Olympics Raising the UKs Profile

Executive Summary The Summer Olympics is among the world’s favorite sporting event. The popularity of this event means that the sport has a global audience. Apart from the sporting aspect of the Games, the Olympics are also seen as an avenue by sponsors to market their products.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Olympics Raising the UK’s Profile specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the next Olympics scheduled for the summer of 2012 in London, preparations are underway. The body tasked with this responsibility is the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. This report examines the marketing practices that the organisation is using to raise its profile, as well as the technological challenges and opportunities at its disposal. Introduction Every four years, in recent decades, thousands of athletes all over the globe, with a similar number of coaches and officials, and accredited media repre sentatives and hundreds of thousands of spectators have gathered for more than two weeks to participate in, report on and watch a sporting event which is in turn viewed on television, listened to on the radio, read about in the print media and followed on the Internet by billion of people around the world. Each Olympic Games has cost enormous sums of money to stage, funded by the taxpayers, sponsors, and television companies and their advertisers. Sporting records have invariably been broken, and national and international heroes created. It is the world’s biggest peace-time event: the Summer Olympic Games (Girginov Parry, 2005). This report critically examines the marketing practices of the organizations tasked with staging the event, the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). The report will, in particular, evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing practices adopted by the organization, and the use of new technology for future competitive advantage. B rief history of the modern Olympic Games The history of the Olympic Games begins at least 3000 years ago in ancient Greece. In their ancient form, while they celebrated physical excellence, the Games served a primarily religious purpose. In their modern form, while still ostensibly about physical excellence, they also play a cultural and economic, and often political, role. The history and global significance of the Olympic Games, in sporting, cultural, economic and political terms, therefore, justifies their serious consideration as an object of academic enquiry (Veal, 2007). There is a widespread sense of public ownership of the Olympic Games, which does to extend to other sporting events such the World Cup.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The relationship between the media and the Olympic Games For some 25 years, newspapers enjoyed a monopoly for coverage of the Olympic Games. Interestingly, the arrival of new media forms has always been perceived as a threat and usually had to face strong opposition. In 1920, the first radio station, KDKA, went on air in Pittsburg, USA. KDKA is also accredited with broadcasting the first ever-sporting event, which was a boxing match in 1921 (Smith, 2000). Broadcasting services in Great Britain began in 1922 with the establishment of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Sports commentary, however, was not allowed until 1925. Radio commentaries were covering the Olympic Games in Paris (1924), Amsterdam (1928), and Los Angeles (1932), but due to technical limitations, this medium remained local and regional until 1936 (Findling Pelle, 2004). By the time that the radio made its genuine debut as an international communication medium at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, television had already made its appearance. The first regular television services began in Germany in 1935, followed by Britain in 1936, France in 1937, the former USSR in 1938 and the United States in 1939. However, it was not television, but the cinema, which was responsible for making the first moving pictures of an Olympic Games: in 1900 in Paris and a special feature on the Olympics in 1912, in Stockholm. These developments in cinematography had an impact on the TV coverage of the Games, which began in 1936, in Berlin (Dorling Kindersley Publsihing Inc., 2000). Over the years, the relationship between the Olympics and the media has evolved into three intertwined symbolic associations- economic, promotional, and passion. The economic association is based on the economic interests of the two companies. TV companies pay fees for rights, but at the same time derive profit because of the advertising revenue from sponsors (Shilbury, 2003). The promotional association suggests that sport is a major source of revenue and program content. It is, therefore, in the best interest of other media to sustain and promote a positive image of th e Olympics. The passion association stems from the media dual responsibility to inform, analyze and comment, and to be a counter-authority. Despite their economic interest in sport, it is the nature of the media to keep a distance from it, to maintain their credibility, and to serve the truth and their audience. The International Olympics Committee grants TV rights to air Olympic Games based on exclusivity per country or region, and free coverage to the largest possible audience (Preuss, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Olympics Raising the UK’s Profile specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The interaction between the Olympics and the mass media resulted in a transformation of the Games from being merely a sporting competition for aristocratic elite, to a special genre appealing to millions. When the organizers of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games demanded remuneration for the right to televise the compe titions, this unprecedented decision was met with a massive outcry from the networks (Girginov Parry, 2005). They argued that the Olympic Games were a news event, similarly to the print media; television should also have free and open access. The organizers insisted that the Olympics were an entertainment event and, therefore, subject to a rights fee, before contests could be included in television programming. This episode proved critical for the development of the Olympic Games as a media event (Mullin, 2007). The Olympics, as a genre of media experience, has a number of characteristics (Rogan Rogan, 2011). First, they are televised and rely on the impact of visual images. Second, the Games interrupt daily routines and at times virtually bring the life in a country to a halt. Third, the Olympics are monopolistic in the sense that all channels focus on the event, and it is very close to being watched at nearly all times (Girginov Parry, 2005). In addition, the Olympics competiti ons are live and unfolding. The IOC and the host city organize them in a location outside the media. The Games are also not spontaneous but pre-planned, announced and advertised in advance. In particular, the Olympics have unusual and unprecedented audiences who are drawn to watch television individually, as a family, a group of strangers in front of a street screen, as a community in the pub, or a virtual community on the Internet (Smith, 2000). The above characteristics of the Olympic Games as a media event portray them as a social construct, which is achieved through the contribution of three main actors: the IOC and the host city, TV networks, and the global TV audiences (Dorling Kindersley Publsihing Inc., 2000).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that the social construction of the Games has economic consequences, one of which involves the transformation of the audience from sport followers to a commodity with an economic value expressed in terms of its size and composition. Subsequently, audience demographic reports and media usage patterns become crucial for the commercial success of the media and of the Olympic Games (Girginov Parry, 2005). Millions of dollars are paid for broadcasting rights, but broadcasters charge their advertisers tens of thousands of dollars per second of airtime. Such profits are, however, contingent upon the delivery of certain viewing figure levels and failure to achieve these could result in huge losses for the media companies. For instance, NBC had to refund some US $ 90 million to its advertisers as compensation for the low ratings achieved by their coverage of the Barcelona Games of 1992 (Findling Pelle, 2004). Marketing through the Olympics The above discussion of th e integration of the media in the Olympic Games lays a foundation for the discussion that is going to follow about the marketing practices for LOCOG. This is because the kind of marketing strategy that is adopted by the body is typical of any sport marketing approach, which is largely depended on the mass media. Sport marketing can be approached through two different perspectives: marketing of sport and marketing through sport. On the other hand, marketing through sport is typical of a scenario where large corporations use sporting as an avenue to promote and advertise their products, usually to specifically identifiable demographic markets known to follow a particular sport. The perspective of sport marketing that is going to be given prominence in this report is that of marketing through sport (Jackson Andrews, 2005). Technological challenges and opportunities facing LOCOG The victorious bid team made some big promises in Singapore and wasted little time coming out of the blocks quickly. Sebastian Coe, chairperson of the LOCOG announced a first one hundred pays plan. One of the most important initial moves was the separation of the body responsible for building the infrastructure for the games- the Olympic Deliverance Authority- from the one responsible for the commercial and operational side of making the Games happen- the London Organizing and Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (Great Britain Parliament, 2009). Effectively, this separated the day-to-day public purse commitments to regenerate East London from the revenue generation and Games delivery private sector responsibilities. This has proven to be a significant and successful move. While both organizations are joined at the level of the Olympics Board, each is free to develop the culture and approach that match their very different immediate priorities (Mullin, 2007). London has hosted Olympic Games twice in the past: in 1908 and 1948. Indeed, it is the only city to do so thrice. This im plies that the LOCOG has a point of references to refer. It is able to correct its past mistakes, and improve its successes. However, the fact that London has hosted the Games in the past and, hence, can borrow a lot form the past is limited by the dynamic nature of technology, which is a key factor in organizing and staging the event. One of the central challenges for London 2012 organizers has been to build a plan for the Games against a staggering technological pace of change (Rosner Shropshire, 2010). Coe and his team had no idea in 2005 when the bid was won what technologies would be contemporary in 2012 by 2012, and which would still be a figment of fanciful imaginations. The technology for London 2012 represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Organizing Committee and its partners. The biggest challenge that is facing the LOCOG and its technology partners, which include BT, Atos Origin and Cisco Systems, is to deliver information around the world in real time (Ro gan Rogan, 2011). Internet development is changing and evolving at such a pace that even short time frame comparisons offer little guidance. For instance, the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano generated one terabit of data, or five times as the preceding Lillehammer Games. This amount of data can now be purchased for 60 British pounds on eBay (Mullin, 2007). This implies that the LOCOG and its technology partners are faced with the technological challenge of handling vast amounts of data. In addition, the lure for sponsors to grasp the moment to display their technology on the world’s biggest stage makes it worth the risk in order to create the ultimate corporate case study (Shilbury, 2003). BT, one of the main technology partners with LOCOG has embraced the challenge of delivering for London 2012. The scale of the media scrutiny is, vast and failure is not an option for both LOCOG and its technology partners. If BT communications lines go down in the middle of yet another World R ecord for Usain Bolt in the Men’s 100 Meter Final, or in the final strokes of Greg Searle’s gold medal 20 years on from his first, BT and LOCOG will be culpable in the eyes of the global public. London clearly signaled its desire to embrace new technology in all its forms with the early launch of its contemporary logo. The early message that the London 2012 Olympic Games would be a ‘new media’ Games was initially greeted with skepticism. However, LOCOG insisted that it could not be sure how the action would be distributed come 2012, that alternative methods of distribution to the TV screen or internet would be necessary and that the logo would need to work in all new media environments. These initial aspirations have been made a reality by the new media. For instance, the BBC Trust has recently approved plans to distribute BBC New through mobile phone applications. However, this, move is regarded as surrounded with controversy because it puts the BBC in di rect competition with commercial broadcasters; the new media market (Mullin, 2007). Marketing practices used by LOCOG There is a unique breadth of skills, which are required in an organization such as LOCOG to deliver the Olympic Games. Effectively, it is parts sports body, part business, part political entity and part project management organisation. In its business approach, LOCOG has to embrace marketing practices that ensure that its books stay balanced. This has been done through a number of ways, one of them being sponsorship. As a discipline, sponsorship has traditionally been rather uncomplicated. Rights holders such as LOCOG have a long tradition of selling attachment to their sporting event based on market value of their assets. The assets include advertising hoardings, tickets, television billboards, and corporate hospitality (Preuss, 2004). Nevertheless, sponsorship in the Olympics is quite different from sponsorship in other games such as World Cup. This is because ther e is no advertising inventory to bundle into the organizers sponsorship deals since the Games would unusually be shown on non-commercial terrestrial television in the domestic UK market. In addition, part of the equity in the Olympic Games brand is that the Games remain the only global sports property to continue to avoid any commercial messaging within the venues themselves. While this is part of the appeal and difference of the Olympic Games, and arguably valuable legacy of the obsession with amateur deals, it makes life harder for Organizing Committees (Jackson Andrews, 2005). Another marketing strategy that is being used by LOCOG is merchandising. A short visit to the Adidas store in Oxford Street demonstrates that this phenomenon has gone full swing. Aisles are often full of the very tourists Britain aims to lure come Games-time. This is an area, which the Beijing Games failed to maximize, probably because the implications of a scale merchandising operation were too explicitly commercial in a communist country. Certainly, the sponsor village was hidden away in the outskirts of the Olympic Park, in Beijing. In contrast, products could already be found on the shelves in London as early as of 2010 (Rogan Rogan, 2011). Following the above marketing strategies coupled up with ticketing, LOCOG now has the vast majority of its revenue commitments filled. This puts it in an admirable position since it is able to consider supplier deals, which shave cost from the accounts, as well as drive revenue. Traditionally, Olympic Organizing Committees have been criticized for fire sales at the end of their tenure. For instance, Vancouver’s final; sponsor signed up a matter of weeks before the event. This is far less likely concerning London 2012. Instead, there are expectations of creative supplier barter deals, which minimize significant remaining cost liabilities for the organizers and maximize the impact of the Games (Great Britain Parliament, 2009). Recommenda tions for strategic responses to the above discussions There is no doubt that the LOCOG is enthroned with a big task of organizing and staging the London 2012 games. One of major challenges discussed earlier that the organisation is facing is the dynamic nature of the technology. If the organisation has to ensure that its promise of staging an Olympics that has never being witnessed, it has to be at par with the technological advancements of the day. This can be achieved by collaborating with technology companies that are able to deliver real time events to the global audience, hence, ensuring that consumer get real value for their money (Rosner Shropshire, 2010). Given the global reach of the event enhanced by the new media, there is no doubt that marketers are bound to take advantage of the event and use it to market their product even if they are not official sponsors (Great Britain Parliament, 2008). This phenomenon is known as ambush marketing. As such, LOCOG should put in pla ce the necessary measure and legislation to deal with such cases. This is because such behaviors deprive the real sponsors the exclusive rights to market the event, which beats the logic of paying the rights fee. Fortunately, the organisation did take the requisite measures as seen with the creating of the Olympic Rights Association to oversee the use of the Olympic Brand (Great Britain Parliament, 2008). Conclusion In conclusion, this report has a brief history of the modern Olympic Games and the role of the media in the Games. The report dealt in depth with the marketing practices that LOCOG, which is organizing for the Olympics in 2012, is using. The report saw that sponsoring and merchandising are some of the key strategies embraced by the organisation. The report has also examined the technological challenges and opportunities faced by the company. The rise of the new media is posing a major threat and opportunity for the organisation, but this can be remedied by choosing the r ight technology partners. Reference List Dorling Kindersley Publsihing Inc., 2000. The Olympic Games. London: Dorling Kindersley. Findling, J., Pelle, K., 2004. Encyclopedia of the modern Olympic movement. London: Greenwood Publishing Group. Girginov, V., Parry, J., 2005. The Olympic games explained: a student guide to the evolution of the modern Olympic Games. London: Routledge. Great Britain Parliament., 2009. Potential benefits of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. London: The Stationery Office. Great Britain Parliament., 2008. Preparing for sporting success at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. London: The Stationery Office. Jackson, S., Andrews, D., 2005. Sport, culture and advertsing: identities, comodities and the politics of representation. London: Routledge. Mullin, B. J., 2007. Sport marketing. London: Human Kinetics. Preuss, H., 2004. The economics of staging the Olympics. London: Edward Elgar Publishing. Rogan, M., Rogan, M., 2011. British and t he Olympic Games: past, present and legacy. London: Troubador. Rosner, S., Shropshire, K., 2010. The business of sports. New York: Jones Barlett Publishers. Shilbury, D., 2003. Strategic Sport Marketing. London: Alen Unwin. Smith, S., 2000. The Olympics at the millenium: power politics, and the games. New York: Rutgers University Press. Veal, A. J., 2007. The Olympic Games: a social science perspective. London: CABI. This report on Olympics Raising the UK’s Profile was written and submitted by user Jul1us to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A PET

A PET Each family consists of a certain number of members who may share many similarities and differences among themselves. They may share same viewpoints, while others may think otherwise. All members of the family are essential, yet there are some individuals in the family whose roles can be related to as being very similar to that of a pet. In the story "A Bricklayers Boy" Lubrano's role can be compared to that of a pet. In the story Lubrano has similar distinctions of a family pet.Lubrano lives with his parents. Lubrano's father pays for his college tuitions and his everyday financial needs just like a pet owner would take care of its pet providing it with all needs. In return Lubrano's father wants him to follow the Blue-collar rules of the family which were to chose a good career and make good money, to keep the family happy. Lubrano though, has a different view about life.A view of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park looking fro...

C. A. Tripps Book Asserts Abraham Lincoln was Gay

C. A. Tripp's Book Asserts Abraham Lincoln was Gay Was Abraham Lincoln gay?  In his  book The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln, historian C.A. Tripps  makes the case that Abraham Lincoln  was indeed gay and had several homosexual relationships throughout his life. However, the controversy surrounding the book overshadowed an important fact that Tripp revealed a fact even his harshest critics accept as true Ann Rutledge was not the love of Lincolns life. Tripps extensive new research proves it simply could not have been the case. And many experts, including Pulitzer Prize-winning Lincoln historian David Herbert Donald now concede it is so. A Firestorm of Debate As you might expect, Tripps book created a firestorm of debate most of it predictable along political lines. The left proclaimed a curious victory saying incorrectly that the book shows beyond all doubt that Lincoln was gay. The right responded angrily that Lincoln could not have been gay since he fathered four sons and they dismissed his so-called encounters as false and malicious. Tripp could not respond. He died two weeks after completing his book and one of the key elements of his work, proving that Lincoln and Rutledge were not star-crossed lovers, is in serious danger of being  ignored. Tripp told a friend shortly before he died that he knew the work would be controversial and that, while he believed he had made his case, he wanted each reader to draw his or her own conclusion. As the books editor, Lewis Gannett puts it: You get to a point where you just shake your head and say, How the hell did [Lincoln] do it? How did he save the union, survive the challenges of his troubled wife Mary, endure the deaths of two sons, preside over the bloodiest era of American history, all the while fending off widespread contempt, and in the end emerge a hero? A secretive, enigmatic, genius hero? With a manic and dirty sense of humor? Who had close and controversial relationships with other men his entire life? Lincoln is far from solved and probably never will be satisfactorily explained but Tripp has made the picture less murky. His accomplishment is stunning. Lincoln Loved Only One Woman And She Was Not Mary Todd For years, historians have assumed that Lincoln loved only one woman, Anne Rutledge and courted Mary Owens before marrying Mary Todd, whom he avoided whenever possible. Tripp, however asserts that Lincoln actually loved none of these women and has sex – though reluctantly only with his wife and mother of his children, Mary Todd. While it has never been proven, several historians contend that Mary Todd suffered from mental illness. â€Å"And it is true that Mary Lincolns actions, as reported by newspapers, often invited criticism from the public,† writes About 18th Century History Expert Robert McNamara. â€Å"She was known to spend money extravagantly, and she was often ridiculed for perceived haughtiness.† Intimate Relationships With Men Tripp contends his research into Lincoln’s private life suggests that his relationships with several men were more intimate  and possibly more sexual than those he had with any of the women he supposedly â€Å"loved.† For example, Tripp asserts that Lincoln shared a narrow  bed with Joshua Speed for at least four years  and that as president, he often shared the presidential bedroom with another man during the many times Mary Todd was â€Å"away.† Early Lincoln biographers, John G. Nicolay and John Hay, called Speed â€Å"The only as he was certainly the last intimate friend that Lincoln ever had.  In their analysis letters from Lincoln to Speed before and after Speed’s eventual marriage in 1842, Nicolay and Hay described Lincoln’s tone as â€Å"fretful,† like that of a military commander before a risky battle. Several of Lincoln’s letters were signed â€Å"Yours forever.†Ã‚   Through a plethora of letters and other personal data, Tripp’s book at least leaves the interpretation that Lincoln might have been gay. The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln by C.A. Tripp was published by the Free Press, a division of Simon Schuster.

Comparative and Contrast Essay Christianity and Islam

Comparative and Contrast Christianity and Islam - Essay Example   Jesus is the â€Å"Christ† which means the â€Å"anointed one†.   Jesus is the anointed one from God the Father who came to this world, fulfilled the Old Testament laws and prophecies, died on the cross, and rose from the dead physically (Slick, n.d.). The religion teaches that there is an existence of only one God. According to Christianity, God made the universe, the Earth and created Adam and Eve. Therefore, the best way to answer what Christianity is about is to say that it is a relationship with the true and living God through the person of Jesus Christ by whom we are forgiven of our sins and escape the righteous judgment of God (Slick, n.d.). Islam is regarded as one of the three central Abrahamic faiths along with Judaism and Christianity (Duncan, n.d.). Islam is derived from the word salaam which means â€Å"peace†, â€Å"submission to God†, and â€Å"way to peace†. The followers of Islam are the â€Å"Muslims† or those who â₠¬Å"submit† to God’s will. Duncan (n.d.) described Islam as a universal religion that teaches that God is merciful and compassionate, and that promises the faithful worldly peace and equality and entrance to a sublime eternity. It is a monotheistic religion which believes only in the existence of one God. Comparing and Contrasting Islam and Christianity These are some of the main similarities between Christianity and Islam. Peter Jackson (n.d.) stated that both religions say that there is only One God. This God is the most sovereign and he rules the history. The two religions also believe in Jesus. However, there are quite differences in how they believe him. Another similarity is the existence of Angels. Both religions believe in the existence of angels which are the referred to as the messengers of God. Both religions have Prophets and prophecy which includes many of the same characters such as Abraham, David, Noah and the like (Jackson, n.d.). The two religions also b elieve the concept of Heaven and Hell and God’s future judgment (Jackson, n.d.). Heaven is often portrayed as the holiest place in which people who have died continue to exist in an afterlife. Hell, on the other hand, is a place of suffering and punishment afterlife. God’s judgment will determine whether a person will be sent to heaven or hell after death. Although these two religions are similar in many ways, we can’t deny that they differ in a lot of ideologies and theologies. In both religions God is the creator of everything and he is loving and forgiving (McLean, 2007). One major difference between the beliefs of Christians and Muslims regarding God is that while Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, or three persons in one divine nature, Muslims believe that God is only one person and that the Trinity is the belief in three Gods (McLean, 2007). The two religions differ in their founder. Muhammad is the founder of Islam and believed by Muslims to be perfe ct and sinless. In Christianity, the founder is Jesus. For Muslims, Muhammad was not only a religious leader, but also a political leader, which explains the common practice of integrated church and state in many Muslim countries (McLean, 2007). Both religions recognize Jesus but their beliefs about him vary. Islam and Christianity believe that Jesus was sinless, perfect and born of the Virgin Mary (McLean, 2007). The two religions accept that Jesus performed miracles and was ascended, or raised up, to God. McLean (2007) stated that Muslims see Jesus as a highly regarded prophet, while Christians see Him as God himself.

The Clean Air Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Clean Air Act - Essay Example The researcher states that since the World War II, the US economy has continued to grow. This growth can be attributed to increased manufacturing. The large number of industries in the US was a source of pollutants that continued to degrade the environment. Thus, the need to regulate the amount off pollutants that industries could discharge into the air arose. Efforts that culminated in the modern Clean Air Act (CAA) can be traced to the 1950s. The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was signed into law by President Eisenhower. The initial version of the law authorized the United States Surgeon General to provide assistance to the states on how to implement controls. The â€Å"killer smog† in London and New York in the 1960’s created concern about increased air pollution. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was empowered by the 1963 CAA to act on interstate air pollution. According to Jonathan & Joseph, this act established a national authority that woul d intervene in air pollution which posed a danger to the health of any person. Four years later, President Johnson signed the Air Quality Act of 1967 which was an amendment of the 1963 Act. The 1967 Air Quality Act authorized HEW to set national air quality standards. The Act required states to set ambient air quality standards. These standards were expected to be in line with the criteria set by HEW. Roy notes that the Air Quality Act of 1967 had a shortcoming in that it did not establish enforcement procedures. The Clean Air Act was enacted in 1970. It brought about a shift in the strategy of tackling pollution. The amendments empowered the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These standards are meant to protect the public by setting the levels of air quality that must be maintained. The 1970 Amendments created New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) program. NSPS authorized EPA to set standards that wo uld determine technology requirements for new or modified sources of air pollution. The amendments also brought about the regulation of air pollutants and air toxics. These amendments were controversial and brought about challenges to EPA in the implementation of the NAAQs (Jonathan & Joseph 12-14). Little success in achieving the goals of the 1970 Amendments prompted the 1977 amendments to the Clean Air Act. At the time, only few areas of the country had made progress in meeting the applicable NAAQS. Consequently, the amendments extended the time required for compliance. New pollution control criteria were set for areas that could not attain the standards set by the 1970 Amendments. These amendments aimed at defining the standards that industrial technologies would meet in order to control pollution (Roy, 1970). In 1990, Congress revised the Clean Air Act (The 1990 Amendments). These amendments knocked off some elements of the previous act and added new programs. The act strengthen ed the ability of EPA to enforce standards. It required that the air pollution control obligations of an individual pollution source be entrenched in a single permit that expired after five years. The states were allocated a three year period to develop permit programs. These permit programs had to be compliant with EPA standards. In summary, The 1990 Amendments set standards that would see a decrease in Ozone depletion, air toxics and motor vehicle pollution among other areas (Jolish 306). Industry Response to the Clean Air Act The 1990 Amendments forced corporations to create necessary budgetary allocations that would cater for equipment, research and product development. Companies started integrating environmental

The Tiger and The Lamb Essay -- William Blake Poems Poetry Writers Ess

The Tiger and The Lamb The Tiger and The Lamb were both poems by William Blake. In this essay I am going to compare the two poems. Blake, as a child, was an outcast and didnt have many friends. He was educated at home by his parents and found sociability difficult. His family believed very strongly in God but did not agree with the teachings of the church. During his lonely hours, Blake often read the Bible. He had a lot of free time to think about ideas, reflect on life and to strengthen his imagination. You could find a lot of biblical discourse in his poems. By the time he was an adult his imagination allowed him to create vivid poetry and paintings; finally sending him mad. Blake published two very famous books of poems called Songs of Experience and Songs of Innocence. Poems from the Songs of Experience are about God, who brought evil and suffering into the world. The poems from the Songs of Innocence are about the redemptive God of the New Testament, namely Jesus. The Lamb is from the Songs of Innocence and The Tiger from the Songs of Innocence. The Lamb is the contrasting poem to The Tiger. The main question that I feel Blake is asking in the two poems is, how can the same God make such a vicious creature but also make such an innocent animal? In The Tiger, God is strong, dark and sinister. He is described as a dark blacksmith, as the following quotation indicates, What hammer? What chaindare its deadly terrors clasp? This quote comes from the end of verse four. The mention of tools and the dark description at the end gives the reader an image of God working in a hot and fiery hell. This image would have reminded readers of the factories associated with the Industrial Revolution. Blake, in verse four uses question... ... Blake describes, Burnt the fire in thine eyes. The word fire, like hell, suggests hot and sweaty. India, the origin of the tiger, is hot and sweaty. The lamb brings a mood of calm, reassuring and happiness as Blake shows By the stream and over the mead. Sheep filled fields and streams appear dreamlike and convey a sign of hope. A sign of hope because while the Industrial Revolution was taking place, open fields were disappearing, smoggy factories multiplied. This particular imagery by Blake, I find to be very effective. Many People believe that The Tiger is mysterious and feel that too much analysis of will spoil the impact of the message. I personally feel that it was asking one question; Did he who made the Lamb make Thee? The Lamb, I feel can be a simple childrens poem or an English professors work. Either way, I still enjoyed reading and analyzing these poems.

Coca-Cola versus Pepsi-Cola: Competitive Strategies Essay

Coca-Cola (Coke) and Pepsi-Cola (Pepsi) have been the most popular soft drinks for many years, and has also been each other’s biggest competitor. Coke was created in 1885 by John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist, and was initially made as a tonic (Smith, 2012). In the beginning, Coke had cocaine in it, which was to fight depression and also make consumers addicted to the drink. In 1904, the Food and Drug Administration eliminated the use of cocaine, a key ingredient, in the United States, so Coke decided to keep its name and endorse the beverage through aggressive advertising (Smith, 2012). Thirteen years after the creation of Coke, in 1898, Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist, created a beverage named Brad’s Drink (later changed to Pepsi), and was Coke’s main competitor (Smith, 2012). Both companies focused on advertising, but they took different approaches. These different approaches that each company uses, also reflects the differences of their corporate cultures. Coke a nd Pepsi have been competing with one another since the beginning, and this competition seems to have pushed both companies to remain at the top of their market. Corporate culture is defined as an organization’s system of principles, beliefs, and values (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Coke’s corporate culture focuses on seven core values, which are leadership, passion, integrity, collaboration, diversity, quality, and accountability (Coca-Cola, 2013). Coke focuses on their employees and their brand in order to keep the promise to â€Å"refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, and inspire moments of optimism; to create value and make a difference (Coca-Cola, 2013).† On the other hand, Pepsi’s corporate culture focuses on performing with a purpose. Performing with a purpose means blazing new trails, never settling for second best, succeeding and celebrating together, and doing something bigger (PepsiCo, 2012). Pepsi also focuses on nutrition by addressing health concerns. The difference between these two companies is that Coke seems to focus more on their employees, where as Pepsi, seems to focus more on staying ahead of the competition by always coming up with new trends or products. Pepsi’s culture has benefitted Coke by focusing on healthier alternatives rather cola products. In 2006, when Indra Nooyi took over as CEO, she decided not to continue to battle with Coke. Instead of cola products, Nooyi decided to focus on water, juices, teas, and sports drinks. Since Pepsi began focusing on healthier alternatives, of all soft drinks, Coke has controlled 41.9 percent of the market compared to Pepsi’s 29 percent (D’Altorio, 2013). On the other hand, Coke’s focus on their brand has benefitted Pepsi’s decision to not focus mainly on cola products. Coke clearly commands the cola war between the two companies, but Pepsi has won the revenue battle, bringing in 38 percent more revenue than Coke in 2011 (Russell, 2012). Pepsi has expanded the company by starting the Quaker Oats, Gatorade, and Tropicana divisions. By opening up these divisions, Pepsi’s goal is to reach $30 billion in revenue by 2020 (D’Altorio, 2013). Coke’s focus on the brand, allowed the company to clearly control the cola market, but by limiting the company to soft drinks, Coke has allowed Pepsi to tap into other markets and gain more revenue. Another part of Pepsi’s culture that has benefited Coke was â€Å"doing something bigger.† Pepsi has been known to use celebrities to promote their products, but there have been instances where these promotions have backfired. The most recent of these mishaps was in 2002 when Pepsi pulled an ad featuring the rapper Ludacris. Bill O’Reilly called for a boycott of Pepsi because he felt the company used an â€Å"immoral rapper† as a spokesperson (Russell, 2012). After the controversy, Pepsi committed to paying $3 million dollars to the Ludacris Foundation (Russell, 2012). With a popular rapper, such as Ludacris, who has millions of fans, t his controversy created the risk of Pepsi losing millions of consumers, which could have switched over to the competition, Coke. In the future, the part of Coke’s corporate culture that will probably change is their leadership. Companies change leaders often, especially when the current leader is not performing to the standards that the company expects. In order to continue to thrive, Coke has to be sure that they put leaders in place who understand the company’s vision. They must be able to take those visions and continue to move the company forward in its market. Coke has been a leader in the cola market for many years and as a new leader, it will have to be the goal of that leader to ensure that Coke remains at the top of the market or Coke will have to find a new leader. If Coke constantly has to change leadership, then it will affect the company. Finding a great leader is not an easy task, but once that leader is found it is up to him/her to effectively lead the company into the future and not ruin everything that has been built before they came along. Pepsi’s believes in blazing new trails, and thus far it has worked for them. In the future, Pepsi must be careful that by blazing new trails they do not forget what has allowed their success over the years. Although the new trails that they tapped into in the past have worked, there is no guarantee that it will continue to work in the past. There have been companies, like Coke, that have tried new products (New Coke) that did not work. Pepsi has had success with tapping into new markets, but the company must be careful that they stick with what has worked for them so that they do not tarnish the brand that they have worked so hard to establish. The different markets (water, juices, teas, and sports drinks) that have been tapped into has brought Pepsi much success, and instead of blazing new trails, Pepsi needs to focus on making their current product lines bigger and better. Tapping into other markets that they are not already a part of could possibly take away from the produc t lines that they already have in place. Conclusion Coke and Pepsi are the top cola and soft drink companies and each other’s biggest competitor. Both companies have established themselves using different methods, but they both have had success with these methods. Coke has clearly won the rivalry between the two when it comes to the individual cola lines, but when it comes to overall revenue; Pepsi has won the battle of revenue. Although both companies have made mistakes over the years, both have continued to be successful. Coke has stuck with what has worked for them throughout the years, which is the cola and soft drink market. Pepsi on the other hand, tried different markets, and was very successful. These two companies will continue to be rivals from now until the end of time because they are both at the top and continue to fight to make sure that is where they stay.