Clean Edge Razor Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning Essay Example for Free

Clean Edge Razor Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning Essay Paramount’s newest non-disposable razor, Clean Edge, has brought a new hope for the company whose other products are either on the mature stage of product life cycle or on the declining stage. Clean Edge’s improved design provides superior performance and hence the top management is extremely excited. They need to come up with a marketing strategy including product positioning, brand name marketing budget allocation for the upcoming launch. Another area of concern is how to deal with the cannibalization effect on the other range of non-disposable razors sold by Paramount. It is very important to come up with a suitable strategy to make the product successful in the market. Through a proper economic analysis considering the razor market and the facts available, we have come up with a conclusion that Paramount should position Clean Edge in the Niche Segment. Statement of the Problems Paramount needs to come up with a marketing strategy to effectively position its new line of technologically advanced non-disposable razors. Over the last five year years the industry has seen major advancements in the male grooming industry with the entry of new formidable players turning on the heat for the existing market leaders. Some of the major highlights include * Male specific grooming products seem to have outpaced the growth in women’s beauty market and have become more mainstream * In the male grooming product category, the replacement cycle of razors and cartridges have shortened * Advertising expenditures in the category have been rising faster than retail market sales * The demand has had a cumulative effect on technology as newer advanced products have hit the market resulting in approximately 5% growth per year from 2007 to 2010 * Super-premium segment has experienced significant growth with numerous product innovations By 2009, Paramount had already established itself as a global consumer products giant having expertise in Health, Cleaning, Beauty and Grooming. This helped the company to quickly position itself as a trusted brand in the non-disposable razor market. Capitalising on its reputation it offered its products By 2009, the replacement cycle of non-disposable razor cartridges had shortened due to consumers trying out new products. The challenge with Paramount was that two of its mainstream products – Paramount Pro and Paramount Avail had not introduced any significant technology innovations since 2005. However, its competitors, especially Radiance is on the verge of launching Naiv razor which promises a better shaving experience.

A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates :: Obesity in America

Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active. Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed. Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether. The best way to begin a revolution in health in America is to start with the youth. The United States has the largest percentile of overweight children in the world. Approximately one-quarter of all four to five year olds and one-third of ten to eleven year olds are considered overweight. The obese children will more than likely become overweight parents. A child with an obese parent is ten percent more likely to raise obese children and thus the cycle continues (McBride, 2010). The more years that go on the higher the obesity rate climbs because the children are eating more and more and becoming less and less active. Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.

BCOM 275 Article Rebuttal Essay

Smoking bans, specifically in public places, has been a topic of debate for several years now. This debate has been originated primarily from medical or health-related origins. Many have felt strongly against the ban of smoking in public places. Although, almost an equal amount of people support the smoking ban. This paper will acknowledge the pros to proceeding with the smoking ban to rebuttal the argument presented in the article titled, â€Å"The case against smoking bans† by Thomas A. Lambert and analyze the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used to support his argument. According to Lambert (2012), â€Å"Government-imposed smoking bans are unwise†. â€Å"Risk based argument are insufficient because the slight risks associated with ETS cannot justify the substantial privacy intrusion occasioned by sweeping smoking bans† (p 34). The author’s support against the smoking ban is based on the fact that the statements regarding the need for the ban due to the increase of health care costs for the smoker and those effected by the second-hand smoke. Lambert supports his argument based on the findings of a comprehensive study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997. The study states, â€Å"†¦smoking probably has the effect of reducing overall healthcare costs because smokers die earlier than nonsmokers. The study’s authors concluded that in a population in which no one smoked, health care costs would be 7 percent higher among men and 4 percent higher among women than the costs in the current mixed population of smokers and nonsmokers† (Government-imposed smoking bans are unwise, 2012, p 36). Although, this data is credible based on its source, this information cannot wholly be deemed valid based on no stated facts to compare healthcare costs of the nonsmokers. â€Å"Logical fallacie s are errors in reasoning† (Cheesebro, T.,  O’Connor, L., & Rios, F., 2010). There are four types of common logical fallacies, which are: faulty causation, hasty generalization, either/or thinking, slippery slope and faulty comparison. The justification based on the other data is an example of a hasty generalization and faulty comparison. A hasty generalization occurs when â€Å"†¦a few examples are selected to represent the whole of the conclusion† (Cheesebro, T., O’Connor, L., & Rios, F., 2010). By committing to these generalizations, your conclusions may be incorrect because you are only acknowledging the data that will solely support your argument. The author’s argument is also a faulty comparison because he treats the unique situations the same. He strongly believes that there is no significant difference in the costs of health care in comparison to those who do not smoke. But the author fails to mention the health effects of second hand smoke and why it should be banned in public places In contrast, smoking bans in public places should be implemented because there are many studies that reveal that there is a real problem regarding exposure to second hand smoke. According to the CDC (2012), â€Å"Since 1964, 2.5 million nonsmokers have died from exposure to secondhand smoke†. That statement alone, which is evidence based, is a valid argument why smoking in public places should be banned. Non-smokers should not have to be victims caused by careless smokers who are more interested in feeding their addiction and pleasures. It is intrusion of someone’s privacy if they do not want to be exposed to secondhand smoke. Public places refers to as restaurants, parks, multiunit housing and casinos etc. For children, secondhand smoke exposure can contribute to respiratory and ear infections and higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome. For adults, it can cause lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. With that being said, if we choose not to smoke due to the health effects and increased risk of death, why should we forced to go down with the smokers? We have a choice and it should be respected. If these health conditions can be caused by secondhand smoke alone, consider what effects smoking has on a smoker’s body. As mentioned earlier, those who do smoke die earlier. So how can the statement regarding no difference in health care costs between a smoker and non-smoker be valid? In conclusion, due to the evidence-based bad health effects of secondhand smoke, smoking in public places should be banned. There is no justification for someone who chooses to live a healthy lifestyle in order to live longer,  to have a smoker determine how long they should live or what quality of life they should have. References Cheesebro, T., O’Connor, L., & Rios, F. (2010). Communicating in the workplace. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lambert, T. A. (2007). The case against smoking bans. Regulation, 29(4), 34-40. Retrieved on March 7, 2014 from, http://search.proquest.com/docview/210517192?accountid=458 Smoking and Tobacco. (2012). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on March 6, 2014 from, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/healt h_effects/index.htm

Explain Erich Fromm’s twofold meaning of human freedom Essay

Erich Fromm is a German psychologist explored human freedom. He wrote about the two folds of human freedom, which are, the freedom â€Å"from† traditional authorities such as the state and (2) the freedom â€Å"for† actualizing one’s individual destiny. In his work about the Freedom in History, Fromm argues that the people came to understand the real meaning of freedom in the 20th century. They thus fight to defend it. This is because it brings a lot of joy to the people, therefore prompting them to devise ways of maintaining it. Through his work, he tries to explain the main cause leading to the fall of the previous social order. In addition, it has led to the rise of a new generation of independent beings who are fighting for direct high-quality future. This development makes them to have a feeling of not just fulfilling their socioeconomic role in the society, but also contemplating their future Secondly, Fromm tries to explain the way the people are Escaping freedom through his suggestions that people are successively attempting to lessen negative effects although expanded thoughts and behaviors provide them with security. He explains three forms of escaping freedom whereby he suggests that the dictatorial personality contains a sad and masochist element which gains control over the other people. Such control imposes order in the world. The ambiguity of human freedom is especially evident when making important life choices, for example, who we want to be and how we want to live our lives. Fromm holds that although people in advanced societies have been freed from the bonds of preindividualistic society, which gave them both security and limitations, they have not gained freedom in the positive sense of realizing their individual selves. That is, they have not found an outlet for the optimal expression of their intellectual, emotional, and social potential. We have freedom to direct our lives—from the details of daily life to the more crucial choices such as our careers. Karen Grover Duffy and Eastwood Atwater (2008). Psychology For Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today (9 ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Why Crocodiles Havent Changed Much in 200 Million Years

Why Crocodiles Haven't Changed Much in 200 Million Years Of all the reptiles alive today, crocodiles may be the least changed from their prehistoric forebears of the late Cretaceous period, over 65 million years ago- although the even earlier crocodiles of the Triassic and Jurassic periods sported some distinctly un-crocodile-like features, such as bipedal postures and vegetarian diets. Along with pterosaurs and dinosaurs, crocodiles were an offshoot of the archosaurs, the ruling lizards of the early to middle Triassic period; needless to say, the earliest dinosaurs and the earliest crocodiles resembled one another a lot more than either resembled the first pterosaurs, which also evolved from archosaurs. What distinguished the first crocodiles from the first dinosaurs was the shape and musculature of their jaws, which tended to be much more deadly, as well as their relatively splayed limbs- as opposed to the straight, locked in legs of theropod dinosaurs. It was only well into the Mesozoic Era that crocodiles evolved the three main traits with which theyre associated today: stubby legs, sleek, armored  bodies, and marine lifestyles. First Crocodiles of the Triassic Period Before the first true crocodiles emerged on the prehistoric scene, there were the phytosaurs (plant lizards): archosaurs that looked very much like crocodiles, except that their nostrils were positioned on the tops of their heads rather than the tips of their snouts. You might guess from their name that phytosaurs were vegetarians, but in fact, these reptiles subsisted on fish and marine organisms in freshwater lakes and rivers worldwide. Among the most noteworthy phytosaurs were Rutiodon and Mystriosuchus. Oddly enough, except for the characteristic  location of their nostrils, phytosaurs looked more like modern crocodiles than the first true crocodiles did. The earliest crocodiles were small, terrestrial, two-legged sprinters, and some of them were even vegetarians (presumably because their dinosaur cousins were better adapted to hunting for live prey). Erpetosuchus and Doswellia are two leading candidates for the honorific of first crocodile, though the exact evolutionary relationships of these early archosaurs are still uncertain. Another likely choice is the reclassified Xilousuchus, from early Triassic Asia, a sailed archosaur with some distinct crocodilian characteristics. Whatever the case, its important to understand just how confusing the facts on the ground were during the middle to late Triassic period. The portion of the supercontinent Pangea corresponding to modern-day South America was crawling with dinosaur-like crocodiles, crocodile-like dinosaurs, and (presumably) early pterosaurs that looked like both crocodiles and dinosaurs. It wasnt until the start of the Jurassic period  that dinosaurs began to evolve along a distinctive path from their crocodile cousins and slowly established their worldwide dominance. If you went back in time 220 million years ago and were swallowed whole, you probably couldnt tag your nemesis as a crocodile or a dinosaur. Crocodiles of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras By the start of the Jurassic period (about 200 million years ago), crocodiles had mostly abandoned their terrestrial lifestyles, probably as a response to the terrestrial dominance achieved by dinosaurs. This is when we begin to see the marine adaptations that characterize modern crocodiles and alligators: long bodies, splayed limbs, and narrow, flat, tooth-studded snouts with powerful jaws (a necessary innovation, since crocodiles feasted on dinosaurs and other animals that ventured too close to the water). There was still room for innovation, though. For example, paleontologists believe that Stomatosuchus subsisted on plankton and krill, like a modern gray whale. About 100 million years ago, toward the middle of the Cretaceous period, some South American crocodiles had begun to imitate their dinosaur cousins by evolving to enormous sizes. The king of the Cretaceous crocodiles was the enormous Sarcosuchus, dubbed SuperCroc by the media, which measured about 40 feet long from head to tail and weighed in the neighborhood of 10 tons. And lets not forget the slightly smaller Deinosuchus, the deino in its name connoting the same concept as the dino in dinosaurs: terrible or fearsome. These giant crocodiles probably subsisted on equally giant snakes and turtles- the South American ecosystem, on the whole, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Skull Island from the film, King Kong. One way in which prehistoric crocodiles were indeed more impressive than their terrestrial relatives was their ability, as a group, to survive the K-T extinction event that wiped the dinosaurs off the face of the earth 65 million years ago. Why this is so, remains a mystery, though it may be an important clue that no plus-sized crocodiles survived the meteor impact. Todays crocodiles are little changed from their prehistoric ancestors, a telling clue that these reptiles were, and remain, extremely well adapted to their environment.

Soviets Change the Calendar

Soviets Change the Calendar When the Soviets took over Russia during the October Revolution of 1917, their goal was to drastically change society. One way they attempted to do this was by changing the calendar. In 1929, they created the Soviet Eternal Calendar, which changed the structure of the week, month, and the year. Learn more about the history of the calendar and how the Soviets changed it. History of the Calendar For thousands of years, people have been working to create an accurate calendar. One of the first types of calendars was based on lunar months. However, while lunar months were easy to calculate because the moons phases were clearly visible to all, they have no correlation with the solar year. This posed a problem for both hunters and gatherers - and even more so for farmers - who needed an accurate way to predict seasons. Ancient Egyptians, although not necessarily known for their skills in mathematics, were the first to calculate a solar year. Perhaps they were the first because of their dependence on the natural rhythm of the Nile, whose rising and flooding was closely tied to seasons. As early as 4241 BCE, the Egyptians had created a calendar made up of 12 months of 30 days, plus five extra days at the end of the year. This 365-day calendar was amazingly accurate for a people who still did not know the Earth revolved around the sun. Of course, since the actual solar year is 365.2424 days long, this ancient Egyptian calendar was not perfect. Over time, seasons would gradually shift through all twelve months, making it through the entire year in 1,460 years. Caesar Makes Reforms In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar, aided by Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes, revamped the calendar. In what is now known as the Julian calendar, Caesar created a yearly calendar of 365 days, divided into 12 months. Realizing that a solar year was closer to 365 1/4 days rather than just 365, Caesar added one extra day to the calendar every four years. Although the Julian calendar was much more accurate than the Egyptian calendar, it was longer than the actual solar year by 11 minutes and 14 seconds. That may not seem like much, but over several centuries, the miscalculation became noticeable. Catholic Change to the Calendar In 1582 CE, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a small reform to the Julian calendar. He established that every centennial year (such as 1800, 1900, etc.) would not be a leap year (like it otherwise would have been in the Julian calendar), except if the centennial year could be divided by 400. (This is why the year 2000 was a leap year.) Included in the new calendar was a one-time readjustment of the date. Pope Gregory XIII ordered that in 1582, October 4 would be followed by October 15 to fix the missing time created by the Julian calendar. However, since this new calendar reform was created by a Catholic pope, not every country jumped to make the change. While England and the American colonies finally switched over to what became known as the Gregorian calendar in 1752, Japan didnt accept it until 1873, Egypt until 1875, and China in 1912. Lenins Changes Although there had been discussion and petitions in Russia to switch to the new calendar, the tsar never approved its adoption.  After the Soviets successfully took over Russia in 1917, V.I. Lenin agreed that the Soviet Union should join the rest of the world in using the Gregorian calendar. In addition, to fix the date, the Soviets ordered that February 1, 1918 would actually become February 14, 1918. (This change of date still causes some confusion; for example, the Soviet takeover of Russia, known as the October Revolution, took place in November in the new calendar.) The Soviet Eternal Calendar This was not the last time the Soviets were to change their calendar. Analyzing every aspect of society, the Soviets looked closely at the calendar. Although each day is based on daylight and nighttime, each month could be correlated to the lunar cycle, and each year is based on the time the Earth takes to circumnavigate the sun, the idea of a week was a purely arbitrary amount of time. The seven-day week has a long history, which the Soviets identified with religion since the Bible states that God worked for six days and then took the seventh day to rest. In 1929, the Soviets created a new calendar, known as the Soviet Eternal Calendar. Although keeping the 365-day year, the Soviets created a five-day week, with every six weeks equaling a month. To account for the missing five days (or six in a leap year), there were five (or six) holidays placed throughout the year.   A Five-Day Week The five-day week consisted of four days of work and one day off. However, the day off was not the same for everyone. Intending to keep factories running continuously, workers would take staggered days off. Each individual was assigned a color (yellow, pink, red, purple, or green), which corresponded with which of the five days of the week they would take off. Unfortunately, this did not increase productivity. In part because it ruined family life since many family members would have different days off from work. Also, the machines could not handle constant use and would often break down. It Didnt Work In December 1931, the Soviets switched to a six-day week in which everyone received the same day off. Although this helped rid the country of the religious Sunday concept and allowed families to spend time together on their day off, it did not increase efficiency. In 1940, the Soviets restored the seven-day week.

Managing time as an adult learner Research Paper

Managing time as an adult learner - Research Paper Example Adult learners are nowhere placed as target audience/reader/listener. Research journals on time management are also found to target mainly the managers. In this paper I attempt to identify the area observable for research on time management among adult learning community. Understanding the adult learning methods in vogue becomes mandatory to evolve feasible time managing techniques for adult learners. Review of literature throws light on the basic qualities of adult learners. Time management knacks are not new to them. However, inability to adhere to the techniques of time management by adult learners is found to have been caused not merely by their situational factors but also by the training modalities. Further researches are extensively required especially by the psychologists and teaching community in this regard. Literature on time management and literature on adult learning focus their targets in two different but parallel trajectories. While academic journals on time managemen t are very less in number, literature on adult learning too is meagre. (Dorothy MacKeracher, 2004) The efforts being carried out by NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) is note worthy. However, the institute focuses its attention purely on developing Adult Education on macro level to sustain the growth and overall development of Great Britain. Adult learners, unlike youngsters who have specific goals, always have specific and ready-to-fire goals that are tangible such as qualification for current job/up skilling for promotion/ career change .1. To locate the research-deserving area with regard to time management by adult learners, the following research questions are framed: a)While time management is a universally acceptable tool for success, is it specifically adaptable to adult learning community as a whole? b)What are the causes that restrain adult learning community from adhering to time managing techniques? Understanding the course of time management as wel l as that of adult learning becomes prerequisite. Time management nuances are contained in broad classification of focussing, planning, organising, acting and learning (Dodd and Sundheim, 2008). Adult learning, as formulated by androgogy specialists is classified in to the following steps namely planning, applying and understanding(Trivette C.M et al, 2009). 1)While time management is a universally acceptable tool for success, is it specifically adaptable to adult learning community as a whole? 1.1 Interactive training: Adult learning theorists have much focussed on the teaching community enabling them to give out fruitful training to adult learners. Most of the literatures on adult learning are in the type of a trainers training module. Review of those literatures reveals that nuances of time management for adult learners are embedded here and there. By selecting a training session designed interactively, which contains application opportunities, a learner can actively take part in the learning process. Through interactive application methods one can score more learning outcomes. In contrast, content oriented sessions that render didactic sermons consume quite a long time to bring to achieve learning objectives. (Foley, 2004, p.91) 1.2 Devising ones own learning objective: Having clear cut and tangible goals in hand they (the goals) can