Marketing (Buyer Behaviour) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing (Buyer Behaviour) - Essay Example t will provide the business executives with sufficient information regarding the strategies used by HP and Dell in terms of being able to effectively influence the buying behavior of its target consumers. Founded in 1939 by Bill and Dave (HP, 2008a), Hewlett-Packard (HP) manages to grow as the leading computer manufacturer in the global markets. Today, HP operates in more than 170 countries all over the world. Dell was founded by Michael Dell in 1984. (Dell, 2008a) Since then, the company remains focused on addressing the specific needs of the customers when purchasing a computer system. Dell’s strategic decision to penetrate the global markets in 1987 (Dell, 2008b) enabled the company to become one of the biggest computer manufacturers today. Specifically in Australian market, HP and Dell were able to capture the biggest market shares with 21% and 15% respectively. (Tung, 2008) (See Appendix I – Market Shares of Major Computer Manufacturers in Australia on page 11) Under the Needs and Wants, discussion will focus on determining the buyers’ behavior on these two major portable computer manufacturers, a clear market segment and the specific needs and wants of the consumers in terms of using the two branded laptops will be identified. Eventually, the different strategies used in motivating consumers to purchase either of these two products as well as the attitudes or consumers’ preferences with regards to these brands will be discussed. The last part of the report will tackle the impact of consumers’ social class on how marketers are able to communicate with them including how the marketing communication methods used may have affect the consumers’ perception on these products. Between September ___ to ___ of year 2008, a total of 100 market research survey questionnaires will be distributed to a total of 100 laptop owners who are living in Australia. (See Appendix II – Market Research Survey Questionnaire on page 12) Aside from conducting a

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Dispute Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Dispute - Essay Example Individuals are engrossed in reflective thinking when they are faced with a problem, which does not provide answers. The answers, in this case, are uncertain and there is no authority to provide the correct answer. In this case, there is no specific correct answer and the problem has to be evaluated in the light of the past data. The subject of reflective thinking consists of the evaluation of beliefs and the integration of contrasting views. The problem faced in the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan is intense as its base lies in the problem between the tribes of the area and the problem do not provide with suggestive answers. (On reflective thinking; Bajoria) The problem of the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan has a long history to it. The Afghanistan side of the border has a long history of various tribes fighting over the supremacy of the land. The British during its rule in the Indian subcontinent began to expand its empire in Central Asia where it faced the Russian opposition. The land of Afghanistan was fought over by both countries. The English fought wars in Afghanistan and won over the land. They demarcated a three-tier border system to distinguish the extension of their rule. The lines were drawn by negotiation with the then Afghan ruler King Abdur Rahman Khan. The first border was between Pakistan and the areas under the Pashtun rule. The second tier distinguished the Pashtun areas from that of Afghanistan. This is the Durand line. Sir Henry Mortimer Durand drew the borderline and it was named after him. The Durand line is the globally documented boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The third frontier was the external bo rders of Afghanistan in the north. Most of the problems in the area of the border stem from the presence of tribal communities in the region.  

Link Natural (Pvt) International Audit

Link Natural (Pvt) International Audit EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Link Natural (Pvt) Ltds decision to advance their business to France was apart of the economical and socio-cultural analysis carried out to identify the market potential for the product (Link Samahan) to be sustainable in the French herbal market. The company is already conducting their businesses in many locations around the world, and France was a further step taken to expand their global presence. The following report is the market audit conducted in order to identify some of the key factors that should be taken into consideration when expanding a business across borders. A brief description of the product Link Samahan is presented initially in the report followed by an analysis of the product acceptance as well as possibilities of product resistance by the French consumers. This was identified through considering factors such as trialability, complexity, relative advantage, observability and compatibility of the product in the French herbal beverage market. The report further analyses the market in which the product will be sold and the geographical regions in France that were chosen for the initial business operations, namely Paris, Nice and Marseille. The basic transportation systems and modes in the selected areas are also discussed followed by the main communication methods used by them. Furthermore the report provides a description on consumer buying habits, distribution of the products, pricing strategies and the advertising and media usually used to reach the target market. A comparison and contrast between Link Samahan and its competitors in the French market is also carried out in the report. The comparison includes the prices, product features, packaging differences along with the promotional methods and distribution channels utilized by Link Samahan and the other competitors. Moreover, the report extends to discuss the market size indicating the trend of the industry sales and the expected sales for Link Samahan in the coming year. Finally, the agencies that will benefit the company and the important government regulations that should be followed by the company are discussed at the latter part of the market audit. INTRODUCTION Link Natural Products (Pvt) Ltd. is a leading business entity in Sri Lanka that provides herbal, Ayurvedic pharmaceuticals as well as safe and effective herbal healthcare products. Some of the main products of Link Natural include, Link Kesha hair oil, Link Sudantha toothpaste, Gotukola Tea and Spa/Aroma products. As a result of extensive research carried out for years, Link Natural introduced Link Samahan, a 100% natural herbal product to the market for curing common colds and similar ailments. Currently Link Natural is exporting their products to countries such as Malaysia, USA, UK, Germany, Thailand, India etc. (Company Profile, 2009) France being a European Union country owns the largest land among the EU countries. As an expansion in the maturity level of the product (Link Samahan), Link Natural has decided to distribute the product to three different locations situated in France. According to (Bell, 1997), French people consider herbal beverages to be healthy and they are most commonly used in every day life in the French culture. The demand for herbal products in the European market has risen over the years and this can be considered as a great opportunity for Link Natural to expand their business to France. In order to identify the target market and their potential it is vital to carry out a detailed market analysis with regard to the product. Thus the main focus of the following report will be to evaluate a market plan and audit for the purpose of marketing Link Samahan in the French herbal beverages market. The market audit will comprise of a detailed description on the target market, geographical distribution, diffusion of innovation of the consumers as well as advertising, pricing and promotions in terms of the herbal beverages market in France. THE PRODUCT: LINK SAMAHAN Link Samahan is an authentic herbal product made in Sri Lanka and it is made of 14 natural plants which are generally used in Peyave formulations. As stated in (Product Data Sheet, n.d.), in ancient Sri Lanka Peyave was considered to be one of the most popular cures for viral fevers and influenza, and it consists of a mixture of herbs in boiling water. This instant herbal beverage is used for common colds as other similar ailments such as sneezing, itching eyes, running noses etc. Currently Link Samahan plays the leading role in the Sri Lankan herbal products market for colds and other related ailments, and Link Samahan is being distributed to 32 destinations in eight different countries around the world, (About Samahan, 2009). (Refer Appendix 1). Link Samahan will be expanding into the herbal beverage market in France for the first time. An innovation is any product or a service that consumers perceive to be new, as stated by (Solomon, 2004, pg.567). Therefore, the following section will focus on how the proposed target market will perceive Link Samahan and their levels of acceptance and resistance will be determined. LINK SAMAHAN AS AN INNOVATION (As perceived by the intended target market) Diffusion of innovation refers to the process whereby a new product, service, or idea spreads through a population, (Solomon, 2004, pg.567). The rate of adoption may differ from person to person even within the same culture. According to (Solomon, 2004, pg.567) a study of 11 European countries found that consumers in individualistic cultures are more innovative than consumers in collective cultures. Therefore to identify the acceptance rate of Link Samahan in France a few important factors will be analyzed apart from the consumer behavioural changes among the target market. These factors are as follows: Relative advantage It is important that the consumers believe that the product is important and more beneficial for them than the alternative brands in the market, as the new product adaption rate is directly proportional to the relative advantage of the new product. The main characteristic of Link Samahan is that it is an herbal drink, which can be prepared instantly by just dissolving in hot water. Furthermore it has the relative advantage of being a complete natural product that can not only be used to prevent colds and similar ailments, but also can be used as a hot beverage. Therefore, it can be said that Link Samahan has a 2-in-1 relative advantage compared to other herbal beverages. Compatibility According to (Solomon, 2004, pg.570), the innovation should be compatible with the lifestyle of the consumers. No matter how convenient the product is, sometimes the consumers may not accept the product due to ethical or cultural issues. But as mentioned before according to (Bell, 1997), the French have a popular demand for herbal beverages, and have over a 70% of herbal products in large grocery stores and hypermarkets. This is one of the core reasons that Link Natural has decided to distribute Link Samahan to France. It can be stated that Link Samahan is strongly compatible with the French market and will potentially have a high usage rate. Complexity Link Samahan is a moisture-proof, triple laminated sachet with a net weight of 4 gram per packet and contains a soluble powder that can be instantly made, which makes it very low in complexity. For the convenience of the French people the directions and other details will be indicated in French, as well as English as opposed to the Sinhala, Tamil and English product details used in Sri Lanka. Therefore the product will be easier to understand and use over the other competitor brands available in the market. Trialability Link Samahan is considered to be a fast moving consumer good (FMCG). Therefore with regard to trialability, promotions will be carried out at the initial stage at the supermarkets and retail stores for the consumers to taste the product through free samples. Since consumers have the ability to try out the product and evaluate it through the free samples, Link Samahan has a very high trialability factor. Observability An innovation should be high in observability for an adopter to be aware of its existence. Having promotions as mentioned above can be of use to a certain extent (i.e. taste) but the exact outcome of Link Samahan cannot be observed immediately after the consumption. MAJOR PROBLEMS RESISTANCES TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF LINK SAMAHAN, BASED ON THE PROCEEDING EVALUATION Any company when entering to a new market or introducing a new product is faced with a potential risk of failure no matter how favourable the circumstances are. Therefore it is essential to analyze the consumer acceptance for the product in order to survive in the market. Based on the proceeding evaluation, Link Samahan has a high potential of the consumers acceptance as there are high levels of relative advantage, compatibility, trialability and it is also low in complexity. THE MARKET MARKETS IN WHICH LINK SAMAHAN WILL BE SOLD Through the sociocultural and an economical analysis conducted previously, it was identified that there is a favourable market for Link Samahan to be introduced in France. According to (Bell,1997), approximately 2500 metric tons are sold annually in the herbal beverages market in which 60% is in sachet format, 36% in instant products and about 2% in bulk. One of the main reasons to penetrate the French market is their acceptance of herbal beverages. It is most commonly used in many households and is enjoyed by most French people. Thus there is a demand for herbal products, and in addition to this, Link Samahan can also be used as a cheap effective way to cure common colds as oppose to using Saunas which is also highly popular in France. Link Samahan is an FMCG which can be afforded by anyone ranging from lower-middle level to upper level income earners. France has an estimated population of 64,057,792 as mentioned in, (France Demography, n.d) Geographical regions France is a Western European country which borders countries such as Belgium, Spain and Italy in the Europe region. 77% of the total population has been urbanized as of 2008 and 65% of the total population falls in the 15-64 years age category, (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.) (Refer Appendix 2). The population is one of the main factors that have to be taken into consideration in deciding the main geographical regions for Link Samahan to be distributed and marketed to. According to research carried out by (Butler, 2009), the main cities in France with the highest populations are Paris (11,293,200 people), Marseille (1,532,400 people), Lyon (1,665,700 people), Toulouse (975,000 people), Nice (943,000 people) and Nantes (718,700 people). Furthermore, France is generally known to be a cold city and it is a country with typical seasonal changes through out the year. Also, according to (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.), France is faced with floods, midwinter windstorms etc. at certain times of the year. Hence, the probability of people being faced with the common cold is high in terms of climate changes. The company has selected Paris, Marseilles and Nice to distribute and market Link Samahan due to the above mentioned reasons. Another primary reason for selecting Marseilles and Nice is the easy access due to being situated in the coast of France bordering the Mediterranean sea. Hence geographically there is easy access to these cities and the products can be shipped conveniently from Sri Lanka. Forms of transportation available in these regions Paris There are many forms of transportation used in Paris. It consists of four airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly being the main two commercial airports and, Le Bourget, and Beauvais Tille being two smaller airports for budget airlines and private jets, (Paris Airports, n.d.) Gare de Lyon train station in Paris provides rail services to the south and east of where Marseilles and Nice are situates. Therefore, Link Samahan can easily be transported to and fro from Paris to the other 2 selected locations, (Gare de Lyon, n.d). Apart from this the Metropolitan underground train network and the two tramlines are also commonly used for transportation in the city of Paris. The bus network in Paris covers the Ile-de-France region and also it extends in the central Paris. However, traffic has to be taken into consideration when travelling by bus as Paris a busy city, (How to use Parisian transport networks, 2003). Marseille Marseille has one airport. Similar to Paris it consists of a bus network and two metro lines which are commonly used among passengers. It is convenient to travel using the Metro Line over the bus network due to the heavy traffic situation in the city. The main train station in Marseille is called Gare Saint Charles and it connects to Paris, which takes approximately 3 hours, (Marseille Transport, 2007). The Marseille Port, being the largest port in France, plays a major role in transporting of Link Samahan from Sri Lanka to France, as the company will be using Vieux Port in Marseilles as the main port to distribute the products to Marseille and Paris and Nice respectively, (Marseille Cruise Port, 2009). From Marseilles, Link Samahan will be transported via train from Gare Saint Charles Station to Paris. Nice The main concern of the company is transporting the product from Marseille to Nice. Therefore the Link Natural (Pvt) Ltd. will be using the railway system for the means of transporting the product to Nice. Communication available in these regions The most common methods in communicating in Paris are through telephone, Internet, and television. Some of the main telecommunication companies situated in Paris are Coriolis Tà ©là ©com, France Telecom, Orange (France Telecom), Bouygues Tà ©là ©com and SFR in which most provide the consumers with telephone as well as internet broadband facilities. (France Telecommunication Companies, 2009) According to (Internet World Stats, 2008) the main dominator of all telecommunication methods such mobile, fixed, Internet and broadband in France is France Telecom. Similar to Paris, Nice and Marseille also use Internet, Telephone and television as main methods of communication. 58.1 % of the population uses the Internet in France (Internet World Stats, 2008). Therefore, Link Natural can use Internet advertising to promote Link Samahan in France for wider reach of the target market. According to (Television Viewing by Country, n.d.), the average viewing rate of television in France is 23 hours per person per week, which indicates that accessibility for television is high among the consumers and therefore television media can be used as an effective means of communicating the product to the customers. Consumer buying habits Consumers buying habits may vary according to the type of products purchased by them. For instance, people may compare and contrast when purchasing a shopping good with the alternative products available in the market. Since Link Samahan is a consumer good, which needs little effort of the consumer in purchasing the product the consumers in the intended target market are not expected spend a lot of time in deciding on purchasing the product. However, since the herbal beverages market is considerably large in France it is vital to pay attention to the leading competitors brands purchased most frequently by the consumers. Product use patterns The herbal beverages market in the Europe has grown over the years due to health concerns of most consumers. People are more careful with their health as a result of their busy scheduled lifestyles. The French generally tend to consume herbal infusions daily in the night after dinner time. Therefore the usage of herbal beverages in France is regular and consistent in the current market. Product feature preferences Most people look for convenience when purchasing products and are more health conscious considering the health issues that they are exposed in the society as previously mentioned. Link Samahan is marketed as a two in one product, which is an herbal cure of colds, as well as a normal hot beverage to the consumers. Therefore the taste of the product is given special consideration so that the consumers will show a favourable response towards the product. It also an instant drink which can be prepared easily. Shopping habits According to the research carried out it was identified that the average consumer purchases herbal beverages approximately once in every three weeks. With the rise in health concerns among the people and herbal beverages being conveniently available in the local retail and supermarket outlets customers are bound to purchase them on a regular basis. Distribution of the product Most of the herbal beverage products are available all over France. They are mainly distributed in local grocery stores, retail outlets and many international supermarket and hypermarket chains located in the country. According to (Shopping in France, n.d.) some of the main supermarket chains are Champion, Carrefour, Auchan, Casino, Leclerc and Intermarchà ©. Advertising and Promotion Advertising media usually used to reach the target market The usual methods of advertising FMCG products are through television, radio, and newspaper/magazine advertisements, as they are targeted towards a mass market of all levels of income earners. Having the fourth highest television-viewing rate in the world, 99% of the households in France have access to televisions especially in the urban areas. According to (Press Reference France, n.d.), there are 584 television networks currently operating in France and marketers of FMCGs frequently use television advertisements. Another popular method of advertising is through Radio networks, as most people have access to radios. Considering the busy lifestyles of the people most companies have adopted this method as people in urban as well as rural areas are known to listen to the radio even when doing other work. Other methods used include newspapers and magazines. French are said to have a high literacy rate of 99% and newspapers and magazines are commonly used around the country. Apart from these methods, Internet is also widely used for advertising consumer products as most people purchase goods online, especially the younger generation. Sales promotions customarily used For most FMCG products, most commonly used sales promotions methods are buy one get one free promotions, in store promotions and free sampling promotions held at retail stores and supermarkets. Pricing Strategy Initially Link Natural will be using the price penetration strategy at a set price of â‚ ¬10.50 intending to attract more customers and capture a larger market share. However, the price maybe varied accordingly in the future depending on the purchasing trend of the consumers and discounts will be given during different seasons. COMPARISON CONTRAST OF LINK SAMAHAN WITH THE COMPETITORS PRODUCTS Link Samahan Brand Name: The name Link Samahan is a family brand name, which is derived from the company name Link Natural. This gives Samahan a special recognition for the consumers, as Link Natural is a well-reputed company in many countries in the EU. Features: Link Samahan is made using 14 natural Ayurvedic herbs, which were chosen through a comprehensive study done by Ayurvedic scientists for years. The main feature of the product is that it is a beverage, which can be made instantly by dissolving in hot water. The basic flavors of Samahan are Lime and Lemon, and will extend to include Mint and Linden (which is a common taste preference of the French people). Package: The 100g pack consists of 25 moisture-proof, triple laminated sachets with a net weight of 4 grams per packet. The details on the sachet will be indicated in both French and English for the convenience of the consumers. The sachet will be yellow and green in color to give a natural look and the colors will be differed accordingly when new flavors are introduced. The competitors products Link Samahan is mainly marketed as a medicine for curing common colds as well as a regular herbal beverage. Therefore there is no direct competitor for the product although there is a large market for herbal beverages in France. There are many herbal tea products available in the French market. The market leader is Lipton with more that 46% of the herbal sachet tea market. The Lipton Company brands Elephant and Saveurs du Soir, dominate the French herbal beverage market by providing various types of herbal tea flavors. The bulk herbal tea market is dominated by La Tisanerie brand, which is also a popular brand available in France. However, they also sell sachet packages in a variety of flavors. Apart from these competitors, Solinests Ricola brand of instant herbal infusions dominates 90% of its product area while 10% of the market represents other Store brands, (Bell, 1997) (Refer Appendix 3) Lipton Brand name: Lipton Elephant Brand Lipton Saveurs Du Soir Features: Both brands mentioned above are herbal teas and have different types of flavors ranging from mint to a wide range of fruit flavors. The price ranges from  £6.00 to  £7.00. Package: Each pack contains 25 sachets and is presented in their own unique color depending on each flavor. Foods International Brand name: La Tisanià ¨re Features: La Tisanià ¨re is also an herbal tea with various flavors such as Les Fruisanes range, which has a variety of fruit flavors, Trà ©sors de Nature range, which has a variety of flavors combining flowers and herbs and the Wellness range. (What about La Tisanià ¨re, n.d) Package: Different flavors are presented in different colors and packed in 25 sachet boxes. Ricola Brand name: Ricola Features: Ricola herbal tea is a popular hot beverage especially during the winter season and is commonly used as a remedy for colds and coughs, (Instant Teas, n.d.) Similar to other competitors, Ricola also offers a wide variety of flavors in their herbal tea range. Package: Ricola teas are generally packed in a plastic container ranging from 200g onwards and in presented in different colors according to the flavors. Comparison All competitors of Link Samahan fall under the herbal tea category. Therefore there is a relative advantage for Samahan as it will be marketed as an herbal beverage as well as a medical concoction used for common colds and similar ailments. Most competitor brands seem similar in appearance which makes it hard for the consumers to distinguish between them at a glance. However, Link Samahan will be presented in its own unique packaging so that it will be visible among rest of the products. The most significant difference between Link Samahan and other competitors is that the price of Link Samahan will be slightly higher due to the fact that it is more of a remedy to cure colds as well as a regular herbal beverage. The competitors price The following is a list of prices of the competitors available in the herbal beverages market. There is no significant difference between the prices of each brand. Competitors promotion and advertising methods The primary method of advertising used by Lipton is through newspaper advertisements. Lipton range consists of a wide range of brands. Thus, they advertise each brand separately rather than as a whole. Since most people have access to reading newspapers daily, they believe that it is the best way to capture the target market. La Tisanià ¨re on the other hand is mainly advertised through radio advertisements along with the Twininngs and Ovaltine, which are the other hot beverage products of their mother company Foods International. Ricolas main focus is on health magazines as they stress on health benefits of consuming Ricola herbal tea such as a cure for coughs and colds. However, Ricola products are also advertised through radio advertisements as well as newspapers through feature articles etc. Other main promotion methods used by these competitors are discounted prizes, special draws and competitions, sponsoring various events and coupon systems. Competitors distribution channels Lipton: Hypermarkets and supermarket chains Foods International: Supermarket chains and retail stores Ricola: Hypermarkets, supermarkets and retails stores MARKET SIZE Estimated industry sales for the planning year According to the research carried out in France, a rise in the industry sales is expected in 2010/2011 due to the regular consumption of herbal products among the consumers. The income level of the consumers may not affect them since herbal beverages are considered as an FMCG. Estimated sales for Link Samahan for the planning year The graph indicates the forecasted sales for Link Samahan for the year 2010 per city. According to the figures shown, approximately about 45,350 packets per city will to be sold and roughly about 3250 packets will be sold per month in average in the year 2010. Furthermore, Link Samahan is expected to detain the market share rapidly in the French market according to the number of estimated sales. All these details are further discussed in the preliminary marketing plan. GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET PLACE Agencies that can help Link Natural The herbal beverages industry especially herbal tea industry is a rapidly growing market in France. Apart from being sold mainly in hypermarkets and supermarkets, herbal beverages are commonly used in health care centers, hospitals, holiday spas as well as hotels around the country. The usage of herbal beverages can be highly encouraged among the consumers through most of these agencies which will benefit the sellers in the trade. For instance, Link Samahan can be made available in popular health spas and hotels such as George V-Buddha Bar Spa, Ban Thai Spa, Bleu comme Bleu and Spa Anne Fontaine in Paris, (Spas Whats New,n.d.), and SPA de lhotel Boscolo Exedra Doctor, sauna le cercle Nice Saint Maurice and Nyrvana Madeleine Nice, in Nice (Saunas and Spas in Nice, 2009). It will also enable brand recognition through making the products available in recognized organizations to grab the attention of the target market. Regulations that must be followed It is vital that all companies follow the rules and regulations of the country to avoid complications. France belongs to the European Union and according to (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7), the European Commission has decided to draft a legislation on herbal medicinal products, dietetic foods, nutritional and functional claims, and fortified foods. Also according to (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7), the French Research Center on Nutrition and Food has a recommended allowance of a percentage of ingredients in the products to be consumed daily, and if the product doesnt meet those requirements, a special authorization from the French Public Superior Council for Hygiene (CSHPF) should be obtained by the manufacturer to market the product. Also according to French regulations it is important that all information such as product definition, list of ingredients, shelf life, weight and volume etc. are labeled in French on the packaging of the product. (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7) Apart from these, according to (France Trade Regulations and Standards, n.d.), quality and ecological labels, bar code price labeling, and usage instructions should also be mentioned. In general it is important that the product does not portray any offensive material that is not accepted socially, religiously, ethically etc. in France as it will not be accepted under the government regulations. MARKETING PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following preliminary marketing plan was prepared by Link Natural (Pvt) Ltd to present a comprehensible idea on their business expansion of Link Samahan to France after conducting an ample research on the feasibility of the product in the French market. The main objective of this report is to guarantee that the product will be successful in the French market when competing among the alternatives available. The report portrays a detailed description mainly on the intended target market focusing on geographical, sociological, demographical etc. aspects, which are relevant to B2B and B2C markets. It gives an insight to the expected sales and the profit expectations for the year 2010. Furthermore, it explains the penetration strategies used by the company to gain market share of the consumers of herbal beverages in the market. It is imperative to analyze the product adaptation and modification by using factors such as core components, packaging, and support services etc. to grasp a clear interpretation of the product, which is described with sufficient details in the analysis. The report also focuses on to one of the major components in the marketing the mix, the promotions of the product carried out in France. The overall promotion objectives are explained followed by advertising, sales promotions, personal selling and other promotional tools used by the company to promote Link Samahan among the French consumers. Moreover, it explains the distribution components from origin to destination, which includes port selection, mode selection, packing, important documentations, insurance claims etc. as well as channel of distribution and more importantly the price determination of the product. Finally the terms of sales and method payment used by the company are explained followed by the budget and the financial statement of the entire business plan. Therefore as mentioned above, the crucial factors are highlighted in this report to ensure the success of Link Samahans establishment in the French market. THE MARKETING PLAN MARKET OBJECTIVES Target Market France has been ranked the 19th most populated country in the world, with a population estimate of 64,057,792, as stated in (France Demography, n.d.). It is therefore impractical to target the entire population of the country. The company has taken into consideration factors such as demography and geography when selecting the target market for Link Samahan. Demographically, the variables that were taken into consideration when selecting the target market were age, sex and income status. 65% of Frances population falls within the age group 15-64 years (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.). Both males and females having a lower-middle to upper level income will be targeted since Link Samahan is an FMCG and is generally affordable to all the income groups mentioned above. Geographically, Paris, Marseilles and Nice are 3 of the most populated and metropolitan cities in France. Collectively in these 3 cities, the total population amounts to approximately 14.6 million (France People, 2006). Therefore, the primary business-to-consumer (B2C) target market for Link Samahan in France is: males females, from lower-middle to upper level income groups, between the ages of 15-64 who are primarily residing in the cities of Paris, Marseilles or Nice. There will also be a business-to-business (B2B) target market which would consist of the most visited retail stores, supermarket chains, hypermarkets and health holiday spas in the sele Link Natural (Pvt) International Audit Link Natural (Pvt) International Audit EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Link Natural (Pvt) Ltds decision to advance their business to France was apart of the economical and socio-cultural analysis carried out to identify the market potential for the product (Link Samahan) to be sustainable in the French herbal market. The company is already conducting their businesses in many locations around the world, and France was a further step taken to expand their global presence. The following report is the market audit conducted in order to identify some of the key factors that should be taken into consideration when expanding a business across borders. A brief description of the product Link Samahan is presented initially in the report followed by an analysis of the product acceptance as well as possibilities of product resistance by the French consumers. This was identified through considering factors such as trialability, complexity, relative advantage, observability and compatibility of the product in the French herbal beverage market. The report further analyses the market in which the product will be sold and the geographical regions in France that were chosen for the initial business operations, namely Paris, Nice and Marseille. The basic transportation systems and modes in the selected areas are also discussed followed by the main communication methods used by them. Furthermore the report provides a description on consumer buying habits, distribution of the products, pricing strategies and the advertising and media usually used to reach the target market. A comparison and contrast between Link Samahan and its competitors in the French market is also carried out in the report. The comparison includes the prices, product features, packaging differences along with the promotional methods and distribution channels utilized by Link Samahan and the other competitors. Moreover, the report extends to discuss the market size indicating the trend of the industry sales and the expected sales for Link Samahan in the coming year. Finally, the agencies that will benefit the company and the important government regulations that should be followed by the company are discussed at the latter part of the market audit. INTRODUCTION Link Natural Products (Pvt) Ltd. is a leading business entity in Sri Lanka that provides herbal, Ayurvedic pharmaceuticals as well as safe and effective herbal healthcare products. Some of the main products of Link Natural include, Link Kesha hair oil, Link Sudantha toothpaste, Gotukola Tea and Spa/Aroma products. As a result of extensive research carried out for years, Link Natural introduced Link Samahan, a 100% natural herbal product to the market for curing common colds and similar ailments. Currently Link Natural is exporting their products to countries such as Malaysia, USA, UK, Germany, Thailand, India etc. (Company Profile, 2009) France being a European Union country owns the largest land among the EU countries. As an expansion in the maturity level of the product (Link Samahan), Link Natural has decided to distribute the product to three different locations situated in France. According to (Bell, 1997), French people consider herbal beverages to be healthy and they are most commonly used in every day life in the French culture. The demand for herbal products in the European market has risen over the years and this can be considered as a great opportunity for Link Natural to expand their business to France. In order to identify the target market and their potential it is vital to carry out a detailed market analysis with regard to the product. Thus the main focus of the following report will be to evaluate a market plan and audit for the purpose of marketing Link Samahan in the French herbal beverages market. The market audit will comprise of a detailed description on the target market, geographical distribution, diffusion of innovation of the consumers as well as advertising, pricing and promotions in terms of the herbal beverages market in France. THE PRODUCT: LINK SAMAHAN Link Samahan is an authentic herbal product made in Sri Lanka and it is made of 14 natural plants which are generally used in Peyave formulations. As stated in (Product Data Sheet, n.d.), in ancient Sri Lanka Peyave was considered to be one of the most popular cures for viral fevers and influenza, and it consists of a mixture of herbs in boiling water. This instant herbal beverage is used for common colds as other similar ailments such as sneezing, itching eyes, running noses etc. Currently Link Samahan plays the leading role in the Sri Lankan herbal products market for colds and other related ailments, and Link Samahan is being distributed to 32 destinations in eight different countries around the world, (About Samahan, 2009). (Refer Appendix 1). Link Samahan will be expanding into the herbal beverage market in France for the first time. An innovation is any product or a service that consumers perceive to be new, as stated by (Solomon, 2004, pg.567). Therefore, the following section will focus on how the proposed target market will perceive Link Samahan and their levels of acceptance and resistance will be determined. LINK SAMAHAN AS AN INNOVATION (As perceived by the intended target market) Diffusion of innovation refers to the process whereby a new product, service, or idea spreads through a population, (Solomon, 2004, pg.567). The rate of adoption may differ from person to person even within the same culture. According to (Solomon, 2004, pg.567) a study of 11 European countries found that consumers in individualistic cultures are more innovative than consumers in collective cultures. Therefore to identify the acceptance rate of Link Samahan in France a few important factors will be analyzed apart from the consumer behavioural changes among the target market. These factors are as follows: Relative advantage It is important that the consumers believe that the product is important and more beneficial for them than the alternative brands in the market, as the new product adaption rate is directly proportional to the relative advantage of the new product. The main characteristic of Link Samahan is that it is an herbal drink, which can be prepared instantly by just dissolving in hot water. Furthermore it has the relative advantage of being a complete natural product that can not only be used to prevent colds and similar ailments, but also can be used as a hot beverage. Therefore, it can be said that Link Samahan has a 2-in-1 relative advantage compared to other herbal beverages. Compatibility According to (Solomon, 2004, pg.570), the innovation should be compatible with the lifestyle of the consumers. No matter how convenient the product is, sometimes the consumers may not accept the product due to ethical or cultural issues. But as mentioned before according to (Bell, 1997), the French have a popular demand for herbal beverages, and have over a 70% of herbal products in large grocery stores and hypermarkets. This is one of the core reasons that Link Natural has decided to distribute Link Samahan to France. It can be stated that Link Samahan is strongly compatible with the French market and will potentially have a high usage rate. Complexity Link Samahan is a moisture-proof, triple laminated sachet with a net weight of 4 gram per packet and contains a soluble powder that can be instantly made, which makes it very low in complexity. For the convenience of the French people the directions and other details will be indicated in French, as well as English as opposed to the Sinhala, Tamil and English product details used in Sri Lanka. Therefore the product will be easier to understand and use over the other competitor brands available in the market. Trialability Link Samahan is considered to be a fast moving consumer good (FMCG). Therefore with regard to trialability, promotions will be carried out at the initial stage at the supermarkets and retail stores for the consumers to taste the product through free samples. Since consumers have the ability to try out the product and evaluate it through the free samples, Link Samahan has a very high trialability factor. Observability An innovation should be high in observability for an adopter to be aware of its existence. Having promotions as mentioned above can be of use to a certain extent (i.e. taste) but the exact outcome of Link Samahan cannot be observed immediately after the consumption. MAJOR PROBLEMS RESISTANCES TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF LINK SAMAHAN, BASED ON THE PROCEEDING EVALUATION Any company when entering to a new market or introducing a new product is faced with a potential risk of failure no matter how favourable the circumstances are. Therefore it is essential to analyze the consumer acceptance for the product in order to survive in the market. Based on the proceeding evaluation, Link Samahan has a high potential of the consumers acceptance as there are high levels of relative advantage, compatibility, trialability and it is also low in complexity. THE MARKET MARKETS IN WHICH LINK SAMAHAN WILL BE SOLD Through the sociocultural and an economical analysis conducted previously, it was identified that there is a favourable market for Link Samahan to be introduced in France. According to (Bell,1997), approximately 2500 metric tons are sold annually in the herbal beverages market in which 60% is in sachet format, 36% in instant products and about 2% in bulk. One of the main reasons to penetrate the French market is their acceptance of herbal beverages. It is most commonly used in many households and is enjoyed by most French people. Thus there is a demand for herbal products, and in addition to this, Link Samahan can also be used as a cheap effective way to cure common colds as oppose to using Saunas which is also highly popular in France. Link Samahan is an FMCG which can be afforded by anyone ranging from lower-middle level to upper level income earners. France has an estimated population of 64,057,792 as mentioned in, (France Demography, n.d) Geographical regions France is a Western European country which borders countries such as Belgium, Spain and Italy in the Europe region. 77% of the total population has been urbanized as of 2008 and 65% of the total population falls in the 15-64 years age category, (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.) (Refer Appendix 2). The population is one of the main factors that have to be taken into consideration in deciding the main geographical regions for Link Samahan to be distributed and marketed to. According to research carried out by (Butler, 2009), the main cities in France with the highest populations are Paris (11,293,200 people), Marseille (1,532,400 people), Lyon (1,665,700 people), Toulouse (975,000 people), Nice (943,000 people) and Nantes (718,700 people). Furthermore, France is generally known to be a cold city and it is a country with typical seasonal changes through out the year. Also, according to (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.), France is faced with floods, midwinter windstorms etc. at certain times of the year. Hence, the probability of people being faced with the common cold is high in terms of climate changes. The company has selected Paris, Marseilles and Nice to distribute and market Link Samahan due to the above mentioned reasons. Another primary reason for selecting Marseilles and Nice is the easy access due to being situated in the coast of France bordering the Mediterranean sea. Hence geographically there is easy access to these cities and the products can be shipped conveniently from Sri Lanka. Forms of transportation available in these regions Paris There are many forms of transportation used in Paris. It consists of four airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly being the main two commercial airports and, Le Bourget, and Beauvais Tille being two smaller airports for budget airlines and private jets, (Paris Airports, n.d.) Gare de Lyon train station in Paris provides rail services to the south and east of where Marseilles and Nice are situates. Therefore, Link Samahan can easily be transported to and fro from Paris to the other 2 selected locations, (Gare de Lyon, n.d). Apart from this the Metropolitan underground train network and the two tramlines are also commonly used for transportation in the city of Paris. The bus network in Paris covers the Ile-de-France region and also it extends in the central Paris. However, traffic has to be taken into consideration when travelling by bus as Paris a busy city, (How to use Parisian transport networks, 2003). Marseille Marseille has one airport. Similar to Paris it consists of a bus network and two metro lines which are commonly used among passengers. It is convenient to travel using the Metro Line over the bus network due to the heavy traffic situation in the city. The main train station in Marseille is called Gare Saint Charles and it connects to Paris, which takes approximately 3 hours, (Marseille Transport, 2007). The Marseille Port, being the largest port in France, plays a major role in transporting of Link Samahan from Sri Lanka to France, as the company will be using Vieux Port in Marseilles as the main port to distribute the products to Marseille and Paris and Nice respectively, (Marseille Cruise Port, 2009). From Marseilles, Link Samahan will be transported via train from Gare Saint Charles Station to Paris. Nice The main concern of the company is transporting the product from Marseille to Nice. Therefore the Link Natural (Pvt) Ltd. will be using the railway system for the means of transporting the product to Nice. Communication available in these regions The most common methods in communicating in Paris are through telephone, Internet, and television. Some of the main telecommunication companies situated in Paris are Coriolis Tà ©là ©com, France Telecom, Orange (France Telecom), Bouygues Tà ©là ©com and SFR in which most provide the consumers with telephone as well as internet broadband facilities. (France Telecommunication Companies, 2009) According to (Internet World Stats, 2008) the main dominator of all telecommunication methods such mobile, fixed, Internet and broadband in France is France Telecom. Similar to Paris, Nice and Marseille also use Internet, Telephone and television as main methods of communication. 58.1 % of the population uses the Internet in France (Internet World Stats, 2008). Therefore, Link Natural can use Internet advertising to promote Link Samahan in France for wider reach of the target market. According to (Television Viewing by Country, n.d.), the average viewing rate of television in France is 23 hours per person per week, which indicates that accessibility for television is high among the consumers and therefore television media can be used as an effective means of communicating the product to the customers. Consumer buying habits Consumers buying habits may vary according to the type of products purchased by them. For instance, people may compare and contrast when purchasing a shopping good with the alternative products available in the market. Since Link Samahan is a consumer good, which needs little effort of the consumer in purchasing the product the consumers in the intended target market are not expected spend a lot of time in deciding on purchasing the product. However, since the herbal beverages market is considerably large in France it is vital to pay attention to the leading competitors brands purchased most frequently by the consumers. Product use patterns The herbal beverages market in the Europe has grown over the years due to health concerns of most consumers. People are more careful with their health as a result of their busy scheduled lifestyles. The French generally tend to consume herbal infusions daily in the night after dinner time. Therefore the usage of herbal beverages in France is regular and consistent in the current market. Product feature preferences Most people look for convenience when purchasing products and are more health conscious considering the health issues that they are exposed in the society as previously mentioned. Link Samahan is marketed as a two in one product, which is an herbal cure of colds, as well as a normal hot beverage to the consumers. Therefore the taste of the product is given special consideration so that the consumers will show a favourable response towards the product. It also an instant drink which can be prepared easily. Shopping habits According to the research carried out it was identified that the average consumer purchases herbal beverages approximately once in every three weeks. With the rise in health concerns among the people and herbal beverages being conveniently available in the local retail and supermarket outlets customers are bound to purchase them on a regular basis. Distribution of the product Most of the herbal beverage products are available all over France. They are mainly distributed in local grocery stores, retail outlets and many international supermarket and hypermarket chains located in the country. According to (Shopping in France, n.d.) some of the main supermarket chains are Champion, Carrefour, Auchan, Casino, Leclerc and Intermarchà ©. Advertising and Promotion Advertising media usually used to reach the target market The usual methods of advertising FMCG products are through television, radio, and newspaper/magazine advertisements, as they are targeted towards a mass market of all levels of income earners. Having the fourth highest television-viewing rate in the world, 99% of the households in France have access to televisions especially in the urban areas. According to (Press Reference France, n.d.), there are 584 television networks currently operating in France and marketers of FMCGs frequently use television advertisements. Another popular method of advertising is through Radio networks, as most people have access to radios. Considering the busy lifestyles of the people most companies have adopted this method as people in urban as well as rural areas are known to listen to the radio even when doing other work. Other methods used include newspapers and magazines. French are said to have a high literacy rate of 99% and newspapers and magazines are commonly used around the country. Apart from these methods, Internet is also widely used for advertising consumer products as most people purchase goods online, especially the younger generation. Sales promotions customarily used For most FMCG products, most commonly used sales promotions methods are buy one get one free promotions, in store promotions and free sampling promotions held at retail stores and supermarkets. Pricing Strategy Initially Link Natural will be using the price penetration strategy at a set price of â‚ ¬10.50 intending to attract more customers and capture a larger market share. However, the price maybe varied accordingly in the future depending on the purchasing trend of the consumers and discounts will be given during different seasons. COMPARISON CONTRAST OF LINK SAMAHAN WITH THE COMPETITORS PRODUCTS Link Samahan Brand Name: The name Link Samahan is a family brand name, which is derived from the company name Link Natural. This gives Samahan a special recognition for the consumers, as Link Natural is a well-reputed company in many countries in the EU. Features: Link Samahan is made using 14 natural Ayurvedic herbs, which were chosen through a comprehensive study done by Ayurvedic scientists for years. The main feature of the product is that it is a beverage, which can be made instantly by dissolving in hot water. The basic flavors of Samahan are Lime and Lemon, and will extend to include Mint and Linden (which is a common taste preference of the French people). Package: The 100g pack consists of 25 moisture-proof, triple laminated sachets with a net weight of 4 grams per packet. The details on the sachet will be indicated in both French and English for the convenience of the consumers. The sachet will be yellow and green in color to give a natural look and the colors will be differed accordingly when new flavors are introduced. The competitors products Link Samahan is mainly marketed as a medicine for curing common colds as well as a regular herbal beverage. Therefore there is no direct competitor for the product although there is a large market for herbal beverages in France. There are many herbal tea products available in the French market. The market leader is Lipton with more that 46% of the herbal sachet tea market. The Lipton Company brands Elephant and Saveurs du Soir, dominate the French herbal beverage market by providing various types of herbal tea flavors. The bulk herbal tea market is dominated by La Tisanerie brand, which is also a popular brand available in France. However, they also sell sachet packages in a variety of flavors. Apart from these competitors, Solinests Ricola brand of instant herbal infusions dominates 90% of its product area while 10% of the market represents other Store brands, (Bell, 1997) (Refer Appendix 3) Lipton Brand name: Lipton Elephant Brand Lipton Saveurs Du Soir Features: Both brands mentioned above are herbal teas and have different types of flavors ranging from mint to a wide range of fruit flavors. The price ranges from  £6.00 to  £7.00. Package: Each pack contains 25 sachets and is presented in their own unique color depending on each flavor. Foods International Brand name: La Tisanià ¨re Features: La Tisanià ¨re is also an herbal tea with various flavors such as Les Fruisanes range, which has a variety of fruit flavors, Trà ©sors de Nature range, which has a variety of flavors combining flowers and herbs and the Wellness range. (What about La Tisanià ¨re, n.d) Package: Different flavors are presented in different colors and packed in 25 sachet boxes. Ricola Brand name: Ricola Features: Ricola herbal tea is a popular hot beverage especially during the winter season and is commonly used as a remedy for colds and coughs, (Instant Teas, n.d.) Similar to other competitors, Ricola also offers a wide variety of flavors in their herbal tea range. Package: Ricola teas are generally packed in a plastic container ranging from 200g onwards and in presented in different colors according to the flavors. Comparison All competitors of Link Samahan fall under the herbal tea category. Therefore there is a relative advantage for Samahan as it will be marketed as an herbal beverage as well as a medical concoction used for common colds and similar ailments. Most competitor brands seem similar in appearance which makes it hard for the consumers to distinguish between them at a glance. However, Link Samahan will be presented in its own unique packaging so that it will be visible among rest of the products. The most significant difference between Link Samahan and other competitors is that the price of Link Samahan will be slightly higher due to the fact that it is more of a remedy to cure colds as well as a regular herbal beverage. The competitors price The following is a list of prices of the competitors available in the herbal beverages market. There is no significant difference between the prices of each brand. Competitors promotion and advertising methods The primary method of advertising used by Lipton is through newspaper advertisements. Lipton range consists of a wide range of brands. Thus, they advertise each brand separately rather than as a whole. Since most people have access to reading newspapers daily, they believe that it is the best way to capture the target market. La Tisanià ¨re on the other hand is mainly advertised through radio advertisements along with the Twininngs and Ovaltine, which are the other hot beverage products of their mother company Foods International. Ricolas main focus is on health magazines as they stress on health benefits of consuming Ricola herbal tea such as a cure for coughs and colds. However, Ricola products are also advertised through radio advertisements as well as newspapers through feature articles etc. Other main promotion methods used by these competitors are discounted prizes, special draws and competitions, sponsoring various events and coupon systems. Competitors distribution channels Lipton: Hypermarkets and supermarket chains Foods International: Supermarket chains and retail stores Ricola: Hypermarkets, supermarkets and retails stores MARKET SIZE Estimated industry sales for the planning year According to the research carried out in France, a rise in the industry sales is expected in 2010/2011 due to the regular consumption of herbal products among the consumers. The income level of the consumers may not affect them since herbal beverages are considered as an FMCG. Estimated sales for Link Samahan for the planning year The graph indicates the forecasted sales for Link Samahan for the year 2010 per city. According to the figures shown, approximately about 45,350 packets per city will to be sold and roughly about 3250 packets will be sold per month in average in the year 2010. Furthermore, Link Samahan is expected to detain the market share rapidly in the French market according to the number of estimated sales. All these details are further discussed in the preliminary marketing plan. GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET PLACE Agencies that can help Link Natural The herbal beverages industry especially herbal tea industry is a rapidly growing market in France. Apart from being sold mainly in hypermarkets and supermarkets, herbal beverages are commonly used in health care centers, hospitals, holiday spas as well as hotels around the country. The usage of herbal beverages can be highly encouraged among the consumers through most of these agencies which will benefit the sellers in the trade. For instance, Link Samahan can be made available in popular health spas and hotels such as George V-Buddha Bar Spa, Ban Thai Spa, Bleu comme Bleu and Spa Anne Fontaine in Paris, (Spas Whats New,n.d.), and SPA de lhotel Boscolo Exedra Doctor, sauna le cercle Nice Saint Maurice and Nyrvana Madeleine Nice, in Nice (Saunas and Spas in Nice, 2009). It will also enable brand recognition through making the products available in recognized organizations to grab the attention of the target market. Regulations that must be followed It is vital that all companies follow the rules and regulations of the country to avoid complications. France belongs to the European Union and according to (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7), the European Commission has decided to draft a legislation on herbal medicinal products, dietetic foods, nutritional and functional claims, and fortified foods. Also according to (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7), the French Research Center on Nutrition and Food has a recommended allowance of a percentage of ingredients in the products to be consumed daily, and if the product doesnt meet those requirements, a special authorization from the French Public Superior Council for Hygiene (CSHPF) should be obtained by the manufacturer to market the product. Also according to French regulations it is important that all information such as product definition, list of ingredients, shelf life, weight and volume etc. are labeled in French on the packaging of the product. (Gauthier, 2005, pg.7) Apart from these, according to (France Trade Regulations and Standards, n.d.), quality and ecological labels, bar code price labeling, and usage instructions should also be mentioned. In general it is important that the product does not portray any offensive material that is not accepted socially, religiously, ethically etc. in France as it will not be accepted under the government regulations. MARKETING PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following preliminary marketing plan was prepared by Link Natural (Pvt) Ltd to present a comprehensible idea on their business expansion of Link Samahan to France after conducting an ample research on the feasibility of the product in the French market. The main objective of this report is to guarantee that the product will be successful in the French market when competing among the alternatives available. The report portrays a detailed description mainly on the intended target market focusing on geographical, sociological, demographical etc. aspects, which are relevant to B2B and B2C markets. It gives an insight to the expected sales and the profit expectations for the year 2010. Furthermore, it explains the penetration strategies used by the company to gain market share of the consumers of herbal beverages in the market. It is imperative to analyze the product adaptation and modification by using factors such as core components, packaging, and support services etc. to grasp a clear interpretation of the product, which is described with sufficient details in the analysis. The report also focuses on to one of the major components in the marketing the mix, the promotions of the product carried out in France. The overall promotion objectives are explained followed by advertising, sales promotions, personal selling and other promotional tools used by the company to promote Link Samahan among the French consumers. Moreover, it explains the distribution components from origin to destination, which includes port selection, mode selection, packing, important documentations, insurance claims etc. as well as channel of distribution and more importantly the price determination of the product. Finally the terms of sales and method payment used by the company are explained followed by the budget and the financial statement of the entire business plan. Therefore as mentioned above, the crucial factors are highlighted in this report to ensure the success of Link Samahans establishment in the French market. THE MARKETING PLAN MARKET OBJECTIVES Target Market France has been ranked the 19th most populated country in the world, with a population estimate of 64,057,792, as stated in (France Demography, n.d.). It is therefore impractical to target the entire population of the country. The company has taken into consideration factors such as demography and geography when selecting the target market for Link Samahan. Demographically, the variables that were taken into consideration when selecting the target market were age, sex and income status. 65% of Frances population falls within the age group 15-64 years (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.). Both males and females having a lower-middle to upper level income will be targeted since Link Samahan is an FMCG and is generally affordable to all the income groups mentioned above. Geographically, Paris, Marseilles and Nice are 3 of the most populated and metropolitan cities in France. Collectively in these 3 cities, the total population amounts to approximately 14.6 million (France People, 2006). Therefore, the primary business-to-consumer (B2C) target market for Link Samahan in France is: males females, from lower-middle to upper level income groups, between the ages of 15-64 who are primarily residing in the cities of Paris, Marseilles or Nice. There will also be a business-to-business (B2B) target market which would consist of the most visited retail stores, supermarket chains, hypermarkets and health holiday spas in the sele

The Entertainment Universe :: essays research papers

The Entertainment Universe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You are walking down a crowded street on a gloomy evening when you come upon a mass of people listening intently to the preaching of a man. The man has an up-side-down cross branded on his forehead. He is screeching his recitation at the people in a demented angry voice. His lessons consist of the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pathetic lives, every second someone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  dies. Delightful is the sight of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  repention. No destiny, just a certain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  death. In pain inducing lies salvation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Never repent...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the name of Satan I condemn this   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  image of god...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All christians are destroyed. Unguided   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  by the light. The Satanist rejoice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Revocate me!... Revocate the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  agitator.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps most disturbing about the situation is the look of utter devotion many of the young people in the crowd have in their eyes. They believe this mans thoughts and ideas and look to him for guidance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the intensity of the situation elevates the mass of people begin to violently slam into each other in a chaotic ceremonial dance. The purpose of the dance is to cause and endure as much physical pain as possible. The dance eventually gets so extreme that a young man in the crowd snaps his neck and dies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The man does not stop his ravings and the crowd doesn't stop their dance. Instead the man becomes entirely deranged, screaming at the body of the young man that he is now going to hell where he rot in flames of agony for eternity. The crowd roars and the man laughs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What do you suppose would now transpire? At the very least the man and the crowd would be arrested. More than likely there would be several charges of third degree murder laid, certainly with several convictions. The preacher would most likely be taken to a hospital for a psychological examination, be diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic, and be placed into an institution for the criminally insane for the rest of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The event described above did occur, the man recounted does exist and the ritual dance and corresponding death did transpire. However, no charges were pressed, no psychological evaluations were made, the victim was simply given a funeral and the matter was dropped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The account above was able to occur because it took place in a universe completely apart from that of the civil universe - the entertainment universe. In the entertainment universe their is practically no law and no limitation. Anything and everything goes. Rape, murder, graphic torture scenes, child molestation, all this and more are a common theme. The discourse of the artists is exhibited to the mass populace in movie theaters, prime time television and

No More Couch Potatoes Essay

There is no doubt that there is too many obese people in this world, and that is clearly a problem, but we are focusing on the wrong things in our searching for a solution. It is not the overweight itself and the thinking of a better look when all the kilos are gone, no, it is a good physicality that is the main drive or motivation that leads to a good and forever being los of weight. Too many of the obese people do not keep being thin when they have lost weight, because they are not supported on their personality, the particularly obese young boy or girl, have being abused and bullied because of their overwhelming weight, and look. That breaks the physical motivation in those young kids, and makes them take a part of this way of being treated, they accepts it and puts on a role as the â€Å"fat dude†. Personality and losing weight has to expand i the same tempo to keep the necessary motivation, not just to loose more weight, but to get a stronger and more confident personality. One of the newest answers to the obesity problem, is the â€Å"TV-cycle†, a bicycle connected to the TV, so to watch television, the kids now has to get a movement in the pedals, if not, the TV will turn off. That is not a way to get rid of the obesity. Treating the obese kids otherwise than regularly weighting kids in average teenage activities is giving them the fat-kid role, and that will not strength their outer persona. Respect and accept from other kids is important to get the essential feeling that creates a confident personality, a person who believes in him/herself. Wathing Tv, playing computer, and eating fastfood, those things are not the main problems, they are just a part of what the physical breakdown effects. Everyone do those things once in a while, and everyone should do it if they want, but everything is healthiest in small doses, and that is on thing that the obese kids has to learn, i a way so it feels natural in their minds to think of exercising, healthy food and so on. Once i had a rule that everytime i eated couch potatoes, i also took an apple from our fruit bawl, and everytime i had been surfing on the internet for too long, i went to my garden and played football. Everyone can do that. Everyone do like some kind of good and healthy food, and everyone do know how to run, kick to a ball, hop, whatever. If we just treat everyone the same, there will be a place to evolve, from overweight to regular weight, and from unconfident to confident about ourselves, and our surroundings.

The Disability and the Media

In the disability and the media by Charles A. Riley II who is a professor of journalism at Baruch College, part of the City University of New York. Who is the co-founder of We (Media) We (Media) is the first multimedia company devoted to people with disabilities. He is also the former editor-in-chief of WE (media) magazine, a national bimonthly magazine which he has written two dozen cover stories. Riley was the director of communications for the International Center for Corporate Accountability, a Baruch-based labor, and environmental monitoring NGO. Riley was also a member of the board of the Asian American Research Institute and advisor to the Asian American Higher Education Council. And he has won major awards for his coverage of disability from Easter Seals, the National Recovery Alliance United, Cerebral Palsy and other organizations and acted as an advisor on both small business and accessibility issues to corporations. These include IBM, AT&T and Microsoft, the White House and the office of the mayor in New York City. As stated on page 529, â€Å"All branches of the media considered here, from print to television, radio, and move (including advertisement) to multimedia and the Internet, are guilty of the same distillation of stories of their own, usually fiscal, ends.† The audience is addressed in a way. They are addressed by saying that, they are the ones that take people with disabilities and they also change how they are being and the benefits they receive than other people. This article also addresses the general public, which is the people who believe in the media and take what the media says as everything and final. Riley tried to get peoples attention across what the media has been doing and not telling the truth but lie. â€Å"This is patronizing, trivializing, and marginalizing ur-narrative of distance ability in the media today.† This is talking about how the media uses people with disabilities and transforms and changes the person or subject they are using, possibly making them out to be the complete and total opposite of who they truly are. He uses Aimee Mullins experience to talk about her fifteen minutes of fame for her running with amputated legs but did not talk about her being a Pentagon intern and appearing on the dean's list as an academic genius and diplomacy at Georgetown. Riley talks about how the achievement of Aimee's are always told over and over by authors and journalist who are well-meaning but sometimes never give out enough information to find out who she really is. He says that most articles talk about her success and glorify her achievements with her disability into something way bigger than it truly is. It states, â€Å"However, today's storytellers, including those in the disability media, are more likely to make people with disabilities into ‘heroes of assimilation.† He is talking about how the media takes a simple person with disabilities and makes them out to be a hero for overcoming and fighting the battle they face, but rarely tell much about the person outside of the disability. â€Å"Every time Aimee Mullins sees her name in the papers she braces herself for some predictable version of the same headline followed by the same old story.† (Page 529) Riley talks about how the media always introduce her on headlines that seem to address her the same way every single time and never really talks about who she is. People do not like it sometimes what the media do and intend to forget what it could do to them or even forget who they are. I believe his main idea is not to just listen to the media, but to learn more about the person outside of the media as much as you can, because sometimes, everything you see and hear is not the truth.

Evolution of Technology in the United States from 1860 1870 Essay Example

Evolution of Technology in the United States from 1860 1870 Essay Example Evolution of Technology in the United States from 1860 1870 Essay Evolution of Technology in the United States from 1860 1870 Essay A number of notable technological innovations have taken place between the years 1860-1870 in the United States. In the sphere of communications, a major development was the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line across North America by Western Union in 1861 (Western Union 2009). Moreover, in 1866, after several failed attempts, the Transatlantic Cable was laid that connected Europe and North America. Before this landmark event, the fastest communication between the two continents had taken at least a week; after the cable was laid, messages could be transmitted instantaneously. The first message was, famously, that â€Å"a treaty of peace has been signed between Austria and Prussia† (History Magazine n/d, â€Å"Third Time Lucky†, para. 3). As concerns other inventions in the sphere of telegraphy, the stock ticker machine was invented in 1867 by Edward Callahan that made stock prices immediately available over the telegraph (National Public Radio, 2006). Important developments took place in the chemical industry, as various forms of plastic were experimented with. For example, John Wesley Hyatt invented celluloid as a substitute for the ivory in billiard balls in 1868 (Muccio 1991). Telephone was invented in the decade to follow. Oil industry was consolidating quickly, as the demand for petroleum was growing continuously. John Rockefeller was buying oil refineries, oilfields and pipelines. By the end of the decade, he has controlled 90 per cent of the industry. His company, Standard Oil, was a pioneer in many respects, most notably in logistics and organizational design, in modern terminology. Predecessors of Standard Oil used railroad tank cars to transport oil over large distances, which was time consuming and costly; Rockefeller’s company connected Pennsylvanian oilfields with refineries in New Jersey, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Baltimore by pipelines. In term of organizational design, corporations had a limited ability to do business across the state lines in those times, so Standard Oil decided to use a central trust that owned and coordinated subsidiary companies that were legally independent. This development (and resulting monopolization of other industries) led the U. S. to pass the first antitrust legislation a decade later (Cowan 1997). However, it is necessary to acknowledge that many scientific breaktroughs of the decade were made by European scientists and inventors, such as speed of light measurement, laws of genetics, automobile, and dynamite. Since the first half of the decade was marked by the Civil War, advances in infrastructure and improvements in general living conditions decelerated. Yet a crucial event in the history of American transportation occurred in 1869 when the Transcontinental Railroad was formed by joining of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads (Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco n/d). All of the aforementioned technological developments were accompanied by dramatic changes in the social structure of the society. The period after the Civil War was marked by rapidly increasing urbanization. However, sewage facilities and housing conditions at those times were inadequate as cities struggled to cope with growing populations. Therefore, epidemics of diseases (such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever) were common. Yet important advances in sewage technologies were made. As the University of Colorado at Boulder (2009) informs, â€Å"sewered population [in the United States] increased from 1 million in 1860 to 25 million by 1900† (p. 1). Moreover, pit privies and open ditches were being replaced by buried sewers. However, wastewater was mostly diluted into rivers and other bodies of water; the first important breakthroughs in waste water management occurred at the very end of the 19th century. Overall, the decade of 1860-1870 can be described as a turbulent one. Although major inventions and discoveries were made in the Old World, the U. S. continued to develop, industrialize, and urbanize. Cowan, Ruth Schwartz. A Social History of American Technology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. History Magazine. â€Å"The Transatlantic Cable. † N/d. Web. May 8, 2010. Muccio, Edward A. Plastic Part Technology. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 1991. Print. National Public Radio. â€Å"The Stock Ticker Turns 139. † November 15, 2006. Web. May 8, 2010. The University of Colorado at Boulder. â€Å"History of Wastewater Treatment in the U. S. † Spring 2009. Web. May 8, 2010. Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. â€Å"Driving the Last Spike. † N/d. Web. May 8, 2010. Western Union. â€Å"History. † 2009. Web. May 8, 2010.

buy custom Trade-offs to High-Priced Cancer Drugs essay

buy custom Trade-offs to High-Priced Cancer Drugs essay Question 1 Over the past few years, the cost of cancer drugs as well as related care and treatment have been sky rocketing. Many cancer patients today pay thousands of dollars per year for medical care and many others abandon treatment because of these high prices of drugs. These high costs are majorly attributed to the emergence of new and better drugs that prolong life. They are also more expensive because there is a major shift by doctors and patients towards these drugs due to the urge for better treatment. Cancer drugs are complex and not easily available in generic form hence the research and development as well as the effort put to bring them into the market are some the reasons for their exceptional high costs. Emergences of new technologies for research as well as for diagnosis also contribute to the high pricesof drugs (Sherman, 2011). Question 2 Increased government involvement in the research of cancer drugs would be a remedy that eventually puts an end to the atrocious discrepancy of high cost of cancer drugs. In the United States, the National Cancer Act which brought about National Cancer Program as well as National Cancer Institute was put in place and given unique capabilities towards accelerated cancer research. Such alliances by government and medical research as well as additional budgetary allocations would relate to lower prices of drugs that patients can afford without much struggle. Many insurance companies have in the present deviated from making reimbursements or full benefits. Direct government involvement through passage of healthcare legislations would see to it that cancer patients get insurance benefitss (Sherman, 2011). Question 3 Many of the things that people want are not freely available to them. Medical therapy for the treatment of cancer has been recently approximated to cost up to thirty thousand dollars a month. Recently approved chemotherapy is used to treat patients together with the administration of new costly drugs hence the high prices of treatment. There is a high demand for this treatment as well as the drugs which is not readily available to all. The constant need for better treatment and medicine has kept researchers and medical technologists on toes as to continually put more resources as well as new technologies to come up with advanced treatment. This high cost of medical therapy form of treatment and demand relates to the economic concept of scarcity in relation to prices (Sherman, 2011). Buy custom Trade-offs to High-Priced Cancer Drugs essay

Neutrino - definition of a neutrino

Neutrino - definition of a neutrino Definition: The neutrino is an elementary particle which holds no electrical charge, travels at nearly the speed of light, and passes through ordinary matter with virtually no interaction. Neutrinos are created as part of radioactive decay. This decay was observed in 1896 by Henri Bacquerel, when he noted that certain atoms seem to emit electrons (a process known as beta decay). In 1930, Wolfgang Pauli proposed an explanation for where these electrons could have come from without violating conservation laws, but it involved the presence of a very light, uncharged particle emitted simultaneously during the decay. Neutrinos are produced through radioactive interactions, such as solar fusion, supernovae, radioactive decay, and when cosmic rays collide with the Earths atmosphere. It was Enrico Fermi who developed a more complete theory of neutrino interactions and who coined the term neutrino for these particles. A group of researchers discovered the neutrino in 1956, a finding which later earned them the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics. There are actually three types of neutrino: electron neutrino, muon neutrino, and tau neutrino. These names come from the their partner particle under the Standard Model of particle physics. The muon neutrino was discovered in 1962 (and earned a Nobel Prize in 1988, 7 years before the earlier discovery of the electron neutrino earned one.) Early predictions indicated that the neutrino may have had no mass, but later examinations have indicated that it has a very small amount of mass, but not zero mass. The neutrino has a half-integer spin, so it is a fermion. It is an electronically neutral lepton, so it interacts through neither the strong nor electromagnetic forces, but only through the weak interaction. Pronunciation: new-tree-no Also Known As: Electron NeutrinoMuon NeutrinoTau Neutrino

International Business Management Control Essay

International Business Management Control - Essay Example Globalisation has been the common term heard everywhere from the year 1990 and in today’s world there is no chance of the globalisation to get diminished. Globalisation means growth in the trade and business along with the expansion in the international market. In order to build a successful business in the global market, it is very important to set the business policies and strategies in such a way that it can accommodate the international business finance environment. The technological developments have made the international communication easier. This is helping the individuals to know the events that are happening outside their home land. This increased awareness of the individuals is leading to the increase in the international trade and also the number of business that are running outside the domestic land. This shows that the economies all around the world are closely linked. In order to sustain in the global market, it is very important for the business managers to rem ain conscious that the operation market, the suppliers, the business partners, the investors and the competitors will not be restricted to the domestic country only. They can belong to the international market as well. A successful business will anticipate the future downfalls and will always make proper utilisation of the opportunities to achieve competitive advantage in the market. The managers should understand the similarities and the differences existing across the national boundaries in order to grab the opportunities and cope up with the potential downfalls. In order to develop appropriate strategies for operating in the global market, the managers need to consider the advantages as well as the disadvantages of the globalisation.... Some companies develop different products and services to supply to the customers in different countries. There has been a growth in the international companies from the developing countries. This trend will increase in future. There are increasing political, legal and other environmental barriers related to the businesses operating in the international market. Effective measures should be taken by the business managers in order to achieve competitive advantage in the market. Literature Review Many research have been made on the management of business policies in order to accommodate with the international business finance environment. There should be maintenance of transparency in the business activities and the business policies should be followed by the managers in order to avoid the international business barriers. a) It is very important for a business to assess the management goals and objectives semi annually in order to achieve competitive advantage in the changing market and the regulatory international environment. The main objective of a firm is to gain competitive advantage in the market. Researchers like Horngren et al. (2005) stated that management accounting is a method which can influence the behaviour of the managers and enhance the achievement of the organizational objectives. A firm needs to allocate and utilise its resources effectively in order to reach its objectives. The short term resources are reflected in the operating budget of the firms. The short term resources are obtained from the bank credits, trade credits etc. The long term resources are reflected in the capital budget of the firms. The long term resources are allocated by a firm by the issue

Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Research - Assignment Example These include audit trails, checks in times of coding, correct referencing and results evaluation (Munhall, 2012). You decide to conduct a qualitative study aimed at determining the influence of life stressors on graduate nursing education. You plan to collect the data using an Internet survey. How do you collect qualitative data using an Internet survey? Would the data be credible? Why or why not? Collection of qualitative data will be possible via use of appropriate internet software plus questionnaire templates (Munhall, 2012). There will be a questionnaire provided via the internet that participants will fill and submit. The questionnaires are to have a certain number of questions, which the participants will complete in conformance to the instructions. First, there should be recruitment for respondents willing to join in the survey. This is possible through advertisements in various sites such as yahoo and Google (Munhall, 2012). Offering prizes or incentives for participants would encourage several people to join the exercise. The data will be credible if the selected responds are eligible for the exercise (Munhall, 2012). This is because the respondents required are those experienced on stressors. What are sources of qualitative research problems? Identify an issue from your clinical practice that could be studied using qualitative method. Why do you think qualitative method is appropriate to study the problem? Research problems emanate from various sources, for example; the skeptical nature of individuals each day provides a research topic (Houser, 2009). Qualitative research issues may stem from practical aspects, for instance, in nursing a skeptical individual may develop a question that concerns nurses in the provision of health care (Houser, 2009). In clinical practice, an issue such as the problems encountered by nurses as they deliver care to patients is suitable

Basal ganglia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Basal ganglia - Research Paper Example Parkinsons’s disorder is treated with dopamine replacement therapy. In the study of Diaz and Walters (2009), they explained that Parkinson is treated with levodopa, carbidopa, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and amantadine. All drugs are known to relive motor symptoms. L-Dopa increases the level of dopamine in the brain thereby relieves muscle tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Dopamine depletion results in the degeneration of the basal ganglia which may lead to excessive excitatory signals that affects the voluntary muscles in the different part of the body. Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of dopamine in the periphery thus causes fewer side effects. Amantadine has the same effect with L-Dopa. The study further provided an overview of other medications believe to treat non motor features of Parkinson disease like mood disorder, gastrointestinal, cognitive impairment, and autonomic dysfunction. Hilker and company (2010) in their similar study suggested that t he use of continuous dopaminergic drug delivery (CDD) may also provide a reduction in dopaminergic dyskinesias. CDD is based on the idea of continuous stimulation of striate dopamine receptors by infusing L-Dopa through a portable mini pump. While there are many researches and studies on the positive effects of these drugs on the signs and symptoms of Parkinson, medication is not the only treatment addressing this basal ganglia disorder. Understanding the underlying mechanism of the disorder had played a role in the interest of experts in expanding their search for other treatments to include surgical intervention in the form of pallidotomy and thalamotomy. These surgical procedures involve making lesions in the damaged tissues of the brain. In fact, the study of Krauss and Jankovic (1996) revealed that small lesion may disrupt the abnormal activity in the circuitry of basal ganglia. The operation involves treating the overly active brain cells thus signs and symptoms of the disease like dyskinesias, freezing movement, and stiffness are improved. In 1992, dramatic results among patients who had undergone pallidotomy were revealed (http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu). Treatment of basal ganglia disorder has been complicated. Treatment with drugs could cause another major symptom which is slowness in movement. Patient may still manifest the same major symptoms of the disorder despite undergoing surgery. This prompted experts to consider another option such as transplantation of fetal mesencephalic tissue. However, this treatment is still in its experimental stage. In the same study of Krauss and Jankovic, they noted that fetal stem transplantation has the potential to restore the lost nigrostriatal pathway. The stems when introduced into the substantia nigra would act as dopamine producing cells. This treatment is supported with the findings of Tran,Ho and Jandial ( 2010) where they explained that stem cells are the choice because of their ability to maintain a nd differentiate themselves and could develop into different new cells throughout the life of mammals. Furthermore, they reiterated that the preliminary use of stem cells has a therapeutic promise in treating neurodegenerative disorders that are characterized by neuronal and glialloss. Other studies found out that implanted stem cells migrate to lesion site and restore deficits in brain function. The data provided in the treatment of basal

Strategic Management in a Global Environment Assignment - 5

Strategic Management in a Global Environment - Assignment Example The paper tells that good governance means that all the authority and power is used in the most convenient way to uplift the performance of the institution without necessarily exploiting all the stakeholders and available resources. The secret of success lies in the power of the management team to utilize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to place the institution in a better functioning state. Good governance provides clear direction for the business institution. Transparency, fairness, accountability, planning, monitoring, and vigilance are the main building blocks of good governance. There is increased investment, boosted investor confidence, as well as interest. There is fairness in handling all stakeholders especially when there is good governance in a company. Good governance also strengthens the competiveness of the company besides making it cruise through the constant economic crises. Another benefit is scrapping off corruption and fund embezzlement, good g overnance has better strategies for conducting quality assurance programmes and giving comprehensive feedback for improvement in areas of weakness. The other side is bad governance; this is the true opposite of good governance. There lacks fairness, equity, responsiveness, transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency, in bad governance. In most case, bad governance precedes the downfall of a company. This means that the company is unable to survive the harsh and overwhelming market competition. Furthermore, many funds are misappropriated through lack of monitoring and evaluation. Bad governance is almost synonymous with poor planning and inadequate preparedness.

International Trade Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Trade - Assignment Example The cumulative effect is all the same. b. â€Å"Tariffs have a more negative effect on welfare in large countries than in small countries.†Ã‚   False, the opposite is true because tariffs by large countries can actually trim down world prices which helps offset their effects on consumers. c. â€Å"Automobile manufacturing jobs are headed to Mexico because wages are so much lower there than they are in the United States. As a result, we should implement tariffs on automobiles equal to the difference between US and Mexican wage rates.†Ã‚   False, the end result of policy might be increased production in the United States of America and decreased production in Mexico. But it will increase the selling price of the automobiles in USA and would negatively affect the welfare or people and consumer surplus. So there would be only dead weight that comes from consumption and the protection effects. 2. Recently, the United States has taken action to restrict imports of certain Chi nese goods, such as toys containing lead and seafood that does not meet health standards, in order to protect US consumers. Some people have said that this shows a double standard: If we are willing to restrict goods on these grounds, why shouldn’t we restrict imports of goods that are produced with badly paid labor? Why is or isn’t this argument valid? Explain.   This is not a valid argument because the free trading principles do not support it. So the world trade organizations can restrict only imports of those goods which can cause potential threat to the health and safety of Us Citizens. The low labor charges do not come in the potential health threat rather it effects the growth of economy so one cannot restrict the imports of goods on these basis. Free trade has the potential to reduce environment threats on one hand but on the other it somehow effects economic growth of particular nation. 3. What were some of the reasons for the decline of the import-substitut ing industrialization strategy in favor of a strategy that promotes open trade? Explain.   The reasons for the decline of the import-substituting industrialization strategy in favor of strategy that promotes open trade are that the developing countries usually impose Ivey tariffs on the imported goods and the end result is that imported products are sold at higher rates and space is created for the domestically manufactured products. Although this import substituting industrialization strategy works wonder for developing countries for a while like the unemployment is reduced in the economy and the country is in better position to move from the basic agricultural products to the convenient or finished goods category. But the long terms effects of the import-substituting industrialization strategy is that developing countries can start to only survive in business environment without competition which is unhealthy as it will promote the lower quality products at higher prices eventua lly. Moreover, the subsidies need to maintain the industries that were once backed by state which can sap the economic growth. 4. Suppose that the Government of Canada asked you to develop a brief on behalf of subsidizing Canadian software development—bearing in mind that the software industry is currently dominated by US firms, notably Microsoft. What arguments would you use? What are the weaknesses in those arguments? The key squabble can be that there has to