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The True Age of the Sphinx essays

The True Age of the Sphinx articles The Sphinx is 250 long and 60 ft high. Egyptologist's accepted that the Sphinx was manufactured ...

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Marketing Mix Paper

Marketing Mix Paper According to the textbook Contemporary Marketing Wired (1998) by J. Boone and S. Kurtz, the concept of marketing is defined as follows; â€Å" Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives." To bring this conceptual goal to fruition marketers have essentially four variables to use when crafting marketing strategies and writing a marketing plan. They are price, promotion, product and distribution (also called placement). They are sometimes referred to as the 4P's and all marketing decisions generally fall into one of the four controllable categories. The term â€Å"marketing mix† or 4 P’s, became popular in 1964 by Neil H. Borden whose original marketing ingredients included product planning, pricing, branding, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions, packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, and fact finding analysis.(1964). This was later grouped into the four categories previously mentioned. The marketing mix is the parameters that the marketer or marketing manager can control (subject to the external and internal constraints of the marketing environment at large). The marketers goal is to always make decisions that focus each of the 4 P’s on the consumers in the target market in order to generate perceived value and create a favorable customer response. The term â€Å"product† in the marketing mix alludes to not only tangible physical products but services as well. Product decisions are also encompassed in this category and include: brand name, functionality, quality, styling, safety, packaging, warranty, repairs and support, and accessories and services. The term â€Å"price† in the 4 P’s refers too much more than assigning a single cost to a produc... Free Essays on Marketing Mix Paper Free Essays on Marketing Mix Paper Marketing Mix Paper According to the textbook Contemporary Marketing Wired (1998) by J. Boone and S. Kurtz, the concept of marketing is defined as follows; â€Å" Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives." To bring this conceptual goal to fruition marketers have essentially four variables to use when crafting marketing strategies and writing a marketing plan. They are price, promotion, product and distribution (also called placement). They are sometimes referred to as the 4P's and all marketing decisions generally fall into one of the four controllable categories. The term â€Å"marketing mix† or 4 P’s, became popular in 1964 by Neil H. Borden whose original marketing ingredients included product planning, pricing, branding, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions, packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, and fact finding analysis.(1964). This was later grouped into the four categories previously mentioned. The marketing mix is the parameters that the marketer or marketing manager can control (subject to the external and internal constraints of the marketing environment at large). The marketers goal is to always make decisions that focus each of the 4 P’s on the consumers in the target market in order to generate perceived value and create a favorable customer response. The term â€Å"product† in the marketing mix alludes to not only tangible physical products but services as well. Product decisions are also encompassed in this category and include: brand name, functionality, quality, styling, safety, packaging, warranty, repairs and support, and accessories and services. The term â€Å"price† in the 4 P’s refers too much more than assigning a single cost to a produc...

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Write an Academic Case Study

How to Write an Academic Case Study How to Write an Academic Case Study A case study is a research design or method of analysis that seeks to investigate an individual, group, or phenomenon. It lays out key themes and results to understand past and future trends, and aims to explain a problem with more clarity. Often, a case study examines in detail a single subject to arrive at a clear understanding of the matter. It can include a comparative investigation to show relationships between two or more subjects. Before you begin to write your case study, read this guide to help you prepare and understand how to do it properly and effectively. Step 1: Determine the topic of your study. Identify what you would like to investigate. What issues have you discussed in class? Is there something currently trending on social media or in the news that is of interest to you? Once you decide upon a subject, do further research and interviews to narrow down your focus. Look for information in books, magazines, newspapers, and online journals. Remember to take as many notes as you can as you go along and keep a list of all your resource materials. (You will need this list when citing your references at the end of your study.) Determine whether anyone has done the same study in the past; this will allow you to refine your work or find a different angle. Reviewing similar studies will provide style and investigative ideas that you might like to try on your own. Step 2: Choose your study type. There are four types of case studies, depending on your goal and purpose. These include: Illustrative An illustrative (or descriptive) study uses one or two instances of an event or phenomenon to give readers a clearer overall picture. It aims to give readers a common language and understanding about the given topic. Exploratory Exploratory (or pilot) case studies aim to find patterns in the data gathered and create a model for easier visualization of that data. They rely on a pre-existing collection of information from which to make an interpretation. The main goal of an exploratory study is to identify questions and select methods of measurement prior to the main investigation. Cumulative A cumulative study combines information from several sources gathered at different times for greater generalization. This reduces costs and time spent on repetitive studies. Critical instance The purpose of this study is to examine one or more situations to scrutinize a generalized or universal assumption. Critical instance case studies are typically used in cause and effect situations. Step 3: Have a clear structure and style. A case study seeks to discover new understandings about a particular issue. It can also contribute to an existing body of knowledge. Therefore, your work should have a clear and organized structure and writing style. Here are some key elements to take note of as you begin writing your study: Introduction The introduction captures the scope and purpose of your idea; it addresses why and how the case will address the chosen topic. When writing your introduction, try to answer these four questions: What am I studying? Describe the subject of analysis. Briefly explain what elements of the case will help broaden knowledge about it. Why is it important to investigate this topic? Explain the significance of your research issue. Describe why you believe your study design and subject of analysis are essential in understanding the chosen topic. What was presently known before this study was conducted? Give your readers the background information they need to understand why you are writing this study. Describe how your case will prove useful in exploring new knowledge about the topic at hand. How will this study advance further knowledge? Describe why your case study will provide new ways of understanding your topic and how it will expand currently documented knowledge. These questions should be answered in a few paragraphs. (If you are addressing a complex problem, more elaborate background information is required.) Literature Review A literature review includes a historical interpretation of your subject. Background information included here should be well-organized to help your readers better understand the issue. Here are some tips for writing a solid literature review: Cite and summarize studies that used a similar subject of analysis to tackle a research problem. Include a description of any recent work that supports your analysis and the questions you are asking. Explain how it introduces new ideas that can pave the way for future research, or how it provides a new understanding. Synthesize or combine any literature that pertains to unanswered questions and unresolved concerns about the topic. Describe how your subject of analysis will help address these concerns. Method In this section, explain your reasons for selecting the topic and the strategy used in answering research questions. Descriptions of the method can vary according to the type of analysis in which your case study is framed. The four subjects of analysis and how to describe your method according to each subject are: Incident/event The incident looks at a rare happening in order to find new ways of thinking about the broader problem or to test a hypothesis. For a case study about a critical incident, describe the method used to highlight the event. Explain how you determined the validity of the case to discover broader perspectives or new findings with respect to the research. Person Describe why you chose to focus on this individual. What experience does he or she have that provides an opportunity to promote new knowledge? Include the person’s background information; this will help readers understand the importance of his/her experiences to your study. (When mentioning more than one person, clearly differentiate them from others and explain how they are useful to your research.) Place Describe the essential attributes of the place or arena in which the topic exists (physical, social, economic, cultural, political, etc.). Explain the method used for choosing this place and how it sheds light on new knowledge. Clearly establish why it has been chosen as the topic. Phenomenon Any fact or circumstance that can be observed or studied but is not clearly understood can be a phenomenon. In social and behavioral sciences, this may focus on human interaction within a complex social, economic, cultural, or physical setting. Discussion The discussion section should focus on interpreting and drawing conclusions about the significant findings you’ve gathered. This section should have the following objectives: State the major findings Restate why you focused on the research problem or subject of analysis. In a declarative, straightforward, and succinct statement, describe your findings. Emphasize unexpected data and present it clearly. Explain the essence of the findings Describe the meaning of your findings and why they are significant. Start with the most important or unexpected findings and review each one. Link the findings to similar existing studies Acknowledge the relationship of your findings to that of prior studies, especially if your subject of analysis was inspired by others. Comparing and contrasting helps to establish the importance of your results and differentiates your analysis from previous research. Identify the limitations of your study Explain the limitations of your study as well as any unanswered questions that could not be addressed (or why they are not significant). Suggest areas for future research Lead the way for future research on your topic. There may be additional questions related to the topic that can lend themselves to further investigation. Conclusion Using direct, simple language, summarize your conclusion and highlight how your results differ from or strengthen the conclusion of previous studies. Synthesize the key findings and clearly state how they answer the research questions. Writing a case study requires time and a great deal of research. If you are unsure of how to get started, consider hiring a writing professional. The experts at can help you craft a well-thought-out and articulate academic case study. We provide academic essay writing assistance in Toronto 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Should the united states government provide the affordable health care Essay

Should the united states government provide the affordable health care - Essay Example Health consumers are not only assured of affordable healthcare but also assured of provision of quality medical services. However, critics have emerged on whether the provision of affordable medical services is appropriate. The critics are based on the assumptions that the creation of affordable care act is expensive and the burden would be transferred to the tax payer. Additionally, medical institutions have also cited that they have incurred minimized profits since the creation of the affordable care act. However, the government stills maintains the position that the affordable care act is helpful for both individual as well as health institutions. This paper will analyze whether the provision of affordable act is appropriate. In addition the paper will create a balance between the main critics of the act and the benefits of the act and determine the appropriate position. In an argument by McDonough since the creation of the affordable act in the United States significant changes has been experienced in the health care field (42). The author cites the number of health consumers that have been enabled to access quality health care services (McDonough 42). Before 2010, many consumers were not able to access quality medical services due to their financial status. They depended on small pharmacies and health clinics to access medical care. The quality of medical care provided in these facilities is below the required by the national health bodies. However, this remained the only healthy option available for poor persons. After the creation of the affordable act, people have been enabled to access medical care in more resourceful medial institutions at prices they could afford. In an argument by Donald this has significantly reduced immortality rates in the United States (44). The author presents data that proves the assumption that the number of death re corded after the creation of the affordable

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Strange Meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strange Meeting - Essay Example And in the words of Owen’s Preface – All a poet can do today is warn. Structurally, the poem is composed of 44 lines of Iambic pentameter, divided into 4 irregular stanzas: the first, 3 lines; the second, 7; the third, 29; and the last, 5. Owen makes use of a lot of Assonance. In the first stanza, we have: down, profound, piteous, recognition, fixed, distressful, bless. Stanza three contains the following: guns, thumped, flues. There are many others scattered throughout the rest of the poem. Then, we have Alliteration. In the first stanza alone, we have: down, dull; granites, groined. Stanza two has: sprang, stared; smile, sullen. The third stanza yields the following: made, moan; hopelessness, hope; wildest, world; boil, bloody; mine, mystery, mastery; miss, march; wash, wells. This stanza and the last yield many more. The reader finds a single example of onomatopoeia and it is found in the third stanza: And no guns thumped or down the flues made moan. There are two evidences of hyperbole and they are both mentioned in the long, middle stanza: With a thousand pains that visions face was grained and Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot wheels.. It seemed that a thousand pains and much blood are exaggerated. Personification may also be found in the poem. In the short first stanza: Through granites which titanic wars had groined. (Wars are to humans who can groin or reproduce). In the second stanza, Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless (Hands may be lifted, but it is the person himself who can feel distress and may bless). Going more deeply into the poem, in lines 1-3, the poet Owen sets the scene. Holes, caverns, tunnels – these form a recurring image in his mind and find their way into the poem. Titanic Wars imply not just World War I in which Owen fought, but conflicts through history on a gigantic scale. In lines 4-10,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Stock Market and Brand Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Stock Market and Brand Portfolio Essay 1. Brand Portfolio a. What is your 5 year plan regarding the brand portfolio across the two markets. Give justification Our Period 2 results have swept the industry and we have become number one team in our industry. We are the leaders in value market shares (23%) and unit market shares (29%) in Squazols market. Our 5 year plan will focus on maintaining the brand equity in the Squazols market as we can see the 5-year anticipatory growth in manufacturing and construction sector and we have products strategically placed in Squazols market. Although we have invested in RD of new product in Trigols market on anticipation of new segment in Utility, but as Trigols market is capital intensive and we don’t have market statistics to support new products in that market, we do not see requirement to diversify into Trigols market. Our plan will be to slowly diversify in the new market based on Ansoff’s grid platform, if we anticipate the need. Eg: based on profitability and market growth and share, we will position our products as Stars (with RD expenditure) or if it does not perform well, we can withdraw the product, and diversify into Trigols market. a. How much do you think will be your stock price index after 5 years As per our actual SPI rise from Period 1 to Period 2, it has increased by (1266-1061)/1061 = 19.3 %. Now, as we have been number two player in the Buffalo industry in period 1, and have become market leader in period 2, we anticipate similar growth pattern in future with an average 20% growth year on year. As such, our 5 year conservative estimate for SPI will be ((1.2)^4)*1266= 2625.17 assuming 20 % year on year growth due to our strategies and brand portfolio as described above. [emailprotected] Verify your industry team on the marketing plan doc Identify the same in the subject in the email

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Terrorist Bombs In The U.s. Essay -- essays research papers

Although the people of the United States are still concerned with the threat of international terrorists attacking our land and citizens, there has been an alarming increase in domestic terrorism that has raised the nation’s concern about this problem. This increase in terrorist activity has not been imported from other countries but has had it’s start within our nations boundaries. This increased violence seems to be aimed at influencing governmental policy and public opinion. â€Å"The recent increase in domestic violence is said to be associated with the rise of anti-government sentiment and the proliferation of self-styled militia and paramilitary groups - some of which take extremist positions on race, religion, federal authority, gun control, or taxation (Fisher 1998).† One of the most devastating and well known forms of terrorism are bombings. Most of the violence associated with anti-governmental attacks takes this form. According to a recent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) report, bombings or attempted bombings increased from 2,098 in 1990 to 3,199 in 1994 (the latest year available), a 52% increase. Property damage from bombings rose to $7.5 million, with 308 people injured and 31 killed. This does not take into account the tragic Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Some ATF experts believe that it is the ready availability of materials and easy access to instructions and explosives information on the internet that has been the reason for this increase of bombings. There are several theories in the class text that help to explain the justification behind the actions of these local terrorist in our country. H. H. A. Cooper (1977) describes one called the â€Å"doctrine of necessity.† He believes that these terrorist cannot accept the world as it is and they also reject the possibility of peaceful means for social change. This is why they become terrorist. Cooper feels most of the terrorist do not enjoy the thought of random violence and murder but that they are driven by their utter hatred of the social status quo. He believes the first step in being a terrorist is the violent rejections of normative society. Although most terrorist do not enjoy violence or wish to adopt terrorist methods, Cooper feels that they are forced toward violence. Violence becomes necessary because there is no other alternative for correcting the injustices of contempor... ...vehicle that we have that has communication devices, computers, and so on for the incident. It kind of looks like a mobile home. There are usually people who are in charge of specific responsibilities that order things to happen. Traffic control, media, ground assault, surveillance, air, security and so on. By speaking with this officer, I learned that there are many aspects of terrorism. Even though many terrorist events have not happened here in Los Angeles, there are agencies and people that have training and are prepared just in case some thing were to happen. There are many things that can be looked for that alert of possible terrorist threat. This terrorist threat is very real here in Los Angeles because of the society involved in Los Angeles. As in the theories discussed earlier, there are people who have bad social conditions in Los Angeles and there is also a proliferation of different races. This could cause some friction. Also there are many who believe that Los Angeles has many morally corrupt people such as gays and lesbians. It is important to understand these theories of terrorism in a practical way in order to help save lives and understand and prevent terrorism.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hate Speech Essay

Hate speech is a form of communication that discriminates against one person or one group. â€Å"Hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. The term covers written as well as oral communication.† (USA Education Guides). In many countries, the right to free speech is guaranteed under the constitution, however, it is a right that should not be used to discriminate, abuse or undermine other people. Many people do misuse of the rights that they have in a democratic society and it can often hurt others in many ways. Although freedom of expression should be respected, hate speech is a form of discrimination that should be punishable by law. Many people believe that freedom of expression gives them the right to talk about absolutely everything and they can really talk about everything, as long as it does not discrimina te against another person. Hate speech ridicules and belittles people who do not need to hear it. Freedom of expression has to be a limit; the right of freedom of expression is not absolute because it can influence the other people’ life. People cannot say anything calumnious or slanderous without consequences, like be punishable by law. As a famous phrase says: â€Å"your right ends where the other’s right begins†. It means that the right of a person ends from the moment that this person interferes negatively in the life of another person. The right of people is about their own lives. People have the right to have whatever views they would like. However, having a view and mistreating others are two very different things. A person can have any view they like as long as it is simply their view. According to Marsden Rachel, In support of a democratic community, people can do anything they want until their behavior violates anyone’s freedom. Thenceforth, the government must to intervene in, if only to keep individual freedom. If the government doesn’t intervene in those situations, when interference would be required to adjust the situation, then the situation can stay out of control until the time when major providences will be taken. (Rachel). People who defend hate speech think that the society should know how to deal with the opinions of others but they forget that people who are discriminated against can be excluded from society because of hate speech. People should learn to listen to criticism, which can be constructive, not insults, which are malicious. Criticize a person can be a good thing, giving opinions to improve the person and it something that should be done, with respect, by everyone. Insult is a verbal violence which aims to humiliate and belittle others. People became isolated, can get sick and sometimes may commit suicide when they are victims of hate speech because it can change their behavior. According to a research conducted by some professors in the Syracuse University, correlation between hate speech and suicide rates remains constant. Some people committed suicide after be victimized by the society due to sexual orientation, race or religion, for example (â€Å"Correlation†). When a person practices hate speech, it can influence other people to do the same thing, like a â€Å"snowball† effect, increasing the withdrawal of discriminated people from society and friends. Everybody has the right to ra ise children according to their family’s beliefs. However when parents teach their children to discriminate against other people, hate speech will spread around the world; children should not be raised to discriminate others. Children should learn from birth that discrimination of other people is wrong regardless the religion, for example, and that everyone is equal because children are the future of society. This idea about ridding children of hate speech should be a global consensus. Children should play with other children of another religion, race, colour, ethnic, origin or sexual orientation, for example. It is important because the children should learn with different people and new cultures to see that hate speech is not necessary because all of them are equal. Family’s beliefs are to keep the family tradition and raise children, and a family’s beliefs must respect other family’s beliefs. Some people think that anyone who does not belong to predetermined standards by society should be eliminated from society. This kind of thinking can be considered the most advanced stage of hate speech and it can reach dangerous proportions. Genocide is an extreme action caused by hate speech and it is one of only a few kinds of attitudes that is identified as a crime under international law, similar to other cruel crimes. People must learn to accept, to adapt and to live toge ther with different people. The world would be boring if everyone was the same in everything. Each person has a role in society and nobody is more important than others. A person has the right to be like the person is and he or she should not change to please others. Everyone has to realize how dangerous hate speech can be and the consequences that it can generate. According to Arthur Joyce, hate speech is a harmful thing that can affect the people’s behavior because of its strength. The violence can also be caused by words, not only by physical violence and an example for it is the killing of the people who promoted abortion in the USA. Hate speech develops separation and bigotry; it also damages people who are discriminated. (Joyce & Tatchell) Just because a person is different and is out from â€Å"society’s standards†, this person must not be discriminated against, humiliated nor required to listen to hate speech from others just because the others can say a nything they want. Therefore, people who practice hate speech should be punished by law. Freedom of expression must have a limit, children can be raised according to family’s beliefs, but respecting others, people must learn to live together with others and people who practice hate speech should be punished in order to have a society with justice and equality where people are united and without discrimination. Hate speech is not only hurtful but it can kills discriminated against people in its most advanced stage. Think of hate speech as a disease with a cure. The cure is education and awareness together with personal empathy for others. Every people who practices hate speech and offends others should be punished by law with imprisonment, fine or volunteer work, depending on the case. Works cited: Arthur Joyce, Peter Tatchell. â€Å"Argument – Should hate speech be a crime?† New Internationalist. Dec 2012. New Internationalist Magazine. 25 Jul 2013. â€Å"Correlation between hate speech and suicide rates remains constant†. News Medical, 13 Aug 2004. < http://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/08/13/4050.aspx>. 29 Jul 2013. â€Å"Glossary of American Academic Terms†. USA Education Guides. . 25 Jul 2013. â€Å"Hate speech†. Article 10. . 29 Jul 2013. Marsden, Rachel. â€Å"Your Rights End Where Mine Begin†. Copyright 2011. . 29 July 2013. Slick, Matt. â€Å"What is Hate Speech?†. CARM. . 30 Jul 2013. â€Å"When is it hate speech?: 7 significant Canadian cases†. 12 Oct 2011. CBC News. 24 Jul 2013.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Managing in Today’s Health Care Organizations Essay

Design and functionality of Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UCMC) This memo contains a brief analysis of the welfare of Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UCMC). The memo zooms in on the architecture and operation of the facility. It also elaborates an overview of the mechanism of UCMC. Upper Chesapeake Medical Center resides in Bel Air, Maryland in Harford County. The design of each room presents a relaxed, private and calm atmosphere for patients and visitors. In 2008, the facility opened its doors but continued to expand in usefulness and size. A renovation ended in 2008. It brought a new and larger Emergency Department. It also created a facility especially for pediatric patients and surgical and inpatient bed accommodation. The renovation also designed a new and necessary parking garage and physician office structure. The new parking garage offers convenience to patients visiting the new outpatient services. An area beside the Medical Center includes an Ambulatory Care Center. This center houses multiple physician offices, outpatient imaging and laboratory procedures, outpatient pre-assessment testing and Upper Chesapeake Cardiovascular Institute. Upper Chesapeake Health (UCH) distributes health care through Harford County, eastern Baltimore County and western Cecil County. Upper Chesapeake Health employs 2,700 team members and more than 550 medical staff physicians. Upper Chesapeake Medical Center ranked on a high national level in the U. S. News Best Hospitals in three adult attributes. Attributes include Geriatrics, Gastroenterology and Neurology and Neurosurgery. The facility contains 186 hospital beds. It employs 35 full-time physicians and 244 registered nurses. During 2012, the Medical Center received 14,223 admissions, delivered 1,388 babies, and performed 3,925 inpatient and 6,179 outpatient surgeries, and 62,168 emergency room visits. Over 1,000 volunteers donate time to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and other medical facilities in Harford County. Thank you for taking the time to review my data pertaining to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Our Medical Center contains a dedicated staff along with a hospitable design that warms patients upon arrival along with comforting them and visitors during their stay.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Domino Marketing Plan Essays

Domino Marketing Plan Essays Domino Marketing Plan Essay Domino Marketing Plan Essay Domino’s Pizza Marketing Plan I. Executive Summary Domino’s Pizza’s strong financial performance during 2006 and into 2007 has given the company a significant amount of flexibility and freedom given the increased revenues and earnings in defining its strategies for the future. For continued growth however Dominos has to reduce customer churn, drive up same-store sales, continually reinforce and strengthen their brand, capitalize on the sociocultural shifts occurring in the United States and elsewhere, and finally continually redefine its in-store dining strategies relative to the growing rise of online sales. What is remarkable about Domino’s approach to marketing is the 14. 6% same-store growth the company has achieved from 2001 – 2005 according to JP Morgan (2006). This is nothing short of phenomenonal. Lesser competitors have higher in-store and same-store sales than Domino’s, and also have a broader mix of lunch and dinner alternatives. In addition, according to Roper (2005) 58% of American households are willing to try a new dinner alternative relative to cooking or ordering out. Compounding this is the fact that 73% or 3 out of every four households by 4:30pm have not decided what will be served for dinner according to JP Morgan (2006). These two insightful figures provide a glimpse into how volatile the quick-service restaurants (QSR) marketplace is. Clearly the use of up-sell, cross-sell and incentives to drive up same-store sales is critical in this market, as is the continual growth and focus on the brand globally, finally with a focus on innovation. These are the three most critical marketing strategies for Domino’s today. II. Situation Analysis Today Domino’s is the leader in the delivery segment of pizza sales in the U. S. , second only to Pizza Hut in total pizza sales, as this competitor has 4,000 Red Roof restaurants with over 100-person seating capacity. Domino’s strength in delivery is evidenced by the fact that the company delivers an average of one million pizzas a day and has the greatest market share of the delivery business at 19. 4% at the close of 2005 according to JP Morgan (2006). As of the close of 2006, the company is selling nearly 1 million pizzas a day between domestic and international operations according to JP Morgan (2006). This delivery-only approach allows Domino’s to focus its marketing and operations strategies on delivery only, without the distractions and potential struggles of a dine-in business, as is the case for Pizza Hut. According to many industry analysts and experts and also by reviewing Domino’s financials and low asset investments and exposure to long-term debt through ration analysis (see Appendix I for ratio analysis) the delivery-only business is the best area in which to operate within the $33 billion pizza market. Approximately $12 billion of the pizza category’s sales are through delivery, and according to Roper (2005) delivery will continue to gain share in the category as lifestyle trends continually place more and more of an emphasis on time and convenience, and using pizza delivery to overcome the highly hectic times from 4:30pm to 6pm on weeknights. This has also been validated through research completed by Domino’s Market Research (2005). Figure 2 illustrates how the change in families and lifestyles in general provide a favorable backdrop for the pizza delivery business. Figure 2: The shifting mix of pizza sales favor delivery With the growing amount of last-minute dinner decisions, pizza delivery is a timely and convenient option that gives families a viable meal replacement option for an affordable price. As daily lives become more hectic and people are less inclined to cook, shop, and clean, we would expect this occasion to increase and provide continued demand for pizza delivery III. Product Market Structure The quick-service restaurant (QSR) pizza category is the second-largest category within the $187 billion QSR sector, with an estimated $33 billion in 2005. The QSR pizza category consists of four components: delivery, dine-in, carryout, and a diminutive drive-thru business. Domino’s operates primarily within the delivery segment of the QSR pizza category. Delivery accounts for 36% of the total U. S. QSR pizza category, with $11. 8 billion in sales for the 12 months ended November 2005. Pizza delivery sales growth in the U. S. was close to flat during that same time frame, although over the ast several years, delivery has grown steadily as a percentage of the pizza category, to 36% of the pizza category sales in 2005 from 29% in 1997 according to NPD (2005) shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: Industry-wide pizza delivery choices by consumers IV. The External Environment The following sections of this marketing plan review industry analysis, competitive pressures, factors leading to ec onomic growth and stability, sociocultural trends, the customers’ environment, and the internal organizational climate. Industry Analysis Throughout the last five years, Domino’s has outperformed both Pizza Hut and Papa John’s in same-store sales growth. In the most recent surveys from Roper (2006) and JP Morgan (2006) there is clear evidence that Domino’s same store-sales will rebound significantly against by Papa John’s highly effective uses of promotion and new products. 2007’s competitive challenge is to re-invigorate same-store sales and become the industry leader once again. Papa John’s sales out performance has been driven by an improved and consistent delivery-focused marketing message, as well as strong new and limited-time-only products. Domino’s stressing Cheesy Bread, the Philly Cheese Steak pizza, and last year’s 5-5-5 promotion have all contributed to greater in-store sales yet the company is still struggling relative to competitors. Despite a strong presence in a very competitive category, Domino’s most pressing marketing challenge is to retain same-store sales leadership. The company has been extremely consistent in achieving at least some degree of same-store sales growth each year, an achievement that its peers cannot claim. Domino’s has had 12 consecutive years of flat or positive same-store sales growth. The most recent 7-7-7 promotion is anticipated to be just as success as 5-5-5 based on the feedback of franchise advisory council members. Porters’ Five Forces Model of Competition applied to Domino’s The five forces that comprise Dr. Porter’s model are industry competitors, pressure for substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, and the influence of potential entrants. Diagram 1 shows the Porter Five Forces Model graphically. Each of these areas is now discussed in bullet form in the following series of sections. Assessing Domino’s Industry Competitors Highly fragmented series of competitors throughout all nations Dominos competes in makes branding consistency and product quality critical. Strongest global competitor is Pizza Hut. Significant churn in the smaller mom-and-pop independent shops. Pressure from Substitute Products Significant competition from QSR concepts that include both lunch and dinner, and also have a steady stream of new products and services. Focus on QSR entrees that are easily delivered by drivers is the major substitute competitive threat. Instant dinner products in many food stores is also forcing a significant emphasis on innovation over simply relying on price as the competitive strength. Bargaining Power of Buyers Dominos’ buyers demand innovation in the form of both new menu and food items but also in the definition of new pizza concepts. Pizza Hut has been slow to innovate on certain product areas and as a result has faced pressure from buyers as they seek out competitor’s newer pizza and dinner offerings. Domino’s customers demand regional variation and quality. Their most loyal customers are less concerned with price and more concerned with consistent quality and taste. Domino’s customers are less price-sensitive than the majority of pizza purchasers As a result the customer base has significant influence on future product direction. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Highly dependent on the very volatile commodity of cheese and its price. The price of cheese has a direct impact on the company’s broader profitability. Domino’s has yet to fully vertically integrate into cheese production, yet has moved aggressively into dough and distribution facilities to gain greater control over their supply chain Highly dependent on the price of other dairy and cheese products as well, as innova tion in this industry centers on how to re-define entirely new product concepts based on cheeses. Potential Entrants Apart from Pizza Hut and Papa Johns at a national level, Domino’s has no chain-based competitors today of any size in the United States today. Secondary competitors include the smaller chains of ten stores or more stores that comprise 40% of the total U. S. pizza market. Competitive Pressures Most Prevalent in Advertising Advertising as a Competitive Weapon Domino’s has the second-largest advertising budget in the pizza category behind Pizza Hut. Although Domino’s advertising budget is lower than Pizza Hut’s in the aggregate, the company can narrow its focus on promoting its delivery business. Almost every Domino’s Pizza commercial features a delivery driver, and its slogan, â€Å"Get the Door, Its Domino’s,† has helped create a top-of-mind awareness that has made the Domino’s brand synonymous with pizza delivery. Recently, the company has been at the forefront of alternative media strategies that use various Internet promotions as well as product placements in movies such as In Good Company and television shows like The Apprentice. The pizza QSR category is very advertising driven in general, and any additional media weight can be pivotal given that approximately 85% of transactions include an advertised deal, promotion, or coupon according to Roper (2005 and JP Morgan (2006). Franchisees from Domino’s agree with an advertising shift toward national media once again because of the impressive 4. 6% same-store sales growth that it helped generate at franchised stores from 2001 2005. Although franchisees are given the option to spend less on local advertising to offset the national increase, the company expects many franchisees to continue prior local marketing levels. Domino’s sees much higher advertising effectiveness from national media buys versus local media, as the former are 40% more efficient than local media buys, and that national television reaches 20% more of its target customers than local television. Pizza Hut, Domino’s most dominant global competitor, was clearly way behind all three national pizza chains in 2006, with a very weak innovation story on new products to sell, and more re-shuffling of menu items with aggressive pricing and programs to bring in the lucrative in-store buyer. The net result from this lack of innovation was Pizza Hut losing significant market share. It’s expected that Pizza Hut will be more competitive to be more promotional throughout 2006, and would expect aggressive advertising that accentuates a â€Å"value† message. Economic Growth and Stability Critical to the economic growth and stability of Domino’s is the predictable revenue stream from franchisees, which continues to have above average rates of return for franchisees. The ROI for any given franchisee hovers in the 40% range based on an annual sales volume of $650,000. Figure 4 shows the distribution of franchisees across the United States. Figure 4: Distribution of Domino’s franchisees throughout the US A true competitive strength, franchisees for Domino’s are one of the most potent competitive advantages the company has. The majority of franchise owners come up through the franchise system, have an average length of relationship with Domino’s for 9 years or more. A sure sign of franchisee loyalty is the 99% contract renewal Domino’s is able to generate year over year, and the fact that 98% of the stores purchase all their ingredients and food products from Domino’s Corporate. There is also a 99% royalty and distribution receivables rate across all franchisees and less than an 8% attrition rate of franchisees globally. Figure 5 provides for an analysis of the dynamics of franchise store ownership. Figure 5: Dynamics of store ownership The Customer Environment Pizza sales are by far most common during the dinner day-part, consisting of more than 53% of Domino’s sales. Late night is a pretty significant piece of the business at 13. 8%, and could continue to be an opportunity in the category. Figure 6 from the Domino’s Annual Report shows the distribution of pizza sales by day part. Figure 6: Analyzing Pizza Sales by Hour of Day To counter this trend of dinner being by far the most critical time for any pizza delivery business, Domino’s competitors are experimenting with food products to move into other meals. Breakfast is not sold at most pizza operators; however, Papa John’s is in the process of testing breakfast pizzas such as â€Å"pizza omelets. † Interestingly, pizza sales also tend to be skewed toward weekends, when customers order pizzas not only as a meal replacement but also for special occasions. Weekday sales may also present an opportunity for pizza operators as the demands on people’s time increase and a greater premium is placed on the convenience of ordering pizza on a weeknight. During the week, sales should increasingly benefit from busy households that, when returning home from a long day of work would rather order a pizza than cook and clean. Figure 7 provides an analysis of how Domino’s management sees the opportunity for delivering pizza and other entrees adaptable to home delivery. Figure 7: Domino’s Value Pyramid Demographically, consumers within the 15- to 34-year-old range are the most pizza-friendly. Based on the 2000 Census, trends in population demographics imply a steady increase in the percentage of people within this age range in the United States. V. SWOT Analysis Strengths Strong and well-diversified franchise system Domino’s has developed a large, profitable, and committed franchise organization that is a critical component of its system-wide success and leading position in pizza delivery. In addition, Domino’s shares 50% of the pre-tax profits generated by its regional dough manufacturing and distribution centers with those domestic franchisees who agree to purchase all of their food from the company’s distribution system. These arrangements strengthen Domino’s ties with its franchisees by enhancing their profitability while providing the company with a continuing source of revenues and earnings. This arrangement also provides incentives for franchisees to work closely to reduce costs. The strong, mutually beneficial franchisee relationships are evidenced by the over 98% voluntary participation in Domino’s domestic distribution system, over 99% domestic franchise contract renewal rate and over 99% collection rate on domestic franchise royalty and domestic distribution receivables. Top pizza delivery-company in the US with a leading international presence Domino’s is the number one pizza delivery company in the US with a 19. 5% market share based on reported consumer spending as of the close of 2006. With 62% of the global 7156 stores located in the all the states in the US, the domestic store delivery areas cover a majority of US households. The company’s share position and scale allow it to leverage its purchasing power, distribution strength and advertising investment across its franchisees. Outside the US, the company has significant share positions in the key markets in which it competes, including, among other countries, Mexico (where it is the largest quick service restaurant (QSR) company in terms of store count in any QSR category), the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Dominos’ has a leading presence in most of these international markets as well. Global brand awareness The Domino’s Pizza brand is one of the most widely-recognized consumer brands in the world and its unique value propositions are instantly recognizable through the series of one-line positioning statements the company relies on for quick name recognition. Consumers associate this brand with the timely delivery of quality, affordable pizza and complementary side items. The Domino’s Pizza brand has been routinely named a MegaBrand by Advertising Age. Domino’s continues to reinforce this brand with extensive advertising through television, radio and print over the past five years, the company’s domestic franchise and company-owned stores have invested an estimated $1. 3 billion on national, local and co-operative advertising in the US. The company also enhances the strength of its brand through marketing affiliations with brands such as Coca-Cola and NASCAR. For 2006, advertising was increased 25%, from 4% to 5% of Sales dedicated to this strategy. Approximately 94% of pizza consumers in the US are estimated to be aware of the Domino’s Pizza brand. The brand is particularly strong among pizza consumers for whom dinner is a fairly spontaneous event, which industry research indicates to be the case in nearly 50% of pizza dining occasions. In these situations, service and product quality are the consumers’ priorities, the epitome of Domino’s existence. Weaknesses Dropping Revenue per employee For full financial ratio analysis of Domino’s please see Appendix I. Domino’s revenue per employee is considerably lower than the industry average in the US. Comparing the revenue per employee of its competitors such as Wendy’s ($3. 7 million) and Yum Brands ($1. 6 million), the closest competitors of Domino’s, the company derives much lower revenues per employees. Lower revenues per employee signify lower productivity for the company as compared to its competitors and the need for more effective use of operations and service programs to get higher levels of productivity from each employee. Over-reliance on US Domino’s is striving to be a global company yet has strong ties in both company culture and operational performance to the US. In 2005 the company generated less than 10% of total sales from international markets, with US markets comprising the bulk of sales and profits. The US consumer spending is also expected to face a downturn in the light of rising interest rates and fluctuating inflation. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of all economic activities in US, implying its influential role in shaping up US economy. Any material impact on consumer spending can affect the economy and thus businesses directly. For a company like Domino’s, consumer spending is a very important factor that may affect the business of the company. This reliance on a single market, which faces the threat of declining consumer spending, has increased the company’s risk profile. Opportunities Domino’s plans to continue to promote its successful advertising campaign Get the Door. It’s Domino’s, through national, local and co-operative media. Beginning in 2005 and continuing to today, each of the domestic stores increased its contributions to the advertising fund for national advertising from 3% to 4% of retail sales. The company intends to leverage its strong brand by continuing to introduce innovative, consumer-tested and profitable new pizza varieties (such as Domino’s Philly Cheese Steak Pizza and Domino’s Doublemelt Pizza) and complementary side items (such as buffalo wings, cheesy bread, Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Kickers and Cinna Stix) as well as through marketing affiliations with brands such as Coca-Cola and NASCAR. The focus throughout all these activities is to drive up same-store revenues and increasingly put pressure on Papa John’s Pizza recent increase in performance on this key metric. Expansion and optimization of domestic store base The company plans to continue expanding its base of domestic stores to take advantage of the attractive growth opportunities in US pizza delivery. The scale of operation allows Domino’s to expand its franchisee base without adding significantly to infrastructure costs. Additionally, the franchise-oriented business model allows expanding the store base with little if any capital investment, as franchisees pays for their own fixed assets. International business expansion Pizza’s global appeal has on the one hand been a central focus for Domino’s yet on the other has continually frustrated their attempts to move into the global markets more aggressively and with stronger results. Domino’s continues to built a broad international platform, almost through its master franchise model, as evidenced by the nearly 2,900 international stores in more than 50 countries. These international stores have produced positive quarterly same store sales growth for 44 consecutive quarters. Threats Challenged by rapid cheese cost fluctuations Back in 2004, cheese prices skyrocketed to an all-time high, with Domino’s paying an average of $1. 64 per pound for cheese that year. The company’s gross margins fell by 70 percent, in part due to the higher cost for cheese. The forecasting of cheese prices is capricious and difficult, and yet it is the one single commodity that is critical to the success of Domino’s long-term. The swings in the popularity of low-carb diets also have impacted the company’s ability to sell given the high cheese content of their pizzas and food items. Increasing retail rental rates Domino’s ability to expand also is dependent on retail locations and their prices as well. In areas where real estate is at a premium, the costs of starting up a new Domino’s are astronomical. The investment required for a new retail location in a large metro area is typically at rents 4% to 6% above what a comparable suburban or rural location can be created from. Focus towards health consciousness Over the past few years the focus on low carb diets and healthy eating has continually impacted the sales of fast food products, Books and now movies extolling the evils of fast food are also having a direct effect on the sales of food by QSR outlets. Consumers are showing increased preference for fat-free and healthy food products. Food items containing trans-fat are losing market share as they are linked to cardiovascular diseases. This could impact the revenues of the company. Market saturation By most analysts’ and experts’ forecasts, the US fast food market is close to saturation. This translates into the need for highly unique value propositions, new product introductions every year that grab the attention of the consumer who is open to trying new foods for dinner, and a focus on quality to ensure customer satisfaction with the new products. Between 2004 and 2008, the US fast food market is expected to increase in value by only 1. 7% to reach approximately US$153. billion. Thus, the potential growth for fast-food chains like Domino’s’ does not seem too high. Marketing Plan VI. Marketing Goals and Objectives The following marketing goals and objectives that Domino’s needs to accomplish in 2007 to continue its market leadership: 1. Aggressively drive up same-store sales by 30% through the aggressive use of national advertising and the bundling of pizza and dessert offerings including drinks. 2. Minimize customer churn by 15% through loyalty programs. . Grow web-based ordering by 15% through the use of coupons and specials available only on the web. VII. Marketing Strategies a. Primary Target Market The primary target market for Domino’s Pizza is the hectic household, with a per capita income of $46,000 a year in major metro areas with populations of 1 million or more. This market is further differentiated in that it contains or more children under 18, and the majority of evenings there is confusion and little thought to what is for dinner. This fits with the statistic of 73% of households do not know what they will have for dinner at 4:30pm every evening. b. Marketing Mix i. Product Definition: A pizza large enough to feed a family of four with several alterative toppings included and a series of vegetarian, beef, chicken or seafood combinations as well. [pic] The following is a perceptual map that shows the relationship of Domino’s relative to other brands in the competitive arena. i. Pricing: Competitively priced with high enough margins for the franchisees to make some margin as well. iii. Promotion: The Family Meal Replacement Strategy starts with the 7-7-7 strategy as defined in earlier parts of this plan, including a focus on the areas of core programming around bundling to reduce customer churn. iv. Place: Primarily a delivery product, this will be a meal served in thirty minutes or less. VIII. Marketing Implementation |Drive up same-store sales by 30%|Minimize customer churn by 15% |Grow web-based order ing by 15% | |Product | | | | |Easy-to-deliver highly nutritious meal | | | | | |X | | | |â€Å"finger food† for watching a DVD at home| | | | |(orderable over the Web) |X | |X | | | | | | |Deep fried cinnamon buns for dessert | | | | | | | | | |Sandwiches for lunch by ordering out | | | | | |X |X (as a essert ad-on) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |X | | | |X (office catering) | |X orderable over the web | |Price | | | | |Stay with price positioning that | | | | |connotes value over cheapness |X |X |X | | | | | | |Define price off couponing to drive up | | | | |web ordering | | | | | | | |X | |Loyalty Program | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |X | | |Distribution | | | | |Reward franchisees for selling more | | | | |through the web with greater margin | | |X | | | | | |Focus on repeat purchasers and customer | | | | |lifetime value with price breaks for | | | | |loyalty programs |X |X | | | | | | | |Build franchisee locations to focus on | | | | |reducing customer churn through pe rsonal| | | | |service | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |X |X | | |Promotion or IMC | | | | | | | | | |Extensive use of bundling and focus on |X |X | | |promotions for most loyal customers | | | | | | | | | |Define national ads to reward best | | | | |customers | | | | |X |X | | |National ad to launch web-only | | | | |sandwiches and light catering for | | | | |offices with a give-away of a Mini |X | |X | |Cooper | | | | | | | | | IX. Budgets In order to accomplish the three marketing objectives mentioned, two major investments need to be made, and they are a customer lifetime value tracking system, and also an accentuated web ordering system for capturing light catering orders that will be the center of the future go-to-market strategies for moving up-market into businesses. Cost Components |Customer Lifetime value tracking |Web ordering system for light catering | |Application Development |$120,000 |$320,000 | |Professional Services |$260,000 |$640,000 | |Total Co sts |$380,000 |$960,000 | |Applications (%) |31. 5% |33% | Net Present Value and Sensitivity Analysis For the customer tracking system, assuming a 5% discount rate, a 7 year life of the project, and a cash flow of $1M in the first year, followed by $2M in the second year, $2. 5M in the 3rd year, and $3M in the 4th and 5th year, and $4M in the 6th through 10th years yields a NPV of $1,951,375. The present value of expected cash flows is $2,331,375. For the Web ordering system for light catering, assuming a 5% discount rate and a 7 year life of the project, and the a cash flow of $1M in the first year, followed by $2M in the second year, $2. 5M in the 3rd year, and $3M in the 4th year, and $4M in the 5th through 10th years yields a NPV of $1,449,727 and a present value of expected cash flows of $2,409,727. Assumptions The following are the significant assumptions behind the revenue figures: 1. Professional services will be highest on order capture due to the extensive integration required to complete this application development. 2. The highest dollar figure for professional services however comes from order management, which includes the most complex integration tasks. 3. Definition of the internal development costs include outsourcing the development of internal tools and the acquisition of specific tools for the managing of source code and documentation. X. Evaluation, Control, and Contingency Plans In terms of these systems, the following measures of performance will be used. These metrics capture the extent and level of performance possible when integrations are in place, and reflect the stronger levels of ROI possible: 1. The Perfect Order Defines the number of catering orders correctly filled every day from a franchisee. 2. Lead escalation ratio – Defines the number of leads that are escalated to the top-performing franchisees. The focus is on moving leads for light catering to the top-performing members of the channel. 3. Gross Margin per Order – This is a critical link to measure the level of profitability per order. 4. Usage rate by franchisee – This is essential to find out if the designed systems and applications are meeting the needs of the external stakeholders they were specifically developed for. In addition, the following metrics will be used to measure the performance of these strategies over time: 1. Monthly same-store sales analysis by region 2. Gross margin by franchisee region and nation 3. Aided and unaided awareness of the new national advertising programs imed at launching sandwich service through catering to lunch working sessions in companies 4. Focus on lifetime value analysis and assessment through new automated systems that track and highlight those customers who show the greatest potential to turn into lifetime customers. This investment in IT is going to make it possib le to find the most loyal customers and target them with special promotions. 5. Number of web orders placed, and margin per web order placed – this is going to be critical for measuring the impact of the new system for placing online orders and getting automated fulfillment. XI. Appendices Appendix I: Domino’s Pizza Ratio Analysis 2001 – 2006 |Dominos Pizza Inc. | | | | | |Profitability Ratios |1/1/2006 |1/2/2005 |12/28/2003 |12/29/2002 |12/30/2001 | | | | | | | | |Return on Equity (%) |-21. 19 |-11. 33 |-5. 44 |-16. 11 |- | |Return on Assets (%) |23. 48 |13. 92 |8. 7 |14. 31 |- | |Return on Investment |31. 58 |21. 31 |14. 56 |22. 3 |- | |Gross Margin |0. 025 |0. 024 |0. 026 |0. 026 |0. 025 | |EBITDA of Revenue (%) |15. 52 |14. 58 |15. 75 |15. 38 |13. 21 | |Operating Margin (%) |13. 17 |11. 85 |11. 96 |12. 38 |10. 1 | |Pre-Tax Margin |11. 46 |6. 92 |4. 68 |7. 54 |15. 69 | |Net Profit Margin (%) |7. 16 |4. 31 |2. 93 |4. 4 |13. 83 | |Effective Tax Rate (%) |37. 5 |37. 75 |37. 48 |37. 11 |11. 9 | | | | | | | | |Liquidity Indicators | | | | | | |Quick Ratio |0. 68 |0. 64 |0. 63 |0. 57 |- | |Current Ratio |1. 02 |1 |0. 99 |0. 4 |- | |Working Capital/Total Assets |0. 01 |0 |0 |-0. 02 |- | | | | | | | | |Debt Management | | | | | | |Current Liabilities/Equity |-0. 43 |-0. 34 |-0. 26 |-0. 42 |- | |Total Debt to Equity |-1. 44 |-1. 42 |-1. 34 |-1. 7 |- | |Long Term Debt to Assets |1. 52 |1. 69 |2. 1 |1. 42 |- | | | | | | | | |Asset Management | | | | | | |Revenues/Total Assets |3. 28 |3. 23 |2. 97 |3. 02 |- | |Revenues/Working Capital |381. 62 |-8,218. 3 |-1,057. 35 |-125. 08 |- | |Interest Coverage |4. 55 |2. 64 |1. 84 |2. 59 |-1. 89 | Appendix I I: Domino’s Pizza Business Segment Analysis 2001 – 2006 |Dominos Pizza Business Segment Analysis | | | | | | | | | | | | |Total Revenues | | | | |Report Date 1/1/2006 |1/2/2005 |12/28/2003 |12/29/2002 |12/30/2001 | | | | | | | | | Domestic Stores |562,865 |537,488 |519,879 |517,200 |496,384 | | Domestic Distribution |935,461 |902,413 |821,695 |779,684 |796,808 | | International |129,635 |116,983 |96,386 |81,762 |69,995 | | Total |1,627,961 |1,556,884 |1,437,960 |1,378,646 |1,363,187 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Operating Income | | | | | | | | | | | | Domestic Stores |148,920 |131,518 |127,082 |126,714 |114,253 | | Domestic Distribution |52,959 |46,110 |45,946 |43,155 |38,068 | | International |36,947 |34,079 |28,117 |25,141 |15,162 | | Total |238,826 |211,707 |201,145 |195,010 |167,483 | XII. References Domino’s Market Research (2005) – From the 2005 Analyst Day Presentation Accessed from the Internet on February 22, 2007 from location: http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/13/135383/presentations/DPZ_InvDayAll. pdf JP Morgan (2006) – Domino’s Pizza Inc. JP Morgan Consumer Retail Holiday Conference Presentation. From the Investor’s Section of the Domino’s website. Accessed from the Internet on February 22, 2007 from location: http://library. corporate-ir. net/library/13/135/135383/items/225605/InvestorPresJPMorgan. pdf [pic] March, 2005 investor presentation given by Domino’s CEO – Downloaded from the Investor’s Section of the website on February 22, 2007 from location:: http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/13/135383/presentations/DPz_052506. pdf Roper (2005) – Roper Starch Worldwide Market Research. Bakery and Pizza Goods Market Analysis, 2005. From a press release at Pizza Marketing Quarterly: pmq. com/industrynews. shtml accessed from the Internet on February 22, 2007. Roper (2006) – Roper Starch Worldwide Market Research. Bakery and Pizza Goods Market Analysis, 2006. From a press release at Pizza Marketing Quarterly: pmq. com/industrynews. shtml Accessed from the Internet on February 22, 2007. Diagram 1: Porters’ Five Forces Model

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Beginners Guide to ASP.NET Programming for Delphi developers

A Beginner's Guide to ASP.NET Programming for Delphi developers About the Course: This free online course is perfect for beginner Delphi for .NET developers as well as for those who want a broad overview of the art of ASP.NET Web programming with Borland Delphi. Developers will learn how to design, develop and debug ASP.Net web application using Borland Delphi for .Net. The chapters will cover the fundamental elements of creating Web applications (working with Web Forms, Web Services and User Controls) using Delphi, including the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and the Delphi for .Net language.Developers will get up to speed quickly through real world, practical example. The entire course is build arround the BDSWebExample ASP.NET web sample application that comes as a demo project with the Delphi 8/2005 installation. This course is aimed to those who are new to programming, come from some other development environment (like MS Visual Basic, or Java) or are new to Delphi. Prerequisites: Readers should have at least a working knowledge of the Delphi language. No previous (web) programming experience is required; being fluent in HTML and general Web development terminology as well as JavaScript should help you be more productive with the chapters.Ah, yes. Youll need to have Delphi 8/2005 for .NET installed on your computer! Recommended reading:A Beginners Guide to Delphi programming.Free online programming tutorial / course for beginner developers. Focus on Borland Delphi.Fast Forward to Delphi for .Net.A series of articles that are designed with one goal in mind: to provide a quick and dirty introduction to the world of .Net programming with Delphi.Delphi for .Net general articles.Articles and technical information that will help you start and master Delphi 8 for .NET. Find out about IL, aspx, XML Web Services, msil, ...Delphi in ASP.NET action:The power of Delphi and ASP.NETWant to build a dynamic, modular web portal using Delphi for .Net and ASP.NET? Go for the proven solutions!aspxDelphi.net PORTAL is a Delphi 8 ASP.NET application, and can be used to build (module based) intranet or Internet portal application. aspxDelphi.net STORE is a Delphi 8 ASP.NET application, and can be used to build Internet shop.Supported databases are: MS SQL Server/ MSDE and Firebird/Interbase. Warning!Make sure you download the updated version of the code (the BDSWebExample demo application). The new version has more meaningful names for Web pages, the code is cleaned up from using Free (since there is no need to free objects in .Net - the garbage collector does the job for you) and some defects. The database has not changed.Also, to follow up with the chapters it would be best if you save the project under C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\BDSWebExample! Chapters The chapters of this course are being created and updated dynamically on this site. You can find the latest chapter on the last page of this article. The chapters of this course are being created and updated dynamically on this site. Chapters (for now) include: CHAPTER 1:An introduction to ASP.NET programming with Delphi. Configuring the Cassini web server What is ASP.NET from the perspective of a Delphi developer? How to set up the Cassini sample web server. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 2:Setting up the BDSWebExample Delphi 8 (ASP.NET) demo application Getting started with the Delphi 8 BDSWebExample: restoring the database, preparing the virtual directory. Running BDSWebExample for the first time! Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 3:What makes an Delphi 8 ASP.NET application Lets see what are the main parts of an asp.net application; what are all those .aspx, .ascx, .dcuil, bdsproj, etc files. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 4: Lets see how to build a simple web application using Delphi for .Net. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 5: Examining Web Form Pages - the central elements of development in ASP.NET. A point of look from a Delphi developer perspective: What is a Web Form? Designing a Web Form, The link between the aspx file and the code-behind file, ...Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 6: Producing a simple message box (like ShowMessage; or even an InputBox) in an asp.net application can be quite difficult - as you need to mess with DHTML, JavaScript and IE object model. It would be much better if we could write only one line of code (as in traditional desktop applications) to display a MessageBox ... lets see how.Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 7:Web Forms - building blocks of an ASP.NET application (Part 2) Introducing Web Form properties, methods and events. Taking a look at the IsPostback property and postback processingDiscuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 8: Taking a look at the use of standard HTML tags and elements and the use of server-side HTML controls - from a perspective of a Delphi developer. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 9: Lets enable uploading of binary files from a client browser to the web server in ASP.NET web applications. Delphi for .Net and ASP.NET provide an easy way to accept files from the client using HTMLInputFile (HTML File Upload HTML server control) and HTTPPostedFile classes. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 10: Exploring navigation techniques between Web Form pages: postbacks, direct navigation (using the tag) and code-based navigation (using Server.Transfer and Response.Redirect). Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! The chapters of this course are being created and updated dynamically on this site. Chapters (for now) include: CHAPTER 11:Setting up the startup Web Form page for an ASP.NET application under IIS, deciding which navigation technique to use in various scenarios. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 12:Web Server controls are specifically designed to work with Web Forms pages. Find about the basic concepts, benefits and limitations of using Web Server controls in ASP.NET. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 13:Examining Control-Passing ASP.NET Web Controls: Button, ImageButton and LinkButtonThere are several web controls that enable passing of control back to the Web Server. This chapter explores web buttons - specific components that allow users to indicate that they are finished with the Web Form (post the data) or want to perform a particular command (on the server). Learn about ASP.NETs Button, LinkButton and ImageButton web controls. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 14:Taking a quick look at the TextBox ASP.NET web server control - the only control designed for user input. TextBox has several faces: single-line text entry, password entry or multi-line text entry. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 15:Understanding Web Controls for Selecting Choices in Delphi ASP.NET ApplicationsASP.NET selection controls allow users to select from a series of predefined values. This chapter explores list-type controls: CheckBox, CheckBoxList, RadioButton, RadioButtonList, DropDownList and ListBox from the perspective of a Delphi ASP.NET web developer. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 16:Introducing ASP.NET web server controls designed for visually grouping other controls together on a Web Form: Panel, Placeholder and Table (along with TableRow and TableCell). Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 17:Using Validators in Delphi ASP.NET applicationsIntroducing client-side and server-side data validation using Validation Controls: RequiredFieldValidator, RangeValidator and ValidationSummary. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 18:Find out what events (and in what order) are generated when ASP.NET receives a request for a Web Form. Learn about the ViewState - a technique ASP.NET uses to maintain page state changes across postbacks. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 19:An Introduction to Data Binding in Delphi ASP.NET ApplicationsLearn how to add information to a Web Form, by binding controls to a source of data. Learn about data binding Web Controls for selecting choices (ListBox, DropDownList, RadioButtonList, CheckBoxList, etc). Find out about IEnumerable and IList .NET interfaces. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 20:Using Binding Expressions in Delphi ASP.NET ApplicationsFind out about data-binding individual properties of a web control. Learn how to data bind plain HTML. Explore the magic of in ASP.NET. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! The chapters of this course are being created and updated dynamically on this site. Chapters (for now) include: CHAPTER 21: First steps in using the Repeater ASP.NET web server control. Learn how to data bind multi-record controls. Understanding the DataBinder class and the DataBinder.Eval method. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 22: Learn how to programmatically implement the ITemplate interface to dynamically create the ItemTemplate content for a DataList Web Server control. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 23:Developing and Using Custom User Controls in ASP.NET Very similar to Win32 Delphis TFrame objects, an ASP.NET User Control is a container for components; it can be nested within Web Forms or other User Controls. User controls offer you an easy way to split and reuse common user interface functionality across the pages of your ASP.NET Web application. Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter! CHAPTER 24:Adding Advanced User Controls to a Web Page Dynamically User Controls allow a Delphi ASP.NET developer to wrap the common UI features of a web applications into reusable components. In real world applications youll want to be able to dynamically load a user control and place it on the page. What Page event should you use to LoadControl? Once on the page, how do you handle User Control events? Find the answers in this chapter ... Discuss about questions, comments, problems and solutions related to this chapter!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Rules Governing the Insanity Defence in Order to Determine When a Essay

The Rules Governing the Insanity Defence in Order to Determine When a Person Should Not Be Criminally Liable - Essay Example The Rules Governing the Insanity Defence in Order to Determine When a Person Should Not Be Criminally Liable The court found him insane whom in an assassination attempt to Robert Peel the British Prime Minister, mistakenly killed his secretary. This led to the formation of strictures whereby it was avowed that a defendant was required to have a mental condition or illness and even retardation that was required to be severe to an extent that the defendant had no insight as to the quality and nature of the act committed without the knowledge that the act was wrong. English law has reviewed the concept of insanity defense and is an area rich in evidence especially with reference to decided cases evaluating this defense. In this regard, this paper will critically analyze the insanity defense according to English law. Changes that have been made to the insanity defense will also be delineated and the paper will conclude with an assertion if insanity defense still exists. To begin with, the English law stipulates that prior to passing judgment on an individual; the court has the responsibility of fulfilling two major components. Firstly, the court needs to prove actus reus which delineates that the defendant engaged in the conduct that was illegal as it was against the requirements of the law. Secondly, the court needs to prove mens rea illustrating the criminal intent in the act committed by the defendant. This is diversified in different courts as pertains to sanctions imposed. This shows that will is inculcated in criminal law illustrating responsibility of the defendant for his own behavior. However, the insanity doctrine precludes individuals from being responsible of their acts if they suffer from a mental illness that greatly hampers their ability to make concrete decisions (cognitive ability) or capacity to control behavior (volitional abilities) to an extent that their will becomes compromised.2 Insanity in English law is viewed from three ma in aspects. The first aspect entails insanity prior to the trial where despite the offender being in custody, he is insane. The English law requires that the Home Secretary detains the insane defendant immediately and receives a confirmation of insanity from two psychiatric doctors as pertains to the mental status of the defendant. The second clause of insanity is inculcated in unfitness of the defendant to plead following the defendant presenting with any of the six considerations stipulated under3. One consideration is the inability of the defendant too understand the charges, also inability to plead guilty or not and inability to challenge jurors. Consequently, inability to instruct counsel and instruct solicitors is also considered. Moreover, the inability of the defendant to follow proceedings and to give evidence in his defense is also reviewed.4 See R v Pritchard5and M (John)6. Following an assertion that the defendant is unable to plead, a second jury is usually set up deter mining if the defendant is guilty of actus reus. However, if the jury is convinced that the defendant is not liable for actus reus the defendant is acquitted. This cannot therefore lead to criminal conviction and hence the defense illuminating diminished responsibility is not viable as was the ruling in the case of Pierre Harrison ANTOINE v The United Kingdom7. The third aspect that inculcates insanity is insanity as the time of the offense. The major case that is used in this third aspect is the