Nothing but Useless Essay Example for Free

Nothing but Useless EssayI am not a video game addict but many of my acquaintances are. I am not a video game fan simply because I am not good as others at playing with the analogous enthusiasm and commitment. My acquaintances like playing video games because it helps them relax and feel as if they were kids again. Their children also play video games forgeed specifically for their age group. Video games develop reaction, problem-solving abilities, attention, and concentration. None of my acquaintances has ever committed a red act. Video game exists in its virtual space, which does not make claims on real life. Video games bum the brunt of the criticism. Our government is anti-video game. Yet, market forces can be the only regulatory mechanisms of violence in video games. Only two or three of the top best-selling(predicate) video games are violent.Video games have no violent impact on a video gamer. Younger players may be vulnerable to the violent game marrow when the play video games that are not suitable for their age. Although first person shooter violence is common to video games, it is not plausibly to promote aggressive behavioral models. Kids play with toy soldiers but nobody thinks that this teaches them violence.Video games cannot be considered violent in relation to age, gender, socio-cultural belonging, and educational level. The reaction to the games field of study depends on the individuals personal traits. Girls do not react with greater arousal to violent content than boys. At least, no research has found any meaning(a) difference.It is unlikely that performing violent actions during the play may cause aggression in kids. Although Grand Theft Auto 3 was banned in Australia because of its written violence, it does not mean that it could have influenced the increase in crime rates. The problem is that minors often have uncontrolled access to adult games with violent content. Boys aged 7-12 like action adventure. They develop killing i nstinct only in virtual games but also in the games they play outdoors. Nevertheless, childrens exposure to violent content targeted at mature video gamers should be restricted by their parents and caregivers.I am defending video gaming on behalf of long-time gamers whose hobby has not saturnine them into psycho-terminators. Video gamers live in their own world of established video game rules, and they wish they could play safely without being disturbed. Were in the habit of regulate our most innocent activities.

Social Cohesion And Quality Life

neighborly Cohesion And Quality LifeIn the last few decades, property of life has replaced the idea of wealth as the dominant goal of friendly instruction. In opposition to the individual-centered locating of societal development, several another(prenominal) welf atomic number 18 imaginations emerged which draw up the focus on the cheeks concerning societal qualities much(prenominal) as the extent of e tone, protective covering or freedom, or the quality and structure of the favorable relations within a high cab aret. Among those welfare inventions alludering to characteristics of societies are, for example, sustainability, overtureible gumminess, sociable inclusion etc. Idea of the friendly coherence of a society received great political concern at the national and supranational level. In regard to these developments, this paper attempts first, to wrap up the meaning of the concept of genial viscidity and to determine its inherent dimensions by reviewing the subsisting theoretical approaches to this issue second, to explore relationship between kindly glueyness and the quality of life.Quality of life is a concept related to the individual welfare. Although well-disposed gluiness represents a societal quality, it affects the individual quality of life because the elements of brotherly cohesion are perceived and experienced by the members of the society. Thus, the genial cohesion of a society can be conceived as an aspect relevant to the individual life situation, and in this sence, it represents a part of the individual quality of life. Under this perspective a broad conceptualization of quality of life seems appropriate. Quality of life can be considered as the complex polity goal which embarrasss favorable cohesion as unrivaled component. The very broad and multidimensional flavour of quality of life enlarged the perspective of societal development by considering not completely sparing aspects but also sociable and ecological concerns. Several welfare concepts emerged which put the focus on aspects concerning societal qualities such as the extent of equality, security or freedom, or the quality and structure of the social relations within a society. One of these welfare concept is social cohesion.The goal of this paper is first, to clarify the meaning of the concept of social cohesion and to determine its inherent dimensions by reviewing the existing theoretical approaches to this issue second, to explore relationship between social cohesion and the quality of life.1. The concept of social cohesionThe idea of social cohesion is difficult to express in a single definition. mile Durkheim first coined the concept of social cohesion at the end of the nineteenth century. He considered social cohesion as an tacking feature of a society and defined it as the interdependence between the members of the society, shared loyalties and solidarity 14. Aspects often mentioned in describing social cohesion a re the strenght of social relations, shared valuates and communities of interpretation, feelings of a common identity and a sense of belonging to the same community, leave among societal members as well as the extent of inequality and disparities 26 14). The simpler the sectionalization of labor in a society is, the ardenter the bond between individuals and the social group will be. This bond is a result of mechanical solidarity, which arises from segmented similarities based on territory, traditions and group customs. The social division of labour that modernity brings with it erodes and weakens such bonds, as does the change magnitude autonomy of individuals in modern society. In such a context, cohesion is part of the social solidarity that is ask in order for the members of a society to re important bound to it with a force comparable to that of pre-modern, mechanical solidarity. This requires stronger, much numerous ties, and moldiness even include bonds based on common i deas and feelings, leading to what Durkheim calls organic solidarity.As of today there is no single definition of social cohesion and it is still debated whether social cohesion is a cause or a consequence of other aspects of social, economic and political life. There is no clear definition of the concept believably because the very tradition of social citizenship that characterizes European societies assumes that social rights entail an intrinsic relationship between social inclusion and the provision of mechanisms to integrate individuals and give them a sense of full membership in society.According to this view, social cohesion implies a causal fall in between the mechanisms that provide integration and eudaimonia, on the one hand, and a full individual sense of belonging to society, on the other. Inclusion and belonging, or equality and belonging, are the cornerstones of the idea of social cohesion in societies organized around the principles of the welfare commonwealth.Th e concept of social cohesion is often confused with other concepts, like social gravid, social integration, or social inclusion. fond roof is closely related to social cohesion, and the two are very important concepts in policy and policy seek circles. Social pileus understood as a symbolic societal asset consisting of the ability to manage rules, networks and bonds of social trust which strengthen collective action, pave the way for reciprocity and progressively shell out throughout society resembles cohesion, and can largely be described as a stock upon which social agents can draw to make society more cohesive. However, social detonator is both a consequence and a producer of social cohesion. Whereas social cohesion emphasizes processes and outcomes, social capital emphasizes the notion of investments and assets that bring benefits, benefits that are not fully appropriated by the individuals making the investments.Social cohesion is often confused with social inclusion. I nclusion mechanisms include employment, educational trunks, rights and policies designed to encourage equity, well-being and social protection. In that context, social cohesion may be understood in terms of both the effectiveness of instituted social inclusion mechanisms and the behaviours and value judgments of the members of society. Behaviours and value judgments include issues as diverse as trust in institutions, social capital, belonging and solidarity, acceptance of social rules and the willingness to participate in deliberative processes and collective endeavours. some other proximate notion is that of social integration, defined as the dynamic, multifactoral process whereby individuals share in a minimum standard of well-being consistent with the level of development achieved by a country. This restrictive definition views integration as the opposite of forcing out. In a broader sense, integration into society has also been defined as a common system of efforts and rewar ds, which levels the playing field in terms of opportunities and delivers rewards based on merit.The idea of social inclusion may be viewed as an spread out form of integration. Rather than emphasize a structure to which individuals must hold in order to fit into the systemic equation, it also focuses on the need to adapt the system in such a way as to accommodate a diversity of actors and individuals. Inclusion requires not moreover an improvement in conditions of access to integration mechanisms, but also an effort to increase the self-determination of the actors involved.The idea of a social ethic also includes an essential aspect of social cohesion, accentuation common values, agreement on a minimum set of rules and social norms, solidarity as an ethical and practical principle, and the assumption of reciprocity.These concepts are part of the semantic gentlemans gentlemanity of social cohesion. Viewed in this light, the specific difference that sets social cohesion apart i s the dialectical relationship between integration and inclusion, on the one hand, and social capital and social ethics, on the other. Consequently, there is a distinction between social inclusion and social cohesion, inasmuch as the latter includes the attitudes and behaviours of actors, without being limited to those factors. Social cohesion may thus be defined as the dialectic between instituted social inclusion and exclusion mechanisms and the responses, perceptions and attitudes of citizens towards the way these mechanisms operate.A definition of social cohesion by relating it to the concepts of social exclusion/exclusion and social capital has also been present. For example Dahrendorf et al. described a social cohesive society as a society preventing social exclusion Social cohesion comes in to describe a society which offers opportunities to all its members of a framework of accepted values and institutions. such(prenominal) a society is, therefore, one of inclusion. People b elong they are not allowed to be excluded 4, str.vii. Other scientist have emphasised that the social capital of a society is an essential foundation of its social cohesion 18 17.On the basis of review of the various approaches we could conclude that the concept of social cohesion incorporates mainly two societal goal dimensions which can be analytically distinguished1) The first dimension concerns the reduction of disparities, inequalities, and social exclusion.2) The second dimension concerns the strengthening of social relations, interactions and ties. This dimension embraces all aspects which are generally also considered as the social capital of a society 6.These two dimensions must be viewed as independent from each other to a certain degree. In principle, strong ties within a community can be accompanied by the tendency to discriminate and exclude those mass who do not belong to that community 19. This problem highlights the importance of considering both dimensions dispari ties/inequalities/social exclusion and social relations/ties/social capital in order to get a comprehensive picture of the social cohesion of a society.3. Social exclusionSocial exclusion represents concept with increasing popularity among scholars during last decade. The popularity of the concept was especially promoted through the growing interest in matters of social exclusion at the level of the European Union. The European Commissionlaunched a series of research programmes in the framework of the European Observatory on National Policies to Combat Social Exclusion and of the European Poverty Programmes.Research on social exclusion replaced, to some extent, older terms of poor living conditions, such as impoverishment or deprivation. Originally, the term was used in the context of debates on a unfermented beggary and defined as a rupture of the relationship between individual and the society due to the visitation of societal institutions to integrate individuals. Today, it is suggested that social exclusion should be conceptualised as the insufficiency of one or more of the following four systems 1, str. 258-259This approach focuses on relational issues, i.e. on the disruption of social ties between individual and the society. Unlike social cohesion, poverty is concerned with distributional issues, i.e. on the lack of resources at the disposal of individuals or househods 23 12. Thus poverty may be regarded as characteristic of indiviudals and dwellings, whereas social exclusion may be conceived as a feature of societies and of the individuals relations to society.In contrast to this position are considerations that social exclusion can be regarded both as a property of societies and as an attribute of individuals. As an individual attribute it is defined as a low level of welfare (economic disadvantage) and the inability to participate in social life (sociopolitical disadvantage). This perspective equals social exclusion to a multidimensional notion of poverty which describes a state or an outcome of a process. As a societal characteristc the term social exclusion refers to the impairment of social cohesion caused by the way in which institutions regulate and thereby constrain access to goods, services, acitivities and resources which are generally associated with citizenship rights. This view focuses attention to the processes of social exclusion and its causes which are attributed to the failure of institutions 5.The conclusion arising out of these considerations is the requirement to differentiate between the causes of disadvantageous living circumstances and the processes leading to them on the one side and the outcomes of those processes themselves, that is peoples living situation. The causes may be attributed to societal institutions and can then be described by the concept of social exclusion as a property of societies. The impact of social exclusion on people is observable in the form of poor living conditions. In this sense, social exclusion represents a characteristic of individual and corresponds to the concept of poverty in a multidimensional notion.4. Social capitalThe counceptualization of social cohesion as it is proposed here considers social capital as representing a second main dimension which may be used to describe the social cohesion of a society.Social capital represents one of the just about powerful and popular metaphors in current social science research. Broadly understood as referring to the community relations that affect personal interactions, social capital has been used to explain an enormous range of phenomena, ranging from voting patterns to health to the economic success of countries 7. Literally hundreds of papers have appeared throughout the social science books arguing that social capital matters in understanding individual and group differences and further that successful public policy design needs to account for the effects of policy on social capital formation. In this paper we will give the primary focus to the role of social capital in stenghtening the social cohesion and further link with the quality of life.We often observe countries with similar endowments of natural, hysical, and human capital achieving very different levels of economic success. This paradox has led scholars to search for deeper and more meaningful explanations near what holds people and societies together in order to foster economic development. Over time, scholars have constructed various frameworks for understanding the social aspects of this phenomenon and what we currently refer to as social capital. Fueled by continuous empirical investigations, these frameworks have evolved quite rapidly in recent decades. Since Loury 16 introduced it into modern social science research and Colemans 3 seminal study placed it at the forefront of research in sociology, the term social capital has spread throughout the social sciences and has spawned a huge literature that runs across disciplines. James Coleman popularized the term as he sought to conceptualize the aspects of social structure that facilitate economic transactions. His work is widely recognized as one of the almost significant, as is Robert Putnams study of voluntary associations in Italy. Putnam 21 concluded that the high density of voluntary associations in the north was responsible for the regions economic success. many others have also made significant strides in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the subject. However, despite the immense amount of research on it, however, the definition of social capital has remained elusive.There are various theoretical approaches and perspectives of social captial which use more or less narrow concept. But they all have in common that they regard social capital as a property of a social entity and not of an individual 10. It is a relational concept, it presupposes a social relation and exists only as far as it is shared by other individua ls. Therefore, it cannot be the occult property of a single person, but heas a character of a public good 11 19. The social capital of a society includes the institutions, the relationships, the attitudes and values that govern interactions among people and contribute to economic and social development. Social capital, however, is not simply the sum of the institutions which underpin society, it is also the glue that holds them together. It includes the shared values and rules for social conduct expressed in personal relationships, trust and a common sense of civic responsibility, that makes society more than a collection of individuals. Without a degree of common identification with forms of governance, cultural norms and social rules, it is difficult to venture a functioning society 25, str.1.Social capital is not only considered to be an essential basis for the social cohesion of a society, but at the same time as a main component of the wealth of a nation and as an important d eterminant of economic growth, besides physical, human and environmental capital 13. The view is empirically supported by results showing a relation between the social capital of a society and its economic well-being 21 15 24. Furthermore, there are also investigations pointing to the improvement of other dimensions of welfare such as education, health, rates of crime, and the environment 3 20.5. The interdependence of social cohesion and the quality of life The concepts of social cohesion and quality of life are interrelated 8 9. Althought social cohesion represents an attribute of a society, it ultimately rests on the behaviour, attitudes and evaluations of its members, too. Social cohesion is based on social capital which is also created by social relations and ties established, maintained and experienced by individuals. Thus, looking at the social cohesion of a society involves aspects which are part of the individual life situation and in this sense components of the individual quality of life. Secondly, elements of the social cohesion of a society may have direct impact on individual quality of life. Empirical examples are the above cited results on the influence of social capital on economic and other dimensions of welfare. At a conceptual level, the perspective of social exclusion as a process rooting in the misfunction of social institutitons and resulting in a deprived living situation of the individual is another example.Social cohesion can be conceived as a societal quality which is experienced by individuals in their daily lives, for example in the form of the perceived inequality or the social climate at the workings place, at school or in the neighbourhood, and thus also refers to the individual quality of life. This perspective conciders elements of the social cohesion of a society to form an underlying part of the quality of life of the individuals belonging to that society. Such a position, which is supported here, advocates a broad concep tualisation of quality of life encompassing not only individual characteristics of the life situation but also societal qualities. In this sense, quality of life represents the common policy goal with social cohesion as an important component to be addressed.6. The measurement of social cohesion On the basis of the conclusion about two dimensions of social cohesion, measurement of social cohesion should include measures concerningConcerning the first dimension measurement dimensions for the various aspects can be derived for nearly all domains. Regional disparities are taken into account for example with obeisance to access to transport, leisure and cultural facilitites, educational and health care institutions, employment opportunities or the state of the environment. Issues of equal opportunities/inequalities could be considered therough political participation and employment opportunities, contemporaries of inequalities in social relations or unemployment risks inequalities be tween disabled and non-disabled people in access to public transport or educational institutions etc. The aspect of social exclusion can be operationalised in many domains, too. Manifestatios of social exclusion are ususally measured such as homelessness, social isolation, long-term unemployment, poverty or a lack of social protection.Concerning second goal dimension of social cohesion and that is strenghtening the social capital of a society, most of the aspects of this dimension refer to the life domain of social and political participation and integration. This domain covers all general issues of social relations and engagement outside the own household community such as the availability of relatives and friends, frequency of contacts and support within those personal networks, membership in organisations, engagement in the public realm such as volunteering and political activities. The quality of societal institutions is a component of social capital which applies to several lif e domains since, for example, institutions of education, health care, social security or the jural system.7. Possible contemporary threats to social cohesion There are numerous possible demographic, socio-economic and political trends and processes which have been associated with a general deterioration of social cohesion throughout the world.Over the past(a) three decades, globalization in the form of processes of structural transformation has impacted severely, in many ways, on people throughout the world. The intensified linkage of local social conditions with activities and decisions within world financial, commodity and labor markets is increasingly apparent and in many places its consequences are devastating.Perhaps the most fundamental feature of structural transformation in industrial countries has been reducing the share of industry in the formation of GDP and consequently the massive deterioration in manufacturing employment. We have been witnesses to the massive reloca tion of capital, jobs and manufacturing to areas of the globe where labor is cheaper. Instead of a relatively immutable work conditions, characterized by institutionalized wage agreements and strong trade unions, internal labor markets within large firms, and secure, tenured and full-time employment new socio-economic patterns emergeMore and more, opportunities for work and executes of income became variable and unpredictable and stable conditions characterizing employment are replaced by growing insecurity. These kinds of heightens add to a growing polarization not only between employed and unemployed, but between secure, exceedingly skilled, well paid workers and the larger proportion of insecure, unskilled, low paid workers. In addition to that, the gender dimension is critical to this shift, since women are greatly over correspond in the new flexible yet precarious sectors of casual, part-time and short-contract employment 2, str. 142.The rise of neo-liberal political philo sophy has driven many of the processes of political restructuring over the past two decades. A key aspect of the neo-liberal vision of society is bringing the market principle, along with notions of self-responsibility and individualism, to almost every sphere of politics, economics and society. Aspects of political change which have subsequently emerged, and impacted dramatically on social cohesion, includeSuch policies and processes which have brought about the new inequality can be seen as fuelling a process of inequalisation. The consequences for social cohesion, however defined, are devastating. Such a divergence of the life chances of large social groups, Dahrendorf observes, is incompatible with civil society 4, str. 38. The most socially stigmatised, spatially segregated and economically disadvantaged also become the most politically excluded.The combined forces of economic and political restructuring, along with the new social fissions created in their wake, have also threa tened a key socio-psychological source of social cohesion, the idea of the nation. The changes associated with globalization (here considered as processes involving the intensified linkage and increased scope, scale and speed of world-wide economic activity) are now so pervasive that national governments arguably no longer hold the keys to their own national larders. The flow and control of a variety of forms of investment, currency trading, commodity markets, and labor pools are increasingly determined by agents and forces above and beyond the reins of nation-state policy. For the nation-state, prerogatives and margins for maneuvers in economic policy are greatly reduced.ConclusionsSocial cohesion represents a concept which focuses on societal qualities such as the extent of inequality or the strength of social relations and ties within a society. In the terms described above, it is both a means and an end. As an end, it is an object of public policy, to the extent that policies at tempt to get wind that all members of society feel themselves to be an active part of it, as both contributors to and beneficiaries of progress. In an age of profound, rapid changes resulting from globalization and the new paradigm of the culture society, recreating and ensuring a sense of belonging and inclusion is an end in itself. Social cohesion is also a means, however, in more ways than one. Societies that boast higher(prenominal) levels of social cohesion provide a better institutional framework for economic growth and attract investment by offering an environment of trust and clearly defined rules. Moreover, long-term policies that seek to level the playing field require a social contract to lend them force and staying power, and such a contract must have the support of a wide range of actors willing to negotiate and reach broad agreements. In order to do so, they must feel themselves to be a part of the whole, and they must be willing to sacrifice personal interests for t he good of the community. The formation of the social covenants needed to support pro-equity and pro-inclusion policies is facilitated by a greater willingness to support democracy, become involved in issues of public interest, participate in deliberative processes and trust institutions, as well as a stronger sense of belonging to a community and solidarity with excluded and vulnerable groups.In this paper we have established two goal dimensios inherent in the concept of social cohesion 1) the reduction of disprarities, inequalities and social exclusion and 2) the strenthtening of social relations, interacions and ties. Concerning the first dimension of social cohesion, examples of measurement dimensions within various life domains are regional disparities of the state of environment, equal opportunities of women and men in employment, inequalitites between social strate in the state of health, social exclusion from material goods measured by income poverty. As far as second dimens ion is concerned, it comprises all aspects which together constitute the social capital of a society. This includes the social relations available at the informal level of private networks and the more formal level of organisations, the activities and engagement within private networks as well as within public realms, the quality of social relations and the quality of societal instiutitons. The quality of societal institutions represents a component of social capital which applies to several life domains. Institutions of education, health care, working life, social security, social services, the political system and legal system. The perceived quality of these institutitons are measured by the level of trust, satisfaction with or approval of institutions.The combined forces of economic and political restructuring, along with the new social fissions created in their wake, threaten to deteriorate a key sources of social cohesion in contemporary societies. It is therefore not surprisin g that idea of social cohesion receives great attention by social scientists as well as by politicians and gradually establish itself as one of the central societal goals at the national and the supranational level.

Analysing the bottled water industry

Analysing the bottled pee industry pissing is the one of the most important necessity for life. There atomic number 18 different throwing- piddle system compulsions for individuals and they vary depending on the climate, physical activity and the bodyculture of every individual. But for average consumers wet need is estimated to be about both to four liters per day.The growing number of good examples of body of piss borne diseases, increase pee pollution, increasing urbanization,increasing scarcity of pure and natural rubber irrigate and so forthhas made the bottled weewee business just like other consumer items. Scarcity of potable and on the wholesome wet system at railway stations, tourists spots, and role of tourism corp. etc. has also added to the growthIndians currently spending about $330m a year on bottled water, analysts estimate. The incase water grocery constitutes 15 per centime of the everyplaceall encase beverage industry, which has annual sales of at least $2.6bn, Deepak Jolly, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola India said.President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has urged youngsters on July 17, 2010 to be awargon of water conservation techniques to avoid hard water crisis in future.It is so sad that today, people are forced to buy water in plastic bottlesThe annual volume of the world bottled market of amounts to 109 billion liters, an average 17.5 liters of bottled water drunk yearly per person (Zenith International, International Council of Bottled Water Association, cc0). India ranks in the top 10 largest bottled water consumers in the world its per capita per annum purpose of bottled water is estimated to be five litersWestern Europeans are the major consumers, with an average of 93 liters/person/year. Asians presently consume the least. Thus in that respect exists a wide potential market for bottled water in Asia.In India the value of bottled water industry is around Rs 1000 crore and its growing with the rate of about 40 sha re annually (Business Today, 2001) and looking at the selling potential m any(prenominal) of the multinationals have entered the Indian market and has enhanced the marketing activity to tap the unexploited potential. to a greater extent of the brands compete in a very narrow market segments, comprising majorly upon the Travel, Tourism, Caterers, Restaurants, and Hospital segments and Meeting local demands. The attention is currently beingness foc utilize on tapping the gigantic potential presented by entry into affluent / upper middle class households. The bottled water market share is majorly captured by Bisleri (51 per cent), Bailley (17 per cent), Yes (11 per cent) and Followed by Kinley (10 per cent) and Aquafina (4 per cent) (Source BT Estimates June, 2001). In the rude(a) mineral water sector Evian, Perrier, bisleri, and Himalayan are the major brands operating in India. jibe to a think conducted at national-level, there are more than 200 bottled water brands in India a nd out of them nearly 80 per cent are local brands. Except in the metros, a bottled-water manufacturer was not to be put together even in a one-room shop, between 1999 and 2004. The Indian bottled water market grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 per cent the highest in the world.The total annual bottled water consumption in India turned to 5 billionliters in 2004 from 1.5 billion liters earlier in1999.Global consumption of bottled water was nearing200 billion liters in 2006.The market leader is Bisleri International, which boasts a 40 per cent share. It is followed by Coca -Colas Kinley (around 25 per cent) and PepsiCos Aquafina (around 10 per cent).The top players in bottled water industry in India are the major international giants like Coca cola, Pepsi, Nestle and noticeable presence of national players like Mount Everest, Manikchand, Kingfisher, Mohan Meakins, SKN Breweries , Indian rail lines so on. PepsiCo India has prepared plan including, investment in capa city enhancement, promotion initiatives and below-the-line activities to pump up volumes in the everywhere-crowded category. Mean objet dart, India based Parle Agro is extending the manufacturing facility forBailley from 29 to 60 plants. The Indian packaged water industry will soon see a major tussle between Indian and international brands to gain market share. major multinationals such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been trying from the past 10 years to capture the Indian bottled water market. Now finally they have captured a signifi assholet partly of it. However, Parle Bisleri kept its market share of 40 percent. Kinley and Aquafina are fast moving up, with Kinley holding 20-25 per cent of the part and Aquafina approximately 10 per cent of the market.1.2 determination OF THE believeAs we know bottled water is sold in a variety of packages pouches and glasses, 330 ml bottles, 500 ml bottles, one- liter bottles and even 20- to 50-litre bulk water packs. The starchy bottled wa ter business in India can be divided broadly into three segments in terms of cost premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water.Premium natural mineral water includes brands such as Evian, San Pelligrino and Perrier, which are imported and priced between Rs.80 and Rs.110 a liter. indispensable mineral water, with brands such as Himalayan and Catch, is priced around Rs.20 a liter. case drinking water, which is nothing but treated water, is the biggest segment and includes brands such as Parle, Bisleri, Coca-Colas Kinley and PepsiCos Aquafina. They are priced in the range of Rs.10-12 a liter.THE OBJECTIVESTo nurture the consumer behavior and modification towards packaged drinking waterTo learn brand loveliness and market share of mingled(a) packaged drinking water brandsTo study the marketing strategies adopted by various packaged drinking water brandsTo study the market perceptiveness of various packaged drinking water brandsAs the consump tion of mineral/packaged water is very high with our research we will try to understand various factors which our affecting customer behavior, study of different dependent and independent variables and application of suitable tests will help to compare and go bad the selective information and acquire the objectives and boffo completion of research.1.3 CONTEXT OF THE STUDYWe are conducting this study in the purview of Indian context. We have underinterpreted study to compare hardly a(prenominal) packaged drinking water brands in Delhi and NCR regionWhy bottled water?Millions of people, both in rural and urban India,suffer from inadequate or no tap water supply. plain some parts of Mumbai, the countrys financial capital,get a mere two hours of daily water supply.The growing number of cases of water borne diseases, increasing water pollution, increasing urbanization,increasing scarcity of pure and safe water etc. has made the bottled water business just like other consumer itemsBo ttled waterhas been treated by distillation, backtrack osmosis, or other suitable process and that meets the definition of purified water. The bottled water treatments include*Distillation.In this process, water is turned into a vapor. Since minerals are too heavy(p) to vaporize, they are left behind, and the vapors are condensed into water again.*Reverse osmosis.Water is forced through membranes to remove minerals in the water.*Absolute 1 micron filtration. Water flows through filters that remove particles larger than one micron in size, such as Cryptosporidium, a parasitic protozoan.*Ozonation. Bottlers of all types of waters typically use ozone gas, an germicide agent, to disinfect the water instead of chlorine, since chlorine can leave residual taste and feeling to the water.In India around 100 companies sell an estimated 424 million liters of bottled water valued at around Rs 200 crore in the country annually. Most bottlers claim that their water is 100 per cent bacteria-f ree and contains mineralsthat make it tastier and healthier. But is the water in these bottles really safe to drink? Do they conform to international or national standards?To find out, the Ahmadabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), an independent non-profit institution with a sophisticated crossing-testing laboratory, recently carried out a detailed study on 13 major brands of bottled water available in the country. The national brands Bisleri (separate samples were taken from their units in Bangalore, Ghaziabad, Calcutta and Baroda) and Bailley (Mumbai and Surat) were selected on the basis of their dominant state of affairs in the overall market. Bisil (Mehsana), Golden Eagle (Chennai), Aquaspa (Mumbai),Saiganga (Ahmednagar), Nirantar (Thane), Tirupthi (Chennai) and Yes (Nadiad) were included because of their regional popularity. To conform to international standards for such testing, 21 bottles of from each one brand weretested in the CERS laboratory aga inst analytical and sensoryparameters as vigorous as for microbiological contamination. To ensure fairness, the results were sent to the individual companies for their comments1.4 BACKGROUNDIn India For the product certification BIS have a scheme licenses are being grated to manufacturers who wish to claim that their bottled water brand is up to the Indian standards. It enables manufacturers to use popularly know ISI mark under BIS Act 1986 later that On September 29, 2000 the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a notification No. 759 (E), effective from 29.3.2001. An amendment to the Prevention of Food alloy Rules 1954, the BIS certification Mark is now mandatory for packaged drinking water and packaged natural mineral water according to BIS water filled in hermetically sealed containers of various compositions, form, and capacities that is suitable for direct consumption without further treatment. It is subjected to treatment decantation, filtration, and combinat ion of filtration, aeration, filtration with membrane filters, depth filter, cartridge filter, activated carbon filtration, and demineralization. It is disinfected to a level that will not lead to harmful contamination in the drinking water.There are Separate standards have been formulated by BIS for packaged drinking water (IS14543 98) and for packaged natural mineral water (IS 1342898). These standards give parameters to be tested and the requirements to be met in respective category of packaged water.According to BIS natural mineral water is different from packaged drinking water it is obtained directly from natural or drill sources like spring artesian well, drilled well or from an underpass water-bearing strata for which all possible precautions should be taken within the protected perimeters to avoid any pollution of, or external submit on, the chemical and physical qualities. It is characterized by its content of sealed mineral salts and their relative proportion and the presence of certain trace elements of. It is required to be collected under conditions, which guarantee the original Natural bacteriological purity and chemical composition of essential components and is bottled at the point of emergence of the source under hygienic conditions. freshman ever bottled water in India under the visit Bisleri was number one introduced in Mumbai by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin in 1965. This company was started by Signor Felicewho first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.Parle bought over Bisleri (India) Ltd. In 1969 and started bottling Mineral water inglass bottles under the brand name Bisleri. Later Parle switched over to PVC non- returnable bottles and finally advanced to PET containers. Since 1995 Mr.Ramesh J. Chauhan has started expanding Bisleri operations substantially and the turnover has multiplied more than 20 times over a period of 10 years and the average growth rate has been around 40% over this period. Present ly it has 8 plants and 11 franchisees all over India. Bisleri command a 60% market share of the organized market. To disinfect the water instead of chlorine, since chlorine can leave residual taste and odor to the water. To disinfect the water instead of chlorine, since chlorine can leave residual taste and odor of the chlorine and however it can be noted that retailers elect Bisleri because people recall bottle water with name Bisleri.The FDA also classifies some bottled water according to its origin.Artesian well water Water from a well that taps an aquiferlayers of porous rock, sand and earth that contain waterwhich is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay.Mineral water Water from an under footing source that contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolve solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water. They cannot be added later.Spring water Derived from an underground formation from which water flows natural ly to the earths surface. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. If some external force is used to collect the water through a borehole, the water must have the equivalent composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface.Well water Water from a hole bored or drilled into the ground, which taps into an aquifer. smasher Water Some bottled water also comes from municipal sourcesin other wordsthe tap. Municipal water is usually treated before it is bottled.CHAPTER2 REVIEW OF LITERATUREFDA defines bottle water as water that is intended for human consumption and that is sales in bottle or other containers, with no added ingredients except that whitethorn contain safe and suitable antimicrobial agentsIn the year 1980 wewere able to see more changes by introduction of a tap attachment where Iodine resin was used to filter the water. Iodine deactivates the microbiological impuriti es to a great extent but with this it also has side effects due to iodine and does not take care of dissolved impurities mineral balance.In the same year Late 1980s it was visible thatUltra Violetbased purifier, which filters dust and deactivates bacteria to a much greater extent as compared to Iodine. U.V. based purifiers maintain the odor and color of water but even they do not clear out the dissolved impurities and mineral particles. Thus came the concept of mineral water.Reporting requirements are significantly less stringent for bottled water facilities and allow the industry much latitude in assessing risks as well as make assessment of compliance difficult. A regulation body was set in place to periodically and systematically collect, compile, and assess complied statistical Information and was provided by the international Bottled water association (IBWA) on the bottled water industry. The IBWA has set the current annual market for bottled water at about two billion gallons. Wells and natural springs are the main sources for 75 percent of bottled water and for rest the source is the municipal water supplies. Wells and springs are considered to be the sources from ground water.There are different regulation, rules and laws for different counties. For example there is a regulation in the United States, that whenever bottled water is being sourced from community water source then the label of bottle should mention this clearly so it is easily seen and recognizable. However in other case if the water is subjected to distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis then it can be categorized that way and then there is no need to mention the source.As we know Ground water passes through igneous rocks due to which very small quantities of mineral matter gets dissolved as we know this is because of the relative insolubility of the rock composition. Sedimentary rocks as compared are more soluble than the igneous rocks. Because of their higher solubility, they comb ined with greater abundance in the earths crust they contribute a major portion of the soluble constituents of ground water (Todd, 1959). In areas recharging large volumes of water underground such as alluvial streams or artificial recharge areas, the quality of the infiltrating surface water can have intensive effect on the ground water. Salts are added to ground water passing through soils by soluble products of soil weathering and of erosion by rainfall and flowing water. Excess irrigation water percolating to the water table may contribute substantial quantities of salt (Todd, 1959)Qureshi and Barrett-Lennard (1998) nameed that out of 560,000 tube-wells in the Indus Basin, about 70% of them are pumping sodic water. Thus use of sodic water has in turn affected the soil health and decreased the crop yield. It further concludes that the geographic conditions of the area may contaminate the underground water. However, the source of origin of ground water as well as its recharge is of great importance for bottling companies as to maintain the water standard.Jeffrey Smith.B. (2009) (Providing clean and safe drinking water is a major challenge not only in India but also globally.)As the contamination of drinking water has increased so the supplies and shortages due to overuse has put substantial stress not only on the portability of this resource but also on its handiness to the growing global population. Because packaged water provides an important source of potable water for the Indian population, it is important for all the stakeholders to review and discuss best practices, so that working together the Indian population can have confidence in the packaged drinking water.Mayers Michael (2007) said that (Consumers are profiled in terms of demographics and variations by region.) He also discussed what motivates consumers to pay more n more for bottled water, than they do for the water that is available from their household tap.Improvements have been made with r egard to the taste and health related qualities of products.In 1958 the international bottle water association (IBWA) came in picture which was a trade association of water procedure, distributers, and suppliers activities include technical congeneric government relations and communication.E Selman n.keith (2005) conducted a survey which revealed that the selective information collected on bottled water production, specifically the production from the ground water, the primary source of bottled water relative to other uses of ground water, bottled water production was found to moderate uses of ground water.In Feb. 1999, drinking water foundation, The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a report by the title of Bottle Water Pure Drink Pure Type? in which they raised numerous wrong allegations against bottled water.CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES3.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDYConvenience and quality have made the aspect of packaged drinking water quite familiar. There are quite a few numbers of brands marketing their packaged drinking water, and the variety of the same is also mushrooming with the introduction of various styles viz., bottled, bubble top, and so on. But with the number of brands influencing the purchase pattern, there comes the threat on domestic brands, hence a research has been carried over to analyze few brands of packaged drinking water to understanda) The consumer behavior and adaptation of packaged drinking water,b) The brand equity and market share of various packaged drinking water brands,c) The marketing strategies adopted by various packaged drinking water brands, and,d) The market penetration of various packaged drinking water brands.3.2 RESEARCH DESIGNSimply put, a research design is the rule for a study that guides the accrual and analysis of data. The survey research approach was used in this check, saimple cause being that the consumers feedback was absolute for obtaining the data. A research project, initially, necessitate a basic preparation regarding the issues related to topic selected. For this one needs to do some deskwork. Deskwork includesDetermining the basic objectives of the study being pursued.Collation of inessential data related to the topic from sources like the internet, magazines newspapers.Studying the market, which one wants to cover?Analyzing the objectives on the basis of second hand data collected.The above mentioned activities at the initial stage of the project must be completed then the main part would be focused upon.3.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONSEach of our objectives has to be converted into certain questions in the questionnaire. The research objective will only be fulfilled if we are able to do this conversion successfully and effectively. The objectives of our research areTo study the consumer behavior and adaptation towards packaged drinking water.The concerned research question corresponding to this objective areWhat type of water do you prefer to drink?Mineral Water Filtered WaterHow frequently do you drink mineral water?Always sometimesOftenYou drink mineral water because it is skilful/Bacteria Free Handy/PortableWhen feeling thirsty you choose mineral water over soft drink?Always OftenSometimes NeverRank the following parameters as per your preference while purchasing mineral water.BrandQualityPriceAvailabilityTo study brand equity and market share of various packaged drinking water brands.The concerned research questions corresponding to this objective areWhich brand do you prefer while buying mineral water?Bisleri Kinley Himalaya QuaRate these brands on the factors given below( 1=bad 5=excellent)Factors Bisleri Kinley Himalaya QuaTastePriceAvailabilityBrandPackagingTo study the marketing strategies adopted by various packaged drinking water.The concerned research questions corresponding to this objective areDoes advertising of the product have any effect on your purchase?Yes NoWhat size of packaged water do you usually prefer?500ml 1 ltr5ltr 20 ltrTo study the market penetration of various packaged drinking water brands.The concerned research questions corresponding to this objective areWhere do you buy bottled drinking water from?Metro/Railway Station Bus StandLocal Vendors Office/SchoolCafeteria Retail Outlets3.4 PARTICIPANTSPopulation of the study the group of individual to be studied. Our population of the study cover the region of Delhi/NCR.Sample sizeWe had taken a sample size of 100 consumers who were our respondents. They were selected by simple random sampling, due to the fact that in this case systematic sampling is not possible, cause one cannot say whether a person is using mineral water or not.Sampling technique wide-eyed Random sampling technique has been used in this project. In simple random sampling each unit of the population stands an equal chance of being selected in the sample size. Each unit has the same probability of being selected i.e. 1/N.PROFESSION% OF POPULATIONIT/ITES10%SPORTS/TRAIN ER5%HOSPITALITY15%MANAGEMENT15%STUDENT40%OTHERS15%3.5 DATA COLLECTIONOne of the most basic differentiation is between collecting primary data or substitute(prenominal) data. Secondary data collection is any information we may have used, but which has not been specifically collected for the current marketing research. But marketing research typically requires a lot of current data that is not available through the secondary means. The methodology used for the secondary data that is already collected may be unknown thus validity and reliability of the data is not known.Primary data collection is the data that is collected specifically for the project undertaken from the real respondents such as consumers, dealers, and other people associated to the research.In our project we have used primary data collection method through questionnaire from the consumers. We had circulated the questionnaire online as well as manually.3.6 INSTRUMENTATIONMode Of SurveyThe consumers had to fill up our questionnaire , which was our instrument of survey.While pursuing the research, structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions were used. merged Questions they improve the reliability of the study, by ensuring that every respondent is asked the same questions.Structured answers structuring or standardizing answers which the respondent can choose from in a questionnaire also achieves consonance of form. Additionally, it makes the interpretation of answers, analysis and tabulation, easier than in the case of unstructured answers.Closed-ended questions questions which structure the possible answers beforehand are known as closed-ended questions.Preparing the questionnaireThe questionnaire was prepared keeping in disposition the objectives that we had laid down for the project. Each objective had had a set of questions lined up.The questionnaire followed the funnel approach i.e. the questionnaire follows a sequence starting with the general questions first and with more specific and personal questions later on to avoid specific questions biasing the general questions.A close end questionnaire was prepared by us for the same purpose, to be filled by the consumer.We have used the following types of questions in our questionnaire,Dichotomous questionsMultiple choice questionsRating questionsRanking questionsSemantic differential questions etc.3.7 control STUDYA pilot study is a pre-study of your fuller study. It can also be referred to as a miniature study of the project. In auberge to improve the macro picture, it is to a feasibility study, a small experiment designed to gather logistics and information prior to a larger study in order to improve the latters efficiency and quality.A pilot study will reveal deficiencies in the design, if any, of the proposed experiment or procedures and these can then be find before a larger picture is painted using more efforts and resources.Generally a pilot study is miniscule in front of the whole experiment, and theref ore would provide only limited information on the sources and magnitude of variation of response measures.In our project we carried out a pilot study on 20 consumers as respondents. Our selection was again through simple random sampling. The pilot study helped us in the restructuring of certain questions lacking the rest and effectiveness of a survey. Through this pilot study we could make the appropriate and necessary changes in our research instrument on time rather than after completing the research paper.3.8 DATA ANALYSISAfter collection of data another work necessary for any data collector is to correctly analyze that data. Statistical tools helped us to correctly analyze the data. The statistical tool that we have used in our project is SPSS software.SPSS(originally, statistical package for social sciences) was released in its first version in 1968 after being developed by Norman H. Nie and C. Hadlai Hull.Statistics included in the basic softwareDescriptive Statistics Cross T abulation, Frequencies, Descriptive, Explore, Descriptive dimension StatisticsBivariate Statistics Mean, T-Test, Anova, Correlation( Bivariate, Partial, Distances), Non Parametric TestsPrediction for numerical outcomes Linear Regression.Prediction for identifying groups Factor Analysis Cluster Analysis(Two-Step, K-Means, Hierarchical), Discriminant.The statistical tools used in the project areAttribut establish Perceptual Mapping Using Discriminant AnalysisDiscriminant AnalysisAnovaCorrelation3.9 LIMITATIONSEvery project report has limitations, our project which was Comparative Study Of Few Packaged Drinking Water Brands also faced certain limitations.We observed the following limitationsThe sample size of our project i.e 100 respondents was too small in affinity to the population. Too small a sample would have affected the reliability of the finding from the research.The data collection was done in some parts of delhi and noida . the project was generalized for the entire delhi/ ncr region.There might have been biasness on the part of the respondents.3.10 SUMMARYResearch methodology and procedures are the most important part of a project report. The finding and the result of the research depends upon the methods used, the data collection, the research questions, the data analysis tools used.The final objective of a research is to achieve what it was meant to achieve. The conversion of the objectives into the questionnaire and eventually the findings from the research is the core of the research project.CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS4.1 REVIEW METHODOLOGYQuantitative data collectionThe valuable data for the research has been taken from the given sourcePrimary data. The data was collected from1.a Customer Surveys A carefully structured questionnaire used to measure customer attitudes, levels of perception, intentions to purchase etc.1.b The questionnaires have been filled online and through personal interview.Instrument2.a Statistical Package for th e Social Sciences was used for data analysis.Qualitative findings helped us to effectively phrase and position questions and eliminate ambiguity (in questionnaire/survey) by providing a platform to better understand brand preference, brand equity, marketing strategies and consumer behavior. The findings that emerged from the above mentioned research methods are crucial in assessing our objectives.4.2 FINDINGSThrough One Way Anova we came to know that the frequency of purchase of packaged mineral water by the consumer does not converge significantly on the consumers income. Whereas the consumption quantity of packaged mineral water by the consumer converges significantly on the income of the consumer. This helps us in understanding price sensitivity of the consumer while decision making the quantity of consumption of packaged drinking waterBisleri the brand has a strongest brand equity which attributes to its success in comparison to its other attributes like price, packaging ,taste and availability .The unstandardised discriminant f

Diaper Market in India

Diaper grocery in IndiaBirth stations pose declined in the developed world and that has become unfavorable for the table napkin manufacturers to expand their businesses. Internationally, birth rates in the developed nations conf role declined by 20% during the put up 30 years and argon now only half the global average.The global mart for diapers was worth $22.2 billion, a 2.9% increase Year on Year. only the major marts of Western Europe, the U.S. and Japan reported decline. As a result, companies like Procter Gamble and Kimberly Clark ar banking more on innovation to their rescue. This has been a major subscriber of success for PG in the one-time(prenominal) few years.There is sorely developed focus on developing country markets, which derives 40% of global diaper revenue. Markets such(prenominal)(prenominal) as Russia and China are providing posts with excellent opportunities for longer term offset.It is also remarkable to see the trend in the developed markets towa rds greener products as shown in the chart be economic crisisDiaper Market in Developing CountryThere is huge arrestth likely for diaper products in emerging markets such as China, Brazil and India, as these markets are still quite underdeveloped and in the nascent stage. While it has taken advanced Western economies some time to cook the environmental price of their development this is non the case for todays emerging nations. In this case even the global recession pull up stakes enable China to have more time to better make arrangements for considering more sustainable and greener options for its growth.Middle-class is at the forefront of environmental awareness as the environmental consequences of fast industrialization and urbanization in countries such as China and India are becoming change magnitudely apparentAlso in countries such as India, the Philippines and Malaysia, levels of consumer awareness regarding hygienics products are very still very low.Indian Diaper Ma rketIn 2009, manufacturers have been now more foc utilise on more categories such as legislateable diapers. With the change magnitude buying power of Indian consumers, companies are looking for options which are more convenient and safe to utilise for the children. Increase in awareness about hygiene is a big factor for thus development.Some of the major development last year is as followsProcter Gamble hygiene Health Care Ltd introduced Pampers Magic NickersKimberly-Clark pry Ltd introduced Huggies red-hot Born, a product specifically targeting the m separates of red-hot born babies.With increasing awareness regarding the advantages of using the use of disposable diapers all over cloth substitutes, Indian parents are now spending more on purchasing such products which in turn led to an increase in gross revenue value for the manufacturers. Convenience has been one of the driving factors in this change. Even in tier 2 towns and cities, parents are willing to spend money on disposable diapers to use when the tike is taken out of the home, for added convenience.Also as babies get older, some young mothers look to go back to work. This encouraged the use of diapers, as they are more convenient, and they do not use up to spend time dampening cloth nappies. Also, as babies become more active, and nappies are a more comfortable and hygienic alternative to cloth nappies. However currently the majority of the sales is restricted to customers in urban India. So the pe terminalration rate of disposable diapers has been increasing, as more young parents are haping it convenient to twitch from cloth nappies to disposable nappies.Sales of disposable pants remained negligible in India in 2009. Procter Gamble hygiene Health Care Ltd introduced Pampers Magic Nickers and Uni-Charm Corp entered India with its brand of Mamy Poko Pants. Disposable pants have seen an increase in activity from the leading(p) brands, but sales have still not become signifi hatf ult.The main factors that inhibit the growth of this category are as followsCultural factors Diapers are a relatively newly concept in India. Indian parents use Diaper only for the sake of convenience during travel.Price When launched, diapers were priced at around Rs. 15 per section which is high priced. The average prices in last few years have dropped to Rs 10 per piece but its still very costly for everyday usage. some other Trends Potty training in India is at around two to two and a half years average. With that taking place at such a young age, the use of diapers is even lower for Indian babies.Also with the easy availability of cheap domestic help in India, it is convenient for Indian mothers to wash and reuse cloth nappies.Some of the important facts and figures are shown as followsMarketing ObjectiveThe penetration of disposable diapers has been increasing, as parents are finding it suitable to switch from cloth nappies to disposable nappies. With the market offering a v ariety of products across several price ranges, use of disposable diapers is expected to grow.Today young mothers are more sensitive about hygiene and health. They will readily utilize disposable nappies from an earlier age. Also, legion(predicate) young working mothers will want to accustom their children to wearing disposable diapers, and thus will start using them early.The forecast of retail sales of Diapers shows strong growth figures, in two digits. And with more consumers modify from traditional cloth nappies to disposable diapers, the category is expected to burgeon in the coming years.Godrej Consumer Products Limiteds main brand under Tissues and Hygiene category, Snuggy Dry has witnessed several changes in ownership in the Indian market. The joint venture between Godrej Consumer Products limited and SCA Hygiene Products which manufactured and distributed Snuggy Dry dis cut acrossd. This led to SCA Hygienes exit from India.The brand Snuggy Dry, which was the third larges t disposable diapers brand in 2009, is now cosmos marketed and distributed by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. Over the years, the diaper market in India has been dominated by existing players Kimberley Clark and Procter and Gamble as crapper been seen in the graph below.Godrej is moving strong in FMCG sector currently standing second to HUL and being fiercely competitive to HUL. Although Hindustan Unilever enjoys market leadership in several shares in India, it is slowly losing its ground to Godrej, which has relatively competitively priced products. Moreover, profit margins of Godrej products are signifi lowlifetly high than those of HULs. found on this background, the selling objective is to gather on the above mentioned conditions and increase the market cope of Snuggy Dry diapers from the current 8% level to 10% in short term and substantially continue gaining higher market share.5Cs Situation digestGodrej CompanyGodrej Consumer Products (GCPL) is deals in manufacturing, merchandise, and distributing fast moving consumer goods. The company offers various products such as soaps, toiletries, cosmetics, hair care, household care, stuff care and indulge care products. It also markets products under Cinthol, Fairglow, Godrej No 1, Nupur and Ezee brand names. The company primarily operates in India and some overseas market. It is headquartered in Mumbai, India.The company put down revenues of INR13,929.7 billion ($303.9 billion) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 26.3% over FY2008. The companys operating profit was INR1,881.6 million ($41.1 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 4.8% compared to FY2008. Its net profit was INR1,732.5 million ($37.8 million) in FY2009, an increase of 8.8% over FY2008. (Source EuroMoniter)In Diaper plane section, Godrej Products Ltd offers Snuggy Dry. This has around 10% market share accounting for the third position in Indian Diaper market. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd regained share in 2009, as the joint venture between Godrej Sara Lee and SCA Hygiene (Godrej SCA Hygiene Ltd) was discontinued. The brand Snuggy Dry is now being marketed and distributed by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd exclusively.The company has five factories in India, at Baddi, Guwahati, Katha, Malanpur and Sikkim. Apart from Snuggy Dry, all the other products of GCPL are produced in-country. Snuggy Dry was part of the Godrej SCA Hygiene Ltd joint venture, which was imported into India, and by and by the discontinuation of the joint venture, the brand was distributed by GCPL.CompetitionHuggies (by Kimberly-Clark) is the leader in the Indian market with a value share if 60 % share.Pampers from Procter and Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd. is at number 2 spot followed by Snuggy from Godrej Consumer products Ltd. Wipro Ltd and BellePremier Happy HygieneCare Pvt. Ltd. also have their own brands competing for the market share.Huggies and Pampers controlled 84% of the market in 2009 according to a Euro mon itor International report. These brands have invested heavily in advertising and hence have a dominating market share.Kimberly Clark launched a new product called Huggies New Born in 2009, which was diaper targeted towards new mothers. The product has been a moderate success as penetration of disposable diapers remains low in India, with mothers often using cloth nappies for young boys.New brand Mamy Poko Pants has been using extensive television advertising, with its adverts highlighting the comfort of the products and the ease with which they tail assembly be put on a child. In a market in which the leading players advertise a great deal by dint of television, these advertisements will help it to increase its brand presence.It can be said that the products compete against each other based on the price. Teddy and Wipro are considered as miserliness brands. Pampers, Huggies and Snuggy have price points in all trio price segments. Disposable pants have a more support price poin t deep down diapersPantaloon Retail India Ltd entered this category with the launch of its brand Caremate in 2009. former(a) private labels have not yet emerged in India.Diapers/Pants Retail Company Shares 2005-2009CustomersWith the increasing income levels in India, parents are spending more on purchasing disposable diapers instead of reusing cloth nappies at home. In addition, awareness is increasing finished the media about the different brands and the benefits of using disposable diapers over cloth versions, manufacturers saw an increase in value sales. Even in smaller towns and cities, parents are willing to spend money on disposable diapers to use when the baby is taken out of the home, for added convenience.This has make Indias nascent baby care market transforming into worlds fastest growing baby market. A vast population of population in age group 0-4 years is a boon to the market. Aggressive marketing strategies and consumer acceptance of branded premium baby care produ cts (especially in baby food and scrape care segments) will enable the industry to register a CAGR of more than 11% during 2010-2013.The major market players have used television based advertising to their full advantage and have raised the awareness of Baby care. With the increased awareness and increasing purchasing power, customers are fast shifting from cloth nappies to baby diapers. The Decision makers in this market are parents with mother being the dominant decision maker.The market has used extensive retail channels with super markets, traditional grocery stores etc. This use of extensive channels has also resulted in the increasing demand.The rapid development of modern retail infrastructure is luring consumers for convenient shopping experience and transforming into high retail spending. Baby care companies are optimally utilizing this trend and carrying out strong product positioning strategies to maximize their market returnsAccording to recent research, the Indian bab y care market has grown substantially over the past few years and caught the attention of international players. However, there is still a relatively large and untapped market in the rural sector. This market is evaluate to witness concrete market developments which will also give impetus to the baby care market.CollaboratorsMost diaper brands in India are imported and so is the case with Snuggy. The production for Snuggy is carried out by a Chinese manufacturer.BroadVision, Inc. announced that Godrej Group of India has successfully implemented two new sales portals for its business and consumer channels.The new portals, built using BroadVisions multi-channel sales portal and content solution, have streamlined and enhanced customer service for two Godrej Group subsidiaries-Godrej Industries Limited (GIL), which provides industrial supplies to businesses, and Godrej Consumer Products Limited, a manufacturer of consumer productsAccording to the companys analyst and investor meet repo rt, rural dispersal is essential for a sound growth. In 2009, reach in rural field of honors has increased by 40-50% in terms of small towns and villages. Rural now measures about quarter of GCPLs sales. It accounts for 45% of the growth. Going forward it is expected to be a continuous growth driver.ContextSocial/CulturalIn general, in India the diaper is met with resistance. And diapers are perceived as status symbols.One of the major concerns of diapers is rash it causes. Indians are not tolerant of rash and insist that the baby move around bare bottomed.TechnologyCompanies are heavily investing for bringing about innovations in this field. They are offering new products to boost consumer confidence and increase their market shares. Huggies Dry Diaper currently available in India is particularly designed for new users in new markets. The product employs high technology super absorbent materials (SAM) to deliver super dryness to the user which results in dry and healthy skin. SAM can absorb up to 100 times its weight. Also high leg cut design is one more innovation for hot climate from Kimberly- Clarke.It is a capital intensive industry and is associated with high costs. This is one of the major reasons why Godrej diapers are not manufactured in India but imported from China.SWOT Analysis(S)trengthsGodrej brand name is an asset, well known to Indian consumerLeveraging on the distribution channel by using Operation Big C.Cost benefit obtained by product import from china(W)eaknessesLack of marketing focus coupled with moderate success of Snuggy Happy Baby contest.Unavailability of RD facilities(O)pportunitiesStrong Market Growth expected at 16%Growing disposable income of Indian parents ( both parents working)Increasing hygiene and health awareness of preferring diapers over clothes.(T)hreatsPresence of many competitors in the marketNewer indigenous brand targeting the economic segment of the marketMarketing StrategiesThe below graph shows the number of new born babies born per inhabitants, though the number of new-born babies are decreasing but still the market is huge. Diaper is competing with the traditional way of using Clothes which has the advantages of reuse, inexpensive and to a certain goal healthier for the babies. Healthier in the sense, diapers used to cause rashes while clothes didnt. Diapers have the advantage of convenience and cleanliness.In order to increase the market share for Godrej diapers we intend to implement a progressive marketing strategy. In terms of marketing we intend that our name and products are marketed on an extensive basis to retard that customers are aware of our existence. In price, we intend to offer reasonable and competitive prices in comparison to other competitors and we need to be able to sustain that. sectionalisation ProfilesDividing a market in to distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics, or behaviour who might require separate product or marketing mixes.We can seg ment the market for the diaper market based on the disposable income of the parents. Regular use of disposable diapers remains more restricted to parents in urban India. Based on the stage of the new-born baby , the number of diaper to be used per month can be found Godrej should launch the diaper in three segments Premature when the baby is less than 6 months , New born when the baby is less than 2 year and Mini pack when the baby is 2-4 year.We can segment the market based on the Tier-1, Tier-2 cities. The disposable income of the parents has been increasing not just in Metro cities but also in tier-1 and tier-2 cities as well.But we find that number of working mother is less in these cities when compared to metropolitan cities. So the diaper usage will be less when compared to metropolitan cities. So we need to use a elevate marketing strategy for this segment of population without altering the pricing mix.Target SegmentDemographic DistributionAGE GROUPSPERSONSMALESFEMALES6 year s and Below163,819,61484,999,20378,820,411rustic-URBAN POPULATION DISTRIBUTIONPOPULATIONPERCENTAGERURAL742,490,63972.2URBAN286,119,68927.8Percentage of Children below 6yrs to total rural/urban populationRURALURBANNumber of children(0-6 yrs)117,950,12245869491Percentage of Population15.816The target market will obviously be mothers to be and current mothers. Indians are not used to this product. This category is concentrated on urban market. The Indian mother is a cost-conscious woman and would like to recycle most of the products used for her household. The same applies to the products used for her baby too.Moreover, large population base in 0-4 years and parents increasing preference to spend more on baby products will drive the market to new horizons in near future.Apart from penetrating deep into urban market, rural market will also provide growth opportunities to companies.Indian demographic distribution shows that 72 percent of the population live in rural areas while the rest 28 percent live in urban or semi-urban areas. discover of the total population mix both in rural and urban areas approximately 15 -16% population is below 6 years which form the potential market share for the diaper market. With the average purchasing power of the Indian population increasing and the with increased hygiene awareness the rural market is the market of the future.When the purchasing power parity reaches threshold, India will be the largest customer of diapers within the next 15 years which and is expected to explode in next 3 to 5 years. It has been found that with the present birth rate 24 million babies are born in India every year. If we typically calculate 25% of these infants in the period birth and 24 months use at least 28 diapers a week, theoretically the available market is 8.7 billion pieces per year. It is estimated that the diaper market would grow at a rate of around 5-10%.This proposed market segmentation will help building strong position in specialized diaper market segments. It will allows Godrej to focus on target customer specific needs. It will help them to understand the customer need and make improvement in marketing mix for each segment. It will help Godrej to compete with Huggies and Pamper brand diapers.The TV and print media can reach the diaper buyers. These two media forms the potential to cook the brand awareness among the buyers through various advertisements and promotional campaigns.PositioningThe Godrej diaper should be positioned as a value-for-money brand, one thatReasonably pricedSoftnessEase of useComfortable, good fitManufactured with bacteria resistant technology, with clean and highly absorbent cotton lapEnvironment friendlyNo irritation to the skinQuicker AbsorptionSuper Absorbent core keeping the baby dry for long hoursIt should be positioned as a product which is a itty-bitty package of joyMarketing MixProductDesignDisposable diaper is made of an absorbent pad sandwiched between two sheets of theoret ical account. The diapers are made by a multi-step process, viz.The absorbent pad is made and attached to a permeable top sheet and impermeable bottom sheetThe other accessories are then sealed together by application of heat or ultrasonic vibrations.FeaturesThe function of the pad is to absorb and retain body fluids, and the non-woven fabric gives the diaper a comfortable shape and prevents leakage. The main features of diapers would includeAbsorb body fluid.Retain body fluid inside the absorbent core. confiscate wetness from the babys skin.Isolate other excretion from babys environment (clothes, bed, etc).VarietiesThe following major varieties of diapers and tissue hygiene products are predominantly present in the Indian marketRegular diapersNew born nappiesDisposable pantsAdult diapersJunior diapersGodrej primarily focuses on regular diapers, junior diapers and new born nappies. The company markets a narrow portfolio of products within retail tissue and hygiene. It has only two b rands, Snuggy Dry and Protekt, but there are some variations in terms of fragrances under the Protekt brand umbrella.Most of the diaper brands continue to be imported, including Snuggy. Godrej is currently outsourcing its diapers from a Chinese company and will continue to do so until the piles pick up.PriceGodrej has positioned its brands Snuggy Dry and Protekt in the regular price segment in the market. A regular Godrej diaper pack of 6 costs Rs. 50. Currently, the Snuggy brand of diapers has a retail price of Rs 85 for a pack of 10. Smaller pack sizes have also been introduced and there are more product innovations being considered within the diaper category in the area of nappy pads much along the same lines of its competitor Huggies from Kimberly Clark, which has also introduced nappy pads. However, the current prices are a result of 2% price hike in March 2010, by Godrej.In the retail tissue and hygiene market in India, Godrej diapers held just above 2% value share and were ranked 6 in 2009. Within diapers/pants, the company held a share of 8%, and was in third position after Procter Gamble Hygiene Health Care Ltd and Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd.PromotionBeing the first brand of diapers in the country, Snuggy enjoys high-brand loyalty as one of the three leading players in the Indian baby diaper market. Godrej benefits from the brand loyalty which Snuggy commands in the consumers mind.The following table shows the ranking of nappies and hygiene products in the sales of Godrej in 2009.AdvertisingDiaper ads typically are earnest, fawning over babies and remaining steadfastly euphemistic about function, typically pouring blue liquid into diapers to demonstrate absorbency.The major two brands focus on heavy marketing and advertisement in mass media and television. This has led them to capture around 90% of the market share.A commercial titled SNUGGY HAPPY BABY CONTEST was through with(p) by Madison Media advertising agency for GODREJ diapers. The campaign was moderately successful and helped Godrej to keep its 10% market share.PlaceThe company has national coverage through wide marketing and distribution channels. Supermarkets and malls, especially large(p) BAZAR and Reliance Fresh have considerable self coverage of Godrej Diapers, though majority of the hygiene shelf space is still taken up by the two major players.ChannelsOTC Sales Godrej intends to push various OTC (over-the-counter) products and brands and the primordial inclusion in this category is Snuggy diapers. It feels that coupled with a consumer pull strategy through the marketing campaign SNUGGY HAPPY BABY CONTEST, this aggressive dealer push strategy will help it to gain sales.Operation BIG C Godrej looks at revamping distribution network and re-staging of brands. As a part of Operation BIG C, it intends to use the Chemist network in the country as a retail outlet for Snuggy diapers. The chemist margin for Godrej Diaper sales has consequently been kept higher. Follo wing the success of Operation B, which involved the saloons of the country for Godrej Beauty product outlets, Godrej hopes to achieve as high as 20% market share through Operation BIG C.Financial ProjectionsThe baby diaper market in India is fairly underdeveloped and is approximately Rs 4479.8 million.Source Official statistics, Euromonitor International estimates, condescension associations, craftiness press, company research etc.The overall growth of the market is projected to be around 15% per annum.Source Official statistics, Euromonitor International estimates, trade associations, trade press, company research etc.The current share of Godrej diapers under the brand name of Snuggy diaper is approx 8% of the overall share. That means the market share of Snuggy diaper is approximately Rs 371 million.Source Official statistics, Euromonitor International estimates, trade associations, trade press, company research etc.Diapers/Pants Retail Company Shares 2005-2009Financial projecti ons of Snuggy diaper marketing 7.5 million units of diaper at Rs 6 each will achieve the marketing objective of godrej Snuggy diaper. To achieve targeted revenue, Godrej diaper needs to generate revenue of INR 126 million (as given in above table, point 15). With the potential price and sale of the diapers in a quarter Godrej can expect to generate revenue of Rs cxxxv million (point 9 mentioned in given table above).As per the financial projections annual revenue of Snuggy diaper is Rs 371 million in 2009 which will grow to approx Rs 504 million in 2010 which comes to around 35 % growth in revenue.Budget Analysis and ImplementationIn view with the financial projections, please find the below work out analysisParticularsCostCommentsGross Profit1.2 INR per diaperProfit from sale of one diaperQuarterly sales targets23 MillionQuarterly sales expectedQuarterly profit27 Million INROverall profitBudget AllocationAdvertisement10 million INRBudget allocation from advertisement and awareness spreadingCollaborators margin7 Million INRRetailers need to be given additional margins to promote Snuggy DiaperImplementationAs the sales volume starts increasing, Godrej can open up the manufacturing unit at one of its already existing factory unit locations. Below is the approximate cost of building up the net manufacturing unit.ParticularsCost (INR in crore)CommentsLand Required(1200 sq mt)0.6Rs 5000 per sq/mtBuilding0.5Rs 5000 per sq/mtTotal Plant and Machinery for diapers3.5Industry averageInstallation of Electricity0.015130 KVA transformerOther preliminary expenses0.05Total Expenditure5approximatelyThe brand Snuggy is distributed by GCPL and currently not manufactured locally. The company is well positioned in diapers/pants in India, which is seeing an increase due to more Indian parents using diapers for their babies. Experts believe that since Snuggy is imported into India after the discontinuation of the joint venture with SCA Hygiene Ltd, there is a strong case to save c osts by manufacturing the product locally.Available in pack sizes of 2s, 5s and 10s, for all age groups including new born, standard and junior, the brand can be affordably priced alongside mainstream brands, and supported by aggressive advertising.GCPL requires not just building distribution and trade relations in the fragmented retail landscape, but also investment in terms of advertising and promotions. The revenue model will be on the lines of Operation Big B, with chemist shops being offered higher margins.

Electoral College Essay -- Political Science

According to critics, the electoral College is a faulty clay that should be abolished and replaced by direct election. Supporters of the Electoral College system make convincing arguments that it is the best system to decide the Presidential election in a complex society such as the join States. Many scholars place the Electoral College into a historical context by demonstrateing its evolution and sustenance throughout the history of the United States. This musical composition give discuss the main arguments made by supporters of the Electoral College System.I will first provide a description of the Electoral College and offer justifications as to why it was conceived by the Founding Fathers. Next, I will present major arguments from the critics of the Electoral College. In the third section, I will present the findings from proponents of the Electoral College. Finally I will conclude by synthesizing the arguments made by both opponents and proponents I also will present researc h questions that were raised while working on the paper and finally, I will stress the importance of the Electoral College and explain why I think it is the best system we have to elect the President.The Electoral College system is a body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice president. It was one of the most difficult agenda items in the 1787 Convention, where delegates were trying to create a fair and equitable way of selecting our President. As we would expect, there were numerous suggestions. For example, some delegates urged that the President should be selected by the Legislature while opposing delegates, in choose of direct election, believed that the Presidents loyalty would be to the Legislature instead of being independent in... ...ring Constitutional Conflicts. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .9.Haas, Karen L. 2010 Election Results and Vote Counts. Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. 3 June 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .10.Reed, Lawre nce W. Keep the Electoral College Mackinac Center. 6 Mar. 2001. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .11.Vita, Matthew, and Helen Dewar. The Framers, Federalism, and One Person, One Vote. JSTOR. 17 Nov. 2000. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .12.Longley, Robert. Why Keep the Electoral College? About.com US Government Info. US Government Info. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .

Another Stressful Evening as Mayor in SimCity 4 :: Personal Narrative Writing

Another Stressful Evening as Mayor in SimCity 4Somewhere, unpublished in bookform, a famous mayor once said, Show me a man without a vice and Ill show you an arid mind.Everyone has their soft spot if its not cigarettes, its intoxicant or else mingling with the wrong partners. Mine is composed of seven letters and a magic number SimCity 4. After six in the evening, I throw overboard the word processor, e-mailer, my browsers online dictionary window and settle back in the swivel chair. Its time to clock in as mayor.Pursky Muska A bustling city in the southeastern part of Maxisland, connected to the farm country of Yarbow by railway. Tourist attractions include Big Ben, the Washington Monument, a minor league stadium, a voguish country club and two seaports. Population size is 42,499.The 602 NewsBunnies perplex long history of aggression, also have deep philosophical side.The graduation exercise few minutes are usually the calmest, the perfect occasion to plant oak saplings on the parking lots of industrial buildings and dirty spruce pines on residential backyards. This has environmental advisor Camille Meadows doffing her yellow straw hat in my direction. Trees reduce air pollution, and at 3 simoleons each, I call it a bargain.Thanks to an mp3 program, importing songs in the game is a breeze. Joan Osbornes What If God Was One Of Us plays in the background. My bunny slippers tap in time with the beat. I have successfully moved J. Alfred Prufrock, complete with the fancy hat and pipe I chose myself, from the futureless Sims neighborhood, to the Ryan Apartments. Born somewhere outside Eliots Waste Land, he was living with his cousin, Nancy Ellicott in a two-story house at 79 Crumplebottom Court. Recent conflicts with stray cats and Nancys obsessed fan hardened his will to look for brighter horizons to such a point that he was seriously considering the marriage proposal of a certain Antonio Salieri... but thats in another game.Right now he is happily driving a blue pick-up going to work at Havoc Bioenhancements and seems to have adapted well in his environment. At first, he ranted against the noise and traffic caused by the motor order across the street. Ever since his brother-in-law came to visit, he realized the advantages of having one nearby. He now maintains that it is indispensable for really obnoxious relative relief.The 606 NewsWords engage a nice day produce psychosis in 3% of hearers

Gettysburg :: essays research papers

Gettysburg is the bloodiest battle on U.S. soil. It started when Vicksburg was under siege by worldwide Grant. General Lee thought that he would drive them out by invading the North. There plan was to first invade Harrisonburg, but Lee because saw that Gettysburg was a great place, because all the roads lead into it and it would be easier to gather his army. Stuart was in charge of the South Calvary, which is in charge of keeping lead-in of the position of the Norths army, but he was of causing havoc in some northern towns. In light of Stuarts disappearance General Long channel employ a southern actor named Harrison to spy on the north. With his information the decided to move towards Gettysburg. While this is going on the Northern army was to the north of Gettysburg and Buford, who is in charge of the Northern Calvary Division, saw what the South was doing.On the first day of battle three southern divisions were marching in between Seminary rooftree and Gettysburg. Buford know ing that he need to keep the high ground safe he sent Develin to set up a barricade one street and Gamble to barricade the other. As the three Southern divisions moved on Heath thought that Devilins barricade was made up of local reserves and he decided to attack. To Heaths dismay it was un mounted Calvary that were there to def cease and to make sure that the south didnt move into Corps Hill or Cemetery Ridge. Develin and Gamble held them off long enough. The south then settles in to Seminary Ridge. Ewell was told by Lee to take the corps hill but he doesnt. That was the end of the first day of battle. The south considered it a victory even though nothing came out of the first day. During the first day the 20th Maine under the subordination of Cornel Chamberlain was issued men who refused to fight. They were also told that they were to march towards Gettysburg and to be ready to fight. As they march all but six of the new guys decided that they would fight.