Teenagers should not be allowed to drive until age eighteen Essay

Teenagers should not be allowed to drive until age eighteen - Essay Example Thesis Statement Children should not be allowed to drive until they turn eighteen, the obligation of this rule has its significance since young drivers prove to be reckless and thrill seeking as compared to elders. Children Should Not Be Allowed to Drive Until Age Eighteen The legal age at which individuals can drive varies in different countries; in some places teenagers are not allowed to drive until they are 18 while at some countries such as America, 15 or younger is a legal age to drive. It is usually in relevance to the age at which teenagers are allowed to vote or drink alcohol. Previous researches and records have proved that young drivers are reckless and their driving results in majority of road accidents; it is due to this fact that different countries have emphasized on raising the age at which driving should be made legal, the appeal was given regard in some places and in other cases, it was not taken into account. There are various pros and cons which will contribute to better understanding of this argument; they are as discussed below. (Margaret, 250) Benefits of Raising the Legal Age at Which Teenagers Would be Allowed to Drive The life of humans is very precious and to safeguard them and ensure their security is one of the basic responsibilities of any government therefore it should be entailed that all the possible steps be taken to guarantee this. Raising the age of driving will reduce the number of road accidents since teenagers below eighteen are more likely to cause accidents than older drivers. A research report revealed 30,000 deaths in USA in 1995-2004 caused by young drivers; this further emphasizes how dangerous it can be to allow young drivers on the road. 18 years is considered to be the perfect age to grant permission since at this age further freedom such as the right to vote and drink alcohol is permitted. The attitude that is most commonly observed in 16-17 year old teenagers is that they are fearless and do not generally regard the traffic rules that have been put up for their and other individuals’ safety, they are more inclined towards taking risks and seek thrill in driving. They observe good driving as the ability to maneuver the car at high speeds, are more likely to take influence of the peer pressure and join in the competition of rash driving. This behavior makes them risky and unreliable drivers who would add to the number of car crashes and road accidents. Hence granting them license at an older age might prove to solve this problem to some extent thus ensuring road safety. Taking fruitful steps towards this cause can also benefit the society in the longer run; when younger teenagers would not be allowed to drive until they reach the standard age, there would be lesser cars on the road hence less traffic which will ease the traffic flow, preventing congestion ultimately reducing both noise and air pollution. This is also a very challenging issue these days and any step that can be taken t owards its resolution should be encouraged and supported. Teenagers generally lack experience and to top it they do not consider it as a big deal which results in non serious behavior. They do not understand rather do not value the consequences that might result from their recklessness. Secondly the driving classes do not benefit them much; either the driving schools are not fully equipped or the classes are not beneficial enough to tech the teenagers about how

Jennifer and the Wine Merchants Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jennifer and the Wine Merchants - Assignment Example With regard to Jennifer and the Wine Merchant case scenario, the Wine Merchant is the offerer, as the company makes an offer of consignment of French wine to Jennifer and Maggie. The two who are the recipients of the stated offer are the â€Å"offerees.† Jennifer accepts the offer and sends her consignment letter through the post office, while Maggie sends her acceptance communication through the fax. The decision to accept the offer creates a binding agreement between the both Maggie and Jennifer and the Wine Merchant (Ruff 2007). However, Jennifer’s acceptance letter delays for seven days due to strike, this complicates the issue as she had to send the acceptance within 5 days. Maggie however sends her acceptance through fax and its is received immediately, and consequently accepted (Riches and Vida 2011). Jennifer’s Case Jennifer’s case invites three fundamental questions. First, did Jeniffer, the offeree, miss the specified deadline as stipulated by th e Wine Merchant, the offerer. Second, is it possible for the offerer to cancel the acceptance letter between the time the offeree sends it sent and the time the offerer receives it? Lastly, did the offeror make the offer by mail? Thus in Jennifer and the Wine Merchant’s case scenario, there are at least four probable answers. First, when the offereer accepts the offer; When the offeree sends (posts) the acceptance letter; When the offerer received the letter of acceptance; When the offeror is aware of the acceptance. The most significant reactions are the first and the fourth one, which depict â€Å"offer† and â€Å"acceptance.† The English Law provides that a binding agreement exists if an offer and acceptance, in which case the offeree accepts an offer made by the offerer. Concerning Jenniffer and the Merchant’s case scenario, the English Law suggests the emission theory in the â€Å"postal rule†. However, its manifestation is also limited. In th is way, it only becomes applicable when it was reasonable enough that the offeree uses post as the means of accepting the offer, and whether the acceptance letter was posted properly and whether it didn’t create â€Å"manifest absurdity and inconvenience.† Maggie’s Case Unlike Jennifer, Maggie sent her acceptance letter through the fax. Maggie’s acceptance was accepted. Maggie’s case is different from Jennifer as they used different media to communicate their acceptance. According to the English Law, if an offer is accepted by fax, it will be deemed as accepted as the offerer’s fax machines prints it out, regardless of whether there is someone to receive it or not. Posting statute does not affect to acceptances by instant forms of communication such as fax or telephone. In the case â€Å"Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation [1955] 2 QB 327, the court decided that the posting rule doesn’t apply to acceptances by telex as it is an instant form of communication† (Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation [1955]). Thus the principle that acceptances occur once communicated apply can be applied to instant communication forms. Wine Merchant’s case Indeed, the Wine Merchant can be argued as having sent Maggie and Jennifer an offer and not an invitation. The law interprets invitation and offer differently. An invitation, unlike an offer, indicates an individual’s willingness to negotiate a contract. It can be defined as a communication of a pre-offer. In the case Gibson v Manchester City Council [1979] 1

Comparing coverage in two different Newspapers Essay Example for Free

Comparing coverage in two different Newspapers Essay The incident covered in the two articles I have studied was a train fire in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun on Saturday 11th November 2000. The first article I looked at was in the tabloid paper the Sunday Express. The second article I looked at was in the broadsheet paper the Observer. The two articles were very similar but had some differences. Both the articles emphasised that British people were among those that had died. The Sunday Express said Britons among 170 victims and The Observer said Britons among 170 dead The Observer also stated that children died Children among victims. Although both articles covered the same subject and seemed to emphasise the greatness of the tragedy, they had different approaches, The Sunday Express article was sensationalist and over emotive inferno as it tore through carriages The Observers article was a calmer and more concise report and, within a few minutes, almost everyone on board was dead. The articles both contained similar factual information. In the Article in the Sunday Express, facts were intertwined with opinions and emotive language. engulfing tourists in temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Centigrade. The Observer had some emotive language but seemed to keep the facts separate which reached temperatures of more than 1,000 C The only discrepancy between the two articles was over the initial cause of the fire. The Sunday Express interviewed a cable car technical expert Klaus Einsenkolb. He said that either a short circuit in the batteries or the possibility that someone had started it with a naked flame was more likely, This was their only reference to the cause of the fire. The Observer had many different statements about the cause of the fire. Yesterdays fire is believed to have startedafter one of the cables that pull the train up the mountain snapped, apparently starting the blaze They also had a statement from the local company Gletscherbahn Kaprun who owned the train. Due to a fire in the tunnel there was a shorting in the electrical circuit, consequently causing the train to catch fire. They also interviewed Klaus Einsenkolb, but stated nothing about his opinions of what caused the fire as in The Sunday Express. Both articles used similar language, but The Sunday Express used more emotive variations of language to put across the same point. The Sunday Express said the harrowing task today of identifying 170 young skiers burned alive The Observer stuck to the facts, however, some sensationalist language was used. 170 people were killed yesterday when a fire engulfed an Austrian funicular train The Sunday Express sensationalised the incident by using words like inferno and disaster repeatedly throughout their report. This created a mood in the article, expressing how terrible this tragedy was. Despite The Observer being a broadsheet paper, their article also used this type of language, such as inferno and tragedy. I think this also was used to create the mood. The underlying feeling in The Observers report was that this incident could have been prevented or its consequences reduced, had their been adequate safety measures and better maintenance. Manfred Muller, security director for the railway, admitted that there had been no emergency fire fighting equipment in the tunnel, or on the train The journalists use of admitted in this sentence supports his views that safety precautions were inadequate. After reading this article the reader was left with the impression it was just a terrible accident. Yesterdays disaster was the second tragedy to hit Kitzsteinhorn this year. announced a criminal investigation into the tragedy. No blame seemed to be pointed at anyone in this article. The Sunday Express article contained many interviews and comments from people involved with the incident. Most of the people interviewed were officials linked with the accident, like Norbert Karlsboeck, the town mayor of Kaprun, and Franz Schausberger the Salzburg governor. Mr Karlsboeck said: I did not realise the full extent of the catastrophe Salzburg governor Franz Schausberger said: I have declared a day of mourning. We can presume that everyone still on board the train is dead. They were commenting on their feelings about the incident. Klaus Eisenkolb, a cable car technician who worked on the planning of the line was also interviewed and spoke of what he thought about the occurrence of this incident and what could have possibly caused it. One witness and one survivor were also quoted. The Observer had fewer people interviewed, but had interviews with relatives and witnesses. They also had a statement from the company who owned the train, Gletscherbahn Kaprun, who commented on their feelings about this incident. In a statement, the company said: We and the whole town of Kaprun are in mourning. An unidentified man whose son had gone skiing that day, and a deacon were also interviewed. This gave the article a more personal feel, as the reader felt that they could relate to the people whos lives had been affected by this and so understand the tragedy better. The layout of these reports was very different. Article I had a large bold headline on the front cover saying INFERNO in capital letters, to draw peoples attention. There was also a large illustration of one of the survivors with a caption. There was then a double page spread. On the first side of the double spread was a pull quote in large bold letters Theres no hope left, the fumes were just terrible next to another illustration of a survivor with a caption. This would also get peoples attention; the reader may look at the pictures and then want to read on. Under the title was a diagram of the mountainside with text pointing out where the events took place. This was quite easy to understand and gave the basic information. Inside that diagram was another diagram showing where Kaprun was in context to Austria and then to the rest of Europe. The text was in columns around these illustrations. The double page was split into three blocks of text, an individual report started on the second page written by Greg Swift, a continuance of the first article by David Dillon, and then an additional report: Rising tide of Alpine tragedies. The Observer had a medium sized headline Inferno in the Alps in bold letters. Underneath was a large illustration of a survivor (the same as in article 1) with a caption. The article was started with two large bullet points, which would grab the readers attention. There was then a tiny diagram of where in Austria the incident took place, and where it was in relation to Europe. The article was again written in columns. It then too went to a double page. The headline on this double page A couple of breaths and they were lost was also a pull quote, keeping the readers attention. There was a block of pictures with quotes in the top centre of the pages showing the rescue team, survivors and their families, and the train. This was really effective. The block of pictures would really attract the readers attention, urging them to read the article. There was a large diagram showing a picture of the mountainside and where the tunnel was, and then a diagram of the actual train, showing in steps what happened and when. This diagram was very clear, showing exactly what happened in an easily understandable way. The double page was again split into sections of text. There was the main report by Denis Staunton, and then two smaller reports. One was by Jason Burke telling how former British Olympic skier Martin Bell feared that some of his friends could have been on the train. This linked the incident back to this country and how it affected people here. The other was by Anthony Browne, talking of worries over how many recent tragic accidents have occurred in the Alps. I think that the article that explained what happened and suggested the full horror of this incident more effectively was the article from The Observer. I felt that the way in which it was written managed to create a balance between putting across the facts but still expressing the horror of the tragedy. I think because the facts were not clouded with opinions, they were easier to understand. I thought that the double page spread was particularly effective. The pictures were clearer and attracted the readers attention. The diagram on the double page was very clear and easy to understand. It showed exactly what happened in stages, with information about the mountain and the tunnel. I also thought that the headline Inferno in the Alps on the front page was really effective. It gave enough information for you to know what had happened but was short enough for the reader to read at a glance. I felt that The Sunday Express article was more difficult to understand as there were fewer facts and the writing was very opinionated. Also because there were fewer interviews with people who were directly affected by the incident, such as survivors, and relatives of victims, it wasnt as easy to relate to that article. There was less text in general, as much of the space was taken up by large illustrations and headlines. Although the articles seemed to be similar they had differences which although may not be drastically apparent I felt they made a big difference to the effectiveness and success of the articles.

Developments of Stem Cell Technology

Developments of Stem Cell Technology The research of embryonic stem cell is classified under the study of biotechnology, which is one of the most recognized areas of research by the public, as well as one that have the potentials of benefited from the completion of the research7. The embryonic stem cells are the absolute base form of all cells that is within a human, they are frequently known for two of their main characteristics. One is the ability to self-renew though a long period of time while remain non-specialised, and the other main characteristic is the stem cells ability to differentiate and give rise to any specialised cell3. Because of these characteristics, it brings hope to cure diseases that were not possible before, by replacing the damaged cell with a new one that is being derive from a stem cell. Neurodegenerative diseases are a prime example where scientists believe that stem cells are the key to treating the disease. However, the research of embryonic stem cells has always being surrounded with contro versy, due to the pro-life movement around the world. This report will be mainly focused on the use of stem cell on treating neurodegenerative diseases, and a general overview of the progress in the research of stem cells. (202 Words) Review The majority of the research done on embryonic stem cells is directed mostly toward medical treatment such as bone narrow transplant, regrowing a new nerve cell to heal Neurodegenerative diseases and more. The researches of stem cell started in the mid eighteen hundreds, when scientists discovered that some cells have the ability to generate into others. But the application of stem cell only start to boom from 1960s, when the human understanding on natural biological systems had increased to the point that it allowed scientists and doctors to do bone marrow transfers between two humans which resulted in curing a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency in 1968. This is the reason that stem cell research attracted attention from the public, due to the possibilities of curing several different types of diseases or healing damages that were beyond humans natural healing ability. Stem cells are the fundamental cells of all the different types of cells that are in a human body. It has the ability to renew itself, under the correct environment and performs obligatory asymmetric replication (see diagram 1 at appendix 1). This, combined with their ability to transform into any specific cell type that can be found in a human body, makes it possible to create new cells to replace those that were damaged by disease or treatment processes. However, the current understanding of the behaviour of stem cells is not enough for scientists and doctors to use them to completely cure a certain disease. Nevertheless, we currently have enough understanding through research, to show that stem cells do have the ability to lessen the symptoms such ailments as Alzhei mers disease. The research into stem cells has potential of curing most of the long-term diseases known to doctors; however the cost of this research is the main reason of controversy. The reason of the controversy around stem cells is focused mainly because embryonic stem cells can only be gathered when an egg is being fertilized. The process of gathering a sample of stem cells started by triggering a human egg that has been left in cryo for more than the legal limit, to grow into an embryo like the normal growth of a child. Afterward, the egg started to grow for five to seven days where the blastocyst started to form along with the inner cell mass. The whole blastocyst is then moved to a specially prepared culturing plate that is covered in a feeder layer, that is designed to support the growth of the stem cell, and chemicals are added to break the blastocyst to allow the inner cell mass to be exposed. From this point on it is merely waiting for the inner cell mass to grow and divide into stem cells that the researcher can use to test in a controlled environment by using different growth factors that will hopefully allow the scientist to map out the reaction of different types of proteins and the chemical environment that would decide the growth path of these stem cells (see diagram at appendix 2). By this point, most biotechnologists require assistance from people in another field, such as chemical engineer, protein specialist and doctors to help culturing or to understand how this stem cell works. These specialist from other field of science, help scientists to understand the growth factor that is involved in the differentiation of the cells. A prime example would be the use of growth factors. Unfortunately this is also where the controversy starts; a lot of people around the world that support pro-life organisations believe that the research of stem cells is immoral; since every embryo that is being used to extract the stem cells have the possibility of becoming a full child, thus the process of extracting the stem cells would destroy the possibility of life. They believe that the same research can be conducted through adult stem cells, or known as somatic stem cells, that can be isolated from bone narrow, or any other cells that have the ability to self repair, without the need of creating a full embryo. While it may be possible to do so, the concentrations of somatic stem cells are extremely hard to isolate and researchers are currently unable to grow them in cultures for further study. However, most scientists believe that while each embryo has the possibility of developing into a child, the long period of cryo that is used to store the egg, is damaging it, to a point that the death rate of the infant will be higher, along with the fact that these cells were originally scheduled to be destroyed, thus it does not make much difference. Therefore, until either the somatic stem cells can be cultured and proven to be as potent as embryonic stem cells, or the latest induced pluripotent stem cells that are created by reprogramming the adult stem cell back into the pluripotent stem cell stage of development. Scientists are stuck on using embryonic stem cells for the majority of the study. (792) Application Case study The advancement in the field of biotechnologys research into stem cells has already started to show results. In the past, diseases such as Alzheimers, which are diseases that cause the degradation of neurons on nerve cells, which were not treatable by doctors before. The most that doctors were able to do was to relieve the pain caused by the disease, they were not able to locate the source of the disease, or how they affected patients. However, since the development of stem cell technology, scientists have regain hope of finding cure or treatment process that can permanent treat these diseases. Using the same system that was originally designed to house the stem cells, they were able to isolate the infected neuron samples that were affected by the diseases, and therefore, were able to devise a treatment or cure for the diseases as they now have a sample with which they can work. Alzheimers disease is one of the most common neuron degradation diseases seen in the world. In America alone, there are at least 5.3 million people that have this disease. Alzheimers disease attacks the nerves and neurons that are in the brain over a long period of time, which slowly causes memory loss, problem solving skills, thinking, to the point that the brain can no longer function properly, leading to death. Alzheimers disease currently has no cure, as the rate that the human body regenerates the brain cells are much slower than the rate of infection. Therefore, theoretically it will be possible to cure Alzheimers if all infected nerve cells could be removed, and replaced with new nerve cells that were derived from the adult stem cell of the patient. This same application can also be used on other diseases such as Parkinsons disease or sport injury that normally requires years of recovery. Based on a published journal in 2009, scientists were able to use bone marrow derived the mesenchymal stem cell to relieve symptoms of Alzheimers on a mice model that have been purposely induced. According to the research journal, when a patient (or mice in their case) that is presented with the disease, the concentration of amyloid-b (Ab) peptides in the form of amyloid plaques in the brain parenchyma increases, which causes neural loss to the patient. Therefore, in a direct treatment the research team injected bone-marrow-derived-mesenchymal stem cells into the brain of the induced mice, the result showed that there is a diminution of amyloid-b by the reactivation of microglia that were re-stimulated by the injection of the stem cells. Thus the research team arrived at the conclusion that BMMSCs can promote reduction of the amyloid-b through the microglial activation in the induced Alzheimers brain, suggesting a potential therapeutic agent against Alzheimers disease. (453) however, in the journal the research team fail to considered the other cause of Alzheimer the neruofibrillary tangles Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that the development of stem cells is one field of biotechnology that is emerging quickly as the understanding of natural biological systems increase, along with the fact that the diversity of biotechnology is potentially limitless in the field of medical research. For example, during the process of creating a suitable environment for the embryonic stem cells to grow, researchers have accidentally created a solution that can keep donated organs for longer periods of time, allowing a higher chance of success to the transplant surgery after a long period of travel. In the future, once more is understood about stem cells, the whole technology may be advanced enough to reconstruct an entire limb. There remains much controversy around this field, due to the researchers ethical practices, notably, obtaining new stem cells. Referencing Kil Lee, Jong, Hee Kyung Jin, and Jae-sung Bae. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells reduce brain. Neuroscience Letter 450.2 (2009): 136-41. Web. 31 May 2010. . S. Shihabuddin, Lamya, and Isabelle Aubert. Stem cell transplantation for neurometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Neuropharmacology 58. (2010): 845-54. Web. 12 May 2010. . Stem Cell Basics. In Stem Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009 [cited Wednesday, May 12, 2010]ÂÂ  Available at Unknown, Unknown. What is the history of stem cell research? History of Stem Cell Research. AllAboutPopularIssues.org, 2010. Web. 12 May 2010. . Unknown, Unknown. What is Alzheimer? Alzheimers Association. Alzheimers Association, 06 April 2010. Web. 28 May 2010. . Unknown, Unknown. Stem cell. Stem Cell. AlphaMed Press, 28 May 2010. Web. 12 May 2010. . Keener, Kevin, Thomas Hoban, and Rekha Balasubramanian. BIOTECHNOLOGY and its APPLICATIONS. North Carolina State University. North Carolina State University, 06/03/2010. Web. 12 May 2010. . Lindvall O (2003). Stem cells for cell therapy in Parkinsons disease. Pharmacol Res 47 (4): 279-87. Doi: 10.1016/S1043-6618(03)00037-9. PMIDÂÂ  12644384.ÂÂ   Goldman S, Windrem M (2006). Cell replacement therapy in neurological disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 361 (1473): 1463-75. Doi: 10.1098/rstb.2006.1886. PMIDÂÂ  16939969. Unknown, Unknown. Stem Cells and self-Renewal. isscr. ISSCR, 2010. Web. 28 May 2010. www.isscr.org/public/SC_self-renewal.pdf Unknown, Unknown. Neurofibrillary Tangles. Department of Pathology. University of Oklahoma, 2010. Web. 30 May 2010. .

Understanding the Ten Commandments :: Religion

The Ten Commandments have been a subject matter of a large amount of controversy. Several do not beyond doubt understand its significance. A number of people believe that it should not be practiced today whereas others have a strong conviction that it should be. Although these Ten Commandments have been a obscurity for society it is possible to understand its true meaning. To accomplish this we must understand the Ten Commandments origin. Of course, we need to understand their main purpose, where they are found, who they were for, and how they relate to us today. So that we can embark on our analysis of the Ten Commandments we ought to commence with their derivation. As we take a look the Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 20. There we determine the purpose of these Ten Commandments. When the Israelites are freed from Egypt by Jehovah or God, Jehovah gives Moses some six hundred laws for the Israelites to live by. The reason for these laws was so they can be reminded daily of being sinners. From Mountain Sinai, an angel of Jehovah conveyed orally the commandments, ten of which are most commonly known, located in Exodus 20: 1-17. Later on, Moses went up to Mountain Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, written on two pieces of stone, and other commandments and instructions. These laws were a pact between Jehovah and his people. Using Moses as a mediator between them, he provided these laws that would guide them and protect them in every field of their lives. While they would maintain loyal and obedient to him, he would be by their side and use them to bless other nations to come. Sadly enough, as we continue to read in the bible, while Moses long forty day stay on the mountain, the people of Israel grew impatient and made a statue to worship. When Moses descended from the Mountain and saw the sight of idolatry, he destroyed the two pieces of stone with the Ten Commandments. Obviously, by their actions, the vast majority of the Israelites did not have trust or faith in Jehovah. As punishment, Jehovah obligated them to journey across the desert for forty years. However, better times did come subsequent to their blunder. Although today some do know the history of the Ten Commandments and know some information about it, they do not understand how it relates to them in current times.

1968 :: American America History

1968 "An Indignant Generation." With all its disruptions and rage, the idea of black revolution was something many white Americans could at least comprehend, if not agree with. When rebellion seized their own children, however they were almost completely at a loss. A product of the posts war "Baby Boom," nurtured in affluence and concentrated in increasing numbers on college and university campuses. It was a generation marked by an unusual degree of political awareness and cultural alienation. Some shared with the beat writers and poets of the late fifties, a deep disillusionment with this status quo, a restless yearning for something more than a "realistic" conformity. Others had been aroused by the southern sit-in movement, "The first hint," wore a contemporary, "That there was a world beyond the campus that demanded some kind of personal response. "Not so much ideological as moral, in Jessica Mitford's words, "An Indignant Generation." Although an image of arrogance, even ruthlessness, had followed him from his early days as counsel to a Senate committee investigating labor racketeering, Robert Kennedy had shown a remarkable capacity to understand the suffering of others. More than this, he had demonstrated an untiring commitment to the welfare of those who had gotten little more than the crumbs of the Great American Banquet. In fact, Kennedy Appealed most strongly to precisely those groups most disaffected with American society in nineteen sixty-eight, they believed in him with a passion unmatched for any other national political figure, in part for what he had done, but also for the kind of man he was. The collapse of communications made it impossible to determine the fate of the pacification program, but most assessments were pessimistic. When the communists launched their attacks, the government pulled nearly half of the five hundred and fifty revolutionary development teams out of the hamlets to help defend the cities, along with eighteen of the fifty-one army battalions assigned to protect the pacification teams. In so doing, Saigon abandoned the countryside and dealt the pacification program what many felt was a considerable setback. "There always was a semi vacuum in the countryside," said one United States pacification worker. "Now there's a complete vacuum." By the end of the February, orders have gone out for pacification teams and some troops to return to the hamlets, but progress was slow. Although ninety-five percent of the five thousand RD workers in the Saigon

Marketing and Aesop Essay

 Introduction Aesop is an Australian based super premium cosmetic company that has significant presence in Asia-Pacific, Australia and North America with the capability of generating A$49 million revenue in 2012. Aesop has an active track record in expanding into new markets and is planning to introduce its products into Italy. Being the seventh largest economy in the world, Italy is widely popular for its huge and sophisticated consumer market that provides significant potential opportunities for Aesop to succeed. Moreover, Italy has an established cosmetic market that is approximately 9 billion Euros in size and has potential for growth in a few product sectors. The report aims to incorporate marketing theory with in-depth research that makes up a strategic marketing plan to provide relevant and sufficient information about doing business in Italy. A situational analysis is first  performed in order to investigate the company’s performance, the macro environment, industry environment and customers base in Italy. Pertinent marketing frameworks such as PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, customer analysis and market segmentation are used in the investigation of the macro environment, industry environment and customer base. Based on the vast amount of information collected from the situation analysis, various strategies were identified and formulated by using marketing framework such as SWOT and VRIO analysis, possibility statements, Ansoff Matrix, product life cycle concept (PLC), Porter’s generic competitive strategies and SMART marketing objectives. After selecting the strategies that Aesop are well-positioned to deploy, its market entry mode and marketing mix strategies for Italy are further developed and elaborated with the support of previous established strategies and findings. The appropriate marketing theories or frameworks used throughout this marketing plan will be described and their objective, strengths and weaknesses, if applicable, will also be discussed in their respective sections prior implementation.  Situation Analysis The foundation of a good marketing plan should have a focus on the four elements of the overall environment that might influence the success of the outcome, which is widely referred as the 4Cs and also widely known as the situation analysis (Walker 2009). The 4Cs represent company, context, competitors, customers and collaborators. An analysis on the company is first conducted and the findings will form the strengths and weaknesses of the SWOT analysis performed in the next stage. Company analysis Aesop David Paphitis established Aesop in 1987 in Melbourne, Australia. Aesop operates in the manufacturing, retailing and marketing of premium beauty and skin care segment (Euromonitor 2013). Earlier this year,  Aesop was acquired by Natura, a publicly listed Brazil cosmetic company, and retained only 35% of its stakes. Corporate mission Aesop’s mission is to provide customers with superlative skin, hair and body products with integrity, simplicity, authenticity, attention to detail and the best ingredients (Cosmetics International 2011, About Aesop 2013). Corporate vision Aesop philosophy is to focus on a holistic perspective on beauty that combines skincare with an emphasis on exercise and diet (Euromonitor 2013, Manan 2004). Product Line Aesop product portfolio consists of skincare, body care, hair care and other kits and domestic items (Motta 2013). Regional structure and operations Aesop operates more than 50 signature stores globally while owning 355 wholesales stores in more than 10 countries. It is found that Aesop’s signature and department stores provides most of the revenue for Aesop. Separately, they contributed 48% and 40% of the total revenue respectively (Motta 2013). Aesop’s global head office is in Melbourne, Australia. Aesop also positioned regional hubs in Americas, Europe and APAC-excluding Australia (Motta 2013). 3.1.6. Brand Image in the Market Aesop creates its luxury and exclusive experience for consumers based on word-of-mouth and its one-of-a-kind design only. This is contrary to most brands that rely on media and agencies for advertising and promotion (Turner 2011). Aesop uses design as a channel to communicate its core values and its customers, who demand high quality products from Aesop (Turner 2011). Aesop has undoubtedly successfully created a cult by utlitising its unique brand images created by minimalist retail stores and product design (Euromonitor 2013). Alternatively, Aesop also gains popularity through sponsorships of cultural and fashion events (Euromonitor 2013). Research and Development (R&D) Aesop situates its own R&D team in laboratory in Melbourne in the heart of its corporate headquarters (Motta 2013). The team is responsible for all the quality assurance, innovation, research and prototyping of all its products. Aesop spends a significantly higher proportion of its costs on R&D than its competitors (Burns 2002). Market share Aesop’s market share in the domestic Australian cosmetic industry is 0.1% (Lev 2013), whereas its market share in the super premium skin care within Australia is 11% (see Appendix 1). Profit Margin Aesop’s forecasted profit margin for 2013 would dip due to higher than historical depreciation and operation costs (see Appendix 2). Nevertheless, the operation costs will see of a smaller percentage of the net sales attributable to the support of strong sales. Aesop is on course to post a higher margin in the future. Management and Leadership The founder and creative director of Aesop is David Paphitis. He possesses significant experience in the beauty, skincare and hair products industry. His philosophy of nature and health is deeply entwined within Aesop’s operations. His refusal to sell Aesop to private funds is an act of never compromising quality for profit (Safe 2008). It is to avoid compromising his ideology and beliefs over Aesop’s operations and products. Context Analysis Business environment can greatly affect the business directly and indirectly.  PESTEL framework is used to identify the influences of political, economical, social, technological, environmental, and legal on the organizations. Analyzing these factors in term of current and possible future situations can imply the proper ways for the organizations in order to invest or survive in the particular business environment (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008). The PESTEL factors along with its associated trends and explanations are provided below: †¢ Italian male consumers have very strong image-consciousness †¢ Many Italian men buy skin care and anti-ageing products. †¢ Some â‚ ¬250 million spent per year on beauty products and 21% of Italian men use skin products (Euromonitor 2012) Increasing shopping places for goods Increasing commerce eluxurious †¢ Most of luxurious outlets are located around Italy’s key fashion destinations of Florence, Milan and Rome (Euromonitor 2011) †¢ The retail value of internet retailing in 2011 was â‚ ¬3.1 billion, an increase of 142% compared to 2006 Competitors and Industry Analysis Porter’s five forces analysis provides insight on the degree of competitive in firm specific industry. There are five factors that affect the level of competitiveness and they show how the industry affects its players (Baines et al. 2008). Companies can use Porter five forces analysis to examine their competitors. Therefore, they will understand the opportunities and threats existing in the industry when they enter new countries and devise strategies to exploit the opportunities and minimize the threats (Peng 2014). 1.Intensity of rivalry: High This examines the number of cosmetics brands in Italy. If there are many firms in this country, the probability that Aesop can make a profit will diminish. According to Euromonitor (2012), there are a few leading cosmetics companies in Italy such as L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf AG and Shiseido. This shows that the degree of intensity of cosmetics industry in Italy is high. 2. Risk of entry: High Potential competitors will enter market which is attracted them but they can be obstructed by entry barriers such as brand loyalty, economies of scales and increasing in distribution. According to Reportlink (2013), an increasing in sale of global skincare market will reach to 21 percent from 2010 to 2015. In addition, the economy will recover. This will attract other competitors joining in this market because customers do not concern about a brand or brand loyalty. They will penetrate a brand that sell product in low price and good quality. In Italy, many brands from other countries try to dominate cosmetics industry especially in skin care such as L’Orà ©al, Beiersdorf, Clarins, Està ©e Lauder, Shiseido and Johnson & Johnson (Euromonitor 2012). This shows that the risk of new entry is high because competitors have to spend a lot of money in research and development to produce new product or try to differentiate their product. 3.Bargaining power of buyers: High Italian customers have high bargaining power because they have many brands of cosmetics in Italy that offer them a good quality and price that they can afford. Moreover, Italian people spend their money carefully when they purchase these stuffs because of recess economy. Buyers who are retailers can have backward integration by providing their own  brand. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers: Low Bargaining power of suppliers in cosmetics industry is low because there are a high number of market players and large suppliers. Moreover, Italian consumers prefer cosmetics that made from nature and there are many suppliers around the world who can offer the low price material such as Asian countries to cosmetics manufacturers. 5. Threat of substitutes: High There is a high threat of substitute product in cosmetics industry because there are many brands that offer same product line such as eye cream and anti aging product. Moreover, people can change their preference and counsel with dermatologist to take care of their skin health. 3.3.1. Key Competitors According to Marketline (2012), the three leading cosmetics companies in Italy are Beiersdorf AG, L’Oreal and Shiseido. However, these three cosmetics brands have different market group from Aesop. Thus, their product offerings will not be in same range even within the same product line (see Appendix 3). L’Oreal L’Oreal wants to increase their market share to another country. They need to doubling their sales and their market strategy is penetration and they call themselves is â€Å"multi channel†. L’Oreal shows and sell their product to massmarket channel such as Wal-Mart’s and Targets. Moreover, they sell cosmetics in luxury department store such as Macy’s and Nordstrom (see Appendix 4). Therefore, L’Oreal’s price will not be as high as Aesop and Shiseido because L’Oreal ‘s strategy is to cover all customers. Shiseido Shiseido categorize their customer in five age groups, so their stores are ranked according to age group. The shops that sell to high-class customers will offer better promotion to their customers such as greater rebate, good beauty consultant and many samples. Their products are luxury and anti aging which are developed through innovative scientific discoveries (Girvin 2013). According to Shiseido annual report (2012), when Shiseido operate their business in other countries, they will sell high price premium with good service from personal sellers. They use â€Å"Masstige† word to describe their brand image. This word comes from Mass and prestige, meaning that Shiseido’s products are more expensive than mass product but price is not high like prestige products.  Beiersdorf Beiersdorf is a brand that focuses on skincare: NIVEA, Eucerin and La Prairie. Beiersdorf try to continually create and produce new product to market and develop new product categories such as Nivea for men. In addition, they expand to new market to get new market share, and they offer the price that all customers can afford. Three leading cosmetics brands in Italy have different strategies to do a business (see Appendix 5). It can be seen that leading cosmetics companies in Italy such as L’Oreal and Beiersdorf AG use cost leadership strategy to gain market share. Customer Analysis In order to identify and gather relevant information on the potential customers in Italy, a customer analysis is performed to break down the customer base into groups and segments. According to Kotler (2012), the customer analysis focuses on identifying the group of customers who share similar needs and wants. It shows the nature of segmentation by socio-demographic, behavioral, psychographic and benefit sought. This variables and findings are shown below: Segmentation variables Age Details Socio-demographic Between tweens and adult is the majority aged group of Italian (Chan, Tufte, Cappello & Russell 2011). The over-50 age group possesses high buying power (Walker 2013). Gender Geography Female but male sales emerging in cosmetic product sales (Austrade 2010). Urban cities of Italy provide the convenience to access to retail store and department store (Global Insight 2007) Lifecycle state Italian bought skin care products at 72.5% of all cosmetic products (Research and Markets 2010) Income Net average annual household adjusted disposable income is US$24,216 (OECD  Better Life Index 2013). Distribution Occupation Southern Italy is 50% poorer than Northern Italy (Marketline 2012). Working population between 15  and 64 because of their ability to purchase the skin care product (OECD Better Life Index 2013). Education Ethnic group and Nationality Religion Social class Literate and highly educated (OECD Better Life Index 2013.) Italian (CIA 2013). Insignificant The majority group is middle and upper class that have high power of purchasing (Kerschner & Huq 2011). Family and acquaintances Italian customers not only buy product of themselves but also for others (Schiffman, Kanuk & Wisenblit 2010). Behavioral Readiness Occasions Loyalty Usage rate Innovativeness Aware and knowledgeable about skin care product (CIA 2013) For everyday used and special occasions. High loyalty if product can perform as claimed (Cecchi et al. 2011). Routine use Italian customers prefer to pay extra in the high quality and performance stuffs (Cecchi et al. 2011). Psychographic Personality Italians order Life Style have to strongly attitude about building and maintaining self-images in have good appearance (Sanderson 2010). Metro-sexual and self-loving.