of Cities of top brands in India 171 Pizza Corner 15 International Smokin Joes 5 10 Geographical Spread PAN-India US Pizza 0 364 Pizza Hut No. of Outlets Dominos 200 26 PAN-India International KFC 110 21 PAN-India International Spread Origin 33 Trends and Future Prospects Big brands – Small cities – Small formats 34 Locations Large chains expanding to smaller cities Domestic chains setting up in big cities Formats Cuisines Technology Express Outlets Basic street Foods entering organized market – Vadapav, Ice Gola Online ordering systems Smart Carts/Kiosks Regional cuisines– Kebab Lucknow Wale, Malwaneez IVR system for placing order and making payment via Credit Card Kiosks have managed to attract huge footfalls at sales points. Even big chains are now customizing their outlets to smaller models like „express‟ and „stand-ins‟ Integration of concepts – so Mcdonalds serves coffee and CCD serves sandwiches Menu diversification by introducing Indian flavours – Chicken TandooriSub at Subway Investors are queuing up to get a big slice of the pie 35 ï‚ ¨ With the number of QSRs growing at 30% per year, the industry is attracting investors‟ interest, especially after the IPO of Jubilant Foodworks, the master franchise of Dominos Pizza in India ï‚ ¨ ICICI Venture acquired 10% stake i.e. $55 Million in Devyani International who is the franchisee of KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee in India ï‚ ¨ Also Mast Kalandar, a Bangalore-based QSR chain, secured a second round of investment from Helion Venture Partners, Footprint Ventures and Salarpuria Group. ï‚ ¨ Chinese cuisine QSR Yo! China received funding of $5.5 Million from Matrix partners ï‚ ¨ Accel Partners invested in Bangalore-based fast food chain Kaati Zone. Source: vccircle.com QSR giants Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks set to foray into the Indian market 36 ï‚ ¨ ï‚ ¨ ï‚ ¨ Dunkin’ Donuts- Jubilant FoodWorks is to develop, sub-franchise, and operate more than 500 Dunkin‟ Donuts restaurants throughout India over the next 15 years. The first Dunkin‟ Donuts locations are expected to open by early 2012. The Agreement marks the largest international store development commitment in Dunkin‟ Donuts‟ history. Starbucks – Tata Coffee is to bring Starbucks , the world‟s largest coffee chain to India through a Joint Venture Quiznos – The US-based subway restaurant chain has signed a master franchise agreement with Arjun Valluri for setting up outlets in Southern India. Source: www.dunkindonuts.com, www.trak.in, U.S. Franchise Trade Mission Participants Profile, April 10-15 2011 Sources 37 Research firms ï‚ ¨ Technopak ï‚ ¨ IBEF ï‚ ¨ Marketing Whitebook 2010-11, 2011-12 ï‚ ¨ Mckinsey Global Institute ï‚ ¨ www.rncos.com ï‚ ¨ www.nrai.org Company Websites ï‚ ¨ www.yum.com ï‚ ¨ www.mcdonaldsindia.com ï‚ ¨ www.dominos.co.in Other websites ï‚ ¨ Hospitalitybizindia.com ï‚ ¨ Indiaretailing.com ï‚ ¨ Franchiseindia.com Newspapers ï‚ ¨ Deccan Herald ï‚ ¨ Economic Times ï‚ ¨ Business Standard ï‚ ¨ DNA 38 About D‟Essence Our Services 39 D‟Essence Hospitality is Boutique Management Consulting firm based in Mumbai which provides specialty consulting services for the entire spectrum of the hospitality industry with a special focus on hotel operators, builders and investors ï  ± Feasibility Studies ï‚ ¤ Management Model Viability ï‚ ¤ Technical Viability Economic and Financial Model Viability ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¨ Market Viability Business Model Viability Exit Strategy Viability Site Analysis – We have vast experience in project planning & site selection. In many cases it has been seen that planners & architects normally look into a project from design and land-use perspectives. But we do detailed site and market analysis to determine the viability of the project from financial and investment standpoint. ï‚ ¨ India Entry Strategy – We help our clients to develop suitable market entry strategies through analyzing entry barriers (ease), geographical factors, incumbents‟ resistance and routs to market. ï‚ ¨ Management Contracts – Branded operators have very stringent clauses in the contracts. To deal with them needs deep understanding of the domain and effects of each clause on the profit margins. D‟Essence Hospitality Services makes full use of its expertise in understanding the management contracts and negotiating it for best acceptable terms. Our Services 40 ï‚ ¨ Key Recruitments D‟Essence Hospitality is dedicated to becoming India‟s leading executive search firm exclusively serving the Hospitality Industry. Our search team enables you to recruit for executive level management, divisional managers, general managers, culinary, finance, sales and marketing, food and beverage, engineering professionals who will all, directly affect and drive the profitability of your organization ï‚ ¨ Acquisitions From our years of experience, we advise our clients on which assets to buy and when to buy and based on our recommendations they devise strategies for buying assets. We also provide assistance to our clients to develop assets disposal strategies in order to maximize project performance ï‚ ¨ Business Model and Business Plan We assist our clients in the business planning process and then prepare a plan based on the available resources and their business objectives. Our Business Planning services include feasibility studies, business formation plans, strategic plans, new product plans, marketing and promotional plans, etc. ï‚ ¨ Fund Raising ï‚ ¨ Mentoring ï‚ ¨ Growth Strategy THANKYOU D‟Essence Consulting 303, Aar Pee Center, 11th Road, Gufic Compound, MIDC, Andheri (E) Mumbai- 400093 Tel +91 22 28347425 www.dessencehospitality.com

Analysis on Mi Abuelo

The narrator’s Mi Abuelo is the grandfather. The beginning connects with the end of the poem. The poem is a depiction of human thoughts during his old age. The grandfather released his angst through the narrator. The conflict of the poem is that the narrator could not understand why the grandfather always told him that his hair is a sieve. He argues with the grandfather saying that his hair is not a sieve but the old man continued to insist the sieve hair. From this context, it was seen that the character is a weak person because he could not show his real emotions towards one situation or thing. He turned his guilt and insanity towards other people to hide the complexities of thinking. The author attacked within the poem in a simple rationalization. As the reader, I saw two different conflicts that emerged in the whole poem but the author resolved only one conflict, which is the narrator’s conflicts towards the issue of having a sieve hair but the grandfather’s conflict within his own self was unresolved. The sieve hair in the poem symbolizes the life of the grandfather. His journey and struggle were sieved in an untangled path of existence. He said that the narrator’s hair is a sieve because by the end of it all, the narrator’s life will be the same as the grandfather. In terms of the poem’s construction, it was not fully understandable because the author’s way of dividing each line and stanzas do not have complete essence. Each line could not stand its own meaning alone because it depends on the next line in a complex manner. The term â€Å"Mi Abuelo† was not thoroughly defined. This term was only compared to the grandfather without justification of its true essence and meaning as a word. Because of this, readers would become confuse with the statement of Mi Abuelo and being the title of the poem. Despite of it all, the poem is a simple thing that is easy to understand and discuss. It shows the life and issues that old people used to obtain whether it is meaningless or senseless, for them these are still important and relevant to life.    Reference(1982). Mi Abuelo.  Ã‚   From Whispering to Fool the Wind. New York: SheepMeadow. Retrieved 23 February 2008.

Freedom of Expression and Social Norms in the Second Life Essay - 1

Freedom of Expression and Social Norms in the Second Life - Essay Example Although the virtual world has been in existence for quite some time, its significance had not been clear until I read the book by Boellstroff. I realized that the virtual world means more than just communication to its residents. Freedom of communication and expression is the primary force behind the existence of the virtual world. Communication in the real world is usually subject to communication barriers due to differences in cultural, ethnic, social, and personal communication skills. However, this is not the case in virtual worlds such as second life. In the virtual world, a person or resident has the ability to choose an identity unlike in the real world. This makes it possible for people to communicate freely in the virtual world irrespective of their social norms in the real world. By being able to choose a race, color, gender, profession, social class, and other factors, many barriers are eliminated, at least to some extent. Absolute freedom in the virtual world is limited due to factors such as language barrier, internet connectivity, among others. The capability to choose one’s identity in the virtual world is also significant in the enhancement of anonymity in the virtual world. From the book, I learned that lack of identity in the virtual world is of great importance in the enhancement of communication. In the virtual world, people have the choice to remain anonymous. This makes it possible to express themselves freely unlike in the real world. I was surprised to learn that in the virtual world it is possible to maintain a friendship with your best real friend anonymously. Most importantly, it is possible to interact freely with your enemies and other people who are out of reach in the real world. The author of the book emphasizes this point by stating that people can hide their identity to the extent of their genders (Boelstroff, 2008: 61).

History and Motivators of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History and Motivators of Terrorism - Essay Example "In Nairobi, where the US Embassy was located in a congested downtown area, the attack killed 291 persons and wounded about 5,000. The bombing in Dar es Salaam killed 10 persons and wounded 77." (Homeland security: Attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, 2009). The death rate shows the intensity of the attack and the cruel mentality of the terrorists in killing the poor innocent people. When analysing these explosions, it is understood that those explosions were aimed at the Americans, working in the U.S. Embassies. The terrorists select different nations to execute their heinous mass killing by presenting lame excuses as comparing their activities to 'holy war'. It was with the U.S. embassy attacks the American Federal Bureau of Investigation began to suspect the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri as the master planners of these attacks. It is after this attack, American Investigative agency placed Osama bin Laden on its Ten Most Wanted list. Followed with the embassy bombings, world identified many terrorist attacks including the 1996 attack in Saudi Arabia and World Trade Centre attack in September 11, 2001. The proposed paper is an attempt to find out whether the attacks of the different terrorist groups in different parts of the world are justifiable and to analyze the reality behind these attacks. It also analyses their claim, 'holy war'- whether their actions go with their motto. The U.S. security forces have identified the reason for the attack as the revenge of the terrorist groups for the American involvement in the banishment, and alleged torture, of four members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad who had conducted attacks in Egypt and were arrested in Albania. It was after this incident; some of the militant leaders were also arrested and send out of Egypt. These arrests caused for rousing a grudge of the militants against the Americans, and they waited for a response that ended in the U.S. Embassy attacks in East Africa and Kenya. "The Nairobi operation was named after the Holy Kaaba in Mecca; the Dar es Salaam bombing was called al-Aqsa, after the mosque in Jerusalem." (Al Qaeda's 1998 attacks on Africa, 2008). From their way of naming the attacks, it is identical of the importance they attribute those attacks. Their method of attack also shows the prominence in their planning and executing the attack. Most of the investigations reveal that the real aim of bin Laden was to tempt America to Afghanistan, as he was aware of the disagreement between America and the Taliban.Though one can justify the terrorism, as an effective tactic of the weaker to attain their needs through conflict, terrorism in the modern sense is contrary that it keeps its eye only in attacks. It is the secretive nature and the small size of the terrorist groups often prevents the security forces from taking proper action against terrorists. It is the same privilege that Laden and his followers enjoy, after different attacks and the killings of many innocent people. When actions are taken to prevent terrorism, it leads to conflict, making it a criminal activity. The so- called freedom fighters- terrorist groups mainly stood for the religious cause. They claimed that their race or the community should be the only community existing in the world; other religions should be rooted out. The same mentality is seen in the terrorists of the 1998 U.S. embassy attacks.

Geopolitical Problems in 19th Century Europe Essay

Geopolitical Problems in 19th Century Europe - Essay Example The French Revolution has announced not only the individuals right to freedom and equality but also the right of nations to determine their own status. Wherever human rights and privileges were endangered under foreign rule, the requirement for freedom implied protection of national freedom from such foreign domination. The concept of the right to self-determination for the nations was served to justify the demands of stateless Eastern nations, including Poland, which lost its political freedom in the earlier centuries. This right should help to organize separate nation-states with their own governments including all their subjects. By 1815, nationalism has become one of the leading ideologies in the world. It was able to mobilize society in the transition to a capitalist economy, which led to an increase in the effectiveness of national states and the growth of their economic power. Young nations have also shown high efficiency with the military side. A professional army, consisting of subjects monarchs often suffered defeat from an untrained civilian militia. In the 19th century, the supporters of ethnic nationalism believed that national unity must be based on a common ethnic origin, also it was believed that those who have a different origin, by definition, cannot be part of the national culture . Europe in the 19th century had several large multinational empires such as Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czarist Russia, and Imperial Germany. Within these empires were existed numerous national minorities that feel oppressed, exploited and abused. Their reaction was resistance to a stronger and more powerful nationalism. However, in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe nationalism arose as a reaction to the French occupation and initially wore an expression of cultural-ethnic character. In particular, the revolutionary wave of 1848 originated pan-Slavism.

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE - Coursework Example Activity based costing is loved for its ability to enable the cost control team to enhance accuracy. Accuracy here is in terms of closeness to the actual cost and actual profitability of each product and service. ABC helps managers to have a better comprehension of the company’s actual costs as well as its returns on investments. The returns on investments are usually computed by considering the number of projects and activities that the business engages in. Accounting for costs (2010) show that ABC improves the accuracy levels through transforming some of the costs that traditional costing techniques deem not to be direct into direct costs. The process is done as follows; Firms that have applied ABC successfully did so by employing a number of strategic costing and management factors. The management of such firms does ensure they support and participate in every pricing decision. They have to know when to add or delete items from the product portfolio. Finally, they must know when to consider outsourcing or producing the product in-house (Plowman 2011, p.43). While performing all these, the management is always cautious about improving all the process initiatives. Activity Based Costing (ABC) is an organized style of passing on indirect costs to goods and services. It entails obtaining the cost of each activity drawn in the process of production and assigning costs to each product according to the use of each activity. Alternatively, activity-based costing (ABC) is a more refined way of costing goods and services. Activity based management is the application of ABC as a technique of managing costs at the activity level. It is an area that involves ensuring effective and efficient control f activities as to promote the product value and customer satisfaction. Activity Based Management makes use of the information obtained

Starting Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Starting Business - Essay Example Technology-based start-ups are generally strategically and operationally agile which give rise to innovation. On the other hand, start-ups ventures have scarcity of resources and often struggle to arrange funds and other operational requirements that they need to get their ideas to market. Establishing a new company presents a lot of challenges especially in its early stage. Principal reasons of opening a company in 2002, according to National Institute of statistics and economic surveys (INSEE) were: Buyout of a company, though less riskier task, involves a lot of intricacies. Raising the funds is major challenge of any buyout. Following elements make a buyout a cumbersome and time consuming business process: Finance: Financing a buyout involves various issues such as the true value of the company and evaluation of the companies involved and the market credibility of buying company which determines the amount they can raise from market and as debts from banks. There are various ways to raise finances for funding a buyout such as debt funding, private equity financing and vendor financing. A buyout involves complex taxation issues. No two buyouts are quite the same and their tax implications vary correspondingly. The buyout benefits will diminish if proper consideration is not given for its tax consequences for individual investors, the buyout company, and the vendor. Cultural assimilation: adoption of employees to the management owner plays an important role in success of a buyout. These issues become starker if an established company is buying an already established company. Retaining existing competent workforce Retaining key personnel of the company being purchased is also an important issue which needs to be addressed in an urgent basis. Rumors may spread that the business is about to close, in this case some of the capable workforce may leave the company. Assuring workforce that their interests will be taken care of requires a clear communication with employees and their associations. Employee's protests, in several cases, can stall the buyout process. Some of the other concerns related to buyout of an existing business include the potential for inheriting: An obsolete product or mature market: If a proper assessment is not done there are chances that you purchase a company whose products are not in demand or market for the product that company is producing is mature. This makes the purpose of a buyout obsolete. Existing operational inefficiencies, obsolete equipment, or a bad optimal location for the business: This issue again adversely affects the purpose of a

Final Synthesis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Synthesis Paper - Essay Example As such, despite taking different paths, ultimately, patronizers of Hinduism aim to achieve a common goal: to achieve liberation and to be limitless. It is also enlightening that for this particular religion, liberation means freedom from the plagues that afflict human experience. This theme is perceived to fit the concepts learned in world religions through the universal goal of being liberated from the bondage of sin and to attain eternal life (Catholic) or from the bondage of plagues (Hinduism); and for one’s religion (Islam), the spiritual goal is to attain this state of peace in the soul. The theme of four paths to the goal, as presented in Hinduism, is unique in its presentation but despite identifying different paths or roads to liberation, it shares the common theme of salvation and freedom from earthly difficulties and challenges that cause pain and anguish to the body and mind. A remarkable theme from Buddhism, as presented by Huston is the â€Å"Four Noble Truths†, to wit: (1) life is suffering; (2) that selfish desire is apparently the cause of pain; (3) that there is hope to be released from suffering; and (4) and that the cure to end pain and suffering is commitment to the Eightfold Path (right knowledge, right aspiration, right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right absorption) (Smith). What is noteworthy with the lessons learned from these particular themes from Buddhism is its clarity and accurateness in defining what needs to be done to prevent the occurrence of pain and suffering. One therefore observed and deduced that just like the theme from Hinduism, these themes relay messages on the techniques and strategies that must be done to release a person from pain and suffering. Therefore, both religions acknowledge the presence of suffering (Buddhism) and plagues (Hinduism). Likewise, for religions like Catholics and Christianity, the cause of suffering

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Critical Analysis - Essay Example Greek Resistance Movement succeeded in making the Germans withdraw in 1944, the Greek Civil War broke out in 1946 between the communist-led rebels and the Greek government. A prolonged period of fighting followed at the end of which the rebels were completely defeated by October 1949 (The World Book Encyclopedia). Mark Mazower is a renowned British historian, reputedly one of the leading global specialists in Greek history (Wikipedia). His book â€Å"After the War was Over† contains 14 essays that show how the Civil War affected the family, the law, and the State of Greece, providing fresh insight into missing records, and delving into events that were hitherto unknown to the world (Finney). The first revelation concerns the subject of justice, a theme in 5 essays of the volume (Finney). Mark Mazower’s essay â€Å"Three Forms of Political Justice: Greece, 1944-1945† (Chapter 1 of the volume) deals with the unpredictable understanding of concepts of justice in Greece; he writes about how frequent attempts (‘how Greece recovered from the most prolonged and traumatic experience of its brief life as a nation-state’ {p.21}) to restore justice and take legal action against collaborators were ruined by the re-emergence of the anticommunist right wing faction. Eleni Haidia’s essay â€Å"The Punishment of Collaborators in Northern Greece, 1945-1946† (Chapter 2) reviews trials of collaborators in Thessaloniki, revealing how the initial intention to mete out strong punishment eventually broke down and vanished after encountering malignancies such as improper administration practices, corruption, and lack of funding. Procopis Papastratis’ essay â€Å"Purging the University after Liberation† (Chapter 3) explores the efforts to cleanse Athens University of Germans and the pre-war Metaxas regime collaborators, telling how the University used academic and political tactics to successfully repulse the threat of cleansing it. Susanne-Sophia Spiliotis’ essay â€Å"An Affair

Civic Punishment or Private Revenge Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Civic Punishment or Private Revenge - Case Study Example A presentation of the fragmented accusations of Euphiletus' accusers will be offered in order to clarify some of the rhetorical strategies that Euphiletus' utilizes in his defense speech. Finally, some concluding remarks on how adultery, crimes of passion and homicide were understood then and now. There is some evidence to suggest that the ethical internals of Euphiletus' defense were intended to generate sympathy among the judges (Herman 407). By presenting himself as deceived husband and victim, Euphiletus is attempting minimally to provide an emotional basis for his desire to kill Eratosthenes. This is important for if Euphiletus wanted to portray himself as an Athenian gentleman whose moral composition represented the mainstream of Hellenistic society, then his act represents the logical consequence of a man whose wife has been caught in flagrante delicto with another man. If it was the case that such an act could not have been conscionable under such conditions then the Euphiletus' strategy would be counterproductive as his demeanor would be interpreted as the manifestation of a morally eccentric minority. However, it is not to suggest that Euphiletus wished to portray himself as a jealous husband fueled with righteous and murderous rage. Rather, at every step as will be shown later he presents himself a mediated actor of the law, merely the hand of the law rather than its head or heart. In fact, he wishes to show that Eratosthenes was not murdered but executed by him and was only done so by him on mere coincidence that it was his wife with whom Eratosthenes had slept (Harris 365). Thus, Euphiletus wishes to draw out the tensions inherent in two antithetical codes of conduct: 1) an older, de-centralized, tribal one in which honor and vengeance played integral roles and 2) a more evolved centralized code of conduct in which democratically endorsed values were mutually agreed upon and enforced communally (Herman 408). By engendering a feeling of vengeance while simultaneously negating its causative role in this act, Euphiletus paradoxical strategy gives a path in which the Athenian judges can acquit Euphiletus on the grounds that the act was one of civic punishment while concomitantly acknowledging the obvious vengeful passions that were aroused duri ng the incident itself. He begins by laying out the task before him, which is to convince the jury that Eratosthenes' killing was prompted by the debauchery of his wife via seduction and the disgrace tendered therein and for no other reason, " that this was the one and only enmity between him and me; that I have not acted thus for the sake of money" (Lamb 1.4). It is important that money or other enmity do not prefigure in any manner for Euphiletus' case, as that would have invalidated the laws for which the type of justified homicide he wished to claim happened. If indeed money or other enmity figured in this case, as his accusers had apparently tried to impute, it would simply be premeditated murder in

Politics in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Politics in Nigeria Essay Is there any lesson to be learnt in the war on terror where the proponents vowed never to dialogue or negotiate with terrorists, only to now realize, after the demise of thousands and loss of billions of dollars, that dialogue is the only option left for a lasting peace in Iraq and Afghanistan? Do we see such favour and sensationalism by the press on these botched attempts as we witness when the culprits happen to be Muslims? What would have happened if those Christians had succeeded in carrying out the blast? In a nation where the press in mainly in the hands of people of a particular faith, it is hard to be neutral in their reportage of these kinds of events; especially if it reinforces a stereotype and serves a hot selling item of news. John Akpava was caught with weapons at a Ministerial Press Briefing held at Radio House, Abuja. What would the press have done with this story if John Akpava were a Muslim? A ‘suicide’ bomber was allowed into the premises of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), Jos, by a fellow member of the church, who detonated explosives that led to the death of 8 persons; 38 others were seriously injured. The Sun Newspaper of Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 reported that the said Boko Haram suicide bomber was identified by The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), as Mr. Adams Joseph Ashaba, ‘who allegedly masterminded the bombing of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Jos, the Plateau State capital on February 26, disclosing, that he was actually a member of the Church.’ In another report on Daily Trust of Monday, February 27th, 2012, 8 members of the same (COCIN) were arrested this time in Bauchi with explosive devices desiring to set ablaze the church. Their arrest was almost thwarted by some Christians, but for the timely intervention of the Police. The above examples and that of the arrest of Augustine Effiong of Akwa Ibon origin who was reported by Thisday of May 21st, 2012, to have confessed his involvement in the BUK bombings, should make Muslim and Christian leaders realise that we are all in this together, and that we should work in harmony to bring about workable solution to the problem of insecurity in Nigeria. We have to do this. The problems of this country could only be solved by Nigerians. Yes, we can listen to good advice from abroad, and learn from other people’s experiences on similar matters. The ambivalence of the sacred is not to be seen as a bad thing. A polarised world is the one which should be strange. What we hold dear are not the same; our understanding of who God is and what His Laws are is also varied and diverse. The only thing we can firmly attest to as people is that we are brothers in humanity. The multiplicity of religions is a manifestation of our diverse backgrounds and reasoning. While some are content to worship the air and trees; others worship a fellow being as god. Look at Christianity and Islam for example: In either faith, we have hundreds of sects and variants. Each sect or variant in turn has its own idiosyncrasies and modes of worship and body of beliefs. The realisation that every time you are looking at the number 6 on a table, another sees the number 9 across that table helps to devise means to study and tolerate conflicting ideologies. While Muslims have been stereotypically dubbed as violent, Christians have had their share of stereotypes too. A typical uninformed Muslim thinks all Christians are Crusaders, trying to snuff out the light of Islam. He detests the Christians in his surroundings and distrusts them. When he meets the right Christian, he is confused and disorientated. He asks more and learns; he deepens his understanding and the shallowness of undue hate goes away. We also have stories of Christians referring to Muslims as idolaters and heathens who slaughter a ram every year to their god. One of such ignoramuses even wrote a book he titled â€Å"Who is This Allah?† He used that rare opportunity to show just how ignorant he is. The average uninformed Christian distrusts and despises the Muslims. The irresponsible journalism tactics employed by some media houses have also helped fuel the problem. The annual holidays connected to the Christian faith given by the Federal Government and most state governments are the Christian New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas and Boxing Day. We also have the weekly holidays of Saturday and Sunday to enable them go and worship. On the Muslim side we have the yearly holidays of Eidul Adha, Eidul Fitr and Mawlidun Nabiyy. The Osun state governor decided to give the Muslims their right by making 15th November, which corresponds to 1st Muharram a public holiday. Objectively, no one should have any issues with that; after all, are citizens are equal and what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander; but alas! That was not to be! The Christain owned Punch newspaper wrote an editorial condemning it and saying Nigeria is secular. How convenient! Muslims say he was sent by God as a messenger, bearer of glad tidings and warner against the impending doom of the end of time. They revere him and truly believe in him. They do not elevate him to a rank above prophethood. Any attack on his personality is an affront on their faith. The Muslims believe that Jesus (or ‘Eesa) the son of the Virgin Mary is alive, never died or resurrected, ascended to the heavens until his return, is a great prophet who was born in one of the four ways God perpetuates life. Any insult on him is an affront on the Muslim faith and any who disbelieves in him is not a Muslim. The Christians have two main beliefs about him. One says he is in fact God, Lord and Saviour; a part of a triune while the other contends that he was sent by God but lesser than God. These are clearly opposing views about the same people! Do we go out and persecute those who do not share the same sets of beliefs with us? Only a fool will answer in the affirmative! This madness must stop, and to stop it, we must know ourselves and what we hold dear better; that is no fool’s calling. We know and believe that if more of us know what you and I know today and if more are willing to practise our faiths to the letter, there will be little or no bloodshed. Over centuries Muslims and Christians and Jews have been murdered for the simple reason that they belong to a different faith; we can and must stop it.

Performance Evaluation and Enhancement of Mobile Node: MIH

Performance Evaluation and Enhancement of Mobile Node: MIH PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF MOBILE NODE USING MIH CHAPTER 4 NETWORK SIMULATOR 4.1 Introduction NS2 is associate open-source simulation tool that runs on Linux, its a discreet event machine targeted at networking analysis and provides substantial support for simulation of routing, multicast protocols and informatics protocols, like UDP, TCP, RTP and SRM over wired and wireless (local and satellite) networks. Its several blessings that build it a great tool, like support for multiple protocols and therefore the capability of diagrammatically particularization network traffic. In addition, NS2 supports many algorithms in routing and queuing. Local routing and broadcasts are a part of routing algorithms. Queuing algorithms embody honest queuing, deficit round-robin and FIFO. NS is associate object oriented machine, written in C++, with associate OTcl interpreter as a frontend. The machine supports a category hierarchy in C++ (also referred to as the compiled hierarchy during this document), and an identical category hierarchy inside the OTcl interpreter (also referred to as the taken hierarchy during this document). The 2 hierarchy’s square measure closely associated with every other; from the user’s perspective, theres a matched correspondence between a category within the taken hierarchy and one within the compiled hierarchy, the basis of this hierarchy is that the category Tcl Object. Users produce new machine objects through the interpreter; these objects square measure instantiated inside the interpreter, and square measure closely reflected by a corresponding object within the compiled hierarchy. The taken category hierarchy is mechanically established through strategies outlined within the category TclClass. User instantiated objects square measure reflected through strategies outlined within the category TclObject. NS2 is extensively utilized by the networking analysis community. It provides substantial support for simulation of communications protocol, routing, multicast protocols over wired and wireless (local and satellite) networks, etc. The machine is event-driven and runs in a very non-real-time fashion. It consists of C++ core strategies and uses Tcl and Object Tcl shell as interface permitting the computer file (simulation script) to explain the model to simulate. Users will outline arbitrary network topologies composed of nodes, routers, links and shared media. A chic set of protocol objects will then be hooked up to nodes, sometimes as agents. The machine suite conjointly includes a graphical beholder referred to as network animator (NAM) to help the users get additional insights regarding their simulation by visualizing packet trace information. NS is an occasion driven network machine developed at UC Berkeley that simulates style of informatics networks. It implements network protocols like communications protocol and UPD, traffic supply behavior like FTP, Telnet, Web, cosmic microwave background and VBR, router queue management mechanism like Drop Tail, RED and CBQ, routing algorithms like Dijkstra, and more. NS conjointly implements multicasting and a few of the mac layer protocols for computer network simulations.    4.2 A Short History   NS2 started as a variant of the $64000 network machine in 1989 (see Resources). REAL could be a network machine originally supposed for the real the dynamic behavior of flow and congestion management schemes in packet-switched information networks. NS2 is associate degree object-oriented machine developed as a part of the VINT project at the University of American state in Berkeley. The project is funded by government agency together with XEROX Palo Alto research center (PARC) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). NS2 is accessible on many platforms like Linux, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, SunOS and Solaris. NS2 conjointly builds and runs underneath Windows. Large scenarios benefit from large amounts of memory. Additionally, NS2 requires the following packages to run these scenarios Tcl has released Tcl8.3.2, Tk has released Tk 8.3.2, OTcl has released OTcl 1.0a7 and also TclCL has released TclCL 1.0b11. 4.3 C++ and OTCL Duality In this means, the controls of the C++ objects area unit given to OTcl. It’s conjointly attainable to feature member functions and variables to a C++ connected OTcl object. The objects in C++ that dont have to be controlled during a simulation or internally utilized by another object dont have to be connected to OTcl. Likewise, associate degree object (not within the information path) is entirely enforced in OTcl. Fig 4.1: C++ and OTcl: The Duality In this means, the controls of the C++ objects area unit given to OTcl. It’s conjointly attainable to feature member functions and variables to a C++ connected OTcl object. The objects in C++ that dont have to be controlled during a simulation or internally utilized by another object dont have to be connected to OTcl. Likewise, associate degree object (not within the information path) is entirely enforced in OTcl. Figure 5.1 shows associate degree object hierarchy example in C++ and OTcl. One factor to notice within the figure is that for C++ objects that have associate degree OTcl linkage forming a hierarchy, theres an identical OTcl object hierarchy terribly just like that of C++. NS was inbuilt C++ and provides a simulation interface through OTcl, associate degree object-oriented idiom of Tcl. The user describes a constellation by writing OTcl scripts, so the most ns program simulates that topology with mere parameters. The NS2 makes use of flat earth model within which it assumes that the atmosphere is flat with none elevations or depressions. But the real world will have geographical options like valleys and mountains.NS2 fails to capture this model in it. Many researchers have planned the additions of latest models to NS2.Shadowing Model in NS2 makes an attempt to capture the shadow impact of signals in real world, however will that inaccurately.NS2s shadowing model doesnt think about correlations: a true shadowing impact has sturdy correlations between 2 locations that area unit near one another. Shadow attenuation ought to be sculptured as a 2 dimensional log-normal random method with exponentially decaying spacial correlations. 4.4 Screenshot of Network Animator Fig 4.2: Network Animator Window NS animator window is shown in the above figure 4.2 which can be used to view the connection between the mobile and the network towers, it shows the movement packet drops which take place during simulation. 4.5  NIST’s Media Independent Handover module 4.5.1  Introduction Wireless network types Handover are off two types, Horizontal handovers also called Homogenous Handover and Vertical handovers also called Heterogeneous handovers. If Handover take place in same access technology (WiFi WiFi) or (WIMAXWIMAX) is Horizontal and if Handover takes place within the different access technology (WiFi WiMAX) or (WIMAXWIFI) is Vertical Handover. If Longer the handover duration, then higher the packet drop and poor QoS [7]. IEEE with 802.21 MIH addressed vertical handover, which separates the different access technology in a mobile device from the upper layers in the protocol stack. NIST has provided the 802.21 MIH add-on modules [3] for network simulator (ns2.29). These module support the two of the MIH functions, events and commands. 4.5.2  Supporting Technologies of 802.21 in ns-2 Ns-2.29 supports the access technologies in IEEE 802.21 scenarios are: WiMAX (802.16), Wi-Fi (802.11), UMTS and Ethernet (802.3). 4.5.3  Implementation of Nodes with Multiple Interfaces in ns-2 NS-2 does not support the heterogeneous multiple interfaces of a mobile node (MN), because node structure do not necessarily follow the same as the one defined in the basic model by external packages. Hence to resolve this issue, NIST add-on module created the concept of multiFace node also called super node, which is a mobile node which can links to other mobile nodes, these interfaces for the multiFace node, and the multiFace node can be viewed as as â€Å"supernode†. This concept is illustrated in Fig. 4.1. Fig. 4.1: High Level View of MultiFace Node Fig. 4.2: Power boundaries defined in NS2 The interface nodes activate the events and forwards them to the super node. The MIH Users on the super node are often ready to register and to receive these events. 4.5.4  Power Boundaries are often outlined in Wifi and WiMAX Cells In order to spot power boundaries which may be utilized in the simulation, 3 variables are outlined in ns-2.29, that is shown in Fig. 5.2. Theses variable are often outlined as: †¢CSTresh: accustomed outline the minimum power level to sense wireless packets and conjointly switch the mac layer, if mac layer is idle then it are often switched to busy, †¢RX Tresh: are often accustomed outline the minimum power level to receive wireless packets with error free; †¢pr_limit: are often perpetually equal or superior to one and is employed within the equation (RX Tresh) * (pr_limit), then this equation are going to be shaping the minimum power level that Associate in Nursing interface senses Link taking place event before triggering. In the above figure Fig 4.2, shows the ability boundaries between WLAN and WiMAX base station with its vary wherever the highest most layer is Cs thresh_, middle layer is rx thresh_ and also the inner layer is rx thresh_ * pr limit_. Dept. of CSE, VKIT 2014-20151 Education and Fertility | Literature Review Education and Fertility | Literature Review The relation between the education and fertility of women is a topic that has received much attention in the last decades. Some scholars have found that there is an inverse relation between the education and fertility, however, it is still unknown if this relation is causal or not. But in general, across countries, when women acquire more education, this decreases the number of children. The spread of education around the world has been linked to decreases in fertility that incremented women rates of enrollment and completion of secondary education. In point of fact, women with secondary education have on average one less child (Leà ³n, 2004). When estimating the relationship between education and fertility there are unobserved characteristics that affect schooling preferences and are correlated with unobserved variables that encourage to have a child or not. To better clarify this criteria, we have to analyze the next example. When a woman has wishes to work, attend college, make a professional career, this will impact negatively the number of children that she wants to have. On the contrary, women with access to the credit market, are more likely to have more years of education and also to children. As we observe, there is no only a negative relation between fertility and education, but it also may be positive (although is not common). In addition, when analyzing the effect of education on fertility we have to take into account the welfare policy consequences. When the total fertility rates decreases and the life expectancy increases, this may cause an ageing of the population. Therefore, the ratio of retirees to working-age adults increases and this create a serious problem on spending of governments on health care and pensions. This is the case of developed countries. By the contrary, in developing countries (specially Latin American countries), when the total fertility rate decreases, the risk of health between women and children decreases leading to a improvement in the welfare conditions. In the recent years, programs such as the World Banks Female Secondary Schooling Assistance Project seek to motivate the education of women around the world. Given these facts, the hypothesis than education affect fertility levels of women is valid. Not only the education of women affect their fertility rate, but also the marriage, which is delayed because women desires to enter to the labor market or to increase their education. The theoretical aspects concerning to the relation of fertility and education is very broad. In order to explain this relation with more accuracy it is important to analyze the studies of Barro and Becker (1988), Livi-Baci (1997) and Willis (1973). They agree in the fact that women with more education diminishes their fertility because of the increment in the cost of opportunity of time. Other models point out the wage of women as the main factor in explaining the cost of opportunity of childbearing. Montgomery and Trussel (1986) analyze the children as normal goods. Here and increment in the education of women produces an increment in the parents income, which lead to an increment in the spending of normal goods (children), dominating the wage effect. It is also important to analyze the models that explain the fertility as stochastic processes (Wolpin (1994), Newman (1988) and Hotz and Miller (1988), however, this studies have no provided any result about the empirical specification for the life cycle fertility. They just agree in the fact that the returns of more years of education are positive and that this produces an inverse relation between education and fertility in women. Reviewing the literature between education and fertility, we have to highlight the contribution of the studies done by Becker. Becker (1960) and Becker and Lewis (1973) analyze the child quality fertility model, which is one of the most used model in explaining the relation between education and fertility. This model analyze the role of income of parents in the quality and quantity of children. That is to say that when the income of parents increases, the quality and quality of children also increases. Becker argues that the income elasticity of the quantity of children is small related to the income elasticity of the quality of children. Given the fact that the spending on children increases, it leads to a prevalence of the higher quality. In this case, the substitution effects subdue to the income effect. Following this criteria, Easterlin and Crimmins (1985) formulates the theory of the demand of children, referring mainly to the desired family size of parents but taking into consideration that the knowledge of birth control instruments is general and does not imply any cost. Moreover, the supply of children refers to the quantity of children that parents would experience, without limiting the family size. As we can observe, all the theories mentioned above deal with the negative relation between fertility and education, just with the exception of the supply theory that connects the health and the fecundity. Therefore the role of education is very important given the fact that help women to have more knowledge about contraceptive methods, and gain different perspectives of life. In addition, according to the economic theory, the relation of education and fertility has consequences for the welfare policies of the countries. An analysis in Developing Countries The fertility rate has decreased in Latin American countries through the years. According to Weilti (1993) the industrialization and modernization have been drivers in this reduction. On the one hand, with the industrialization the technology, communication, infrastructure and transport was improved. On the other hand, modernization has had a greater impact on fertility, improving of health care, education, urbanization. The arguments in explaining the decrement in fertility are mainly two: gender equality and education of women. Gender equality refers to the control of women on their lives (in all aspects) and education promote all of this independence of women. In recent years the inquiry about if educated women are selected for additional features that could be related to lower fertility such as income, earning of husband has brought lot of discussion. All of these additional features including on the analysis appears to be as indicators of a negative relation between fertility and education. Also it is important to mention that the autonomy of women is an important aspect when decreasing their fertility (Dyson and Moore, 1983). This implies that educated women has more independence in taking decisions in their life ((Basu (1992); Morgan and Niraula (1995); Vlassoff (1996)). The literature about the negative relation between fertility and education is very broad. Currently, there is lot of discussion about the reduction on mortality and the increasing aspirations from the women as main factors in explaining this relation. The decrease in fertility according to demographers is explained by reductions in infant and child mortality. The increasing aspirations of women is another important factor in explaining the negative relation between education and fertility. This model, that relates the decreasing in fertility levels with the increasing in aspirations of women, tries to explain mainly the resources in the market that women spend in children and in goods and this decision on how much to spend in each thing depend on preferences of women. According to the DHS survey carried out in the 80s, one of the most powerful tools of fertility is the access to mass media in developing countries, especially when talking about contraceptive methods and family size. The access to mass media it is really important in the family planning of households. But according to some authors as (Ramesh et al. (1996, Westoff and Rodriguez (1995) the education should increase along with the increase of the material aspirations. As reductions in fertility (at macro-level) are given by increments in educational, we expect that education has a connection with rising aspirations (United Nations, 1995). In fact, in South Asia, accoring to Basu (1999), the decrease in fertility is linked to increments in dowry. As we can observe, the relation between education and fertility seems to be explained with the theory about material aspirations of women. Following this theory of the material aspirations of women, we come to the conclusion that the increment in material aspirations and more investments in the schooling of daughters can provoke a decline in fertility in the couple. The impact on Latin American Countries According to the International Family Planning Perspectives, 21:52-57 80, 1995), women that have no education have on average bigger families of 6 or 7 children, while women that have education 2 or 3 children. The knowledge about contraceptive methods is more favorable to educated women (Demographic and Health Surveys for 9 Latin American countries). It is important to point out that the negative relation between education and fertility stopped being as an automatic progress after the World Fertility Survey in the 70s when the results gave a broader idea that the fertility reductions are explained by the development, gender stratification of the society. The impacts of education on fertility can be explained for the following aspects. In first place, the education acts as a source of knowledge, given the fact that schooling improves the knowledge of women about different lifestyles and a major access to information about fertility elections. Secondly, education is a tool for the development of a country. The education is a cover letter to entry formally to the labor market. And finally the education acts as a transformer of attitudes, specially aspirations in life. It is known that Latin American is the most unequal society in the world. The gap between the rich and poor people has increased in the last years and this situation seems to not come to an end. In some Latin American Countries the access to a good education is given mainly by the social origins. Not always, but in most of cases, poor people has no access to an education because of the lack of money and opportunities. But this situation has improved in the last decades with the free access to public education and improvements in the literacy rates of Latin American Countries. However, in countries such as Guatemala, 42% of women have no formal education (Indicators of female educational attainment in Latin America, by country, 1985-1989). As we observe in the table below, the 1/5 of the people in Bolivia and El Salvador has no education, which is a extremely bad indicator. In the rest of the Latin American countries the years of schooling show a better performance, reaching 10 years of education roughly. As we mentioned above, the improvements in education has been a major concern in Latin American Governments in the recent decade. As we observe in the table, countries such as Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Mexico has showed substantial progress in the school attendance (1.4, 1.7, 1.4, 2.2. and 3.4 years respectively). The relation between fertility and education in Latin American is considered as the most powerful in the world. This is explained by the differential in reproductive strategies inside this society. If we refer to pretransitional societies, the behavior of women with no education is similar to the one of that societies, having on average 6 or 7 children, while women with better education have on average 2 or 3 children. In table 2, there is a surprising fact in which the fertility patterns (desired family size) are almost the same among poor (educated) women and educated women, but in practice they differ a lot. Referring to the contraceptive knowledge, here we find a big difference. The difference between uneducated and educated women in Colombia and Dominic Republic is 20% and 40% in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico.

Branding architecture and strategies

Branding architecture and strategies Brand distinguishes a companys product from its competitors and an identified product or service that closely satisfies customers needs and wants. Brand is an asset to a company and reflects the quality of customer service. Branding is all about the customers trust of the product or service and makes the segmentation easier for the company. The difference between a company and its competitors should be communicated by brand, because it makes a company unique. BMW, Toyota, Luis Vuitton, NEXT, Debenhams, Nike and Coca Cola are the well-known brands that command price premium and stimulate deep customers loyalty. Branding is the collection of actual and emotional characteristics associated with a particular identified product or service that differentiates it from the rest of marketplace Hand-out notes by tutor Anthony smith Branding is an important aspect of marketing to build a strong image of a company. Mercedes Benz is an automobile brand that commands a premium with their engineering, performance, quality, customer service and after sales service. Toyota shares all these attributes but still they were not positioned as premium in the customers mind. Toyota then formed Lexus as a premium brand with the partnership of both Toyota and Lexus shared engineering, design elements and customer service to successfully compete the big automobile brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz. How-to-branding.com Brand Architecture Brand architecture refers to the hierarchy of brands within a single company. It is the interrelationship of the parent company, subsidiary companies, products, and services, and should mirror the  marketing strategy. Kompanigroup.com How an organization structures various products, services or other entities within its portfolio and how they relate to one another. Brandinstitue.com In the growing economy we can see different companies merging with each other and form the strategy for each of the targeted group in which every product can bring its own brand name. Good and clear brand architecture clues a company towards brand positioning and also helps to get sustainable competitive advantage. There are three different types of brand architecture strategies. Corporate/Monolithic Branding Strategy In this strategy company takes on a unified brand for all products and target markets. This strategy brings simplicity, and cost deficiencies can be achieved as opposed to multi-branding architecture, in which a corporate brand plays a smaller role. Microsoft, Intel, Disney, CNN, SONY, Nike, Virgin and coca cola etc. are the best examples of corporate branding. Corporate banding makes the advertising easier for the company as they just advertise their name and slogan. . Coca cola is recognizable in every continent of the world through its red curved bottle and logo. SONY is a corporate brand as its name is attached to everything, from its DVDs to play station. The founder of SONY, Akio Morita, once said: I have always believed that the company name is the life of an enterprise. It carries responsibility and guarantees the quality of the product. Therefore corporate strategy leads a company to sustainable financial outcomes. Brandingstrategyinsider.com . Adhistry.wikispaces.com Google.co.uk Multi/Individual Branding Strategy Multi Brand Strategy refers to a marketing strategy under which two or more than two similar products of a firm are marketed under different brand names.   Finance.mapsofworld.com It is very difficult for a brand to position itself in a diversified environment where the customers needs and wants are different. Therefore, company can fill different market segments through diversifying its product range. VW, PG, Unilever and Diageo are the best examples of multi branding. PG is the prime example, having a multiple shampoo brand to influence different customers, like head shoulder for dandruff, Pentene for healthy hear and Sassoon for professional saloon experience. Through multi branding a company can target more than one segment in the market and fill the price gaps. Multi branding is a good strategy but sometime it fails because of the poor management. Due to failure it could harm the family brand name. VW took many years to change the negative brand image of Skoda from the customers mind. Helen Meek. et al, 2001 Google.co.uk Endorsed Branding A brand that carries the endorsement of a  source brand (the parent company). Brandbuild.eu Endorsements add integrity and assurance of the indorsed sub brand in customers mind without overpowering it with its own association. Endorsed branding is suitable for the company, using varied product portfolio, e.g. Nestle, Cadbury, Unilever etc. Nestle written on the  Kit Kat,  Cadbury written on Dairy Milk to provide credibility and assurance to the product. Some companies give independence to the endorsed brands like Unilever give freedom to the Heartbrands such as Feast, Magnum and Cornetto and they have their own marketing campaigns and target market. Some companies has firm relationship between company name and product, e.g. Ford does it with the model Mustang, people using either the brand name Mustang or the full name Ford Mustang. Google.co.uk Brand Elements Brand elements are those trademarkable devices that identify and differentiate the brands. There are certain elements of a brand, like names, logos, symbol, characters, slogans, design, features etc. some important elements are mentioned below. Kotler et al, 1996 Brand Name Name is the most significant element of the brand. This is the only part of the brand which should never be changed. It help customers to identify distinguish product from competitors. It is not necessary the brand name is associated with the company and can be different. But if the brand name is linked with the quality of the product either high or low, then all good must be of the same standard. MS is the prime example of providing quality products through St Michael Brand as one can see its tag on the cloths and food and household goods as well. Brand Image Brand image is fundamental way through which a customer recognises and believes a brand. It gives a company an identity and creates a better image in the mind of the customers. Brand image is unique that clearly reflects the image of the organisation and different from the competitors. To build a right image in the customers mind, the company must have to focus on brand identity. Brand Personality Brand personality is the goodwill of the brand. It is associated with the benefits and attributes of the brand. Brand personality is unique and long lasting; it is the emotional attachment of the consumers with the product, e.g. Sony and Panasonic, both are the giants of electronic sector, although both got same features, some peoples prefer one of the other because of their trust on the product by long time. Brand Association Associations, according to Aaker (1991) represent the bases for purchase decisions and for brand loyalty. The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationships. Hence, building strong brand perceptions is a top priority for many firms today. Morris, 1996 It is the perception of the customers towards a brand attributes and quality. Brands can be associated with the name, colours, symbols, attitudes, expressions and sound etc. Mercedes Benz is associated with the luxury drive and excellent engineering, Nike with its Slogan, Nokia with its sound, and Coca Cola with its red colour, Colgate toothpaste with cavity protection and Microsoft with Bill Gates. Renault has launched a successful campaign for its model Clio and used the famous French footballer Thierry Henry and Sesame Steet in the Va Va Voom advertisement. This campaign resulting attract more male customers than females. This is how celebritys association to the brand benefits organisation. Kotler et al, 1996 Brand association gives the basis of buying and brand loyalty to the customers. Companies always try to associate their brands with the positive things to create good image of the product in the mind of customers. Brand association developed if the product is desirable, durable and satisfies the customers needs. Positive customers perception about the product makes a brand stronger. It is formed on the basis of Product attributes, Advertisement, Relevant price, Quality, Celebrity and big entity association, Competition and Display points. Brand positioning Positioning is the place in consumers mind that you want you brand to own. For example, Hallmark caring shared, and Disney Family Fun entertainment. Positioning is not what you do to a product; positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. Ries and Trout, 1981 Brand positioning is successfully built through continuous communication with the customers about the product to its targeted market, through advertisement, brand name and its packing. Brand positioning refers to the position in the customers mind, it does not relate to market position. Brand positioning is associated with the market segmentation. The right market segment is to be targeted for the brand positioning. Brand positioning is all about a customers perception about the product. There are certain ways for a brand to be positioned, e.g. offering specific benefits, targeting a specific segment, pricing and distribution. Brand positioning is an important concept in which a company can decide where it wants to position its brand in its field relative to competition. Brand positioning is a thinking that guides a company to build a relationship between the brand and customers. Brand positioning gives space in the customers mind, so the company become in the better position to control over its own brand image. Price and quality are the most common attributes are considered in the brand positioning. To get a good position in the customers mind the company introduce brand of a good quality with on competitive price. The quality of the product must be at least equivalent or better from the competitors. Quality perception is the most powerful element of the brand positioning. Once a company is successful in building a powerful perception of quality will result in building a powerful brand. Psychological element is dominant to some extent in building a quality perception as some peoples psyche is that the product with high price tag is of good quality. Communicating brands through their specific features is another way to position brands, e.g. Clinic all clear, Dare to wear Black or Pakistan and India surf excel is advertised as stain remover, Surf Excel hena. Culture is another strong aspect to the brand positioning. Different companies use cultural symbols to differentiate products from their competitors. Examples including, Air India advertise through Maharaja, Tata tea, Hamara Bajaj etc. Treedeuce.com Brand Extension Brand extension  is a marketing strategy in which a firm that markets a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name but in a different product category. Brandexpress.net When a firm uses its brand in another product form, or even within another product class, then the firm is stretching the brand (also referred to as brand extension). Iain Ellwood, 2002 Virgin is the good example of brand extension as they sell everything from records to airline travel, to cola drinks to wedding parties from clothing to cosmetic and computers. This is successful in brand extension because it has the ability to connect the customer directly and give them values. Many firms attempt to extend their brands but all the brand extensions are not suitable or desirable. An extended brand always works best in a top to down direction. It is always easy for a company to bring brand extension from relatively cheaper product line. Ralph Lauren and Gucci are the best example. Ralph Lauren extended from luxury clothing to jeans and bed linen while Gucci brand is extended from luxury clothes to oven gloves, cooking aprons and dog toys. An extended brand has a low introductory cost because the customers, traders and retailer are well aware of the product. Brand extension brings options to the customers through variety of products. If the product is of lower quality, will result in damaging in overall brand value. Iain Ellwood, 2002 Caterpillar is one of the biggest non-sporting footwear companies in the world with its brand CAT. This is basically a construction and mining equipment manufacturing company that extended their brand in this potential segment. It was perceived that it is the biggest mistake of the caterpillar but the extension was a big success. Sometimes the brand extension, implemented incorrectly due to less understanding. LEGO is a Danish toy manufacturing company, decided to extend its brand and launched its own product line of cloths, watches and video games but it was ignored by its target market, that result half of its employee are redundant back in 2004. Kotler et al, 2009 Michelin and Goodyear are the French companies, famous for making rubber tyres and having a number of brand extensions. Michelin brand extensions are car and cycle related product, footwear and clothing, sports and leisure and personal accessories. On the other hand Goodyear becomes the partner of the Adidas to make a series of driving shoes. Kotler et al 2006 We can see normally financial services providers have not attempted to extend their brands, and only concern with their original market. On the other hand, there are too many non-financial service providers extended directly to the financial services. E.g. Tesco extended its market to Tesco banking and Tesco insurance. Benefits of branding To customers People buy brands, because they are well aware of the quality of the product and save time and efforts. Buying a branded product can give customers a peace of mind and credibility. Most of the branded products have warranty policies, which gives customers assurance of a quality product. Some big companies having product replacing policies, e.g. DeWalt a power tool manufacturing company, replace the product immediately in case of damage. To intermediaries/stakeholders There are certain benefits of branding to different stakeholders, that directly/indirectly effecting the organisation. Multinational organisations always have the strategy for social, environmental and economic issues, so Companies contribute to the societies in which they operate. Brands follow government regulations to minimise any adverse effect to the environment and pays tax and create job opportunities that help governments to control over unemployment. Employees always attract to innovative companies where learning opportunities are always there to enhance their career. Multinational companies give assurance of the job security and give career path at the time of recruiting them. Instead of supplying goods directly to retailers, companies distribute goods through agents or distributers. Distributers get long-term agreements from the known brand companies and also benefits from the goodwill of from that brand. Retailer can get benefits from the companys overall marketing campaign. Sustainable competitive advantage When two or more firms compete within the same market, one firm possesses a competitive advantage over its rivals when it earns (or has the potential) to earn a persistently higher rate of profit. Grant, 2002 It is very important for every organisation to be successful in long term. Effective corporate branding is certainly the main source of getting sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Worlds famous corporate brands do not sell products, they sell concepts, e.g. Coca Cola does not sell a soft drink, it sells enjoyment and Microsoft does not sells computers, it sells possibility. Brand designers create a corporate brand identity through promotional material and advertising campaign to establish a corporate identity. There are certain brand characteristics that lead a company to get sustainable competitive advantage. A well designed logo and a strong identity system can give a company an edge over its competitors. Through Brand Identity A unique set of brand associations that the brand strategist aspires to create or maintain. These associations represent what the brand stands for and imply a promise to customers from the organisation members. Aaker, 2004 Brand identity is the way a company aims to identify or position itself or its product or service. Kotler et al, 2009 Brand identity is the first thing that a customer experience and plays a major role in getting a sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Brand attributes are is a bag of features that shows the personality of a brand and these attributes help to create brand identity. Brand identity is supported by emotional and unique elements and values, serve to distinguish the brand in the market, especially for progressively competitive environments, service organisations and recreational sectors. Brand identity creates a distinct identity that is very hard for the competitors to duplicate. The main elements to build a strong brand identity are human resources, organisational culture, organisational structure, stationary, company cards, company dà ©cor, packing, catalogue, market and innovation etc. Kotler et al, 2009 Through Brand loyalty Brand loyalty is considered as ultimate reward for a brand as it is another factor which leads a company to get a sustainable competitive advantage. Customers always prefer to buy those brands they are loyalty with, even though that is expensive and have close substitutes in the market. Apples iPod is a product to listen mp3/mp4 music, and the big electronic giants like Sony, Panasonic and so many other companies have same product with same features at the relatively low price than Apples iPod. Majority of the customers buy iPod just because they are loyal with the brand. Through Brand Equity Brand is a symbol of extremely precious part of legal property, that can control consumer behaviour and it also provides the protection of persistent future revenues to the firm. Brand equity is called the amount that is directly or indirectly accrues by these various benefits. Kapferer, 2005; keller, 2003 Companies invest huge amount of money to develop brand equity. Brands with high equity win the space in the market because of the uniqueness, reliable services and continuous and effective relationship with the customers. Stronger brand image takes a company to financial advantage through the brand equity. Brand equity leads a company to charge perineum prices for the product to raise their profit margin.