Marketing Strategy †Adidas

ProductThe group has maintained a culture of providing high quality products aimed at providing the best value to the costumer. The products portfolio is continuously enhanced through creations and innovations throughout the companies various categories.This is pursued in order to cater to the various needs and wants of consumers worldwide. Well-known brands for sports apparels, equipment and accessories, the Adidas group has a diverse brand portfolio consists of: Adidas: footwear, apparel and accessories; Reebok: footwear, apparel and accessories; TaylorMade Adidas Golf: Golf Equipment, footwear, apparel and accessories; Rockport: Dress, casual and outdoor footwear, apparel and accessories; CCMHockey: Hockey equipment and apparel. Adidas had implement latest technologies in their products which able to enhance performances of players and they focus on sports such as football, tennis, basketball and even training shoes which are used by anyone with the ability to run. Their new techn ologies have lead to the production of Climacool, a shoe with a ventilation system and a shoe with an energy management system that guides and drives an athlete’s foot through each stride. PriceAdidas adapt a premium pricing strategy which it is a strategy where companies charge a premium price for their products. Adidas is trying to penetrating markets by using market skimming tactics – use premium strategy and offer high quality and customer satisfaction for high prices. This had clearly positions itself as a top-notch brand in the market.PlaceThe company has adopted an ambitious global plan to distribute its products to the consumer with a strong focus on controlled space, including: Own-retail business, e-commerce, Shop-in-Shop, Joint ventures with retail partners, mono-branded franchise stores, co-branded stores with sports organizations and other brands. Hence, a high level of brand control is provided. In addition, an â€Å"integrated distribution roadmap† has been set up to ensure further growth and to increase brand presence in under-penetrated, affluent cities, without cannibalizing their own brands and distribution mix.PromotionThe Adidas group sells products in virtually every country of the world. Thus, different promotional tools are used in order to reduce the number of lost customers and to increase sales. The group has set up an unparalleled portfolio of promotion partnerships with international recognized sports associations (e.g. UEFA, FIFA, NBA, NFL, and NHL). Henceforth, commercials, ads, apps for smart phones, product placement, sponsorships for athletes and sport events (e.g. Berlin Marathon 2011) are implemented. Adidas has provided the Official Match Ball containing Logo of the Adidas for FIFA World Cup 2010 (South Africa).Adidas is tier one partner and sponsor for the coming London 2012 Olympics – one of the important Sporting Event of the World. The officials and staff of 2012 Olympics wearing Adidas Sport swear during Inaugural and Closing ceremonies will always leave Adidas in the brains of the Millions of the people watching these ceremonies. Adidas has hailed its biggest ever UK marketing campaign ‘Take the Stage’ for lifting sales of London 2012-related merchandise to around  £100m.Q2. Why Adidas Sponsor In London Olympics But Not New York Or Malaysia? A worldwide sporting event like The Olympics or world Cup provides a huge marketing opportunity for sports apparel companies, which have long enjoyed a spike in sales during such events. Historically, the Olympic Games have been an ideal forum for brands looking to strengthen their global presence. â€Å"Faster, Higher, Stronger†: it is the motto of the Olympic Games. But it is also a pretty good fit for the global market for athletic footwear, apparel and equipment.Retail sales totaled an estimated USD 340 billion in 2011. That represented growth of 7%, well ahead of global GDP growth of 2.5%. Companies have paid hefty sums for the privilege of being associated with the Games, convinced that no other event in the world offers the unique combination of mass worldwide exposure and fostering of positive values. London Olympics will put sport into the living rooms of billions of consumers around the globe, which should help to keep revenues in the segment on an upward trajectory. London is a key focus for the sportswear market, for both performance sportswear and sports fashion.This market sets more trends than anywhere else in the country. London 2012 gave Adidas a  platform to target this audience but with a global reach. As a result of the marketing strategy in London 2012, Adidas said that the Olympics, alongside its sponsorship activity around the European Championships and the Champions League, helped push sales up 15 per cent to â‚ ¬3.5bn ( £2.8bn) year-on-year in its second quarter. Net income jumped 18% to â‚ ¬165m ( £129m). Other non Olympic host – such as Malay sia, did not gain sponsorship from Adidas although Malaysia had hosted some major sport events such as F1.However, car racing is not there main product line of Adidas. Adidas main pipelines lies in running, training, football, basketball etc, which these sport is also a major attention worldwide. F1 for example, did not have vast amount of audience compare to football and basketball. Return of investment for sponsoring are not significant as market penetration is not huge as per Olympics.

How New York Times vs Sullivan changed political thinking Essay

The history of the American nation has been evidently marked with many landmarks legal interpretations of its constitution. The case of New York Times vs. Sullivan is one good example of landmark cases which greatly changed the political thinking of the American population. It is clear from the underlying proceedings of the Supreme Court on the case that the legal understanding of the first and fourth amendments of the civil right bill is not to allow any recovery for media reports unless the complainant can sufficiently prove acts of malice when making the defamatory report (FindLaw, 2010). This is what marked the many historical appreciations of the media freedom in our legal justice system. It is indeed a direct result of this 1964 ruling that the media gain freedom to sufficient cover the proceedings of civil rights movement thus aiding in the realization of the ultimate inclusion of the black American’s right to the civil rights in the American constitution. This essay is written as a critical analysis of the New York Times vs. Sullivan and how it evidently changed political thinking in America. The author first gives an analytical discussion on the underlying facts presented in the case. A discussion on how the case set a precedent for public officials and how that is just another thing to consider for public figures getting into politics is also given Summary of the New York Times vs. Sullivan case 1. The trial courts judgment The case of New York Times vs. Sullivan involved a claim by New York Times in an advertisement that the arrest of Martin Luther king junior was a campaign to compromise his efforts in encouraging the blacks to vote (FindLaw, 2010). The advert claimed that the Montgomery police had been allegedly directed their acts against students who were involved in the civil rights demonstrations. The led to the filing of defamation case against New York Times by Sullivan, a commissioner in the police department at Montgomery (Shah & Anderson, 2007). It is however here to be made clear that the advert was not directly mentioning Sullivan but Sullivan claimed that it was targeting him since he was the chief supervision of the police department in Montgomery. he low court trial judge in Alabaman found the New York Times guilty of committing an actual malice defamatory statements against a public officer and ordered them to pay Sullivan damage worthy half a million US dollars. 2. The Supreme Court’s judgment and its reflection on the first and fourteenth amendment It is however to be realized that the New York Times did not accept the lower court jury’s judgment thus forcing to file an appeal with the supreme cou rt in the quest realizing a fair and just judgment (Tysoe, 2008). At the Supreme Court, the judges clearly confirmed that the provisions of the first amendment of the civil rights bill did not allow a public officer to be granted damages for defamation unless he or she clearly proves that such statements were made will actual malice against them. Still citing the fourteenth amendment to the constitution, the court ruled out that the states is not obliged to award damages for defamation to a public offices based on falsified claims unless the officers sufficiently proves actual malice in the statements (Shah & Anderson, 2007). It is also clear from the proceedings at the Supreme Court that an individual statement can never its protection under the American constitution even if it appears in the form of a paid advert. The judges claimed that it is not the purpose of the government to judge the truth and that a public officer must live to take critics from the public unless they can sufficiently proof malicious acts in the statements (Write & Lidsky, 2004). It was evidently claimed that any act of allowing Sullivan to be paid damages for insufficiently qualified claims of malice could act as a loophole for compromising any future critics to public officers. Still to be noted here is the fact that such any act could greatly compromise genuine critics for fear of intimidation, a move which could evidently compromise the just and fair provision of services by public officers to the general public. It is based on this reasons that the Supreme Court ruled against the lower courts ruling thus favoring New York Times. How New York Times vs. Sullivan set a precedent for public officials The first lesson is that it became evidently clear that a public official is subject to public criticism. It is quite clear from existing historical information that the realization of just and fair rules and regulations in the American nation has never been without social movements. Still clear is the fact that such realizations were heavily compromised with public office power interferences (Wright & Lidsky, 2004). The civil right movement of the twentieth century is no exception to this. It is based on this reasoning and by applying the principles of conclusion by sufficient reasoning that the 1964 interpretation of the American constitution served to protect the political elite and/or public officials from imposing force to the public. Another change that was brought by the impact of the New York Times vs. Sullivan case ruling is that the political elite in the community must be role models (Tysoe, 2008). It is found in the proceedings of the Supreme Court ruling that public officials should be open to critics from the public domain. This was made to emphasis the fact that such are the leaders who should lead the American nation to the next level of fairness and justice for all in the society. It was only by instilling the fact that the general public has a constitutional right to critique their leaders that political comments made by leaders are subject to self liability. This is what has made the political elite of the American nation respectful of the constitutional provisions thus sufficiently realizing greater levels of justice and fairness in the society (Melbourne University Law Review, 2001). Still proved by the case is the fact that sufficiently prove of defamation by actual malice is the ultimate reason for claiming legal awarding of damages (Melbourne University Law Review, 2001). The proceedings at the Supreme Court clearly established that the constitutional protection of claimed statement can not be negated due to the fact that such have been expressed in the context of a paid advertisement. This clear makes public officials subject to proving of actual malice in their damage claim suits. It is to be clearly noted that most true expression which go to the media can be easily disputed by the source (FindLaw, 2010). However, the question of whether or not to get defamatory damages remains subject to the provision of substantial evidence proving actual malice in the presentation of the expressions. How New York Times vs. Sullivan is just another thing to consider for public figures getting into politics The ruling in the case of the New York Times vs. Sullivan also instilled the lesson that no one in the American land is above the rule of law as provided in the constitution. Clear from the ruling of the lower court, it can be claimed that the jury sort less evidence to make the judgment in favor of Sullivan (Wright & Lidsky, 2004). This could be closely attributed to the fact that the government was out to control the progression of the Martin Luther King led civil rights movement. It is however clear from the Supreme Court judgment that despite such previous rulings on the case the constitutional provisions must be respected and applied equally to all in the society (Melbourne University Law Review, 2001). The provision for proving actual malice for compensation of defamation of an individual’s reputation should equally respect all even the politically advantaged in the society. It is this that made political influence on justice provisions mitigated thus respecting the rule of rule as reflected in the constitutional provision for independence of the judiciary. Another lesson from the case is that of limiting claim for awarding damage due to purported defamatory speech (Tysoe, 2008). From the advertisement that led to the defamation claims by Sullivan, it is quite clear that it claimed to be the onset of a new pattern of modern freedom. According to the ruling of the Supreme Court, it is quite clear that the constitution sufficiently protects the human right to speech. It is due to this that it found no sufficient claim of defamation in Sullivan’s claims due to the fact that the students involve were being deprived of their constitutional right to speech (Shah & Anderson, 2007). It is based on this reasoning that the ruling changing our political approaches to reflective our constitutional right to speech. The last lesson from the case ruling is that it made it clear that freedom of the press must be respected. It is to be noted here that the sole duties of the media is to provide news to the general public on occurrences around them. It is due to this reason that any act of compromise quality and accuracy of such news must be mitigated. Still to be understood here is the fact that the advertisement published by the New York Times was made for overseeing the fair and just execution of the underlying demands of the civil rights movement (Melbourne University Law Review, 2001). This is what made the ruling a greatly political influence blow in civil matters. Still realized from the ruling is the ultimate realizing of freedom of press. Indeed the New York Times vs. Sullivan led to the protection of the media against intimidation in covering the civil rights movement.  It is thus clear that the ruling changed the perception the political and public officials had with regard to the media in the society. Conclusion In conclusion, it has been clearly established that the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the New York Times vs. Sullivan marked the dawn of respect for freedom to speech and the press by public officials. It is thus clear that such a case qualifies to be a landmark case in the history of the American nation. It is this court ruling which mitigated misuse of public office and/or political power to impose legal awards for damages without sufficiently prove of actual malice.

Sources of Software Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sources of Software - Assignment Example A verifiable and demonstrable commitment to total satisfaction rate and support will be the main facet in the assessment of vender qualifications. The term for this Request for Proposal will be 5 years. This proposal is renewable for 6th and 7th year. The proposal will not be limited to, services all labor and the materials needed for the completion of this project. Proposal shall include all costs of insurance, licensing fees, labor, agreements, and other costs reasonably important to complete this project (Porter-Roth, 2002). The agenda to this RFP must be issued and authorized in writing by the college. Any agenda that alter the RFP documents by deleting, adding, or correcting it contents will be given before the proposal receipt dates. The below attached scheduled is anticipated for this project. The schedule may change depending on the Proposals results. The final schedule will be established before contracting with the winning

Is There A Future For Occupational Pensions, And How May They Change Essay

Is There A Future For Occupational Pensions, And How May They Change - Essay Example According to the study conducted occupational pensions and retirement are in tandem; an employer and his employees contribute to funds, which are in form of savings and are paid to the employee upon retirement. Therefore, it is wise to plan for one’s retirement and old age; here, pension benefits individuals once they have ceased receiving regular income. Pension plans are implemented by an employer, the government, insurance companies, or trade unions; however, the coverage of occupational pensions varies in different countries. Occupational pensions are compulsory in countries like Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland, and they cover approximately 80% of the working population; however, Iceland is rated the top with 82% coverage. In Britain, some employers may exclude some employees from occupational pensions, such as casuals or part-time employees. Needless to say, occupational pensions are viewed as compensation for the employees; however, â€Å"the eligibility for a n occupational pension can affect entitlement to the state benefits†. Different countries have different types of occupational pensions; these are determined by the laws governing pensions in these countries. The main type of occupational pensions include contributory pensions, which involves an employee having to part with some of his earnings for instance 5%-10% of the gross salary plus his employer’s contributions. According to Combat Poverty Agency, contributory pension scheme is accompanied by high benefits and tax relief. Non–contributory occupational pension schemes involve the employer’s contributions alone (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development & Private Pensions and Insurance Unit, 2001, p.208). Open stakeholder scheme is the third category of occupational pension, whereby, the employer does not contribute towards this pension; however, the law requires that this plan be established in a firm that has more than five employees (pe nsion sorter, 2012). Moreover, the United Kingdom law on pensions does not require employers to contribute towards the Open stakeholder pension scheme (pension sorter, 2012). Merits of occupational pensions Occupational pensions are established by the employer with an aim of benefiting the employee, and therefore, they offer tax relief for both the employer and the employee’s contributions. Needless to say, employees benefit from the opportunity to plan for their old age and retirement. In addition, in case a member of the pension scheme passes on, his beneficiaries will benefit from the occupational pension benefits. Nevertheless, an occupational pension scheme can act as a motivating tool for employees; this is because they are aware that their future is secured by their employer, especially in a non- contributory pension. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003, p.64) argues that, an organization can use occupational pensions to amicably lay off old-ag ed employees. Such employees are entitled to pensions, which replace salaries. In addition, paying of pensions has proved to be less

The economist introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The economist introduction - Essay Example The first articles were a response to the Corn Law which regulated the importation of con to England. It was during this period that there were many activists who were against this law terming it as a law that was aimed at undermining free trade. ‘The Economist’ gave a group of activists who were commonly referred to as the Anti-Corn Law League a voice because it was through ‘The Economist’ that the members of the Anti-Corn Law League were able to debate their opinion on the Corn Law and argue the reason as to why they were not convinced that the Anti-Corn-law was of any economic significance to England. Readers from various parts of the world usually get the same editorial content. however, there is always a difference in advertisements in accordance with the area. This is a way through which the magazine has been able to include advertisements that are of relevance to specific geographical areas. Using universal advertisement will limit the magazine to onl y advertising products that consumed globally in all the areas where their products are produced. This would have limited the effectiveness of the magazine as a medium of advertisement and a source of product information for their readers (Matthes, Schemer&Wirth, 2007). Therefore, having specific adverts for specific geographical locations is a way through which the advertisement can be more meaningful and powerful in order to serve the purpose for both the publisher and the companies that use the magazine for advertisement.

Advertisement Genre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertisement Genre - Essay Example Paying a view to the current market, the use of this implicit and explicit sexually-oriented ads looks to be popular with regards to parity products that are in extensive competition for the attention of customers. In advertising, the use of sex possesses a significant managerial, social, and public policy implications. Of course, the implications hinge on the desired women portrayal in contemporary society. The models of showcasing or women strutting around in scantily clad outfits, as well as ensembles, will trap viewers' attentions mostly the male demographic. Making use of those techniques as revealing clothing, intimate conditions, as well as suggestive poses, imply that the seductive ad campaigns targeted to the present generation of individuals who are not ashamed of nudity, sultry themes, and risquà © references. From the sensual shoe campaigns all through to the soaking wet models making promotions to fragrances, the seductive ad campaigns make use of sexual adverts as well as suggestive themes for the importance of making an impression to the viewers. These seductive ad campaigns bring about attraction to the individuals who are drawn to enticing as well as attractive imagery. As argued by Bordo, sex sells as observed in the Calvin Klein’s ads Bordo says men are attracted to women when they are almost naked. Therefore, when a woman is half dressed, she knows that she will attract men. This has forced women, designers, to implement women cladding that will make them sexy and attractive to men.

Biology Student's Achievement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Biology Student's Achievement - Essay Example It appears that the issues of achievement, attitude, and course completion are not taken seriously, since despite attempts, the average attrition rates in community colleges are 41% from the first to the second year, and only 34% of the remaining students persist in the course to complete a degree (Conway, 2010). In order to find out the reasons why there is failure to retain students, especially in community colleges, the attitudes of the students have been found to be at fault. Studies conducted on students in community colleges have revealed that the goals of educational programs in community colleges are different from those in the university colleges. Aslanian (2001) indicated that the average age of the students in community colleges is higher than an average university student. Community colleges tend also to enroll underprepared students from low-income and low parental education families and often from ethnic minority backgrounds in part-time programs (Cohen and Brawer 1996). While these ensure ease of access and facilitates enrolment, this might be a major factor inhibiting desired retention. Thayer (2000) indicates that while first-generation students get enrolled to these community college programs with higher frequencies, they also tend to demonstrate higher attrition rates. Alt hough the specific impacts of these factors on attitudes to complete the course and achieve education have not been studied, certain factors appear to be significantly contributing to this phenomenon. Age appears to be an important factor, since this indicates a large number of adult and returning students creating an opportunity for higher education, which may serve as the gateway for job (Powers, 2007). Sherman, Byer and Rapp (2008) emphasize it is important to ensure that online courses add to the value of traditional courses and improve student preparation. Labov (2006) states that the federal No Child Left Behind Act, with its emphasis on testing, accountability and teacher quality coupled with concerns about performance of US students and employer expectations for sound training in preparation for employment has set the stage for a thorough scrutiny of the performance of education at all levels. This means despite adversities from other determinants of pursuing education, the students enrolled for courses in community colleges may have many other determinants. However, the aspect of mode of learning and form of class room has also drawn significant attention. While the students of community colleges tend not to persist as has been finally concluded by Thayer (2000), the form of student teacher interactions, teaching expertise, timing of program are all important possible determinants. Recent improvement of technology has also made possible on-line courses in a virtual environment as opposed to the traditional classroom lecture and laboratory methods especially for the science subjects. Fike et al. (2008) further

Doctors and patients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Doctors and patients - Essay Example The patient happens to be the narrator of the story and told the story from a first-person account of the horrors surrounding the mental ailment of depression and a slow descent into insanity. The author gives a thinly-disguised autobiographical account of her sickness, how the people around her had responded to her predicament, such as her husband and her sister-in-law, while giving a dispassionate account of the shapes she supposedly found in the wallpaper of the room where she is confined. The other viewpoint in this story is the reaction of her doctor-husband, who took the rather nonchalant view of her ailment and considers her sickness to be the product of imagination only and therefore nothing very serious. From this perspective, her husband-doctor thinks that a good rest is all that was needed for her to easily recuperate and recover her senses. This short story gives readers a rough idea on how doctors of medicine usually think of their patients with regards to certain ailmen ts, and how they think about their patients, in general. Medicine as a practice or profession requires a certain kind of acceptable behavior as a modicum of acceptable social interaction. In short, doctors should exhibit a high degree of professionalism in their work at all times under all circumstances, according to strict ethical standards. The story is different when told from the perspective of a patient as contrasted with the view of the doctor. This gives the readers an excellent opportunity to evaluate and consider which viewpoint is more accurate in terms of details of an ailment, in this case, an incipient insanity of the wife. There will always be two sides to a coin, as in this case, there are also two sides to the same story. This paper likewise contrasts the two viewpoints regarding the severity or seriousness of the ailment. The similarity between the two viewpoints is that both husband and wife agreed to take a well-advised vacation by renting an isolated ancestral ho me. The doctor-husband came to the view his wife needed a change of scenery for her health to improve and the wife had agreed to the temporary move of three months only because she was hesitant to insist that she is not sick and two eminent doctors (her husband and also her own brother) had expressed their opinion that she was not really sick at all. Both spouses were in agreement the wife needing the rest to restore her mental health due to postpartum depression after childbirth (Schorkhuber, 2008, p. 4). The two spouses had originally been in disagreement as to which room to take among the several rooms in the large rented house; they eventually settled on a room on the second floor as the more appropriate choice for their purpose. The author-wife had initially preferred a ground floor room to take up residence but she later agreed to the second-floor room as the better choice because of the wonderful views it afforded of the surrounding areas, including the garden and the streets down below, up to the little private wharf of the estate, and to preoccupy her mind too. The two of them, once agreed on taking a second-floor room, decided on the playroom of the house, among the several rooms to be chosen. Both of them helped in clearing out some of the old furniture, moving some of these old items downstairs while bringing up some items they had brought along for the purpose of having a good rest and recuperation for the wife. However, the contrast is in the ulterior motive of each spouse as to why they choose that particular room. For the doctor-husband, it was the safe area in the house because the room had windows with the grills to prevent his

Monologues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Monologues - Essay Example Monologues have been part of plays, film scripts, and has been interjected into the twenty- first century with the emergence of blockbusters. It allows us to value the importance of a character's own existence without the supplementary help of the surrounding characters, just a certain strength with processing streams of emotions and lines of thoughts into words carefully chosen and rearranged. The term "monologue" was used to describe a form of popular narrativeverse, sometimes comic, often dramatic or sentimental,which was performed inmusic hallsor in domestic entertainments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Monologues are a celebration of a character's humanity. In Shakespeare's playwrights, monologues are often called soliloquies. Asoliloquyis a type of monologue in which a character directly addresses an audience or speaks his thoughts aloud while alone or while the other actors keep silent. In fictional literature, aninterior monologueis a type of monologue that exhibits the thoughts, feelings, and associations passing through a character's mind. These monologues, since time immemorial, have established the character's individuality in a pedestal. It allows the character to see process his feelings, thoughts and perceptions freely. According to ()The "interior monologue" is a technical device in narrative. It renders a character's thoughts in the present tense, omitting speech markers such as "he thought" and quotation marks. Although the terms are often confused, it can be distinguished from thestream of consciousnessdevice by its relatively structured syntax and possibility of the monologist's addressing himself. The device allows a rendition of a character's thoughts and emotions more intimately than traditional forms of narration, since all readers learn what the character says only to himself. These poems aredramaticin the sense that they have a theatrical quality; that is, the poem is meant to be read to an audience. To say that the poem is amonologuemeans that these are the words of one solitary speaker with no dialogue coming from any other characters. Think of one person standing alone on a stage speaking to an audience. Certainly, you are part of that audience, but the poem usually implies that the speaker is mainly talking to a specific person(s). Internal struggles are very humanistic traits and this bridges the gap of reader and literature. Such struggles are very much conveyed by a monologue, especially if well written and a good reflection of a universal human experience. Monologues are crucial to characterization. Often, what readers remember well about a certain piece of literature is the certain character whom they feel deeply with. The novelist's has to render the character strong and human, possesses and air of fascination and must be believable, above all. Monologues are meant to reach out to the reader and supplement the textual identity of the literary work it is encompassed upon. It produces the cadence of and spirit and contributes to the whole lore of a work of literature. Barthes and Textual Identity There is a concept inlinguisticsandliterary theorythat refers to the attributes that distinguish the text (a technical term indicating any communicative content under analysis) as an object of study in those fields. This is called Textuality. To consider the text and its identity is to analyze its textuality