The Art of Procrastination Essay Example for Free

The Art of Procrastination Essay Have ever experienced that moment when you should do something, whether it is e-mailing back your great grand aunt from some lost country, cleaning up your room because you can’t even find your bed in that unbelievable mess, taking your obnoxious dog on a walk in the freezing cold weather, or just simply finishing your more than annoying homework in a class you can’t even stand, but instead you’re totally doing something else to hold up the fatal deadline? Don’t lie to me, I know you have. Our generation is victim of a particular disease that slows millions of people down against their weak wills : procrastination. Procrastination is the art of putting things off until tomorrow, and there is no need to tell you how good I am at that. Even the idea of this topic came up after long hours spending doing nothing.  «Nothing  » isn’t really the exact word, because the procrastinator always find something more appealing and stupid in most cases than what he or she should actually do. Access to entertainment has became amazingly easy in the last few decades and there are now thousands of ways to have fun exist nowadays. What normal person would honestly like better calculating the derivation of Pi instead of watching a funny movie under her or his warm blanket while eating rich, unhealthy and incredibly good food ? Every human behavior occurs for a reason, and procrastination is the witness of a society ruled by irksome people ignoring the pleasures of life. Facebook is another example of a procrastinator’s occupation. This website is the devil and poses as a huge ocean where Net surfers get lost needlessly. Nothing exceptional ever happens but people are ready to stay on it, stalking random strangers they will never meet for hours instead of undertaking something smart. Mark Zuckerberg succeeded in diverting millions of good people from the right path by putting his finger on a universel human trait : our weakness. Replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority doesn’t always mean that those lower priorities activities are pointless. While thinking about a topic for this column, I felt the sudden need to clean up my room. Let me tell you that I don’t often enjoy doing it, but in this case it seemed more distracting than scratching my head looking for something you might like to read. I also took the opportunity to paint my nails, to e-mail back some members of my family worried about my survival in Fat-Land a.k.a America, to count my pairs of shoes, to look everywhere for the forever missing sock undeniably eaten by the washing machine, and to prepare my upcoming trip to Barcelona by learning some dirty words in Spanish. You know you procrastinate when you discover the enormous entertainment potential of a paperclip, when you spend more time calculating the time you would have left if you start working right now than actually working and when you are reading this column instead of doing what you’re supposed to do.

The Impressions Of Pride And Prejudice

The Impressions Of Pride And Prejudice Elizabeth Bennets pride and prejudice gives her inaccurate first impressions of Fitzwilliam Darcy. In the beginning, Elizabeth judges Darcy as the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world (Austen 8). This denotes the beginning of Elizabeths prejudice against Darcy, which further increases after he insults Elizabeth by calling her tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me (Austen 9). Although this is insufficient basis for her prejudice against Darcy, when she hears the awful stories about Darcy from Wickham, she is given more reasons to develop her prejudice against Darcy and even deepens her dislike of Darcy to the point that she views Darcy as having such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity (Austen 71). Elizabeths prejudice of Darcy is also further fuelled when Colonel Fitzwilliam implies that Darcy has intentionally broken up the relationship of Mr Bingley and Jane, Elizabeths eldest sister; Darcy does not want Mr Bingley to suffer the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage (Austen 165). Since Elizabeth is a proud person and she dislikes being wrong in her judgements, she never expresses her views of Fitzwilliam Darcy. However, Elizabeth is wrong on two counts. Firstly, Wickham tells Elizabeth a fictional story about Darcy. She discovers that after Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth after his failed first marriage proposal to Elizabeth, explaining the reasons and truths behind his own actions regarding his friendship with Wickham. Elizabeth feels ashamed, feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, and absurd (Austen 185). Secondly, Darcy misjudges Elizabeths sister to be indifferent to Mr. Bingley and he fears for Mr. Bingleys happiness; but Elizabeth corrects Darcy about her sisters feelings toward Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth finds this out in Darcys letter to her. Elizabeth has shown pride in herself, guarding her judgements and impressions of people, that she is blinded by her own prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is not the only person of whom Elizabeth Bennet has the wrong first impression; she also has the inaccurate first impression of Wickham. In the beginning of the story, he is introduced as a handsome soldier: His appearance was greatly in his favour; he had all the best part of beauty, a fine countenance, a good figure, and very pleasing address. The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation a readiness at the same time perfectly correct and unassuming (Austen 64). Wickham appears to be the complete opposite of Darcy. Elizabeth responds well to that kind of character, because she is already prejudiced against Darcy, a different kind of character; also, Wickham does not offend her pride. Wickham appears to be a friendly person, and Elizabeth immediately befriends him. When Wickham tells her his story about his acquaintance with Darcy, Elizabeth honoured him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever as he expressed them (Austen 71). This increases the effects of her pride and prejudice against Darcy. Wickham manipulates Elizabeths pride and prejudice in a way that makes him seem an honourable person in comparison to Darcy. However, Elizabeth is also wrong about Wickham, because Darcy writes her a letter explaining his past acquaintance with Wickham and the reasons behind the end of their friendship. Elizabeth is astonished when she reads a passage in Darcys letter: Mr Wickhams chief object was unquestionably my sisters fortune, which is thirty thousand pounds; but I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me, was a strong inducement. His revenge would have been complete indeed (Austen 180). Elizabeth is thrown into an emotional confusion as she tries to examine Darcy by his letter and his behaviours. She realizes at the end that Wickham has instilled a sense of falsehood concerning Wickhams acquaintance with Darcy. Elizabeth changes her mind about Wickham and views him differently after reading the letter from Darcy. Elizabeths pride and prejudice influences her to think good of Wickham in the first place because he is the polar opposite of Darcy. In addition, Elizabeth Bennet is not the only character with pride and prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is another example of a person proud and prejudiced. Fitzwilliam Darcy is described as: Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect, his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offence (Austen 13). The quote describes how the people in Hertfordshire, including Elizabeth, views Darcy. He acts in this manner because he is a proud and wealthy person. Charlotte Lucas explains the reason for Darcys actions: His pride, said Miss Lucas, does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud (Austen 16). Darcy is proud because he has everything he could ever ask for, such as social connections, fortune, social status, and friends. He views Elizabeth as an inferior because of her family, her connections, and her wealth. Because of Darcys pride, he becomes prejudiced towards Elizabeth. Despite his prejudice against Elizabeth, he begins to love her. Darcy really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger (Austen 45). Darcy is sure that Elizabeth will have bewitched him if she has social connections and wealth, but Darcy does not realize that he has already begun to love her. His love is blinded by his own pride and prejudice. As the story progresses, Darcy finds it hard to resist Elizabeths charm to the point that Darcy proposes to her. However, this is an emphasis on Elizabeths inferiority in Darcys views: He spoke well, but there were feelings beside those of heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority of its being a degradation of a family obstacles which judgements had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit (Austen 168). Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth, reminding her about her familial and social connections. This shows that Darcy is conscious of Elizabeths social and financial status. Darcy is concerned about himself; however, he is partially willing to throw away his pride for his love of Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Elizabeth does not accept Darcys proposal and explains her reasons. Darcy is forced to re-examine himself and recognize his wrongful actions. When he realizes that he is too proud and prejudiced, he experiences a massive character transformation. After his self-examination, Darcy appears a different man and less prejudiced. He helps Elizabeths family by bringing Bingley and Jane back together, and finding Lydia and Wickham. He makes sure Wickham will marry Lydia even though the situation does not directly affect him, because4 he knows that will make Elizabeth happy and relieved. Elizabeth plays an important role in Darcys life; because of Elizabeth, Darcy is able to overcome his pride and prejudice. On the contrary, Elizabeths first impression of Mr. Collins is correct, although Mr. Collins is an easy person to decipher. Mr. Collins is a predictable character, a nervous person, and one who obviously admires his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr. Collins has stayed as a guest at Elizabeths family home to solve the disagreements between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins father. Since he is not a complex character as Darcy and Wickham are, Elizabeth can figure him out: It now first struck her, that she was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being the mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to firm a quadrille table at Rosings, in the absence of more eligible visitors. The idea soon reached to conviction, as she observed his increasing civilities toward herself and heard his frequent attempt at a compliment on her wit and vivacity; and though more astonished that gratified herself, by this effects of her charms, it was not long before her mother gave her to understand that probability of their marriage was exceedingly agreeable to her (Austen 78 79). Elizabeth Bennets mother hints at Mr. Collins real purpose for visiting the Bennets. This information from her mother influences Elizabeth in a way that she develops her first impression of Mr. Collins before he even comes to visit. Therefore, Elizabeths first impression of Mr. Collins is untrue, she does not develop her opinion of him on her own as she has with her opinions of Darcy and Wickham. In conclusion, first impressions of people are influenced by a persons pride and prejudice. Elizabeth Bennets pride and prejudice influences her first impressions of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Wickham, and her first impressions are wrong; the same can be said for Fitzwilliam Darcy. Therefore, the characteristic traits of pride and prejudice are the central role in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice.

European Medical Device Regulations

European Medical Device Regulations Practical Application Project The intent of the proposed revisions to the existing European Medical Device Directives is to better protect public health, ensure free and fair trade of goods, and adapt the legislation to the technological advancements observed throughout the industry.1 These revisions have been in process since 2008, when the EU Commission initiated a public forum to collect comments on the existing European medical device directives.TUV In 2010, the need for change was even more apparent with the discovery of the French PIP breast implant scandal. Emergo In 2012, the European Commission released the initial draft of the proposed regulations. The directive on active implantable medical devices (90/383/EEC) and on medical devices (93/42/EEC) was combined into one proposed regulation on medical devices, referred to as MDR. A proposed regulation on in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices, referred to as IVDR, is intended to replace the existing directive (98/79/EC). The European Parliament and the European Council amended the proposed regulations, and final texts were released in June 2016.1 The regulatory approach utilized in the MDR and the IVDR is a life-cycle approach, rather than pre-approval path as outlined in the existing directives. Guidance documentation related to Authorized Representation, Clinical Evaluation, Vigilance, and Post-Market Clinical Follow-Up were essentially incorporated into the regulations. The major changes included in the final texts of the MDR and IVDR are described below and the subsequent affects on manufacturers, notified bodies, regulatory agencies and patients are outlined. Scope Expansion The MDR and IVDR include a revised medical device definition, which broadens the application of the regulation to include products not currently covered under the existing directives. For example, the MDR will apply to products used for cleaning, disinfection or sterilization. Under the current directive, these types of products were considered accessories to medical devices and thus were out of the scope of the Directive.Emergo Other product groups now within scope of both the MDR and IVDR include devices that do not have a medical intended purpose, such as colored contact lenses, cosmetic implant material, lifestyle and nutritional diagnostic tests. TUV, BSI MDR/IVDR The definition of a medical device accessory was also revised, to include products that assist devices, which will cover additional products. Classification rules in MDR and IVDR changed as well. The MDR increased classification for some devices or requires heightened oversight by the Notified Body but did not change the actual classification of the device. Rather than utilizing the list-based classification system in the Directive, IVDs will be classified per the system developed by the Global Harmonization Task Force into four risk-based classes using seven distinct rules. For IVD devices that do not fit into the classification rules and were self-certified under the existing Directive, the IVDR will classify these devices into a higher risk class which will require Notified Body certification. This is a pivotal shift for the IVD industry since approximately 80-90% of IVDs will now require Notified Body certification to sell in the EU.BSI MDR/IVDR Placing Products on the Market The number of Essential Requirements increased, as well as the number of detail for each requirement. The concept of common specifications was added to the MDR. Referred to as common technical specifications in the IVD Directive, common specifications are documents (not standards) that describe technical or clinical requirements and provide a method of conformity to a requirement of the Regulation. Manufacturers are generally required to comply with common specifications, unless justification can be adequately demonstrated to ensure the same level of safety and performance. The regulations require common specification compliance for aesthetic products. Clinical Evaluation Clinical Investigation The requirements for clinical evaluation and clinical investigation are more rigorous under the new regulations. Clinical investigations may be required for class III and implantable devices if the existing clinical evidence does not fulfill the new requirements. Clinical performance studies will be required and significantly more evidence will be required for IVDs.BSI IVDR Both the MDR and IVDR control the conduct of interventional and other clinical performance studies and require the use of good clinical practices, including informed consent. Another major change is the Post-Market Clinical Follow-up requirement as part of the clinical evaluation cycle for the device. For clinical evidence that relies on equivalence with another predicate device, there are several additional requirements that will likely limit the path to market for this type of clinical justification. In order to leverage equivalence to another device the manufacturer must scientifically justify technical, biological and clinical similarity. There needs to be no significant difference in the clinical performance and safety of the device and the predicate. The manufacturer must be able to demonstrate access to the data on the predicate device in order to substantiate this claim. Since that data is typically proprietary between market competitors, this requirement will likely severely limit the use of comparator equivalence justifications. Supply Chain Enhancements Both the MDR and the IVDR implement new supply chain requirements that affect each step of the medical device supply chain. Each supply chain participant, including importers and distributors, will be responsible for verifying regulatory compliance. Better definition on roles and responsibilities is defined between the authorized representative, distributor and importer. Vigilance reporting of adverse events and subsequent implementation of corrective action (as required) will be expanded to include importers and distributors as well as the manufacturer. All members of the supply chain must be able to maintain traceability of devices and retain those records for at least five years after the last device is supplied to the EU market. The regulations define the financial liability of the manufacturer as well as the authorized representative in the case of injury caused by the device. Labeling Unique device identification (UDI) will also be required. The UDI is compromised of two parts, a device identifier(DI) and a production identifier (PI). The DI is a fixed portion of the UDI that identifies the model number of the device and links the device to the manufacturer. The PI is the variable portion of the UDI that identifies the lot/batch number, expiration date/manufacturing date or serial number for the device. There are many changes to labeling and instructions for use requirements. All device labels, on all levels of packaging will likely be revised as a result of the new regulations. There are special labeling requirements for certain implant products. The patient must have easy access to all safety information, including warnings and precautions, expected lifetime of the device and any mandatory follow-up. With regards to the actual implanted device, the patient must receive identification of the device including UDI information. Vigilance and Post Market Surveillance There are substantial changes to the post-market surveillance and vigilance reporting requirements under the new regulations. Some reporting rules were changed, which will result in more reports. The timeline for reporting serious public health threats did not change, but the timeline for reporting all other adverse events decreased from 30 days to 15 days. The reduced time allowed for reporting will likely result in an increase in the number of follow-up reports in order to provide additional information. The combination of the change to reporting rules and the reporting timeline shift will result in an overall increase in the number of vigilance reports submitted by manufacturers. A requirement for post-market clinical follow up was added as well as periodic (annual) safety update reports. These reports will summarize post-market data and analysis, a description of any actions taken as a result of post market trends and include sales volume data. The Affect on Key Stakeholders Manufacturers There is no provision for grandfathering of existing products under the new regulations. Therefore device manufacturers will need to review product portfolios to determine the affect of the new regulations and subsequent actions needed for both CE marked products and non-CE marked products. BSI MDR/IVDR Due to the increased clinical and regulatory requirements, manufacturers may need to invest in additional resources to adequately satisfy the clinical and regulatory requirements. It is possible that new clinical data will need to be generated, which is a substantial undertaking, both from an economic and resource perspective. Under the new regulations, device manufacturers (and authorized representatives) are required to retain at least one person permanently and continuously who is responsible for regulatory compliance, regardless of the size of the organization. The one exception noted for this is for manufacturers of custom devices who are micro-enterprises. Notified Bodies One of the major role changes driven by the new regulations is the evolution of the notified body role from an industry partner under the Directives to a police-like extension of the Competent Authorities. In the new regulations, notified bodies are required to undergo a designation process and stricter requirements for notified body staff are defined. The demand for notified bodies will increase dramatically, as not all current notified bodies may seek or may not seek full designation for all services currently supplied to manufacturers. Further increasing the demand for notified bodies, is the classification changes, especially in the IVDR, which will require more resources from designated notified bodies. Another major change in the MDR is that notified bodies will be required to submit their clinical evaluation assessment report to an expert panel appointed by the EU Commission prior to certifying a class III implantable device or class IIb device intended to intended to administer/remove a medical product. The regulations will require notified bodies to conduct unannounced audits at least once every five years, which originated as a recommendation from the commission in 2013. Notified bodies are required to test manufacturing samples, or even market samples. However, the responsibility for the cost of this testing is not defined. Regulatory Agencies In an attempt to harmonize efforts between member states, a new regulatory body called the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) is defined with a primary purpose of increasing collaboration between member states while allowing the EU Commission to act when required. The additional vigilance requirements will demand more resources to support processing data at the member state level. Member states will be need to work together in order to coordinate enforcement activities and report surveillance plans to be incorporated into the European Market Surveillance Plan. Member states also can begin applying fees to cover the costs associated with the new requirements. Patients One of the primary objectives of the new EU regulations is to better protect public health. Patient access to information is enhanced. The addition of UDI and vigilance reporting to the European database systems will help make essential device information and user experience data more readily available. UDI information will improve recall and field safety corrective action effectiveness. Additional labeling requirements will better inform the end user. One drawback is that due to the tightened clinical requirements, patients may experience a longer delay in access to new medical devices and technologies. However, more robust regulatory controls with the intent to improve overall patient safety should outweigh this risk. The changes the new regulations bring to the European medical device community and vast. Although the new regulations will not go into effect until three years after formal publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), it is important to begin preparing now for implementation. References: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1011_en.htm Medtecheurope, European Unique Device Identification Database (EUDID), Accessed February 29, 2017 http://www.medtecheurope.org/sites/default/files/14_MedTech%20Europe_Background%20Paper_EU%20UDI%20Database_PUBLISHED.pdf EU Commission Recommendation. n.d. https://www.3ec.sk/fileadmin/user_upload/Product_Certification/UNANNOUNCED_AUDITS_2014.pdf.2. Commission Recommendation. September 2013, 2013. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:253:0027:0035:EN:PDF.

Malcolm X Essay -- Americanism, discrimination

A Dream Or A Nightmare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" No, I’m not an American. I’m one of the 22 million people who are victims of Americanism, one if the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So, I’m not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or flag-saluter, or a flag waver. No, not I. I am speaking to you as a victim of the American system. And I see America through the eyes of a victim. I don’t see any American dream. I see an American nightmare!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  --Malcolm X   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can see why Malcolm would refer to the American dream as a nightmare. We all have to understand that Malcolm and Martin Luther King came from very different class levels. Malcolm came from a lower class of African Americans. Malcolm was a criminal who spent time in jail and he was from a poor neighbor hood. Malcolm was educated by the environment that surrounded him. Malcolm often preached to the blacks to about self respect, and dignity. I think Malcolm know and understood this more than King because of Malcolm’s upbringing. Malcolm gave very derogatory speeches. Malcolm was an intelligent speaker. In Malcolm’s speeches you can see and hear the anger that the white people have caused the African American people. I’m sure that Malcolm was not the only African American person who had the same view points or felt the same way. It’s just that Malcolm had the nerve to speak up for what he believed. At this time, black people were fighting for equal rights. Every person handles stress differently. Malcolm was voicing his opinion based upon the times and his personal experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this article, I read a part of another speech from Malcolm that made statements against the white people. I think Malcolm had every right to make these comments about white Americans. Malcolm got the reputation that he was a racist. I believe that he and all the other black people had every right to be racist. White American people were being racist for not allowing the African Americans to have equal rights. So, why was it a big deal when Malcolm made racial slurs against the white Americans? It was ok for white America... ...cle was involved with her class. It makes the learning process fun and exciting for the students. The teachers make all the difference in the world. A student can learn memorize anything that a teacher lectures on. But the information is only stored temporally. If you make it fun and exciting the student not only learns but the memory lasts a life time. A Class Learns To Teach Itself   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that most adult classes are easier to teach because, as the article pointed out, adults have a goal for being in a class and they have other responsibilities. They don’t have the time to be goofing off. Adults are more willing to learn and don’t have to be reminded to pay attention. They have a purpose to being in class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The teacher in this article was surprised that the class took a turn and was teaching itself. The man who lost his daughter not only respected the writing’s he was reading but also able to use his life experiences to compare and learn more about what was going on in class. I think students learn more when they can understand the material and compare it to real life experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Essay --

Potty training is one milestone, eagerly awaited on by parents. Potty training is a process. The process of potty training takes between three and six months, depending on the child. Potty training takes time, dedication, and patience. There are many steps to training a child, some steps are more difficult and the steps may be difficult for the child to grasp. The process of potty training will be difficult and have setbacks along the way. Before starting the process you need to know if your child is ready. You need to be watching for signs of potty training readiness. The signs include increased interest in using the potty, child feels uncomfortable in diapers, child talks about the potty, child goes to the bathroom on a schedule, child follows instructions, and the child stays dry for longer periods of time. When it comes to age, there is no right age to start potty training because every child is different. Most parents think about training their kids between the ages of eighteen months and three years old. Be sure to not rush the child into potty training too soon from pressure of others. Also before starting the process, you need tools. You may need many different tools to complete this process. The tools include a potty chair, training pants, footsteps, and books or films on potty training. These tools will help the child feel excited about the process, be comfortable, and help them feel independent. Now, the fun part. The process of potty training a child. There are many steps to the process. First, introduce the potty. Introduce the potty to your child around their first birthday. To be successful at this, keep books and films on potty training in the bathroom and talk to he child about potty training on occasions... .... To do this you may use a sticker chart, give the child some candy, or buy the child something they want. Be sure not to go nuts. Doing this will make the child react to praise the same way they act to punishment. Praise and the reward the child, but don't over exaggerate and scare the child. The process of potty training takes time, patience, and dedication. To be successful at this process, stay consistent with the process. Talk to the child about the potty, encourage the child to use the potty, make the process fun, make it comfortable, and reward the child. Learning the process and knowing what you need to do, will help the child be successful at completing this process. Potty training may seem like a difficult task, but doesn't need to be. So, NEVER give up on your child or the process of potty training them. No matter what, you child will be potty trained.

Innocent Company Analysis

Innocent Company Analysis Table of Content Front sheet1 Table of Content2 Executive summary3 Introduction Internal analysis 1. 1 Mission, core values, and vision 1. 2Value Chain Analysis 1. 3Positioning Map 1. 4Success & Survival factors 1. 5Miles & Snow Adaptive Strategy External analysis 2. 1Segmentation Analysis 2. 2Porter’s five forces 2. 2Industry Life Cycle 2. 3PEST Analysis 2. 4Benchmarking analysis SWOT Analysis 3. 1Recommendations Executive summary: Introduction This report is an analysis about the company: Innocent Ltd.This company started its way in 1998 by three friends Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright and produces healthy drinks and food. Their current market share in the UK is now 78%. Internal Analysis The analysis of the company is started by the internal analysis that broadly examines the marketing practices, the values of the company, the value chain of the company, the positioning in the market, the vital success and survival factors and lastly the Mi les & Snow adaptive strategy. The company’s mission is to create a healthier lifestyle of the population by their products in order to ‘live well and die old’.This is supported by their vision that states that they want to become the earth’s favourite little food company and according to one of their values; creating a business they can be proud of. Moreover, as part of  the  internal analysis, a Value chain analysis has been carried out for Innocent Ltd. The value chain analysis identifies primary and support activities critical for the company’s success. Factors of the companies value chain within their primary and support activities seem very promising and are significant in the success of Innocent Ltd; their current market share of 77. 5% can support this.Nevertheless it is crucial that the company preserves consistency throughout their activities in order for them to sustain profitability, thus maintaining competitive advantage. Based on th e positioning map, Innocent found and filled a gap in the market and is free from its competitors based on quality and price. It is a premium product, however customers are willing to pay for this premium price due to its quality. In order to survive in the industry, it is vital for the company to maintain their innovative and creative marketing campaigns by taking customer preferences into account.In order to succeed, international markets for a huge opportunity for the organization. Due to this international expansion, the company could start to make more use of economies of scale, which increases the margins. The analysis have shown that organization can be seen as a prospector, due to the fact that they have changed the industry or actually started an industry, of healthy smoothies. They are continuously pro-active rather than re-active. External Analysis To move on with the External Analysis of the company, starting with the segmentation analysis.This shows that Innocents custo mers are mainly located in North-Western Europe and countries such as Austria and Switzerland. Based on the demographics, people that buy innocent are between 18 and 40 years old that are business people, mothers, on-the-go people and sports people that mostly come from the AB socio-economic group. The customers identify themselves with the brand and are as well believers and strivers. Their behaviour shows that they are enthusiastic and image seekers (because they find it cool to drink innocent).The porters five forces analysis shows that the competitive rivalry, buyer power and threat of substitutes form the biggest threat for the company. Potential entrants and supplier power are identified as a lower threat due to the fact that it costs a lot of money in order to compete with companies such as Innocent and enough suppliers are present that offer natural fruit products. Luckily enough for Innocent Ltd, the industry is still growing and therefore it can be argued that the industry is in its growth phase, even though they had some struggles with the recession.The PEST-Analysis is used to describe the macro environment of innocent on the subject of political/ legal, economic, social and technological aspects. The government cuts, 5 a day campaign and tax increase play an important role regarding the political issues in the macro environment. It is expected, that the economic climate as well as the smoothie market will improve in the future. The trend for healthy eating and the ethical behavioural consciousness plays a main role in this. It is also expected to have lots of innovation and communication developments regarding he technological macro environment. The benchmarking analysis in this report is applied as well in order to identify the main competitors of Innocent Ltd and to compare those companies with the organization. This analysis shows that Introduction: Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright founded innocent in 1998. (Below) They bought ? 500 wort h of fruit and set up a stall at a music festival in Parsons Green, London, selling smoothies. At the stall, the guys put up a sign asking ‘’should we give up our day jobs to make smoothies? ’ They had two bins; one labelled ‘’YES’’ and the other ‘’NO’’ and they asked people to vote using their empty bottles. By the end of the day the ‘’YES’’ bin was completely filled up. This made them decide to start Innocent as a new business. Reed stated ‘’Innocent was born from a bin test’’. (EN, the magazine for entrepreneurs, 2011) (CarMicheal, A, Photography, 2009) They worked hard to gain their capital to realize Innocent as a business; unfortunately they were refused finance from various mainstream banks.With perseverance they managed to source their capital from Maurice Pinto, an American, London based businessman who provided them with the ? 250,000 needed capit al. Pinto has since admitted to having made this decision more out of a sense of obligation than in the expectation of the kind of return he’s made on it – one of the best of his life, it turns out. (EN, the magazine for entrepreneurs, 2011) ‘’The idea was a simple one, like most good business strategies† Reed says. (EN, the magazine for entrepreneurs, 2011) Just over a decade later, Innocent now has an annual turnover of around ? 10m, has been growing by 20% year on year and currently has a around 75% share of the UK smoothies market. (BBC New- Business, 2010). The company now produces more than 30 different recipes and sells more than two million smoothies each week through 10,000 retailers in the UK and overseas. (Young, 2009) Internal Analysis 1. 1. 1Mission statement â€Å"To make natural, delicious food and drink that helps people live well and die old. † (Innocent Ltd, 2011) With this mission statement Innocent emphasises that they prod uce products that are natural and good for you.They explain that the products deliver a boost to vitality and because the products are 100% natural and healthy people will live longer by making their immune system stronger after consuming the vitamins. Ultimately their mission is that they want people to consume as much fruit and vegetable as possible in order to make society healthier. (Innocent Ltd. , 2011) 1. 1. 2Vision statement â€Å"Becoming ‘the earth’s favourite little food company. † (Innocent Ltd. , 2011) A vision statement is something a company aspires to become it should be a projection for the future of the company and where they want to grow. Ward, S 2011) Innocent wants to become the earth’s favourite little food company. Currently they have managed to attain 78% of the smoothie market (source %) in the UK and in the past 2 years Innocent has introduced new products to their brand, which means they are working towards their vision statement . 1. 1. 3Core values Core values hold the foundation to how a company performs. The core values of a company are constant and mark the way a company interacts, produces and presents itself. (NPS, 2010) Innocent has set 5 core values to their company; each value has an individual meaning explained below:Be natural Innocent produces products that are 100% natural, taste good and are healthy to consume. Being natural goes hand in hand with their mission statement where they aim to make society healthier. Be entrepreneurial Innocent started their company by seeing an opportunity; they first sold their smoothies at a music festival in London where they initiated their entrepreneurial approach. Innocent strives to be the best they can be and continuously incorporates creativity into their company to become better than the rest.Be responsible Innocent finds it important to stick to their core values and principles thus they want to be responsible for what they produce and how they educate the consumer. Be commercial Innocent is a commercial business and operates that way. Ultimately the profit they generate is a profit for both them and the customer. Innocent incorporates commercial behaviour in order to be tough and fair to the competition. Be generous Lastly Innocent finds it important to be generous and give back what they can to society.They are involved in various organizations for a good cause and have even set up their own Innocent foundation that provides sustainable farming for a secure future for farmers that produce Innocent fruit. (Innocent Foundation Ltd. 2011) Other organization they are involved are: The big knit (Age UK), innocent scholarship foundation, childcare vouchers, drinks for the homeless, buy one get one bee, taste not waste. (Innocent Ltd. 2011) 1. 2Value Chain Analysis Value Chain Analysis: ‘’The term value chain describes a way of looking at a business as a chain of activities that transform inputs into outputs that customers value.Customer value derives from three basic sources: activities that differentiate the product, activities that lower its cost, and activities that meet the customers’ needs quickly. ’’(Mulleady, F, 2011) Businesses often used the Value Chain Analysis to understand and examine different activities within the business, which contribute to customer value, which they aim to generate to help them gain competitive advantage. Michael Porter suggested that the activities which take place within a business can be grouped under two headings, primary activities and support activities.Primary Activities: Inbound logistics: Innocent produce their products from 100% natural goods, which adds to their overall image as a healthy food and drink label. Due to their values, Innocent do not use concentrates of any kind as they feel that they are very bad for you and hardly contain any original goodness which comes from a fruit. The majority of their products are smoothies, whic h are made from 100% real crushed fruit with no added ingredients or materials. Their other products such as the veg pots contain fresh vegetables, whole grains with herbs and spices.The soundness and efficiency of raw materials is high at Innocent as they link extremely well with the overall image of the company and what they aim to deliver to their customers. Operations (Manufacturing): The company headquarters, also known as the ‘Fruit Towers’ is located in Shepherds Bush, London. This is where the company is based and where the main operations and manufacturing of the products takes place. They have 150 people working for them at the ‘Fruit Towers’ and 250 acorss 9 other offices around Europe. In these offices, the recipies are made, the products are produced and packaging is carried out.A lot of effort is put into their packaging, here are a few examples: Excellent level of efficiency regarding productivity, quality and the layout and work flow design at operations at Innocent. Friendly working environment with an overall low staff turnover. Outbound logistics: Innocent products are sold over 10, 000 retailers, compared to 1 in 1999. Their retailers include supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco’s, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. (Innocent Website, 2011) Due to the accuracy and effective production line, the outbound logistics, which include the delivery of the inished goods and services, are all very efficient. Marketing and sales: * Identified customer needs: Innocent identified that there in today’s society, with worth ethics increasing rapidly and people always on-the-go, that people don’t have enough time to be healthy. So they decided to offer customers healthy products to help them towards consuming their 5 a day fruit and veg. * Innovation in sales promotion and advertising: excellent level of advertising with the main ones including Posters on public transport, television adverts which are very fun and or iginal, press adverts and billboards.Expanding by the year. Service: * ‘Banana phone’-deals with all consumer queries, good and bad comments, which are then passed on to the ‘Peoples champion’ * Email-Website has a list of name and image of all employees and a link to email them directly! * Post * Blog/Facebook/Twitter They fulfil the significant role of giving customers full attention when it comes to after care, complains, customer inputs for product improvement, their promptness in dealing with customer complaints and quality of customer education. Support activities: General administration: They now have 36 different products compared to 3 which they has in 1999. Innocent have the ability to identify new product and market opportunities. * Seem to work well in achieving their objectives which are mainly to provide fresh and healthy products * Their co-ordination and integration amongst all of the value chain factors is good-This is evident with their cu rrent market share of 77. 5% which has come from a result of their increasing number of employees, increasing their productivity and therefore increasing their retailers from 1 to 10,000 in just over a decade.All of this success has meant that 2 million smoothies are now sold a week which compares enormously to 20 per day sold in 1999. (Innocent Website, 2011) * Excellent Public image Human Resource management: * Generally the staff turnover seems to be low which is excellent for the company as the staff have a great level of knowledge about the company as a whole. * The working environment is very enjoyable and fulfilling for the employees. This effectively minimises absenteeism and keeps the staff turnover as a desirable level through motivation and job satisfaction.Technology development: * Staff carry outstanding ability of creativity and innovation * Experience of technicians such as the recipe maker is very good 1. 3Positioning map The perceptual map is a geometric comparison of how competing products are perceived; the dimensions used on the two axes represent the key attributes as seen by the consumer. It is used to generate knowledge about the parity and difference between competing products. (Fill, 2009) Innocent is placed at the high quality/slightly expensive point compared to its competitors.It could be said that Innocent has the perfect position as its closes competitor, Grove, is of lesser quality and is more expensive and not a lot of other competitors are nearby. The fact that there are not a lot of competitors in the area of Innocent shows that the company saw a clear opportunity in the market. As can be seen in the map, the position low quality/expensive is completely empty; this is probably because of the fact that low quality/expensive products in general are not that successful. (Fill, 2009) Looking at the perceptual map, it can be assumed that one of the factors that makes Innocent Ltd. arket leader is that they fill a gap in the market and had the first-mover advantage. 1. 4Survival & Survival factors Survival factors: In accordance to the report of Global Industry Analysts Inc, the global smoothies market will increase to 9. 0 billion in 2015. In order to survive in this market, it is vital for the company to keep the innovative and creative marketing campaigns alive. Although it seems to be that there is enough space for all competitors to expand, Innocent should be careful in their approach.Taking the customers preferences into account plays a main role in this process without ignoring the financial stability of the company. Success factors: Regarding the report discussed in the previous paragraph, exploiting international markets seems to be an attractive opportunity for Innocent Ltd. This will also increase the applicability of economies of scale for the company, which could have positive effects on costs as well as revenue. Strong relationships with suppliers and distributors will be needed, even strategic a lliances and collaboration forms a success factor of the company.Well-structured and carefully composed contracts should ensure the positive effects these attributes will have on the organization, such as; higher revenues, higher margins and therefore higher profits. Maximization of revenue and minimization of costs will enhance the financial capabilities of the companies, which can be used for marketing campaigns and investments in further developed technology in order to create even more sophisticated smoothies. Another essential success factor for Innocent ltd. is to stay ahead of competition, being pro-active instead of re-active.This should be accomplished by creative marketing campaigns and brand loyalty of the consumer. 1. 5Miles & Snow Strategy Analysis External Analysis 2. 1Market Segmentation Analysis A segmentation analysis is needed in order to identify the characteristics of the market population. The analysis is split up into four segmentation areas; geographic, demogr aphic, psychographic and behavioural segmentation respectively. According to the geographic segmentation, Innocent is distributed in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Finland, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland.However, future expansion could lead to a wider geographic area covered by the organization. In respect to the demographic segmentation, the company is aiming for hard working professionals that are interested in a healthier lifestyle, mainly between 18 and 40 years old. The income of the market is therewith above average (ABC1), due to the fact that the drinks are relatively expensive and mainly used by business people with a modern and trendy lifestyle. The people that buy innocent drinks psychographic identify themselves with the brand and feel therewith connected by the innovative and achievement focused approach of the organization.According to Innocent drinks, one of their key approaches is â€Å"to leave things a little bit better than we find them†. Therefore users of the products are also believers and strivers by supporting this organization. The psychographic part of the market segmentation might also be that the people feel good by drinking or eating the products, due to the fact that the products are healthy and the fact that the organization has its own foundation (Innocent Ltd, 2007) Customers of Innocent definitely can be segmented by behaviour.The marketing of innocent is making them enthusiastic about the brand and it becomes ‘cool’ as well to consume the products of Innocent. The market can therefore partly be seen as image seekers. The people that actually buy the products are young business people, mothers that buy these products as an alternative for the unhealthy sodas and fast food and people that often work out. Even though the company has the largest market share, still a lot of people don’t know the brand due to its short existing period. The group of first-time and po tential users is therefore attractive for the business.The marketing campaigns of Innocent should ensure that the brand awareness of the company increases. 2. 2. 1Market Segmentation summary: Geographic segmentation: | North-Western Europe| Demographic segmentation: | Business people + Mothers + On-the-go people + Sports people + People under 35 + AB socio-economic group| Psychographic segmentation:| Innovators, achievers, believers & strivers| Behavioural segmentation:| Enthusiastic, image seekers, first-time and large amount of potential users. | 2. 2Porters Five Forces Force| Ranking1 = no threat4 = big threat| Industry Analysis| Potential Entrants| 1| High start-up costs|Competitive Rivalry| 4| The juice market is very big with a lot of competitors| Buyer Power| 4| A consumer can easily switch brands| Supplier Power| 2| Many suppliers available| Threat of Substitutes| 4| A lot of substitute drinks for smoothies| The Porter’s five forces model is a holistic way of looking at the industry of interest and it shows whether it is interesting or not to enter a certain industry. The model does not only look at competition in the industry, but also at the threat of substitute products and services and new entrants, and the power of suppliers and consumers. Porter, 2008) Looking at the smoothie industry, the first force â€Å"potential entrants† is ranked with a one, which means that is this force is not a big threat. Although a lot of new smoothies enter the market every year, in general these come from established producers, for example Starbucks. (Innofood, 2011) A barrier for new entrance could be the high start-up costs. The second force â€Å"competitive rivalry† is ranked with a four and therefore a threat in the industry, this means that there are a lot of companies competing in this industry.Examples of main competitors of Innocent Ltd. are Tropicana, Grove, Ella’s Kitchen. â€Å"Buyer power†, the third force is ranked wi th a four, this is often the case in a highly competitive industry with a lot of different brands. Consumers can choose out of many different products, which makes it harder for companies to make them loyal to their brand. In the smoothie industry the fourth force â€Å"supplier power† is ranked with a 2 because their are many suppliers available in this industry and this makes it easy for companies to switch suppliers.The fifth and final force â€Å"threat of substitutes† is of course a four as there are a lot of substitute drinks for smoothies, water, soft drinks etc. The smoothie industry does not look too â€Å"sexy† considering the model. High competitive rivalry, buyer power and threat of substitution make it a difficult industry to be successful and thus profitable in. Low threat of new entrants and supplier power are interesting but do not weight off the other forces. (Porter, 2008) 2. 3Industry Life Cycle An Industry life cycle shows in what stage an or ganization is in the cycle of their life.An industry life cycle consists of four stages, introduction which is a stage for start-ups with a new product or within a new industry. The growth stage follows after, this is when a company expands, introduces new products and grows within the industry. The maturity phase is where a company is in consolidation it also shows a slowing in growth. Lastly the decline stage means sales are decreasing, company reached its peaks and during this stage a company could ultimately die. (Inc. 2011) Innocent ltd is currently positioned in the growth stage of their life cycle.They started with a healthy company and within the last 13 years (since 1998) the company grew towards a market share of 78%. In the past 2 years Innocent has been exploring new grounds and introducing new products to their company such as fruit tubes for kids and microwaveable food pots for those who need a quick meal. Innocent has yet to introduce more products and thus has not re ached the maturity stage yet. In recent years the smoothie industry has become more popular because people become more health aware and smoothies manage to tap into the health and convenience trend of today.The smoothie industry has exceeded into a growth stage and according to research is growing towards a continuously expanding market size which indicated the industry will remain in the growth stage for a long period. (Lloyd, A. 2011) 2. 4PEST Analysis Political: 5 A Day Campaign: Innocent profits from the ‘5 a day’ campaign the government and the NHS support. It states that: The Government recommends an intake of at least five portions of fruit or vegetables per person per day to help reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and many other chronic conditions (NHS, 2011).One Innocent Smoothie provides 2 of the daily-recommended intake of 5 portions (Innocent, 2011). Government Cuts: Due to the current recession and a deficit of 156 billion pound, the government decided to save 6. 2 billion in the financial year 2010-11. This includes for example less spending on Civil service pay and the Home Office and therefore less purchasing power for these occupational groups (BBC, 2010). This might affect Innocent sales, because consumer might switch to cheaper brands or stop purchasing Smoothies at all, as Smoothies are relatively pricey and considered to be a tread or a luxury product, not an essential (Mintel, 2011).Corporate Tax decrease: The UK government has decided to reduce the corporate tax to 26% in 2011 and again in 2012 to 25%, compared to 28% what it used to be before (Directgov, 2010). This leads to an increase of revenue for Innocent. VAT increase: On the 4th of January the value added tax where increased to 20 per cent, former it was 17. 5% for standard-rated goods, which includes Smoothies, because they are rated as beverages(Directgov, 2011). In November 2010 Innocent unsuccessfully filed a suit against the 17. % of VAT that was cha rged on their products. They argued, that Smoothies are like â€Å"liquefied fruit salads†, because the raw materials for their drinks are Value added tax free (Helen and Hawkes 2011). But it was declared that a Smoothie is not an essential drink or aliment, but of luxuries, therefore a VAT of 17. 5% was applied (now 20%). This implicates a disadvantage for Innocent, because without the 20% VAT Innocent, could lower prices and increase sales or just have a 20% higher profit margin. Economical: Forecasted future growth in the Smoothie market:The overall trend in the Smoothie market in the UK regarding to sales is ascending. It is expected that sales will increase again from a total of 143 million pound in 2011 to 179 million pound in 2016. After sales have been declining from 2007 till 2009. The expected market growth is an opportunity for Innocent to increase their sales and therefore revenue. (Mintel, 2011) Expected bettering of the economic climate: As one can see in the gr aph, GDP in the UK has started to increase again since the 2nd quarter of 2009.Till the 3rd quarter of 2011 there has been a gain in GDP of about 3. 1% (Office for National Statistics, 2011). The treasury expects further growth in GDP over the next years as well as a decline in the unemployment rate. This will have positive effects on the future spending power of consumer, influence purchasing decisions and strengthens consumer confidence (HM Treasury, 2011). Premium brands such as Innocent will profit from an overall economic growth, because during recessions consumers will at first cut their spending on luxury, not essential good.Source: HM Treasury, (2011). Forecasts for the UK economy: a comparison of independent forecasts Source: HM Treasury, (2011). Forecasts for the UK economy: a comparison of independent forecasts Social: Trend for healthy eating and convenience: In the UK society there has been a long-term trend for healthy eating and convenience food. Innocent benefits fro m this trend because Smoothies and Innocent have the reputation to be healthy as well as their products are an easy way to eat five portions of fruit/vegetables on a daily basis in an increasingly fast moving society (Mintel, 2011).Awareness of ethical behaviour: Corporate Social Responsibility tends to be important to consumer, where more than three fifths of consumers believed it important that a company act ethically. Although during the recession this attitude change during the recession, where people were more concerned about their personal wealth and spending. Innocent with its core value being sustainability, profits from the consumer awareness on ethical behaviour of firms and therefore might experience an increase in its brand reputation and brand awareness (Mintel, 2011). Demographics:Most consumer who buy Smoothies are under 35 years old and those in the AB socio-economic group. Because they are more concerned about health and diet. The Graph shows that overall the UK pop ulation is aging this will lead to an increase of the population of consumers between 25-34, which are most likely to by Innocent products. Therefore Sales are expected to increase. But on the other hand, the over 55s are a large segment and are unlikely to purchase Smoothies (Mintel, 2011). Technological: Innovation: Ethical packaging and healthy products are the two main attributes the firms in the market concentrate on.Hence the firms focus on developing new ways of ethical and sustainable packaging, like Innocent, who introduced a bottle made of 100% recycled plastic(Mintel, 2011). Moreover the companies are trying to producer their products with as little additives as possible to bring forward the naturalness of the product. Another important factor for the firms in the market is the innovation of new recipes in order to attract new costumers, for example children or older people. Communication: â€Å"Above-the-line investment in the smoothies market rose by almost 50% in 2010 , to ? 6. 1 million. Due to the fact that all the products in the smoothies market are substitutes and switching costs are low, the companies have to build a relationship with the costumer in order to keep them buying their product. Political * Government cuts * 5 a day campaign * Tax increase (VAT) * Decrease of Corporation Tax| Economic: * Expected bettering of the economic climate * Forecasted future growth in the Smoothie market| Social * Trend for healthy eating and convenience * Awareness of ethical behaviour (CSR) * Demographic| Technological * Innovation * Communication| . 4Competitive Benchmarking Analysis | Innocent(Innocent ltd, 2011)| Tropicana(Tropicana, 2011)| Ella’s Kitchen(Ella's Kitchen ltd, 2011)| Market Share(Lloyd, A. 2011)| 78%| 3%| 2%| Target Market| Business people, mothers, sports people, on-the-go people| Only available for supermarket shoppers. Mothers (children, babies)| Competitive Advantages| 100% natural, strategic alliance with coca cola, | Inte rnationally established| Specially for babies and small children (stages), added value less costs | Core competencies| Brand advertising and communication| World leader in fruit juice manufacturing| Wide product range (drink, food and snack)| Competitive Strategies| Differentiation| Cost leadership| Differentiation Focus| CSR activities| Big knit (Age UK), innocent scholarship foundation, the innocent foundation, childcare vouchers, drinks for the homeless, buy one get one bee, taste not waste. |Expending carton recycling, waste reduction efforts, bottle recycling, rainforest rescue, PepsiCo sustainability. | Eco offices, terra cycle, recyclable packaging, super schools| Competitor ranking| X| 1| 2| Competitive benchmarking is a continuous process of comparing the output, performance and practice of an organization to its direct competition. The matrix gives an overview of the different aspects of Innocent and its closest competitors; Tropicana and Ella’s Kitchen. The matrix above shows that Innocent is a well established and growing company with an incredible market share of 78% in the UK smoothie market.The close competitors only share a 5% market share, the remaining market share is either by very small brands or own brands such as Tesco and Waitrose. Looking at the target market there are some variations, Ella’s Kitchen has a narrow focus on mothers who feed their babies and small children. Tropicana is generally only available to people shopping at supermarkets and Innocent is available in numerous locations from supermarkets, vending machines to supermarkets which means its accessible to the mass public and thus has the largest target market. (Mintel, 2011)Moreover, Innocent prides itself on it products being 100% natural and this is therefore a competitive advantage because very few competitors can state that they only use pure fruit without any processing such as pasteurization. Tropicana uses a pasteurization process in their juice, whic h makes it less healthy than innocent. (Tropicana, 2011) The strategic alliance with Coca-Cola can on one hand be a competitive advantage because Innocent can you the power Coca-cola has but on the other hand Coca-cola could be a bad influence and bad for their eco reputation.Tropicana has a competitive advantage over Innocent and that is that they already are international established and far greater than innocent has. Ella’s kitchen has a competitive advantage oriented towards their target group. They are considered a solid competitor in the smoothie industry and their major customer is the mother, which means that a majority of the target group ‘mothers’ favours ella’s kitchen over the others. Now about the core competencies, innocent has a very popular and a unique brand dvertising and communication that makes them differ from the others and stand out. Tropicana is the world leader in fruit juice manufacturing which is what makes them stand out and las tly Ella’s kitchen has a very wide product range but does compete high up in the smoothie market. When we look at competitive strategies we know that Innocent has a differentiation strategy because they have a broad target and their products are differentiated from the competition. Tropicana on the other hand has a cost leadership approach because they also have a broad target but low costs.Lastly, Ella’s Kitchen uses the strategy differentiation focus because they have a narrow target and a differentiation approach. (Institute for manufacturing, 2011) Finally when looking at the CSR activities all three companies are involved with corporate social responsibility but Innocent is definitely the leader and even has their own foundation. Overall we ranked Tropicana as a stronger competitor. SWOT Analysis All information gained from the tools is used to compose the SWOT analysis. The strengths and weaknesses of Innocent ltd. re derived from the internal analysis of this re port. To start with the main strengths of the organization, the market share of 78% in the UK smoothie market is definitely a strong point of the company. Moreover, the closest competitors (Tropicana ; Ella’s Kitchen) only have three and two percent respectively. This shows the power of Innocent ltd. in the smoothie market. In addition to their power, the brand awareness and the brand image of Innocent is therefore very high. The organization focuses on charity work and wants to ‘leave things a little bit better than we found it’. Innocent ltd, 2011) They have won several business awards such as the Barclays Green Leaders Business Award and the Business Commitment in 2008. Furthermore, their premium quality of their products differentiates themselves from their competitors and forms the basis of the brand loyalty and the cause of their high market share. The Banana phone and the AGM days support the customer loyalty due to the fact that it increases the involveme nt of customers in the organization. Their market share, brand loyalty and close retailer relationship support another strength of the company, which is that the roducts are placed at eye-height in the supermarkets and in clear sight at other retailers such as Starbucks. Despite of the many strengths of the company, our internal analysis of the organization also showed some weaknesses. The first weakness of the company is the price inflexibility, which means that the prices of smoothies are dependant on the prices of food. Furthermore, the competition remains a weakness of the company, due to the fact that established companies such as Starbucks are now starting fruit bars as well, which could negatively affect the sales of the Innocent products.Furthermore, the internal analysis showed that the organization is highly dependant on their smoothies sales. This is a weakness because when the sales or trend of smoothies declines, the whole revenue and profit of the company will decline as well. This is also mainly due to their narrow target market, which is the AB socio-economic group, that intensively reacts on the state of the economy. In times of recession, the smoothies are seen as luxury products, which cause a decline in sales during this time.To go on with the opportunities and threats gained from the external analysis. According to reports used in the analysis, the international smoothie market will be worth 15 billion in 2015, which causes a major opportunity for the company to go global. In addition, the government is supporting healthier lifestyles with the 5 a day campaign and the trend is to buy and eat organic healthy food, which could benefits Innocent as a healthy business in the future. In addition to this trend, an opportunity for Innocent is to differentiate more on healthy products.They already did with their veggie pots, however there are lot more opportunities for more healthy foods and drinks. Lastly, the strategic alliance with Coca-Cola mi ght negatively as well as positively influence Innocent Ltd. An opportunity for the company is to make more use of strategic alliances or partnerships in the future, which for example, could benefits and support the international expansion. And lastly, the external analysis showed some threats that could affect the business negatively. Firstly, it is necessary to monitor the competition in hat they are doing and anticipate on them in order to maintain their ‘prospector’ status according to their Miles ; Snow adaptive strategy. In addition, the prospector strategy could also lead to losses due to the risk that is associated with this strategy. Another threat is the fact that Innocent’s products are highly linked to the economic climate, with fewer sales in times of recession. Furthermore, substitute products form a threat for the company, for example when other soft drinks become healthier; the consumers could decide to buy those instead of the healthy innocent dr inks.And lastly, as discussed in the opportunities paragraph, the controversial alliance with Coca-Cola could negatively influence the brand image of Innocent Ltd. Appendix †¦ shows the overview of the SWOT analysis. Recommendations The strategic alliance with coca-cola can have a negative impact on the company, thus Innocent needs to be solid in not adapting the culture of coca-cola and stick to their own eco approach. If coca-cola influences them they might lose their CSR aspects.Another point is that Innocent has a very narrow target market and only AB socio economic people can afford to buy the products regularly. Innocent is also highly dependant on food prices, which are linked to the economic climate. If there is a change in the economic climate prices might increase which will affect their narrow target group even more. In order to avoid such a problem Innocent needs to stick to their prices or even try to lower them and possible increase sales because the demand will b ecome higher from a larger target group.Lastly, many companies such as Starbucks are also starting fruit bars and or juices which can ultimately become a threat to Innocent but in order to remain market leader in the smoothie industry Innocent should stick to their 100% natural policy and due to the current health trend the healthy consumer will prefer Innocent over the others. There are very few competitors that can also incorporate the 100% natural policy, they will also add sugars, additives or pasteurization processes which makes the product become less healthy hence if Innocent remains a healthy product they will always have a competitive advantage.ReferencesBBC Business news. (2011). Richard Reed, Innocent Drinks. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news /business- 11551271. [Accessed 01. 11. 2011]BBC, (2010). Spending Review: Cuts watch, department-by-department. [online]BBC News. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news /uk-politics-10924719 [Accessed 9. 12. 2011].Bu siness Dictionary 2011, Competitive Benchmarking [online], Available from: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition /competitive- benchmarking. html [Accessed: 11. 11. 2011]CarMicheal, A. (2009). Innocent. Available from: http://www. allycarmichael. om/photo_ 6035145. html. [Accessed] 29. 10. 2011]Directgov, (2010). Corporation Tax rates. [online] HM Reveue ; Customs. Available from: http://www. hmrc. gov. uk/rates /corp. htm [Accessed 9. 12. 2011].HM Treasury, (2011). Forecasts for the UK economy: a comparison of independent forecasts. online] Available from: http://www. hm-treasury. gov. uk /d/ 201111forcomp. pdf [Accessed 9. 12. 2011].Innocent Ltd. (2011), Innocent & Business Purpose, Vision and values [online], Available from: http://www. innocentdrinks. co. uk/careers/business/purpose/ [Accessed: 11. 11. 2011]Innocent Foundation Ltd. (2011), about the foundation [online], Available from: http://www. innocentfoundation. org/ [Accessed: 11. 11. 2011] Innocent Ltd. (2011). G allery. Available: http://www. innocentdrinks. co. uk/ bored/ gallery/. [Accessed: 04. 11. 2011]Mintel Group Ltd, (2011). Smoothies-UK-October 2011 Strength and Weaknesses. [online] Available from: http://academic. mintel. com/ sinatra/ oxygen_academic/ display/ i [Accessed 9. 12. 2011].Mulleady, F (2011). Strategic Perspectives. London: McGraw-Hill Education. p. 147-151. NHS, (2011). Why 5 a day?. [online] NHS. Available from: http://www. nhs. uk/ Livewell/ 5ADAY/ Pages/ Why5ADAY. aspx [Accessed 9. 12. 2011].NPS (2010), What are Core Values? [online], Available from: http://www. nps. gov/ training/ uc/ whcv. htm [Accessed: 11. 11. 2011]Office for National Statistics, (2011). GDP and the Labour Market. online] Available from: http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/ dcp171780_242980. pdf

Cognitive Methods and Cognitive Theories Essay

After reading the article, in my opinion this is an analysis of a professional issue? This article is basically a guide line of information for researchers and students, who have issues with understanding the cognitive process, how these methods interfere or contribute with our daily lives. The main purpose of this article is to explain how the Cognitive methods and Cognitive theories is bidirectional. Cognitive methods now being used in social-psychological research is what is being describe in this volume. Some methods that are poplar is social psychology are affective priming, response interference paradigms, mathematical models, connection-ist simulation and the list goes on. Klauer, K, C, Voss, Andreas, Stahl, Christopher (2011). As stated the aim in this book is to provide researchers and students of social psychology with accessible information to these different cognitive methods. Each of the chapters will focus on different methods rather than on one specific method. So basically the book breaks the chapter so that the students and the researchers who are confuse or not sure about a specific method, can better understand what they’re reading and be able to translate to the information to another. One of the major finding was realizing, how much Attention plays a role in the cognitive process. According to the article, people don’t realize, Attention process are fundamental and play a critical role in a variety of what mechanism that determine what we notice, what remember, and what parts of our environment we respond to more actively. It also goes on to say that Attention is actually not a single entity; rather the word is a catchall phrase that refers to a variety of brain process involved is a range on cognitive, perceptual and motor tasks. Explain how this article fits into the overall field of psychology.