The Cyclist Poetry Commentary - 1329 Words

â€Å"The Cyclist† poetry commentary â€Å"The Cyclist† is a poem by Louis MacNeice which romanticizes the fleeting joys of childhood. These joys are emphasised through imagery of summer – be it activities, food, the beach, a bicycle ride, various techniques such as juxtaposition and enjambment are used to evoke fond memories from the reader. MacNeice’s poem is set in the southwest of England, on a hill with a chalk horse carved into it. It is during the height of summer, when the grasshoppers are buzzing and the children are playing outside. The character is a boy or a group of boys, and they are riding bicycles down a hill near to the chalk horse. The structure of the poem is quite disjointed, with only five sentences throughout three stanzas.†¦show more content†¦The wonderfully poetic language assists in the seamless transition from meadow to ocean: the rolling grass hills are likened the boiling waves (heated by the sun), and the pebbles are compared with crabs, scuttering away to escape the bike’s wheel. The â€Å"boys riding their heat-wave† creates a picture of a surfer, â€Å"feet on a narrow plank and hair thrown back†. The narrow plank createsShow MoreRelatedDocumentary Films Have Played an Important Part in Determining the Way We Construct History and Memory. in What Ways D o Documentary Films Dealing with the Holocaust Determine Contemporary Understandings of That Historical Event?2956 Words   |  12 Pagesserved not only to speak their ‘truth of the atrocities but also to document changing paradigms of social thought concerning Holocaust ‘truth. Holocaust History and its documentation: Theodor Adornos famous 1949 injunction that ‘to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric is indicative of the initial approaches of documentary to the subject matter. The first documentary footage of the Holocaust was shot as Allied troops entered the camps of Bergen-Belsen and Dachau, but this footage

Essay about Colon and Rectum Cancer - 1630 Words

The American Cancer Society estimates that over 100,000 men and women living in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013. Statistically, cancers of the colon and rectum are often combined and referred to as colorectal cancer. This addition brings the total to over 140,000 affected individuals with over 50,000 of these diagnoses resulting in death (American cancer society, 2013). Globally, the impact of this disease reached over one million people in 2008 with over 600,000 deaths attributed to colorectal cancer (Dusek, Maluskova, Musik, 2013). Colon cancer is preventable with a healthy diet, exercise, and curable with regular bowel exams. However, signs and symptoms of colon cancer usually do not present until the†¦show more content†¦When these cells become neoplastic they begin to grow into the layers of the colon and beyond as well. This event facilitates contact with capillaries and lymph vessels and cancer cells can then break off and migrate throug h the entire body (McCartney Oberleitner, 2011). The risk of cancer increases with age, and colon cancer is included in this factor with 62 being the most common age at diagnosis (McCartney Oberleitner, 2011). Repeated exposure to carcinogens over time can cause mutations in DNA, especially in highly mitotic epithelial cells, resulting in cancerous growths. An immune response in a young and healthy body would destroy the early formation of cancer cells. Unfortunately, individuals of advanced age suffer a decrease in the capabilities of the immune system. This puts them at a higher risk of dysplastic cells multiplying in the colon. Genetics may induce the coding of certain genes within cells to undergo spontaneous mutations. (Labianca, Nordlinger, Beretta, Brouquet, Cervantes, 2010). This factor produces the cluster of colon cancers seen in families. The risk of an individual getting cancer of the colon increases when immediate family members have received a diagnosis in the past. The rate of occurrence decreases when isolated extended family members develop the disease. However, if several people in one family group such as cousins, aunts and grandparents are diagnosed, the risk for the rest of the members of thatShow MoreRelatedColorectal Cancer And Its Effects On The Digestive System853 Words   |  4 PagesColorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer mainly starts at colon or the rectum. They are common in most of the way like features, but they have different treatment. What is the different between colon cancer and rectum cancer? Colon cancer happens first four to five feet of the large intestine and rectal cancer happens in the last few inches of the large intestine where it is connected to anus. Digestive system in our body Colon and rectum are both located in the digestive system. 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Marketing Communication Branding and Strategy

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Communicationfor Branding and Strategy. Answer: A set of mechanisms utilized for coordination of the promotional messages which are being delivered or conveyed through one or mediums such as print media, radio, television, direct and personal selling. In simple terms it is a communication process in which the marketers are the senders and the consumers are the receivers and the communication process done by the marketer for creating awareness about the offerings is known as marketing communication. The concept is of very much significant for each and every communication and also for its operational efficiency (Rzemieniak, 2017). The concept is simple aids in ensuring all forms of communications and the conveyed messages are linked whilst ensuring the efforts made by each stakeholder which are aligned as per the changing marketing trends. The below presented report has been focused on the branding and strategy and marketing communication for food industry. Further brand analysis will be carried out on Dominos which is an American m ultinational brand of pizza restaurants and Burger Urge which is a local Australian brand and which is Brisbane based Gourmet Burger chain. The below presented is the brief information about the two selected brands for food industry:- Dominos which is an American multinational and well established brand name in the fast-food sector and is one of the leading brands in the Pizza restaurant chain, the company was a private owned entity before 2004 and after that the company went public and is now traded in New York Stock Exchange. It has its headquarters in at the Domino Farms Office Park Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan, United States, near Ann Arbor, Michigan.The company was founded by brothers Tom and James Monaghan when they purchased a pizza store named Dominicks located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and at that stage they started the business as one-store operations. In 1965, the company was renamed Dominos Pizza (Alden and Nariswari, 2017). The brand offers a diversified range of pizza; the chain also offers other dishes such as pasta, over baked sandwiches, deserts, fried chicken, side dishes and beverages etc. Burger Urge is a private owned entity which has successfully completed its 10 years of completion since their first restaurant. The company is theBrisbanes original gourmet burger kings and for future they are establishing and planning to build a great share in the Australian casual dining sector. From a slow and steady start he Carthew brothers have built Burger Urge into a business with a staff of 240, an annual turnover of $20 million and 11 employees in headquarters, The brand offers a delicious and healthy range of burgers, salads, milkshakes and other beverages, Target Markets As both the companies operate their business activities in the same sector, so the targeted consumers are almost same. Both the organizations are into offering best quality of fast food which provides a great level of satisfaction to the consumers of each and every group (Aaker, 2012). The biggest similarity in both the companies is that both have a diversified range of health and delicious and affordable range of products which can be consumed by each and every group For instance, Dominos pizza and the other offerings of the brand can be enjoyed by individuals from a teen-ager to an adult or an aged one. The products are affordable as they are with an economic range and can be purchased by any individual. Same is with the Burger Urge; the company also offers varied range of healthy burgers and many more offerings at an economical range. There is only one big difference in the target market of both the brands i.e. Dominos is a multinational brand and so it enjoys customers on a globe level, whereas the Burger Urge is a local brand name in Australia and has a limited share of targeted market. Brand Positioning Strategy: It refers to the target consumer which helps in improving the sale of the company and by that name of brand also increases (Janiszewska and Insch, 2012). It provides succour in attaining aims and objectives. Brand positioning of Dominos is divided into three levels which help in maintaining brand image in the market place. Three levels are desirable benefit, product attributes, beliefs or values. They deliver the fresh Pizza to their consumers. The product attribute of Dominos which makes it product unique among its competitors and on the basis of that they are having their own large number of stores which helps in maintaining high quality of standard of Pizza. The next desirable benefits are they are providing the Pizza to their consumers within 30minutes. Brand positioning of Dominos is versatile and it provides the guarantee that they are selling high quality fresh Pizza which is delivered on time with creates a brand image in the market. On the other side, Burger urge is also pro viding better quality products but in taste the product of this company is different. From their competitors they are trying to provide better merchandise. Along with this they are doing short term promotions and selling product by using the price as a comparison point. For attaining the market position, both the business entities can do competitor analysis or competitor positioning analysis. Elements of brand identity of Dominos Pizza are that this company having a logo and it consists of red and blue color (Aaker and Biel, 2013). Along with this logo of the business entity includes the tagline Oh, yes we did. These components together form a strong brand identity of the business organization. This concept also provides a support to the positioning strategies as the all the components together make the goods more presentable and which develops more attraction of the consumers. The brand identity thus supports the positioning strategies an also decreases the efforts of the marketing team. On the other side, Burger Urge making fast food fabulous and also doing proper designed to delight. Along with this the scalable solutions are provided so that they can attain goals and objectives. The elements of brand entity create a sense of awareness and also provide a detailed knowledge of the product. This aids marketing team in putting fewer efforts to promote the goods and servic es. Brand Equity: Dominos Pizza are the second largest pizza selling company in the world and also having the domestic and international franchisees as they are having a large amount of investments. Along with this they are putting efforts by executing proper and appropriate advertising. In the United States, Dominos is the number one pizza delivery business entity. For doing the delivery, they cover the major areas and these are the elements which help in maintaining the brand equity in the marketplace. On the other hand, Burger urge offering additional lunch meals and also some beverages options which helps in leveraging the strength of company (Wheeler, 2013). Along with this they are offering best and qualitative products at a reasonable price to the consumers so as to enhance the brand equity of the company. Brand equity leveraging is done for capturing the new revenue streams. There are various types of brand equity leveraging which are mentioned as follows: Brand extension is the concept in which the organization uses the brand name of tan existing product which is already brand extension and also the established. This builds a new market for the new product for which the company is doing brand extension. This approach also have negative results is the extension is done too far then there will be loss of credibility. Line extension refers to the expansion of a product line. For instance by adding more ingredients and toppings in a specific pizza Dominos can develop line extension. This concept adds variety to the existing products. Touch Points of Target Markets Dominos the teenagers be considered as the target market. On the basis of a survey carried out it has been observed that this is the segment which is on the top in the list of consumption. The individuals from this group have habits of outside eating habits, so it is of very much ease to approach the consumers from this segment. The company can easily target them by developing attracting promotional events and contests, as the teenagers are very much interested in taking part in contests (Shimp. and Andrews, 2012). Moreover the entity should make use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter etc. as the teenagers are from the top users of internet and social media. Also the company should provide fascinating price schemes to attract them. While in case of Burger Urge target market is at very much limited scale a company operates the business activities at local scale. So the entity will have to target the locales but then also need to target the consumers as this is the group which utilizes the products of the company at the largest scale. Here, the firm can make use of social media but should use it at local means. Also local means of promotional tools should be used, such as ads in sports and fashion magazines, pamphlets, high hoardings. The reasonable pricing strategies can be a touch point of the consumers. As per the above analysis the price is the best touch point for the targeted segment for both the companies (Solomon,. 2014). By adapting economy pricing strategy both the companies can easily attain more and more consumers from the targeted segment. Keeping a moderate price of the products and this can be done by both the entities by making reduction in the promotional and production costs. This will help both the organizations to attract more and more consumers. Buying Path of Consumers The concept is a very much complicated process and has been segmented in 5 stages which are as follows:- This is the first most steps in the decision path. A decision to buy anything cannot be made without the recognition of the need (Jones. 2014). The need can be recognized by the internal stimuli such as thirst or hunger and external stimuli i.e. ads and promotions. Now after recognition the consumer will carry out a research over the recognition of the need an will try to reach at a solution. In this search the consumer will make efforts to search internal and external environments (Goldsmith, 2016). The next step in the decision path is that the consumer will make extra efforts to find for alternatives which can be more economical and relevant. Alternative can be considered as the factor which is capable of influencing the decision making process of consumer. Purchase decision is the stage at which the consumer finally makes the decision of buying is made and the product is bought for utilization. The next step is post purchase behavior, in which the consumer makes a comparison of the product with his previous expectations (Nazir and et al, 2012). This has to be considered one of the most critical stage as it has the greatest effect on the decision making of the consumer for the future. If the features of the products are not as per the expectations then it can make a change in the decision making process. Conclusion From the above carried out analysis it can be inferred that branding an developing plans an strategies are the top vital tasks for establishing the product in a market. The analysis has been carried out on the products of Dominos which is an international brand and Burger Urge which is a local brand. Further target markets for both the organizations have been analyzed and also differences have also been mentioned. References Rzemieniak, M., 2017. Marketing communication problemsA case study of agricultural exhibitions. Alden, D.L. and Nariswari, A., 2017. Brand Positioning Strategies During Global Expansion: Managerial Perspectives from Emerging Market Firms. InThe Customer is NOT Always Right? Marketing Orientationsin a Dynamic Business World(pp. 527-530). Springer, Cham. Aaker, D.A., 2012.Building strong brands. Simon and Schuster. Janiszewska, K. and Insch, A., 2012. The strategic importance of brand positioning in the place brand concept: elements, structure and application capabilities.Journal of International Studies Vol,5(1). Aaker, D.A. and Biel, A., 2013.Brand equity advertising: advertising's role in building strong brands. Psychology Press. Wheeler, A., 2013.Designing brand identity(Vol. 3, pp. 1-40). John Wiley Sons, Inc.. Saravanakumar, M. and SuganthaLakshmi, T., 2012. Social media marketing.Life Science Journal,9(4), pp.4444-4451. Shimp, T.A. and Andrews, J.C., 2012.Advertising promotion and other aspects of integrated marketing communications. Cengage Learning. Solomon, M.R., 2014.Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being(Vol. 10). Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Goldsmith, E.B., 2016.Consumer economics: Issues and behaviors. Routledge. Nazir, S., Tayyab, A., Sajid, A., Rashid, H.U. and Javed, I., 2012. How online shopping is affecting consumers buying behavior in Pakistan.International Journal of Computer Science Issues,9(3), pp.486-495. Jones, s, 2014, The six stages of buying process and how to market them, Assessed on 5th April, https://www.business2community.com/consumer-marketing/six-stages-consumer-buying-process-market-0811565#hlev8exwtoyxTUfg.97.

Sneakers War free essay sample

Marketing Management SNEAKER WARS 2007 Nike never lacks for boldness. The Beaverton sneaker goliath recently offered the German National Soccer Federation $778 million to sponsor its national soccer team for 10 years in an audacious move to rattle its German rival adidas and long-time sponsor of the German team. Nikes new chief executive, Mark Parker, upped the boldness quotient again on Feb. 6, when he outlined an ambitious plan to grow revenues by $8 billion in five years. In his first major initiative since inheriting the top spot (Chief Executive) in January, 2006, Parker explained to investors at Nikes annual analyst conference how the company aims to grow to $23 billion in global revenue by 2011. The comprehensive long-term strategy calls for reshaping the management structure; redefining Nikes relationship with its fast-changing, digitally driven consumer; and adding 100 new company stores worldwide in three years. Were fundamentally changing the way we organize the company, Parker said. Nike is as hungry and as driven as weve ever been before and becoming more focused and more competitive. While analysts and investors applauded much of Nikes new strategy, some questioned whether the company could actually do it. After all, revenues would need to rise 53% over five years, or average about 9% a year, to reach the target of $23 billion. Its going to be challenging to achieve $8 billion in new sales without turning around slumping sales in Europe, Japan, and the U. S. basketball market a crucial $3 billion to $3. billion market segment. I think its going to be tough for them, said John Shanley, financial analyst for Susquehanna Financial. Basketball, for example, is shrinking in terms of sales. They have 96% of the market share in the $100 or more price point. How do you get high single-digit growth when you already have more than 96% of the market? Nike executives fell short in offering specific details to some of these questions and focused more on painting a broa der picture of the new strategy. They stressed a multi-pronged approach that includes reorganizing the Nike brand into six main athletic divisions running, basketball, soccer, womens fitness, mens training, and sport culture that are expected to generate 75% of the brands growth. The company had previously divided the brand into three segments: footwear, apparel, and equipment. Growth is also expected to come from emerging markets and potential acquisitions. But Nike Brand President Charlie Denson said the company can reach the $23 billion target without new acquisitions. As for new markets, China is expected to become Nikes second biggest market behind the U. S. , potentially chalking up $1 billion in sales. Nike is building a strategy for growth across China that will foster new connections with Chinese youth, a market share plan designed to reap benefits far beyond the Beijing Olympics next year, top executives said last week. By tapping into swelling consumerism, label consciousness and new social freedoms among Chinas youth, Nike hopes to cement and expand its current position as the leading athletic footwear and apparel brand in the worlds most populous country, currently the companys fourth-largest market. With about $600 million in current annual sales, Nike believes China has the potential to be the companys second-largest market behind the United States with revenue of $1 billion within five years. The company estimates some 50 million Chinese youth play basketball. We think our opportunity there is to connect more deeply with local culture, Parker said, explaining Nikes overall China strategy. Parker said Nike will create products and retail and digital experiences designed to resonate with wired, hip and willing-to-spend Chinese youth living in different cities and regions. Ultimately, thats going to be our best foundation for growth going forward, Parker said. China is a prime component in the global Nike puzzle that will help push total sales for the Beaverton, Oregon-based company toward a target of $23 billion by 2011. Nike also views India, whose population growth rate is rising faster than China’s and Russia as potential $1 billion markets. Although the budget for Nik es 2008 Beijing Olympics strategy has not yet been planned, Nike Brand President Charlie Denson said that commitment would be major. But, Denson said, We are looking beyond Beijing. A recent Just Do It campaign that aired on Chinese television featured a young woman basketball player and a young male skateboarder who spoke of their lives and dreams through sports. A popular Internet-based advertising campaign that followed the television advertisements encouraged teenagers to send in their own stories. While soccer and basketball are the most popular sports among Chinese youth, Nike also sees a huge market for its sports culture footwear and apparel lines that capture the allure of sports without the performance aspects. Trevor Edwards, Nikes vice president of global brand and category management, explained that Nike is trying to encourage Chinese youth to find their individual voice. The Just Do It campaign and others, Edwards said, communicated that we were a brand about opportunity; we were a brand about hope. Nike sponsors 22 out of 28 Chinese sports federations. While the best-known Chinese athlete in the United States, basketball centre Yao Ming, is signed with Reebok, a division of Adidas AG , popular Chinese hurdler and Olympic gold medallist Liu Xiang is a Nike athlete. Even though much of Nikes marketing campaign in China is based on youth individuality, Nike wants to make sure their footwear fits the millions. To that end, Nikes engineers and physiologists back at their headquarters have been collecting data about Chinese feet. But the company will not say whether specific footwear lines will be launched for China. Nikes India business has grown 40% since last year thanks in part to its efforts in cricket. Nike executives also said they plan to invest aggressively in other potential billion-dollar markets such as Russia and Brazil. Back in the USA, Nikes efforts to add new retail stores and elevate its partnership with existing retailers is a big part of its new strategy. This effort comes at a time of sluggish sales from some of its biggest retailers mall-based chains Foot Locker (FL) and Finish Line (FINL). Nike executives said the company plans to grow its direct-to-retail business to 15% of total sales, or $3. 5 billion, from 12% today. The segment includes its own stores, factory outlets, and an e-commerce division, which executives expect to see a significant increase in revenues over the next five years. For the planned retail investment, Nike will increase capital spending to $475 million annually, up from just under $400 million, Nike said. Gary DeStefano, president of Nikes global operations, stressed its retail goal is to make Nike a better retail partner: This is not about Nike vs. the retailers, he said. This is a partnership. We believe this could be a growth strategy. But probably Nikes boldest bet is on the consumer. In the eyes of Parker, this new and evolving digitally driven consumer is reshaping the retailing landscape. The power is now in the onsumers hands, and Parker believes Nike and other consumer brand companies need to adjust to the new market dynamics. Consumers have never held as much power as they do today, Parker said. And clearly the power has shifted to consumers. Nikes Denson said this fundamental shift can be captured in the way the company studies its consumer profiles. In the past, managers used to consider 18- and 22-year-olds as part of the same demo graphic target. Now he says they are treated as separate and distinct markets when it comes to age, interests, and tastes. We spent the last 30 years trying to bundle things, and now its almost the reverse and we have to un-bundle things, Denson said, explaining Nikes new efforts to tailor products to individual consumers. Despite these fundamental changes in how Nike approaches its customers and its reshaped management structure, some things never change. Nike remains its audacious self and competitive juices still run strong. It still has goals to dominate markets where it is not already No. 1, and it’s redoubling efforts to unseat rival Adidas as the worlds top supplier of soccer shoes and apparel. Its recent bid to sponsor the German national team is part of its 2010 goal to dominant the football brand, said Nike marketing vice-president Trevor Edwards. We believe its time to create separation. This is not a game of chicken. Some things never change. Adidas expects growth overseas, particularly in Asia, to push sales at its Reebok division to US$5 billion ($7. 42 billion) over the next three to five years, up from US$3 billion, adidas chief Herbert Hainer said yesterday. The worlds second-largest sporting goods maker after Nike also said it expected to cut costs including at Reebok, which it acquired last year by about 87 million euros ($1. 6 billion) this year. That will more than offset integration costs, resulting in an overall cost savings of about 10 to 20 million euros, Hainer said. For the Reebok brand, the main growth driver will be Asia and to a certain extent Europe as well. Key markets like Germany and France are underdeveloped, as is Russia. Emerging markets have a huge potential and we will grow in the US, but by far not at the pace of Asia. Much of that growth will come toward the latter part of that period with the brand expecting only modest revenue growth, said Paul Harrington, president and CEO of the Reebok brand. Adidas, the German based sporting goods giant, bought Reebok in a US$3. 8 billion deal, looking to complement its strength in Europe with a major US brand that had greater strength in the fashion segment. But the Reebo k brand has been a drag on Adidass performance thus far. In November 2006, the German company lowered its 2007 profit growth forecast to 15 per cent from 20 per cent, citing trouble at Reebok. Adidas shares have slid almost 14 per cent since the Reebok takeover closed on January 31, 2006. Rival Nikes shares have risen about 24 per cent over that time. Reeboks sales have been lagging in the United States and the United Kingdom, though adidas plans a big expansion for the brand in Asia, including about 3200 stores in China, India and Russia by 2010. It is to open 200 stores in China and 90 in Russia this year. The brand is also eyeing an expansion in Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe. In Brazil, Argentina, Switzerland and Spain, where the brand is still sold by third-party distributors, the company is working to buy out those contracts, but some may have to run their course through to 2012. At present, about 40 per cent of the Reebok brands sales come from North America and 40 per cent from Europe. Part of what makes the expansion outside the United States so appealing is that profit margins tend to be higher in the rest of the world, Hainer said. You have much higher quantity on the US market, but much more value, higher profit margins on the European or Asian market. Adidas plans to reposition its Reebok brand to target athletics apparel consumers who value individuality, with a goal of broadening beyond an urban youth target audience and re-emphasizing Reeboks roots as an athletics performance brand. The strategy comes as Germany-based adidas ramps up its investment in Reebok a year after acquiring the brand and then seeing Reebok sales fall into a slump. The revised brand strategy builds off the edgy I am what I am campaign Reebok adopted four years ago by embracing hip-hop culture and youth-oriented entertainment alongside its traditional athletics performance market. The new strategy will maintain the I am what I am theme in many of Reeboks advertisements. But it also will position Reebok as an American-inspired global brand that celebrates individuality in sport and life, according to Adidas. Reebok President and Chief Executive Paul Harrington said the brand will gently shift emphasis toward suburban consumers of all ages without abandoning the urban youth targeted by I am what I am. Reebok also will try to reconnect with consumers who value athletic performance over fashion. While I am what I am wont go by the wayside, It may not be as loud as it was when we first launched it, Harrington said in an interview at Reeboks Canton headquarters, where he was joined by Adidas CEO and Chairman Herbert Hainer. The street-influenced I am what I am campaign helped Reebok connect with youth by featuring endorsers such as rappers 50 Cent and Jay-Z. But some industry analysts said the campaign risked alienating customers who prize performance over fashion and marked too sharp a departure for a brand that gained traction pitching aerobics shoes to women in the 1980s. Were not going to move totally away from music, but were going to reach for a broader audience, Harrington said. Adidas hopes Reebok will double its U. S. business and narrow Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike Inc. s market leadership. But adidas said in November last year (2006) that sales of Reebok-branded shoes and other apparel fell 7 percent in the first nine months of last year, compared with the same peri od in 2005. Adidas also conceded that Reeboks profit growth this year would fall short of initial expectations, and it said it intended to increase Reebok investment this year. Among other things, Reebok has been hurt by a recent decline in the once-hot market for retro-styled sneakers that mimic styles from the 80s a trend that Reebok helped drive, said John Horan, publisher of Sport Goods Intelligence, a Glen Mills, Pennsylvania-based industry newsletter. Since Adidas completed the Reebok deal in January 2006, analysts have speculated as to how the one-time athletics sneaker and apparel rivals would position the two separately managed brands to avoid competing against one another in the same market niches. The strategy announced Thursday will be launched with two Reebok campaigns this year. The first is a Run Easy campaign beginning this spring emphasizing the fun and joy of running, rather than its blood, sweat and tears aspect and winning. Reebok plans to launch a broader campaign in August targeting a variety of athletes as well as lifestyle apparel consumers around the theme Best On/Best Off suggesting that Reebok products offer the best in apparel both on and off the playing field. New products Reebok plans to introduce this year include a running shoe created especially for women, a new Allen Iverson model basketball shoe, and an apparel collection endorsed by actress Scarlett Johansson. Andrew Rohm, a former Reebok marketing employee and now an assistant professor of marketing at North-eastern University, said the revised strategy reflects an attempt by Reebok to create a new niche to complement the Adidas brand, whose traditional strength has been in athletic performance, especially soccer. I think it may be a reflection of looking less at sheer sales volume, and more in terms of owning a unique space, and becoming more of a niche player than they have tried to be in the past, Rohm said. Reeboks Harrington said the revised marketing strategy will help position the brand for a comeback. It really positions us for growth in the back end of 2007, he said. Puma, the maker of athletic shoes, shirts and other sporting goods, said its fourth-quarter profit fell 26 percent as it tries to broaden its product base and expand into new regions. But the company, the worlds third-biggest maker of sports apparel behind Nike Inc. and adidas AG, said it expected sales and earnings in 2007 to increase in the higher single-digit figure range, largely on demand for its licensed products. Overall, we are very pleased with 2006 and our start to (the latest restructuring phase), as we set some ambitious targets and are on track or ahead on all accounts, Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said in a statement. But more important than the past is the future and weve put ourselves in a solid early position to deliver on our objectives. Puma earned euro32. 8 million (US$43 million) in the last three months of 2006, down from euro44. 1 million in the same quarter of 2005. Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had expected a profit of euro34 million (US$44. 6 million). Sales rose 38 percent to euro480 million (US$629. 7 million) from euro349. 2 million a year ago, still less than the euro492 million (US$645. 4 million) analysts had predicted. For the year, Puma earned euro263. 2 million (US$345. 3 million), down nearly 8 percent from euro285. 8 million in 2005, just below analysts estimates of euro264 million (US$346. million). Sales rose 33 percent to euro2. 37 billion (US$3. 11 billion) from euro1. 78 billion in 2005, just under estimates of euro2. 38 billion (US$3. 12 billion). The sales increase was led, in part, by better-than-expected demand for its shirts and helped by the afterglow of the 2006 soccer World Cup, in which Puma sponsored the champion Italy. It is also a key supplier to many African teams. Since Zeitz was named CEO and chairman of the company in 1993, Puma has returned to profitability and increased sales and expanded its research and development, marketing and branding programs. Its latest restructuring effort is aimed at expanding the companys reputation as a maker of lifestyle brands clothes, shoes and accessories, such as eyeglasses and expand in more regions and categories. For the year, Puma posted strong sales in North and South America, with sales reaching euro724. 1 million (US$949. 95 million), up 51. 8 percent from 2005. In Asia and the Pacific, sales more than tripled to euro486. 5 million (US$638. 24 million). In Europe, the Middle East and Africa sale increased 5. 1 percent to euro1. 15 billion (US$1. 51 billion). The companys backlog of orders a key indicator for future sales performance was at euro1. 12 billion (US$1. 47 billion) at the end of 2006, up 4. 7 percent from euro1. 07 billion in 2005. Shares of Herzogenaurach-based Puma were up nearly 2 percent after the results were released but fell back more than half a percent to euro288. 01 (US$377. 84) in Frankfurt trading. References: Business Week Online Can Nike Do It? By Stanley Holmes 7 February 2007 Reuters News Nike striving to be brand about hope in China By Alexandria Sage 12 February 2007 New Zealand Herald Reebok to race in Europe and Asia 3 February 2007 Associated Press Newswires Adidas shifting Reeboks brand identity By MARK JEWELL 2 February 2007 Associated Press Newswires Athletic apparel maker Puma says 4th-quarter profit drops 26 percent By MATT MOORE 19 February 2007 Questions 1. Conduct a SWOT analysis of the key players in the sneaker industry and critically analyse their influence within the industry and the market. (25 marks) 2. Evaluate all significant trends in the environment and assess what impact each is likely to have on the sneaker industry. (25 marks) (Total = 50 marks)