Mergers and acquisition

Mergers and acquisition Outline the economic arguments for and against British Home Stores (BHS) taking over Arcadia?British Home Stores has grown from a single store in South London to a multinational retail company with a major presence both in the UK and later on in overseas clothing markets. In 1986 they merged with Habitat/Mothercare to form Storehouse plc. Then in May 2000, Philip Green bought Bhs from the Storehouse Group. Green has been successful so far and has managed to turn the business around and increased the value of the business from 0m to an estimated 0m and raise operating profits by 257 percent. After a failed attempt to takeover Marks Spencer earlier this year Green continued his ambition to expand his empire by moving in to takeover the Arcadia group which has a large portfolio of brands including Topman/Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans. The deal would complete a horizontal takeover and, through external growth, create the biggest fashion retail group in the U.K.English: Marks and Spencer store, Birmingham High ...A combination of Bhs and the Arcadia, the UK's second largest retailer after Marks Spencer, would catapult Green's retail empire into pole position in the womenswear market, taking its share to 12.9%, ahead of Marks Spencer's 12.1%. This would in turn increase the buying power of the company and leave Green in a position to take control of the fashion market sector. With these points in mind there are both economic arguments for and against the takeover that I will evaluate and explain. Firstly it can be argued that the takeover will bring a number of benefits to the economy in both the short and long run however there are sometimes trade offs which, will lead to an economic argument against the takeover.Mr Green and Bhs will argue that the...

How to Speak Shakespearean Verse

How to Speak Shakespearean Verse We start with a practical approach to an old question: how do you speak Shakespearian verse? Bring Shakespeare to life in the classroom and drama studio with the understanding that Shakespeare wrote his plays in verse. This poetic framework not only gives characters a structured speech pattern but enhanced authority. What Is Verse? Unlike modern plays, Shakespeare and his contemporaries wrote plays in verse. This is a poetic framework that gives characters a structured speech pattern and enhances their authority. Typically, Shakespeare’s verse is written in lines of ten syllables, with an ‘unstress-stress’ pattern. The stress is naturally on the even-numbered syllables. For example, take a look at the first line of Twelfth Night: If mu- / -sic be / the food / of love, / play onba- BUM / ba- BUM / ba- BUM / ba- BUM / ba- BUM However, verse isn’t spoken continuously in Shakespeare’s plays. Generally, characters of higher status speak verse (whether they are magical or aristocratic), especially if they are thinking aloud or expressing their passions. So it would follow that characters of low status don’t speak in verse – they speak in prose. The easiest way to tell whether a speech is written in verse or prose is to look at how the text is presented on the page. Verse doesn’t go to the edge of the page, whereas prose does. This is because of the ten syllables to a line structure. Workshop: Verse Speaking Exercises Choose a lengthy speech by any character in a Shakespeare play and read it aloud whilst walking around. Physically change direction every time you reach a comma, colon or full stop. This will force you to see that each clause in a sentence suggests a new thought or idea for your character.Repeat this exercise, but instead of changing direction, say the words â€Å"comma† and â€Å"full stop† out loud when you get to the punctuation. This exercise helps heighten your awareness of where there is punctuation in your speech and what its purpose is.Using the same text, take a pen and underline what you think are the natural stress words. If you spot an often repeated word, underline that as well. Then practice speaking the text with an emphasis on these key stress words.Using the same speech, speak it aloud forcing yourself to make a physical gesture on every single word. This gesture can be clearly connected to the word (for example a finger point on â€Å"him†) or c an be more abstract. This exercise helps you to value every word in the text, but again it will make you prioritize the correct stresses because you will naturally gesture more when saying keywords. Finally and above all, keep speaking the words aloud and enjoying the physical act of speech. This enjoyment is the key to all good verse speaking. Performance Tips Always use the punctuation in order to discover the natural places to pause or breathe when speaking verse. A common mistake is to always pause for breath at the end of a line. As Shakespeare often writes sentences that go across lines, this tendency to breath at the end of the line will distort the meaning and create an unnatural intonation.Be aware of the natural stress rhythms in the verse but don’t allow them to dominate your delivery of the line. Instead look at the line in its entirety and decide where your stress should go.Listen to the beautiful imagery and poetic elements of the verse and close your eyes when saying the words. Allow the imagery to form pictures in your mind. This will help you find meaning and substance in your lines. If you connect imaginatively with the language, you will naturally speak the words more effectively.Listen carefully to the colliding rhythms and sounds in Shakespeare’s verse. Often repeated words, harmonic sounds, and clashing s ounds help you to understand Shakespeare’s intentions and the motivations of your character. Obviously, use a dictionary if the context doesn’t present you with the meaning of a word you say. Not knowing the meaning of one of your words can be a problem. If you don’t know what it means, the chances are the audience won’t either!

Human Resource Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resource Managment - Essay Example 9).4 It will stimulate the HR officer at GS Plumbing to don a professional perspective and will accord a formal recognition and motivation to the HR officer that is Alan Arrowsmith (Bragerstock, 2000, p. 524).5 HR audit will also lead to the identification of the problems marring GS Plumbing, resulting in an appropriate strategy aimed at resolving these problems (Hartsfield, 1990, p. 31).6 This endeavour will also lead to a systematic job analysis of all the employees at GS Plumbing and will help the company in designing appropriate performance management and appraisal systems (Hartsfield, 1990, p. 37).7 HR audit is also about basically recognizing the need for change and initiating and managing change (Stemple, 2006, p. 14).8 So far the top management at GS Plumbing is noncommittal about the issues hampering the smooth working of the organization, as is evident by the approach of Greg Smith, the owner of the company. So, an HR function audit by GS Plumbing will facilitate a smooth a doption and initiation of the change mindset on the part of the management and the employees. To assure the effectiveness of the proposed HR audit, it will be really helpful if the team drafted for conducting this audit involves a cross section of the staff working at varied levels at GS Plumbing (Moore, 2007, p. 53).9 This should include the owner, Greg Smith, the HR manager Alan Arrowsmith, the middle managers, particularly Gail White and at least one representative each of full-time and part-time plumbers. If possible and financially viable, the company can also hire an HR consultant to help and assist in this audit. Another big problem diluting the efficiency at GS Plumbing is the unplanned absence of employees. It is a fact that some of the employees may be resorting to... This paper approves that a formal and effective employee retention policy is pivotal for the long term success and sustenance of GS Plumbing. The success in retaining employees will add to customer satisfaction, will mitigate dissent amidst the staff, will allow for the achievement of a pool of experienced and skilled employees who could act as mentors or could be eventually absorbed in the management, and assure that the knowledge and experience that the employees have gained over time remains embedded within the company’s resource base. The management could come out with a lucrative bonus policy to prevent employees from working freelance after hours. The talent and contribution of the junior employees should be promptly recognized by extending promotions and salary raises. The top managers should spend more time interacting and mixing with the plumbers. Overall, care should be taken to make all the plumbers feel that they are respected and recognized. GS Plumbing being a sm all concern, it will get ample word of mouth publicity by initiating such policies. This essay makes a conclusion that at present, the managerial policies towards HR function at GS Plumbing are noncommittal and non formal. A great deal of this has to do with the lack of interest and initiative on the part of the top management. The dearth of employee retention, recruitment, compensation and review policies are taking a heavy toll on the long term sustenance of the company. Communication gap between the employees and the management is one other sore factor.

Computer forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Computer forensics - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of computer forensics as a method utilized for the analytical analysis and investigative methods to identify, gather, inspect and preserve information and evidence which is magnetically encoded or stored. Typically computer forensics is used to offer digital evidence of a broad and specific activity in any area of life. Additionally, a forensic analysis is performed for a wide variety of reasons. In the majority of cases, computer forensics is used for the high profile civil litigation or criminal investigation, however digital forensic methods can be of value in a broad range of circumstances, comprising, basically re-tracing steps formulated when information has been lost. Companies that the author has selected for this report are 1) New York Computer Forensics [Web site: Â  http://newyorkcomputerforensics.com]; 2) Guidance Software Professional Services [Web site: http://www.guidancesoftware.com]. New York Computer Forensics Company ha s skilled and expert computer forensic staff and experts. These people effectively utilize the proven methods and sophisticated software, and tools which can be used to analyze and retrieve the entire data on a crime scene system to an absolute level as probable. In this scenario, this kind of material can include deleted files and e-mail and logs and other details that can be related to the problems and issues being examined.

The coming of the American Revolution Research Paper

The coming of the American Revolution - Research Paper Example Great Britain was expected to be victorious because of its huge armed and naval power. Comparatively, American side was much more lacking in terms of armed and naval forces, size of army and previous experience at fighting against any huge state. Americans were interested to fight for independence while British fought for the continuity of their control over the American colonies considering their fighting spirit as a mutiny. Benedict Arnold was a part of Patriots belonging to the American side, but after being neglected and not sufficiently appreciated for his efforts in the wars, he became a turncoat and joined British army. Both sides have different advantages and disadvantages regarding their skills and experience. However, America has an upper hand in the war followed by its independence. The turning point for the Patriots was the battle of Saratoga. This paper discusses about the role of Benedict Arnold in the American Revolution, the advantages and disadvantages of the two sid es of the Revolution and the turning point for the patriots. Benedict Arnold, an Important Figure in the American Revolution Benedict Arnold participated in the American Revolution and was responsible for many victories during the revolution. Initially, he appeared as a heroic figure as he worked very hard for the independence of America colonies. Arnold became a part of the Continental Army as a patriot in 1775. Arnold joined Allen and his Green Mountain Boys on 10 May in order to take hold of the credulous British fort located at Ticonderoga in New York1. Arnold took part in another mission, which was planned to assemble Canadian dwellers as members of American army and take hold of the northern base that was held by Britain at that time so that the striking rate of the American side gets improved. This mission was very troublesome as the troops were required to march to Quebec from Maine. Arnold managed to attack the well guarded Quebec along with other patriots through a snowsto rm on 31st December knowing about the death and severe condition of many of his troops. He was left with no other opportunity, but to assault against the force. Arnold was severely injured and the attackers failed to have any victory. They had to face severe loss at the hands of British and Canada remained a British colony2. After being in good health again, Arnold joined in a significant mission that was to obstruct British incursion in New York in autumn of 1776. Arnold’s role in constructing an American naval force was appreciative as he managed to provide hastily prepared armada on Lake Champlain where a British invasion under the command of General Carleton was expected. British fleet was flabbergasted at finding American fleet waiting for them beforehand3. The British fleet pushed back the American fleet, but the action took a long time, which made the British army return to Canada after reaching New York as the war season was over. Arnold’s effort was approving and admirable as the Patriots were able to shun a major destructive step from the British side4. Arnold was unable to get the appreciation and recognition that he deserved instead of all his efforts towards supporting the independence cause. Arnold had no promotion while five junior officers of American army were endorsed to higher ranks. Considering this step as disapproving, he resigned from the army, but after

Evidentialist Method Apologetics Essay Example for Free

Evidentialist Method Apologetics Essay Introduction Apologetics comes in several different methods that are utilized to defend one’s faith and also to evangelize. One method of apologetics is Evidentialism, also known as Natural Theology. Evidentialism is probably the most popular form of apologetics, if not the one that leads the field. Our current world demands proof and supporting data and Evidentialism stresses the deliverance of accurate substantiation with the hope of bringing cynics and criticizers to the truths of Christianity. Evidentialism continues to excel in the field of apologetics and does well in confronting the major worldviews with the truths of the Christian faith that can be proven with factual analysis. This review will provide the reader with a summary of the Evidentialist Method, a critique of the Evidentialist Method, and a list of some of the more popular Evidentialists. Summary of the Evidentialist Method Apologetics comes from 1 Peter 3:15 and is most properly defined as giving a defense. In his commentary, John Walvoord states, â€Å"(apologian, the â€Å"defense† which a defendant makes before a judge; (Acts 22:1; 25:16) for their hope in Christ.† It is the impetus for Evidentialist apologetics to follow this call and seek to â€Å"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.† Another writer, Dan Story, states, â€Å"This is ‘evidential’ apologetics, and it works on the premise that the weight of the evidence will always support Christianity and always refute contradicting beliefs.† In order for Evidentialism to be effective, it must hold to its premise of dispensing the truths about Christianity by establishing factuality. The Evidentialist is able to take any offered topic and utilize it as evidence as they are stimulated by the antagonist’s desire to deliberate logic and reason. In Acts 19:8, the Apostle Paul was diligently â€Å"arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.† Yet, Paul understood completely that there was none other that could open the hearts of men except God (Acts 16:14). Critique of the Evidentialist Method The Evidentialist Model for apologetics is a very sensible method to be utilized in evangelism. The world today demands physical, tangible proof and relies only on what can be seen and studied, and the Evidentialist is quite versed in the practicality and effective use of the method to clarify God’s truths. The method accepts the essential foundations of the non-believing doubter and tries to supply purposeful truth to that individual area. This reason-giving model has established its effectiveness in apologetics. There are a couple of issues of concern when it comes to the application of Evidentialism. One concern that stands out is that it adopts the thought that the fallen man can come to the supposition of Christ as Savior. It is my contention and belief that aside from the Holy Spirit man cannot come to this conclusion. However, I do feel that via the logical evidence presented, God opens the non-believer’s heart. Story clearly shows the â€Å"Holy Spirit also convicts and convinces people of the truth through extra-biblical evidences.† Popular Evidentialists History shows that the method of Evidentialism has been utilized for quite some time. There have been many superior thinkers who have used the method and have contributed greatly to the enhancement of apologetics. Although the list is long, a few of these men merit mention, William Paley (1743-1805), John Locke (1632-1704), and more contemporarily, Norman Geisler, William Lane Craig, Lee Strobel, Gary Habermas and Ravi Zacharias. These stellar thinkers have all utilized Evidentialism in furthering apologetics. There is an organization worthy of mention, Answers in Genesis, who employs the use of Evidentialism in explaining creationism to minister the truths of God, which also includes the explanation of the Gospel to many non-believing skeptics that exist within many secular evolutionist groups. Conclusion The Great Commission demands that all believers be prepared to defend their faith and be ready to offer a defense for those beliefs. There are many opposing worldviews that stand between men and salvation. When these opposing views are confronted in a loving and practical manner, much misconception can be dispelled in a practical manner. Using Evidentialism, the world that desires substantiation, a method driven apologetic is very successful. Bibliography Booth, Anthony Robert. The Two Faces of Evidentialism. Erkenntnis 67:3 (2007), http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/195447959 (accessed January 18, 2013). Story, Dan. Defending Your Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997. Story, Dan. Engaging the Closed Minded: Presenting Your Faith to the Confirmed Unbeliever. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999. Sudduth, Michael. Reformed epistemology and Christian apologetics. Religious Studies 39:3 (2003), http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/197230405/abstract?accountid=12085 (accessed January 18, 2013). Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition od the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983. The Holy Bible: New International Version [ 1 ]. John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, Il: Victor Books, 1983-), 1Peter 3:15. [ 2 ]. The Holy Bible: New International Version, Biblegateway.com. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Peter 3:15version=NIV (accessed January 18, 2013). [ 3 ]. Dan Story, Engaging the Closed Minded: Presenting Your Faith to the Confirmed Unbeliever (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999), 64. [ 4 ]. Dan Story, Defending Your Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997), 4.

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream

Product and market analysis of Ice Cream Kulfi is a popular South Asian, ice cream made with boiled milk typically from water buffalo. It comes in many flavors, including pistachio, malai, mango, cardamom (elaichi), and saffron (kesar). Kulfi differs from western ice cream in that it is richer in taste and creamier in texture. As well, where western ice creams are whipped with air or overrun, kulfi contains no air; it is solid dense frozen milk. It is made by boiling milk until it is reduced to half. Then sugar is added and the mixture is boiled for another ten minutes. Then flavorings, dried fruits, cardamom, etc. are added. The mixture is then put in moulds and frozen. One can eat kulfi plain as is or it can be garnished with ground cardamom, saffron, or pistachio nuts. As well, Kulfi is also served with Falooda vermicelli noodles. But since the kulfi could not become world famous, with the concept of kulfi, ice-cream was started in 1981 in India. Then onwards it has been one big journey. on the road. Now, Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor brings to you the new generation of Ice Creamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The Evolution of Ice Cream Ice creams origins are not known to reach back as far as the second century B.C., although no specific date of origin nor has inventor been undisputable credited with its discovery. We know that Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. Biblical references also show that King Solomon was fond of iced drinks during harvesting. During the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices. Over a thousand years later, Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what is now called sherbet. Historians estimate that this recipe evolved into ice cream sometime in the 16th century. England seems to have discovered ice cream at the same time, or perhaps even earlier than the Italians. Cream Ice, as it was called, appeared regularly at the table of Charles I during the 17th century. France was introduced to similar frozen desserts in 1553 by the Italian Catherine de Medici when she became the wife of Henry II of France. It wasnt until 1660 that ice cream was made available to the general public. The Sicilian Procope introduced a recipe blending milk, cream, butter and eggs at Caf Procope, the first caf in Paris. Ice Cream for America The first official account of ice cream in the New World comes from a letter written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available almost every day. Records kept by a Chatham Street, New York, merchant show that President George Washington spent approximately $200 for ice cream during the summer of 1790. Inventory records of Mount Vernon taken after Washingtons death revealed two pewter ice cream pots. President Thomas Jefferson was said to have a favorite 18-step recipe for an ice cream delicacy that resembled a modern-day Baked Alaska. In 1812, Dolley Madison served a magnificent strawberry ice cream creation at President Madisons second inaugural banquet at the White House. Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite. Around 1800, insulated ice houses were invented. Manufacturing ice cream soon became an industry in America, pioneered in 1851 by a Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American industries, ice cream production increased because of technological innovations, including steam power, mechanical refrigeration, the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, and new freezing processes and equipment. In addition, motorized delivery vehicles dramatically changed the industry. Due to ongoing technological advances, todays total frozen dairy annual production in the United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons. Wide availability of ice cream in the late 19th century led to new creations. In 1874, the American soda fountain shop and the profession of the soda jerk emerged with the invention of the ice cream soda. In response to religious criticism for eating sinfully rich ice cream sodas on Sundays, ice cream merchants left out the carbonated water and invented the ice cream Sunday in the late 1890s. The name was eventually changed to sundae to remove any connection with the Sabbath. Ice cream became an edible morale symbol during World War II. Each branch of the military tried to outdo the others in serving ice cream to its troops. In 1945, the first floating ice cream parlor was built for sailors in the western Pacific. When the war ended, and dairy product rationing was lifted, America celebrated its victory with ice cream. Americans consumed over 20 quarts of ice cream per person in 1946. In the 1940s through the 70s, ice cream production was relatively constant in the United States. As more prepackaged ice cream was sold through supermarkets, traditional ice cream parlors and soda fountains started to disappear. Now, specialty ice cream stores and unique restaurants that feature ice cream dishes have surged in popularity. These stores and restaurants are popular with those who remember the ice cream shops and soda fountains of days past, as well as with new generations of ice cream fans. According to legend, Marco Polo brought the secrets of ice cream with him from the Orient, together with other sundry savories. There is, however, no proof of that, although there is some evidence that the Chinese indulged in iced drinks and desserts, which gives some weight to the Marco Polo theory. The Chinese did, however, teach Arab traders how to combine syrups and snow, to make an early version of the sherbet. Arab traders proceeded to show Venetians, then Romans, how to make this frozen delight. The Emperor Nero was quite fond of pureed fruit, sweetened with honey, and then mixed with snowso much so that he had special cold rooms built underneath the imperial residence in order to store snow. In the 1500s, Catherine de Medici brought the concept of the sorbet to the French, who were soon to make a great improvement on it. As you will have noted, the above are frozen desserts, not ice cream. That invention awaited the development of the custard, then the discovery that freezing it would create a delectable dessert. This notable event occurred in 1775 in France, and was shortly followed by the invention of an ice cream machine, which did a much better job of creating a light and fluffy frozen custard than beating by hand could do. Thomas Jefferson, who imitated Nero in having a special cold room for storing snow, provides us with the first recipe for ice cream found in the United States. Not to be outdone, George Washington invested in one of the ice cream machines. Until 1851, ice cream (or, more frequently, cream ice) was solely made at home. But an intrepid man from Baltimore, named Jacob Fussell changed all that by opening the first ice cream factory. Near the turn of the century, the ice cream soda was created, although by who seems to be in questioneither James W. Tuff or Robert Green. It does seem to have been done by accident, howevera scoop of ice cream falling in a glass of flavored soda water. At any rate, the drink became a national craze, and many a girl and boy went courting over an ice cream soda. So many, in fact, that many municipalities passes laws forbidding the sale of soda water on Sunday. Quickly afterwards, the sundae was inventedit contained the ice cream, syrup, and whipped cream of the soda, but without the evil influence of soda water. Numerous variations existed. The next ice cream craze with the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis. Charles Menches was doing a lively business selling scoops of ice cream in dishes, all the way up to the point that he ran out of dishes. Frustrated, but determined to still find a way to make a profit, he lighted upon his friend Ernest Hamwi, who was selling a wafer-like cookie called zalabia (a Syrian treat). The combination proved irrestible. HISTORY OF THE ICE CREAM CONE For over a century, Americans have been enjoying ice cream on a cone. Whether its a waffle cone, a sugar cone or a wafer cone, what better way to enjoy a double scoop of your favorite flavor? Making Its Appearance The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903. Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair by Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire. Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry zalabis in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice creams popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes. Hamwi saw an easy solution to the ice cream vendors problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution that it is today. A Business Is Born St. Louis, a foundry town, quickly capitalized on the cones success. Enterprising people invented special baking equipment for making the Worlds Fair cornucopia cones. Stephen Sullivan of Sullivan, Missouri, was one of the first known independent operators in the ice cream cone business. In 1906, Sullivan served ice cream cones (or cornucopias, as they were still called) at the Modern Woodmen of America Frisco Log Rolling in Sullivan, Missouri. At the same time, Hamwi was busy with the Cornucopia Waffle Company. In 1910, he founded the Missouri Cone Company, later known as the Western Cone Company. As the modern ice cream cone developed, two distinct types of cones emerged. The rolled cone was a waffle, baked in a round shape and rolled (first by hand, later mechanically) as soon as it came off the griddle. In a few seconds, it hardened in the form of a crisp cone. The second type of cone was molded either by pouring batter into a shell, inserting a core on which the cone was baked, and then removing the core; or pouring the batter into a mold, baking it and then splitting the mold so the cone could be removed with little difficulty. In the 1920s, the cone business expanded. Cone production in 1924 reached a record 245 million. Slight changes in automatic machinery have led to the ice cream cone we know today. Now, millions of rolled cones are turned out on machines that are capable of producing about 150,000 cones every 24 hours. FROM THE COW TO THE CONE How Ice Cream Is Made Everybody has a favorite flavor or brand of ice cream, and the debate over whose ice cream is the best rages on each year. While each manufacturer develops its own special recipes, ice cream production basics are basically the same everywhere. The most important ice cream ingredients come from milk. The dairy ingredients are crucial in determining the characteristics of the final frozen product. Federal regulations state that ice cream must have at least 10% milk fat, the single most critical ingredient. The use of varying percentages of milk fat affects the palatability, smoothness, color, texture and food value of the finished product. Gourmet or super premium ice creams contain at least 12% milk fat, usually more. Ice cream contains nonfat solids (the non-fat, protein part of the milk), which contribute nutritional value (protein, calcium, minerals and vitamins). Nonfat dry milk, skim milk and whole milk are the usual sources of nonfat solids. The sweeteners used in ice cream vary from cane or beet sugar to corn sweeteners or honey. Stabilizers, such as plant derivatives, are commonly used in small amounts to prevent the formation of large ice crystals and to make a smoother ice cream. Emulsifiers, such as lecithin and mono- and diglycerides, are also used in small amounts. They provide uniform whipping qualities to the ice cream during freezing, as well as a smoother and drier body and texture in the frozen form. These basic ingredients are agitated and blended in a mixing tank. The mixture is then pumped into a pasteurizer, where it is heated and held at a predetermined temperature. The hot mixture is then shot through a homogenizer, where pressure of 2,000 to 2,500 pounds per square inch breaks the milk fat down into smaller particles, allowing the mixture to stay smooth and creamy. The mix is then quick-cooled to about 40 °F and frozen via the continuous freezer method (the batch freezer method) that uses a steady flow of mix that freezes a set quantity of ice cream one batch at a time. During freezing, the mix is aerated by dashers, revolving blades in the freezer. The small air cells that are incorporated by this whipping action prevent ice cream from becoming a solid mass of frozen ingredients. The amount of aeration is called overrun, and is limited by the federal standard that requires the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. The next step is the addition of bulky flavorings, such as fruits, nuts and chocolate chips. The ingredients are either dropped or shot into the semi-solid ice cream after it leaves the freezer. After the flavoring additions are completed, the ice cream can be packaged in a variety of containers, cups or molds. It is moved quickly to a hardening room, where sub-zero temperatures freeze the product to its final state for storage and distribution. ICE CREAM LABELING WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? There are many choices in todays ice cream case to suit a wide variety of consumer tastes. There is plenty of information on food labels, but what does it really mean? Here, the International Ice Cream Association sheds some light on how ice cream and related products are labeled. Labeling Definitions The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards of identity for many foods so that consumers will get a consistent product, no matter what brand or type they buy. For ice cream, FDA permits the use of nutrient descriptors such as light, reduced fat and low fat so that consumers know exactly what theyre selecting in terms of nutritional content. These FDA standards follow the federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which governs all food labeling. Here are some of the terms consumers are seeing in the supermarket, and exactly what those terms mean: Ice cream is a frozen food made from a mixture of dairy products, containing at least 10% milk fat. Reduced fat ice cream contains at least 25% less total fat than the referenced product (either an average of leading brands, or the companys own brand.) Light ice cream contains at least 50% less total fat or 33% fewer calories than the referenced product (the average of leading regional or national brands.) Low fat ice cream contains a maximum of 3 grams of total fat per serving Nonfat ice cream contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving. Quality Segments In addition, there are commonly used marketing phrases that describe ice cream products in terms of quality segments, such as super premium, premium and economy. Several factors can contribute to a products quality segment, such as price, brand positioning, product packaging, quality of ingredients and the amount of overrun (air) in the product. Overrun refers to the amount of aeration the ice cream undergoes during its manufacture that keeps the mixture from becoming an inedible frozen mass. Overrun is governed by federal standards in that the finished product must not weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. Super-premium ice cream tends to have very low overrun and high fat content, and the manufacturer uses the best quality ingredients. Premium ice cream tends to have low overrun and higher fat content than regular ice cream, and the manufacturer uses higher quality ingredients. Regular ice cream meets the overrun required for the federal ice cream standard. Economy ice cream meets required overrun and generally sells for a lower price than regular ice cream. Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Company profile: Name: Ice Age The Healthy Ice Cream Parlor Date of Launch: 20th September 2006 Promoters: Justin Dcosta Phinsy Chirayath Rahul Mahapatra Shruti Saraf Aaron Dsouza Fizzah S.J Product: Sugar free and Fat free healthy Ice Creams. Health conscious desert. Proposed Flavors: World famous Vanilla and 20 different mouth watering flavors. Project: Manufacturing and selling of healthy sugar free and fat free Ice Creams. Specially made for health conscious and sweet tooth people. Head of department/ management: Justin Dcosta : Finance Phinsy Chirayath : Public Relation Rahul Mahapatra : Marketing Shruti Saraf : Product Testing Aaron Dsouza : Human Resources Fizzah S.J : Outlet manager Investments: Total capital investment required: 7 crore Borrowed capital (loan from IDBI bank): 3 crore Total partners investment: 4 crore Each partners capital: 70 lakhs All the six promoters and administrators of Ice Age Ltd will be equal partners and the profits sharing ratio between them will be equal. Introduction. Founded in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Ice Age Ltd.. company is setting up an Ice Cream manufacturing and selling parlor. The project will have great significance in the present day context of increasing weight and illness among the youth as well as adults due to increasing fat and sugar intake due to increasing content of sweetener in the Ice Creams and juices. The manufacturing of all types of ice creams will be done at its production site and then will be transported to its parlors established in the heart of the city. Ice Age Ltd.. is entering the Indian market with an aim of establishing its brand as a necessity of the Indian buyers. The company will follow a strategic positioning approach for the target market. Ice Age Ltd.. has kept into account the income and behavioral factor of the Indian buyers while designing the products. It is important for the company to understand the consumer behaviour before it goes into such a market. The Indian consumer for the first time will have a premium product which is eco-friendly, healthy and affordable. Business strategy Our business strategy will include the determination of the most beneficial product market in term of establishing itself in this new product segment. The most important factor for the success of Ice Age Ltd. brand is the perception of the consumer and to what extent it can build a positive image in the consumers mind. The intensity of the business environment, the sustainable competitive advantage of a quality product will give it a strong base to build the market. It is important for us to adopt a different strategy for the Indian market since it is composed of quality buyers as well as those who will buy for their family. Thus, we shall introduce some new strategies so as to establish our self in the Indian market and develop a strong customer base. The Model used for preparing the marketing strategy by Ice Age Ltd.. in the Indian Market Product Range External Analysis Competitors Analysis Internal Analysis Environment Analysis Marketing Strategies Future Plans Conclusion The first growth vector will involves gaining penetration with the existing product-market Ice Age Ltd. will attempt to attract customers from competitors through its strategic positioning and will establish strong brand equity. The second growth vector will involves product expansion while staying in the current market. Ice Age Ltd. will then offer a new product. It will be aimed not only for the existing market but also for the price conscious segment. The third growth vector will apply the same products to the new markets. The fourth growth vector will be to diversify into new product markets. We shall concentrate on the second growth vector and study the strategy with respect to the Ice Cream market. Internal Analysis According to the recent studies, most of the newly launched product or services fail due to improper analysis of their internal and external needs. A company should most effectively and efficiently take care of all the internal matters and needs. Since internal analysis is so use full and the life cycle as well as pricing is totally depended upon this analysis, Ice Age Ltd.. has taken proper and fully effective steps in analyzing all the need and requirements of the company. During internal analysis the promoter should take care of the following things: Raw material requirement Power supply Labour requirement Working force Capital Working capital Internal rules and regulations Proper management Proper material handling External Analysis Customer Analysis The Indian market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. Two-thirds of countries consumers live in rural areas and almost half of the national income is generated here. It is only natural that rural markets form an important part of the total market of India though the urban market is increasing drastically. Our nation is classified in around 450 districts, and approximately 630000 villages, which can be sorted in different parameters such as literacy levels, accessibility, income levels, penetration, distances from nearest towns, etc. The rural bazaar is booming beyond everyones expectation. This has been primarily attributed to a spurt in the purchasing capacity of farmers now enjoying an increasing marketable surplus of farm produce. In addition, an estimated induction of Rs 140 billion in the rural sector through the governments rural development schemes in the Seventh Plan and about Rs 300 billion in the Eighth Plan is also believed to have significantly contributed to the rapid growth in demand. The high incomes combined with low cost of living in the villages have meant more money to spend. And with the market providing those options, trends and tastes are also changing. Thus Ice Age Ltd.. has decided to enter this market with the basic idea of tapping the upper middle class which had established itself as a huge tapped market in the perception of a lot of national and multinational players who were then trying forages into the Indian market. Competitors Analysis NEED OF COMPARISION Consumer Mindset The consumers always have a different loyalty status for different brands. Sometimes they buy some brand due to the price or sometimes due to the features. Studying the consumers mindset is of vital importance as perception of individuals at the buying stage of various brands is unpredictable and ever changing. Market Share The market share of the players in the two wheeler auto market needs to be studied to know which company is in the booming stage and which company is in its closure stage. Also the advertisement and promotional share needs to be studied. Thus, market share helps us know the current market leader and market follower so that our company can develop an efficient marketing strategy for its product range after analyzing the current market players position. SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis i.e. the Analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the company products and its competitors at a glance. It needs to be compared to get an overall analysis of all the major companies and to know the company having better strengths, more opportunities and on the other hand the company having more of weaknesses and threats. The above diagram represents the sales of the famous Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai and their sales before Ice Age entered the market This diagram represents the sales pattern of all the Ice Cream parlors in Mumbai including Ice Age Ice Cream Parlor after one year from the launch of Ice Age Ltd (Estimated) Environment Analysis High initial launch cost There is a large front-ended investment made in new products including cost of product development, market research, test marketing and most importantly its launch. To create awareness and develop franchise for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure is required on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. Launch costs are as high as 50-100% of revenue in the first year and these costs progressively reduce as the brand matures, gains consumer acceptance and turnover rises. For established brands, advertisement expenditure varies from 5 12% depending on the categories. It is common to give occasional push by re-launches, which involves repositioning of brands with sizable marketing support. Market research Customers purchase decisions are based on perceptions about brands. They also keep on changing with fashion, income and changes in lifestyle. Unlike industrial products, it is difficult to differentiate products on technical or functional grounds. With increasing competition, companies spend enormous sums on product launches. Market research and test marketing become inevitable. The business rests on the two aspects that are brand equity and distribution network. Marketing driven In relative terms, marketing function has greater importance in the Ice Cream industry. The players have to reach out to mass population and compete with several other brands. The perceived differences are greater than the real differences in the product. Brand equity Brand equity refers to the intangible asset in the form of brand names. The consumers loyalty for a particular brand is due to the perception that the product has distinctively superior and consistent quality, satisfies his/ her specific needs and provides better value for money than other competing brands. A successful brand generates strong cash flow which enables the owner of the brand to reinvest a part of it in the form of aggressive advertisement/ promotion to reinforce the perceived superiority of the brand. The worth of a brand is manifested in the consumers insistence on a particular brand or willingness to pay a price premium for the preferred brand. Distribution network In this sector, one of the most critical success factors is the ability to build, develop, and maintain a robust distribution network. Availability near the customer is vital for wider penetration as most products are high value products. It takes enormous time and effort to build a chain of stockiest, retailers; dealers etc and establish their loyalties. There are entry barriers for a new entrant as a new product is typically slow moving and has lesser consumer demand. Therefore dealers/ retailers are reluctant to allocate resources and time. Established players use their clout to inhibit new entrants. However, when a product offers a strong breakthrough, equity build up rapidly and so does the distribution network. The major problems faced while marketing in the Indian market: Underdeveloped People and Underdeveloped Markets: The number of people below poverty line has not decreased in any appreciable manner. Thus underdeveloped people and consequently underdeveloped market by and large characterize the Indian markets. Many Languages and Dialects: The number of languages and dialects vary widely from state to state, region to region and probably from district to district. The messages have to be delivered in the local languages and dialects. Even though the numbers of recognized languages are only 16, the dialects are estimated to be around 850. Prevalence of spurious brands and seasonal demand: For any branded product there are a multitude of local variants, which are cheaper, and, therefore, more desirable to mass. Different way of thinking: There is a vast difference in the lifestyles of the people. The kind of choices of brands that an urban customer enjoys is different from the choices available to the rural customer. The rural customer usually has 2 or 3 brands to choose from whereas the urban one has multiple choices. The difference is also in the way of thinking. The rural customer has a fairly simple thinking as compared to the urban counterpart. Marketing Strategies Differentiation The concept is to make the product different from those of its competitor. When we look at the Indian Ice Cream market we see that the leaders naturals have constantly maintained its market leadership by constantly differentiating on the basis of new flavors. And coming up with line extensions with regular frequency. The only alternative for Ice Age Ltd. to survive in this industry will be to differentiate itself. This differentiation could be on the basis of the marketing mix. (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) Thus, as per the different factors of marketing mix 4 Different strategies are made to market in the developing cities in India. Target Market Ice Age the healthy ice cream parlor offers a wide range of sugar free and fat free ice creams. The ice creams are specially made keeping in mind all the health conscious people as well as youth and people who suffer from illness like diabetes. Ice Age is a healthy ice cream parlor which targets the higher middle class and rich class of the society. Due to the variety of flavors and the specialty of being sugar free and fat free makes the Ice Age Ice Creams more popular among the fitness and health conscious people. Ice Age targets the market where people are ready to buy healthy junk food due to their taste buds and the fact that Ice Age Ice Creams are totally fat free and sugar free with the same original taste. Hence Ice Age Ice Creams targets the market where people from age group 1 year to 80 years can enjoy their favorite ice cream keeping in mind health conscious people, diabetic people, young people, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Segmentation Segmentation variables Several variables differentiate consumers who prefer different kinds of Desserts, such as frequency of consumption, price sensitivity, relative importance of calories vs. taste, consumption occasion (at home, at work, at a social event, during recreation or at a restaurant), and desired serving size. The two most important variables are probably price sensitivity and the taste-calorie tradeoff. The reason that price sensitivity is especially important is that some consumers will pay high prices for a product of high q