Thursday, November 28, 2019
Act 4 scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet is very emotional and dramatic Essay Example
Act 4 scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet is very emotional and dramatic Essay Example Act 4 scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet is very emotional and dramatic Essay Act 4 scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet is very emotional and dramatic Essay Essay Topic: Amy Tan Short Stories In my essay, I shall write about certain features of the performance Romeo and Juliet by the distinguished dramatist William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet falls into one of three main categories of Shakespeares plays, as it is a tragedy. A tragedy is a play with an unhappy ending usually due to a fatal flaw in the main character(s). This in turn leads to a final catastrophe, which brings the tragedy to an end. In particular, I shall focus on Act 4 Scene 3, which is a very dramatic and emotional scene.I shall state the ways in which this is achieved and the ways in which the play is effective as a tragedy. Additionally, I shall cross-reference this scene with other events in the play to show how they contribute to the emotion and drama of Act 4 Scene 3 and in doing so I shall write about the ways in which this scene fits in with the rest of the play. Lastly, I shall try and direct Act 4 Scene 3 with the intention of showing the ways in which this scene is emotional and dramatic and at tempt to make it even more gripping for any potential audience.The first thing to understand when writing my essay is the actual plot of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet takes place in the Italian City of Verona, where two star-crossed lovers meet. Romeo and his friends gatecrash at Capulets feast, where Romeo and Juliet meet. They are prevented from being together by the fact that they belong to two quarrelling families; Juliet is a Capulet whereas Romeo is a Montague. Romeo and Juliet, however, decide to get secretly married.Juliet confides in her faithful nurse and Romeo in Friar Laurence, the marriage performer. Their married bliss is cut short when on the same day, Romeos friend Mercutio is slain in a challenge by Juliets cousin Tybalt. Full of grief and anger, Romeo seeks vengeance and goes after Tybalt subsequently killing him. The Prince of Verona punishes Romeo by banishing him to Mantua. Juliet is pushed to the limit with the death of her beloved cousin and the banishmen t of her newly wedded husband.Furthermore, her father is adamant she marries an honourable nobleman, Paris. Juliet visits the Friar where she is presented with a potion, which will make her appear dead. That evening, after great deliberation, Juliet consumes the potion and is discovered the next morning as dead. Romeo hears of Juliets death, unaware of the Friars plan. He purchases some poison from a local apothecary and heads for Verona where he vows to kill himself by his wifes grave. Romeo encounters Paris by Juliets tomb and kills him. Next, Romeo swallows the poison, killing himself. Juliet awakens and discovers that Romeo is dead, and so she commits suicide with Romeos dagger. Friar Laurence, the Prince and Romeo and Juliets parents arrive on the scene greeted with terrible commotion. The Friar explains everything that had happened in the past few days. Capulet and Montague reunite, aware of the high price they have had to pay in order to gain this.The events immediately befor e Act 4 Scene 3 were very tense. Without Romeo by her side, Juliet was put under immense emotional strain. Previously, the audience learn of the plan the Friar has devised to prevent Juliet being forced to wed Paris. During Act 4 Scene 1, the friar presents Juliet with a distilled liquor. He tells Juliet to go home, be merry and give consent to marry Paris.That evening, she is to go to sleep, making sure that the nurse is not present and she is to then consume the potion. This potion will make Juliet appear cold and drowsy with no warmth and no breath. The potion will deprive her of any supple government. (I.e. she will not be moving). The friar explains that she will remain in this state for two and forty hours. (42 hours). On appearing dead, a funeral will be organised and she will be placed in the family vault. Juliet is to sleep until Romeo arrives from Mantua to rescue her.Then, on awakening, Romeo will take Juliet to reside in Mantua in secret. The friar, however, also warns t hat his plan is not foolproof and it is quite possible that things could still go wrong. When Juliet returns home, she puts the plan into action. She approaches her father and begs for forgiveness. She uses several exaggerated phrases including henceforth I am ever ruld by you and beg your pardon. Pardon, I beseech you!. Juliet attempts to assure her father she will be obedient and puts on a very convincing performance. This is known as dramatic irony and indicates that the audience is more aware of the real situation in comparison to other characters; Juliet says she will marry Paris but the audience is aware of the friars plan whereas the other characters are not. This is not the first time Juliet has made use of dramatic irony.Previously, when conversing with her mother on Romeos banishment, Juliet stated that she rather marry Romeo than marry Paris, which is ironic, as that is exactly what has happened. Ironically, Juliet is so convincing, Lord Capulet arranges for have the wedd ing to be bought forward by one day to the next day, Wednesday, since he thinks Juliet is genuinely in love with Paris. Due to the fact that the wedding has been bought forward, it gives Juliet less time to consider what she is going to put herself through. This means that the next scene, (Act 4 Scene 3) will be emotional and dramatic as Juliet has less time to think everything through.It is important to make clear the amount Juliet has been through in such a small period of time. Juliet has encountered love, experienced her marriage ceremony, grieved for her deceased cousin and has had to chose between loyalty to her husband and loyalty to her family. She had been tested numerously and has had to find the courage to do all this. Juliet realises she is playing with her future. On top of this, she is still only 13 years old and this, in consideration with other factors puts her in a very distressed emotional state.During the opening of Act 4 scene 3, Juliet informs the nurse and her mother that she is preparing to go to sleep. She asks them to leave by stating that she needs to pray. Juliet also tells her mother that she has selected everything for the wedding the next day. This is a further example of dramatic irony, as Juliet knows there will be no wedding. Lady Capulet is preparing for a wedding, when in reality, she ought to be preparing for a funeral. Juliet carries on pretending to be an obedient child by using flattering phrases such as gentle nurse and For I am sure you have your hands full. This gives the impression that Juliet has no doubts and is actually excited about the wedding taking place.The fact that Juliet had not confided in her nurse about the friars scheme implies that their close relationship has deteriorated considerably compared to previous situations. Previously, Juliet had always told her nurse everything as the nurse was like a surrogate mother to her. A good example of this is in Act 1 Scene 3. This is the first time that the nurse is introduced to the audience. The nurse speaks of Juliet in a very endearing manner and mother-like manner. We also discover that the nurses own daughter, Susan, died and so this makes her even more devoted to Juliet. As well as Juliet and the nurses closeness, another characteristic of the nurses personality is that she is very comical. She uses very humorous language but it can also be rude and quite crude. Shakespeare breaks up the tension of the play by introducing speech from the nurse and therefore most of the performances entertainment derives from the nurse.This makes Act 4 scene 3 more dramatic as the audience are aware of the fact that this is the first time that Juliet has not confided in her nurse. Juliets relationship with her mother has essentially remained the same Juliet still has not felt as though she can confide in her. For instance, the first time Juliets mother is introduced to the audience, her language suggests her awkwardness in the situation. She uses phr ases such as we must talk in secret to suggest that she is fearful of what the nurse will think of her as a mother as Juliets mother has not always played the role of the mother well. Their relationship has got slightly closer as during Act 4 Scene 3, Juliet and her mother speak in a very civilised manner, however this is only because Juliet is lying to her. This deception adds to the drama and emotion, as the audience is uncertain as to whether Juliet will get caught out.Following the exit of Juliets mother and nurse, Juliet is alone on stage and commences her long speech. This speech is known as a soliloquy as she is the only person present on stage. A soliloquy is a device, which allows any individual to speak their private thoughts out loud. The character can tell their secrets and true feelings about the situation out loud hence allowing the audience to be in a better position to judge in comparison to other characters. This particular speech is written in blank verse, which me ans it does not rhyme and makes use of several emotive words and phrases. Juliet expresses her terror using long incomplete sentences. The inclusion of incomplete sentences makes the speech more believable as nobody in Juliets situation would speak in verse and so this difference creates a dramatic effect. This speech consists mainly of rhetorical questions to which she has no convincing answers and focuses on her response and feelings.Juliet opens her speech in a very moving way with a passionate outburst. All alone, she cries out: God knows when we shall meet again/ I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins. Juliet says this since she will be with Romeo and it may be sometime before she meets everyone again. This makes her scared and hence it freezes up the heat of life. She feels afraid of being alone and this makes her very emotional. She feels unable to cope without her nurse there to assist her and she contemplates calling her back again to comfort her. She then, howev er, realises that her situation is dismal and even with the nurse present things cannot be improved. She believes that from now on, she cannot trust the nurse as she was very hypocritical before. The nurse told Juliet to consider marriage to Paris as Paris is a superior gentleman compared to Romeo, and being in Mantua, Romeo is of no use to her. Juliet felt betrayed as the nurse had praised Romeo many times before and she was now putting him down. Juliet feels that she must remain on her own.This scene is made more dramatic because Juliet is in possession of a dagger. She decides that if the plan should go wrong, and she has to marry Paris, the dagger shall forbid it. Juliet is prepared to kill herself rather than to commit bigamy and destroy Romeos trust and loyalty.By now, the seriousness of the circumstances she got herself into has struck her considerably. Juliet starts to feel increasingly nervous and frightened. She begins to question everyones motive, even the Friar, whom sh e has never doubted before. Juliet is concerned that the potion is actually a poison which the Friar subtly hath ministerd to kill her. She believes this is because if the friar has Juliet killed, he will not have to marry Juliet and Paris since this is bigamy and is therefore against all religious standards.She answers her own question as to whether the friar has given her poison instead of a potion intentionally. She replies I fear it is. She comforts herself by telling herself that the friar could not do such a thing as he is a holy man and he is true to his word. Additionally, Juliet is petrified of the potential dangers she may encounter while imprisoned in the vault. She thinks she could be stifled, as there is no healthsome air to breath and she might die strangled before Romeo arrives.Juliet considers two possible scenarios she may face while in the tomb. She thinks that she can either suffocate, or will be scared to death as a result of the terror of the place. She is also aware that her ancient and buried ancestors will be present in the vault and that the vault will be packd. She knows that she will be trapped and crammed into a very small space. This creates a dark image of restriction and isolation. Shakespeare uses vocabulary such as strangled, horrible, terror and packd to build a sinister and dark image of the tomb. This in turn creates more tension and produces sympathy from the audience for Juliet.Juliet also reiterates the phrase where frequently (where refers to the tomb). Shakespeare uses it to emphasise the tomb and secure the image in the audiences minds. An image of death and horror is built up and thus creates a lot of drama and tension. She is frightened that Romeo will arrive before she awakens. She remembers that bloody Tybalt will be present in the tomb and that he had only been placed in the tomb recently. The usage of the word bloody depicts a very deathly location. Juliet knows that Tybalts body will be rotting, smelling and fes tering in his shroud. As well as this, his body will be in full view, as it is not fully buried, merely covered in a shroud. Another factor that alarms Juliet is the stories, which Juliet has heard about. She has heard that there are spirits which reside in the tomb that apparently come out at some hours in the night. This frightens her considerably.Juliet expects that if she wakes too soon, the loathsome smells will make Juliet shriek like mandrakes. (Mandrakes were plants which when pulled out of the earth, screamed and it was thought that if a human heard these screams, they would lose their senses). This section of the play is very sensory, as there are numerous references to sight, smell and now, sound. Shakespeare does this to appeal to the audiences senses. Shakespeare wants to draw out emotions and for the audience to sympathise with Juliet in her dire situation.This reinforces the fact that the plan is a desperate one and that Juliet is prepared to go through a lot for Rome o. Juliet declares that she will be distraught if she wakes up to early. She will be feeling stressed, depressed and in a bad state of mind. Juliet considers what she may do to herself in a fit of madness. She pictures herself playing with her forefathers joints (bones) and in her rage, she may use one as a club and dash out her desperate brains. Many violent images are displayed and therefore creates a sense of drama and emotion.In her moment of madness, Juliet hallucinates and imagines seeing her cousins ghost. (Tybalt). She can see him seeking out Romeo, looking for revenge as Romeo arrives at the tomb for Juliet. She calls out to Romeo, as if she is in the tomb, trying to protect him from Tybalt. This makes Juliet become hysterical. This creates substantial drama as the audience know that with all the factors taken into consideration, (Juliets hallucinating and hysteria), Juliet may do something foolish that she may end up regretting, or fail to follow the plan accurately.Ultima tely, she toasts Romeo and consumes the potion. This line is ironic as later on, when Romeo himself commits suicide, he toasts Juliet. The scene concludes with Juliet falling upon her bed within the curtains.If I were to direct this particular scene, there are many things that I would do in order to try to create an increased feeling of drama and emotion. The first thing I would consider is the appearance of the stage. I would set the stage as Juliets bedroom using a variety of techniques. Firstly, I would decide on the props which I would make use of. I would lay an old-fashioned bed at the end of the stage with the end of the bed slightly off stage. The bed should possess a lavish bedspread and pillow to reflect the familys wealth and high status in society.Adjacent to the bed, I would place a small, finely carved, brown wooden table with three large lit candles. I would do this because it is night so some lighting is required and, during the time in which the play was written, th ere was no electricity. Three candles however, would not be appropriate to light an entire stage so, off stage, I would make use of a few murky, white lights. These would be placed so that it gave the appearance of light flickering through a window. Additionally, to show Juliets wealth, I would place a shelf on the wall with finely carved ornaments and trinkets, which had been constructed using gold. Juliet should also have some clothes scattered across a solid wooden table in the foreground to indicate to the audience that Juliet has been treated well.The clothes should be mainly black, gold, purple and red, as these colours are usually associated with royalty and a higher class of people. Furthermore, the clothes should be made of a delicate material, such as silk, with small stitching and extravagant designs. Additionally, there should be four chairs dispersed around the room to create suitable seating areas for the characters. Finally, I would place entrance/exit on the stage. T his would be at the top-left of the stage and there would only be one as a bedroom has usually only one entrance/exit.I would cast three actresses to enact the roles in this scene. There should be an older woman of about 35 to play the nurse, a slightly younger one of about 30 to play Juliets mother and a girl of about 13 to play Juliet herself. The mother has to be quite young as, in the play, Juliets mother clearly states that she was a mother at Juliets age (13). Juliets mother should be dressed in a stylish, red gown to display her wealth and to show that she is superior to Juliet and the nurse. The nurse ought to be wearing a simple light brown dress, protected by a dirty white apron and a black bonnet. This is to give the impression that she is not that wealthy and that she is a nurse. Juliet herself should be dressed in a navy-blue dress with two pockets to conceal the dagger and the vial. Her hair should be styled in two plaits to show that she is still quite youthful.I woul d have some gentle classical music being played in the background and have the nurse and Juliet enter, with the nurse carrying a pile of Juliets clothes. Juliet should say her lines using a confident speaking tone to show that she has nothing to worry about but as she is lying to the nurse, she should also avoid any direct eye contact with the nurse. When Lady Capulet enters, she should enter at a brisk speed to indicate she has a lot to do in a short space of time. Whilst Juliet and her mother are talking, the nurse should be arranging Juliets clothes on the tables and should be folding them. Juliet should request for her nurse and mother to leave using a tender tone of voice. She can do this whilst saying the lines so please you, let me now be left alone and I am sure you have your hands full. When Juliets nurse and mother do finally depart, they should also leave using a normal walking pace, to show that they are following Juliets wishes.The opening lines to Juliets soliloquy, Fa rewell! God knows when we shall meet again. should be spoken in a passionate tone of voice. Juliet should use gestures such as showing two open arms to suggest she wants someone to come to her. This also ties in when she says, Ill call them back to comfort me. She should say come vial in a slow but certain tone of voice. The vial should be taken out from her dress pocket along with the dagger and the bottle should be green as green is associated with the unnatural.The dagger should have a rusting metal blade and handle. The line this shall forbid it Should also be said in a slow but certain tone of voice. And the dagger should be placed slowly onto the table. Prior to continuing her speech, she should glance around to make sure that no one is eavesdropping, and she should have an uncertain facial expression.Then, Juliet should continue her speech, using gestures such as having her hand on her heart. The words poison, ministerd and dishonourd should be emphasised as these are dramati c words which will grab the audience attention. She should pause slightly before carrying on with her speech to show that she in thinking about the answer to her question. (If the friar is trying to poison her or not). I fear it is should be spoken whilst shaking her head and also a disbelieving tone should be used to give the impression that Juliet is not sure of anything anymore. Juliet should use movement such as walking around her room in a slow yet uncertain manner while she is answering her own question.The next thing to deliberate, is the way in which Juliet would respond while she thinks about waking up before Romeo arrives to escort her to Mantua. She should modify her movements by shifting to the front of the stage to be nearer to the audience. To add more drama, Juliet should halt whilst facing the audience, with a look of disbelief on her face to give the impression that she has just had a terrible thought. She should say, How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake bef ore the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? in a slow and nervous fashion.Then, she should say the next few lines progressively getting faster, louder and more passionate. The music should stop now to create a petrifying silence and, the lights should also fade slightly. Again, words like stifled, foul, strangled, horrible, conceit and terror should be emphasised as these are very moving words. She should sound distressed as she says where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth to show that she still cares for her recently deceased cousin. Once more, she should start to get louder and almost hysterical as she talks about the mandrakes being torn out of the earth and her concern that she may dash out her desperate brains with her forefathers joints.When she imagines seeing Tybalts ghost, she should move back to imply she is running away from something and she should also put her arm out to suggest she trying to prevent someone from coming towards her. Gradually, she should move back an d huddle down on the floor just in front of the bed whilst excitably screaming stay, Tybalt, stay! and Romeo, I come. She should then be frantically trying to open the vial and then as she is getting up, she should drink the potion and fall upon the part of her bed, which is out of view to the audience. Juliet should drop the vial so it lands under the bed to make sure that when she is discovered, the vial is not found and so does not cause any suspicion. The lights should gradually fade to darkness to indicate that the scene had concluded.In conclusion, there are many ways in which Romeo and Juliet is emotional and dramatic, especially Act 4 Scene 3. A great deal took place and there are many ways in which this scene fits in with the rest of the play.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
How to Use Facebook Retargeting Ads With Nick Steeves [PODCAST]
How to Use Facebook Retargeting Ads With Nick Steeves [PODCAST] Itââ¬â¢s a challenge to get traffic to your website. Even after you put in the effort to build traffic, many visitors donââ¬â¢t buy what youââ¬â¢re selling the first time they visit. What you want to do is get your visitors to return so they make that purchase. Todayââ¬â¢s guest is Nick Steeves, the chief product officer at Wishpond. He is going to talk to us about retargeting, video ads, and how to measure your digital advertising success. If you want to get more people to come back to your site to buy your product or service, you wonââ¬â¢t want to miss todayââ¬â¢s show! Information about Wishpond and what Nick does there. Retargeting: What it is and why itââ¬â¢s important. Nick also talks about two ways to do retargeting one way that is basic and one way that is more advanced. How Wishpond comes up with retargeting ad ideas. The types of retargeting ads that work the best for Display and Facebook. Tips on making great videos that will result in conversion. Why it makes good business sense to ââ¬Å"pay to playâ⬠on Facebook. Why Wishpond calls their marketing team ââ¬Å"the growth team.â⬠What the Wishpond growth teamââ¬â¢s workflow looks like and how they keep it all organized. How to test ads to know what works best, as well as what to look for to know whether the ad is working or not working and how to learn from the ads that just didnââ¬â¢t work. Nickââ¬â¢s best advice for someone just starting out with retargeting ads. Links: Nick Steeves Wishpond AdEspresso Google AdWords
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Parti4-comments3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Parti4-comments3 - Essay Example When writing a narrative essay, theà pre-writingà and revising stages become handy, in that they allow for collection of ideas as well as editing them (Clemens, n.d). Theà pre-writingà session of a narrative essayà enablesà the writerà toà putà precisely,à the information and verbs of the storyà together. While as the narrator gathers information in theà pre-writingà session, he edits the information in the revising session (Clemens, n.d). Then, the writerââ¬â¢s aim of putting across his intended message is achieved indeed, following a goodà pre-writingà and revision exercise. Usually, the narrativeââ¬â¢s point of focus is evident in the first sentence, and eventually appears in the closing sentence, thereby driving the point home. Narratives are purely reliant on personal experience and,à therefore, going through the stage ofà pre-writingà and revising ensures that only the important parts, relevant to the story are written.à After the narrator has achieved a goodà pre-writingà and editing sessionà and obtaining the clarity intended for the reader, the outcome is usually a notable impact to the reader.à Notably, a narrative essaysà writer does not only center on giving an interesting story, but also focuses on exhibiting the influence or the change brought about by the life experience and to impact the audienceââ¬â¢s mind for
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
How Helpful Is the Concept of Moral Panic in Understanding Recent Essay
How Helpful Is the Concept of Moral Panic in Understanding Recent Media Coverage of Muslims - Essay Example A critical analysis of the concept of moral panic The feelings generated from intense expression of an issue considered a social threat constitutes moral panic. The concept of moral panic is considered essential in enhancing processes of societal sensitization in moral issues. It also entails the creation of awareness in regards to challenges that threaten social order, as well as the acceptable virtues in the society, and are caused by deviant groups or individuals. Arguments and social tension becomes rationale for various controversies, where disagreements do not have room, since the society becomes a back-up tool for the proposed agendas. The main agent for the spread of moral panic is the media, owing to the recent technological developments in the adoption of integrated communication frameworks (Allen and Seaton, 1999). A cluster of characteristics is attributed to the concept of moral panic, which includes moral concern. This entails awareness creation to the society that the activities of a certain group are likely to cause societal disorder, leading to long-term negativity. Hostility is also increased in that, the society sees the deviant groups mentioned as folk devils that are not supposed to dwell among other people. Consensus is also an important feature since the infected society concedes in the aforementioned item of agenda that is anticipated to cause panic in the target society. However, the conceding groups do take action that is not tantamount to the real threat that is caused by the deviant groups. Disproportionality occurs in such a phenomenon, since the take of the issue is usually weighty to extents that are not in regards to the proximity of the deviant... The main idea of the report is media coverage which has also utilized moral panic to develop a take of the Muslims as financially and economically successful people. They are associated with wealth and excellence due to their optimistic nature. Their commitment when handling their religious, political, economical, social, and cultural values has overwhelmed a majority. Televisions, radio stations, and internet blogs present the Muslims as economical threats in their areas of occupation, owing to their hardworking nature. This has also acted as a rationale for the economical improvements in fear of it being triumphed by the Muslims due to moral panic presented by media. Their comprehension as political threats has made it possible for countries to develop moral panic in electing Muslim leaders to eradicate political domination. This paper makes a conclusion that the recent years have seen the usefulness of moral panic by media in the enhancement of the understanding of recent media coverage of Muslims. Media coverage is also an instrument for transformation of crucial information, a field that has developed in the recent years in terms of new devices acquirement. The understanding of Muslims has received both a positive and a negative take in the contemporary society. However, the media should lay new strategies that would enhance the understanding of societal issues in true manners, rather than creating moral panic that creates hostility and other negative impacts, especially in promoting the understanding recent media coverage of Muslims.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Strategy for organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Strategy for organizations - Essay Example These retail stores can be called convenience stores, supermarkets, superstores etc. These retail outlets are often part of large multiple chains and they have their shops all over the country. In UK such stores are quite successful. People trust their brands and prefer them to other brands. Sainsbury's is a symbolic name in British retail market. There are various reasons that make it great, its strong brands, passion for food, its history of innovation and a trusted moral approach to business. All these things make it the household name of UK. J Sainsburys plc operates multiple types of businesses. Their operations range from Sainsbury's supermarkets, convenience stores, a home shopping service and Sainsbury's Bank. In this paper the external and internal environment, strengths and weaknesses of this great company will by analyzed by employing various models and techniques. Various models and techniques are used for analyzing the external environment of any organization. PESTEL model will be used here for analyzing external factor affecting the performance of the company. PESTEL is actually abbreviation of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factor analysis. By analyzing all these very important external factors that affect the performance of any organization a clear picture can be obtained for evolving correct and effective strategy. This analysis gives an outline of the different factors that the company has to take into consideration. For a comprehensive PESTEL analysis it is important to consider some minor sub factors that are dominant factors for a particular industry. These dominant factors for a company like Sainsbury's plc are market size, scope of competitive rivalry, market growth rate, number of rivals and their relative sizes, etc. Knowledge of these external factors is important because of the implications they have for the evolving effective strategy. Sainsbury's plc is one of the largest and trusted name in Britain. It has extensive chain of stores all over the country and according to recent reports the company gets more than 10% of market share. There are some other big names like Morrisons, Safeway and Asda. These are Britain's best-known companies and Sainsbury's has to compete with them in the expanding supermarket of Britain. The company was under pressure for last few years and even suffered the first loss in its 135-year history. Some of the main causes of weaker performances are given below. Political and Economic factors Globalization had great impact on its performance. Global companies like Wal-Mart entered the British Market and affected the sales of company. Sainsbury's offers over 30,000 products in its supermarkets; about 50% of them are their own brands. Because of poor economic policies it was difficult for them to maintain quality and price parity favorably. Oversees losses as in Egypt also affected their overall performance. Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors There was lack of appeal to customers in comparison to other competitors. The
Friday, November 15, 2019
India Biscuits Industryis
India Biscuits Industryis IMC PLAN FOR BISCUITS Suitation analysis: India Biscuits Industryis the largest among all the food industries and has a turn over of around Rs.3000 crores. India is known to be the second largest manufacturer of biscuits, the first being USA. It is classified under two sectors: organized and unorganized. Bread and biscuits are the major part of the bakery industry and covers around 80 percent of the total bakery products in India. Biscuits stand at a higher value and production level than bread. This belongs to the unorganized sector of the bakery Industry and covers over 70% of the total production. Major Players The major players in the biscuit segment are: * Britannia * Parle * Bakeman * ITC Foods Ltd. * Surya Food and Agro Pvt. Ltd. * HLL Major Brands the major brands of biscuit are: * Britannia * Parle * Bakeman * Priya Gold * Elite * Cremica * Dukes * Anupam * Horlicks Even as Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL) is unwrapping a new advertising strategy for its relaunched brand MarieGold, Parle Products Pvt Ltd has roped in Ogilvy Mather India to design the advertising plans for its yet-to-be launched brand Monaco Bites. With the entry of Hindustan Lever Ltds biscuit brand Modern Energy Biscuits, competition is hotting up in the Rs 2,500-crore Indian biscuits market. For starters, BIL has recently relaunched its flagship brand MarieGold with value additions in a bid to rejuvenate the brand. Along with the relaunch, the company has also revamped the advertising and packaging strategy of the brand in the overcrowded category. Strapped with a new tagline ââ¬ËPacked with wheat energy, the new avatar of MarieGold in a new packaging hit the Indian marketplace just a few days ago. The company is still in the process of rolling out the relaunched brand across the country, inform sources from the company. And to announce the relaunch of MarieGold, BIL is rolling out a multi-media ad campaign which includes press advertisement, television commercials and radio advertising, says Lowe India (Bangalore) vice-president Preeti Maroli. ââ¬Å"Well be using all the media vehicles that are available. To start with, we have launched a television commercial in Hindi. Very soon, we will roll out print ad campaign first in Hindi. Later we will go for press ads in English,â⬠she adds. To support the mass media ad campaign for its relaunched brand, the agency will be using below-the-line activities too, says Ms Maroli. The agency also has plans to put up hoardings and banners as part of its outdoor media strategy. ââ¬Å"As for our ad strategy, we have used the health plank to highlight the the benefit of wheat energy in the relaunched MarieGold. And of course, we have revamped MarieGolds packaging strategy with the relaunch,â⬠adds Ms Maroli. On the other hand, Parle Products Ltd has hired the services of Ogilvy Mather India to create communication plans for its new product called ââ¬ËMonaco Bites. Says Ogilvy Mather India executive director Nishi Suri: ââ¬Å"Amid stiff competition, we won this new account. The other agencies in the fray were Everest Communications and Grey Worldwide. Its a prestigious account as our client plans to launch ââ¬ËMonaco Bites in different flavours, including cheese.â⬠According Ms Suri, Ogilvy Mather has been handling the ad account of Parle KrackJack for the last 15 years. ââ¬Å"Our ad campaigns for Monaco Bites are still in the pipeline,â⬠she adds. At present, Britannia Industries and Parle Products Ltd are considered dominant players in the overcrowded branded biscuits category Biscuit majors mapping out new growth strategies in India The economic slowdown hasnt dented this market. On the contrary, the food majors are splurging big time on the biscuits market. To accelerate the volumes in the Rs 9,000-crore brandedbusiness market, three of Indias food majors plan to spend heavily. ITC Foods is working out a full-fledged plan to expand its manufacturing capacity, retail activities and brand activation activities. Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL), on its part, is focusing on consumer promotions and new launches to maintain its position in the overcrowded category. Even ParleProducts, which reportedly has 42% share in this category, is mapping out an aggressive growth strategy that comprises of re-launches, launches and high- profile television campaigns. Clearly, the sector will face a whole lot of action in the next two months. The slowdown has not affected this sector. The sector will be registering a sound growth rate of around 15% this year, informed a Mumbai based analyst. The category has some strong regional presence like Priya Gold in the north and east, Cremica in the west and Dukes in the south. On ITCs plan, Chitaranjan Dhar, chief executive officer, ITC Foods informed that we will be exploring different opportunities for profitable growth. We are planning to reach out to selectmarkets in India. According to Dhar, ITC is intending to expand its operations to meet the increasing demand for its biscuits brands. The company entered this sector about five years back. And now it is ranked the third largest player with a market share of over 12%. BIL has launched a vigorous consumer promotion by enlarging the pack sizes of its flagship brand Tiger Glucose by almost 18%. The offer has helped Britannia sell more packs than competitors Parle and ITCs Sunfeast. Parle Products, on the other hand, is increasing its existingmanufacturingcapacity across the country. The company is concentrating on all brands with no less than 42% share in the branded biscuits market. The company is leading the pack now. In addition, Parle with a new advertising campaign is planning to re-launch Krackjack. Apart from the ad campaign for Krackjack, Parle is also rolling out a high-profile ad campaign for its brand Monaco. The company had recently launched an ad campaign featuring Hrithik Roshan to promote the new alternate of Hide Seek. SWOT Analysis Strength * Fulfill one of our Basic Requirement among Air , Water , Food, Shelter * Widely accepted in all Generations * Easily available in various forms * Provide good Instant Remedy for hunger in the form of readymade food Preserves the non seasonal food and makes it available all throughout the year Weakness * Decreases nutritional value * Increases the cost of food product * Industry and technology requires high investment * Regular usage of processed food can cause alteration in health Opportunities * Increase economy of India * Generate employment opportunity * Good quality of Goods * Provide competition to foreign companies * Improve living standard * Provide goods to nation at cheaper rate * Inflow of foreign reserve and funds for the govt.(taxes) Threats * Many companies are result oriented * Increase in pollution * Sometimes provide poor quality of product for more profit * Lack of technology * Unable to utilize all the resources efficiently PEST analysis Political: Opportunity Government provides subsidiaries to the biscuit industry. Constraints What if the government ran a health campaign to discourage people from eating too much fatty food? Economic: Opportunity Purchasing power of people has increased in India Constraints If there is a big economic downturn in your market? Would consumers switch to cheaper options? Social Opportunity Public demand for health biscuits Constraints Public are now aware of fatty food. Communication objective Create awareness among 90 % of target audience: To make people aware of new product that has all daily required nutrients that are needed for the body through continues advertsiment in newspaper, magazines, TV and radio Message is a biscuit that can keep u fit and fulfil Ur body with all nutrients. Create an image among 70% of target audience: To create an image that will differenciate the product for all other competing products of its kind and create an image of a health related product. Contains fewer fats as compared to other compititors. Develop preferences among 60 % audience: To develop people preference to this product by telling them the benefits of this product. Stimulate purchase intentions To make people think throught promotional program that product worth of buying. Stimulate trial of new product among 40 % of target audience To make people to try the product by following extensive sales promotion and personal selling like coupons and sales presentation. Budget allocation Percentage of the budget is stated for indicating the allocation Estimated budget: 50000000 Promotional budget estimate (in lakhs) Advertising TV Commercial 50 lakhs (Production broadcasting) Newspaper advertisement 8 lakhs (Design publishing) Magzine 10 lakhs Radio advertisement 20 lakhs Event Exhibition(venue Setup, etc) 50 lakhs Direct Marketing Mailing(design, printing postage, etc) 4 lakhs Personal selling Sales presentations 20 lakhs Sales meetings 5 lakhs Incentive programs 85 lakhs Sales promotions Contests; Games; Lotteries; premium and gifts; Fair and trade shows; coupons; Rebates. 100 lakhs Sponsorship programm Entertainment programs in TV Sponsoring pollution awareness programs Rallies to make people aware of health 100 laths Miscellenious expenses 48 lakhs IMC STRATEGIES The campaign objectives of n-bickies. Advertising strategy Advertising design :story board to tell the about the product as an important aspect of life Type of appeal : emotional. Target audience : all age group. Message strategy :n-bickies Meaning : n means nutrition and bickies means biscuit Tag Line : charge up yourself Media selection: television, newspaper, magazines, Internet, etc. The Unique Selling Proposition The biscuit that contains very less fatty acids. The biscuit that has all nutrients which are needed for body everyday. Will complete daily requirement of body for nutrients. Other promotional tools strategy What other promotional tools to be selected and why? Personal selling Sales presentations Sales meetings Incentive programs Public relations Seminars: will give seminars on the topic of nutrition which are required for our daily needs. How i can increase our immune power and how can we keep our self healthy and how n-bickies buscuit helps your family with this. Charitable donations: will donate money to the areas where maximum people suffer from nutrition problem thus relating it with our product. Publications: will release a monthly publication of what achievements are made my company. Community relations: Our aim is to increase their knowledge and understanding of what we do and our aim is at giving people the nutrients of everydays life, so that they can feel part of ââ¬Å"our communityâ⬠and where appropriate join with us Sales promotions Contests: will organise contests which will be on the theme of heath awareness and n-bickies biscuit will make people aware of this. Games: will organise games at major areas like universities, government offices on the name of n-bickies buscuits. Lotteries: will tie up with some very gud brands and n-bickie buscuits will be distributed as lotteries. Premium and gifts: will distribute this product as gifts and premium when a product is bought. Fair and trade shows: will organise fair and trade shows Coupons: coupon will be distributed in mall, on the purchase of various good which. Rebates: rebate will be implemented at staring stage to enforce sales. Samples: will distribute samples to know the taste of the product. Sponsorship programm Entertainment programs in television and radio. Sponsoring health awareness programs Rallies to make people aware of health. Direct marketing Catalogs: will distribute catalogs which will communicate all the best features of my product. Mailings: will mails people the catalogs of the company and product so that if they are interested they can contact us directly. Telemarketing: will communicate our product throught tele calling also. E-mail and voice mail: will email all the target market so that they are aware of our product. THE objectives for various promotional elements Advertising Objective: Educate audience and inform them about new product Audience: For every age group Timing: all allowed and determined by budget Tools/media: television, radio, newspaper, magazines Public relations Objective: inform educate, create and maintain Audience: Target groups mainly all age group. Timing: ongoing Tools /media: coverage by major news media, publications, articles in local news papers. Personal selling: Objective: maintain large powerful base of supports and get feedback about product at same time. Audience: local, regional, national. Timing: ongoing, year round promotion. Tools/media: door to door selling Sales promotions Objective: to motivate target audience to try or buy product Audience: target audience all people who are health conscious. Timing: ongoing at all the day times. Tools: cupons, rebates etc Implementation strategies For television advertsiment the spot that will be bought is between 5-7 p.m. Monday -Friday. For radio the spot that will be bought is between 6 to 10 a.m. And 5 -8 p.m. Monday- Friday. Creative tactics for print advertisement N-BICKIES: CHARGE URSELF Creative tactics for television Vedio: the visual will communicate the message given by buscuit that it is give the most benifits compared to others and will provide you with all nutrition which is required for everydays life Audio: the audio will be created which will force consumer to see the vedio and will help an appropriate mood Jingle used: gear up with n-bickies. Company: N-bickies BIBLIOGRAPLY www.jobsdb.com/HK/EN/V6HTML//IMC_Plan_Outline.pdf www.digg.com/educational/Sample_IMC_Plan www.drypen.in//developing-an-integrated-marketing-communication-plan-imc.html www.ethicsbasedmarketing.net//Sample%20IMC%20plan%20template.pdf faculty.fullerton.edu/mjoyce/Materials/IMC_Plan_Outline.htm www.kult-educ.org/wksp/imc-4/files/ibrahim/IMC-4_1-2.ppt
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- To Kill a Mockingbird Essa
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird has several themes included in this classic novel. The theme of a book is defined by the dominating ideas in a literary work. It is an abstract concept that is made solid through the author's use of action, images, and characters. The main theme in this work is the reality of prejudice. Class, sex, and race are some of the prejudices present in the town of Maycomb. Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Prejudice concerning one's class in society is dominant in the town of Maycomb. Class structure in this novel is important because it creates a caste system for the people to follow. In this system, the black population permeates at the bottom. Families with the Finch's stature would be found at or near the top. According to the caste system people had a position to uphold for example, if you were of a Finch's status you were to act respectably and not act like trash. The Ewells' in this story are just above the colored folks only because they are white. Most people look down upon them resulting in avoidance. This caste system exists because in Maycomb it is the way things have always been. Class structure promotes a sense of security for the people, and that's the way the people want it to stay. Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Since this story takes place in the 1930s there is also a prejudice towards women. Men believed that women were the weaker sex, and not equal to a man. A prime example of this is when the men believed they should protect their women from Tom Ro...
Sunday, November 10, 2019
A pair of blue eyes Essay
With reference to the first seven chapters, show how Hardy uses the novels setting to develop character It has been said by many critics, that the main focus of Hardyââ¬â¢s pre-19th century novel ââ¬Å"The Return of the Nativeâ⬠, is none of the characters, but the almost animate heath land upon which it is set. Hardyââ¬â¢s methods of describing the heath, allows us to view it as several different things to several different characters, for example, Eustacia Vye, to whom the heath is a prison, or Clym Yeobright, husband of Eustacia, who views Egdon Heath as an area housing the commonest man, a group of people who have been transformed into simplicity by the heath, who he can educate. One possible reason of this is because the heath is written to seem almost ancient, thus has had time to adapt to the way nature shapes the landscape at its will, ââ¬Å"at present, a place perfectly accordant with mans nature ââ¬Å". With features such as barrows, Hardy has created a religious, almost pagan feel to the heath land, with on which the main characters congregate in the first few scenes, to hold a bonfire, giving the night air upon the land an eerie feeling throughout the rest of the book. The weather upon the heath through the early chapters is somewhat harsh, ââ¬Å"the storm was its love, the wind was its friendâ⬠yet still the characters persist to roam the heath at night, Eustacia especially, searching endlessly for an escape. One good example is where Eustacia awaits Wildeve upon a barrow, but she utters a sigh as she waits, pondering whether he will arrive, ââ¬Å"thrown out with the winds, it became twined in with themâ⬠. It is events like these which Hardy gives us insight to, that we can see the development of the characters, for example, this is just another step of Eustacia becoming even more heavily buried within the land. Hardy also uses inanimate objects other than the heath, to create an atmosphere, such as the fire which burns between Wildeve and Eustacia as they speak,â⬠The revived embers of passion glowed clearly in Wildeve nowâ⬠. However, Eustacia does not light a communal bonfire for the sake of community, nor for the sake of sanity, similar to the locals who feel that communication through bonfire separates them from the heath,â⬠perhaps as many as thirty bonfires could be counted within the whole bounds of the districtâ⬠. She lights her fire, and attempts to communicate with something which will set her free from the realm ââ¬â a man, to either take her from Egdon to America, such as Wildeve promises, or back to Paris, the location from which her husband has come. Another interesting feature of Hardy using objects, rather than words or actions to describe how a character feels, is Eustacia constantly viewing the heath from her telescope, as if she is hoping for some kind of miracle, a ââ¬Ëknight in shining armourââ¬â¢ to come and whisk her from her feet. Another good example of a similar event is her checking her hourglass while waiting upon the heath. These two items, the telescope in particular being from distant places (of which she wishes she could travel to), differ significantly from peasant tools or items, from which she is eager to disassociate herself from. However Hardy is again referring to the vastness of the heath, by implementing a telescope, and the immense age of the heath, by an hourglass, however, for Eustacia, the hourglass diminishes the vastness of the heath, almost providing her with something sheââ¬â¢s wished for. The heath folk seem to exist in a more than comfortable relationship with the heath, and the heath in a comfortable relationship with civilisation, as it becomes overgrown; the humans cut the furze and faggots, and put them for good use ââ¬â fire. The folk seem to be driving off the darkness, upon November 5th, Guy Forks night, upon a barrow used for burials in the past, ââ¬Å"the ashes of the original pyre which blazed from that summit lay fresh and undisturbed in the barrow beneath their treadâ⬠. The ââ¬Ëlocalsââ¬â¢ donââ¬â¢t even appear to be celebrating this fact, more so finding comfort in the spotting of other fires lighted in the district. The people here are highly superstitious, and due to the size of the community, and involvement with other communities (very little), the heath only fuels their ideas, as is shown in the third chapter, when the heath folk are talking about Christian ââ¬â a man who no man would marry, for the reason of the date he was born upon having no moon,â⬠No moon : hey neighbours, thatââ¬â¢s bad for himâ⬠? This early superstition in the novel serves many purposes, the main ones being reader interest, and plot evolution ââ¬â for it is a form of superstition, voodoo, which a heath folk uses against Eustacia as she finally tries to negate the heath, causing her death. Another pastime which suitably provides the heath inhabitants when they are not creating fire is gossip. The heath only fuels the peoples desire to talk about othersââ¬â¢ business, because the community is very small, so hence everybody is aware of the news of everybody else, for instance, the news of Clyms success as a scholar travels for miles before he has even reached the age of three. Personally, I do not subscribe to the belief that the heath is a character within its own right, even though Hardy inspires such thoughts with phrases such as ââ¬Å"The storm was its lover, the wind was its friendâ⬠. I believe that Hardyââ¬â¢s immense concentration upon the heath is merely a sign of two its importance to the play, and as a method which he can use to develop the rest of the characters, such as Eustacia, helping her to constantly arrive at a ââ¬Å"state of enlightenment which feels that nothing is worthwhileâ⬠..
Friday, November 8, 2019
Huey P. Newton Founder of the Black Panther party essays
Huey P. Newton Founder of the Black Panther party essays Huey P. Newton Founder of the Black Panther party During the Late 1960s and early 70s posters of the Black Panther Partys co-founder, Huey P. Newton were plastered on walls of college dorm rooms across the country. Wearing a black beret and a leather jacket, sitting on a wicker chair, a spear in one hand and a riffle in the other. According to Albert and Hoffman (the authors of we shall overcome) stated that, the poster depicted Huey Newton as a symbol of his generations anger and courage in the face of racism and imperialism (Albert and Hoffman 4,45). His intellectual capacity and community leadership abilities helped him create the Black Panther Party. Huey P. Newton was born February 17, 1942 in Oak Grove Louisiana, however when he was just two years old his family migrated to Oakland California. During childhood, his baby face, light complexion, medium height, squeaky voice, and his name Huey, forced him to learn how to fight early on in life. Co- founder of the black Panther Party, Bobby Seale stated in his book Seize the Time that, Hueys quick wit and strength earned him respect of his peers and the reputation of being a tough guy (Seale 40). Upon his enrollment at Merritt College Hueys academic achievements quickly surpass other students, while at the same time he was still able to relate to those he grew up with on the streets of Oakland. Autobiographer, Hugh Pearson in shadow of the Panther reports that, Huey remained comfortable on the street corners with young Negro men who drank wine all day... and fought one another- young men who most college- bound Negroes shied away from (Pearson 115). His ability and desire to de velop his intellect and receive a college education while still identifying with his peers on the street played an influential role in his effective leadership in the Black Panther Party. Influenced by Malcolm Xs nationalism, Che Gu...
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Google Inc â⬠Company Analysis Strategic Plan
Google Inc ââ¬â Company Analysis Strategic Plan Free Online Research Papers Google Inc: Executive Summary Google is a research project gone golden, an innovator and a leader, and an investorââ¬â¢s dream. It is a company that has brought a new stature into the world of business. Technology is always new; however, Google has turned technology into something everyone can access and use. They have turned the internet into a place welcomed by children, students, professionals, and senior citizens alike. When Larry Page and Sergey Brin began creating the internet sensation, they had no idea what it would become. The two Stanford students had no business experience; they were children of college professors. They brought a new idea into technology that has changed the search engine market, but more than that they have changed the outlook on running a business. The culture at Google is lackadaisical, relaxed, and inviting. Employees donââ¬â¢t wear ties. A company bus picks them up from their homes and drives them to work, as if they were going to grade school. They are served catered meals each day, free of charge. The employees are encouraged to create their own ideas and set them forth. And their workspace is no more normal. The Googleplex is a four building campus that holds more than offices; it holds pools, gyms, a barbershop, cafes, lounges, and much more. It is a space that invites creativity and inspiration. The culture and environment inside of Google is one of the keys to their success. The way of life of a Google employee is something that every computer science major in college dreams of. In order to bring in the brightest and best in the industry, Google has a very aggressive recruiting process that involves tours to the best colleges worldwide in search of the next innovator. Google has taken great strides to become the biggest and the best; however, none of that is possible without employing the best. Outside of the Googleplex is an array of competitors, in differing industries. Googleââ¬â¢s biggest competitor is Yahoo, who holds less than 10% of the market share. The competitors vary in that Google serves many markets; however, in its primary market it is the biggest leader. In order to protect that lead Google strives to continually improve upon their offerings and continue to bring new products and services to the market. Continuing the advancement of their products and services paired with the constant introduction of new products and services is a daunting task; however, Google must do so in order to maintain their revenue from advertising, which accounts for more than 99% of their revenue. To better protect from that risk on revenue, Google has looked to diversifying those income streams. By doing that they are becoming more flexible and able to adapt to any conditions. The marketing strategy of Google is non-existent. They have relied on their products and services since inception, allowing those offerings to speak for themselves ââ¬â and the users to speak to other users about their value. Although that seems ludicrous, it has proven beneficial. They have not spent a dollar to bring their products and services to the public, yet 80% of Americans use them. Google has become a household staple in the United States, an everyday tool, and a verb in the dictionary ââ¬â ââ¬Å"to google.â⬠Google has grown exponentially over the past decade. Since their inception their stock price has grown over 400%. Their revenue over the past three years has grown 43%, net income has grown 19%, and stockholder equity has grown 29%. The company has continued their success through employing the best and brightest, not only in innovation but in their management as well. Throughout the past decade Google has grown from a garage dot com to an internet mogul that has the entire technology market within reach. Looking forward into the next three years there are 3 main objectives Google should focus on to maintain and further their place in the market. Internally, the company needs to continue their success. They need to continue their aggressive recruiting efforts to ensure they are the employers of the most intelligent, creative, and efficient in the world. That includes maintaining the culture of the organization, the free-thinking and creativity inviting atmosphere. In doing that they are ensuring that innovation and continual improvement in their product and services offerings are sustained; which is key to maintain their place in the market. Externally the company needs to diversity their revenue streams. Over 99% of revenue comes from advertising, which poses a risk to the companyââ¬â¢s income. In order to solidify their ground and ensure that a partnership or agreement will not significantly hurt their revenue, Google needs to look elsewhere for opportunities. The opportunities present are abundant; internationally Google is not the household staple it is in America. Beyond geography there are product and service areas that Google has yet to tap. In order to continue their growth and solidify their place in the market Google has to invest heavily in foreign markets and continue to focus on research development of new products and services. In terms of the companyââ¬â¢s well being, Google is doing very well. Their success echoes in the marketplace for Microsoft, Yahoo, MSN, and the rest to hear. Throughout their history they have proven to be the leader in their industry and through the analysis of the company it is apparent that they will continue to do so. To propose bettering an already great company is a daunting task; however, it is one of Googleââ¬â¢s Ten Principles that states, ââ¬Å"great just isnââ¬â¢t good enough.â⬠From Start-Up to Success: Introduction With Google you can find information in 88 different languages, check stock quotes and sports scores, find news headlines, or look up the address and phone number of your local grocery store. You can find pictures, videos, maps, emails, and so much more with Google. There is a lot of information on the internet and Google makes that information accessible. There is also a lot of information not on the internet and Google works to get that information digitized, such as Google Books. Google is a company that began with a desire to improve upon something great, and in turn has turned into something great. In 1995 Larry Page had recently graduated from Michigan University and was touring Stanford University. Sergey Brin, a doctoral student at Stanford, was assigned to show Page around the school grounds. Once enrolled, Page and Brin became close friends and worked closely on the Stanford Digital Library Project. The Project was highly sought after among Page, Brin, and the other computer science graduate students. In working towards the Stanford Digital Library Project, Larry Page explored the mathematical properties of the internet and studied to understand its link structure. Page focused on the problem of finding out which web pages link to a given page, considering the quantity and frequency of the backlinks to be valuable information. He nicknamed his project ââ¬Å"BackRubâ⬠and was soon joined by friend and classmate Sergey Brin. To convert the backlink data the new website gathered into a measure of importance for a given web page, Brin and Page developed an algorithm called PageRank. Running an analysis on a given website provided a list of backlinks ranked by importance. Page and Brin hypothesized that a search engine using their analysis would produce better results than existing techniques. Popular search engines of that time, such as Hot Bot, would search for the term the user entered ââ¬â ââ¬Å"New York Yankees,â⬠for example ââ¬â in all of the pages on the web. If the term ââ¬Å"New York Yankeesâ⬠appeared several times, it was returned in the search results. The higher the frequency the term appeared on the page, the higher the page was ranked in the search results; however, it could just turn out to be an internet store that sold sports memorabilia. Page and Brin created a tool that would return the most relevant web page first. They wanted the userââ¬â¢s search to return the official Yankees website instead of the sports memorabilia internet store. Their project had received positive feedback and the students were continually linking more sites together through their PageRank algorithm. Their search engine operated on Stanford servers for more than a year but eventually began to take up too much bandwidth to suit the university. In 1997 Page and Brin decided that their search engine needed a new name. They agreed on the name Google, a play on the word ââ¬Å"googol,â⬠a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. They decide on the name to reflect their goal of organizing an infinite amount of information on the internet. The domain google.com was registered in September 1997. They started their new website out of a friendââ¬â¢s garage in Menlo Park, California. In August 1998 one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, Andy Bechtolsheim, wrote a check for $100,000 to an entity that did not exist. Page and Brin deposited the check and incorporated in September 1998 as Google Inc. Later that year PC Magazine reports ââ¬Å"Google has an uncanny knack for returning extremely relevant resultsâ⬠and recognizes Google as the search engine of choice in the Top 100 Web Sites for 1998. With Google officially launched and earning attention from internet users, Page and Brin finally had outgrown their garage office and moved into a new office in Palo Alto, California. The new office held the team for only a short time. They moved twice since their first Palo Alto office; their third move was the final move, into what is today known as the Googleplex. With the hard work of Page and Brin came a group of the most talented, not necessarily experienced, minds in the world of computers. That group of talent grew drastically over time as the company expanded. From 2000 until today there have been countless innovations to come out of the Googleplex; the timeline below will outline what Google has delivered since their move: In the past two years Google has continued its exponential growth. Through acquisitions of Omnisio and Tatter Company, Google Video and Blogger sites were dramatically improved. Google has done many things since its inception; however, some of the most creative have attracted a large amount of its users. In 2008 Google launched its ââ¬Å"street viewâ⬠from Google Maps in Europe, and in its launch came live coverage of the 2008 Tour de France. Google also leaked information on its newest product through a comic book; the next day Google Chrome is introduced. The company that began in a garage has become one of the biggest and brightest companies of our era. Google has transformed the internet, creating a site to ââ¬Å"organize the worldââ¬â¢s information and make it universally accessible and useful.â⬠A Look Inside Google: Internal Analysis Mission Statement: ââ¬Å"To organize the worldââ¬â¢s information and make it universally accessible and usefulâ⬠Googleââ¬â¢s mission statement gives the company a future to strive towards, as it is hard to imagine all of the worldââ¬â¢s information easily accessible at one place. It does not; however, reflect the way they earn a profit. The mission statement reflects a company that is a resource to anyone, whether doing research or curious as to what Derek Jeterââ¬â¢s batting average is. It does not give a timeline, only the end result. That is advantageous in that it allows Google to use any means necessary to organize information; meaning they are not limited to search but capable of achieving their mission by utilizing other tools, such as email, blogging, and a number of other products and services that Google offers. The corporate culture at Google is far different from that of the typical Fortune 500 Company. They donââ¬â¢t wear ties, there are swimming pools in their office, leisure is encouraged, and there are no concrete deadlines. This culture is emphasized by the ten principles that Google calls their philosophy: Focus on the user and all else will follow. Its best to do one thing really, really well. Fast is better than slow. Democracy on the web works. You dont need to be at your desk to need an answer. You can make money without doing evil. Theres always more information out there. The need for information crosses all borders. You can be serious without a suit. Great just isnt good enough. Google does not document a Vision Statement on their website, but instead a set of principles. These principles are what set Google apart from their competition. Their employees are a foundation for the success of the company, and Google recognizes that. Larry Page and Sergey Brin have emphasized a ââ¬Å"small company feel,â⬠and have worked very hard to accomplish just that. Resources Google has abundant resources, starting with its well recognized name. Google has a name thats easy to remember, well known and it reflects the companyââ¬â¢s mission, to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. But Google wouldnt be the great entity it is without its unique attitude and culture of its employees. Google tries to maintain a small company feel so that everyone is comfortable to share their ideas and opinions with each other and even the founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The employees at Google are given a time management rubric, referred to as the 70-20-10 rule. It states that 70% of employee time is spent on their core business, 20% is spent on adjacent areas of business, and 10% is allocated for creativity and freedom to innovate. The rule encourages employees to create their own idea, the next big Google product or service, all while continuing their core business, Google search. Page Brin invented a unique search engine, BackRub, that would become Google. Unlike other search engines at the time, Googleââ¬â¢s technique involves not only keywords on a site related to a users search but also, how may web sites link to a particular site. Googles unique search technique coupled with its incredibly high speed allowing it to search billions of terms in moments has increased the trust internet users bestow in Google and why Google has become the number one search engine in the world. That trust is a significant resource of Google, that trust is the loyalty that keeps users returning to their site. Google has grown beyond just a search engine though. Google includes features applications and services such as Google Maps, Gmail, Blogger, Scholar, Finance, Video, Documents and many more services that help make up some of Googles sustainable advantages. That list contains one of Googles newest products, Social Search, which launched October 26, 2009. It will allow users to search online friends content to find relevant postings on Twitter and similar blog-like sites. Google relies heavily on its intangible resources. Google only wants employees who enjoy doing what they do which is why 20% of employee time is allocated to whatever Google side project the employee wishes to pursue. This allows a great deal of innovation to occur and to give employees a feeling of freedom and trust. Googles philosophy has always been Focus on the user and all else will follow. Googles dedication to its customers has increased consumer trust in Google and its reputation as a caring business. Capabilities Googles unique free-thinking mindset gives it the capabilities it has. Its employees, with the ability to make their own decisions, allow them to pursue their own innovations and research creating a win, win situation for Google. The idea behind this is in having happy employees, better research development, innovation, and overall service will come. With that come happy customers, or advertisers, in turn providing more profit to Google. Above average profits bring happy investors. The Google way is simple and complex at the same time in that it is an easy idea but very few firms can accomplish that goal. ââ¬Å"We dont have as many managers as we should, but we would rather have too few than too many,â⬠said Larry Page of his organizational structure. The employees at Google are not your typical employees. There are no postings on craigslist for a Google position. The employees are highly recruited, young and talented minds, people who do not apply at Google but instead get applied for. Google travels to campuses worldwide to find fresh, intellectual, aspiring new comers into the world of technology. Those people make up the dynamic group that consists of Google Inc. A big part of Googleââ¬â¢s big idea of starting with happy employees is its Googleplex. Although the Googleplex is only one of the companyââ¬â¢s 23 North American, 23 European, 14 Asian, 5 Middle East, and 3 South American offices ââ¬â it is the corporate headquarters, or playground. It is a 4 building park, consisting of over 500,000 square feet, that has something for everyone. Google rewards their employees with pools, volleyball courts, lounges, cafà ©s, a barber shop, art studios, gyms, and more. This creates the free-thinking mindset that allows its employees to create new ideas and formulate those ideas. There are ample things to break a Google employeeââ¬â¢s mental block, and those breaks are encouraged. Some offices in the Googleplex look more like the waiting room of a pediatric office than a computer engineerââ¬â¢s. This space is the basis for Googleââ¬â¢s capabilities ââ¬â it allows their employees to create the next big idea that makes Google who they are. Google is an information powerhouse. Although being able to access, analyze, and produce outputs for this information is a resource, being able to do just that is itself a capability. Not just anyone can do what Google does. Google has answers for 67% of all web searches, without running their signature algorithm. Google tracks and records the traffic to over 1.5 million websites. The capabilities that Google uses most are in the employeesââ¬â¢ intellect and creativity. The minds that produce the product searches, maps, academic journals, calendar documents, videos, music, pictures and more are the people that hold the capability to make Google who they are. Competitive Advantages Valuable When it comes down to it, Googles team of dedicated employees are probably one of its most valuable assets and why it dedicates so much time into selecting each individual staff member. Its employees are responsible for most of Googles innovative applications and expansions. Googles patrons are also a valuable asset. Google is the number one search engine ââ¬â that means it has more searches done every second than any other search engine which also allows it to better refine its search algorithms more precisely than any of its competitors. Google excels at directing a large quantity of visitors to websites using its AdSense program. Many businesses are dependent upon the traffic AdSense brings to their website to generate income. Global Market Share: Internet Search Rare Google has achieved the top market share in the search industry precisely because their product is rare. They are able to provide consumer attention to any type of company looking to advertise. Google uses a simple interface that none of its competitors currently use. There is no advertising on Googles home page and the only advertising in search results is those that directly relate to the search terms. Its auto complete search terms use algorithms that no other competitor can offer. In the search industry competitors of Google have followed suit with their advertisements; however, Yahoo and MSNââ¬â¢s home pages are littered with banner advertisements and hundreds of words. Consumers actually look at Googleââ¬â¢s advertisements because they are relevant to their searches and are not an interruption to their internet search. Page and Brin added a provision to their mission statement recognizing that ââ¬Å"advertisements should not be an annoying interruptionâ⬠. Costly to imitate The name Google alone basically equates to the ultimate search engine in peoples minds. In fact, Google is so popular it was added to the dictionary as a verb in 2006. The dictionary defines google as: to use the Google search engine to find information on the internet; to search for information using the Google search engine. It would be difficult to imitate Googles complex search methods and advertising techniques. Google started in 1998 and has been continually improving its search technique with every search. It would be near impossible for a company to replicate Googles method of searching without being able to go back in time. Non-substitutable While Googles search technique itself is difficult to imitate there are many other substitutes available such as Yahoo, Ask, Microsoft and many others. And, while the number of internet users continues to grow, Google cant reach citizens that still choose to research and find information the old fashioned way, through journals, encyclopedias, and real life research and surveys. As of the moment, though, Google delivers the speediest and least hassle-some means of internet searching making it one of the best ways to search for and access information. If Google can continue to remain number one it should have little to fear of substitutes. Looking Forward Google must continue to recruit the smartest, most creative, and talented young minds. The culture of the company cannot change. The products services need to match the demand from the users. In order to sustain the growth and profitability Google has encountered in the last decade, it needs to continue its focus on the user. Google is viewed as an innovator and a technological leader. The company needs to continue to introduce the most advanced and user friendly products and services as it has in the past. The path to do so requires strenuous recruiting, to continue to employ the smartest, most creative and talented young minds. If Google can continue to recruit the caliber of employees it currently has, their innovation and technology will follow. The culture of the company cannot change. They have seen ample success in their laid back, creativity enhancing atmosphere ââ¬â they need to solidify that throughout the next three years. That same atmosphere needs to be the setting for the future products and services that internet users worldwide produce demand for; which, in turn keeps the advertising dollars coming into the company. The products and services that are created over the next three years should match the demand from the general population. Throughout the creation of new products and services there should still be continual improvement in their current products and services. Both innovation and further improvement should move in parallel. Some areas of focus should be other advertising formats, such as video advertising or even into the offline world through further acquisitions. In the world of video, Google owns YouTube, one of the biggest free video services around; however, it struggles to be profitable. The content that is streaming through YouTube should be somewhat controlled. Not anyone should be posting their gossip or story of the day; while those videos are interesting, funny, or both ââ¬â users will not pay for that product. Moving advertising to YouTube could be an answer, showing a video advertisement before each video is played. Social networking is a booming business. Google got their feet wet with the acquisition of Orkut; however, it has not held its own against the social networking giants Facebook and MySpace. Attracting users is a difficult task and the only way Google will be able to attract users to Orkut is by differentiating it from Facebook and MySpace. In order to differentiate Orkut, the employees at Orkut should follow their focus ââ¬â on the user. Follow what each Facebook and Myspace user does, how much time they spend, what they do most, and who they talk to most ââ¬â and create the ultimate social networking site. A blend of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter could be something that users worldwide would have interest in. Install a focus on something that attracts not only students, but professionals and everyday internet users as well. Another area of opportunity is in Google Docs. Google has a great idea that enables users to access an office suite through the internet. If Chrome is a success, they could offer an Office Suite that competes with Microsoft Office to be included. Tapping into the market that Microsoft dominates is by far the largest challenge proposed; however, if done right it would position Google atop one of its biggest competitors. Google has the resources and capabilities to become the biggest international name in the technology industry; however, proper execution and timing is pertinent to their success. Google the Internet Industry: External Analysis Competition Where does Google make their money? They provide a free search engine, email, news, documents, blogs, video, etc. How do they pay all of those talented employees? To better explain the answer it is more efficient to begin with Googleââ¬â¢s objective. Google focuses on what it is known for ââ¬â internet search service, the rest falls in line shortly thereafter. On each search query are advertisements, which bring in the revenue. Google has an ample demand for advertising because of a key factor ââ¬â they provide the perfect market for the advertisement. If you search ââ¬Å"New York Yankees,â⬠you will see advertisements for sports memorabilia or tickets. If you search ââ¬Å"Life Insurance,â⬠you will see advertisements for different insurance company offerings. Google provides exactly what every marketing executive has trouble with ââ¬â attracting a target market. Once a company defines its target market Google can put their advertisements in front of that market. Can other search providers accomplish that? In 2008 Google Inc.ââ¬â¢s revenue was $21.8 billion. Yahooââ¬â¢s revenue was only $7.2 billion. There are millions of searches on the Google website daily. With all of these searches, there are billions of advertising dollars to be had. Google Inc. currently holds almost 85% of the market share, followed by Yahoo at 6%. Obviously, there are competitors to Google, but with a 79 percent lead in market share, it is hard to decide whether Yahoo could be considered a threat at all. Google search is their most effective way of bringing advertisements to the consumer; however, it is not the only one. Google uses email to trace what users, or consumers, are inquiring in; they use that data to cater to those users through their advertising. Google employs people who do nothing but trace blogs for trends in consumer interest. There are a number of free services provided by Google but they are more than just services the user loves to utilize, they are tools that bring in revenue for the company. This is a feat that no competitor has been able to successfully imitate. Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Potential New Entrants Because current search engines have developed and stored years of data about user habits and about searches, the capability for a new company to enter into the competition and gain or hold position would be extremely difficult. For a new entrant to succeed they would need to offer better services, more personalization for the consumer and faster results. When Google was introduced, the market was dominated by search engines like MSN Yahoo, but since then the market had matured, therein lowering the threat of new entrants. One new threat to Googleââ¬â¢s market share could be that of the mobile search engine. More consumers daily are using mobile devices to search the internet. But with better technology currently lacking, Googleââ¬â¢s presence in the mobile market, and Googleââ¬â¢s mobile operating system, this threat is in the far future, and not a pressing threat. Supplier Power Supplier power is relatively low due to the fact that their income source has proven reliable. Google has two customers: the user and the advertiser. Googleââ¬â¢s revenue comes directly from the advertiser but relies on their users. Sergey Brin stated, ââ¬Å"Google actually relies on our users to help with our marketing.â⬠As long as Google remains dominant and continues to attract users, advertisers will continue to follow. Supplier power will remain low as long as the number of Google users sustains, and throughout the past decade Google has continued to better their products and services. That has created a sense of brand loyalty that internet users have become used to ââ¬â people use Google as if it is the internet, not as though it is a site on the internet. Buyer Power Because so many people use Google, buyer power is relatively low. It is key to remember that Google has two customers, advertisers and internet users. The advertising depends on the internet users; hence as long as there are internet users utilizing Googleââ¬â¢s products and services there will be ample advertisers. The number of internet users that could use Google is worldwide, and the number of advertisers that use Google is continually growing to reach those internet users. Google also spreads itself across the internet market making it almost impossible for users to not know about Google. In 2008 Firefox had 60 million daily users on its web browser, of which 85% is financed by Google, in exchange for having its search engine embedded in the browser. Google Inc., had partnerships with Dell and Apple to have the search engine appear by default on their products. Buyers are hard pressed to move to competitors because of these assertions by Google. Barriers to Entry The main barrier to entry that Google imposes is their ability to use their PageRank to deliver the most relevant searches for the consumer. A web siteââ¬â¢s reputation is primarily based on the back links that it receives from other websites. Google uses its superior algorithms to use PageRank to deliver better results than other search engines. One of the ten cores to Googleââ¬â¢s philosophy is ââ¬Å"Its best to do one thing really, really well.â⬠Google focuses on searching. They put some of the largest research groups on the task of focusing exclusively on solving search problems, and learning how to do that better. Because of their continued focus on searching, they create a barrier to entry. Google has been searching the web for over a decade. The search engine archives everything searched, to improve upon the next search. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a new search engine to return the same results as the continually improved Google search eng ine. Looking Forward Focus on creating products services catered to users in the BRIC countries. Find new sources of revenue and diversify revenue streams. The United States knows Google very well. We are familiar with their offerings and utilize their free tools on a daily basis. Over the next few years Google needs to put a large focus and investment into the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China. These are markets where Google has already tapped into but has yet to exploit. China is home to the majority of internet users and although they know and even use Google, it is not yet a household name. Becoming a verb in Chinese and Indian culture will be a critical part of Googleââ¬â¢s continued success. In order to move heavily into these countries Google should not simply put their product in foreign territory in their respective language, they should cater the products and services to the needs and wants of the people. In North America Google has continued to bring the users exactly what we were looking for, but what we want in an email service or a search engine might be significantly different than what users in foreign countries want. The focus should be to cater to each cultural group as a whole, and not to alter the current product to meet their needs. Finding new sources of revenue will also be key to Googleââ¬â¢s sustainable success. Currently over 99% of revenue comes from advertising, which is heavily dependent on partnerships and agreements. If anything is to happen to those partnerships and agreements, their revenue is dramatically affected. In order to diversify their earnings, Google needs to provide a new source of income ââ¬â perhaps in offering mobile internet search, email, and other services. In order to keep Googleââ¬â¢s name in tact as the free service provider agreements with the cellular carriers would be involved. In order to use Google applications on their phones Google would need a royalty for each unit sold. Google is doing well in its internet advertising, exponentially well. There will soon be more internet advertising than anything else, if growth continues as it has. On the same token, Google is very dependent on that revenue from advertising via the internet. To further diversify their operations, entering into traditional advertising markets could help and be remotely simple. Acquiring a company that has produces television, radio, and newspaper advertising would be an advantage that Google has. Beyond diversifying the revenue, it would become very easy for advertisers to place all of their advertising through Google ââ¬â for their television, magazine, and internet ads. A one-stop shop could provide an edge for Google, enough to keep current customers and bring in new customers. Google has made a name for itself as a cutting edge company that is constantly on the verge of the next biggest internet sensation. To continue that streak is difficult, but with the power that Google has it is beyond feasible. Googleââ¬â¢s Best and Worst: SWOT Analysis Strengths Google is the number one search engine worldwide with over 80% of the search market. Google is an established brand name with widespread recognition of the name and logo. Simple interface creating user friendly products and services Highly advanced search technology Products and services offered in over 88 languages, worldwide offerings. Relatively low operating costs. Fair response to all advertisers; ads are listed separately from other search results, marked as ââ¬Å"Sponsored Links.â⬠Personalization; once registered with Google a search will first provide local results followed by the ranked pages. Range of services easily accessed; Google did not complicate the site by creating a portal, instead each service is accessed through a tab linked to its home page. Weaknesses Spammers can exploit Googleââ¬â¢s search process by creating fake websites with links to the spammerââ¬â¢s desired website so the website will rank higher on a Google search. Googleââ¬â¢s advertising pricing is relative to the number of clicks the ad receives, making it difficult for companies to determine how much to allocate for that advertisement. Google makes about 99% of revenue from advertising and has yet to effectively capitalize on revenue from all of its acquisitions. Growing pains; finding new key employees to fill the shoes of the past innovators leaders. Google has a weak position in China, one of the fastest growing internet areas geographically. Opportunities Google can increase switching cost by tracking usersââ¬â¢ search histories (permission needed) to remind users through emails for the relevant search updates as per their personal interest. Google can improve on their localized searches, by being able to promote local businesses through those local searches (adding a search similar restaurant.com or ziddio.com). Google could introduce a free mobile service to users, charging the carriers instead of consumer. Google could add privatized databases for companies and individuals alike. Google is currently international; however, reaching foreign consumers in the same sense that North American consumers are being reached has yet to be achieved successfully. Creating a fixed cost advertising option would bring new companies to advertise; the cost per click program is often difficult for companies to determine how much to allot for the program. Threats Google leans heavily on its portal partners like AOL and Mozilla Firefox; if anything were to negatively affect those contracts, Google would lose a considerable share of revenue. A new entrant into the market would not be a threat; however, Google could focus too hard on defeating the start-up rather than developing their services to better meet consumer demands. Cost per click advertising is difficult and complex for many marketing groups; a flat rate option is needed and competitors are likely to pursue that option. Googleââ¬â¢s personalized database could lead to privacy issues. Google is known as an innovative and continually improving company; if their products and services ever begin to slow their brand name will suffer. New laws and regulations, internet controls. Google as a Brand: Marketing Analysis Throughout the past decade Google has grown exponentially. Despite being the largest search engine in the world there is still far more to improve upon. Larry Page said in 2007, ââ¬Å"The ultimate search engine would basically understand everything in the world, and it would always give you the right thing. And weââ¬â¢re a long, long way from that.â⬠In 2005 Googleââ¬â¢s first employee and computer science classmate from Stanford, Craig Silverstein, stated ââ¬Å"We need to make search as good as a human answering a search request. We need to be like the computer on Star Trek, and we are not there yet.â⬠Currently in the United States Google services more than 80% of all internet searches. The more important statistic is that users searching the internet with Google search on average more than 2 searches per visit to Google. These are loyal users who value the Google website; however, most of those loyal users are domestic internet users. Google has surpassed all other search engines on the internet since its inception. It is a very powerful name and has become a staple in households. Google has become a verb in our vernacular but it has not once marketed itself in the traditional sense. We have seen television advertisements for Microsoft and even for Yahoo, but never for Google. The company has always relied on a good product and word of mouth, which so far has led to success. Having your company name be added into the dictionary is not anything to overlook, it is every marketing executiveââ¬â¢s dream to have your companyââ¬â¢s name become used in the way that ââ¬Å"googlingâ⬠has. Google has spent more time and money on determining the wants and needs of the user and catering to those specifications than they have spent thinking of a marketing strategy, and that focus proven beneficial. People want fast, reliable, and accurate ââ¬â and Google has achieved that effectively. One of the biggest differences between Google and its competitors is their homepage. When you arrive on Yahooââ¬â¢s homepage, you will see a website with so many options and places to go. Many people see Yahoo as a news source or email application, instead of as a search engine. Google has always remained a simple website. With nothing more than their always changing logo, a search box, and a row of tabs to navigate to one of the many other services Google offers, they have successfully found what users look for in a search engine. Page and Brinââ¬â¢s idea behind the simplicity stemmed from their stubborn idea that if the user wanted a website with flare then Google was not for them, but if they wanted a powerful and effective search engine they would use Google. Google claims to spend no money for marketing. While this is true, they have moved their means of advertising to bettering their products to better attract customers. As stated in prior sections, Google has two customers: the internet user and the advertiser. Google has gone through great measures to ensure satisfaction when searching the internet for its users; however, they have also gone through great measures to attract advertisers. Googleââ¬â¢s AdWords is a program that places advertisements on search result pages that relate to the product or service being marketed. If you search ââ¬Å"Syracuse Orangemenâ⬠using Google you will see advertisements for Syracuse Basketball tickets and autographed Jim Boeheim basketballs. That is not coincidence, and the companies selling Syracuse Basketball tickets and autographed memorabilia benefit greatly from the product placement. Imagine your television only showed commercials for products that catered to you; that is probably likely to happen in our lifetime, and Google has accomplished just that for the internet. Companies of all industries can benefit from what Google has to offer. Product placement is a fundamental principle of marketing and companies have tried a plethora of techniques to obtain placement of advertisement to their target market. If you own a menââ¬â¢s clothing company, you want your clothing advertisements to be in front of men that wear your brand. Brooks Brothers would want their advertisements to appear in searches for suits, ties, and other menââ¬â¢s fashion, and they do just that. When you search ââ¬Å"classic pinpoint oxford,â⬠the first advertisement shown directs the user to the Brooks Brothers website. This provides great value to companies and is a great way to put your product in front of your target audience. Google has become a big player in the world of advertising. Google has not committed to traditional marketing ââ¬â you will not see a television commercial or a magazine feature. They have relied on letting their products and services speak for themselves. Google has made a name for itself in advertising, but it is not what users think of when they hear the name. To ââ¬Å"googleâ⬠is still to search, and that is why Google is still today the most successful search engine around. Users do not want to be advertised to, they want to be directed to the information they have queried. Google has done both, subtly, and still remained the same household name. The search engine has turned into many things: email, blogs, news, stock quotes, images, videos, calendars, etc. The brand has become somewhat of a renaissance man of the internet. They are known worldwide as a leader and innovator. One way they have furthered their becoming of a renaissance man is through Google Scholar. Google has developed relationships with several of the worldââ¬â¢s largest libraries. This has allowed Google to digitize books and scholarly articles and create a database of information that otherwise would not be accessible through the internet. No matter where your location worldwide, if you search ââ¬Å"Liarââ¬â¢s Pokerâ⬠in Google Scholar, you can read the award winning Michael Lewis novel from your computer. This has made a name for Google in the world of academia, putting the company in the forefront of something no other company has attempted before. Google has entered so many markets since its inception, including mapping. Before Google Maps was introduced in 2005, Mapquest was the leader in internet maps directions. Last year Google Maps surpassed Mapquest in visitors. This is just another area that Google has researched, innovated, and turned into another forte. Now users can not only view a map of the location they wish, but they can see street level pictures as if you were actually at the location searched. This is all evidence in Googleââ¬â¢s theory that their marketing is not in television commercials, magazine features, or internet banner ads. Google has focused on products and services that speak for themselves. They are constantly making the internet a more accessible place. This is the type of marketing that cannot be imitated, it can only be accomplished. Google has a competitive stance to constantly improve upon their products and services. Beyond innovation they want to provide exactly what the user wants and needs. ââ¬Å"Googlingâ⬠will continue to be searching the internet and people will continue to see Google as the benchmark of internet innovation; however, is ââ¬Å"googlingâ⬠a verb in other languages? As previously stated, Google accounts for more than 80% of internet searches in the United States; however, the United States makes up only 18% of the worldââ¬â¢s internet market. Populations in Asian territories are nearing the 4 trillion mark making it 42% of the worldââ¬â¢s population. Asia also produces the larges number of internet users. China alone accounts for 20% of the worldââ¬â¢s internet users. Currently, Chinese users prefer the search engine Baidu. Gaining substantial market share in China could lead to an enourmous amount of opportunity. There are nearly 6 times more marketing dollars spent in China than there are in the United States. In exploiting the Chinese market Google would be also gaining access to other Asian countries. Another possible area for Google to expand is in mobile searches. With cellular technology, Google has already produced two cellular telephones that utilize many of Googleââ¬â¢s products and services. With the mobile search market expected to grow to an $11 billion market in the next two years, Google could become a major competitor in the cellular space as well. In Googleââ¬â¢s current place in the internet market they are the biggest and the best; however, it was founder Larry Page that said ââ¬Å"the ultimate search engine would basically understand everything in the world, and it would always give you the right thing.â⬠This is the foundation for what Google is moving forward to become. Google is 11 years old and they have accomplished so much; however, there is a lot still to accomplish and Google is acquiring companies, hiring the brightest minds, and working hard to accomplish just that. Looking Forward Continue creating advanced, user friendly products services to compensate for marketing. If at any time innovation improvement slows, gather market research to put together a proper, traditional marketing plan ââ¬â one that awes viewers and maintainââ¬â¢s the reputation. Google is a single-core business and in order to compete with the likes of other technology powerhouses such as Microsoft and Yahoo, they have sought to differentiate to gain competitive advantage ââ¬â and it has worked. Not only has Google succeeded in differentiating itself from the competition, it has also become a leader in cost and speed. The key component of Googleââ¬â¢s success is to continue to improve upon the already great. Their products and services have proven themselves as great; however, to continue to better those products and services is the key factor. Google has no advertising budget. They depend solely on their products and services to speak for themselves ââ¬â and then for the users to speak to their friends about the value in them. But continuing that marketing strategy effectively depends on Googleââ¬â¢s ability to remain the name it is today. If Google begins to slow innovations and improvements, their name will not be as valuable as it is today. Google must continue to provide above average products and services so that when a new product or services is introduced, it will be recognized and utilized. To expand upon a non-existent strategy is simple ââ¬â any of the strategies learned in business school could be used; however, on a first move basis Google must come with a bang. If Google struggles with their product development and research, they will need a marketing campaign. That campaign will be walking a fine line between becoming Microsoft and remaining Google. In order to remain Google, to keep the value that is bestowed in the name, the company must put out a campaign that reaches everyone ââ¬â from grade school to the retirement facilities, and across the world. A daunting task but should be held back until all other means have been depleted. The Numbers: Financial Analysis Google began as an interesting math project, created interest, and received its first initial investment of $100,000 from one of the Sun Microsystems founders. From that initial investment Google has grown at an exponential rate to become what today is one of the most powerful and innovative technological companies of all time. Starting out Page and Brin had no idea where to go for venture capital. They were both sons of college professors, both intelligent and talented, but lacked any business sense as to how to start a company ââ¬â but they did. Google is a relatively young company that has been public since August of 2004. At the initial public offering a share of Google stock sold for only $85. By the end of 2007 the stock price had reached almost $750 a share ââ¬â 782% return on investment in 3 years. That means if you had purchased a round lot, 100 shares, of Google at initial public offering and sold those shares at its peak in November 2007 you would have made $66,500 in three years. That puts a child through 4 years of college at most state universities ââ¬â and many kids went to college because of their parentsââ¬â¢ investment in Google. When the recession began taking its toll on companies worldwide GOOG fell to the $300 range, and today is in the high $500s. Even if you rode the stock another 2 years until today, at $500, you would have made $41,500. That might not be a college education, but that is still a 488% return on investment in 5 years. The graph pictured is the stock price of Google, Yahoo, and the SP 500; the prices are plotted over a five year horizon. Note that the SP line is considerably higher; this is not because the SP produced a higher return over the five year period, but because the SP trades at a price around 1000. In analyzing what the graph depicts of the performance of Google and Yahoo; however, it is easy to say that Google has outperformed Yahoo. The stock performance of a company is indeed important, but it is not necessarily a direct indicator of how financially sound a company is. There is a discrepancy between what the value of a company is ââ¬â the book value versus the market value. The book value is simply the shareholderââ¬â¢s equity, because of the accounting equation referring to the assets less claims against assets. The book value of Google in 2008 was $28,238 million. The market value of Google better reflects the true worth of the company, which in 2008 was $1.023 billion. The drastic difference between the values is simply because financial statements are transaction based, or after-the-fact, which does not account for the time value of money; where as investors buy the stock for future expectations, not the underlying value to investors. This is an important distinction in valuing Google because investors in Google stock rely heavily on intangible assets, which are very difficult to assign an intrinsic value to. In looking at the performance of Google in comparison to Yahoo, there are quite a few distinctions. In analyzing the returns of the stocks over the five year period the average return on Google is 11% compared to Yahooââ¬â¢s -2% and the SPââ¬â¢s 0.5%. That alone should tell you which company to invest in; however, you can further see the value in the difference in risk by finding the standard deviation of the stocks. The standard deviation of Google over the five year period is 0.0238 compared to Yahooââ¬â¢s 0.0307 and the SPââ¬â¢s 0.0150. This shows how the SP is the least risky investment, as it is diversified across a number of different equities. In looking at Yahooââ¬â¢s higher risk and lower return it is easy to conlcude that an investor would not take on more risk for lower returns. A companyââ¬â¢s stock price is not a firm indicator of itââ¬â¢s financial stability, although so far Google has outperformed its biggest competitor. In analyzing the financial statements we will see more accurately how Google handles their money. The income statement shows annual data from 2006, 2007, and 2008. The average growth in key figures from the income statement over the three year period is: Revenue: 43% Gross Profit: 44% Operating Expenses: 53% Net Income: 19% Most companies may start with growth of this kind but slow to what is considered their normal growth rate. Perhaps Google is still in its younger years, but after 11 years of operation the growth seems to sustain. Revenue and gross profit are very close, but operating expenses is significantly higher. The biggest growth in the three year period was between 2006 and 2007, where research development and selling, general, administrative expenses nearly doubled. Although the operating expenses rose so drastically, the net income growth for the three year period is still impressive at 19%. In looking at the Googleââ¬â¢s balance sheet, which is considered to give a financial snap shot of the companyââ¬â¢s financial well-being, again it the annual data from 2006, 2007, and 2008 is displayed. The average growth in key figures over the three year period is: Current Assets: 25% Total Assets: 32% Current Liabilities: 35% Total Liabilities: 59% Stockholder Equity: 29% Net Tangible Assets: 22% The biggest number to jump out is the growth in total liabilities. The majority of that growth took place between 2006 and 2007; as the growth rate from 2006-2007 is 84% but in 2007-2008 is only 33%. In looking further into the reason for the jump in total liabilities the balance sheet shows an increase from $68 million to $580 million in other liabilities. This could be a variety of things that could cause such an increase; however, the total stockholder equity still grew by 29%. The statement of cash flows depicts some pertinent information about Googleââ¬â¢s finances, and on first look there seems to be a lot of negative numbers. Over the three year period the average growth in key figures is: Cash Flows from Operating Activities: 49% Cash Flows from Investing Activities: -1% Cash Flows from Financing Activities: -82% Total Change in Cash Flows: -430% From the looks of these growth rates, Google is bringing in a significant amount of money from operating activities, which derives from the companyââ¬â¢s products and services and lead ultimately to advertising. Google did not invest more than heavily nor earn more than expected in terms of the grown from investing activities. Lastly, the drastic negative percentage in financing activities stems from the acquisitions throughout the three year period. The negative figure should not be looked at as negative, rather than as positive ââ¬â as long as the capital is available to adequately fund the acquisition. Looking at the ratio analysis of Google, there are some key indicators of the stability of the company. The current ratio is 8.76 ââ¬â meaning that for every dollar Google owes, it has $8.76 to pay that dollar off. That is a very good figure because it is high enough to be of value; however, it is not too high to indicate excess cash on hand. The quick ratio for Google cannot be computed, as it would be the same number as the current ratio. This is because Google has no inventories. In terms of profitability, Google has a net profit margin of 0.1939. This is a relatively strong number for a company with such low overhead; this figure states that 19% of revenue is net profit. This indicates that the company has a strong pricing policy and is capable of controlling their costs effectively. The return on assets for Google is 13%, which means 13 cents of each dollar spent on assets is converted into profit. The return on equity is a bit higher at 15%, which is a good figure for a company with such demand for common stock. A high return on equity indicates that the company is doing well at effectively utilizing the capital deriving from stockholder equity. In analyzing the activity ratios of Google, the asset turnover is 69%, which is a suitable number. This means that Google is effectively turning assets into revenue. The net working capital turnover for Google is 1.21; again providing evidence that Google is capable and efficient at turning capital into revenue. Lastly, to determine the leverage Google has, the debt to asset ratio is 2.8%. The debt to asset ratio measures the companyââ¬â¢s solvency; with a low figure such as 2.8% it is reasonable to say that there is a relatively low risk associated with the firmââ¬â¢s operation. Google continues to have a high borrowing capacity and remains a financially flexible company, demonstrated through their ability to purchase so many other companies. The debt to equity ratio is 3.15%. This is a considerably low number, due to the percent of debt issued by Google being so small. In what has been reviewed so far it is fair to say that Google is a financially sound company that has excelled in areas and fallen short in few. The company has proven itself successful in many areas of its business, and it shows the Larry Page and Sergey Brin hired the right people to run the financial operations of the company. Looking Forward Focus on financing activities, as further acquisitions will lead to diversified revenue streams. Issuing debt could raise capital, lower the cost of capital, be very feasible to pay back. Watch operating expenses over time to ensure the growth rate in operating expenses does not exceed that of revenue. To take a snapshot picture of where Google is today and to use the growth at which is has grown over the past three years, the projections are based on the data found in the three year period. That data was averaged and the growth rate was used to determine where the key figures of the companyââ¬â¢s financial statements would be. Some of the key projections are: Period Ending 31-Dec-09 31-Dec-10 31-Dec-11 31-Dec-12 Total Revenue 31,366,034.14 45,138,943.40 64,959,573.86 93,483,496.02 Gross Profit 18,993,626.37 27,383,986.47 39,480,755.29 56,921,224.40 Total Operating Expenses 10,018,914.24 15,343,548.11 23,498,002.19 35,986,207.54 Net Income 5,011,956.77 5,942,880.19 7,046,713.80 8,355,574.03 Total Assets 41,700,334.16 54,738,766.46 71,853,921.89 94,320,468.38 Total Liabilities 5,609,674.63 8,917,826.26 14,176,869.50 22,537,289.14 Total Stockholder Equity 36,373,560.85 46,851,602.21 60,348,026.92 77,732,333.18 Total CF from Operating Activities 11,672,171.26 17,349,046.58 25,786,926.06 38,328,651.23 Total CF from Investing Activities (5,262,239.76) (5,205,672.22) (5,149,712.76) (5,094,354.85) Total CF from Financing Activities 15,608.61 2,780.93 495.47 88.28 Changes in Cash Cash Equivalents (8,516,727.57) 28,167,931.32 (93,161,645.59) 308,119,616.93 From those projections it is apparent that revenue will be growing at a constant rate, by year end 2012 Google will be bringing in triple the revenue that is is today. Total operating expenses will be increasing at a profitable rate, and net income is strong. Net income seems to level off a bit between 2009 and 2010 but makes a bigger increase between 2011 and 2012. Stockholder equity is projected to increase at a rate desired by managers. By 2012 total stockholder equity is expected to double in the four year term. Liabilities should increase the most between 2010-2011; however, that is dependent on Google and the debt they decide to issue or any capital they may borrow. The liabilities number is something that could easily not reach estimates through the simple growth rate method used in these projections. Cash flow from operating activities should increase steadily, these numbers are strong and if Google can accomplish the estimates they are posed to continue their success. The cash flow from financing activities will continue to be negative as Google has recently began to invest heavily. This is not necessarily a bad sign; however, it is a sign that Google is preparing for the future and expect good things themselves. The financing activities are estimated to decrease as Google decides to slow down their acquisition process. This could be a bad sign for Google as they have proven their strength in the past through their continual additions to the company. Competitors could see this is a weak point and attempt to acquire the companies that Google would typically look to buy. Throughout the projections Google seems to be on the right track to success. Google has had a strong financial background and has done well in terms of financial stability. They have excess cash available to fund any major research development projects that need attention, as well as cash on hand to acquire new and useful companies, should it decide to pursue them. Google has a strong stock price and has provided plenty of support to its investors over the past years and appears to continue on that track. Through their continued success in operations and management will follow the success in their financial matters. Where We ââ¬Å"Googledâ⬠It: Bibliography ââ¬Å"Business and Finance Quotesâ⬠Woopidoo. 10 October 2009. woopidoo.com/business _quotes /authors/sergey-brin-quotes.htm ââ¬Å"Life at Googleâ⬠Google. 10 October 2009. google.com/intl/en/jobs/lifeatgoogle /index.html ââ¬Å"Google Milestonesâ⬠Google. 10 October 2009. google.com/corporate/history.html ââ¬Å"History of Googleâ⬠Ben Morrow Page. 10 October 2009. benmorrow.info/articles/2009/ 02/12/history-of-google-inc-/ ââ¬Å"Larry Page and Sergey Brinâ⬠World Biographies. 15 November 2009. notablebiographies .com/news/Ow-Sh/Page-Larry-and-Brin-Sergey.html ââ¬Å"List of Subsidiariesâ⬠SEC. 15 November 2009. sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/ 000119312508032690/dex2101.htm ââ¬Å"The Birth of Googleâ⬠Wired. 10 October 2009. sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776 /000119312508032690/dex2101.htm ââ¬Å"Google Announces Strategyâ⬠BNet. 8 October 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi _m0EIN/is_2000_April_25/ai_61649908/ ââ¬Å"World Internet Usersâ⬠World Statistics. 8 October 2009. internetworldstats.com /stats.htm ââ¬Å"Google International Marketingâ⬠SlideShare. 8 October 2009. slideshare.net/Nanor /google-international-marketing-presentation ââ¬Å"Google Unveils Mobile Search in Chineseâ⬠English People. 8 October 2009. http://english .people.com.cn/90001/90778/90860/6801681.html ââ¬Å"In Maturing Market, How Can Google Grow?â⬠CNet. 8 October 2009. http://news.cnet.com /In-maturing-market,-how-can-Google-grow/2100-1024_3-5314025.html ââ¬Å"Google Market Share in Chinaâ⬠China Tech. 8 October 2009. chinatechnews.com/ 2009/07/29/10230-google-china-market-share-lower-than-30-in-q2-2009 ââ¬Å"Chinese Market Share to Growâ⬠Reuters. 8 October 2009. reuters.com/article/ marketsNews/idUSSHA195520081107 ââ¬Å"Google Losing Foreign Market Shareâ⬠Search Engine Journal. 14 October 2009. searchenginejournal.com/google-losing-market-share-in-china/3816/ ââ¬Å"Search Engine Market Shareâ⬠Market Share. 14 October 2009. http://marketshare.hitslink. com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4 ââ¬Å"Google SWOT Analysisâ⬠SooperTutorials. 14 October 2009. soopertutorials.com/business /strategic-management/1369-google-swot-analysis.html ââ¬Å"Google Marketing Strategyâ⬠Go Team. 4 November 2009. vertygoteam.com /google_marketing_strategy.php. ââ¬Å"Does Google Need to Advertise?â⬠The Guardian. 4 November 2009. guardian.co.uk /media/organgrinder/2006/sep/01/doesgoogleneedtoadvertise1 ââ¬Å"Google Case Studyâ⬠Marketing Teacher. 4 November 2009. marketingteacher.com/case_study/google_case_study.html Research Papers on Google Inc - Company Analysis A Unilever ProductHip-Hop is ArtOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self
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