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Coca Cola Company Marketing Report

Coca Cola Company Marketing Report Introduction Coca Cola Company is the leading beverage firm in the world. Started in 1886, this firm has managed to become one of the America’s most profitable companies. Its trademark was officially registered in the United States in 1944. Kline (2010) reports that the firm has experienced a consistent growth in its market share in the local market. The firm is currently operational in over 200 countries across the world.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Coca Cola Company Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The brand ‘Coca Cola’ has been rated as one of the best brand in the world. In the year 2008, it was rated the most valuable brand in America and the world at large, beating some of the renowned brands like Apple, General Electric and Amazon.com. The firm has been experiencing consistent growth even in the face of the economic slowdown in the United States and other major world markets. According to Biswas (2011), it has been in a position to withstand some of the external challenges posed by various factors in the environment. In order to bring to focus the environmental factors that have influenced this firm, a SWOT analysis will be used. SWOT Analysis The strength of this company lies in various factors. One of the major strengths of this firm is its brand name (Grossman, 2011). As Stated above, the brand Coca Cola is one of the strongest brands in the world. This has made it be able to maintain its market share in the face of an increasingly competitive market. This firm also has financial strength. It has been in operation for over 100 years, amassing huge wealth in the process. As such, this firm is in a position to implement its projects, including those of research and extension. The firm also operates in various countries outside the home market. As such, it has been able to balance its production when one section of its market is experiencing economic gr owth while the other has recession. Despite the above strengths of this firm, Lippman (2004) says that there are some weaknesses that it has, a fact that has seen some of its competitors like Pepsi Cola eat up a section of its market share. One of the weaknesses that many environmentalists have repeatedly talked about is environmental degradation. The plastic bottles that this firm uses in packing its drinks are causing havoc to the environment. It is apparent that this firm is yet to develop solution to this problem because as Tanke (2000) notes, Coca Cola Company is yet to replace the plastic bottles with better alternatives.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Within the environment that this firm operates are some opportunities that have made it experience massive growth in its market share. According to Panagariya (2008), Coca Cola Company has exploited vacuum th at existed in many countries in the world, especially in the developing countries. Weiss (2011) says that there was no competition for this firm in the overseas markets and this Company was able to make the most out of it. Technological advancements have also enabled the firm to conduct trade much easily due to improved means of communication and transport means. The economic boom that America experienced soon after the Second World War was another opportunity that helped this firm to expand its market. The threats that this firm has had to deal with include competition. The market has gotten increasingly competitive. Charantimath (2006) notes that many firms like Pepsi Cola have come up with products, which are close substitutes of those that are offered by Coca Cola. They have eaten into the markets of Coca Cola. Political instability in some countries is another threat that this firm has had to deal with. When there is an internal strife, like the one experienced in Egypt and Lib ya in the recent past, this firm would lose millions of dollars due to the destruction of its assert in those countries. During such periods, the firm would also lose the profits they get from the country, while yet they will have to pay the employees. This would hurt the firm financially. Competitor Analysis Although there many competitors of Coca Cola in this industry, the main competitor that has been able to keep it at close watch is Pepsi Cola. Just like Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola is also an American firm. According to Clinton (2011), it has a considerably huge market share in the American market and other countries overseas. This firm has been in a position to understand the emerging market trends and respond to them as appropriate, making it develop a niche in the market. As a result of this, it has been in a position to emerge as the main competitor of Coca Cola Company. The firm has diversified its production lines as a way of ensuring that it is not affected by the failure in o ne of the lines. The brand of this firm is also strong. Pepsi Cola is known in various countries beyond America. It has managed to outsmart Coca Cola in South Africa, one of the most promising emerging markets in the third world countries (Clement Henry, 2010). The firm is also doing well locally and in other European nations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Coca Cola Company Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Market Analysis The market is getting increasingly competitive. The beverage industry is getting new products like fruit juices that never existed before. These products have been propositioned as healthy as they are taken directly from the natural fruits. According to Baily (1996), this has seen a massive shift from consumption of the cola products to the consumption of the natural fruit juices. This is a competition that Coca Cola least expected. It would have expected its competitor to be a firm l ike Pepsi Cola producing similar products to its cola products. Given this new trend, this firm must readjust its operations in order to counter this new challenge. Environmental Analysis Environmental analysis can take various fronts (Andrzej Buchaman, 2007). The competitive environment of this firm has been discussed comprehensively in the above discussion. Other environmental factors like technology, environmental conservation concerns, and economic growth are some of the other factors that would affect the operations of this firm Internal Analysis Coca Cola is a huge company with huge market share, capital base and very many employees. Other internal analyses of this firm have been looked at in the above SWOT Analysis. Marketing Objectives Marketing has experienced a complete shift from what it used to be in the past. After the Second World War, there was a huge market for many of the manufacturers in the world, Coca Cola included. By this time, the concern was to produce in ma ss and take them to the ready market in various countries in the world. The market had no options but to accept the products that were availed to them (Barthe, 2010). However, this has completely changed over the past few years. Technology has reduced the world into a global village, breaking the physical barrier that existed before. Information is also changing the world market. Customers have easy access to information. They can easily get the information about specific products they need, where to get them at competitive prices. As Shachaf (2008) says, customers are currently demanding for more value at a lesser cost. The suppliers are also getting more patronizing, especially those that operate in semi autonomous manner. They ask for more at lesser value they give. A business unit would be trapped in between a more demanding customer and a more patronizing supplier (Hirschey, Kose Makhija, 2004). This is not the only predicament in which a firm like Coca Cola finds itself.Adver tising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other cases of environmental conservation are also demanding for an attention. The firm must therefore develop a marketing plan that would work in the current business world. The firm must develop concise objectives that would enable it navigate through the market that has gotten more challenging. For Coca Cola Company, the following are some of the objectives that it may need to achieve in order to maintain its market position. To broaden the scope of the Cola brands. The current brands are broad enough, but given the new competition that is emanating from the fruit juices, the firm must refocus its strategy. The objective of broadening the scope of the Cola brands is aimed at ensuring that this firm would be in a position to introduce new competitive fronts that would counter the effect of new market competition. This would also result in increased profitability. Enhance creativity in the process of serving the customers. The research and development team of Coca Cola Company has always ensured that it provides its customers with new products often enough. However, the rate at which market is experiencing changes demands that this firm becomes more creative (Safizadeh, Field Ritzman, 2003). This creativity can be demonstrated in the way of packaging the products. Customers should be made to feel that there are changes happening within the firm which are geared towards ensuring that the customers are satisfied. Transform the bottling companies into active partners who are able to be the drivers of positive change for this firm. For a long time, the bottling companies have basically relied on the Coca Cola Company to issue directives and necessary advice in the production process. They have basically acted as the processing centers which would not give any advice on the management, production or any other concern to the company (Schmitt Lane, 2009). By transforming them into partners, this company will be empowering them to be in a position to develop creat ive ways of conducting their production. The partners can also be of great benefit to this firm because they can be the managers of local competition in various countries. Embrace technology as the agent of positive change. The society is greatly influenced by the changing technologies around the world. As Warner (2011) says, the current business society has embraced technology. Coca Cola can rely on technology to reduce the cost of production hence lower the prices of the products to competitive levels. Develop market proposition that would make it be seen as the preferred firm in this industry. This firm’s main objective is to attract and retain its customers through consistent customer satisfaction (Manaschi, 1998). As such, the firm plans to re-engineer its marketing strategies to reflect its new production methods and products that are responsive to customer needs. Targeting and Positioning Target marketing is one of the current marketing strategies that many business u nits have found to be relevant. Bird (1977) says that it starts with market segmentation. A business unit must be in a position to segment a large market and then identify those segments that are relevant. This is because the entire market cannot be equally attractive. For the Coca Cola Company, the market segment that has been identified to be the most attractive is the youth (Ruddar Sundharam, 2009). The youths are attracted to the products of this company, especially because they can easily be carried from one location to another and that they make the best snacks for such forums as party or picnics. Coca Cola Company has this market segment as its target market. it should therefore develop strategies that would help it further attract this market segment. In order to attract this segment, it has to developed market positioning strategies that would make it appealing to the youths. Coca Cola has position itself as the source of happiness (Kurtz Boone, 2010). In its Coca Cola Su mmer television commercial 2010 that was largely broadcasted in various channels of television and on YouTube, Coca Cola leaves no doubt of its intention to attract the youth. In this commercial, the firm is telling the youths that opening a bottle of Coca Cola is like opening happiness (Freeman, 2010). To the youth therefore, they go for a Coca Cola drink when they are looking for happiness. It has successfully propositioned itself as a firm that has the interest of youths at heart by making them believe that it is the genesis of happiness. Moran (2011) described this as a good move. However, it may need further adjustment to appear more attractive. The firm should attempt to convince the youths that its products are do not have any negative health consequences to its consumers. Growth Strategies The ultimate objective of every firm is always to ensure that it experiences growth in the market share and assert base. As Majer (2011) notes, this may not be easy to achieve, given the c urrent market competition. There are many businesses that are coming up, most of which offer similar products. Besides Pepsi Cola as the main competitor of Coca Cola Company, there are the local firms in various countries that are producing the fruit juices. These products are direct substitutes to the Cola products. Growth strategies must therefore be developed in order to secure this firm from a possible negative growth. One of the strategies that this firm should consider developing is the increment of its product lines (Lacity, Willcocks Feeny, 2004). This should be one of the main objectives of this firm especially in those countries where most people are shifting from consumption of Cola products to other substitutes that are believed to be more health conscious. It should consider going local by producing the line of products that are acceptable. This would help it regain the section of the market share that it might have lost to the local firms. it would also help it attrac t new market segments that were not previously covered by its initial products. This would lead to growth of this firm both in its market share and capital base. Selection of Competitive Advantage Sandwick (1987) once said that in the current world where the market is very dynamic, it is very important for a firm to develop competitive advantage as early as possible and make the maximum of it as fast as it can. This is because the in the current market, no competitive advantage is permanent. What is considered as a competitive advantage today may not be the case tomorrow (Pfiester, 2010). Coca Cola has to be in a position to select competitive advantage early enough and put in place structures that would enable it exploit it maximally. Given the competition from the local firms that are producing fruit juices, this firm has the financial advantage against them. These firms have the potential of driving the Cola products out of the world market and therefore they should not be taken lightly (Lisa Amy, 2006). The firm should use their economic strength and develop a different line from its current products that would directly compete with this local firm (Minja, 2009). Although the ultimate goal may not be a total elimination of these local firms, Coca Cola should make an effort to put to check their effects on its products. To other firms like Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola should take advantage of the fact that it has broader market coverage and therefore can make more profits. Marketing Mix Program Marketing Mix Program is one of the important factors that a firm should consider when developing business strategies that work, according to Wellington (2001). Coca Cola should start by defining the product aspect of the mix. It should determine which product would be suitable for its current markets. After determining the product that it can produce in the best way, it should determine people who would make the market for the product (Lall Narula, 2004). It should then come up with a price that would take care of the cost of production and the profit margin expected while still ensuring that the targeted people are able to pay. The firm can then design promotional procedures that would be convincing to the target group. Conclusion Business environment is getting more competitive. Coca Cola Company must therefore be ready to face this competition and develop strategies that would enable it be in a position to manage this competition. As can be seen from the above discussion, this firm has the responsibility of making its products be seen as competitive in the market. It must exploit its strengths and overcome some of the identified weaknesses within the local and international market. It should also take advantage of the opportunities that avail themselves in the external market to increase its market share. Finally, Coca Cola must identify some of the threats that are in the external environment and develop measures to overcome them. This way, it will be in a position to maintain its current market lead in the beverage industry. References Andrzej, A. Buchaman, A. (2007). Organizational Behavior. London: Prentice Hall. Baily, C. (1996). A guide to field research. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press. Barthe, G. (2010). Verification, Model Checking, and Abstract Interpretation: 11th Ed. New York. Springer. Bird, A. (1977). Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership. Journal of Social Psychology, 103(2), 217-223. Biswas, S. (2011). Commitment, involvement, and satisfaction as predictors of employee performance. South Asian Journal of Management, 18(2), 92-107. Charantimath. (2006).Total Quality Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Clement, M. Henry, R. (2010). Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East. New York: Cambridge University Press. Clinton, H. (2011). U.S Department of State, Diplomacy in Action. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, Inc. Freeman, E. (2010). Strategic Managem ent: A Stakeholder Approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. Grossman, R. J. (2011). The care and feeding of high-potential employees. (Cover story). Hrmagazine, 56(8), 34. Hirschey, M., Kose J., Makhija, K. (2004). Corporate Governance. Amsterdam: Emerald Group Publishing. Kline, J. (2010). Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy. New York: Routledge. Kurtz, L., Boone, L. (2010). Contemporary Marketing. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Lacity, M., Willcocks, L., Feeny, D. (2004). Commercializing the Back Office at Lloyds of London: Outsourcing and Strategic Partnerships Revisited. European Management Journal, 22(2), 127-140. Lall, S., Narula, R. (2004). Foreign Direct Investment And Its Role In Economic Development: Do We Need A New Agenda? The European Journal of Development Research, 16(3), 464-477. Lippman, T. (2004). Inside The Mirage: Americas Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia. New York: Basic Books. Lisa, G. Amy, D. (2006).T he Essential Guide to Federal Employment Laws. California: Nolo. Majer, C. (2011). The silent killers of productivity and profit. T+D, 65(2), 62 Manaschi, A. (1998). Comparative Advantage in International Trade: A Historical Perspective. Cheltenham, UK: Edwards Elgar Publishing. Minja, D. (2009). Ethical leadership practices. KCA Journal of Business Management, 2(1): 1-14. Moran. D. (2011). Climate Change and National Security: A Country-Level Analysis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Panagariya, A. (2008). India: The Emerging Giant. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pfiester, E. (2010). Boosting Small and Medium Enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Web. Ruddar, D. Sundharam, K. (2009). Indian Economy. New Delhi: Chand Group. Safizadeh, M., Field, J., Ritzman, L. (2003). An Empirical Analysis of Financial Services Processes with a Front Office or Back-Office Orientation. Journal of Operations Management, 21(5), 557-576. Sandwick, J. (1987). The Gulf Cooperation Council: modera tion and stability in an interdependent world. Michigan: Westview Press. Schmitt, J., Lane, N. (2009). An International Comparison of Small Business Employment. Web. Shachaf, P. (2008). Cultural Diversity and Information and Communication Technology Impacts on Global Virtual Teams: An Exploratory Study. Information Technology Journal, 45(2), 131-142. doi:10.1016/j.im.2007.12.003. Tanke, M. (2000). Human Resources Management for the Hospitality Industry. Albany: Cengage Learning. Warner, B. (2011). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Weiss, W. H. (2011). Building morale, motivating, and empowering employees. Supervision, 72(9), 23. Wellington, A. (2001). Health Insurance Coverage and Entrepreneurship. Journal of Contemporary Economic Policy, 19(4).

Philosophy of Immigrant Groups Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Philosophy of Immigrant Groups - Assignment Example The influx of European immigrants at the turn of the century has been associated with the formation of ethnic gangs and organized crime. Different values of people from diverse geographical area also tend to raise the criminal activities. Many immigrants obtain employment in low-skilled jobs eating into the jobs of the natives. Additionally these immigrants lend a reason to employers to push down the wages even further thus creating conditions for crime. Sociological theorists posit that the immigrants may themselves not have a negative disposition towards crime; however, the strains of immigration are such that the subsequent generations indulge in organized crime. That there exists a category of illegal immigrants is no secret. Since there is no official financial support available to this section of the society, these illegal immigrants are more prone to indulging in organized crime. Ousey, Graham C., and Charis E. Kubrin. "Exploring the Connection between Immigration and Violent Crime Rates in U.S. Cities, 1980-2000." Social problems 56.3 (2009): 447,447-473. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 26 Aug.

Choose one of the subjects Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose one of the subjects - Term Paper Example Legalization processes involve giving prescriptions of legalized drugs, providing licenses to legal drug dealers, such as hospitals, enforcing laws on any sale of drug to a minor, and advertising the rules and regulations that go hand in hand with drug legalization among others. This provides general awareness to the whole population. Drugs are legalized to avoid causing negative externalities on others, to reduce public spending on health, and to avoid upsetting people who are not in contact with the drugs. Through legalization, contagious drugs and premature deaths are avoided. Prolonged periods of drug use results in addiction. As a result, the drug addicts become violent and commit crimes to generate money to buy drugs. Jensen (2) asserts that most drug addicts were criminals even before they started using these drugs. These criminal acts involve stealing, killing and even kidnapping others to raise funds to buy the drugs. Through these acts, the users and non-users are affected. The prices of these drugs are determined by unregulated market, which is led by demand. This leads to high prices of drugs resulting in massive crime acts. To reduce these acts in the economy, the government imposes rules and regulations on drug users who are found to be committing crime and violating the public. The market prices are regulated by lowering the prices, which translates to reduced prices. For example, cigarette smokers will not steal from the public to buy cigarettes and thus crime rates will be reduced. Air pollution caused through smoking cigarettes and bhang will also be reduced. Wilkins and Scrimgeour (334) argue that the illicit market produces low quality drugs, which lead to a rise in the number of violent criminals. The street crimes then rise so as to finance these drugs. Tax imposition on these drugs maximizes the social products and the quantity of the drugs that are being produced. The pigouvian tax framework

Polymers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Polymers - Essay Example Among the naturally-occurring polymers are cotton, silk, cellulose, proteins and DNA, natural rubber, and amber whereas those of synthetic polymers are nylon, polyethylene, polyester, Teflon, epoxy, synthetic rubber, silicone, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and neoprene. As covalently bonded structures of macromolecules, polymers can be modified and be formed in chains that are linear, branched, cross-linked, or networked. Like any other molecule or substance with certain characteristics, a polymer bears properties specific to its own composition and nature. Polymeric properties have been determined based on the identity of constituent monomers, the arrangement of these monomers along with repeating units into a ‘microstructure’ within a polymer, the phase behaviour, the polymer morphology, as well as the mechanical and chemical properties of a polymer. Critical to the understanding of the morphology and phase behaviour of polymers is the temperature, for the degree of crystallinity of a polymer is a function of temperature so that through temperature variation, one can decide when a polymer becomes either crystalline or amorphous. A polymer transitions from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase upon reaching its melting point. At high temperatures in which polymers behave as viscous liquid, thermoplastic polymers soften unstably while thermosetting polymers harden permanently where thermosets, such as epoxy and polyester, are found to be more brittle and dimensionally stable than thermoplasts, like polyetheretherketone, upon heating. During cooling period, however, a polymer transforms from a rubbery-viscous liquid phase to an amorphous solid phase, deforming elastically at low temperatures. Adjusting the temperature affects the modulus of elasticity of a polymer such that a range of polymeric material – whether viscous ,

Relationship Between Russia and China

Relationship Between Russia and China The new era of Russia and China Tension in Ukraine, Natural Gas Contract and the future Chuqing Hu chuqing[emailprotected] The recent history The relationship between China and Russia has always been complicated. In early 1960s, also Russia (the formerSovietUnion) had been support China to rebuild the country after war diminished, friendship between the two countries diminished mainly due to the dissension on the war between China and India. During the war, the SovietUnion made public its stand to support India which significantly deteriorated its relationship with China. The incompatibility wasn’t softened until 1980s when MikhailGorbachev became the president of SU and started to remedy the relationship with China. Since then, China and Russia has been on their way to a new era of competitive cooperation, or we can also call it â€Å"cooperative competition.†[1] Year 2014, a new era evolved after the tension of Ukraine In the past few months, as stated by U.S. president Barack Obama, â€Å"Russia’s aggression towards former Soviet states unnerves capitals in Europe while China’s economic rise and military reach worries its neighbors.†[2] From March 2014, the issue in Ukraine treaded on sensitive ground for China, and it has contorted itself to find a neutral diplomatic position.China has long been holding the position of not to interfere in the internal affairsof other countries. However, this belief was kind of dimmed when China failed to state its position to the referendum in Crimea, Ukraine. China’s action was viewed as a silent support to Vladimir V.Putin as other western countries all clearly stated their opposition against the referendum. [3] China’s silence brought new harmony to its relationship with Russia and this has been viewed as the turning point of the strategic alliance between two of the most powerful countries in the world. Two months later, on May 20th, 2014, Russia clinched a US$400-billion deal to feed China around 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas via pipelines at a chummy price of $350-$400 per thousand cubic meters(TCM), shaking up an industry that is used to fetching $500-$600 per TCM from Asian markets. The deal prompted much commentary on the agreement’s potential to reshape global energy markets and tilt the balance of influence in Ukraine and, more broadly, inEurope. [4] Apart for the contract, Putin’s visit to China in May also brought about various strategic business alliances between the two countries, which include mining, electricity, border trade, automobile, etc. A formal alliance or a double jeopardy Some people would imply that China and Russia are forming a formal alliance in order to compete with the U.S. and Europe. However, although the two countries are in honeymoon in the past few months, uncertainties still exist and I assume it’s too early to call it a formal alliance. Foremost, since the two countries have different visions regarding their future, both economically and politically, the discrepancy of the visions of two countries will make the alliance not as strong as some people imagined. What matters most to China? Growth, growth and growth. China has been struggling with the slowdown of its GDP growth in the past year and the promise of 8% annual growth was broken due to the slackness of industrial manufacture and the rising cost of capital. At this moment, a long-term energy contract with a quite favorable price will a good stimulator to its economics. At the same time, Chinese government is also concerned with the destabilization aroused with its own borders. An alliance will also enhance the protection of its national interests since Russia is a neighbor as well as a friend. What matter most to Russia? Recovery, recovery and recovery. After deep recession, Russia has been long for a recovery in both its economics and international political status. Russia was known for its aggression when it was once on its greatest prosperity. In the recent years, as the financial recovery was on its way, Russia again started to strive for more political interests, especially towards former Soviet states. However, it’s also crystal clear that because of tension between Russia and the U.S., the western world will be never on Russia’s side regarding international affairs. The only and most power ally Russia can rely on has to be China. Putin’s visit and the multi-billion contract showed Russia’s generosity and its high expectation for the relationship. However, if Russia keeps raising its aggression after the tension in Crimea, this will put China in a very awkward situation – to keep supporting Russia with equivocatory and to risk its future to be sanctioned by the western or to break its friendship with Russia and risk what happened in the 1950s to happen again? It’s a double jeopardy for China. â€Å"China’s leaders can’t afford to side with Russia, and they cannot side with Russia’s forceful policy.† According to Titus C. Chen, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University in Taiwan.[5] Neither of them is an ideal choice for the Chinese authority since China definitely doesn’t want to be friend with Russia and be enemy with rest of the world. Envisioning the future There are mutual strategic needs as both China and Russia want to create a multipolar world which is not dominated by the U.S., particularly as China is now facing threats from the US-led alliance in Asia These two powerful countries although holding different goals in the alliance, are a formidable pair and can alter the international system. China knows that, Russia knows that, and the rest of the world is more or less afraid of that. The pair will accelerate the economic growth in both Russia and China, which is favorable for both of the countries. This suggests that, as long as Russia doesn’t get outrageous in its foreign policy, the friendship will be very well maintained in the near future. However, due to the historical mistrust, the lack of a common threat and conflicting interests in Central Asia, the sustainability of the partnership is questioned.[6] Besides China and Russia, U.S. is also playing and important part in the relationship. If U.S. keeps pushing China or Russia aggressively to the corner, this will certainly reinforce the China-Russia Alliance. If U.S. changed its position in order to drive a wedge between the two countries, the situation will become more unpredictable but also more interesting.   The tough road between Russia and China, multiple contributors, Voice of Russia, 2014 China-russia-and-the-outlook-for-the-liberal-international-system, Ali Wyne , www.warontherocks.com, Jun 2nd 2014 China Torn Between Policies and Partnership, Andrew Jacobs and Somini Sengupta, New York Times, March 12th, 2014 Russia-China Gas Deal Narrows Window for U.S.Exports, Richard Martin,Forbes, May 30th, 2014 China Torn Between Policies and Partnership, Andrew Jacobs and Somini Sengupta, New York Times, March 12th, 2014 Are China and Russia Moving toward a Formal Alliance?, Dingding Chen, The Diplomat, May 30th, 2014

Love and Hate in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay examples -- Shake

Analyze the Portrayal of Love and Hate in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ The emotions of love and hate are at the forefront of the theme in this play by William Shakespeare. The Oxford Standard English Dictionary defines ‘love’ as ‘to have strong feelings of affection for another adult and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to feel great affection for a friend or person in your family’ and defines ‘hate’ as ‘a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action dislike intensely, to feel antipathy or aversion towards someone or something’. However, words cannot portray such wide and powerful emotions. Love and hate include elements of life, passion, long-term bonding and dislike, disgust and loathing respectively. It is because Shakespeare incorporates each of these elements into the play that Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate story of love and hate. The feud that exists between the two houses is demonstrated to the audience in the very first scene and this sets the tone for the rest of the play. As you know, the first impressions of the characters are extremely important so the quarrels and the duel prepare the audience for what is to come. We also learn that the feud isn’t just between the heads of the two household, but ‘The quarrel is between our masters and us their men’ (I.i.17). Only the disgust and contempt that each house shows for the other on this level can be regarded as true hate. The deep feelings of hate that are demonstrated here show that the characters are serious in what they say, and this helps to add a serious note to their joking and mocking of each other, which in turn adds credibility to their proposed actions. The first impression of Tybalt is one of evil as he enters during a fight which associa... ...rs a resemblance to the works on which it is based, it is also quite similar in plot, theme, and dramatic ending to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Shakespeare was well aware of this similarity, he includes a reference to Thisbe in Romeo and Juliet and one can look at the play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a distortion of the story that Shakespeare tells in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in full knowledge that the story he was telling was old, clichà ©d, and an easy target for parody. In writing Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare unreservedly set himself the task of telling a love story despite the considerable forces he knew were stacked against its success. Through the incomparable intensity of his language Shakespeare succeeded in this effort, writing a play that is universally accepted in Western culture as the ultimate love story. Love and Hate in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Essay examples -- Shake Analyze the Portrayal of Love and Hate in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ The emotions of love and hate are at the forefront of the theme in this play by William Shakespeare. The Oxford Standard English Dictionary defines ‘love’ as ‘to have strong feelings of affection for another adult and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to feel great affection for a friend or person in your family’ and defines ‘hate’ as ‘a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action dislike intensely, to feel antipathy or aversion towards someone or something’. However, words cannot portray such wide and powerful emotions. Love and hate include elements of life, passion, long-term bonding and dislike, disgust and loathing respectively. It is because Shakespeare incorporates each of these elements into the play that Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate story of love and hate. The feud that exists between the two houses is demonstrated to the audience in the very first scene and this sets the tone for the rest of the play. As you know, the first impressions of the characters are extremely important so the quarrels and the duel prepare the audience for what is to come. We also learn that the feud isn’t just between the heads of the two household, but ‘The quarrel is between our masters and us their men’ (I.i.17). Only the disgust and contempt that each house shows for the other on this level can be regarded as true hate. The deep feelings of hate that are demonstrated here show that the characters are serious in what they say, and this helps to add a serious note to their joking and mocking of each other, which in turn adds credibility to their proposed actions. The first impression of Tybalt is one of evil as he enters during a fight which associa... ...rs a resemblance to the works on which it is based, it is also quite similar in plot, theme, and dramatic ending to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. Shakespeare was well aware of this similarity, he includes a reference to Thisbe in Romeo and Juliet and one can look at the play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a distortion of the story that Shakespeare tells in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in full knowledge that the story he was telling was old, clichà ©d, and an easy target for parody. In writing Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare unreservedly set himself the task of telling a love story despite the considerable forces he knew were stacked against its success. Through the incomparable intensity of his language Shakespeare succeeded in this effort, writing a play that is universally accepted in Western culture as the ultimate love story.

Porsche Cayenne

JOHN DEIGHTON JILL AVERY JEFFREY FEAR op yo Porsche: The Cayenne Launch In March 2003 the Porsche brand faced a challenge without precedent in 55 years. Since the e launch of the Porsche 356 in 1948, the brand had stood for expensive, high-performance sports cars. Its designs, varying little over the decades, formed and then came to reflect the notion of a classic n sports car. It was a connoisseur’s racing vehicle, engineered for speed and maneuverability. But it was also a rebel’s car; the car James Dean died in and that Tom Cruise ditched in the motion picture Risky Business.Always and everywhere, Porsches were sports cars. tC 2003 marked the end of this single-minded focus. In March of that year, it launched a sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Porsche Cayenne. The extension of the brand to a new product category posed many challenges. Looking ahead, the company had to think about how to position the Cayenne while protecting the Porsche parent brand. How much and in what ways would the Cayenne change Porsche’s image and brand identity? The company also had to decide what to do about the on oing consumer-to-consumer ng conversations in online Porsche brand communities.Some argued that online brand communities were an important source of consumer research. Others argued that the consumers who participated in the online conversations held views more extreme than the average consumer. Were they of any value in deciphering the market’s renegotiation of Porsche’s brand meaning? n No The Legacya Do Ferdinand Porsche was born on September 3, 1875 in Bohemia, part of the former AustroHungarian Empire. After a brief stint as Daimler-Benz’s technical director, he left the company, which did not want to build small, fast cars for the public.Unemployed at 55, Porsche started his own design firm. The staff grew to include some of the luminaries of German automotive engineering, Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst â€Å"Fe rry† Porsche, his son-in-law, Anton Piech, whose son became chairman of Volkswagen, and a handful of key en ineers. Ferr became head of ng ry research and development. a This section draws from Jeffrey R. Fear and Carin-Isabel Knoop, â€Å"Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG† (A) and (B), HBS Nos. 706-018 and 706-019 (Harvard Business School Publishing, 2006). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor John Deighton, Jill Avery (Simmons School of Management), and Jeffrey Fear (University of Redlands) prepared this case. This h case was developed from published sources. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright  © 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-5 45-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to www. hbsp. harvard. edu/educators. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch rP os t 511-068In 1934, Adolf Hitler asked Porsche to develop a family car that was both cheap and reliable—thus the â€Å"people’s car† or Volkswagen, was born. Its design was intended to evoke the German infantry helmet and honor National Socialist ideals. During wartime, Porsche focused on tank design, including the formidable â€Å"Tiger. † In June 1948, the company launched the 356, the first automobile to carry the Porsche brand mark. A Volkswagen factory manufactured the 356b, with its tubular spaceframe chassis, aluminum body, and rear-mounted four-cylinder engine, until Porsche opened its own production facility in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen in 1950. See Exhibit 1 for company milestones. op yo In 1953, Porsche produced its first racing car, the 550. In 1964 came the iconic 911, also a racing car. Designed by Ferry’s eldest son, the rear-engine vehicle became a twentieth-century design landmark. In the 1970s, Porsche and Volkswagen collaborated on launching the 914. In 1972, Porsche became a joint stock company (Porsche AG) with the Porsche and Piech families on the board. Porsche AG was nearly derailed by the U. S. stock market crash in 1987.Sales volume collapsed from a peak of 50,000 cars in 1986 to 14,000 in 1993. 2 At the time Ferry Porsche commented: â€Å"I certainly have not given away my family name to sell off and cash out the company to the highest offer. This philosophy might hold true for Americans, but not for us. †3 tC In 1991, Porsche launched the first of several cars at price points lower than traditionally associated with the Porsche brand. The 911 RS America was a no-frills version of the long-running rear-engine 911 model; priced at $54,000, it ran about $10,000 under traditional Porsche prices.This was followed by the entry-level 968 at about $40,000, close to the $37,000 Nissan 300ZX Turbo or the $33,000 Mazda RX-7. 4 Design and production changes continued in 1992 with the introduction of a revamped, water-cooled 911, the 996. The decision to break with the past and replace the traditional air-cooled engine with a water-cooled engine was seen as a sacrilege to many Porsche purists. No Wendelin Wiedeking became Porsche’s executive director (CEO) in 1992. In the mid-1990s he steered Porsche through one of its most noteworthy turnarounds.He staved off bankruptcy by cutting costs, paring the product line to two models, bringing Japanese manufacturing processes to Porsche’s plant s, and expanding into 70 global markets—30 more than in 1993. 5 Do In 1996, Porsche launched the $40,000 Boxster, a zippy two-seater with an â€Å"entry-level† price. In departures from tradition, the Boxster shared 40% of its parts with the 9966 and was assembled by a third party contract manufacturer, Valmet Automotive, in Finland, rather than at b Porsche 356 Photograph Courtesy of Stephen Hanafin, http://www. flickr. om/photos/shanafin/432562761/, Porsche Racing Photograph Courtesy of James Emery, http://www. flickr. com/photos/emeryjl/4620731098/, Porsche 911 Photograph Courtesy of Collector Car Ads, http://www. flickr. com/photos/[email  protected]/4586382193/, Porsche 996 Photograph Courtesy of lacomj, http://www. flickr. com/photos/[email  protected]/3813925902/, Porsche Boxster Photograph Courtesy of The Car Spy, http://www. flickr. com/photos/thecarspy/2641636681/, Porsche Cayenne Photograph Courtesy of The Car Spy, http://www. flickr. com/photos/thecarsp y/47216338591. This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch Porsche’s legendary Zuffenhausen plant. â€Å"We had no choice,† said Wiedeking, stressing that on-site German assemblers and engineers ensured that the Boxsters assembled in Finland were â€Å"100% Porsche†7 and just as good as those made in Germany. 8 The SUV Betc op yo In 1998, Porsche announced its plans to develop an SUV.By then, the 50year old firm was back on solid financial footing and its stock price was outrunning the national DAX index by 180% (see Exhibits 2 and 3 for stock and financial information). The Porsche Cayenne SUV would be the company’s third model series, joining the 911 and Boxster sports cars, and the first developed and launched entirely under Wiedeking’s watch. He wante d the vehicle to combine traditional Porsche styling and performance with off-road driving capability and a spacious interior, placing more emphasis on â€Å"sport† than â€Å"utility. The new car had to retain the brand’s style and panache while accommodating family, outdoor, and transport activities. Wiedeking felt that SUVs were â€Å"nearer to the sports car business than sedans. We also looked at minivans, but we do not want an eighth ‘me-too’ product. It has to be a real Porsche in terms of chassis, performance, and design†Ã¢â‚¬â€Porsche’s core strengths. 9 The average Porsche customer already owned three cars: an SUV, a sedan, and a Porsche sports car. 10 Wiedeking saw an opportunity: â€Å"We know from our surveys that a lot of our customers are waiting for a Porsche SUV.Then there will be no doubt that customers can proudly park their SUV next to a Mercedes S-Class and other cars like that. †11 tC Porsche wanted to leverage its premium brand to enter a hot, new market to capture incremental growth and to diversify the business to hedge against potential declines in the sports car segment due to economic fluctuations. The company observed other car manufacturers like BMW and MercedesBenz successfully leveraging their brands across a wide range of product categories and wanted to do the same.SUV optimists argued that Porsche had creatively found a way to diversify its aging model range in an oversaturated market. They estimated a breakeven number of 10,000 units priced between DM 100,000 and DM 120,000. By building 20,000 SUVs a year, Porsche could boost its total sales by 50%. 12 The SUV Market Do No In the late 1980s, the Ford Explorer legitimized the SUV as the quintessential American family vehicle. The SUV’s popularity with U. S. drivers was attributed to the nation’s historic affinity for larger cars and trucks that could serve for both work and personal use.This new breed of vehicle was viewed as innately â€Å"American. † Its rugged and powerful appearance, and the promise to combine the carrying capacity of station wagons with the off-road capability of pick-ups, offered an alternative to old fashioned family suburban and rural utility vehicles. The sporty and aggressive design appealed even to those who would never dream of taking a car into rough terrain, namely preppy, youthful professionals, including working women and stay-at-home mothers (colloquially known as â€Å"soccer moms†) who preferred not to be associated with station wagons and minivans.After Ford’s successful launch of the Explorer, other leading manufacturers both in the U. S. and abroad (Japan, Germany) followed with their own models. By the late 1990s, the SUV market was deemed intensely competitive,13 as many manufacturers strove to offer SUVs with car-like agility, the space of a mini-van, and the utility options of a sport vehicle. Fortunately for owners of such lar ge c This section draws from Jeffrey R. Fear and Carin-Isabel Knoop, â€Å"Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG† (A) and (B). 3 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch rP os t 511-068 cars (SUVs weighed 4,000 to 6,000 pounds; cars 2,000 to 4,000 pounds), gasoline prices in the U. S. remained very low by global standards. In 1998, light trucks, including SUVs, captured 51% of the new U. S. vehicle market, double the share they had 20 years before, propelled by a strong economy, demand for roominess (some even had 10 cupholders) and the perception of enhanced driver visibility and safety. op yoPorsche’s SUV would join an already crowded market, estimated at about two million units in early 1998. Still, the category ranged from pick-ups, light trucks, and small jeeps to high-end entries such as the Range Rover—the only SUV with a base price over DM 100,000. 14 A successful high-end, high-performance Porsche SUV could trigger me-too followers within two to three years, thanks to the compression of development intervals within the automobile industry. Already, Mercedes Benz was considering an M-Class SUV vehicle with a 300-plus horsepower engine. BMW was also rumored to be interested in developing what would later become the X5.Other European, Japanese, and American brands were looking into developing luxury SUVs, including Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, Lincoln and Cadillac. The potential for such new entrants threatened the sustainability of Porsche’s sales forecasts of 20,000 SUVs each year. 15 By 1996, the premium SUV market was proving its success. Sales of the 1996 Mercedes off-roader M-Class demonstrated a demand for luxury SUVs (see Exhibit 4 for SUV market information). Luxury/crossover SUVs targeted the high-end market with top quality interior amenities such as stylish materials (wood and leather) and lowered suspensions.Sales of high-end SUVs—those costing between $43,000 and $49,000—were expected to reach 300,000 in 1998 (up from 75,000 in 1995)16. Exhibit 5 shows SUV sales forecasts by region. Cadillac was expected to launch an SUV in 1999, and Ford was testing a 19-foot â€Å"crew wagon† with a V10 engine. tC Competition in luxury SUVs was intensified by major Asian players. Lexus, Toyota’s luxury auto division, saw its small LX 450 SUV grow to nearly 30% of all U. S. Lexus sales in just a few years. Acura (Honda), Infiniti (Nissan), and Mitsubishi already had luxury offerings in the U. S. arket. Nissan’s Xterra SUV was planned for 2000. 17 Launching a luxury SUV was an expensive bet for Porsche. R&D alone amounted to â‚ ¬300 million, and capital expenditures for new plant and equipment tripled between 2000 and 2002. 18 No Wiedeking was confident in his SUV strategy: â€Å"Our new sport utility ve hicle will not only correspond in full with Porsche’s high technical and visual standards, but will also pave the way for future growth potential in the sales, turnover, and earnings areas† he promised. 19 An SUV would give Porsche â€Å"a new dimension in both profit and revenues. 20 Fred Schwab, President of Porsche Cars North America explained, â€Å"What is going to distinguish us from them [Porsche’s competitors] is that they are making practical vehicles that are good off-road, but are essentially there to get your groceries and take a ride on Sundays. Porsche is in the business of making fun cars. The Cayenne will go faster, handle better and you will be more comfortable in it. It won’t swing and sway†¦ It will go from zero-to-sixty in 5. 4 seconds. This SUV will be fun to drive. It will be an SUV sports-car lovers will love. †21 Do By 2002, SUVs were under attack in the U.S. by cultural critics. Starting in 1997, Keith Bradsher, a prom inent reporter for the New York Times, spent four years writing scathing critiques of SUVs that culminated in a book launched in 2002 entitled â€Å"High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV. † In his articles and book, Bradsher debunked the widely held notion that SUVs were safer than cars and held up SUVs as a prime example of how American consumerism was contributing to global warming. Some began to question the long-term attractiveness of the SUV segment, predicting a move towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. 2 4 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch Bradsher also painted an unflattering portrait of SUV buyers, â€Å"Who has been buying SUVs since automakers turned them into family vehicles? They tend to be people who are insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous about their marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills.Above all, they are apt to be self-centered and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbors or communities. †23 Bradsher criticized SUV owners for buying SUVs with functionality that they didn’t need, citing auto-industry surveys that showed that less than one in 100 SUV owners took their SUVs off-road. Bradsher connected the SUV to â€Å"soccer moms† who were rejecting minivans and opting into SUVs as their vehicle of choice. Exhibit 6 shows consumers’ perceptions of SUV drivers and Porsche drivers. Listening to Consumers in Online Communities The Rennlist Community op o Web communities provided an opportunity to observe how Porsche owners reacted to the announcements and actions of the company in the months leading up to and following the Cayenne launch. The launch lit up the numerous and diverse online brand communities devoted to Porsche, as enthusiasts around the world came together to talk about this cataclysmic event in the life of their brand in chat rooms, web discussion forums, and blogs. One such community was Rennlist. tC Rennlist, www. Rennlist. com, was an international online community of Porsche enthusiasts founded in 1998.At the time of the Cayenne launch it had 36,000 active posters of comments and a lurker population of 200,000, a silent audience who read but did not participate in the discussions. Rennlist provided a virtual communal gathering place for Porsche enthusiasts, as highlighted in the site’s mission statement: â€Å"[Our members] look to Rennlist as their community, their international club—and their ‘daily dose’ of what we are all bonded by—an uncommon sense of loyalty to the Porsche marque as well as to other Rennlist members throughout the world. Rennlist was independently owned and run by Porsche enthusiasts and was not affiliated with Por sche, although some local Porsche dealerships enjoyed commercial sponsorship through advertising banners on the site. No One of the most used features of Rennlist was its web forums, online discussion boards where members engaged in ongoing dialogues with each other by first initiating topics of conversation with a seed post, and then listening and responding to others’ comments in asynchronous conversations. All posts were public and were archived on the website for posterity.In the words of a Rennlist member, the web forums simulated a virtual fraternity: â€Å"I haven’t had as much fun talking about cars in many years, than I’ve had on these forums. Many times it’s like sitting around a big roundtable with everyone having beers and telling war stories & giving each other help. It’s fraternity; and I appreciate it. † While anyone who joined could post to Rennlist’s discussion forums, the majority of posters claimed to own at least o ne Porsche vehicle. Most posters used a virtual signature which contained a list of their Porsche cars.The Porsche Brand as an Identity Marker Do Rennlist posts painted a picture of Porsche as an ego-expressive brand. While postings seldom addressed the issue directly, a sense of Porsche as a masculine identity marker was palpable in the kinds of topics discussed: the focus on performance metrics, engineering standards, and admiration for Porsche’s manufacturing and racing prowess. Occasionally, however, posts like this appeared: There’s super hot women everywhere, ignoring us†¦tons of hotties, no love (and in some cases a bit of attitude and contempt) from any of them†¦ ntil we walk outside and head to my 996. When it is apparent as to which car we are going to, I hear, ‘Mr. bald guy’ (I have 5 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch rP os t 511-068 no hair) ‘Where are you going? Come back’ from a group of about 10 absolutely drop dead beautiful, tightly clothed, amazingly sexy women on the patio. (Rennlist post)Porsche as a socio-economic status marker was seldom expressed directly, and often expressly denied: I’d like people to see me in my Porsches and think ‘there goes a person who really appreciates his sports cars,’ not ‘there goes another yuppie with more money than brains. ’ (Rennlist post) Initial Response of Porsche Enthusiasts to the Prospect of the Cayenne Launch op yo Hostility to the launch of the SUV was intense. A scan of Rennlist showed conversations about the Cayenne reaching a fever pitch as the launch approached.Exhibit 7 shows the number and valence of posts over time. In the New York Times, the founder of Porsche Pete’s Boxster Board (another Porsche online brand comm unity), claimed â€Å"No other Porsche – past, present, or future – comes close to generating the kind of [on-line conversation] response that the Cayenne has. †24 Some posts suggested that a source of pride was about to become a source of shame. It makes me embarrassed of owning a Porsche†¦kinda like that relative you don’t want to admit sharing the same bloodline.Ugh! (Rennlist post) I am actually ashamed of Porsche stopping to be a pure sports car company†¦A SUV (SlowUgly-Vehicle)!! The ANTI-SPORT CAR, a heavy, slow, clumsy, and roll-over happy SUV will share the same emblem on its hood than our sportscars. Sad times for Porsche. (Rennlist post) tC Some Porsche owners posted that they were leaving the brand for rivals Ferrari, Aston Martin, or Maserati, after claiming that Porsche had â€Å"sold out. † Others collectively mourned the loss of the brand they knew and loved.As key design, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing decision s were released by Porsche, consumers used Rennlist as a place to vent displeasure. There just aint nothing Porsche in a SUV. (Rennlist post) No I have been exposed to Porsches since the age of 10. I have seen all the models come and go, but the Cayenne is the first non-sports car to come up and I really don’t like this direction at all. Porsche has always been synonymous with ‘sports car’ and now somebody can say ‘I have a Porsche†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and mean a Cayenne! I could not imagine a Ferrari SUV for example! (Rennlist post)Do Just as they had done with earlier models, enthusiasts criticized design and engineering attributes of the SUV. The Cayenne’s front-mounted, water-cooled engine offended â€Å"real Porsche† purists. Early photographs of the Cayenne were met with ridicule in the online community, and sparked many conversations about how ugly the Cayenne was and how it resembled the Hyundai Santa Fe. Some argued that the Cayenne’ s design was feminine and lacked the manly stance of competitors like the Hummer and the Jeep. Porsche enthusiasts were also dismayed that the Cayenne included unnecessary† amenities such as cupholders and a tiptronic automatic transmission, which suggested that the Cayenne was designed for drivers who valued luxury over driving performance. These features confirmed that the Cayenne was not designed as a driver’s car, but rather, that it was designed to appeal to what Porsche owners called â€Å"suburban, yuppie, soccer moms. † In online conversations, Porsche owners repeatedly called the Cayenne a car for â€Å"poseurs,† people who did not understand the history, 6 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch heritage, and performance of a Porsche, but who bought the brand merely for its status or imageappeal. 20 years ago, when you said you had a Porsche, people looked at you with envy. 10 years ago, when you said you had a Porsche, people looked at you with envy. Today, when you say you have a Porsche, people will reply: oh, those trucks? I got one of those too. (Rennlist post) I just felt really sad.Now ‘soccer moms’ can drive their kids around in a Porsche. Pretty sad. Look at the level that Porsche has been brought down to. BIG MISTAKE (Rennlist post) op yo And the people who will use it!!! Suzy-Housewife, as well as Dorky Dick who’s been beaten up through high school finally bought his first – ahem, PORSCHE got the A-OK from the wife – ‘so long it’s practical dear’!!!!!!!! (Rennlist post) The Cayenne will be bought as a car for the poser wife to take the kids to school, the only time it will go off road will be when it goes up on the curb.Come on how many real rear engined Porsche e nthusiasts will buy one. (Rennlist post) Product Development and Manufacturing Criticism No tC Porsche’s product development and manufacturing decisions figured prominently in the â€Å"real Porsche† debate and became fodder for arguments against the Cayenne. By spring 1998, Porsche was negotiating with Volkswagen to jointly develop and manufacture SUVs. Under the proposed arrangement, Porsche would undertake the research and development of the SUV and Volkswagen would invest about $657 million in the project. 5 The new SUVs would share close to 65% of their parts and modules—the same chassis and some technologies—but showcase different exterior styling, engines, and chassis tuning. Porsche would develop the two models as well as the common platform. VW would be responsible for major aspects of production, with final Cayenne assembly to be conducted by Porsche. 26 Partnering with VW was â€Å"an ingenious coup,† an observer noted: â€Å"Half of Po rsche’s profits come from the Cayenne. That model was developed in collaboration with VW and was built in VW plants. The car is 90 percent VW and 10 percent Porsche. 27 Skeptics worried about paying Porsche prices for a VW, but were assured that the R&D of the new model was purely Porsche’s domain, while its partner would oversee only the production of some major components, excluding the engine. 28 But as one financial analyst opined, the Cayenne would â€Å"push Porsche’s brand credibility to the absolute limit. †29 Porsche’s partnership with Volkswagen caused consternation among Porsche enthusiasts. Earlier Porsche cars produced with Volkswagen, such as the 914 and 924, had been criticized by enthusiasts as â€Å"faux† Porsche vehicles. Many claimed that the Cayenne was a â€Å"Porsche-ized VW† built with too muchVolkswagen content. When Porsche launched a V6 model of the Cayenne which contained a Volkswagen engine, instead of the Porsche engines featured in the V8 and Turbo models initially launched, Porsche consumers cried heresy. When some independent testers chose the Volkswagen Touareg over the Porsche Cayenne in performance tests, consumers cemented their skepticism and claimed that, suddenly, â€Å"there was a substitute† for a Porsche, and it was a Volkswagen Touareg. Do Porsche and VW do not seem to be in bed on this project, they are in bed on this project. They are both exactly the same basic vehicle.VW gave Porsche the chassis and said go and design a SUV if you want to be our partner on this†¦So the VW Toureg and Porsche Cayenne are both Porsche designed on a VW chassis and when they are pulled off the line to go up to Leipzig you will not be able to tell the difference. Only when the Cayenne leaves Leipzig will it look any different. When it has been Porscherised with engine and cosmetics. (Rennlist post) 7 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY unti l August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch P os t 511-068 Sorry, the Cayenne is a Porsche†¦ While some of the design is shared with VW and some components built @ VW factories, Quality Control was still supervised by Porsche†¦ A good analogy to your argument would be having Emeril Lagasse prepare you a dish at his restaurant and then prepare the same dish at your home. Still the same dish, just produced elsewhere†¦ (Rennlist post) Enthusiasts were distressed to find that the Cayenne had a Japanese transmission. They saw this as a further decline in build quality that came when Porsche switched to Japanese manufacturing processes and away from its handcrafted heritage.In their online conversations, enthusiasts yearned for the days when their Porsche cars were Porsche designed, constructed from German-made parts, and manually assembled in Germany by racing engineers. op yo I was reading in Panorama last night that the Cayenne has a 6 speed tip tranny which is produced in Japan. Is this true? Seems like Porsche is just outsourcing as much as possible to keep profits high. Both my cars have Japanese parts (A/C), but nothing so substantial as a transmission. What's next, engines from the Far East? I'm less and less impressed every day I read more. Rennlist post) IMHO a German car with German Ing should have German parts, especially for something as major as the tranny. Isn't that part of the identity of the brand? oops.. forgot, Porsche doesn't value the brand identity that was built over the last 50 years anymore. The old professor [Ferry Porsche] dies and look what happens†¦ an SUV. (Rennlist post) No tC Personally the thought of purchasing a Porsche with some of its major components outsourced to the Far East is analogous to buying what you think is a fine Swiss time piece that turns out to have a cheap(er) Japanese movement inside.To me t hat would be unacceptable. Yes, both work, and work well, but the reason you bought the Swiss one in the first place was to get the hand crafted Swiss quality and workmanship that dates back hundreds of years†¦I certainly hope this will not be the future for Porsche cars. Those who know the real definition of build quality know exactly what I am talking about. Most Japanese stuff isn't even worth rebuilding, because it is designed to be replaced when it is done. The old German design and build philosophy was much different than the modern Japanese design (if there is such a thing) and build philosophy.Porsche cars used to be about hand crafted high quality performance, but all that seems to have gone out the window these days just to make more profits. (Rennlist post) Wiedeking defended his design and manufacturing decisions, claiming that Porsche focused on its core competencies: engine manufacturing, R;D, body shell work, assembly, quality control, and â€Å"highly professio nal† distribution, while relying on â€Å"extended work benches† at Valmet, VW, and its network of suppliers. It reduced its in-house production depth to one of the lowest in the industry, shared some components with VW such as electronics, and split R;D costs with VW. 0 Do Finally, Porsche’s decision to build the Cayenne in Leipzig, in the former East Germany, put into question whether the Cayenne could be a â€Å"real Porsche. † Rennlist members who visited the Leipzig plant brought back bad news. The Leipzig plant was little more than a final assembler, with most of the assembly work being done by automated machines. To enthusiasts, the Cayenne’s assembly in Leipzig put into question its â€Å"Made in Germany† moniker. Leipzig did not carry the German manufacturing heritage of Zuffenhausen; its location in East Germany was associated with the Communist era.Nice try, but aren't our Cs actually built out in some Skoda plant in Eastern Europe and then final assembled in Leipzig? This may explain some of the initial build quality problems. 8 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch I've read that the Eastern European manufacturing workforce has some of the attitudinal and work ethic habits of 1970s era Detroit car builders. God forbid. (Rennlist post)Here is a firsthand report of someone who visited the Leipzig factory on March 19, 2004: What amazed me most was how small it was. They really were just integrators and assemblers there. Much of the car (the upper shell and interior) comes in from Bratislava, and the power plant from Zuffenhausen. The tranny from Asia and it is all put together and â€Å"married† with 18 BOLTS! That’s it! Funny. After it is put together, they test drive EACH ONE on the track. I fou nd that to be very interesting quality control, and also a testament to the difference between a VW and a Porsche. Clearly, the Cayenne is not built in Leipzig.Leipzig is where the final assembly and final QC are done. I'm sure that the quality control of Porsche is much better than that of VW. But it is not a car manufacturing plant. (Rennlist post) op yo Having toured the factory in Leipzig two weeks ago, I can assure you that the Cayenne final assembly is mostly by machine, NOT by hand. The level of automation is amazing. It takes 170 production workers per day to produce 130 Cayennes per day. It takes 80 production workers per day to produce 2 Carrera GT's per day! (Rennlist post) And on their website they are boasting about how it's Made in Germany and what that means.Maybe the thing should say kinda-put-together in Germany. (Rennlist post) tC Wiedeking defended his decision to assemble in East Germany: â€Å"The Leipzig location brings our firm advantages, otherwise we would have never built the plant there. But we also create jobs in an economically weak region. †31 However, a Porsche spokesperson confirmed the importance of manufacturing location to Porsche enthusiasts, â€Å"[Location] is not an uncritical issue. People think that as a car comes off the line at Zuffenhausen, Ferdinand Porsche comes by and caresses the car with his hand, and that makes it an official Porsche.Of course, Ferdinand Porsche hasn’t been doing that for some time. †32 Hostility Toward Cayenne Buyers In December 2002, European dealers began to sell the Cayenne, and in March 2003 it was on sale in the United States. Postings by some Porsche owners took on a threatening tone. Try owning a Cayenne and see how you’re treated by other Porsche owners. (Rennlist post) No Oh and just so you guys know†¦you are the laughing stock of all other Porsche owners. (Rennlist post) One thing is for sure: the SUV is NOT my brother! I always accepted the other mod els in the family – the 928s, 924s, Boxsters, etc.They were all sports cars. But the SUV: never! (Rennlist post) Others echoed the earlier concern that the new car would shame them. Do People will buy these Porsche S. U. V. ’s because they’re a fad, and they’ll embarrass the real Porsche crowd. They’re not going to know how to drive and they’ll do stupid things. It’s scary to think about. (Rennlist post) There was a wish to purify the community by exclusion or ostracism. On the road, Porsche owners refused to extend their fraternal greeting to Cayenne owners, limiting it to sports car owners only.They tried to block Cayenne owners from joining local Porsche clubs and refused to allow them to race alongside sports cars in club-sponsored racing event. 9 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch rP os t 511-068 So how about the Cayenne? Seems kinda funny flashing lights at an SUV even if it has a Porsche badge†¦Don’t think I can†¦ (Rennlist post) I’m with you guys on the Cayennes. I don’t wave to drivers of re-badged VW Touregs either. Rennlist post) Please don’t flash your lights or honk your horns at me. You will only see my longest finger back at you. (Rennlist post) My point it that all SUV owners should take their toys and play in their playground. NOT in mine. Find other SUV’s go to the track and have fun together. (Rennlist post) op yo There’s still one problem: A Cayenne, driven by the owner of other Porsche cars may be able to perform miracles that would embarrass all competitors in an autocross situation but the scary thought is that PCNA [Porsche Cars North America] are betting that many Cayenne owners will not be previous Porsche drivers.Having these people who could be un accustomed to a vehicle of such power, may very well overstep their abilities in trying to keep up (or prove themselves) to the rest of us and cause some real damage. Yes, I’m biased against the Cayenne. Yes, I think the whole idea of a Porsche SUV is a mistake. (Rennlist post) The newcomers would not understand the values of the community they sought to join. They have little of no feeling of belonging, no understanding of the lineage of Porsches and where their cars were derived from. They don’t care about that, most are probably just poseurs. Rennlist post) tC It’ll be piloted by folks who woulda bought the Mercedes Benz/Range Rover if there weren’t five of them in the subdivision already, who wouldn’t consider a Lexus because it’s ‘jap crap’ and who think BMW/VW is beneath them. They’re not enthusiasts, they’re consumers. They won’t know or care that old time P-snobs will shun them. (Rennlist post) Cayen ne Buyers Respond Some Cayenne buyers sought to broaden the Porsche community to include themselves as members of good standing, or at least to appeal to the better natures of the old guard.No This sense of kinship is getting lost due to lines being drawn between one group to another. (Rennlist post) I thought being a Porsche owner was like joining some sort of fraternity of something†¦ but it’s more like [Boxster, Cayenne] owners are the red-headed step child of some dysfunctional Porsche family. Did all entry level Porsche owner’s get this much crap when they bought their new Porsches? (Rennlist post) Do So am I to understand that you are allowed to rail against and hurl invective and others are not? Look. You like your car, I like mine.I’m not going to bash yours, and I go out of my way to salute yours. Why do you continue to bash my choices? (Rennlist post) Please start being nicer to each other. This is not the correct time to start having a go at each others throats. (Rennlist post from a site moderator) Sadly, the ranks of Porsche owners seems to be populated by those into model specific devisiveness and comparison pissing matches. Where once a camaraderie of enthusiasm existed, now lies a state of SUV owners looking for the next status symbol and those remaining 10This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch few who love the maker of their dream cars fight with one another over which model is best and how effeminate or inadequate another model is compared to theirs. (Rennlist post) Spillover into the Offline World While the â€Å"real Porsche† debates raged on Rennlist, Porsche enthusiasts began to take their criticisms into the offline world.Consumer-generated-advertising spoofing the Cayenne made its way around the Internet ( see www. flickr. com/photos/alecmcint/447172 for a sample). Consumers circulated bumper stickers, license plate frames, and t-shirts for the Cayenne with slogans like â€Å"My other car is a REAL Porsche. † Cayenne’s advertising featuring headlines such as â€Å"Only one sport utility vehicle has bloodlines like these† and â€Å"Another twisted branch on the family tree† set off online rants. An article in Internet magazine Autoextremist captured the mood: op yoPorsche’s advertising campaign for the new Porsche Cayenne is the latest attempt to link its ungainly SUV to its greatest sports car and traditions, and in doing so it achieves a new low for the once-bulletproof brand by at once dismissing its own legacy and insulting the intelligence of every auto enthusiast—Porsche, or otherwise—in the process†¦A stretch that only delusional Porsche marketers could possibly attempt—and a flat-out insult to every great Porsche spor ts car that has come before it†¦To link it [the Cayenne] in any way to some of motordom’s most historic and legendary machines is an outrage. 3 tC What was said and done on Rennlist traveled beyond the online community. Compelling posts were often copied and pasted to other online communities and to personal and professional blogs. Press reporters used online brand communities like Rennlist to find consumers who were willing to talk about the brand in the press. Porsche owners quoted in news stories about the launch were longstanding, active online brand community members. The mainstream press began to reflect the online zeitgeist of the Porsche enthusiasts.Autoextremist warned that â€Å"[The SUV] threatens to destroy the very soul of the company,†34 while the Los Angeles Times announced that â€Å"Snowballs are rolling uphill in Hades. Porsche—shudder—will build an SUV. † 35 Porsche probably has the purest DNA of any sportscar maker. I donâ €™t care how good an allwheel-drive wagon is, it’s not a sportscar. If you add a car that does not fit with your brand’s image, you must reduce the power of that image. (Porsche consumer quoted in Herald-Sun)36 No Everything about the Cayenne is completely the opposite of what Porsche is and does.It will be the death of a tradition. (Porsche consumer quoted in the New York Times)37 It’s blasphemy†¦I’m not hot on the idea at all. I’ve lived with Porsches all my life and the marquee has always been Porsche sports cars. To bring out an SUV doesn’t sit well with me. (Porsche consumer quoted in the Los Angeles Times)38 Any truck made by Porsche deserves to be a failure. It’s a disgrace to the Porsche name. (Porsche consumer quoted in Autoweek)39 Do Cayenne Owners Become Assertive Cayenne owners began to speak in support of their vehicles.They deflected soccer mom, yuppie, and poseur stereotypes, claiming to be fellow Porsche enthu siasts. They told stories about how they would take their SUVs off-road, or use them to tow their Porsche race cars or boats, or to access adventure sports like skiing, hiking, hunting, and fishing. They bragged about the performance of their Cayennes and wrote of beating other sports cars, including the Porsche Boxster, off of the line at traffic lights. They described positive reactions they received from others. They referred to their 11This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch rP os t 511-068 SUVs as â€Å"sports cars† and circulated a revisionist history of Porsche in which the Cayenne is a logical descendant of Porsche classics. They reminded readers that Ferry Porsche was the driving force behind the Cayenne: By now, I gotta say the C [Cayenne] is a winner. It’s not really even an S UV in the traditional sense.It’s primary focus, like all porsches is performance, and with a straight face, I can tell you it’s pretty much a sports car with some suv traits. (Rennlist post) op yo You may not need a vehicle that can carry kids, go to the snow, haul a few things and is fun to drive, but that doesn’t mean no one does. The Cayenne may not match the 996 (almost nothing else does) but if it outhandles and outbrakes 90% of the vehicles out there, has great power, is fun to drive, offeres good utility, and has room for more of your stuff (including the dog) if that is required, why on earth wouldn’t you want one if you were ooking for that type of vehicle. Why wouldn’t ANYONE want one who can afford the price of admission? (Rennlist post) The Sports Car Owners Respond Not all sports car owners were hostile to the Cayenne. Indeed 18% of the first wave of buyers owned Porsche sports cars. As time passed, postings began to appear on Rennlist embracing the Cayenne. The posters noted that, unlike many SUVs built for the road, it handled like a sports car with sports car acceleration and nimbleness, yet had the ability to perform like a true off-roader and had impressive towing capacity. C All this over an SUV :rolleyes: And all this talk about how the newer porsches aren’t true to their sportscar heritage, seems to me all new cars are going this way, in the end a car company has to worry about selling new cars a lot more than selling old cars and new car buyers for the most part want all those luxuries†¦If Porsche thinks it needs a SUV to remain strong in the marketplace let them build it. Mercedes has an SUV for chrissakes are they any less of a luxury car company because of it? (Rennlist post) NoIf you’re really a Porsche enthusiast, you recognize that they’re first and foremost the world’s best automotive engineering firm, and the Cayenne looks to be more proof of that. Conceptually, I don’t see it as being that far away from the 928. I can’t imagine a reason in the world why anybody would care that it has four doors. (Rennlist post) Pity you feel that way. Do you wave to 914 owners? How about 924 owners? Who decides which Porsche are worthy and which are not? I know plenty of enthusiasts that have Cayennes as second vehicles. While the Cayenne is not my cup of tea I've driven a few and they are pretty impressive for an SUV.Do you really want to be one of those drivers that wave to some Porsche's and not others? No flame intended†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ just something to consider. After all there are some out there that don't think a 986 or a 928 are real Porsche's either! (Rennlist post) Do I have to say that negative opinions (regarding what is and is not a real Porsche) DO, in fact, piss me off. Who the hell is ANYONE, other than Porsche, to say what is and is not? I, personally, would NEVER buy a 924. I don't like them. I don't like how they look. I think they are underpowered and somewhat boring. Is it a real Porsche? Of course it is!!!! You know why?Because PORSCHE built it and SAYS it is!!! Some shmuck who owns a 911 decides that a 944 isn't real. Show me how he is qualified to make that assesment. Does it have a Porsche badge placed there, at the factory, by PORSCHE Then it is!!!!! (Rennlist post) 12 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch However, the majority of the community continued to attack the Cayenne, relegating it to the bottom rung of the group’s status hierarchy.Feeling the pressure, Cayenne owners posted their feelings. So SICK OF THIS, like the Cayenne, and plan to buy one. I come to this forum to get updated info, whats new. What I find is the same people making post after post of the same thing, Its ugly, I d on’t like the name, why isn’t Porsche racing Bla Bla Bla. Do these same people go to the 914 forum and tell them their cars have VW motors, or the 924 forum and harp about Audi truck motors? (Rennlist post) op yo I have the V8 Porsche [Cayenne] and guess I get a little defensive when people call it a VW and I paid close to 69K for a quote un-quote VW.I know deep down in my heart that I have a Porsche (Rennlist post) †¦well, maybe the ‘bashing’ was mild this time†¦but its being going on day in day out for the past year†¦Yeah, I shouldn’t let it bother me†¦but after a while anything starts to wear thin†¦trust me. (Rennlist post) Any of you guy’s ever hear the expression ‘if you don’t have anything good to say don’t say it. ’ Almost every time someone is excited about purchasing this vehicle some of you guys have to post something negative. Please next time post what you drive so I can use ever y opportunity to tell you what junk you drive. Rennlist post) Looking Ahead No tC Porsche’s senior management shrugged off the negative buzz from consumers. Despite the withering criticism from consumers, shareholders, and the press, Wiedeking claimed he was not concerned, though he admitted that the decision to build the Cayenne â€Å"was certainly not selfevident. † He said that Porsche was â€Å"richly scolded† for moving away from its â€Å"brand core† so it knew that it had to be a success. Wiedeking argued that launching the Cayenne took the same courage that Porsche’s founder had demonstrated when he founded Porsche in 1931 during the Great Depression. 0 Schwab, Porsche’s North American President, labeled consumers’ response naive, â€Å"Those in the Porsche Clubs of America will castigate us for the SUV decision, but they just don’t know business. For them to keep having their beloved 911s, we have to find a niche else where. That is modern business. †41 Do Wiedeking and Schwab were already looking ahead to their next big launch, the Porsche Panamera, the company’s first ever four-door sedan. Envisioned as a rival to Maserati, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar sedans, Panamera would further diversify Porsche’s product portfolio and customer base. The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche,† Wiedeking professed, â€Å"It has all the typical DNA characteristics of a genuine sports car. In terms of performance, design, and driving dynamics, it meets Porsche’s high standards in every respect. †42 13 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch Exhibit 1 Porsche Milestones rP os t 511-068 Ferdinand Porsche born Sept. 3 in Maffersdorf, Austria-Hungary. 1909 Ferdinand Anton Ernst (â€Å"Ferryâ€Å") Porsche born Sept. 9, in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. 1950 Porsche begins 356 production in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. 1951 The senior Ferdinand Porsche dies at age 70. 1953 Porsche introduces the 550, its first racing-specific car, which meets immediate success. 1964 Porsche introduces the 911. The company had produced 78,000 Type 356s in 14 years. 1972 Porsche KG becomes a joint stock company (AG). Ferry Porsche, chairman of the supervisory board, precludes all family members, including himself, from direct management roles. 1978 Launch of the front-engined 928 touring car. 1982 Launch of the 944 sports car. 1984A third of Porsche AG’s capital is offered to the public in the form of nonvoting preference shares on April 25. On Sept. 19, his 75th birthday, Porsche receives the honorary title of â€Å"Professor. † 1990 Butzi Porsche (Ferdinand A. ) succeeds Ferry Porsche as chairman of Porsche AG’s supervisory board. Butzi began his own firm, Porsche Design, in 1972. 1992 Wendelin Wiedeking becomes CEO of Porsche. 1996 Launch of the Boxster two-seater sports car. 1997 Porsche introduces its all-new, water-cooled 911 (the 996) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. 1998 The company prepares to celebrate 50 years of building sports cars with the Porsche name.Ferry Porsche, honorary president of the Porsche AG supervisory board since 1990, dies March 27 at the age of 88. 2001 Porsche releases its plans to build an SUV. 2002 European launch of the Cayenne in December. 2003 U. S. launch of the Cayenne in March. No tC op yo 1875 Do Source: â€Å"Porsche Timeline,† AutoWeek, April 6, 1998, and casewriters. 14 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Exhibit 2 511-068 Porsche Relative Stock Price Performance 600 500 rP s t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch January 1998 US$168 300 200 100 January 1997 US$87 Ja nM 90 ay -9 Se 0 p9 Ja 0 nM 91 ay -9 Se 1 p9 Ja 1 nM 92 ay Se 9 2 p9 Ja 2 nM 93 ay Se 9 3 p9 Ja 3 nM 94 ay Se 9 4 p9 Ja 4 n9 M5 ay -9 Se 5 p9 Ja 5 nM 96 ay -9 Se 6 p9 Ja 6 nM 97 ay -9 Se 7 p9 Ja 7 n98 0 op yo 400 DAX 30 tC PORSCHE DATASTREAM GERMAN AUTOMOBILE INDEX Do No Source: Thomson Financial Datastream, accessed February 13, 1998. 15 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 83. 7860. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch Exhibit 3 Porsche Group Highlights 1995–2002 rP os t 511-068 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million 1,437. 7 527. 7 910. 0 2,093. 3 671. 9 1,421. 4 2,519. 4 735. 5 1,783. 9 3,161. 30 955. 6 2,205. 70 3,647. 70 893. 2 2,754. 50 4,441. 50 1,001. 30 3,440. 20 4,857. 30 1,121. 00 3,736. 30 5,582. 00 1,482. 50 4,099. 50 Vehicle Sales Domestic Porsche Export Porsche Other Models Vehicle Sales Porsche 911 928 944/968 Boxster Cayenne Units Units Units Units Units Units Units Units Units Units 19,262 ,873 13,346 43 19,219 19,096 104 — 19 — 32,383 9,670 22,713 — 32,383 16,507 — — 15,876 — 36,686 9,174 27,512 — 36,686 17,869 — — 18,817 — 43,982 10,607 33,375 — 43,982 23,090 — — 20,892 — 48,797 11,754 37,043 54,586 12,401 42,185 54,234 12,825 41,409 66,803 13,896 52,907 48,797 23,050 54,586 26,721 54,234 32,337 66,803 27,789 25,747 27,865 21,897 18,411 20,603 Production Porsche total 911 Carrera GT 928 944/968 Boxster Cayenne Other Models Units Units Units Units Units Units Units Units Units 20,242 20,242 20,132 — 28 — 82 — — 32,390 32,390 16,488 — — — 15,902 — — 38,007 38,007 19,120 — — — 18,887 — — 5,119 45, 119 23,056 — — — 22,063 — — 48,815 48,815 22,950 55,782 55,782 27,325 55,050 55,050 33,061 73,284 73,284 29,564 7 25,865 28,457 21,989 18,788 24,925 Employees Personnel expenses At year-end â‚ ¬ million 7,107 392. 1 7,959 464. 4 8,151 528. 2 8,712 574. 9 9,320 631. 3 9,752 709. 9 10,143 799. 4 10,699 849. 5 Balance Sheet Total Assets Shareholders’ Equity Fixed Assets Capital Expenditures Depreciation Extended Cash Flow Net income before taxes Net income after taxes Dividends â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million â‚ ¬ million 951. 4 239. 1 482. 5 213. 6 67. 7 ,249. 7 298. 1 565. 3 234. 8 107. 6 27. 9 24. 6 1. 8 84. 5 71. 3 13. 0 1,490. 9 415. 8 579. 6 175. 8 157. 1 413. 1 165. 9 141. 6 21. 9 1,916. 10 587. 4 525. 6 155 183. 7 592. 5 357 190. 9 21. 9 2,205. 40 782 577. 7 243. 7 196. 6 506. 5 433. 8 210 26. 4 2,891. 60 1,053. 30 731. 8 293. 8 132. 7 764. 4 592. 4 270. 5 45 5,408. 70 1466. 80 2,207. 70 1,119. 50 278. 80 1,067. 30 828. 90 462. 00 297. 00 6,315 1,754. 50 2,663. 30 1,295. 20 392. 20 1,389. 60 933. 00 565. 00 59. 00 Do No tC op yo Sales Domestic Export Source: Casewriters, compiled from data listed in Porsche Annual Reports, 1995-2002, http://www. orsche-se. com/pho/en/ investorrelations/mandatorypublications/, accessed December 2005. Note: HGB and IFRS denote accounting standards. In 2003 Porsche adopted IFRS, or International Financial Reporting Standards. 16 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 511-068 rP os t Porsche: The Cayenne Launch Premium SUV Market Information (1996–1998 forecast) (in units) Exhibit 4 400,000 350,000 300,000 op yo 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 0,000 0 1996 tC Luxury 1997 Upper middle class 1998 Middle class Do No Source: C asewriters, compiled from data contained in IHS Global Insight Report, â€Å"World Light Truck Industry Forecast†, 1999. 17 This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. This document is authorized for use only by Uma Jaidev at VIT UNIVERSITY until August 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. – –

The Great Flood Gilgamesh vs. The Hebrew Scriptures Essays

The Great Flood Gilgamesh vs. The Hebrew Scriptures Essays The Great Flood Gilgamesh vs. The Hebrew Scriptures Essay The Great Flood Gilgamesh vs. The Hebrew Scriptures Essay Essay Topic: The Epic of Gilgamesh The Year Of the Flood Upon reading The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Old Testament: Hebrew Views on God and History we find embedded into each of the texts a story of the great flood.In analyzing the two pieces we see that the stories are very similar.This is very interesting since they were written within several hundred years of each other.The similarities and the differences within the stories shed light on what types of belief systems the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations had as well as giving us an idea of what might have been important to the people. As we look at the two texts, the storyline of both texts is based on the same historically significant event.In each of these stories these aspects are the same.Thefirst is that each man in the stories was contacted by his God/Gods and told that they were angry at mankind.Because of their anger the gods decided that they were going to send a flood to destroy them. These gods, taking pity upon specific men, gave Utnapishtim and Noah instructions to build large boats in which they were to save their families and a male and female of every thing living.Each man obeyed the words of his god, built the boat, covered it in pitch to protect it from the water, filled it with the supplies, and an instance of every living thing. The story goes onto give an account of a terrible storm with torrential rain; which created such a flood that man, plant, and animal kind were destroyed.When the rains had stopped and the sun returned, both boats settled on an underwater mountain top.Utnapishtim and Noah both sent out a series of three birds to help them to know when the waters had receded enough for them to leave the boat.Upon leaving the boat both men offered sacrifices to his god for allowing them to survive.As a reward for their obedience both men were blessed. Although the stories are very similar there are many differences within the story which set each group of peoples apa

buy custom How Children Develop their Intelligence essay

buy custom How Children Develop their Intelligence essay The most significant part of a childs life in terms of his or her development and health are the early years in his life. Healthy development implies that children of all capabilities including the ones with exceptional health care requirements are able to grow up in an environment that will ensure the meeting of their needs. This is concerning their emotional, social, and educational needs. This goal of meeting these needs can be by providing a loving and safe home and spending quality time with family singing, reading, playing, and talking are remarkably vital. In addition, proper exercise, nutrition, and the rest are necessary. Different skills like smiling for the first time, taking a first step, and waving are initial indicators of development. Different children develop at their own pace, so it is not easy to determine when a child will learn a specific skill. Intelligence refers to the capacity to understand with trying or new situations. It is the ability to apply knowledge t o manage ones environment. This paper seeks to establish how children develop their intelligence in the first five years of life. The paper will start by examining what constitutes intelligence in children of the age one to five years. This will form the foundation of the discussion as the context of intelligence varies. Next, the literature analyses ways through which intelligence development takes place especially in relation to emotional and social intelligence. These methods will vary from the home environment to the school environment as the children between 1-5 years spend most of their time in the two areas. The next part will deal with other ways in which intelligence development takes place such as the diet, games, and many more. The last section will tackle the recommendations from various aspects that promote or help the intelligence development of a child between the ages of one to five years. Discussion The development of children involves different stages that see the advancement of all aspects of a childs life. These aspects include physical, emotional, social, and psychological and intelligence. In this paper, we are going to focus on the advancement of the intelligence aspect of children between the years of one to five. Focusing on the intelligence development, the paper will look at ways that children develop intelligence, the activating and supporting skills and the roles adults play in this development. A major finding in this paper is that children living in more stressful homes are likely to have delays in intelligence development as compared to those who stay in comfortable and peaceful homes. Stressful homes comprise of dysfunctional homes, families living in poverty, violent neighbourhoods, alcoholic and mentally unstable parents. Delays in intelligence development will have long-term impacts on the childs school completion, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, employment, and criminal behaviour. Intelligence in children is an abstract idea whose meaning keeps on changing and in most cases relies on the present values as much as scientific ideas. In general, intelligence in children refers to the different capabilities, which includes the ability to plan, reason, understand difficult ideas, solve problem, think abstractly, learn from experience, and learn quickly the ability to do these things. In the twentieth century, several theories concerning intelligence came up leading to the debate concerning the type of intelligence and what determines it came to place. Intelligence in children is a by-product of several characters like visual-spatial, cognitive, musical, logical, inter-personal, mathematical, intra-personal, kinesthetic, personal, and societal. All these aspects involve brain development that is an extraordinarily complex process. At birth brain, development is exceedingly rudimentary as neurons in the brain grow. At three years old the number synapses in the brain of a child are more than those of an adult. As the child grows, the number of synapses decreases and as an adult, the number of synapses is three. What best facilitates the development of intelligence in a child is their experiences, maturity, and heredity. The amount of positive stimulation involves responsive forms of play, discovery, affection, and language interactions. In cases where these positive stimulations lack, childrens brain and behavioural development fails to progress. Intelligence development relies mostly on how the brain of the child develops. Several findings are necessary for this subject, and most researchers have come up with the opinion that there is a larger scope for shaping, and forming of the brain in the early years of a childs life. In spite of the multifarious interrelationship among genes in the development of the brain, such interconnections do not maximally explain how the brain develops. Researches explain that from delivery of a baby to about the age of twelve years, the brain takes in sensory experience from the childs environment and goes on to reshape itself to accommodate the experiences it accumulates. We now focus on what happens between the ages of one year to five years in a childs life. When it comes to intelligence, the lives of toddlers generally involve experimenting with and exploring the surrounding environment. At this stage, the major source of learning is the toddlers family. Here, the babies can recall familiar objects, react to unfamiliar persons or objects. They can also realize their names and permanent objects. At three years of age, the toddler starts sorting and grouping similar objects by their shape, function, and appearance. They also begin to know how some things operate, and their memory improves quickly. They can search and locate hidden items or those that have been moved to another place. Toddlers should be able to know contrasting ideas like small and large, closed and opened, outside and inside, and less and more. In relation to time, toddlers develop an elementary knowledge of regular activities like bedtime and mealtime. At age three, children are commonly referred to as preschoolers, and they are able to say short sentences, tell simple stories, curious to understand their environment, and respond to questions. At four years of age, children are able to use complete sentences, ask questions, and know to generalize. Their imagination is exceptionally high, dramatic and doodles recognizable basic objects. Basic concepts like numbers, size, days of the week, and time need to be understandable to the preschoolers. Their attention span is of at least 20 minutes, and they are still differencing between fantasy and reality. At age five, the children have better vocabulary, tell long stories, carry out instructions, count to ten, know colors, differentiate between fiction and fact and their surrounding, community and neighborhood excite them. The above intelligent developments come about because of various reasons and stimulations. The principal factor that influences childrens intelligence development is the relationship between the child and the people around her. These persons include the parents, peers, and caretakers. We begin with emotional and social intelligence of a child, which children of this age group significantly display. Emotions are part of a childs life and can be happiness, frustrations, sadness, weeping, laughter, and anger. In children emotions, help them to organize, recall, gather, prioritize, remember, and process varied kinds of information that is necessary for their intelligence development. Emotional and social intelligence compriss of a set of mental abilities in which the child perceive, appraise and express emotions, use the motions to stimulate thinking and know the cause and consequences of emotions. Emotional intelligence involves the child being able to regulate self-emotions. Young chil dren show useful emotions, regulate their own emotions and others, knowledge of emotions where essential and this adds up to their pre-academic and social adjustment. Young children between the age of one to five use emotional communication to pass clear non-verbal information about relationships and social situations. This can be by stamping feet and hugging among others. Parents play a significant role in the development of emotional intelligence in children. This is by expressive parents giving their children information about the type of emotions- their expression and more personalized causes. Staying in an attaching environment improves childrens expression and experience of specific emotions. By providing positive and loving environment parents help in the development of the emotional intelligence (Denham, Bailey Zinsser, 2011). The parents reaction to a childs expression of emotion is another way of development of the emotional intelligence. Giving direct instructions to the young ones acts as a considerable socialization tool that helps this development in children. When a two-year-old child smiles at the parent or caretaker, it is necessary that the response is positive so that the child can be able to grow emotionally. In a situation where a child exhibits negative emotions especially to those around him or her, the parent needs to reprimand and contain the child in order to avoid the development such emotions. An early interaction of the young children with their parents develops their social and emotional intelligence. This relationship lays the basis on the founding of peer relationships and social competency. Positive interactions involve showing consideration for their desires, feelings, needs, and showing interest in the daily undertakings. Respecting the childs viewpoint, which he or she will express through emotions and being proud of their achievements will develop the childs intelligence. This is because if the child receives positive appraisal he or she will get the motivation to repeat the meritorious deed and repetition will develop intelligence. This intimate relationship is necessary for the preschoolers of the ages one to three years so that they can develop early emotional competence, be ready for school and avoid chances of them displaying negative behavior at school or home. Several preschool programs have their attention on parenting education and parent involvement (Boy d, Barnett Leong, 2005). Another way in which a childs emotional and social intelligence develops is through the creation of opportunities. This best applies within a childs early childhood education settings. This method of creation of opportunities best applies to the school-going children from whose age varies from three to five years . For instance, the preschoolers PATH program educates children concerning emotion knowledge, expression, and regulation. Programs that are more educational are in place specifically for help in beginners classrooms to assist young children to develop their emotional intelligence. In the school, there are caregivers and early childhood teachers who play the same role as parents in developing social and emotional development in the childrens life. At this tender level, the children need individual attention in the classroom setting so as there can be a close relationship between the two parties. To achieve this management of the kindergarten need to avoid high staff turnover. Intelligence in children develops through their interactions with peers. Emotionally stable children of the age 1-5 years engage in healthy play behaviors, create mutual friendships and are likely to be recognized by their peers. Through these plays, the children develop their intelligence by learning teamwork and cooperation. The interactions and behaviors children will show at this point will affect the way in which their teachers and peers will perceive and treat them. Intelligence of children starts as early preschool and the interactions they have will have a permanent effect their academic achievement as the positive associations results to increased eagerness to participate in classroom activities. Engaging in classroom activities will result to better levels of achievements in academics. Researches indicate that early rejection by their peers makes the children develop social and academic difficulties in elementary school. For this reason, it is necessary to have trained pres chool teachers who can help children who are finding it hard to associate and interact with their peers. The teachers should teach the children how to resolve conflicts, respond to the emotions of others, and regulate their emotions. Children develop intelligence through going through positive preschool environment. When a child begins school at the age of three years, it is indispensable as a parent to provide a school with a positive environment to boost the development of the childs intelligence. High-quality kindergartens constructively affect social-emotional growth. Several studies indicate that quality preschool brings into being long-term benefits in terms of advanced classroom behavior and social adjustment. Positive preschool reduces future crime and delinquency traits in children. High intelligence development from preschool leads to children being able to graduate from high school and continue with higher education. The prominent programs that provide high quality center based preschool education services vary in some way or another, but, they mostly focus on 3 to 5 years. Family risk factors affect the intelligence development of many if not all children in the beginning times of their life. The family risk factors have an impact on the childrens presentation both in future life and school. First, family risk factors can be affairs between economic, community and home factors young children experience as they grow up. The early environment of a child constitutes several factors that will have an impact on his or her intelligence development. These factors revolve around issues like the familys educational, emotional, economic, social, parenting possessions and practices. The effects of the above issues on a childs intelligence can be seen later in life in the childs health, educational achievement, employment outcomes, and social adjustment. Poverty is one of the risk factors that will have an impact on a childs intelligence development. Children from poverty-stricken families experience delayed intelligence development because there are chances of child maltreatment, reduced parent-child interaction, and inconsistent discipline cases. Families with low income tend have stress and this causes problems to the children. Poverty implies that most things in the family will have a negative impact because of low incomes. For example, a poverty-stricken family will not be in a position to provide a balanced diet in terms of food to the growing child. As for intelligence development, proper nutrition is mandatory in the childs life, as it will maintain the health and growth of the child. These children of the ages 1-5 years are still undergoing the growth process, and so is their intelligence. Therefore, it is noteworthy that parents and caregivers of the children in this age group get at least the basic requirements of life. Th is will see to the development of their intelligence. LLack of food reduces the childs concentration in class for preschoolers, and this will in turn have an effect in their intelligence. From this, it is evident that the development of intelligence thrives in situations where the child is provided with all the basic needs of life- food, shelter, and clothing. A childs intelligence will develop in comparison to the parents educational achievements. Parent education level may influence childrens intelligence development. Studies carried out indicate the relation between delays in intelligence development in children whose parents have low education attainment. Growing up in a single parent setting can influence the childs intelligence. Most single parents are associated with dropping out of school and not having a job. This means that these families have high chances of experiencing poverty and low education level. This will in turn affect the development of the childs intelligence. It is extremely difficult to separate the above elements- poverty, low education level, and single parenthood. In most cases, they go hand in hand and studies show that children from families with these elements tend to have low intelligence or their intelligence develops at a slow pace. Intelligence development in children profoundly relies on parenting styles (Illig, 1998). There are several parenting styles that different parents employ while bringing up their children. In most instances, the parenting styles tend to be uniform, and each parenting style has its own level of impact on the children. The differences in the present parenting styles come about because of differences in culture, family type, child personality, socios of these parenting styles include authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles. No particular parenting style is recommended, but, styles that are result oriented and involve interactions of parent and child, consider the respect for the childs opinions, expressions, and views are best at ensuring the development of the childs intelligence. The parents approach matters especially in the early years of the child influence the intelligence development. Matters like discipline, academic help, and social issues need expert parenting styles that will affect positively on the childs intelligence. Harsh or punitive parenting styles or negligent parenting styles hinder the childs development in all contexts. Harsh parents hamper the emotional intelligence of a child from growing, as they will not be in a position to express their emotions. When the child is experiencing hardships in school with his or her academics telling their inconsiderate parents will not be an option, and in the end, they will opt to suffer silently. For intelligence development to be better for children of this age group, parents need to employ parenting styles that will increase a close relationship between them and their children. This will enable the children to be open and honest and be able to express themselves. They can also learn many things from their parents that will help in the development of their intelligence. Home environment contributes immensely to how intelligence develops in children of the age one to five years. Home environment includes a variety of elements that can influence family operation. These elements include parent-child relation, responsiveness of parent to child, and provision of proper toys. The paper has already tackled the parent responsive and the parent child relation. We will focus on the provision of toys. Provision of toys to the children of the ages two rears and above is mandatory in the development of the childrens cognitive aspect. Toys provided to the child need to be appropriate for their different ages so that the development can take place stage by stage. Toys should be present during the childs play time, and the toys need to be of different types. Since, at the age of one of two years, the children are not speaking or cannot communicate well except through expression of emotions. Toys come in varied natures and help development of intelligence in differe nt contexts. Children learn about things in their surrounding through these toys. For instance, the toys can be of different animals, houses, trees, letters, and other items that the child needs to figure out. Through the use and play of toys, a childs intelligence develops rapidly in the early years of the childs life. Another way in which studies have come up on how intelligence development takes place is through the natural ways. This brings about the hot topic of the Nature versus Nurture with several proponents arguing their case. From the above detailed, discussion, we have strongly based the reasoning on the development of a childs intelligence on the nurture aspect. That is how intelligence in children from the age of one to five develops through their surrounding environment and people. The question is whether genetic factors play the leading role in intelligence development. Genetic factors include racial or ethnic differences, hereditary elements and other items. There is general knowledge both environment and genes play a significant role in intelligence development and other competencies. The function of genetic factors is dynamic and not fixed at birth. Both nature and nurture contribute to the development of intelligence in a child (Illig, 1998). Conclusion The development of the cognitive aspect of children between the ages of one to five years is an ongoing process in the childs life. A process of intelligence development calls for the help of the adults in the childs life and providing the child with several intelligence boosters. It is necessary for the parent or caregiver of the child to understand the development of the cognitive aspect of a child goes through several steps. This means that different ages mean different development of intelligence in a child. Parents need to know that three year old cannot behave like five years old as their intelligence varies. The early years of a child are indispensable as they determine the personality and intelligence of the child as an adult in the future life. It is therefore, essential that parents participate in ensuring that children of this age develop fully in the cognitive aspect. The development of intelligence in children of the ages between one to five years involves several elements in their life. The significant influencing factors involve their surrounding environment and people. For rapid and better intelligence development in children of this age, proper environment and positive people should surround them. Children staying in an inappropriate environment or lack parent-child relationship are more likely to develop difficulties in school, their social life, and their emotions. Parents need to provide their young ones with all the important elements to develop their intelligence both emotional and social intelligence. As for the school going children between the age of three to five years, a good kindergarten with skilled educators are essential in the boosting of the childs intelligence. All these factors put into considerations will ensure that the development of intelligence in children of this age group happens, as it is required. Buy custom How Children Develop their Intelligence essay