Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Negotiation-Real World Reflection

â€Å"Real world† exchange reflection Introduction As the ranking director, I finish the yearly execution assessment of my colleagues in January. In the wake of completing assessment I will hold interviews with them, talk about their endeavors and the designs during the current year. Lilly is one of my colleagues with a superior information on the coordinations business. In light of her presentation in 2012, her yearly execution is appraised B+ and she can get 8% expansion in year-end rewards. What's more, I intend to advance her as a group head answerable for the coordinations programming items advancement in the northern market.Since our company’s business improvement in 2013 will expand the contribution to the northern market, I expect the yearly deals pay in 2013 will increment by 30% under the normal market objectives accomplished; as a group chief, Lilly’s individual yearly pay will increment by 15% - 20%, relies upon the business commission. But since of s ome family reasons, she may not be eager to go for quite a while. Prior to the meeting, I heard another message: Lilly was disappointed for her own pay being not exactly another colleague, Han, who joined the group in the start of 2012.In expansion, Lilly has been filled in as a specialist for right around 5 years and she feels a touch of exhausting on this work. Because of advertising deals work opening in our organization, she needs to attempt the situation as a team lead, so as to get another working experience and get more opportunity to deal with her family. Readiness Planning Document What issues are generally critical to you? 1. Hold Lilly as my colleague. 2. Advance her as the group chief answerable for the northern market. | What issues are generally imperative to your partner? 1. Disappointment with her own pay. 2.Can the organization give the new difficulties on the expert occupation? 3. Can't venture out a great deal because of family reasons. | What is your BATNA? 1. Ho ld Lilly as my colleague without advancement since she won’t be happy to travel a great deal. Keep functioning as the expert with expected 5-8% yearly pay increment. The yearly salary will be not as much as now in the event that she moves to the business position. 2. Change the reward circulation, expanding the commission from 2% to 2. 5%, in the wake of advancing her as the group chief. 3. On the off chance that she needs long haul business, more than multi month, she can return home once per end of the week like clockwork or get additional 2 days’ vacation.Reservation Value? 1. Increment the commission from 2% to 3%, in the wake of advancing her as the group head. 2. Increment yearly get-away time from 10 days to 20 days. Target? Advance her as the group chief answerable for the northern market. | What is your counterpart’s BATNA? 1. Move to the business position which may give challenge work. 2. Keep the expert position, request a superior pay. 3. Acknowledge the advancement and get an a lot higher yearly salary. Reservation Value? 1. Make her yearly pay expanding 10% or more. 2. Take a stab at something new. 3. Remain in the city and deal with her family.Target? To locate another work with both fulfillment installment and more opportunity to deal with her family. | What are your wellsprings of intensity? Right to advancement. Give the new difficulties on the expert employment. Give proper occasion modification. Right to reward dissemination. | What are your counterpart’s wellsprings of intensity? Move to the business position. Request a more significant compensation or business stipend. Request more excursion time. | What is your initial move/first technique? Discussion about her yearly execution, and disclose to her the coming advancement. Think about the yearly pay when promotion.Attract her by the test as a group head. | Other significant or interesting data/considerations:How long is the movement time she can acknowledge? He r family situation;Is there anything I can accomplish for her or give her a few proposals? | Negotiation Since we currently live in various urban communities, I chose to utilize the video call meet. Diverse with phone discussion, video call can assist me with adjusting my arranging procedure by watching the adjustments in her face. I began with disclosing to her the reason for this discussion. Discussed the things the organization measures for her position; her commitment to income or costs.Based on her presentation in 2012, her yearly execution is evaluated B+ and she can get 8% expansion in her year-end rewards. At that point, I went to the advancement issue. I investigated the showcasing system of our organization; the northern market ought to be one of the most significant markets in 2013. Thusly, I have to advance a group chief who can deal with the expert group for northern market. In light of her great expert ability and information on the coordinations business, she is the b est man for this position. Lilly gave her fulfillment with the consequence of yearly execution assessment and was satisfied with the opportunity to be a group leader.But she said she needed to change to deals division so as to have more opportunity to deal with her family. Since I realize that it couldn't simple to get additional time if being a project lead, I didn’t think about it as the genuine explanation behind her work day. Through discussion, I discovered that the genuine explanation was her own yearly salary was not as much as Han, which caused her to feel awkward. I figured I should concentrate on the pay first. Initially, moving to deals division was not a decent decision since the salary will diminish. Keep filling in as the advisor with expected 5-8% yearly pay increase.Secondly, I clarified that she and Han held distinctive position, their pay can’t be analyzed. Despite the fact that I can't tell the particular salary information, I consider their pay is c lose. Additionally, on the off chance that she got the advancement, her yearly pay ought to be expanded to a more significant level. From that point forward, I clarified the subtleties of the advancement: the business commission will be expanded from 2% to 2. 5%, in the wake of advancing her as the group head, which implies her own yearly salary will increment by 15% - 20%. Lilly was pulled in by the condition, however she despite everything stressed over the test she will face to and how to manage the family issues.I revealed to her I can bolster her work which she didn’t should be stressed over. For family issues, there are two decisions: one is getting additional 2 days’ get-away following a multi month long haul excursion for work; another is expanding yearly get-away time from 10 days to 20 days. She concurred with the last one finally. Before we finished the discussion, Lilly said she will chat with the coming change with her families, so as to get their help. I figure she will persuade her families and take the position. End The consequence of the arrangement is successful.I do a really decent planning work by decide my main concern and BATNA in time and great procedure can allow me to deal with the exchange follow my own thought. Common trust is significant in this exchange procedure. Since the genuine purpose behind her day of work was her own yearly salary was not as much as Han, which caused her to feel awkward. I can’t deny the reality since I have to fabricate the shared trust. Be that as it may, I can change the best approach to talk about the salary issue and mental fortitude all her the position. I discovered the arrangement and I got my objective finally.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Gimme an A (I Insist) by Abigail Sullivan Moore Article

Gimme An (I Insist) by Abigail Sullivan Moore - Article Example So as to examine the degree of it a review was directed in around 400 schools and colleges, meeting the understudies and the result is the inclination that Something is amiss†. It was seen that the individuals who got A were around 50%, about 18% high since 1968. It is the result of overwhelming weights put on the educators by students and guardians. They have just one want, and that is to get confirmation in the presumed universities. This is disturbing in light of the fact that nobody knows about what is in question. They appear to be oblivious of future difficulties. Aside from the weights, being put by the understudies and guardians, on the instructors for getting a higher evaluation, the understudies likewise resort to different methods of introducing themselves as great. Cheating has gotten normal. The accessibility of data and information through the web has been enticing understudies to download them effectively and submit them to the educators as their own work. At that point the propensity for re-appropriating the assignments are on the ascent. It has been seen, says Sullivan, that while the senior’s grade climbed the SAT score stays unaltered. This pattern, he found, began expanding since the 199s. The explanations behind this could be the ascent in the individuals from the center pay bunch getting mindful of the â€Å"hard-to-get† schools. They attempt to send their wards to such presumed places. Additionally, their â€Å"discretionary income† empowers them to pay more. He cites the board’s VP, Wayne J. Camara , who said that ‘‘Everyone cannot get As†. The creator accepts that the times of the reviewing framework is finished. Learning will be high and consistent. Evaluations or no evaluations, the understudies continually make progression in their knowledge.â

Sunday, August 9, 2020

How Long Does OxyContin (Oxycodone) Stay in Your System

How Long Does OxyContin (Oxycodone) Stay in Your System Addiction Drug Use Opioids Print How Long Does OxyContin (Oxycodone) Stay in Your System? OxyContin in Your Blood, Urine, Hair, Saliva By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on January 28, 2020 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD on January 28, 2020 Darren McCollester/Staff/ Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Opioids Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand Effects Duration Detection Times Elimination Symptoms of Overdose Getting Help View All Back To Top OxyContin (controlled-release oxycodone hydrochloride)  is a long-acting opiate prescribed for moderate to severe pain when pain relief is needed for an extended time. It is the brand name of an extended-release formulation of oxycodone.  OxyContin can be detected in blood, urine, saliva, and hair, although detection windows vary depending on the type of test that is used.?? A single dose of OxyContin works in your body for about 12 hours, but the drug and its break-down products may be detectable for much longer.?? OxyContin, like other opiates, is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning that it is considered a drug with a high potential for misuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. In addition to its high potential for dependence and addiction, taking OxyContin in high doses or combining it with other substances poses a risk of overdose. By understanding how long it stays in your system, you may be able to prevent these reactions. How Long Does OxyContin Stay in Your System? Blood: Up to 24 hoursUrine: Up to four daysSaliva: Up to 48 hoursHair: Up to 90 days What You Should Know About OxyContin How Long Does It Take to Feel Effects? The pill  is designed to release oxycodone over a period of 12 hours. The initial absorption is in a little over a half-hour and then there is a second release from the pill about seven hours later. When you first start taking the prescription, you should reach steady levels of the drug in your bloodstream after 24 to 36 hours.?? The exact mechanism of action is not known, but the drug is believed to impact opioid receptors resulting in changes in the way that the brain responds to pain. It acts as a depressant in the central nervous system, which is why it decreases heart and breathing rates. OxyContin may also cause side effects that include:?? Dry mouthHeadacheNauseaDizzinessDrowsiness If you experience more serious side effects such as confusion, difficulty urinating, fainting, seizures, severe drowsiness, or very slow breathing, you should contact your doctor or emergency services right away. How Opiates Impact the Brain and Body How Long Does Oxycontin Last? The elimination half-life of OxyContin is about 4.5 hours, which is longer than the 3.2 hours for immediate-release formulations of oxycodone. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of a substance to be eliminated from the body. This means the drugs action  is effectively eliminated from the blood in 22.5 hours.?? Taking the medication with food doesnt affect the absorption, but you may have higher plasma levels when you take it with a high-fat meal. Plasma levels may also be higher in the elderly and people with renal or liver impairment. Your body breaks down oxycodone hydrochloride into noroxycodone, oxymorphone, and noroxymorphone. It is then excreted by the kidneys into the urine. OxyContin can be detected by screening tests used in employment, forensic, and medical settings.?? Many home drug testing kits can also detect the presence of the drug.   Urine OxyContin can be detected by a urine test for up to four days after the last dose. However, standard drug screenings often do not test for this drug, so additional tests may be used to detect the presence of OxyContin. Blood The detection window by blood is much shorter and the test is more costly and invasive. For these reasons, blood tests are not used to screen for the presence of OxyContin as frequently as urine tests. However, these tests can detect the substance in the body for up to 24 hours. Saliva OxyContin shows up quickly on saliva screening tests, usually within three hours of taking a dose, and its presence can be detected for up to 48 hours after the last dose. Hair As with other substances, OxyContin can be detected by a hair follicle test for a much longer period of time, up to 90 days.   If you take OxyContin by prescription, it will be detected on typical pre-employment or forensic drug tests. You should disclose that you are taking this drug by prescription when you are required to take such tests. Factors That Affect Detection Times There are a number of different factors that can influence how long OxyContin is detectable in your body. Age According to OxyContins prescribing information, studies found that people over the age of 65 had blood concentration levels of the drug that were 15% higher than that of younger adults, suggesting that elderly adults clear the drug at a slower rate.?? Because older adults metabolize the drug more slowly, it is likely that the drug can be detected in their systems for a longer period of time. Sex For unknown reasons, women have higher plasma levels when taking OxyContin. Studies indicate that women had blood concentrations 25% higher than men.?? Liver Health Function Studies have found that people with mild to moderate liver impairment had peak OxyContin blood concentrations that were 20% to 50% higher than individuals without liver impairment.?? Kidney Health Function People with kidney dysfunction also clear the substance more slowly, with peak blood concentrations around 20% to 50% higher than in healthy individuals.?? Other factors, such as how long youve been taking your medication, your individual metabolism, alcohol use, and taking other medications, can also play a role in how quickly OxyContin clears from your body. Prescribed Use vs. Other Methods The dosage schedule and how the substance is taken can also have an impact on detection times. The normal detection windows for OxyContin assume that the medication is taken as prescribed, in whole-tablet form, and on the recommended dosage schedule. However, when misused, OxyContin tablets may be crushed and snorted or injected. Research has found that when crushed and snorted, OxyContin can be detected within five minutes of administration. The drug is also more bioavailable when taken intranasally, which may affect peak blood plasma levels and duration of detectability.?? The type of OxyContin tablet that is crushed may also play a role in how quickly the drug begins to take effect and how it affects the body. One study found that crushing and snorting the controlled-release tablets was associated with lower and delayed peak blood plasma levels.?? While blood plasma levels may be lower, the delayed effect may mean that the substance is detectable in the body for a longer period of time. The misuse of prescription opioids such as OxyContin can also result in significant health consequences. When taken in large doses, these drugs can have serious side effects and can even be fatal. How to Get OxyContin Out of Your System There are a few different steps you can take if you want to speed up how quickly OxyContin is eliminated from your body. The most important is to stop taking the drug, but you should always talk to your doctor before taking this step. OxyContin can lead to physical dependence, so suddenly stopping your medication can result in withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor may slowly taper you off your medication in order to minimize these symptoms. Once you have safely stopped taking OxyContin, you may be able to slightly increase the drugs metabolism and elimination by making sure that you stay well-hydrated, following a healthy diet, and getting regular physical activity. Symptoms of Overdose OxyContin works by altering the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain. But it also has significant effects on depressing breathing and the cough reflex. An overdose can result in death.?? To avoid a potentially fatal overdose, you must always take the pill whole and never cut, crush,  chew, or inject OxyContin as its specifically formulated for extended (not immediate) release into the body. You should also stick to your prescribed dosing schedule to avoid taking too much. Never take two pills together because you missed a dose and never take more than one pill in 12 hours. The following are some of the symptoms of an OxyContin overdose: Difficulty breathingSlowed or stopped breathingExcessive sleepinessDizzinessFaintingLimp or weak musclesNarrowing or widening of the pupilsCold, clammy skinSlow or stopped heartbeatBlue skin, fingernails, or lipsLoss of consciousness or coma If you suspect someone has taken too much OxyContin and is showing symptoms of overdose, call 911 immediately. If unresponsive, first responders may be able to revive the victim with Narcan (naloxone), but only if they are notified soon enough. Its helpful if you can tell them the time the drug was taken, how much, the prescription formulation, and the persons age and weight. Understanding Opioid Overdoses Drug and Alcohol Interactions Even when using OxyContin as prescribed, it can cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first three days that it is used.  Drinking alcohol or taking medications that contain alcohol with OxyContin can cause overdose and death. Taking OxyContin with other medications can also cause life-threatening breathing problems. If a health care provider tries to administer or prescribe OxyContin to you, let them know if you are taking any of the following: Certain antibioticsCertain antifungal medicationsMedications for anxiety, mental illness, or nauseaMuscle relaxantsCertain medications for HIVOther narcotic pain medicationsSedativesSleeping pillsTranquilizersSupplements (especially St. Johns wort and tryptophan) Getting Help Like other opiates, OxyContin is known to have a high potential for dependence and misuseâ€"even when taking as prescribed.?? Talk to your doctor if you want to reduce your dose or stop taking OxyContin. Abruptly  stopping your medication can result in serious symptoms of withdrawal, including: Runny noseWatery eyesDifficulty sleepingJoint painMuscle achesRapid heartbeatFast breathingRestlessnessVomiting Your doctor can help you discontinue your medication safely and avoid withdrawal symptoms. This may involve gradually lowering your dose or using medications such as buprenorphine or methadone to manage the symptoms.   If you need additional help, your doctor may recommend inpatient or outpatient treatment. Such treatments may involve the use of medications to support your recovery as well as psychological approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), contingency management (CM), and motivational enhancement therapy (MET). For help finding treatment options in your area, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-4357 or use their online treatment locator. Treatment Options for Opioid Addiction

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Essay on The Fashion Industry Zara - 1467 Words

Introduction The fashion industry has changed over a period of time due to the growth of boundaries. This is attributed to the varying dynamics of the industry; declining mass production, altered structural aspects in the supply chain, need for more affordable cost and quality. This shows that fashion retailers are able to acquire a competitive power in the market through making sure through which they get their products to the market for the consumers (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007). Consumers are hence able to get product easy and of high quality. Fast fashion has been able to meet the needs of consumers while trying to acquire major merchandize turnover to retailers than local rivals. The Zara case study reported sales $8.15 billion†¦show more content†¦From its creation to the time it reaches the stores followed by advertising, consumers are well informed and are able to get new products. So as to be able to appeal to most consumers, Zara makes use of low cost strategy in combinatio n with reduced stock for all the stores where consumers are available. Consumer’s perception of urgency is influenced through not restocking. This shield from any losses on the part of the retailer, while any product that is not successful in the local market is moved to other countries. Zara makes use of point-of-sale that send details to its headquarters in Spain, displaying real-time information for consumers (Delagarde, and Baykal, 2011). Up-to-date information regard the consumers are left to the local managers of the company for them to be able to get new garments. Information moves from the local company to global stores as the digital assistant use it daily. They are able to acquire new designs and order new materials. This local influence assists Zara regarding consumer’s details to act locally and be up to date with local cultural variation. Zara’s marketing and advertising techniques to consumers are outstanding. The company uses about 0.3% of promotional products to the consumers. Additionally, the retailer uses location methods, looking for hot spots in malls with many customers (Thomas, 2006). Accordingly, traffic is created through mall location while store traffic is managed through merchandize presentation.Show MoreRelatedFast Fashion Industry: Growth of Zara and Inditex Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesFast fashion Fast fashion is merely more than a one hit wonder. The fast fashion industry has grown and has ultimately proven itself to be profitable industry in the clothing market. The retailer most distinguished for a fast fashion approach is Zara (Hayes Jones, 2006). Zara is a child company of the parent company Inditex. Zara stores have established the stride for merchants around the globe in creating and shipping fashionable clothing (â€Å"Case 3-4. Continued Growth for Zara and Inditex†Read MoreMarketing Strategy Of Zara s Sector Of The Fast Fashion Industry1572 Words   |  7 Pages1. Introduction Zara, a Spanish owned clothing organisation, is one of the world’s most successful clothing brands. It has utilized a unique and targeted marketing strategy to ensure it has consistently met business growth targets, and has attracted a wide range of consumers across its numerous stores worldwide. Zara was started by Amancio Ortea Gaona in 1963 and has since expanded to over 2000 stores worldwide. 2. Price determinates and Pricing Strategies This section will explore the priceRead MoreZara E-Business672 Words   |  3 PagesExecutive Summary E-business Background Zara, part of Spanish giant Inditex Group, provides clothing products to customers demanding fast fashion that looks like high fashion at lower prices. It has been considered as the most remarkable fast fashion company of the 21st century. In order to understand and analyze the dynamics of the sector and the current state of Zara, Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT analysis will be used. E-Marketing The key elements of Zara’s e-marketing strategy include socialRead MoreCase Study : Marketing Brand Management Essay1398 Words   |  6 Pagesorganization Introduction of Brand: Zara is one of the most famous brands in the world, is also one of the largest international fashion companies. They is the third largest brands in the garment industry. Zara is a Spanish clothing brand. Zara is part of the Inditex group of Spanish fashion distributors. Inditex is one of the largest fashion retail dealers in the world. It has more than 4780 stores in 77 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. The owner s name is Zara Amancio Ortega. Amancio OrtegaRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Zara1080 Words   |  5 Pages Zara is one of the most well-known international companies in the world. It is recognized for its high fashion, quality garments and affordable prices. Zara’s parent company is Inditex.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"One of the world’s largest distribution groups† (Zara, n.d).   Zara offers fashionable designs for men, women and children. Zara was opened in A Coruà ±a, Spain by Amancio Ortega and his partner Rosalia Mera in 1975. They wanted to name their store after their favorite film Zorba the Greek. Since that name was alreadyRead MoreMarketing Plan: ZARA1571 Words   |  7 Pagesin Business Administration major in Human Resource Development Management Zara Clothing Company Marketing Plan By Mr. Carl Jastine Eugenio Ms. Angelica May Ignacio Ms. Mary Christine Agojo Ms. Shenna Mae Reyes Mr. Eric Balaoro I. Executive Summary Zara is the largest retail company owned and run by Inditex, largest Spanish corporation and the world’s largest fashion group. The way Zara has runs its company is by following a vertical integrated operation that has the advantageRead MoreThe Retail Giant Of Zara Essay1351 Words   |  6 PagesThe retail giant Zara have proven that utilizing all resources and different management techniques branded the store as a fashion empire. However, Zara has been named one of the most profitable retailers in the world. Zara has expanded and is operating stores all over the world which makes the retailer global. The philosophy behind the retail giant is immersing new fashion fast. Furthermore, Zara focus is producing high-end quality clothes through creativity. The retail giant uses a rapid responseRead MoreZar A Marketing Strategy1313 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Zara was founded in 1975 in Spain. Inditex which is the parent of Zara Company was founded ten years later by Co finder of this company, Amancio Ortega . Inditex has 7 other brands like Pull Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterqà ¼e. These companies have the same sales management approach with a focus on customers. In 1975, Zara opened its first store in A Coruà ±a in northwest of Spain. Today, Zara operates over 2000 stores in more than 88 countries around the worldRead MoreZar A Business Strategy And The Brand Image1706 Words   |  7 Pagesworld is currently locked, one would be forgiven to expect that fashion is the last thing on people s mind, especially the young and the middle-class. This is a population considered as low income and would spend much of their finances in other needs rather than fashion. However, Zara, a Spanish retail fashion giant, has achieved just that by providing clothing and fashion at an affordable price for those conscious of fa shion. Zara has made a business out of promoting people to wear fashionableRead MoreZara - Marketing Research1034 Words   |  5 PagesTask 1 zara marketing research Zara is a spanish chain store in Inditex group, one of the worlds biggest retail store in the world who are also owners of zara home. Zara is a fast industry bt its unique business model is based on innovation and flexibilty. they design and distribute a garment to the market in just 15 days. they always have new products but in limited supply. the customer feels there is an exclusitivity , since only a few items are on display even though stores are planned

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Essay on Case 75 Federal Bank Solution - 3035 Words

Case: 75 Federal Finance Bank – Instructor’s Solution INPUT DATA: Amount Needed to Raise Flotation Costs Stock Offer Price Market Value/Book Value Ratio (Dollars in thousands) Assets Cash U.S. Treasuries Mortgage-backed Securities Municipal Bonds Government Agency Securities Total Cash Securities Residential Mortgage Loans Consumer Loans Business Loans Total Loans Fixed Assets Total Assets Liabilities Passbook Savings Non-interest Checking N.O.W. Accounts Money Market Accounts Certiï ¬ cate of Deposits Total Savings Borrowed Money Other Liabilities Total Liabilities Capital Stock ($100 par value) Retained Earnings Total Equity Total Claims Loan Loss Reserve Allowable Risk Adjustment Weights: No default risk Low default risk Res. loans †¦show more content†¦Total Number of Shares Outstanding = capital stock/par value per share = $12,155,000/$100 = 121,550 Book Value per Share = total equity/number of shares outstanding = $26,490,000/121,550 =$217.94 2. Using the data in Table 3, calculate Federal Finance’s 2000 ROA and average annual growth rate in assets from 1995 to 2000. (Hint: In your calculations, use only the data for 1995 and 2000.) ROA = Net Proï ¬ t/ Total Assets = $7,863/$525,826 = 1.50% The compounded annual growth rate in assets can be found as follows: Assets1995 (1+g)5 = Assets2000 $273,617 (1+g)5 = $525,826 (1+g)5 = $525,826/273,617 = 1.92 (1+g) = 1.921/5 = 1.1396 g = 0.1396 = 13.96%. 3. For the four Bank’s listed in Table 4, calculate the following: a. The Capital Asset Ratio for 2000. b. Compound annual growth rates in assets for the ï ¬ ve-year period 1995–2000. c. The ROA ratios in 2000. d. The market value/book value ratios for 2000. e. How does Federal Finance compare with the Capital Asset Ratios and growth rates of these institutions? a. Capital Asset Ratio = Shareholders’ equity/total assets Maryland Financial = $11,800/$220,000 = 5.36% Great Northern Bank = $23,700/$476,000 = 4.98% First Bank of California = $15,400/$305,000 = 5.05% Omaha Federal = $12,900/$238,000 = 5.42% Case: 75 Federal Finance Bank – Instructor’s Solution b. Assets Growth Rate = Assets1995(1+g)5=Assets2000Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Inflation On The Economy1129 Words   |  5 Pagesspend more. Moreover, people thought that increasing of inflation allowed the economy to grow. Therefore, if inflation reduced, the unemployment would be raised, and consequently, the economy of the country would be slowing down. Then, the central bank had to increment money supply in order to turn the inflation up again, and so it keeping the economy moving. The society was more used to a Keynesian-economic theory which balanced output with inflation. According to this theory, the government shouldRead MoreSmall Business Funding Options1170 Words   |  5 Pagespartnership to pay back this relative, there is no high rate interest to worry about, as there would be with a bank loan. Also, the relative only has to agree to the assistance, instead of applying for bank approval. There is also no risk of depreciation, as there is with the stock market. However, there is also a very large risk with this type of funding. When using a short or long term loan with a bank, once approval is granted, the funding is guaranteed. When borrowing from a relative, he/she can decideRead MoreHuman Contribution And Environmental Issues1404 Words   |  6 Pagesinfrastructural damage at $75 billion; and more than 3,200 people were still unaccounted for by January 2006. The recommendation re-zone the lowest lying land in New Orleans as unfit for urban de velopment, and work with environmental scientists and ecologists to restore the wetlands, according to the Coast 2050 Plan. This case focuses on the long and short-term factors that contributed to making Hurricane Katrina a humanitarian emergency in the City of New Orleans. The case historically traces factorsRead MoreEssay on Who Can Stop Credit Card Abuse1910 Words   |  8 Pagesthe introduction of the credit card to the Internet in the 90s. Today, Web servers enable payments by credit card. A credit card transaction over the Internet is one of the most common types of payment. If a merchant has an account with a merchant bank that offers Internet credit card processing, he would be able to accept credit card payment over the Internet (http://search.netscape.com). quot;There was an increase of $78 billion over 1994, in just one short year. Weve been tracking it since 1980Read MoreThe Issues Of The Healthcare System Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom illness and injury, including lost productivity, increased need of assistance in living and also the cost of death in some cases, is important to the e conomic stability and over all standard of living in our country. The key to economic prosperity is balancing the need for care with the costs of illness to keep as many people healthy and well without breaking the bank of collective society. The costs of healthcare have been increasingly problematic in recent years with so many issues surroundingRead MoreThe Current Budget Of State Of Michigan1188 Words   |  5 Pagesrecession is essential for determining Michigan s economic present and future. It is also important to understand why Michigan stayed in a recession while the rest of the country’s economy flourished, and why it ended, because those may be vital solutions to avoiding another downturn. This report is divided into four sections. The first section introduces the State of Michigan and gives a brief contextual. The second section gives a brief historical background of Michigan’s economy. The third sectionRead MoreFailure of Three Regulation in Financial Crisis Essay1975 Words   |  8 PagesSince the year 2008, many countries had been suffered from a financial crisis or Hamburger crisis, because of the mistaken policy, complex financial system etc. which cause a severe shock to the financial system globally. From this impact, the federal government of United State of America (USA) and other countries had injected a large fund for retrieving this situation significantly. Therefore, it can be explained that understanding the main causes of the financial issue can assist each country toRead MoreFnan 321 Hw92128 Words   |  9 Pagesorder. Any homework assignment with questions or parts of questions that are submitted out of order will receive no credit. The term order refers to the question numbers on the assignment. For example, if there are 5 questions, then the submitted solutions must be numbered from 1 to 5 in numerical order and each question must be answered completely under the appropriate number. Questions with subparts must also be answered in order. 2. Complete Assignment: to complete the assignment you must attemptRead MoreCurrent Economic Conditions: the Role of Fiscal and Monetary Policies in the United States3692 Words   |  15 PagesDevelopment, or OECD, the long-term interest rates for the months of June, April and January have been 1.62, 2.17, and 1.97, respectively. This would lead to suggest that production would increase while unemployment decrease, yet this has not been the case. Agreeing with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the OECD also shows unemployment staying at around 8.2 percent in the month of June. The unemployment rate and GDP growth is what the media seems to focus on, so we must also look at theRead MoreFaculty of Business Studies1287 Words   |  6 Pagesto evaluate a new job, and to decide whether or not you can afford a new computer. 2- Businesses: they use it to set goals, to measure progress toward those goals, and to make adjustments when needed. 3- Taxing authorities: Local state and federal governmentsgt; income tax is figured using accounting information. Sales tax depends upon company sales. 4- Investors: they often provide the money to get a business going. To decide whether to invest, a person predicts the amount of income to

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Meal-Delivery Startups Look for a Winning Recipe Free Essays

The authors clearly show how high-tech is applied to different areas of marketing mix and supply chain logistics to help meal-kit delivery companies create competitive advantage and have high customer satisfaction and retention rates. Unfortunately the authors are not able to provide us with the numbers for those rates, as they only state opinions of meal-kit entrepreneurs. The importance of computer applications is emphasized in a creation of the product to model recipes, measure prospective demand and stay connected electronically with producers and supplies of meals ingredients. We will write a custom essay sample on Meal-Delivery Startups Look for a Winning Recipe or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to the authors, it allows companies more planning and agility while working with seasonal or variable ingredient supply and at the same time pursuing a goal of losing less than 1 % of perishable inventory, which would seem surprisingly low to the reader, comparing to produce waste and spoilage In other food businesses. Internet, Mobil and social media technologies are the main methods used for promotion of the product to the target market of Americans who want to order fresh food online. This Is an Important aspect for growth, as young generations will probably appreciate mime saving and convenience of Internet ordered fresh meals, despite the fact that at $10-12 they are more expensive then store bought frozen dinners, for example. At the low-tech end companies outsource the delivery to the 3-d party, which reduces capital Investment, but at the same time, the authors note, Involves risk of putting customer experience out of companies’ control. Computer technology also plays Important part In a supply chain Integration. While technology can’t always help In all aspects of business, the authors argue, by presenting the example of a meal-kit pending on its ingredients, they indicate, that another company plans to create their own warehouse management software to help track orders and productivity of each of its workers. I found this article relevant to the subject of our class, as it discusses many different aspects of marketing. It also combines feature which are important and interesting to me as a part of my Bal studies with its emphasis on importance of computer technology in elements of marketing mix, supply chain management, logistics and building business competitive advantage. As the future of the Internet grows so do the opportunities for business success for companies that utilize high-tech in their customer relationship management. Technology and sophisticated process of data mining allows innovative businesses to focus on details and customer experience and satisfaction by providing the products and services that their target audiences demand. I consider The Wall Street Journal a credible source as the newspaper is well established, has the largest circulation in US and a reputation of credibility. It has special emphasis on business and economic news. How to cite Meal-Delivery Startups Look for a Winning Recipe, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Ellis Island free essay sample

This paper introduces analyzes, and discusses the book Ellis Island Interviews: in Their Own Words, by Peter Morton Coan. Ellis Island was the first stop for immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century. This paper examines a book which deals with the stories of people who passed through this island. It provides great insight into the life of the immigrants, their reasons for leaving their country and what they hoped to achieve in America. The writer of this paper examines the authors use of interviews as a form of documentation. The author calls Ellis Island a Americas slender thread for the peopling of the nation (Coan xiii), and his interviews portray just a few of the thousands of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on their way to a better life. By and large, they came from nondescript farm villages and hamlets tucked away in forgotten European provinces and sleepy border towns routinely compromised by twisted ideology, plunder, and hate (Coan xvii). We will write a custom essay sample on Ellis Island or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Coan interviews several of these people who came to America, to find out their reasons for coming, and more about their lives. He also interviewed some of the employees who had worked on the island.

Monday, March 23, 2020

beatles report essays

beatles report essays ?It Won't Be Long? by Lennon/McCartney It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) Note: parenthesis added to emphasize that the lyric is largely backup to main line It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) It won't be long yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah), yeah, (yeah) Now you?re coming, you?re coming home, You?re coming home, you?re coming home. Ev?ry night the tears come down from my eyes, Ev?ry day I?ve done nothing but cry. Now I know you won't leave me no more (mo) Chorus (?Till I belong to you?, is sung slowly with a pause before falsettoyou?, which is accompanied by descending chords on guitar for ajazzy? ending. It could be argued that it is a short coda.) This song presents a challenge as to identifying the parts of the song. It could easily be argued that the two lines that begin with,Ev?ry are the verses and the,yeah, yeah...? portion is a refrain with the other lyrics being the chorus. I feel however that the 'story? portion of the song begins withSince you left me It is odd that the verses would have identical lyrics, yet it is actually quite common to have repeating verses. Furthermore, I feel that the two lines, beginning withEv?ry?, are much more powerful as a refrain for they are shorter and lead into the chorus very well. Lastly, the chorus usually has thehook? or the part that everybody remembers. Theyeah, yeahs? offer such a melody and remain in one's mind long after the song is over. George and Paul's back up vocals add tremendous energy and help create movement in the song's slower sections. Even though they are singing they same lines as John, they act more like strings backing up they main melody. They offer a slightly contrasting melody that is resolved at the,You?...

Friday, March 6, 2020

Bloomingdales international customer service

Bloomingdales international customer service "AT BLOOMINGDALE'S, WE'RE ALWAYS AT YOUR SERVICE" Bloomingdale's is successful because they have positioned themselves in the retailing market, by offering unique merchandise from around the world, targeting a affluent, educated group of patrons aged between 35-55 years, and focusing on "Customer Service". This marketing strategy has been the back bone of their success.Advertisement campaigns of Bloomingdale's has portrayed the focus of "Customer Service", with slogans such as "At Bloomingdale's, we're always at your service" and "You are like no one else in the world, Bloomingdale's is like no other store in the world.  ¢Ã‚„ ¢." Bloomingdale's is like no other store in the world, offering a unique retailing experience. It has been referred to as the "retailing theatre" in some of the worlds most influential magazines. Thus Bloomingdale's has gathered a international reputation for their unique merchandise and services; becoming a hot tourist destination.English: Bloomingdale's department store at Lexing...The International Customer will have unique needs, that will have to be catered too in order to achieve return business and new clientele.LANGUAGE BARRIER World wide there is over 200 different languages spoken. Thus, there are vast differences among nations as to the languages commonly spoken. Even within nations, there is often diversity as to the languages spoken. For example, Canada (English and French), India ( Hindi and English) Japan ( Japanese, English and Korean) have two or more official languages. However , the obvious language barrier, is not the only concern. Words have a variety of meaning within diverse countries.To overcome this issue, Bloomingdale's has available "Personal Shopping Assistant" Service. This is can be obtained at the International Service Desk, here they arrange for Associate that speaks the clients native language to assist. The signs in the store a mainly written in English, however there is a...

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assessment - Essay Example As a result, assessment reports on applied standards, describing the standards as applied in the learning process. It therefore forms a basis for determining existence and the level of accountability in the learning process (Popham, 2011). It is however not always fair to use assessment to determine accountability because the approach largely relies on two factors, the teacher’s responsibility and the learner’s responsibility and it is however difficult to identify and quantify each party’s responsibility in a learning process. Assessment may therefore not determine each party’s exact level of accountability (Popham, 2011). The relationship between assessment and evaluation is their common scope of obtaining information about a subject. The two processes are however different with respect to the extent of their scopes. While assessment aims at obtaining information about a subject, evaluation extends beyond acquisition of information and aims at making a decision on the subject’s value. An assessment can for example be used to observe a subject while an evaluation can be used in conducting a test for qualifying a subject (Popham,

Monday, February 3, 2020

Discuss and draw comparsions between the common themes in 'South Coursework

Discuss and draw comparsions between the common themes in 'South Downs' and 'The Browning Version' - Coursework Example He detects failure in his career. Due to his deteriorating health, Andrew resigns with not much to show. Not even his students or his colleagues were grateful for his dedicated service. Jean Kent takes the role of Millie, (Andrew’s wife) and it is evident that their marriage is at the edge. Millie is going out with a chemistry teacher, and she does not have the dignity to hide her infidelity from her husband. Millie’s new hook is known as Frank Hunter, a character well brought out by Nigel Patrick. Millie is breaking up with Andrew because he is unromantic. Taplow, a student at Andrew work place is highly sensitive, and this makes him break into Andrew’s confidential British exterior. 1The student offers Andrew an Agamemnon translation which makes him to breakdown with emotions. During the graduation ceremony, Andrew surprises everybody by giving an emotional speech. He mainly apologizes for letting people around him down. Andrew feels belittled by his wife who r idicules him. Adding salt to injury, his students keep on making fun of him. The school betrays him too even though he had been working for it faithfully. He has to accept the fact that nobody loves him and should see himself as other people think of him. He also has to accept that he is a failure due to the loss of his marriage, job and health. When Taplow presents him the Agamemnon play, he realizes he was insufficient in his work. His school denied him a pension after he retired and even his final speech was almost denied by his headmaster (Andrew Woodall). Andrew is devastated when he learns his nick name â€Å"the Himmler of the lower fifth†. He still keeps his head high and is composed even though he knows that he is dying inside with insults and rejection. 2He accepts his position as the society places him but keeps his dignity as a gentleman and an outstanding teacher proficient in English. Summary of South Downs Hare is smart in developing a play which has been inspi red by a classic done by Terrence Rattigan. Most of The David Hare's works have been rated as intellectual. Although South Downs was tremendously inspired by Terrence, most of David’s life was characterized by sadness when he was still at a school going age. Blakemore as a character in South Down clearly narrates how his life was. Blakemore is only 14 years, intelligent and understands the pope’s poetry. The school setting in South Downs is the same as the one in browning version. Blakemore is a delightful boy that is earnest, and lonely. He is highly suspected by other boys. Among the few friends he has one of their mothers offers Blakemore tea, cake and advice. She shows him sympathy and with this, Blakemore (Alex Lawther) eases up. John Blakemore has a distinctive character and personality. He is afraid of nuclear bombs and wants to be given permission to wear a badge that is against the bombs at school. His father being a sailor, they are not financially establishe d, and they live in a semidetached house. He is currently in school because of a scholarship. All the other boys can afford a decent life since they come from well to do families. Because he comes from such an environment, he is curious to understand his new environment and this makes him be counted as an odd one out. His current world (school) is full of showing off and

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Candide by Voltaire Analysis

Candide by Voltaire Analysis According, to Candide by Voltaire, he describes the transformation of the protagonist Candide, throughout the story. Voltaire utilized satire, characterization, and techniques of exaggeration and contrast to represent Candides point of view in life. Basically the protagonist endures the human suffering to get his final destiny. Moreover Voltaire demonstrates the character development over the course starting with an innocent personality as a child who does not have responsibility to know into a great man. In the text the language shows Candides progress towards maturity. In the beginning of the novel the reader finds compact, colorful and crisp sentences as Candide, the hero rushes through life. Later Voltaire adopts a calm and reflective style analogous to Candides mental development. Also, the author disproves the overly optimistic philosophy that Candide and Pangloss represent. While the experiences of Candide and Pangloss conflict dramatically with this philosophy, both choose to maintain their beliefs in this regard. Candide to get his change goes through many adventures and gradually matures into an experienced and practical man. Some of his adventures were sad and some not. He was expulsed from the palace for his love to Cunegonde, but it help him to faces the cruelty of life with the philosophical view that all things in life are necessary for some greater good. Candide is a simple person who has not had much real life experience. He is banished from his home and unexpectedly introduced to the reality of the outside world. Throughout his travels he develops a new philosophy of life. His eyes open to reality, He sees that everything does not happen for the best as the philosophers and metaphysician Pangloss had told him in the Barons castle. In Europe as well as in America, he encounters misery. He meets a number of people from various walks of life. He comes across many philosophers ranging from extreme optimism of Pangloss to the pessimism of Martin. He experiences the love with Ms Cunegonde but it was not accept for their different social classes. One of some changes of Candide was his philosophy really optimistic mind everything is for the best.It was a phrase of his teacher Pangloss He taught that everything was for the best and Candide, having never heard any other philosophies, agrees blindly. While at sea, Candide sees a man who saved his life by nursing him back to health thrown overboard. Candide is ready to jump into the raging waters after his benefactor, but Pangloss stops him. He demonstrates that the Bay of Lisbon had been made for the Anabaptist to be drowned,(p.386) . This begins to clash with Candides ideologies: if this is the best of all worlds, how was this man who was so kind and generous thrown to his death and Candide not to save him? Candide begins to doubt in this philosophy. Candide eventually learns how to achieve happiness in the face of misadventure. He learns that in order to attain a state of contentment, one must be part of society where there is collective effort and work. Candide spends a great deal of time traveling the world and learning of many different idealogies in metaphysics. Finally, he decides to settle down and live by farming his own garden-this symbolizes his surrender to simple self-preservation. After a long and difficult struggle in which Candide is forced to overcome misfortune to find happiness, he concludes that everything is not as good as it seems the way Dr. Pangloss, his tutor had taught him. During his adventures he realize that things not always happen for the best, he understand that it just happen in his innocent mind. However, Candide always keep in his heart goodness amd love. Also, he knows that at the end, he is going to find the best for his life.We are destined , in the end , for another universe, no doubt that is the one where everything is well.(p.391).Also, Candide begins to experience human suffering in many different ways as love, loneliness and disasters. He understands that no matter who are you, always going to experiment the both sides happiness and sadness because is part of human life, Its true, and you see how people make mistakes who have not received a measure of education(p.402).Make mistakes is of humans and those mistakes make the experience, that later help us to take decisions. Furthermore, others important characters that contribute for Candides change are The Old Woman and Martin. Both of them help Candide to get more knowledge in outside world and contrast the Pangloss philosophy. The old woman, she was a suffered woman that had to survive of many obstacles. My last post was as servant to the Jew don Issachar; he attached me to your service, my lovely one; and I attached myself to your destiny, till I have become more concerned with your fate than with my own.(p.396).In the other hand Martin is a very pessimist man who had been experienced bad situations; he was really offended with life. It was another event that makes Candide changes his philosophy. In his amazing journey he finds that every event in the world has a reason, and whether there are positive or negative moments you have to live them. There is no effect without a cause, all events are linked by the chain of necessity and arranged for the best. I had to be driven away from Miss Cunegonde, I had to run the gauntlet, I have to beg my bread until I can earn it; none of this could have happened otherwise(P.381). However, by the end of the story the protagonist realized that to achieve happiness a lot of work, compromises, and sacrifices are necessary. Though life does not become any easier, at this point Candide begins to grow from a naive young person into a grown realist. Candide realizes he must take responsibility for his life. He must accept situations and try to change obstacles that may be hindrances. Candide learns that labor will eliminate the three curses of mankind: want, boredom, and vice. Candide realizes he must build his own life, however simple it may be. Voltaire says through Candides ultimate discovery that happiness in many ways depends on a persons attitude. When meeting a man that is happy with a simple garden to tend and a family to love, Candide realizes life does not have to be full of wealth in order to be happy. At the end he realizes that everything in life is not evil, especially when a person strives to make changes and not simply accept what comes their way. Voltaires philosophy expressed through Candides final realization is that We must cultivate our garden,(p.4380, which is the key to happiness. By cultivating our garden, Voltaire means that we must make the best of our situation in the present moment. We accept what we are given in life and work to make the best of it. It all has to do with our perspective on life. Candide finally realizes that he must try to make his own happiness even while battling hardships. Candides happiness is finally realized when he too becomes a man of simple means with a garden to tend and a loved one at his side.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Essay

Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Standing at the front of a PepsiCo conference room, Bill Bruce gestured enthusiastically, pointing to the sketches at his side. Bruce, a copywriter and Executive Creative Director, headed up the creative team on the Mountain Dew account for PepsiCo’s advertising agency, BBDO New York. In fact, it was Bruce who devised the famous â€Å"Do the Dew† campaign that had catapulted Mountain Dew to the number three position in its category. With his partner, art director Doris Cassar, Bruce had developed ten new creative concepts for Mountain Dew’s 2000 advertising to present to PepsiCo management. Gathered in the room to support Bruce and Cassar were BBDO senior executives Jeff Mordos (Chief Operating Officer), Cathy Israelevitz (Senior Account Director), and Ted Sann (Chief Creative Officer). Each of the three executives had over a decade of experience working on Mountain Dew. Representing PepsiCo were Scott Moffitt (Marketing Director, Mountain Dew), Dawn Hudson (Chief Marketing Officer, and a former senior ad agency executive), and Gary Rodkin (Chief Executive Officer, Pepsi Cola North America). Scott Moffitt scribbled notes as he listened to Bruce speak. Moffitt and the brand managers under him were charged with day-to-day oversight of Mountain Dew marketing. These responsibilities included brand strategy, consumer and sales promotions, packaging, line extensions, product changes, and sponsorships. But for Moffitt and the senior managers above him, the most important decisions of the year were made in conference rooms with BBDO creatives. Each of the ads would cost over a million dollars to produce. But the production costs were minor compared to the $55 million media budget that would be committed to air these spots. Historically, PepsiCo management had learned that selecting the right creative was one of the most critical decisions they made in terms of impact on sales and profits. Mountain Dew had carried PepsiCo’s soft drink revenues during the 1990s as cola brands struggled. But now the Do the Dew campaign was entering its eighth year, a long stretch by any consumer goods baseline. Many other brands were now sponsoring the same alternative sports that Mountain Dew had relied upon to boost its image. And teens were gravitating to new activities and new music that Dew’s competitors had successfully exploited in their branding activities. Figuring out how to keep the campaign working hard to maintain the brand’s relevance with its target consumers had become a chief preoccupation of senior management at both PepsiCo and BBDO. At the same time, key competitors were raising their ad budgets as competition in both the Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) and non-carbonated drinks categories was heating up, sending Dew sales below targets. Choosing the right ads to maximize the impact of Mountain Dew’s relatively small media budget was a make-or- break decision. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Douglas B. Holt prepared this case. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright  © 2001 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 502-040 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative PepsiCo and BBDO PepsiCo was widely considered to be one of the most sophisticated and aggressive marketing companies in the world. In North America, the company  had three divisions, each with categoryleading brands. Pepsi and Mountain Dew were the number two and three soft drinks. Frito-Lay dominated the salty-snack category with Ruffles, Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos. And the company had recently acquired Tropicana, the leading juice brand. In 2000, PepsiCo had acquired the SoBe line of teas and â€Å"functional† drinks from South Beach Beverages, which it operated as a stand-alone subsidiary. BBDO was one of the ten largest ad agencies in the world, with worldwide billings of about $15 Billion. Of the largest full-service agencies, BBDO was particularly renowned for the quality of their creative work. The roster of the New York office, BBDO New York, included many high-powered clients such as General Electric, Visa, M&M/Mars, Charles Schwab, and FedEx. Their top 10 accounts had been BBDO clients for an average of 32 years. BBDO’s relationship with PepsiCo dated to breakthrough campaigns for Pepsi in the 1960s. BBDO took over Mountain Dew from Ogilvy & Mather in 1974 and had held the account ever since. In 1998, PepsiCo hired Uniworld, the largest African-American owned ad agency in the United States, to develop a separate Mountain Dew campaign targeted to African-Americans. The Carbonated Soft Drinks Category Similar to most other countries, in the United States soft drink consumption was ubiquitous. And, until recently, soft drinks had meant cola. The retail carbonated soft drinks (CSD) category had long been dominated by the two cola giants, Coke and Pepsi. In the so-called cola wars of the 1960s and 70s, Pepsi directly attacked Coke with taste tests and with advertising designed to make Pepsi the hipper and more stylish â€Å"choice of the new generation†, implying that Coke was a drink for older and less â€Å"with it† people. The soft drink category, and colas in particular, boomed throughout the 1970s and 1980s as people substituted away from coffee to soft drinks as a source of caffeine. The industry also consolidated as once-important brands (RC Cola, Orange Crush, A&W Root Beer) faded into the background. By the 1990s, three companies controlled all of the major national brands: The Coca-Cola Company (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite), PepsiCo (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain De w), and Cadbury-Schweppes (Dr. Pepper and 7-UP). CSDs were a promotion intensive category. In most grocery stores, Coke and Pepsi controlled a great deal of shelf space and displays. They had so much clout that their bottlers were able to choose how to stock the shelves and what to display. Impulse purchase displays had become an important source of incremental volume. A substantial and increasing share of volume came from convenience stores, where most purchases were of single servings purchased for immediate consumption. The major brands ran seasonal promotions, such as â€Å"under the cap† games in which every tenth bottle had a free bottle give-away written under the cap. More junior brand managers spent considerable time developing and implementing these promotions. Product, promotion, packaging, and pricing innovations were constant though usually incremental, quickly diffusing throughout the category. In the last decade, one of the major innovations in the category had been the 20-ounce single serve bottle, usually priced at $.99 and sold as an impulse purchase. The margins on this bottle were higher than the twelve-packs or 2-liter bottles. Also, all of the large brands introduced 24-pack cases sold to heavy users. Brand managers worked to keep package design contemporary. For example, at PepsiCo, both Pepsi and Mountain Dew had substantial make-overs in the 1990s resulting in richer and more vibrant colors and 2 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative 502-040 simplified graphics. Other brands, including 7-UP and Sprite also executed similar packaging redesigns. For most of the twentieth century, PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company competed fiercely, each responding in tit-for-tat fashion to the other’s successes. Pepsi rolled out lemon-lime Slice in the 1980s to compete against Sprite, but soon withdrew support for that brand. Recently it was rumored that the company was plotting yet another new lemon-lime introduction. In the 1970s, Coca-Cola introduced Mr. Pibb to attack Dr. Pepper and Mello-Yello as a me-too competitor against Mountain Dew. With Mountain Dew’s national success in the 1990s, Coca-Cola launched a second frontal assault, introducing another copy-cat brand called Surge. In  addition, both companies had launched other new products without much success: Coke had flopped with OK Cola (the cynical retro cola), and Fruitopia (the neo-hippie fruit beverage). PepsiCo had similar problems with the introduction of Crystal Pepsi (the clear crisp cola), though was able to establish Pepsi One as a niche brand. In the 1990s, cola growth slowed and the â€Å"flavor† CSDs did very well. Sprite, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper all enjoyed great success, although 7-UP continued to struggle (See Exhibit 1). In 1999, however, all CSD sales suffered as a result of customers’ sticker shock to a category-wide 5% retail price increase, and also a trend toward experimentation with noncarbonated drinks and bottled water as substitutes for soft drinks. Sports drinks were led by Gatorade, tea and juice blends by Snapple, Arizona, and SoBe, and the highly caffeinated â€Å"energy† drinks by Red Bull. These drinks, sometimes termed â€Å"functional† or â€Å"alternative,† often included a stimulant (caffeine or similar substance) and plant extracts reputed to have medicinal value (ginko, guarana, St. Johns Wort, ginseng). Many of these drinks were launched by small companies with grass-roots marketing efforts focused on music and sports sponsorships, on-site promotions, and non-traditional distribution (e.g., sandwich shops for Snapple, record stores for Red Bull). Industry rumors were circulating that CocaCola, Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and Cadbury-Schweppes were working aggressively to develop functional drinks to tap into this growing segment. Advertising and Branding Over many decades, Coca-Cola had become â€Å"America’s drink† (and later the preferred drink in many countries around the world) through advertising that conveyed that Coke served as a social elixir. Coke promoted the idea that the drink brought people together in friendship around ideas that people in the nation cared about. From 1995 onward, Coke had struggled as it experimented with a variety of new branding ideas. Pepsi rose to the rank of Coke’s loyal opposition in the 1960s with the successful â€Å"The Pepsi Generation† ad campaign, in which the brand harnessed the ideas and passions of the 1960s counterculture. More recently, Pepsi used celebrities—particularly musicians such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Faith Hill, Ricky Martin, and Mary J. Blige—to convey the idea that Pepsi was an expression of youth attitudes. Nonetheless, the Pepsi brand also had struggled to maintain sales in the 1990s. 7-UP was successful in the 1970s branding against the colas as the â€Å"uncola† in ads that used a charismatic Jamaican actor to describe the purity and naturalness of 7-UP in a tropical setting. Similarly, the sweet cherry-cola concoction Dr Pepper challenged the audience to â€Å"be a Pepper† with well-received dance numbers that encouraged consumers to do their own thing rather than follow the masses in drinking cola. From the late 1980s onward, 7-UP faded as the brand was used as a cash cow with ever-shrinking media investments. Meanwhile, Mountain Dew rose from its regional status to become a major â€Å"flavor† brand. The three major flavor brands dominated different geographic areas: Dr Pepper dominated Texas and the rest of the deep South, Mountain Dew dominated rural areas, particularly in the Midwest and Southeast, and Sprite dominated urban-ethnic areas. 3 502-040 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Category advertising spending exceeded $650 Million (See Exhibit 2). PepsiCo spent substantially less as a percentage of sales than its competitors. Instead, the company relied on exceptional creative to make the advertising work harder for less cost. PepsiCo viewed the creative development process as a key organizational competency, a strategic weapon that was central to their financial success. Mountain Dew Brand History Mountain Dew was invented by the Hartman Beverage Company in Knoxville, Tennessee in the late 1940s. The bright yellow-green drink in the green bottle packed a powerful citrus flavor, more sugar and more caffeine than other soft drinks, and less carbonation so that it could be drunk quickly. The drink became a favorite on the Eastern seaboard, through Kentucky, Tennessee, and eventually spread up through the Great Lakes states (skirting the big cities) and into the Northern Plains of Minnesota and the Dakotas. PepsiCo, amazed by Dew’s success in what brand managers would come to call  the â€Å"NASCAR belt† (the stock car racing circuit that drew rural men as its primary audience), and in need of a â€Å"flavor† soft-drink to round out its line-up, purchased Mountain Dew in 1964. PepsiCo originally assigned Mountain Dew to the Ogilvy & Mather ad agency. The strategy for the new brand extrapolated from Dew’s origins and existing packaging. The beverage’s heartpumping caffeine and sugar rush were linked to its backwoods heritage to produce the idea of a comic â€Å"hillbilly† character named Willie who drank Mountain Dew to â€Å"get high† on the soft drink equivalent of moonshine liquor. The tagline, â€Å"Yahoo! Mountain Dew!† was accompanied by â€Å"Thar’s a bang in ever’ bottle.† In 1973 PepsiCo assigned the brand to BBDO, its agency of record for Pepsi. For two decades client and agency worked to expand the brand’s reach from America’s hinterlands into the suburbs and cities of the major metropolitan areas. The major campaign of the 1970s—â€Å"Hello Sunshine†Ã¢â‚¬â€ sought to tie Mountain Dew’s distinctive product characteristics to a set of backcountry recreational images. The yellow-green product and strong citrus flavor are represented over and over by the gleaming sun sparkling in beautiful natural settings. The product name is represented in virtually every ad by mountains, dew drops reflecting in the sun, and condensed drops on cans to represent dew. The energizing effects of the caffeine and sugar are toned down and now are a refreshing part of an active outdoor lifestyle. Often the ads featured casual coed athletic activities that always ended in a plunge into a rural pond or creek. This campaign pulled the Mountain Dew brand into more contemporary terrain, but it was still too rural to get much traction in the suburbs. So in the 1980s, PepsiCo directly targeted suburban teenagers with a new campaign called â€Å"Country Cool.† The creative idea was to marry the popular athletic endeavors of suburban kids (cool) with Mountain Dew’s active rural lifestyle (country), all punctuated by the refreshing Dew plunge. Ads featured male teens performing on skateboards, mountain bikes, and BMX bikes. A new tune was crafted for the occasion: â€Å"Being cool you’ll find is a state of mind. Your refreshing attitude. Things get hot. Cool is all you got. Dewin’ it  country cool. So chill on out; when the heat comes on. With a cool, smooth Mountain Dew. Dewin’ it Country Cool. Mountain Dew. Dewin’ it Country Cool.† BBDO jettisoned the â€Å"country† component of the campaign in 1991 to build an entire campaign around athletic stunts. This advertising departed dramatically from anything that BBDO had produced in the previous sixteen years. The spots featured daredevil maneuvers of sports like windsurfing, rollerblading, motocross cycling, and paragliding. The closely-framed shots, which put 4 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative 502-040 the viewer in the middle of the action, also suggested excitement and energy. The spots were set to aggressive rock music rather than studio jingles. In 1992, a new song called â€Å"Get Vertical† is introduced with the lyrics â€Å"Ain’t no doubt about the power of dew, got the airborne thrust of rocket fuel.† Cultural Trends PepsiCo and BBDO managers paid close attention to cultural trends. They were particularly focused on track music and sports trends since these activities were so central to youth culture. Music. Three musical trends dominated the airwaves in the 1990s. Rap music exploded to become the most popular genre in the country. At first, gangsta rap, which flaunted misogynistic and violent lyrics, was said to represent the reality of life in the â€Å"hood† (the American ghetto). From 1992 onward, gangsta rap broke out with a lighter sound and slightly less aggressive lyrics, sometimes called gangsta-lite, that made the music much more accessible while maintaining the forbidding connotations. By 1993, media coverage of the travails of celebrity rappers like Snoop Doggy Dog and Tupac Shakur ruled not only the music magazines but People and Newsweek. Rap music, and the hip-hop lifestyle of which it was a part, permeated teen life. MTV’s program Yo! MTV Raps and specialty  magazi nes like The Source and Vibe became mainstream cultural venues. By 1999, rap remained very popular amongst male teens, especially in urban areas, though its Top 40 appeal had subsided somewhat. At roughly the same time, the alternative rock music scene, which throughout the 1980s existed as a small subcultural scene found mostly on college campuses, also exploded. Two Seattle bands—Nirvana and Pearl Jam—put CDs at the top of the charts with aggressive and emotive music that combined equal parts punk and heavy metal. The media tagged this music â€Å"grunge† and anointed Seattle as grunge headquarters. Grunge was marketed heavily by the culture industries— music labels put out dozens of grunge bands, films that displayed the grunge attitude appeared, and fashion runways and J.C. Penny’s stores were clogged with flannel shirts and clothes that had the look of the vintage Salvation Army gear that was the uniform of the grunge scene. Grunge faded in its influence in part due to the death of its most talented lead actor when Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1995. Later in 1990s, techno music began making significant inroads into American youth culture. Invented in the 1980s as â€Å"house music† in low-budget studios of Chicago and Detroit, this beatdriven dance music became the lifeblood of dance parties called â€Å"raves† in places like London and the Spanish island of Ibiza. Raves quickly spread throughout continental Europe and beyond. Raves were all-night dancing marathons often set up in warehouses, exotic outdoor locales, and other improvised spaces. Raves attracted young people, mostly teens, who danced for hours at a time, not in pairs, but in free-form groups. The highly rhythmic music and long-winded dancing combined to produce for some fans an ecstatic trance-like state. The music was produced almost entirely by disk jockeys sampling records with tape loops and other electronic tricks. Many sub-genres have since emerged that mix-and-match musical styles from around the world. Part of the scene was a drug called ecst asy, a drug that induces promiscuous affection, sensory overload, and euphoria. And, to keep the energy flowing all night, the dancers demanded energizing drinks. In particular, an enterprising Austrian company marketed Red Bull, a drink that was once an Asian hangover cure, as a rave stimulant. Either straight or mixed with vodka, Red Bull became the rave drink of  choice. Raves diffused rather late to the United States, but proved to be most popular in the major metropolitan areas. 5 502-040 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Sports. The so-called â€Å"alternative sports† took off in the early 1990s. Teen enthusiasts transformed casual hobby activities—mountain biking, skateboarding, paragliding, BMX biking, and in-line skating—into highly technical, creative, and often dangerous sports. Snowboarding became an overnight hit with teens. Bungee jumping was a fad that disappeared quickly. As these sports became increasingly risky and creative, they began to attract spectators. So-called extreme sports— skiing down extremely steep terrain or jumping off tall buildings with a parachute—were covered by ESPN. ESPN also aggressively promoted circuits and tournaments to professionalize these new sports, which culminated in the Extreme Games in 1994, a non-traditional Olympics of sorts. Mountain Dew was one of the founding lead sponsors of the Extreme Games, which later became the X Games. Later, NBC followed with the Gravity Games, and MTV also began to cover these sports. Grung e music, more aggressive styles of rap, and various hybrids were prominent aural expressions of these sports. GenX Ethos. During the 1990s, teens and young adults evinced a growing cynicism toward the dominant work-oriented values of the previous generation and toward corporations more generally. They found that working hard to get ahead in terms of salary and occupational prestige was harder to swallow in an era of corporate reengineering. Their cynicism also extended to corporations themselves and their marketing efforts. As this cohort became increasingly knowledgeable about how marketing worked and increasingly jaded about why brands were popular, they were not interested in listening to â€Å"sales messages† that tried to persuade them into believing a particular brand of soft drink or beer was cool. Instead, these youth adopted a campy  interest in non-trendy products, television programs, and music of previous eras. As these odd new tastes became commercialized in programming like Nickelodeon cable channel’s â€Å"Nick at Nite† series—which featured less- than-notable programming from the 1950s-1970s– â€Å"retro† was born. The Do the Dew Campaign In 1992, senior management at PepsiCo sensed an opportunity to increase business on Diet Mountain Dew. Diet Mountain Dew’s distribution was limited mostly to the rural regions where the brand was strongest, even though regular Dew was now a national brand. Diet Mountain Dew performed very well on product tests versus other diet drinks in the category because the heavy citrus flavor did a better job of masking the undesirable taste of the artificial sweetener. So PepsiCo allocated money for incremental advertising to support an effort to expand Diet Mountain Dew distribution. Bill Bruce, then a junior copywriter working on several brands, was assigned to the project. The strategy statements that guided the initial creative idea and subsequent spots in the campaign are reported in Exhibit 3. Bruce came up with the â€Å"Do Diet Dew† tag line (which soon evolved into â€Å"Do the Dew† to support the entire brand) and several new ideas to embellish what BBDO had begu n with the Get Vertical campaign. The first breakthrough ad of the new campaign, Done That, features a hair-raising shot of a guy jumping off the edge of a cliff to take a free-fall toward the narrow canyon’s river bottom, set to throbbing grunge music. This was the first ad to feature the â€Å"Dew Dudes†Ã¢â‚¬â€four young guys who are witnessing the daredevil stunts presented in the ad and commenting on them. Done That became a huge hit, capturing the country’s imagination. The ad was widely parodied and the phrase â€Å"been there, done that† entered the vernacular. For 1994 and 1995, BBDO produced three carbon-copy â€Å"pool-outs†1 of Done That. By 1995, after two years of these ads, consumer interest in the creative was 1 The noun pool-out is derived from a verb that is particular to the advertising business– â€Å"to pool out.† The idea is to develop a pool of ads that are all closely related derivations from the same creative idea. Some advertisers feel that pools deliver a 6 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative 502-040 fading fast. According to Jeff Mordos, if the creative hadn’t moved to another idea that year, consumer’s flagging interest and the potential of a revolt by PepsiCo bottlers likely would have forced PepsiCo to develop an entirely new campaign. For 1995, three of four spots produced relied upon different creative ideas. One of these spots, Mel Torme, became the second hit of the campaign. The spot was a parody featuring the aging Vegas lounge singer Mel Torme, tuxedo-clad atop a Vegas hotel crooning â€Å"I Get a Kick out of You,† with lyrics altered to incorporate Mountain Dew references. He impresses the Dew Dudes with a base jump of his own. Similar ads followed. In 007, a teenage James Bond engages in a frenetic pursuit scene with typical Bond stunts, accompanied by the familiar Bond theme music. The Dew Dudes are not impressed until Bond comes upon a Mountain Dew vending machine. In Training, brash tennis star Andre Agassi performs extreme stunts as training exercises, and then plays an extreme game of tennis with the Dew Dudes as his coaches. In 1997, BBDO came up with two breakthrough spots. The director of Nirvana’s classic music video â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit† was hired to direct Thank Heaven, which mimics a music video. The spot stars the lead singer of an alternative rock band called Ruby. She sings a punked-up version of the classic song â€Å"Thank Heaven for Little Girls,† in which the grunge style suggests the â€Å"little girls† of old have been replaced by the feminine brand of aggressiveness presented in the ad. Jackie Chan deploys the Hong Kong movie star’s patented martial arts with humorous stunts into the campaign’s  jaded, â€Å"seen it already† motif. The ad begins in the midst of what seems like a classic chase scene from a Chan film with lots of harrowing action. When Chan faces down his enemy, the Dew Dudes magically appear as Confucian wisemen who assist Chan with cans of Mountain Dew. Other ads produced were significantly less effective. Scream , a high-speed amalgam of extreme sports shots that are organized to answer the lead-in question—â€Å"What is a Mountain Dew?†Ã¢â‚¬â€did not fare well. And Michael Johnson, a spot developed to broaden Dew’s appeal in the African-American community, did not meet the company’s expectations. By 1998, PepsiCo managers worried that the advertising was becoming too predictable. In particular, they were concerned that the use of alternative sports was becoming less impactful due to oversaturation. Many other brands, including companies like Bagel Bites, AT&T, Gillette Extreme Deodorant, and Slim Jims beef jerky snacks, were now major sponsors of alternative sports. To keep the campaign fresh, they needed to find alternative ways to express Mountain Dew’s distinctive features. Parking Attendant, produced in 1999, was a solid effort at advancing toward an alternative expression. The spot features a parking attendant who takes liberties when parking a BMW handed off by a stuffy businessman. The kid drives as if in a police chase, flying from one building to another, accompanied by a frenetic surf instrumental that had been featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction a few years prior. Mountain Dew Market Research Mountain Dew’s distinctive demographic profile reflected the brand’s historic popularity in the NASCAR belt (see the Brand Development Index Map in Exhibit 4 and lifestyle analysis in Exhibit 5a). And Mountain Dew had much lower penetration of the total population than its major competitors. But its consumers were the most loyal in the category. Mountain Dew had the highest â€Å"gatekeeping† rating of all CSDs—it was the drink that mothers tried the hardest to keep out of the  more consistent campaign while others feel that the ads become too formulaic when they are so similar. Regardless, there is a great temptation when an ad breaks through and becomes a hit to develop pool-outs to extend the popularity. 7 502-040 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative stomachs of their children. Periodically, the PepsiCo research department fielded a major study to assess the â€Å"health† of the brand, and to direct any fine-tuning. A 1997 â€Å"brand fitness† study profiled the status of the Dew brand versus its major competitors (Exhibits 6a-d). PepsiCo monitored both the effectiveness of individual ads, as well as the cumulative impact of advertising on the overall health of the Mountain Dew brand. The contribution made by a single ad toward building brand equity was notoriously challenging to measure. Both quantitative and qualitative research provided data from which managers make useful inferences. But Pepsi managers had yet to find a research method that was accurate enough to rely upon to provide definitive judgments on ad effectiveness. PepsiCo routinely gathered a wide variety of data that hinted at an ad’s impact. In addition to formal research, managers monitored â€Å"talk value† or â€Å"buzz†Ã¢â‚¬â€the extent to which the ad has been picked up by the mass media. In particular, The Tonight Show and David Letterman were useful barometers. Feedback from the Mountain Dew website, unofficial websites, and the brand’s 800 number were important gauges as well. In addition, PepsiCo carefully monitored how the salesforce and bottlers responded to the ads, since they were getting direct feedback from their customers. PepsiCo managers used all these data as filters. But, ultimately, the evaluation of advertising rested on managerial judgement. Based on their past experience with the brand and with advertising across many brands, managers made a reasoned evaluation. However, PepsiCo managers did rely on market research to assess the cumulative impact of advertising on the brand. Because many other factors—especially pricing and retail display activity—had an immediate short-term impact on sales, it was often difficult to draw causal relationships between advertising and sales. But advertising campaigns do  directly impact how the brand is perceived. And these perceptions, in turn, drive sales. So PepsiCo had assembled a set of what they termed key performance indicators (KPIs), intermediate measures that were directly impacted by advertising and that had been proven to significantly impact sales. Managers tracked KPIs, also referred to as brand health measures, both for teens and for 20-39 year olds. But managers were particularly concerned with brand health amongst teens because at this age soft drink consumers often moved from experimenting with a variety of drinks to becoming loyal lifetime drinkers of a single soda. The latest study, conducted in the spring of 1999, reported Mountain Dew’s teen KPIs. Dew improved 6 points on â€Å"Dew Tastes Better† (to 48% versus a year ago). Unaided brand awareness had dropped 5 points (to 39%). â€Å"For someone like me† had increased 5 points (to 53%). And â€Å"Dew Drinkers are Cool† increased 5 points (to 64%). 2000 Planning In 1999, Mountain Dew became the third largest carbonated soft drink at retail, overtaking Diet Coke. However, part of this success in gaining share had to do with the sustained weakness of Pepsi and Coke. In 1999, the problems that the colas were facing seemed to be spreading to Mountain Dew, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper. All of the leading CSDs began to show real weakness as alternative non-carbonated drinks began to attract a great deal of trial, especially amongst teens. While Mountain Dew sales began to lag, all of the â€Å"brand health† indicators remained strong. And the advertising continued to significantly outperform competition. In planning for 2000, Moffitt and his senior management were particularly concerned with two dilemmas: –  How to keep the â€Å"Do the Dew† campaign working hard to build the brand given that extreme sports were becoming overexposed –  How to respond to the growing threat of non-CSDs, especially Gatorade and the new highlycaffeinated and sugary energy drinks like Red Bull Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative 502-040 A detailed strategy statement was developed by Moffitt’s team at Pepsi-Cola North America, in conjunction with the account team at BBDO New York led by Cathy Israelevitz. This strategy was boiled down to a single sentence to focus the development of new creative: Symbolize that drinking Mountain Dew is an exhilarating experience. This document was used to brief Bruce and his creative team (Exhibit 7). Exhibit 7 Mountain Dew FY 2000 Brand Communications Strategy Objective: Expand appeal of Mountain Dew to new users while reinforcing it among current users Positioning: To 18 year old males, who embrace excitement, adventure and fun, Mountain Dew is the great tasting carbonated soft drink that exhilarates like no other because it is energizing, thirstquenching, and has a one-of-a-kind citrus flavor. Communication Strategy: Symbolize that drinking Mountain Dew is an exhilarating experience. Target: Male Teens—18 year-old epicenter –  Ensure appeal amongst 20-39 year olds (current users) –  Drive universal appeal (white, African-American, Hispanic, and other ethnic) Product Benefits Energizing Emotional Benefits Exhilaration Personality Irreverent Quenching Excitement Daring Great Taste Fun Source: PepsiCo Super Bowl In addition to these strategic issues, Moffitt had to consider carefully where these ads would be broadcast. Mountain Dew’s national media plan focused on a younger audience. Typical buys would include MTV, The Simpsons, and ESPN during alternative sports broadcasts. However, with its long run of sales increases in the 1990s, Mountain Dew was becoming less of a niche brand. Partly in recognition of this expanding customer base and partly to celebrate within the company Dew’s arrival as the third most popular CSD, top management decided to feature Mountain Dew rather than Pepsi during the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl had for decades been a hugely influential event for advertisers. The game drew the biggest audience of the year and the ads received an amazing amount of attention. In recent years, the frenzy around the advertising had grown disproportionately to the game itself. The media paid almost as much attention to the ads shown as to the teams and players. The networks interviewed the advertisers and the stars of the ads, and even replayed the ads on their programs. So a Super Bowl ad now had a huge ripple effect in free public relations. In addition, the Super Bowl was an extremely important contest for advertisers and especially for ad agencies. To â€Å"win† the 9 502-040 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Super Bowl (to be voted the top ad in the USA Today Ad Meter poll reported in the newspaper the following day) was a prestigious honor within the industry. Finally, Super Bowl ads provided a powerful sales tool to motivate retailers and distributors. PepsiCo and other grocery products advertisers used their annual Super Bowl advertising to sell in retail displays. Super Bowl advertising, as a result, had become a distinctive genre within advertising. The demographically diverse audience demanded advertising with hooks that were easily understood. Insider humor did not work. While MTV ads could talk in a colloquial language to teens, Super Bowl ads could not afford this luxury. Second, the heated competition to win the affection of the audience had led to â€Å"big† productions that would stand out against an ever-more impressive set of competitors. The New Creative Bruce and Cassar had just finished presenting ten new ad concepts for PepsiCo to evaluate. For each concept, PepsiCo managers were given a â€Å"storyboard†Ã¢â‚¬â€a script and a set of rough pencil sketches that depicted the most important scenes. Bruce and Cassar talked through each storyboard to help the client imagine how the ad would look if it were produced. The storyboard served as the skeletal outline of the ad. The creatives put flesh on these bones by describing in detail the characters, the action, how the scene is depicted, and the music. Of the ten new concepts, Moffitt and his senior managers hoped to select three ads to produce. The two best ads would run on the  Super Bowl and then all three ads would be broadcast throughout 2000. It was already October, so there was barely enough time to produce the ads presented to get them on the Super Bowl. Asking Bruce to try again was not an option. The ten initial concepts were quickly whittled down to five finalists. 1) Labor of Love. A humorous spot about the birth of a Dew drinker. The doctor in the delivery room calls out â€Å"code green† and retreats to catch with a baseball mitt the baby as it shoots out of its mother like a cannon. 2) Cheetah. One of the Dew Dudes chases down a cheetah on a mountain bike. The cheetah, running on the African plain, has stolen his Dew and he wants it back. He tackles the cat, pulls the can out of the cat’s stomach, but finds that it’s empty and full of holes. 3) Dew or Die. The Dew Dudes are called in to foil the plot of an evil villain who is threatening to blow up the planet. Performing daredevil maneuvers down a mountain, they get sidetracked in a ski lodge with some girls, but accidentally save the world anyway, powered by a spilt can of Dew. 4) Mock Opera. A parody of the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody sung by the Dew Dudes who mock the cover of the original Queen album. The ad portrays the story of the altered lyrics: alternative sports action in which the athletes just miss cans of Dew as they shoot by. 5) Showstopper. A take-off on an extravagantly choreographed production number that mimics a Buzby Berkeley musical/dance film from the 1930s. The dancers are silver-clad BMX riders and skateboarders who perform for the Dew Dudes posing as directors. PepsiCo viewed the evaluation of new creative as the most challenging aspect of brand management. Unlike decisions on new product ideas, consumer promotions, or product improvements, there was no market research or marketplace data to guide the decision. Junior managers typically did not sit in the agency presentations as they were not yet seasoned enough to judge creative work. PepsiCo believed that managers first had to gain knowledge of how advertising 10 Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative 502-040 worked to build brands through years of seasoning and tutorials on several of the company’s brands. So Scott Moffitt was the most junior person in the room. The skills and judgment that he demonstrated would be key to moving up the ladder at PepsiCo. Bill Bruce finished presenting his last storyboard and scanned the room to lock eyes with the PepsiCo executives who would be deciding the fate of his ideas. Scott Moffitt didn’t return the gaze. Instead he looked anxiously at his superiors, knowing that the spotlight would next focus on him. This was his chance to prove himself not only to PepsiCo senior management, but also to BBDO. BBDO’s senior managers had become influential advisors, whom PepsiCo’s top marketing executives routinely relied upon to help guide branding decisions. With six years of experience under his belt, this was Moffitt’s chance to earn their respect as a contributing member to these critical discussions. Moffitt was eager to make a strong impression with nuanced and well-reasoned evaluations. Following long-standing protocol in packaged goods companies, the junior manager at the table gets the first crack at evaluating the creative. Moffitt cleared his throat, complimented Bruce on the high quality of the new work he had presented, and began his evaluation. 11 502-040 Exhibit 1 -12- CSD Sales/Share (Million Cases/Percent Market) 1990 Coke Pepsi Diet Coke Diet Pepsi Sprite Dr. Pepper Mountain Dew 7-UP Surge Mello Yello 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 (Est.) Sales Share 1,565.5 20.1 1,370.0 17.6 726.9 9.3 490.0 6.3 295.0 3.8 364.8 4.7 300.0 3.9 Sales Share 1,597.9 20.1 1,338.0 16.9 741.2 9.3 500.0 6.3 313.1 3.9 385.3 4.9 327.5 4.1 Sales Share 1,613.9 20.1 1,327.3 16.5 732.6 9.1 509.5 6.4 328.1 4.1 414.0 5.2 351.1 4.4 Sales Share 1,680.4 20.2 1,305.9 15.7 740.6 8.9 491.5 5.9 357.6 4.3 445.6 5.4 387.6 4.7 Sales Share 1,776.7 20.4 1,310.0 15.0 767.6 8.8 511.2 5.9 396.3 4.5 485.1 5.6 455.0 5.2 Sales Share 1,868.6 20.8 1,344.3 15.0 793.0 8.8 521.4 5.8 460.3 5.1 515.0 5.7 509.6 5.7 Sales Share 1,929.2 20.8 1,384.6 14.9 811.4 8.7 541.5 5.8 529.8 5.7 536.8 5.8 535.6 5.8 Sales Share 1,978.2 20.6 1,391.5 14.5 819.0 8.5 523.5 5.5 598.0 6.2 566.8 5.9 605.2 6.3 Sales Share 2,037.5 20.6 1,399.8 14.2 851.8 8.6 529.7 5.4 651.8 6.6 599.4 6.1 665.1 6.7 Sales Share 2,018.0 20.3 1,371.8 13.8 843.0 8.5 503.0 5.1 671.5 6.8 630.0 6.3 705.0 7.1 211.5 2.7 207.7 42.9 2.6 211.3 49.5 2.6 209.9 59.5 2.5 64.0 221.5 2.5 64.6 219.9 2.5 61.6 217.7 2.3 59.0 216.7 69.0 46.6 2.3 210.9 51.8 42.4 2.1 204.9 26.7 41.6 2.1 Source: Maxwell Report Exhibit 2 Advertising Spending: Television Media Major CSDs ($MM) Coke Pepsi Mountain Dew Sprite Dr. Pepper 7-Up Surge 1990 $157.4 $129.8 $ 12.9 1991 $139.9 $141.3 $ 20.0 1992 $168.1 $137.8 $ 25.9 1993 $131.1 $144.0 $ 29.1 1994 $161.5 $120.6 $ 30.3 1995 $124.7 $133.1 $ 38.3 1996 $199.8 $ 98.1 $ 40.4 1997 $156.8 $133.1 $ 43.1 1998 $140.4 $140.5 $ 50.3 1999 $167.7 $165.9 $ 45.0 2000 (Est.) $208.3 $159.6 $ 55.9 $ 32.0 $ 32.2 $ 38.8 $ 0.0 $ 36.1 $ 49.3 $ 37.4 $ 0.0 $ 27.5 $ 50.1 $ 23.7 $ 0.0 $ 26.9 $ 52.8 $ 29.4 $ 0.0 $ 36.0 $ 61.5 $ 27.3 $ 0.0 $ 54.6 $ 65.4 $ 23.2 $ 0.0 $ 57.9 $ 67.9 $ 33.1 $ 0.0 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 69.9 $102.4 $ 38.7 $ 19.6 $ 87.7 $106.8 $ 45.1 $ 0.2 Source: Competitive Media Reports 60.6 81.0 38.7 15.5 56.2 86.8 27.0 21.0 502-040 Exhibit 3 Mountain Dew Brand Communications Strategies (1993-1999) Objective 1993-94 1995 -13- Increase awareness and trial of Mountain Dew Distinguish Mt. Dew within the competitive environment through contemporary communication of the trademark’s distinct, historical positioning Strategy Target You can have the most thrilling, exciting, daring experience but it will never compete with the experience of a Mt. Dew Male teens/young adults You can have the most thrilling, exciting, daring experience but it will never compete with the experience of a Mt. Dew Bull’s eye: 18 yr. old leading edge male Executional Direction -Distinct campaign with Dew equity consistency -Leverage â€Å"full tilt taste† and â€Å"rush† as point of difference Broad: 12-29 year olds -Shift to a unified trademark focus modeled after â€Å"Do Diet Dew† -Explore outdoor settings -Predominant male, mid-20’s casting -Preserve balance between â€Å"outlandish† and â€Å"realistic† actions/sports 1996 1997 Optimize Dew’s positioning equity among the target in a highly relevant and contemporary manner (You can have the most thrilling, exciting, daring experience but†¦) there’s nothing more intense than slamming a Mt. Dew Bull’s eye: 18 yr. old leading edge male Optimize Dew’s positioning equity among the target in a highly relevant and contemporary manner (You can have the most thrilling, exciting, daring experience but†¦) there’s nothing more intense than slamming a Mt. Dew Bull’s eye: 18 yr. old leading edge male Associate Mt. Dew with thrilling and exhilarating adventures in a light-hearted manner Bull’s eye: 18 yr. old leading edge male -Strengthen brand perceptions among AA Broad: 12-29 year olds Broad: 12-29 year olds -Bring â€Å"Do the Dew† trademark campaign to the next level -Continue â€Å"Do the Dew† trademark campaign and encompass the Mt. Dew experience -Encourage product trial where familiarity is low 1998 Build badge value and authentic, true Icon status for Mt. Dew in the world of youth-targeted consumer goods Broad: 12-29 male/female -Evolve the â€Å"Do the Dew† campaign against core target with fresh and relevant copy -Develop ethnically-targeted â€Å"crossappeal† spot -Enhance product perception 1999 Optimize relevance of Dew’s positioning among the target Associate Mt. Dew with the exhilarating intensity of life’s most exciting, fun adventures Male Teens (16 yr. old epicenter) Develop pool of â€Å"Do the Dew† executions -Invite teen girls while continuing as male CSD -Explore other metaphors beyond alternative sports to express â€Å"exhilarating intensity† -Maintain cross-over appeal among 2039 year olds -One execution should have AA/urban relevance -Communicate quenching -Inclusion of water-greenery elements not mandatory Source: PepsiCo 502-040 Exhibit 4 Mountain Dew Brand Development Index Map Source: BBDO New York -14- 502-040 Exhibit 5a Spectra Lifestyle Analysis MOUNTAIN DEW CONSUMPTION INDEX LIFESTAGE SPECTRA LIFESTYLE 18-34 W/Kids 18-34 W/O Kids 35-54 W/Kids 35-54 W/O Kids 55-64 65+ Total Lifestyle Upscale Suburbs 82 77 101 56 45 13 64 Traditional Families 118 121 160 79 42 35 96 Mid Upscale Suburbs 101 111 108 71 64 18 66 Metro Elite 139 85 141 47 47 21 72 Working Class Towns 237 139 242 121 67 42 139 Rural Towns & Farms 225 153 212 141 91 39 140 Mid Urban Melting Pot 148 104 97 52 49 31 74 Downscale Rural 309 142 291 127 87 43 158 Downscale Urban 99 98 107 73 55 32 76 Total Lifestage 171 112 165 83 61 31 100 Source: AC Nielsen Product Library 11/97 to 11/99 -15- 502-040 Exhibit 5b Mountain Dew: Selecting New Creative Lifestyle Glossary Lifestyle Glossary Upscale Suburbs â€Å"The American Dream†, a nice house in a nice suburban neighborhood. College-educated executives and professionals who index high on travel, eating out, playing golf, going to health clubs, buying imported cars, watching/reading business and news. Low African-American and Hispanic. High income. Traditional Families Like Upscale Suburbs, but lower socio-economic level. Mix of lower level administrators and professionals with well-paid blue-collar. Index high on: gardening, DIY home improvement, driving SUVs, camping, classic rock, sports radio. Low African-American and Hispanic. Mid-high income. Mid/Upscale Suburbs Live in first-generation suburbs that are now part of the urban fringe. Lower income than Traditional Families, but more college-educated and white collar. Index high on: baseball fans, casino gambling, using internet, attending live theatre, reading science and technology, listening/watching news. Low African-American and Hispanic. Mid-high income. Metro Elite Younger and more urban, college-educated, ethnically diverse. Very attuned to new fashions. Geographically mobile. Index high on: health clubs, bars and night clubs, fashion magazines, VH-1, music, film, computers. Middle income. Working Class Towns Well paid blue collar families living in suburbs of smaller cities. Index high on: auto racing, fishing, hunting, country music, camping, televised sports. Own trucks or minivans. Low African-American and Hispanic. Middle income. Rural Towns & Farms Small towns mostly in the middle of the country, dominated by blue-collar and agricultural work. Index high on: rodeos, fishing, woodworking, chewing tobacco, wrestling, camping, country music, TV movies, USA and TNN channels. Don’t read magazines and newspapers. Low African-American. Lower income. Mid Urban Melting Pot Urban multi-ethnic neighborhoods. Old European ethnic enclaves and new Asian immigrants, mixed with African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods. Index high on: menthol cigarettes, dance music, boxing, pro basketball, lottery, Home Shopping Network, heavy TV viewing, urban contemporary radio. Lower income, low college, service industries. Downscale Rural Poor rural areas in Appalachia, throughout the South, and the Plains States. This socially conservative and religious area is sometimes called â€Å"the bible belt:† While indexing high African-American, these are very segregated neighborhoods with little racial mixing. Lowest on education, occupation, income, housing. Index high on: trucks, chewing tobacco, belonging to veteran’s club, target shooting, tractor pulls, country music, fishing and hunting., daytime drama TV programs. Downscale Urban Same socioeconomic profile as Downscale Rural but very different cultural profile, more similar to Mid-Urban Melting Pot. Mostly African-American and Hispanic urban neighborhoods. Source: AC Nielsen Product Library 11/97 to 11/99 16 502-040 Exhibit 6a Brand Imagery – Mountain Dew Product Imagery *Too sweet Most entertaining ads Fun to drink Intense experience Lots of flavor When need energy boost In mood for something different *At a sporting event User Imagery (54%) Psychographic Imagery Adventurous Wild Active Daring *Courageous Exciting Free-spirited Rebellious Spontaneous Athletic Youthful Cool Hip *Out-going (Someone you’d spend time with) Source: BBDO New York -17- 502-040 Exhibit 6b Brand Imagery – Surge Product Imagery *Can’t relate to ads *Low quality product *Not always available Unique Intense experience *Tastes artificial When need energy boost In mood for something different Source: BBDO New York User Imagery (49%) Psychographic Imagery Wild Rebellious Daring Adventurous Active Up-to-date Athletic *Trendy Youthful *Leading-edge Exciting Spontaneous Individualistic *Powerful Hip In style -18- 502-040 Exhibit 6c Brand Imagery – 7 Up Product Imagery *Least fattening Lowest calories Low in sodium *Too little flavor *Not sweet enough *Not filling *Healthy/good for you Most refreshing Source: BBDO New York User Imagery (48%) Psychographic Imagery Sensitive Relaxed Peaceful *Healthy Feminine Kind *Nurturing (Nice) (Loyal) (Cooperative) -19- 502-040 Exhibit 6d Brand Imagery – Sprite Product Imagery Lowest calories Most refreshing *Thirst quenching *Goes down easy Low in sodium In a nice restaurant *After exercise/sports (In the evening) (In the morning) Imagery (56%) Psychographic Imagery Feminine Sensitive Peaceful *Nice Relaxed Free-spirited *Cooperative *Friendly *Happy Kind (Innovative)