Monday, September 30, 2019

National and Local Gorevment Policies Essay

As part of the national government incentive to help provide backing and encouragement to practitioners in schools two new funding programmes were introduced by the department for children, schools and families now called ‘The Department for Education’. These two programmes; Every Child A Talker (ECAT) and Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD). These were launched to increase the skills of early years specialists and were a part of the governments wider pledge to the education workforce department. These packages were designed to address to need for children in school to experience a language rich setting through staff in ensuring that they work successfully with both parents and families. Through SEAD, staff in schools would gain knowledge and understanding to help engage parents more effectively in order for them to be better prepared to support their child’s social and emotional needs. It was the abuse and ultimate death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 which prompted changes in childrens services. The every child matters paper set out a national agenda and plan with the aim of providing more services that were accessible for the needs of children, young people and families which stated that schools and other child care providers must demonstrate ways that they could work towards each of the outcomes. The 5 key aims and intentions were. Read more:Â  Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government for Education Policy and Practice Fiona Mather. Be healthy: Schools needed to play a leading part in health education towards children and young people which included questioning contents of school meals, as well as enabling children to enjoy a good physical and mental health by being part of a healthy lifestyle. Stay safe: A survey among 11~16 year olds in mainstream schools claimed that ‘46% had been a victim of some form of bullying’ (www.education.gov.uk/publications). In order to break these statistics it is vital that pupils feel that they are being protected in schools, in order for schools to do this they must continue to make behaviour management and anti bullying a significant issue. Enjoy and achieve: In order for student to get the most out of life and develop the necessary skills for adulthood children and young people must enjoy their lives and achieve their potential. In order for school to assist with this they must make improvements in failings across different ethnic groups and unauthorised absences that are unacceptable. Contribute: Children and young people need to be involved in their community rather than involve themselves in anti social behaviour. Schools can teach children the ethics of social responsibility and a feeling of ‘belonging’ by providing links to a pupils own community and how they can become part of it. Achieve a good standard of living: Children and young people of parents who are unemployed or existing on low incomes must be encouraged to aspire to a better career and lifestyle for themselves. Schools can develop strategies to enable all students to reach their full potential.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Gothic horror Frankestein Essay

Intorduction Mary Shelley was brought up in radical surroundings. Throughout her life she was dominated by writers and poets. She had a very intellectual and opinionated family; her mother was a campaigner for women’s equal rights and her father was a political free thinker. Chapter 5 reveals that Mary Shelley has overturned the usual gothic conventions. She uses violent thunder storms to create an eerie, tense and ghostly atmosphere. The storm in chapter 5 is undramatic, it lacks violence and power which is completely different from the usual convention of a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are usually the climax of what is happening but in this case its gives a sense of foreboding, a sense that something drastic is about to happen. The storm could reflect Victor’s obsession in his creation as this lead him to become dull and miserable. The scene is lifeless to emphasise the horrific and monstrous creature that Dr. Frankenstein brings to life. At the beginning of chapter 5, a contrast between light and dark is shown. Darkness encroaches on the light as the â€Å"candle was nearly burnt out†. Shelley builds up the description of the creature and begins with the â€Å"dull yellow eye†. By doing this Shelley builds up tension. It is a kind of calm before the storm until the monster is actually completely revealed. Shelley uses subliminal mental landscapes to communicate with Victors feelings. They reflect his shifting mental stability. Sublime landscapes are the only landscapes extreme enough to communicate with his â€Å"painful state of mind†. Dr Frankenstein’s ability or power over bringing something so grotesque and macabre to life, lead him to retreat from the society in which he lives and isolate himself in the confines of his creation. â€Å"Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome you wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and the lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or mock at my unhappiness?† By saying this, Victor is clearly offended by the beauty and scenery around him. It is as if calmness  and tranquillity angers him and torments his feelings of fear and isolation. Shelley uses Victor Frankenstein as the archetypal gothic protagonist. The qualities which he beholds are typical of the gothic genre. Dr Frankenstein often rejects the values and moral codes of the religious society in which he lives. He cuts himself off from the world, and rejects to the contemporary developments to natural science. â€Å"As a child I had not been content with the results promised by the modern professors of natural science. Frankenstein is characterised as the Byronic hero. Byronic hero, named after the 19th century writer Lord Byron, does not possess ‘heroic virtues’- but instead has many dark qualities. He has emotional and intellectual capacities which make him superior to the average man. He became â€Å"acquainted with the science of anatomy† and obsessed in his knowledge. Being obsessed in something he believes in show his arrogance and yet passion about particular issues. Often a Byronic hero is characterised by a guilty memory of some unnamed sexual crime- which often makes him repulsive towards the reader. Victor Frankenstein’s dream was maybe a subconscious desire toward his mother or guilt of being in a relationship with Elizabeth. Strange relationships and sexual undertones are the deeper and darker concerns revealed in his dream. In his dream, Elizabeth is in good health. But when he goes to kiss her, her lips become clear with the colour of her teeth. White lips are often associated with gothic conventions as they symbolise death and decay and reality from appearances. It soon turns into a nightmare when his mother decays before his eyes. He personalises his creation to his own family issues and it also shows that he is disturbed and somewhat possessed by his creation. Maybe he has a deep feeling of guilt about destroying the bodies and he subconsciously wishes he never because he wouldn’t want his mother to be dismembered in the same way. This could be the reason for his isolation because he became† so deeply engrossed in his sole occupation†. Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein† differs from the usual gothic horrors as it deals with modern issues that are relevant today. The novel demonstrates the potential consequences of meddling with nature and shows its catastrophic  effects. It deals with the anxieties about advances in science and technology and the novel could be seen as a warning about the possible direction that scientific progress could take us. The consequences of when a man tries to create new life without a woman disastrous. Throughout the novel we are lead to think that there is a deliberate absence of females and how Frankenstein avoids feminine issues. However, a closer look reveals that the creation of his monster is a travesty against a woman’s biological prerogative. In victors arrogance he believes he can create wonderful new life without the role of a woman but Shelley demonstrates how wrong he is.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Should I Focus on STEM-Specific Classes in High School?

The acronym STEM, referring to the academic and professional fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, has become a popular buzzword in the world of education. This is not without merit, as STEM-related careers are projected to experience rapid job growth over the next decade. Many STEM fields have strong, easily identifiable career prospects in prestigious and cutting-edge careers, such as biotech, tech startups, software development, and medicine. In fact, in 2016, nine out of 10 of the most desirable jobs ranked by CareerCast were STEM-related, ranging from audiologist to information security analyst. With all the hype, you might be wondering if you should focus your academic efforts towards a higher education path in the STEM fields. Should you load up on STEM area classes during high school, even if doing so may shortchange other areas like the humanities, arts, or social sciences? If you’re considering a focused pursuit of STEM classes and you’re curious as to what degree you should focus your work, this post is for you. Here, we outline the importance of a STEM education for intended STEM-majors and non-majors alike, its application in a competitive job market and beyond, and the bottom line for how to decide how much weight STEM classes will get in your high school class selections. There’s no question that it’s a good idea to get a strong STEM background while you’re still in high school, especially if you plan to pursue STEM-related classes in college. Many schools are now devoting resources to STEM-specific programs or even creating entirely new departments within the school. There’s no doubt that without a solid STEM foundation in high school, you’ll be at a disadvantage to pursue any of these fields seriously in college. So, what does this mean for your class selection in high school? Should you be dropping English classes to take more science classes? Which science classes should you choose? In STEM classes, as in other subject areas, you should generally be taking the most challenging classes available to you if you want to be a competitive candidate for top-tier colleges. The specific STEM classes you take will vary depending on class availability at your school, but generally you will need to enroll in whichever track is specified as the most challenging one. This usually means you’ll be taking AP Calculus , AP Chemistry , and AP Physics , along with perhaps some coding classes or robotics extracurriculars. In addition to qualifying you as a competitive candidate, these challenging classes will often prepare you for college-level work in the STEM fields. They may also possibly mean you won’t have to take big, basic lecture classes to get started if you can place out of introductory classes through placement tests or AP scores. The bottom line is if you know you want to pursue a STEM field, getting serious about it in high school is a good idea. That said, you should not do so at the expense of fulfilling your graduation requirements in other subject areas, such as English, and you shouldn’t drop core classes to facilitate your STEM path. While your early preparation and focus can set you apart as a college applicant and make your academic pursuits in college one step easier, don’t take your specialization so far that other subject areas suffer. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. STEM classes are important even if you don’t intend to pursue a related major in college. Programming, familiarity with technology, basic engineering skills, or basic knowledge of fields like chemistry and biology could come in handy in many different fields and jobs. These skills can set you apart in a competitive job market, even if the job isn’t directly related to STEM work. As more and more industries and businesses become dependent on technology, STEM skills are relevant in many different, unrelated fields. You become a more desirable job candidate if you know the field and also have skills in programming, web development, or other relevant technologies. STEM-skills can even make you more self-sufficient outside of the workplace. Computer knowledge can help you to fix technical issues yourself, while basic chemistry can make you a better gardener, and engineering knowhow can help you with home or car repairs. Even if you really dislike math or science or feel like they are subjects that just don’t come naturally to you, you should still work to develop basic proficiency in these areas. Although you may not plan a career focused on a STEM field, you should plan on a life that requires a basic knowledge of STEM skills. As with anything else, there can be too much of a good thing. If you’re interested in STEM fields, you should definitely pursue them and even prioritize them over your other classes, but you should not write off your other classes entirely. For one thing, most high schools have core classes that are required for graduation. Without a set number of classes in English, history, and other subject areas, you might not be allowed to graduate. Be sure to check the requirements at your school so that you know what’s expected in advance. Beyond that, many colleges also require or at least strongly recommend that you take a certain number of classes in various non-STEM areas in order to enter or even be a strong applicant. This ensures that you are a well-rounded candidate with skills that extend beyond the STEM field. Even if it’s not explicitly clear to you from application instructions, taking the most challenging classes available to you in multiple areas (not just STEM) matters to colleges. Ultimately, STEM professionals need to be able to communicate effectively through a variety of mediums and taking a broad base of classes ensures that you’re prepared to do this. Finally, the important standardized tests (SATs or ACTs) required for many college applications are cross-curricular in nature. Even if you score perfectly on the math or science portions of the test, your overall score will suffer significantly if you can’t also perform well on the humanities sections. Often, your overall score is used as an initial screening tool for college admissions, so if it doesn’t meet a certain threshold, the admissions committee may never even see your perfect score on the math section. This is a difficult question because the answer will vary depending on your personal strengths, goals, and other priorities. Ultimately, everyone should give STEM-classes some serious consideration and time because in an increasingly tech-based world, this skill set will always be of some value. Obviously, if you plan to pursue STEM in college, you should take advantage of your high school’s STEM class offerings. Take as many as you can without comprising your work in other fields. Also, join STEM-related clubs or other activities. You can be STEM-focused without having to jeopardize your studies in other subject areas. If you don’t want to pursue STEM in college or you’re simply not yet sure, you should consider STEM as one of many options. There are many valuable, interesting, and necessary fields of study available, especially while you’re still in high school. Take advantage of the opportunities that high school gives you to learn broadly, explore different fields, and become as well-rounded as you are specialized in your studies. Lay the foundation for a basic STEM background in case you change your mind later or need those skills in life or work, but don’t focus solely on STEM if your interests and talents lie elsewhere. To learn more about pursuing STEM-fields, both in high school and in college, consider the benefits of the Near Peer Mentorship Program , which provides access to practical advice on topics from college admissions to career aspirations, all from successful college students.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Innocent until proven guilty by beccaria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Innocent until proven guilty by beccaria - Essay Example This means that nobody is guilty until the case has been proved beyond reasonable doubts. Thus, a person remains innocent until there is concrete evidence that the person is guilty. Sir William Garrow actually conceptualized the phrase. He suggested that suspected criminals should be tried properly in the court of law before they are convicted of the crime. He further posited that the panel of jury must properly ascertain the fact that a criminal committed a crime before being judged. Garrow theorized that the group of jury must proof each case beyond reasonable doubt, or an alternative, depending on the criminal justice system that is prevalent in the country. The notion of innocence came against the backdrop of a popular assumption that most criminals are often accused wrongly and sentenced for offenses that they did not commit in the first place. This was the opinion of a French jurist, Jean Lemoine. He maintained his position by seeking for anonymity in the examination of crimina l evidences in the prosecution of the defendants. The stand of the jurist was to guarantee legal protection for the accused. The jurist further maintained some set of rules that serve as guidelines towards the examination of criminal trials. ... Several countries had incorporated this legal doctrine into their legal codes. In the European community, it has been encoded in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom that any individual charged with a criminal offense is innocent until a criminal law or tribunal convicts such person. The doctrine was indoctrinated into the American legal system via a Supreme Court ruling between Coffin and the United States of America. The American lower court declined this ruling by not recommending the principle to the jury that, criminals are not to be termed as criminals except if they have been tried in a court of law. Although, the principle was rejected by the lower court, but a judge reminded the jury of the principle that no man is guilty except found guilty after proper investigation of the crime that the accused is being indicted for has been carried out. There was a controversy at this point, with the lower court introducing the doctrine of â€Å"beyo nd a reasonable doubt† in the determination of a case. Beccaria was a reformer that reformed the legal system in Europe and the world over. He was against the torture of criminals in the process of cross-examination for the proper discharge of legal proceedings. He viewed torture as a violation against the doctrine that no individual should be sentenced until proven guilty in a law court. He refers to this as the right of power (Beccaria 17). He posited that criminals like every free man are liable for their own actions and are in charge of their actions and can be discouraged by the threat of being punished. He said that the only justification for torture of criminal

Thursday, September 26, 2019

David cole interviews dr. franciszek piper ( RESPOND ) Movie Review

David cole interviews dr. franciszek piper ( RESPOND ) - Movie Review Example The point Cole tries to make here is that most of the evidence and facts about mass homicides at Auschwitz were either incorrect or exaggerated by the Soviet Union to serve their propaganda during the time of war and how on a larger scale, facts and figures of war have been manipulated in favor of the victorious. Cole’s documentary questions various undisputed facts and points out the anomalies in what has become an irrefutable part of human history. His interview with Senior Curator and Head of Archives at Auschwitz State Museum Dr. Franciszek Piper reveals some very interesting and at the same time contradictory information about the camp and the gas chamber that was used for mass homicide. After his visit to the camp in 1992 and based on years of research, Cole observes that Piper’s version of the gas chamber operations, its reconstruction by the Soviet Union, and the use of Zyklon B are inconsistent and highly debatable. Cole says that the Soviets exaggerated facts bringing the death toll to 4 million when the reality was only 1.1 and much of the evidences put forward during the Nuremberg trial were discredited later on or found to be false. Cole opines that if Hess was hanged for running an internment camp in Auschwitz where people died of disease and malnutrition, then the thousands of Japanese who died in the United States and the Germans killed in the post war POW camp under similar conditions should also be made accountable. Finally he suggests that war crimes do not have easy and justifiable answers without raising

Marketing Plan for a Fair Trade Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Plan for a Fair Trade Company - Essay Example This essay stresses that business firms in the modern world face cut throat competition among themselves. It is almost impossible for a firm to achieve success in business in the modern world without an effective marketing plan. A business firm can only enjoy a broad customer base if it sets innovative and planned marketing strategies. A fair trading company is a company that involves in 100% just business transactions. This essay will enumerate an efficient marketing plan for a hypothetical fair trading firm in the confectionary industry. This paper makes a conclusion that since chocolates are mainly liked by children, while beginning its business Chocolies must adopt the program of free sampling in different schools in U.K. The enrolment rate for primary and secondary education in U.K. is very high. Thus, the program of free sampling would be expensive for Chocolies at the initial stage, but would surely help it to introduce its chocolates among almost 90% of children in U.K., who are potential buyers of chocolates (KPMG, 2012). The fair trading business firm may also sponsor many junior sports events. Sports events are not only watched by many viewers but also covered by social media. Sponsoring on such events would help the company enjoy a broad customer base for its chocolates. This report will concentrate on introducing a marketing plan for a hypothetical Fait Trading Company in the market of United Kingdom (U.K.). Situation Analysis The essay will consider the SWOT and PESTLE analysis for Chocolies (fair trading company). SWOT Strengths The biggest strength of the company is the growing consumers demand in U.K. confectionary industry. Right from its inception, the company would experience a broad customer base already parked in the U.K. confectionary industry. The chocolate confectionary business was worth approximately â‚ ¬ 5.41 billion in 2011, rising by almost 2.7% since 2007 (Sweet Retailing, 2012). Moreover, fair trading principles would surely benefit the brand popularity and prestige of the company. Weaknesses The fair trading company would have to accumulate lot of finances to succeed in its business and compete with the other potential rivals in the industry. The confectionary industry has other famous Fair Trading chocolate firms like the Devine Chocolate operating successfully in the U.K. market. Due to the rise in Diet conscious consumers, the aggregate demand for chocolates has fallen in market in the recent years. Moreover, the company would follow fair trading principles, as it would provide social welfare benefits and introduce fair trade prices for its chocolates; these policies would increase the cost of its chocolates. Cocoa beans are required to make chocolates; its total cultivable land availability is low. Disturbances in weather can often create problem for the company, as bargaining power of the suppliers would increase with such problems. The consumers may also feel that the company following fair trading prin

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products in countries like Asia and Latin America are challenging the company's patents and trademark protection. 2. Exchange rate fluctuations are a major concern for a company with headquarters in the U.K., operations in 45 countries, 64,200 employees of whom 60% are based in Europe (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 16), 49% of sales from the U.S. and Canada, and 30 manufacturing sites in 20 countries buying and selling raw materials from different sources using a variety of currencies (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 14), although they are minimizing this to avoid currency fluctuation effects. The company reports in U.S. dollars, so a stronger dollar will have a negative effect on its bottom line due to lower dollar revenues on sales in foreign currencies. Although AstraZeneca mitigates currency risk, it does not "seek to remove all such risks (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 155)." The company, with a $1.1b fixed interest rate debt, is exposed to interest rate risk due to fluctuations in market interest rates. By converting fixed interest debt to floating rate (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 91), every one hundred basis point (on e percent) rise in interest rates means the company pays $11m more. 3. Uncertainties of developing new products from the Research and Development (R&D) pipeline affects not only AstraZeneca but the whole pharmaceutical industry, which spends an estimated $1 billion over at least ten years to launch a new drug (KPMG, 2005, p.6), which includes losses incurred in developing drugs that do not even reach the market. Companies need to launch new drugs to replace those with expiring patents, marketing exclusivity or trademarks (Bate, 1997, p. 230-231). 4. AstraZeneca is the 9th largest pharmaceutical company in the world (Fortune, 2005) and competes with bigger companies with more resources for R&D and marketing. It also competes with biotechnology companies developing similar products. Increasing regulations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia (Clifford and Flochel, 2005) that put caps on drug prices directly or indirectly lead to low revenues and margins. 5. The company is at risk of paying higher taxes if existing U.K.-recognized double tax treaties are revoked for any reason. Fortunately, these treaties are holding but the risk of being taxed more than once for the same revenue is real. 6. AstraZeneca had a product liability scare in 2004 with Crestor, an anti-cholesterol drug. As the recent experience of Merck with Vioxx has shown, adverse publicity depresses the stock price and wipes out a portion of potential revenues (Bate, 1997, p. 287-288). 7. AstraZeneca's reliance on other companies for raw materials and services expose it to supply chain risks. If these third parties do not deliver, the company suffers stoppages in production, late deliveries, and lost revenues as the market switches to similar drugs. 8. The pharmaceutical i

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Dr. Tyrone Hayes lecture Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dr. Tyrone Hayes lecture - Movie Review Example I find this part of the video interesting when testing the role steroid hormone in the testing amphibian development in comparison with human beings. The metamorphosis and the sex differentiation of these animals in this part of the video is quite amazing and logical in our environmental studies as students. 3. Discuss the pros and cons of toxicity testing on animals do you think that animals testing is justified? Do you think it gives accurate results that can be related to human beings? Support your reasoning. The toxicity testing in animals to some extent is justified especially towards the environmental studies. The pro of these studies revolves around human beings welfare especially in relation to the pet animals which they could contact various disease through. This will give an answer and control measures to various infections shared between human beings and animals. Cons on the other hand are concerning the results arrived at via these research works. Example is the Dr Hayes induction of mammary and prostate cancer in the research laboratory rodents to highpoint on the atrazine as a possible course of reproductive cancer in humans. This research work to some extent was never justified. We can generate interest in the regulation of the environmentally harmful chemicals through the reduction of various chemically related diseases such as cancers. This is because the chemicals induced in the environment contain a larger quantity of heavy metals. These heavy metals when human beings are exposed to, are the causative agents of various deadly infection

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Communicative maturity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communicative maturity - Essay Example Concisely, all these varied aspects of my life have curved me into a mature and ambitious individual that will be noteworthy and contributive in the life ahead. I have taken majors in Finance and Supply Chain Management, and it is my highest desire to continue my lifelong learning process that inclined me to attend your Language School, one of the most credible institutions. Since few decades, experts have indicated rapid advancement in the wave of globalization, and it has now become very imperative to be aware of other languages and cultures, essential for personal, as well as collective development and progress. Since I know that I have passion for language, I can learn French language in an effective manner. During these years, I have been managed my life through effective management of my responsibilities towards family, work, and school activities. In addition, as an immigrant, I worked very hard to learn English that was essential to be a part of American life. In this regard, English language allowed me to create relationships that I now enjoy and adore with my classmates, colleagues, and people around me. Moreover, English language enabled me to avail various opportunities in the United States that have now enhanced my quality of living. It is very important that an individual should set realistic objectives, and my desire to involve myself in a long-learning process has resulted in my application for learning French language. In other words, this language program will open new avenues.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Ethnic Market Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Market Essay With mounting western influence and focus on revival of traditional Indian fashion elements, diversity in India sees many faces. To maintain the dignity of the culture and to provide a platform to small Indian brands, future group initiated ethnocentrism concept by opening ethnicity store in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This initiative has provided new format insights to organized retailers to expand their horizons in highly volatile Indian consumer oriented market. A new format has always been a challenge to any retailer to sustain into the market. In the changing face of market, to regain preference of consumers towards nationalized brands, can be looked from a confronting angle. This created an anxiety in the mind of researchers and inspired them to undergo the research to understand the ethnicity concept. Ethnicity format is studied based on the first ethnicity store set up in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and glimpses are taken from the second and third store set up in Mumbai and Pune respectively. Research is secondary followed by primary in nature. This paper gives insights into the overall set up of ethnicity format that includes differentiating Criterias of ethnicity in comparison to regular retail formats based on observation at the store. Questionnaire based survey is also performed to get opinion on ethnicity store and paper gives insights into preferential category for purchase for future developments Consumers have given a very good response to the new concept. Along with shopping, experiences of consumers with the format have given a lasting impact on their mind-set. Further Raja market, Rani Market, Thoda aur market are found attractive to consumers and have gained good preference of consumers followed by Sona-chandi market Chota India and Ghar aangan market. The insights into concept development and suggested potential extended formats of ethnicity may readily work as a pillar to stand into the market for new retailers. Keywords: Ethnicity, Ethnocentrism, Organized Retail, Nationalized brands. Introduction Indian fashion industry is moving towards westernization due to high level of acceptance of foreign brands by the consumers. Due to this ,western brands are getting a wider platform than the ethnic brands across the country. As a result, national/ethnic products are even overlooked by consumers and time may come that such products may disappear from the market. To protect the Indian heritage, Future group took up the maiden initiative to provide a space to Indian products and brands under its own name and fame Future Group, Indias leading business house with strong presence in retail sector, launched a new retail format, family lifestyle store Ethnicity, in Ahmadabad to market ethnic brands and products of India in 2008. This chain is a major family format developed after the launch of *Professor, G. H. Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. **Assistant Professor, N. R. Institute of Business Management (GLS-MBA), Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad. Pacific Business Review International 2 highly successful family formats like Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, and Home Town. The new store format that has been billed as Everything Indian, seeks to promote ethnic brands, ranging from ethnic and fusion wear, Jewellery, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products to accessories and gifts. Thus ethnicity showcases a large number of small Indian brands under one roof. Ethnicity besides promoting the culture of ethnic products, provide a modern platform to augment the presence of the retailers into the industry. Research Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ To understand the concept of ethnicity as a new retail format To understand differentiating factors of ethnicity store in comparison to the modern retail stores. To understand the consumers preference towards the new format. Scope of the Study The study has explored the concept of ethnicity. In includes understanding of the theme and concept development, merchandise development and differentiation criteria of format in comparison to existing formats. Further to understand acceptance of the new format, consumers preference towards the offerings has also been analyzed Data Collection Sources Secondary data sources have been used to understand the concept the ethnicity. Information has been taken from leaflet provided by ethnicity store of Ahmedabad, and Company website to get insights into ethnicity store of Pune and Mumbai. Articles kept on the websites are also used at the launch of ethnicity. Primary data has been collected through questionnaire to know consumers preference towards the new format. Respondents were the consumers of Ahmedabad who visited ethnicity store. Sample of 100 respondents was administered out of which 94 responses identified as valid sample for the study. Literature Review Ethnic origin has been defined as a group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition (Crysdale and Bettie, 1973). Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification. Because values reflect a standard or criterion that people use in the guidance of behavior, they act as a norm for ethnic consumer behavior and an influence on many consumption motives. Ethnic Marketing Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles. According to Technopak Analysis, the current market of sarees and ethnic wear stands at Rs 31,000 crore and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to reach Rs 45,000 crore in 2014. Views expressing rationale towards ethnic marketing Mr. Arvind Singhal, chairman of management consulting and retail specialist firm Technopak Advisors (201011) said, Overall apparel category spends are rising, with special focus on ethnic wear brands, where many new brands have emerged as market heroes. They sensed the vacuum in the market, ease of entry, and attracted women the most interesting target consumer, which places the Indian ethnic wear market at Rs. 56,800 Crore, growing at 9% annually. Govind Shrikhande, customer care associate and managing director, Shoppers Stop said Branded ethnic Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) wear is one of the top selling categories in our stores. For the past few years this segment has seen double digit growth, Mr. Gaurav Mahajan, CEO, Westside, a Tata group company said ,Indian ethnic wear is an integral part of our customer promise. We widened the Westside range and introduced Zuba, which offers silks and authentic handlooms. This autumn will see the launch of two more brands, Mr. Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director, Future Group said ,There is a significant rise in demand for womens ethnic clothing. There is a big gap between the opportunity and what is being delivered today by organized players. This gap identification generated a lead to cover the untapped ethnic market and future group took up the initiative to establish ethnicity store as a revolution in the existing apparel format. Concept development of Ethnicity Store by Future Group. Store Design Future Group has launched the first of a chain of stores aimed at retailing Indian wear in 2008 in Ahmedabad city. It is the branded Ethnicity store that keeps the a range of ethnic and fusion wear, jewelry, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products and accessories and gifts. All the products are India inspired. The store is having a spread over an area of 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. Store Objective The apparel labeled as traditional and indoor clothing a decade ago, has laid the foundation for todays contemporary Indian ethnic chic. Ethnicity proudly follows the Indian values of being sensitive to Ahmedabad city, environment and community. It provides a platform to bring together traditional or ethnic 3 retailers and consumers. It recreates the know-how of a traditional ethnic market in a modern retail format and is an aggregator of the multi-faceted ethnic merchandise and traditional selling practices. It revives and rejuvenates anything and everything that is Indian. It aims to truly open out the urban ethnic market and redefine the scale of ethnic merchandising. Ethnic-Theme Positioning at the Store The concept Ethnicity is not limited to ethnic clothing but it is a destination to get the unique experience. The key differentiator for Ethnicity lies in its 360-degree shopping experience. Ethnicitys store design reflects a distinctly ethnic character visual merchandising tools include artifacts, paintings and decor pieces from Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat. Visual merchandising at ethnicity is like the synopsis of a story book. Ethnicity has gone the Desi way (Highly traditional) to become attractive and communicative. It is vital to not only be a differentiated retailer but also to draw out the true essence of the products. Branding in ethnic wear has been led by region of origin of the product like Benaresi sarees, Lucknowi kurta, Kutchchi Bandhani. The store is colorfully designed and the flashiness gives it an ambience of luxury and festivity. Atmosphere at Ethincity Store Atmospheric at ethnicity store is a reflection of Indian heritage. Instead of halogen lights, everywhere light is reflected by lanterns. Instead of room freshener or perfumes, a raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar is used to mesmerizes the entrant and bring them to the Indian culture. All the racks for display of merchandise are developed from wooden and outside decoration is of handicraft, which gives a reflection of Indian art. Instead of having all the racks or shelves for display, few of the merchandise is displayed on cot. Store assistants are dressed in ethnic kurtas for refreshments, Coconut water is served in a lorry (Cart) which gives a flavor of typical Indian culture, on the road serving. Pacific Business Review International 4 Use of multi colors, art and fancy designs, air fragrance and traditional lightings give all time festival feeling experience. market. Chosen name for the market is based on arterial language of India. With the theme of ethnocentrism, the collection represents only Indian brands in all the merchandise. Merchandise at Ethnicity Store. All the offerings are divided into a Niche name of Overall Analysis of Ethnicity Store Table 1 Store Sections Generic category name Ethnic name at ethnicity store Women’s wear category Rani market-everything ethnic for women Men’s wear category Raja market-everything ethnic for men Kid’s wear category Chota India market Jewellery/ accessories Sona –chandi market- ethnic Jewellery Home accessories Ghar –aangan- ethnic ideas for your home Stationary/medical items Thoda aur- ethnic accessories and more Source: http://www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnic-retail. asp Data Analysis Regular formats of organized retail stores have their specific offerings. While ethnicity store has differentiated the same to give a new experience to the consumers. Based on observation at ethnicity store, the following comparison has been made to derive the differentiation criteria Table 2 Comparative Analysis: Organized Regular Retail Format V/s. Ethnicity Format Parameter Organized Retail Organized retailOutlet outlet Theme A move culture Objective To give exposure to western To give platform to Indian brands culture dynamics and appeal to ethnocentrism Size of the outlet Large size Comparatively small size Structure Vertical departmentation Horizontal departmentation. Availability of brands Global brands Only Indian brands Atmospheric Exclusive halogen lights lantern /yellow lights towards Ethnicity Store Ethnicity store western A move towards Indian legacy Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 5 Decoration No additional decoration Fully decorated with colors, lamps, handicraft ,puppets etc. -looks like all time festival Music Western songs Indian instrumental Fragrance Room fresheners Raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar Shelves Racks Along with racks Traditional village themed cots with four legs Merchandise division Products are separate Gender wise product bundling. Apparel gets displayed in one section, accessories other section, footwear another section and so on e. g. Raja market includes apparel ,accessories ,footwear addressing men. Rani market includes apparel, accessories, footwear for women Merchandise name English names Traditional Indian names Store assistant’s dressing Western formal wear Traditional Indian kurta Packaging Plastic printed bags Paper bags with traditional look Merchandise Western outfits western designs and indo- Indian traditional embroidery work outfits with Shoes Mojaris and chappals Indo-western painting Handicraft Cosmetic products. Natural ayurvedic products and aromatherapy Perfumes Incense stick, fragrances Light chandelier Candles and Lantern Artificial jewellery Stone work, Kundan jewellery Refreshments Food court with multi cuisine Small push cart/lorry with coconut water Deliverable Shopping Experience attar, natural Source: Primary data collection through observation Analysis of Consumers Preference Towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers survey has been performed to get insights into their experience towards the format with the help of questionnaire. Respondents were the consumers who visited the ethnicity store. Pacific Business Review International 6. Figure 1 Consumers Preference towards the Market based Merchandise at Ethnicity Store with Mean Rank ( where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 25 Raja Market 4. 02 Rani Market 2. 80 Chota India 3. 20 Sona Chandi Ghar Aangan 2. 05 4. 15 Thoda aur Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Consumers preference towards the ethnic theme based markets is analyzed to know the preferred market. This analysis is aimed at developing the market to increase the preference †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. New introductions in thoda aur market like lamps, candle and fragrances, ayurvedic products etc have grabbed attention of people which gives a lead to introduce more unique and Indian traditional items. Sona chandi market has got a good response. Thus it can be interpreted that fashion accessories in ethnic look are keeping tune with the ethnic garments. As per consumers opinion, Chota India is yet to gain preference may be because of traditional designs that are not preferred more for kids in †¢ comparison to western attractive outfits with cartoon characters Again as per consumers opinion, Ghar aangan is also yet to gain preference may be because of bed sheets, utensils, toys , purchase for rituals like puja ka saaman etc. have pre-existence of established unorganized market. Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012). 7 Consumers Preference towards Ethnic Products for Three Most Preferred Markets Figure 2 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Females as Rani Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Fusion wear and Mix Match are able to attract consumers as it is a new and unique base of ethnic products. As Saari, salwaar kamiz have become a common purchase and many platforms are available to address the demand, preference is found at the moderate level. Figure 3 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Males as Raja Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire In mens wear traditional wear in the form of Jodhpuri, Chudidar and kurtas along with traditional mojaris have attracted consumers to larger extent Pacific Business Review International 8 Figure 4 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Thoda Aur Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Full range of Fragrances and Candles Incense has been introduced by ethnicity store. It has got extra ordinary preference of consumers. Thus it has contributed towards maintenance of Indian legacy Consumers preference towards Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical wellbeing. Aroma therapists blend therapeutic essential oils especially for each individual and suggest methods of use such as topical application, massage, inhalation or water immersion to stimulate the desired responses. Aroma therapy oils may include : †¢ Peppermint Digestive disorders †¢ Rosemary Muscular pains, mental stimulant †¢ Sandalwood Depression, anxiety and nervous tension †¢ Sweet orange Depression and anxiety. †¢ Tea tree Respiratory problems, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral †¢ Lavender Headaches, insomnia, burns, aches and pain Ethnicity store has provided the platform for Aromatherapy. Full range of essential oils has been displayed to generate the awareness and preference towards the same. It is aimed at generating awareness towards ayurvedic medicine in the arena of allopath for better and secure treatment. Ethnicity has taken maiden initiative to mould the consumers psychology towards naturopath. (Graph on next page) It can be interpreted from figure-5 that first hand response has been satisfactory with 49% for. Aromatherapy and thus it enjoys the potential to increase the preference in future. The atmospheric of traditional products is supporting the purchase of traditional way of health supplements. The advice and explanation given along with the product has played important role in making realization to go for natural products Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 9 Figure 5 Preference has been Analyzed for Aroma Therapy Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Figure 6 Analysis of Consumers Satisfaction towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers level of satisfaction towards the differentiated offerings has been analyzed. Such analysis is aimed at identifying the most appealing differentiation for future positioning of the store and developing the strategies that may lead to future satisfaction Competitive Assessment Matrix with Mean Rank ( Where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) Regular Organized Retail Formats and Ethnicity Store Consumers’ satisfaction on competitive assessment matrix 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 05 4. 95 Theme 2. 30 2. 60 Price 3. 25 4. 00 Variety 3. 94 4. 35 Display 4. 00 Experience Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Keys : Regular organized retail outlets Ethnicity store 5. 00 Pacific Business Review International 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢. Competitive assessment matrix depicts that ethnicity theme is highly appealing to the people. The differentiation point of giving experience to the consumers than only to provide a platform for shopping is getting correct positioning in the mind set of consumers as it is applauded by consumers with the mean rank of 4. 95. Unique display of ethnicity is highly appreciated by consumers in comparison to regular organized retail formats. On the dimension of variety ethnicity is lagging behind in comparison, the contributing reason may be limited number of Indian brands into each category. As far as pricing is concerned none of the outlets satisfied the consumers expectation. It brings out the fact that price structure is too high. Here opportunity lies with ethnicity store to discriminate pricing strategy to get competitive edge over other formats. It might be feasible to reformulate the pricing strategy due to nationalized brands. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Suggestions †¢ Major Findings †¢ †¢ †¢ Ethnicity is indeed a revolutionary move towards consumers ethnocentrism. National players have also joined hands with the big retailer and accepted the opportunity to address the mass market. Thus it has contributed to a greater extent in providing a wider platform to small retailer of India. Further is has contributed towards generating awareness of ethnic products and brands of allover India which were not noticed by the consumers and importance was not realized by consumers. It is an absolutely unique model into organized retail formats. Everything starting from atmospherics to collection of brands, merchandise display and packaging is uniquely positioned with the nationalized theme. It provides a feel-good factor and thrilling experience to the consumers. Consumers are getting attracted by the theme and getting exposed and penetrated by ethnic products. Today consumers look for fashionable clothes. National brands which were not recognized earlier, have provided a platform of fashion to explore Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. Fusion wear, Mix Match, Jodhpuri,Kurtas, Chudidars, Mojaris and fragrances ,candles and incense are able to get preference of people. Aroma therapy is able to get good welcome form the consumers. Ethnic designs are getting acceptance in the form of novelty. In all this innovative concept well applauded by consumers as they are getting exposed to all the variety and designs of products of all the corners of India under one roof. †¢ †¢ †¢ More Indian retailers should be motivated to provide huge collection of ethnic products in the categories of mens wear and womens wear to provide more varieties. There is a need to increase the range of aroma therapy offerings to increase the awareness and consumption. Fragrances, candles and incense offerings have brought Indian values back in the preferences. This has showcased a very good business potential as a whole. There is a need to provide more and more offerings into the segment with more and more varieties. Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for India. Format can be expanded by introducing specialties of major states/cities of India †¢ Rajasthan market Art craft †¢ Jamnagar market-Bandhani Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Bangalore -Silk garments Chennai- Pearl jewellery Kerala market-Spices Format can be expanded by introducing specialty food of major states/cities of India it may help to give a back shift to the consumer trend which is moving towards western food Gujarati food Punjabi food South Indian food Rajasthani food North Indian food Kathiyawadi food Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for other countries. It has been witnessed that countries are getting specialized into technological innovations but spread of such innovations into the same continent reflects questionable behavior of consumers. Many a times it is because of lack of awareness. Such type of format may provide a common platform to explore the small innovative products at consumer end E. g. European countries. Fashion based Ethnicity- As fashion industry is one of the major growing industries in Europe, all fashion statements can be displayed under one platform †¢ Fashion statement of Italy †¢ Fashion statement of France †¢ Fashion statement of United kingdom Technology based ethnicity- Technical Research innovation driven countries, all innovations can be displayed under one platform †¢ Big to small innovative products of Finland. †¢ Big to small innovative products of Germany †¢ IT Renewable technology based products from Sweden †¢ Electric technology innovations of Netherland E. g. Asian Countries 11 Technology based ethnicity †¢ Robotic technology based innovative small to big products from South Korea Japan References Crysdale and Bettie, 1973, Retrieved from, http:// www. manifolddatamining. com /html /products/ ethnicmarketing. htm on 15/02/2012 Anuradha Shukla, Ethnic wear market booms in India retrieved from http://wonderwoman. intoday. In/ story/ethnic-wear-market-booms-in-india/1/ 88440. html http://indiatoday. intoday. in/story/ethnic-wear-marketto-grow/1/124981. html retrieved on 06/02/2012 koregaonparkplaza, pune (2011) retrieved from http:// w w w. k o r e g a o n p a r k p l a z a . c o m / s t o r s details. asp? id=77catid=1st=1 retrieved on 06/ 02/2012 Runul Vashistha, (2009) retrieved from http:// www. indiar et a iling. com/ R et ailC oncep t _ details. aspx? Id=58 retrieved on 02/02/2012 Pooja nair, (2009). retrieved from http://ahmedabad. metromela. com/Lamps+and+ethnic+ wear+at+. Ethnicity/article/3183 retrieved on 15/02/2012 Shailesh Shah, (2012). Ethnicity: Towards organising ethnic retail, retrieved from http: // www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnicretail. asp retrieved on 02/02/2012 http://www. pantaloonretail. in/pdf/ethnicity_karigari. pdf Reference Book Jr. Churchill Gilbert A. , Lacobucci Dawn, Israel D. , (2009),Marketing Research- A South Asian Perspective, India Edition, Delhi: Cencage Learning. Additional material Leaflet circulated at ethnicity store 12 Glossary Attar: A fragrant of essential oil typically made from rose petals Ayurvedic: It is a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individuals body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature Bandhani: A process of patterning cloth by tie-dyeing in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye especially popular in Rajasthan and India Chappal: An item of Indian footwear, similar to a flipflop with a toe strap Chota (India market): Younger, junior child related products. Pacific Business Review International Kundan Jewellery: Kundan is a traditional Indian gemstone jewelry, a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces believed to have originate in royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India Kurta: A knee-length, collarless shirt worn over pajamas by men in India Mojaris: A style of South Asian handcrafted footwear mostly using vegetable-tanned leatherproduced in India Organized retail: Organized retail has been defined as a network of similarly branded stores with an element of self service Raja (Market): A prince, chief, or ruler related products in India Rani (Market): Indian princess related products Ethnicity: Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification Saree: a dress worn primarily by Hindu women; consists of several yards of light material that is draped around the body Ethnic groups: A group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition Sona-chandi (market)-Gold silver related products/jewellery Ethnic Marketing: Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles Ghar -aangan (market):Home decoration related products Handicraft: Items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools, and are generally artistic and/or traditional in nature . They are the objects of utility and objects of decoration. Incense stick: It is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned Thoda aur (market): somewhat more than the existing here in the context of more than the regular offerings.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Market Segmentation of the Nike Company

Market Segmentation of the Nike Company Demographic  Segmentation Demography segmentation they include age, race, family income, and education level, among others. Besides, it was observed that the majority of the respondents consist of professional from various fields like engineers, software professionals, working executive etc. who effective form 38% of our database. While 36% were students from various fields. Others constitute designers and athletes etc. the further study is carried on the buying behavior of the above mentioned categories of consumer, which shows that our consumer is well educated and is very well informed about the product. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/34735893/A-Summer-Training-Report-on-Nike) Furthermore, in the survey conducted a direct relation between the income level and the spending capacity was observed. Also it was found that students were spending in the range of $1000 -$ 3000 as compared to the working class professionals who were ready to spend between $ 3000 $ 6000, since they have higher spending power because of higher income levels.  (http://www.scribd.com/doc/34735893/A-Summer-Training-Report-on-Nike) Geodemographic Segmentation The second segmentation are focuses on geodemographics and proximity. The premise behind geodemographics is that people who are similar in income, culture, and perspectives naturally gravitate toward one another. Once these people move to their neighborhoods, they become even more alike and share similar consumer behaviors. When a store asks for your zip code when you make a purchase, its using geodemographics as a segmentation technique. Furthermore, the characteristic if the consumer is depends on their income. For example, the Nike Shoes has been done an analysis the respondent of buying for the Nike shoes is RMB597 for average of the total.(App.1) Personality Traits Personality traits are people often do not identify these traits because they are guarded or not consciously recognize. For example, some of the consumer can accept new thing and some perceive less risk in trying new thing. Lifestyle A third base of segmentation is psychographics. Psychographics are lifestyle and personality descriptors. There is a relationship between lifestyle and consumer behavior, so people with similar lifestyles buy similar products. Lifestyle descriptors are often categorized as activities, interests, and opinions. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand but a shoes for sport lifestyle consumer that mean mostly people who active in sport such as football player or basketball player would purchase it. Meanwhile there was also consumers that wear Nike just want to build confident or make other feel they wearing a branded shoes but not ordinary shoes but not for sport purpose. For youth, they think Nike shoes is a fashion lifestyle and they wear it just to follow fashion trend. For example, since Michael Jordan wear Nike shoes, consumer will follow him step as a fashion trend.(App.3) Benefits segmentation Benefits sought represent consumer needs and important for positioning.(App.4) Critiral for Effective Targeting Identifiable Nike have been divide the market into separate segments on the basis of series that relevant to the characteristic such as demographics have age, gender, family life cycle and others.(App.2) Besides, they target in different identifiable such as men sports running shoes and women sport running shoes. Nike target on different type of segment that to fulfill customers need. (App.6) Sufficiency Nike is a worthwhile target, they target on the needs and they undertake probability survey to whose finding project to the total market. They will have clearance stock or promotion through on or sell on shops. (App.7) Stability Nike marketers prefer to target consumer segment that are relatively stable in demographic factors are likely growth larger time.(App.2) Besides, consumer can buy through online or any shopping complex. That was easy for consumer to purchase anywhere. (App.8) Accessibility Nike has been accessibility in any market segmentation through advertisement.(App.9) Profitability segmentation Overall the past two years (App.5) Sales Group sales decreased by 8% and amounted to $572.5 million in 2009, compared to $622.8 million in 2008. The decrease in sales matched the Companys expectations and was due to the recession of all sales markets as realized as part of the financial and economic crisis which started at the end of 2008. The recession mentioned lead to conservative inventory policy adopted by most Companys customers which also contributed to the decrease in sales.   Gross profit   The gross profit in 2009 amounted to $103.7 million (18.1% from sales), compared to $105.7 million in 2008 (17.0% of sales). The improvement in gross margin in 2009 compared to 2008 was due to efficiency steps taken by the Company and the implementation of the restructuring plan which was declared by the Company at the end of 2008 and was achieved despite the decrease in sales. A global slowdown in  retail  sales and consumption, has hit Nike hard. In fiscal 2009 (ending May 31, 2009), Nikes revenue grew only 3% to $19.2 billion, with net income falling 21% to $1.5 billion, and the company expects lower revenues in the first half of 2010.  Despite the overall struggles in 2009, Nike posted two straight quarters from Q3 2010 to Q1 2011. In Q2 2011, the company posted a profit of $457 million, up 22% from the same quarter of the previous year. Revenues hit $4.8 billion, up 10 percent over the same period last year. Analysts point to the trend of four straight strong quarters as a sign that the company and perhaps the financial world is finally beginning to rebound from the recession. However, company analysts believe that Nike will struggle against the challenges of a larger economy for the rest of the fiscal year, which it plans to combat through a selective rise of prices. Consumer Environment As consumer can see, Nike have been promise to improve their shoes in newspaper in long time. When 2009, Nike haven been improve in their shoes thats call Newton Running. Its developed a whole range of shoes that encourages running on your midfoot/forefoot, a technique and position that helps keep you running more efficiently, injury-free and faster. According to Nike, cushioning and support are needed in order to avoid injuries but, at the same time, all the cushioning and support that modern running shoes provide are making our foots muscles lazy. Therefore the Free is created as a  training  shoe, with which to run a limited number of miles amid your normal running schedule in order to specially train the muscles that are not activated while running with normal running shoes. Furthermore