Why The Lahad Datu Crisis In Sabah (Malaysia) Happened Research Paper

Why The Lahad Datu Crisis In Sabah (Malaysia) Happened - Research Paper Example Sabah has been a quota of the Malaysian alliance ever since the early1960s1. However, the Sulu Sultanate, which is situated in southern Philippines, has persistently asserted its historical and exclusive privileges over the zone. Furthermore, the Philippines have nevertheless to publicly descent its assertion that Sabah is a portion of its region. The government of Malaysia had requested the armed Filipinos in Lahad Datu to admit defeat for three weeks now without a success. Unfortunately, on March 5th, the army confronted the group and terminated the livelihood. The clash and subsequent military operations reportedly resulted into the killing of more than fifty people, inclusive of eight associates of the Malaysian police. The Malaysian ministry of welfare was fast to name the armed Filipinos as bombers. The government of the Philippines, which is presently accomplishing a peace treaty with Muslim separaties in the southern portion of the nation, also condemned the livelihood. Remar kably, the prime minister of Malaysia has yet to let go the notion that Malaysian opposition politicians have collaborated with the Sulu sultan in order to undermine the nation and bring down the presiding alliance ahead of the year`s universal polls. This research aims at analyzing the reasons why Lahad Datu crisis in Sabah (Malaysia )happened.... Thus, because of such restriction, the Lahad Datu crisis in Sabah was inevitable. This is because such limitations on travel will likely cause shortages on foodstuffs for the people, which is a dangerous action for people in such area. However, it is feared that the Sabah crisis is most likely to leave problems for both Malaysia and the Philippines for the coming future. Therefore, in order to avoid such crisis from happening, it is necessary that the officials of Malaysia and the Philippines settle for the last time the issue of Sabah. From research, the Philippines preserves a central regional entitlement to eastern Sabah, initially referred to as north Bomeo, through the custom of the Sultanate of Sulu. This claim is based on the idea that the domain of the sultanate has traditionally traversed from the Sulu archipelago into portions of northern Bomeo4. Therefore, because of such claims, the embassy of Malaysia in Philippines gives out a cheque of some amount to the lawful counsel of the beneficiaries of the Sultan of Sulu in maintain the terms of an pact made in 1878. Malaysia views the amount as a yearly cession payment for the disputed nation; however, the progeny of Sultan views it as a lease imbursement. Nevertheless, Malaysia has categorically canceled any Philippine local entitlement to Sabah as it infers the 1878 pact as that of cession and that it supposes that the inhabitants of Sabah had practiced their rights to independence when they decided to join the Malaysia confederation in 1963. Thus, analytically, it is because of such issues that led to the Lahad Datu crisis in Sabah. In addition, another reason for the Lahad Datu

Asset Classes Paper Essay Example for Free

Asset Classes Paper Essay Business Finance Resources: Week One readings Select a mutual fund and a Dow 30 organization. Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you determine asset classes for your mutual fund and Dow 30 organization. Explain how such classifications and the current investment environment affect organizational decisions concerning portfolio composition. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A healthy diet is extremely important during your time at college. The freshman 15 can make a negative impact on your life if you do not eat properly. Make sure you are careful about your intake. Stay away from fast food, junk food and other terrible choices. These foods are quick and easy, but they are very bad for you. This work comprises FIN 402 Week 2 Asset Classes Paper Business Finance Resources: Week One readings Select a mutual fund and a Dow 30 organization. Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you determine asset classes for your mutual fund and Dow 30 organization. Explain how such classifications and the current investment environment affect organizational decisions concerning portfolio composition. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Examining How Police Respond To Rape Allegations Criminology Essay

Examining How Police Respond To Rape Allegations Criminology Essay This briefing paper contains detailed information relating to police response to rape, it assesses whether things have improved in order to prevent rape or to help rape victims. Rape victims have different beliefs about the police response to rape cases based on what they believe to be discrimination. The main reason behind concealing rape incidents and not reporting to police service is the uncontrollable distrust of police as believed by the people based on the consumption that police officers are not able to provide support and protection. Another vital reason is the unsympathetic and harsh investigations which are currently carried out by police officers, which carry out a heavy trauma to rape victims, as they get questioned in a way that gives them the feeling of being the rapist not the victim. However these are not the only reasons why rape victims tend to conceal rape incidents to police. What is rape Rape in English law, was defined as; a penis entering a vagina, an anus or a mouth. Derived from Sexual Offences Act 2003 (c.42, S1) (see appendix5). Rape includes various types, under different circumstances such as; Date rape, Marital rape, Gang rape, Acquaintance rape, Spousal rape, Ancestral rape, Statutory rape, Institution rape, Communal rape, Male rape, Stranger rape and Revenge rape. Background There are numerous beliefs and wrong attitudes related to rape, which have been accompanied with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as women ask for it, is an example from a past perception which had various negative effects on the victims. Present myths and attitudes developed from the English Common Law system which had its roots from the Bible. In early recorded history, rape was a way which a wife could be obtained. Bride Capture, as it was termed, occurred when a man raped a woman and then was able to take her to be his wife. Rape was always defined in relation to marriage, and marriage was considered as an exchange of property, however, this is not the case nowadays, where a wife is not considered to be an object to obtain anymore. In 1975, Susan Brownmillers Against Our Will, illustrated extensive awareness to the matter of rape by examining the historical and cultural perspective in which women rape existed. The ten years following publication of this book witnessed large increases in public awareness of sexual violence as well as in the parliament, as new laws were introduced in order to prevent rapes, and the introduction of the marital rape. In 1980 the child sexual abuse was recognised, therefore, improvements to police response was vital, in order to prevent child sexual abuse, using the medias help in creating awareness. Analysis (both positive and negative aspects) There are various approaches to methods used by police in reaction and response to rape. Negative approach to rape is very common within the contemporary society, as media plays an extremely vital role in order to convey up the idea of negative aspects on the Police Service. A negative police response can compound the trauma suffered by a rape victim, making it less likely that she will decide to proceed with legal action and a strong possibility that her experience will deter others from even making the initial police contact in similar circumstances. If for no other reason, it is in the overall interests of law enforcement for the police to act in ways that are consistent with promoting the victims emotional well-being. (Jordan, 2001b, p75). According to Home Office 2008-2009 (see the graph in Appendix1) only 25% of recorded crimes of sexual violence have been brought to Justice, this illustrates that 75% of recorded rape cases are disregarded by Police Service, which confirms the negative aspects illustrated by the media. However in 2007-2008 only 22% of recorded crimes of sexual violence have been brought to justice, this exemplifies that there has been some improvements (3% Change) in the service within a year. Attrition; is the development process by which rape cases are withdrawn from legal process, therefore, they do not result in a criminal conviction. Some would argue that the first point of attrition is the failure to report the crime to the police service; this can be due to the lack of trust in the police service or fear of the offender. The graph (see Appendix2) revealed by BBC in 2010, based on Sterns review on rape convictions and attritions shows that 74% of the suspects were not brought to justice because of different reasons, such as not enough evidence, no further action is required, withdraw of victim complaint due to fear of the offender, lack of trust in the service or cultural backgrounds. Judges had also criticized police response in the rape case of a teenager who had been kidnapped, raped and forced to practice prostitution, as they had failed to provide assistance to the teenager when required, due to the lack of efficiency of the police when related to rape crime. (McCormack, H., 2005.). John Worboys case is another case where police was criticized by both members of the public and the media for unenthusiastic response to rape which had many impacts on the victim. In 2009, John Worboys was sentenced to go to prison for an indefinite period, for raping and attacking females in his black cab. In IPPC Report 2008 commissioners stated that lives were ruined in view of the fact that police officers failed to take the incident seriously and grimly, however all the police officers who were involved with this case were disciplined. Therefore to some extent, improvements were made in the form of disciplinary actions, to officers who dont take similar incidents if happened in the future seriously. (BBC., Casciani, D., 2010) In 1980s one in every three complaints of rape ended in a conviction. Today, it is one in twenty this illustrates that instead of improving the response to rape through convicting rapists, rapists are getting away with the offence they have committed (BBC., Geoghegan, T.,2007). Therefore the victims of rape are requesting protection and justice for the trauma they suffered. In result to these negative aspects of the police response to rape, parliament introduced Sexual Offences Investigation Trained Officers (SOIT, also known as Specially Trained Officers) who are fully trained and qualified officers who interview the rape victims in order to reduce the trauma and stress as well as collecting the required evidence without creating big impacts on the victims, as these officers have been trained in psychological effects of the crime. (McVeigh, K., 2010.) However the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) should expand a code of conduct for SOIT officers as there is no current code of conduct to control the actions of the SOITs. The police officers are trying to meet the requirements of male rape victims, however, by not having a database of the SOIT; officers reduce the effectiveness of response to the victims. In the case of a male rape victim, it may require the assistance of a male SOIT, to get the facts of the victim. Currently, it is very difficult to acc ess this data, to be able to request a specific officer in order to provide assistance, which is leading to miscommunication issues. Another development which has occurred in the MPS, is that Sexual Offence Examiners (SOE) were introduced in order to improve the quality of service provided and progress the response to victims of rape, as SOEs are exclusively educated in sexual offence examination. However there is no database of SOE relating to their availability, ethnicity, gender and level of skill which can also cause miscommunication with the victims, by dealing with them without consideration of certain requirements. Thus even though improvements are taken place within the service they are not fully developed to provide good response to the victims of rape. (Metropolitan Police Authority, 2002) Another positive step is made by the Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) as it provides guidance for the first response officers on the procedure followed when dealing with a rape report case; which contains clear and beneficial information to the first response officer on the actions to be taken following an initial deployment and scene attendance. Furthermore, in 2009 National Police Improvement Agency, provided briefing notes for the first responder to a rape case, however on the other hand, first response officers are unaware of how to approach victims and take an initial account from them, so this is considered to be a constraining effect. (NPIA., 2009) The interview of the rape victims is key to the investigation in order to provide efficient response to rape victims. A successful investigation is required by police officer and failure to deal with evidential weaknesses can only serve to challenge the victims account and thereby decrease the probability of successful prosecution. The rape reports should be investigated by chief officers in order to obtain reasonable evidence as chief officers are experienced in dealing and responding to any sort of crime including rape. Additionally Police officers are not victim trained in other words officers are unaware of how to response to all types of crimes which causes by response to any sort of crime reporters (victims). However MPS is bringing up measures to tackle rape to take place for instance introducing campaigns such as Police Rape Awareness Campaign which states that drinking is not illegal however rape is illegal (see Appendix4) therefore this is a vital improvement which is curre ntly taking place. Gang rape is a rising problem in United Kingdom, trepidation of the gangs ground the victims to not to conceal rape incidents to the Police service thus this illustrates that Police service is unable to provide protection and justice to rape victims as gang is an criminal thus this shows that Police service do not have good reputation for protection and justice as the issue of gangs are still not solved however minor information was considered by the MPS relating to this problem and to some extend measures are taken place to tackle this crime to provide better response to gang rape victims. (Longstaff, L., 2009) Within the contemporary society police officers are particularly at risk of being misinformed by stereotypes thus this makes them to be suspicious about any complaints they receive from the rape victims especially on victims who are unemotional or look calm. Thus the suspicion reduces the quality of the response provided to the rape victims as the investigation will be conducted in a way to test the explanation of the victim in an insensible and abusive way however this has extremely bad impact as it obstructs the best evidence to be taken from the victim for successful prosecution. The police officers also have the judgement and discretion to record primary information report under the category they think suitable. (Davies, M., 1997, p190-200) In United Kingdom police officers receive very little amount of training in law and practice to do with rape or sexual abuse. For instance Special Constables (voluntary police officers) get basic training of 18 days which doesnt include any knowledge or information relating to sexual offences even though they have the same power as a regular police officer, so this shows that if a special constable needs to deal with an sexual offence they do not have any knowledge of how to respond to rape however within the police service beginner police officers have someone experienced to assist them throughout their probation period for two years therefore police can always request assistance to respond efficiently to rape cases. Â   Conclusions The response of police to rape incidents are improving however these improvement are not at high-quality level to assist rape victims to overcome the trauma and stress the have suffered thus more development and improvements are required to create better environment for all members of the public and especially for rape victims thus the police service must improve their reputation to gain trust of the members of the public by providing better response to all sort of crime and offer protection. Another positive enhancement which can have constructive impact on the rape victims is through introducing a data base program to police officers with the details of SOIT officers and SOEs to supply the needs of these victims. The MPS already have briefing notes and guidance of how to take action while investigating rape incidents on the other hand it is not detailed sufficiently to support officers while dealing with rape incidents effectively therefore improvement on these guidance and briefin g notes will increase the quality of the response by police officers. Nowadays Police officers get basic training on rape response however this basic training does not include victim training which means police officers do not know how to treat or response to rape victims but if this training is added into the basic training then it will be easier on the police officers and the rape victims will receive effective response. Finally the most significant improvement which can occur within the Police Service to tackle unenthusiastic response to rape victims will be through taking the rape cases more seriously and prevent suspicious and unsympathetic investigations by the police officers.

John Donne Holy Sonnets Essay -- essays research papers

John Donne   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is a very complicated subject that people view very differently in different situations. In John Donne’s Holy Sonnets, he writes about death in Meditations X and XVII. Both meditations use many similar rhetorical devices and appeals, but the tones of the meditations are very disparate. Donne’s different messages in Meditations X and XVII convey tones of defiance and acquiescence towards death, respectively. His apparent change of attitude towards death could be accounted for by his differing life situations while he was writing the meditations: mid-life, and near-death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Meditation X†, which Donne wrote in mid-life, has a very defiant and powerful tone. Donne begins the meditation by defying normal views of death, and saying how â€Å"death, be not proud† (Donne). In deprecating death, Donne shows how he does not fear something which mortals usually fear. His reckless mockery of death is his appeal to pathos, specifically the human emotion of happiness and determination to live; â€Å"Meditation X† is a battle against an inevitable, insidious, and metaphysical force. In â€Å"Meditation XVII†, Donne begins instead by deprecating himself, conceding that he â€Å"may think [himself] so much better than [he is]† (Donne). This concession conveys a much more acquiescent and passive tone, appealing instead to the human emotions of melancholy and yearning to understand and accept death. Logos is also manipulated by Donne in...

Hottie Hawgs Bbq Case Study

Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ Case Study Team 16 Strengths: * NASCAR Partnership * Excellent food * Differentiated brand * Creativity of owners * Excellent marketing * Low infrastructure costs * Mobile restaurant * Little brand competition * Service flexibility * Proprietary recipes * Community support/interests * Professional marketing image Weaknesses: * Lack of cash flow * Leadership working for two companies * Loss of founder means all lies on Vaughn * High travel costs for events outside of Atlanta * Licensing decision reduces the opportunity of franchise income * Limited distribution capabilities Expansion is expensive * Non-centralized staff * Lack of business credit * Limited menu * Use of ACT funds to finance HHBBQ operations pierces the corporate veil. * Limited catering experience Opportunities: * Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity * NASCAR as growth partner * Growth within Atlanta * Brand awareness through additional licensing and potential franchising * Merchandi se sales * Brick-and-mortar Flagship locations * Popularity of Food Trucks Threats: * Hooters Restaurants * Other barbecue restaurants * Customer reluctance to patronize a polarizing brand * Loss of trade-secret information Legal costs * Economic downturn/slow economic growth * Rising fuel and transportation costs * Pitmasters BBQ uses similar logo and brand image: 1. If you were in Kyle Vaughn’s position, which strategic option would you take? Explain your reasoning. Hottie Hawg’s Smokin BBQ was presented with an opportunity for tremendous growth early on in the life of the company that would test the limits of HHBBQ’s ability to raise capital, produce the quantity of food required and maintain the quality of the product while protecting the brand name and mark they had worked to cultivate.The Aramark/Pepsi Center contract would guarantee HHBBQ at least 100 events, projected at 16,000 people per event, and make HHBBQ the exclusive BBQ vendor for the arena. We b elieve of the two strategy alternatives HHBBQ had, the correct choice would be to pursue the Aramark contract. As a company that is looking to expand, passing up an opportunity of this magnitude might not occur again. Either of these two strategies are viable and possess pros and cons, but pursuing the Aramark contract would grant HHBBQ more potential rewards than passing.HHBBQ has already worked with one professional sport in NASCAR and the opportunity to serve customers of the NBA and NHL are markets that are too valuable to pass on. Once the decision to accept the Pepsi Center deal is made, HHBBQ will face more decisions on how best to handle supplying the needed food for the events. HHBBQ would have to re-locate the â€Å"18 Squeeler†, an open-air smoker on wheels, to Denver to prepare the BBQ or rent a local kitchen until a permanent commissary was set up.HHBBQ faced legitimate concerns regarding the ability of the Squeeler to meet the high food demand of the Pepsi Cente r and whether the legal costs, potential loss of food quality and possibility of compromising the brand image when dealing with a rented kitchen would make the deal not profitable. From the case study, the first 18 Squeeler was available one week after the initial conversation between Vaughn and Rybka. To meet the demand of the Pepsi Arena, HHBBQ should purchase an additional Squeeler so the food quantity and quality are not compromised.Once cash flow has begun and enough capital is raised to open a Denver commissary, the two Squeelers would be freed up to once again to perform at local events within the community and allow one Squeeler to return to Atlanta to service the home market. These are challenges that service firms face when attempting to match their products to the needs of their target markets (Ferrell & Hartline, 197). HHBBQ will experience on the job training while learning how to best forecast the correct amount of food needed to serve the arena and the number of new e mployees to hire and train to accommodate the number of visitors to the arena.Because most services are dependent upon people (employees, customers), HHBBQ must avoid past mistakes in variations in quality and inconsistency such as overstaffing, food waste, and less than ideal image promotion (Ferrell & Hartline, 198) to maintain high service quality and profitability. Although service quality is a subjective phenomenon (Ferrell & Hartline, 198),   this particular marketplace would not allow for service customization but allow HHBBQ to focus on food quality and speed of service to meet their customers’ needs. . Comment on the decision to license the Hottie Hawg’s brand rather than enter into a franchise agreement with Seymour. In the company’s situation, is it better to promote easier expansion through franchising or maintain tight control over brand image through licensing? Explain. At this early stage in Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ’s histo ry, it is important to cultivate the brand image carefully and with almost obsessive attention to detail.The offering of tasty barbecue served by attractive women in a fun and laid-back environment is in its introductory stage (Ferrell & Hartline, 217), and will soon move into the growth stage if all goes well. Hottie’s must work to grow and build brand equity and establish a differential advantage in the market. This is done through careful management of the product and brand over this time. Public relations, advertising and incentives are critical at this stage in the brands life, as it sets the tone for the growth and maturity stage.Will this be just another barbecue joint or will Hottie’s stand out among a sea of ribs and wings? Rybka initially envisioned a brand so â€Å"extreme and offensive (as) to purposely alienate a large portion of the population† (Ferrell & Hartline, 519)   Allowing a franchisee to potentially dilute this brand is a risk they shoul d not be willing to take. The branding strategy employed by HHBBQ depends on the extreme offensiveness they are building, and a franchisee that doesn’t have the same â€Å"tough guts† that Vaughn and Rybka have may not be capable of sticking to their vision.Vaughn has done an excellent job thus far in developing a different style of BBQ restaurant in the southeast, and should protect the emerging brand image fiercely in order to maintain and develop according to the company’s vision. A license agreement, where complete control can be exercised over the quality of the food, the brand image, logos and marketing materials allows Vaughn to control the direction of the company, while realizing income from licensed sales.The brand is the most valuable asset to this emerging company; in fact, the brands image was â€Å"the cornerstone of the company’s success thus far† according to Lee, and therefore, should remain the top priority at this stage in the ga me (Ferrell & Hartlien, 526). It should also be noted that by licensing the product rather than franchising, HHBBQ has been able to avoid many unnecessary expenditures that go along with franchising. Had they sold Seymour a franchise, they may have had to invest more in him in terms of training, product knowledge, and other resources that HHBBQ cannot spare at the current time.Licensing provided Seymour an avenue to invest without much overhead expense, and still provided HHBBQ with licensing revenue and fees. 3. Assume that Hottie Hawg’s is successful with the Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity. What should Vaughn’s next move be to continue that growth and success? Vaughn’s efforts, with the success of the Aramark/Pepsi venture will have resulted in the beginning of the growth stage of HHBBQ BBQ. This continuing growth stage has happened because sales increases will have been occurring rapidly due to the appeal of the product (Ferrell & Hartline, 219).Additionall y, Hottie Hawg’s BBQ will want to 1. â€Å"Establish a strong and defensible market position† and 2. Earn profit to repay debts as well as enough profit to justify moving forward with the business (Ferrell & Hartline, 219). In order to do this, Vaughn’s next moves should be to pursue one flagship brick & mortar location, more   18 squeelers to expand the reach of the product line, look for more venue arrangements that could be profitable, potentially pursue venture capital, and pursue more licensing agreements. Pursuing a flagship brick & mortar restaurant should be an important next step for Vaughn.Up to this point, Vaughn has not built a brick & mortar location because traditional storefronts require heavy upfront investment costs (Ferrell & Hartline, 521). However, with the cash flow that a successful Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity will bring, it will be the right time to invest in a flagship location. A major benefit to creating a flagship store front in Atlanta, GA will be that HHBBQ will be able to finally focus some resources on the opportunities in Atlanta for local catering parties and events in this major metropolitan area (Ferrell & Hartline522).This will create more cash flow for the company, and the increased presence in the Atlanta metropolitan area should help to strengthen the position of the company by fulfilling the event catering need that has not been met there as of yet (Ferrell & Hartline, 213). Purchasing more 18 squeelers to increase the reach of the product line should be a next step for Vaughn. The 18 squeeler was one of the first pieces of equipment bought by Rybka and has proven to be invaluable (Ferrell & Hartline, 519).This smoker allows HHBBQ to reach out to people over a wide geographic area, resulting in increased brand awareness which helps build more brand equity (Ferrell & Hartline, 205). Investing in more 18 squeelers will allow HHBBQ to continue expanding the awareness of its high quality product, which will help set up future associations and increased cash flow. In fact, the food truck industry, of which HHBBQ’s squeeler would be considered part, is growing at a rate of 18. % in North Florida which shows that there are still incredible growth opportunities in this arena, although competition is increasing as well (Haughney, 2). Vaughn should also look for more venue arrangements. These arrangements are great opportunities because they offer tremendous upside potential through solid revenues, profits, and exposure (Ferrell & Hartline, 525). Partnering with major arenas such as the Pepsi Center is ideal because massive amounts of people will see and try the product and take that favorable opinion about the brand home with them.HHBBQ is poised to increase cash flow considerably if they can establish similar arrangements with some of the NASCAR events that they are already affiliated with, other popular arenas such as the Amway Center in Orlando, FL, Turner Field in Atla nta, GA, or busy venues such as major zoos, amusement parks, or even in airports. Venture Capital is another way for HHBBQ may be able to help fund growth after the successful Pepsi Center opportunity. Selling a minority stake of the company for cash may be a very smart move in order to fund future growth.HHBBQ will have enough viability now that there will certainly be interested parties. Venture Capital firms, such as Seed Capital, which provides investment in new start-ups, exist to make a return on their investment (Haughney, 3). HHBBQ could fund major expansion with a large influx of cash, as well as hire more support staff to handle the increased demand for product. Increasing the amount of licensing agreements for HHBBQ is also a smart move. Licensing agreements allow HHBBQ to receive substantial cash flow while allowing the company to maintain quality control over both brand and product (Ferrell & Hartline, 524).These controls are still very important, because HHBBQ’s brand image and great tasting food help set the company apart from competitors. Additionally, HHBBQ currently only has a licensing agreement in the Denver, CO area which means that an incredible growth opportunity exists here. Adding a few other major markets would be a wise move to ensure viable cash flows for HHBBQ. 4. If the Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity turns out to be unsuccessful, what should Vaughn do to ensure the ongoing viability of Hottie Hawgs?If the Aramark/Pepsi decision proves unsuccessful, then Hottie Hawgs would have the opportunity to focus on other investment opportunities. As they do not have an excess of cash flow, it is our belief that Hottie Hawgs would initially benefit from raising capital. This time would also allow the fledgling company to build experience, maturity, and further develop within the growth stage, while having the additional financial flexibility that would come with more capital. Once Hottie Hawgs has raised ample capital, they would the n be able to focus on licensing/franchising, and more â€Å"Squeelers†.This capital would also allow Hottie Hawgs to consider the possibility of a brick and mortar restaurant. Hottie Hawgs has already established that they can attain profitability with the â€Å"Squeelers† once they verify the proper amount of food necessary. So the investment or licensing in additional â€Å"Squeelers† units would allow them to effectively manage the company’s growth. If the decision were to prove unsuccessful, Hottie Hawgs could also take that opportunity to move their operations back to closer to their home base. Atlanta, which has a population of over four million, would be a prime location for Hottie Hawgs to grow.Atlanta, which is a major metropolitan market, hosts NASCAR, MLB, NFL, and NBA, all of which could be potential events or venues where Hottie Hawgs could find success. This would also allow Hottie Hawgs to continue to attend successfully proven events, in t heir proximity, like the Billfish Tournament in Panama City. As noted in the case, Eric Rybka’s initial approach for Hottie Hawg’s branding was to, â€Å"create enough negative publicity to make the brand infamous, and then slowly morph the brand enough to be mainstream†. To ensure viability, Hottie Hawgs can take this unsuccessful decision and turn it an opportunity.They would now have the ability to change their brand to a more mainstream and socially acceptable brand. As we know from our text, a brand is a combination of the company’s name, symbol, and design. Taking an opportunity to refine these would fit well into Eric Rybka’s initial intent and direction of the company. This unsuccessful decision can also be turned into an opportunity for Hottie Hawgs to consider improvements or revisions of existing products. As noted in our text, these improvements or revisions can create a â€Å"greater perceived value† for the customer.In these ch allenging economic times, Hottie Hawgs could also consider cost reduction strategies. As noted in our text, cost reduction strategies would allow Hottie Hawgs to maintain a level of performance, but do so, â€Å"at a lower price†. This would allow Hottie Hawgs to appeal to the most cost conscious customers, but maintain the level of performance that has brought them initial success. This strategy could be achieved by considering lower cost meat providers, lower priced ingredients, or reducing costs in other facets of the restaurant, such as plates, utensils, cups, or napkins.Hottie Hawgs could also consider a co-branding strategy. Hottie Hawgs could contract and have Coke and Hottie Hawgs brand marks on their cups. They could also co-brand with locally prevalent companies to put their advertising on Hottie Hawgs to-go bags or boxes, along with Hottie Hawgs brand marks. Overall, it is our determination that if the Aramark/Pepsi decision proves to be unsuccessful, Hottie Hawgs still has a multitude of opportunities to maintain viability. Hottie Hawgs can consider licensing/franchising opportunities.They can make a decision to raise capital to obtain more Squeelers. They can consider other venues, like Atlanta, with the reasons that we noted above. Lastly, they can consider reconfiguring some of their strategies, utilizing concepts from the text, that would allow them to refine some of their strategies in an effort to maximize the fulfillment of the customer’s needs, while attracting a greater customer base. Even if the Aramark/Pepsi decision is unsuccessful, that does not mean that Hottie Hawgs is void of alternatives that can allow them to maintain viability and rofitability. O. C. Ferrell & Michael D. Hartline: â€Å"Marketing Strategy, Fifth Edition†    2011 Haughney, Kathleen. â€Å"Keep On (Food) Trucking. †   850businessmagazine. com. 850 Business Magazine. Web. 02 March   2013. http://www. 850businessmagazine. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=601%3Akeep-on-food-trucking&catid=64%3Aq-and-a&Itemid=1 Couret, Jacques. ‘ARC: Metro Atlanta Population Hits 4. 17 Million† bizjournals. com. Web. August 09, 2012 http://www. bizjournals. com/atlanta/news/2012/08/09/arc-metro-atlanta-population-hits. html? page=all

Coke Zero Essay

1. Some industry analysts think soft-drink companies should develop products that will bring new customers into the market rather than just creating variants on the old. They warn that products like Coke Zero will cannibalize lost market share from other soft drink categories instead of increasing the number of consumers overall. Which Coca-Cola products are most likely to lose customers to Coke Zero? Since Coke Zero is targeting Men, I think that regular Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Diet Coke Plus will all lose some of their customers to Coke Zero. Coke Zero has the word â€Å"zero† in it which already sounds a lot better than â€Å"Diet Coke† or â€Å"Diet Coke Plus†. â€Å"Coke Zero† is straight to the point and automatically has the potential customer thinking he (or she) will not be consuming any calories. 2. Why do you think that the hidden-camera videos used to promote Coke Zero were an effective way to reach its target market? Do you think a similar strategy with a viral marketing campaign on the Internet would appeal to the target market for Diet Coke Plus? I think the hidden cameras were a good idea, but not completely original. I also disagree with Coca-Cola company targeting only men – I think they should promote it to women as well. They really do have a great affect when the word â€Å"zero† is in it’s name. Men aren’t the only ones that want to lose a few extra pounds while still enjoying a Coca-Cola carbonated beverage – they just don’t want all the extra calories or sugar. 3. Do you think Diet Coke could have been repositioned to change consumers’ perceptions of it enough to be considered a drink equally appealing to men? Why or why not?