The Indigo Spell Chapter Twelve

I FELT LIKE A FAILURE when I delivered Ms. Terwilliger the news before classes the next day. She told me, her face pale and grim, that there was nothing I could've done. But I didn't know if I believed that. I still berated myself with the same questions as last night. What if I hadn't spent the previous day with Marcus? What if I hadn't spent so much time making sure the Mustang was taken care of? What if I hadn't been engaged in a massive public display of affection on the floor with Adrian? I'd let personal matters interfere, and now a girl had paid with her life. I wanted to skip school and warn the others immediately, but Ms. Terwilliger assured me that Veronica wouldn't be able to feed so quickly. She told me waiting until later in the day would be fine. I gave a reluctant nod and returned to my desk, figuring I'd try to read until class started. I didn't expect to have much success. â€Å"Miss Melbourne?† she called. I glanced back and saw that her sad expression had lightened up a little. She almost looked amused, which seemed weird, given the situation. â€Å"Yes, ma'am?† â€Å"You might want to do something about your neck.† I was totally lost. â€Å"My neck?† She reached into her purse and handed me a compact mirror. I opened it and surveyed my neck, still trying to figure out what she could be talking about. Then I saw it. A small, brownish purple bruise on the side of my neck. â€Å"What on earth is that?† I exclaimed. Ms. Terwilliger snorted. â€Å"Although it's been a while for me, I believe the technical term is a hickey† She paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You do know what that is, don't you?† â€Å"Of course I know!† I lowered the mirror. â€Å"But there's no way – I mean, we barely – that is – â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"You don't have to justify your private life to me. But you might want to consider how you can actually keep it private in the next fifteen minutes.† I was practically out of my seat before she finished speaking. When I emerged from the building, I had the amazing fortune to find the campus shuttle just pulling up. I hurried onto it, and although the ride to my dorm only took a few minutes, it felt like forever. All the while, my mind reeled with what had happened. I have a hickey. I let Adrian Ivashkov give me a hickey. How in the world had that happened? The devastating news about Lynne had allowed me to ignore the full impact of my indiscretion, but there was no avoiding that now. Against every principle I possessed, I'd allowed myself to get drawn into kissing Adrian. And not just kissing. Thinking about the way our bodies had been pressed together made me feel as flushed as I had last night. No, no, no! I couldn't think about that. I had to forget it had happened. I needed to make sure it didn't happen again. What had come over me? I didn't feel the way he felt about me. He was Moroi. And even if he hadn't been, he was undoubtedly the most unsuitable guy for me in the world. I needed someone serious, someone with the potential to get a job that had medical benefits. Someone like Brayden. Yeah, how'd that work out for you, Sydney? What happened with Adrian had been wrong. It had obviously been some twisted act of lust, probably brought on because he was so forbidden. That was it. Women fell for that kind of thing. When I'd researched relationship books, I'd seen one called Bad Boys and the Women Who Love Them. I'd ignored it because Brayden was pretty much the opposite of a bad boy. Maybe it would be worth getting that book now. A flame in the dark. I needed to forget that Adrian had ever called me that. I had to. We had another minute before we would reach my dorm, so I sent a quick text to Adrian: I have a hickey! You can't ever kiss me again. I honestly hadn't expected him to be awake this early so I was surprised to get a response: Okay. I won't kiss you on your neck again. So typical of him. No! You can't ever kiss me ANYWHERE. You said you were going to keep your distance. I'm trying, he wrote back. But you won't keep your distance from me. I didn't dignify that with a response. When we reached my dorm, I asked the driver how long she'd wait before returning to main campus. â€Å"I'm leaving right now,† she said. â€Å"Please,† I begged. â€Å"Wait sixty seconds. I'll pay you.† She looked offended. â€Å"I don't take bribes.† But when I sprinted back out of the dorm – in a scarf – she was still there. I made it back to Ms. Terwilliger's class just as the bell rang. She flashed me a knowing look but said nothing about my wardrobe change. While I was in class, I received a text from Marcus. Can you meet today? San Bernardino, 4 p.m. Well, he'd warned me about short notice. San Bernardino was an hour away. I'd given Eddie a heads-up about the meeting happening this week, and he'd agreed to go. I just hoped he didn't have anything planned this afternoon. I texted back that we'd be there, and Marcus sent me an address. When class ended, a girl from my English class caught my attention and asked if she could borrow some notes since she'd been out sick yesterday. Eddie was gone by the time I finished with her, so I didn't get a chance to ask him about San Bernardino until lunch. â€Å"Sure,† he said, snapping into that fierce guardian mode. Jill already knew about our errand because I'd told Adrian about it. I felt a little bad about taking Eddie from Jill. Okay, really bad. Removing Eddie was a serious risk, though I reminded myself that he wasn't always with her every single second. Sometimes it was impossible, which was why we'd acquired Angeline. Still, if anyone in the Alchemists found out I was using her main bodyguard for personal errands, I'd be in big trouble. Well, actually, I'd probably be in big trouble regardless, seeing as I was meeting with a group of rebels. I turned to Angeline, who was trying to decipher some notes about the quadratic equation. â€Å"Angeline, you need to stay with Jill until we're back,† I said. â€Å"And you should both actually just stay in your dorm, to be extra safe. Don't wander campus.† Jill accepted this, but Angeline looked up in dismay. â€Å"I'm supposed to meet Trey for math. How do you expect me to pass?† I was helpless against an academic argument. â€Å"Study in the dorm lobby. That should be safe enough. Jill can just do homework with you.† Angeline didn't seem entirely pleased about that alternative, but she didn't protest it. She started to return to her notes and then did a double take. â€Å"Why are you wearing that scarf?† she asked. â€Å"It's so hot today.† It was true. The unseasonable temperatures had returned. Eddie, to my surprise, said, â€Å"I wondered the same thing.† â€Å"Oh, um . . . † Please don't blush, please don't blush, I ordered myself. â€Å"I've just been cold today.† â€Å"That's weird,† said Jill, perfectly deadpan. â€Å"For someone who always seems to be so cold, you sure can warm up pretty fast.† It was straight out of Adrian's playbook. Jill knew perfectly well why I had on the scarf, and I gave her a warning look. Eddie and Angeline appeared completely mystified. I stood up, even though I'd barely touched my food. Probably none of them would find that weird. â€Å"Well, I've got to go. I'll find you later, Eddie.† I hurried off before any of them could question me further. I'd been a little hesitant to let Eddie in on Marcus. Eddie certainly wasn't going to turn Marcus or me in to the Alchemists for sideline plotting. That being said, I also didn't want Eddie to think the Alchemists were involved in nefarious schemes against the Moroi. That might very well be something Eddie would relay back to his own people, which could in turn cause all sorts of diplomatic problems. Even this hint of the Alchemists potentially being in contact with the Warriors was dangerous. I decided that having Eddie as protection was worth the risk of him hearing something he shouldn't. He was my friend, and I trusted him. Still, I had to give him a little background information as we made the drive to San Bernardino. â€Å"Who are these people exactly?† he asked. â€Å"Ex-Alchemists,† I said. â€Å"They don't like all the procedures and red tape and just want to interact with Moroi and dhampirs on their own terms.† â€Å"That doesn't sound so bad.† I could hear caution in his voice. Eddie was no fool. â€Å"Why do you want me along?† â€Å"I just don't know much about them. I think their intentions are good, but we'll see.† I thought very carefully on how to phrase my next words. I had to give him a heads-up. â€Å"They've got a lot of conspiracy theories. Some even, um, think there might be Alchemists working with Warriors.† â€Å"What?† It was a wonder Eddie's jaw wasn't on the floor. â€Å"They don't have any hard proof,† I added quickly. â€Å"They've got a Warrior girl who spies for them. She thinks she overheard something . . . but it all sounds sketchy to me. They want me to help, but I don't think there's anything to uncover. I mean, the Alchemists helped raid the Warriors, right? Disrupting their crazy execution ritual wouldn't exactly foster good relations.† â€Å"I suppose not,† he admitted, but it was clear he wasn't entirely at ease. I decided to move on to safer territory. No need to worry about Marcus and his Merry Men (I couldn't get Adrian's name out of my head) until we heard them out. â€Å"How is everything?† I asked. â€Å"With Angeline? Jill? I've been so busy with, uh, stuff that I feel like we haven't talked much.† Eddie didn't answer right away. â€Å"Quiet with Jill, which is good. We want things to be as boring as possible for her. Things are better with her and Micah too. At first, a lot of his friends wouldn't talk to her after the breakup. But he's gotten over her enough that they can just be friends . . . so, the others have decided they can too.† â€Å"That's a relief.† When we'd first come to Amberwood, Jill had had trouble fitting in. Dating Micah had opened up a lot of social circles for her, and I'd worried about what would happen after they split up. Things had worsened when I'd forbidden her from modeling for a local and very assertive fashion designer, Lia DiStefano, who risked exposing Jill. Jill had felt like she'd lost everything, so I was glad to see things were coming together for her again. â€Å"Jill's easy to like,† I added. â€Å"I bet most of them were happy to stay friends with her.† â€Å"Yeah.† It was all he said, but there was a lot of emotion in that one word. I glanced over and saw a dreamy look on his face. So. Micah might be over Jill, but Eddie wasn't. I wondered if he even knew it. â€Å"How's Angeline?† The dreaminess became a frown. â€Å"Confusing.† I laughed. â€Å"That's pretty accurate.† â€Å"She goes from one extreme to another. When we first started going out, she, uh, couldn't stay away from me.† I didn't entirely know what that entailed, and I really didn't want to think about it. â€Å"Now I can hardly get five minutes alone with her. She's started going to basketball games for some reason. I think she's just kind of dumbstruck at a game that's got so many rules, compared to whatever insanity the Keepers do for fun. And she's really into fixing that math grade too. I guess that's a good thing.† He didn't sound too sure. I, however, was thrilled. â€Å"I think the idea of getting kicked out really scared her. Despite all the tough adjustments she's had here, she doesn't want to go back home.† When Rose had been on the run, I'd hidden Dimitri and her with the Keepers. That was where we'd first met Angeline, and even back then, she'd begged Rose to take her away from that rural world. â€Å"Give her time. This'll settle down, and her, uh, enthusiasm will come back.† We reached the address in San Bernardino, a hardware shop that seemed like a strange location for a secret meeting. I pulled into the parking lot and texted Marcus that we were here. No response came. â€Å"That's weird,† I said. â€Å"I hope he didn't change his mind.† Eddie was over his girl troubles and had that sharp guardian look in his eyes again. â€Å"I bet we're being watched. If they're as paranoid as you say, this probably isn't the place we're meeting. They've sent you here and are looking for signs to see if you were followed.† I turned to him in amazement. â€Å"I never would've thought of that.† â€Å"That's why you've got me along,† he said with a smile. Sure enough. Ten minutes later, Marcus texted with another address. We must have passed the test. This new location was in another loud, busy place: a family-friendly restaurant with actors walking around in giant animal costumes. It was, if possible, more absurd than the arcade. â€Å"He picks the weirdest places,† I said. Eddie's eyes were everywhere. â€Å"It's brilliant actually. Too loud to be overheard. One exit in the back, one in the front. And if the Alchemists did show up, I'm guessing they wouldn't create a scene around this many children?† â€Å"I guess.† Marcus met us in the lobby and waved us forward. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous. Come on, we've got a table.† He paused to shake Eddie's hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you. We can always use more for the cause.† I'm not sure what I'd expected of the Merry Men. Maybe a bunch of rough-and-tumble outcasts with battle scars and eye patches, like Wolfe. Instead, what we found were a guy and girl sharing a plate of chicken fingers. They had golden lilies on their cheeks. Marcus directed us to two chairs. â€Å"Sydney, Eddie. This is Amelia and Wade.† We shook hands. â€Å"Sabrina's not with you?† I asked. â€Å"Oh, she's here,† said Marcus, an enigmatic note in his voice. I picked up on the subtext and glanced around. I wasn't the only one who'd brought protection. Sabrina was hidden somewhere in the crowd, watching and waiting. Maybe in an animal costume. I wondered if she'd brought her gun in here. Amelia slid the plate toward us. â€Å"Want some? We've got mozzarella sticks on the way.† I declined. Even with my resolution to eat more, I drew the line at deep fryers. â€Å"Let's talk,† I said. â€Å"You're supposed to tell me about the tattoos and this mysterious task you have for me.† Wade chuckled. â€Å"She gets down to business.† â€Å"That's my girl,† said Marcus. I could almost hear an unspoken That's why we need her for the cause. He waited for our waitress, who was dressed like a cat, to bring the mozzarella sticks and take our drink orders. At least, I think it was a waitress. Gender was a little hard to determine under the mask. â€Å"The tattoo process is simple,† Marcus said, once our privacy was back. â€Å"I told you that the Alchemists are able to put Moroi compulsion in it, right? To limit communication . . . and other things, if needed.† I still didn't know if I bought the idea of mind control in the tattoos, but I let him go on. â€Å"When Moroi help make the blood ink, the earth users put in the compulsion that prevents you from discussing vampires. That earth magic is in harmony with the other three physical elements: air, water, and fire. That harmony gives the tattoo its power. Now, if you can get a hold of charmed ink and have a Moroi undo the earth magic in it, that'll shatter the bond with the other elements and kill any compulsion locked in. Inject that ‘broken' ink into your tattoo, and it breaks the harmony of your elements as well – which in turn breaks any suggestions the Alchemists put in.† Eddie and I stared. â€Å"That's ‘all' I have to do?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"It's easier than you might think,† said Amelia. â€Å"The hard part is . . . well, Marcus added another part to the process. Not technically necessary . . . but helpful.† We'd been here ten minutes, and I was already getting a headache. â€Å"You decided to do some improvisation?† The laughter that elicited from Marcus was just as infectious as before . . . except, once again, the scene didn't really warrant laughing. He paused, like he was waiting for us to join in, and continued when we didn't. â€Å"That's one way of looking at it. But she's right – it's helpful. Before I'll let anyone do it, they have to perform a task. Some task that involves directly going against the Alchemists.† Eddie couldn't hold back anymore. â€Å"What, like an initiation ritual?† â€Å"More than that,† said Marcus. â€Å"I have a theory that doing something like that, something that challenges all the training you've had, will weaken the compulsion a little. Usually it's something that involves infiltration and helps our cause. That weakening makes it easier for the other ink to take effect. It's also a good test. Deactivating the tattoo doesn't mean you're ready to walk away. It doesn't undo years of mental conditioning. I try to find people who think they're ready to rebel, but sometimes, when they're faced with actually taking action, they crack. Better to know sooner rather than later, before we interfere with the tattoo.† I turned toward Amelia and Wade. â€Å"And you've both done this? You did some dare, and then your tattoos were deactivated?† They nodded in unison. â€Å"We just have to seal it with indigo now.† Seeing my confusion, Wade explained, â€Å"Even after breaking the elements in the tattoo, it can still be repaired. Someone could forcibly re-ink and compel you. Tattooing over it with indigo ink makes sure you can never be controlled again.† â€Å"And here I thought yours was just a style choice,† I said to Marcus. He absentmindedly traced the crescent pattern. â€Å"Oh, the design was. But the ink was mandatory. It's a special concoction that's hard to get a hold of, and I have to go down to a guy in Mexico to get it. I'm taking Amelia and Wade there in a couple weeks to seal theirs. You could come too.† I didn't even acknowledge that crazy idea. â€Å"Seems like that blue ink would kind of be a tip-off to the other Alchemists that something's up.† â€Å"Oh, we ran away from the Alchemists,† said Amelia. â€Å"We're not part of them anymore.† Once again, Eddie jumped in. â€Å"But you were just talking about infiltration. Why not keep doing other covert tasks once you've broken the elements? Especially if it frees you? Your tattoos look the same as Sydney's right now. If you really think there's something suspicious going on, then work from the inside and hold off on sealing with the indigo ink.† â€Å"Too risky,† said Marcus. â€Å"You could slip up and say something that the tattoo wouldn't have let you before. Or, if you're not cautious, they might catch you going off to meet with others. Then you've got a date with re-education – where they could repair the tattoo.† â€Å"Seems like it'd be worth the risk for more information,† I said. â€Å"If you're careful enough.† Marcus shook his head, no longer flippant. â€Å"I've known others who tried that. They thought no one was on to them. They were wrong. We don't make that mistake anymore.† He touched his tattoo again. â€Å"This is the way we do it now. Complete your mission, break the tattoo, leave the Alchemists, and get sealed. Then we work from the outside. Also saves us from getting caught up in all the Alchemist routine and menial tasks.† â€Å"So there are others?† I asked, picking up on what he'd said. â€Å"Of course.† That amusement returned. â€Å"You didn't think it was just the three of us, did you?† I honestly hadn't known. â€Å"So this is what you're offering me. A fairy tale about my tattoo, if I just complete some traitorous mission for you.† â€Å"I'm offering you freedom,† Marcus corrected. â€Å"And the ability to help Moroi and dhampirs in a way that's not part of some larger conspiracy. You can do it on your own terms.† Eddie and I exchanged glances. â€Å"And speaking of conspiracy,† I said. â€Å"I'm guessing this is the part where you tell me about the alleged Alchemist and Warrior connection – the one you need me to prove.† My sarcasm was lost on the threesome because they all grew excited. â€Å"Exactly,† said Marcus. â€Å"Tell her, Wade.† Wade finished off a chicken finger covered in ranch dressing and then leaned toward us. â€Å"Just before I joined Marcus, I was assigned to the St. Louis facility. I worked in operations, handling a lot of visitor access, giving tours . . . not the most interesting work.† I nodded. This, at least, was familiar territory. Being in the Alchemists meant taking on all sorts of roles. Sometimes you destroyed Strigoi bodies. Sometimes you made coffee for visiting officials. It was all part of the greater cause. â€Å"I saw a lot of things. I mean, you can probably guess.† He looked troubled. â€Å"The harsh attitudes. The rigid rules. Moroi visited, you know. I liked them. I was glad we were helping them, even though everyone around me acted as though helping such ‘evil' creatures was a terrible fate that we'd been forced into. I accepted this because, you know, I figured what we're told is true. Anyway, there was one week . . . I swear, it was just nonstop Strigoi attacks all over the country. Just one of those things. The guardians took out most of them, and field Alchemists were pretty busy covering up. Even though most of it was taken care of, I just kept wondering about why we were always dealing with the aftermath when we have so many resources. I mean, I didn't think we should start going after Strigoi, but it just seemed like there should be a way to help the Moroi and guardians be more proactive. So . . . I mentioned it to my supervisor.† Marcus and Amelia wore deadly earnest expressions, and even I was hooked. â€Å"What happened?† I asked softly. Wade's gaze looked off into the past. â€Å"I was chastised pretty bad. Over and over, all my superiors kept telling me how wrong it was for me to even think things like that about the Moroi, let alone talk about them. They didn't send me to re-education, but they suspended me for two weeks, and each day, I had to listen to lectures about what a terrible person I was and how I was on the verge of corruption. By the end, I believed them . . . until I met Marcus. He made me realize I didn't have to be in that life anymore.† â€Å"So you left,† I said, suddenly feeling a little more kindly toward Marcus. â€Å"Yes. But not before completing the mission Marcus gave me. I got a hold of the classified visitor list.† That surprised me. The Alchemists were always hip deep in secrets. While most of our goings-on were recorded diligently, there were some things that our elite leaders didn't want the rest of the society to know about. Again, all for the greater good. The classified list would detail people allowed access – that the higher-ups wanted kept secret. It wasn't something the average Alchemist could see. â€Å"You're young,† I said. â€Å"You wouldn't be allowed access to something like that.† Wade snorted. â€Å"Of course not. That's what made the task so difficult. Marcus doesn't have us do easy assignments. I had to do a lot of dangerous things – things that made me glad to escape afterward. The list showed us the link to the Warriors.† â€Å"Did it say ‘Top Secret Vampire Hunter Meeting'?† asked Eddie. Things like that, aside from his deadly protective skills, were why I liked having him along. Wade flushed at the jibe. â€Å"No. It was all coded, kind of. It didn't list full names, just initials. Even I couldn't get the actual names. But one of the entries? Z. J.† Marcus and his Merry Men all looked at me expectantly, as though that were supposed to mean something to me. I glanced at Eddie again, but he was just as baffled. â€Å"What's that stand for?† I asked. â€Å"Zebulon Jameson,† said Marcus. Once again, there was an expectation. When I didn't answer, Marcus turned disbelieving. â€Å"You were there with the Warriors. Don't you remember him? Master Jameson?† I did, actually. He was one of the Warriors' high officials, an intimidating man with a salt-and-pepper beard who'd worn old-fashioned golden ceremonial robes. â€Å"I never caught his first name,† I said. â€Å"But isn't it kind of a leap to assume that's who Z. J. was? Maybe it was, I don't know, Zachary Johnson.† â€Å"Or Zeke Jones,† supplied Eddie. The cat came by with a refill for Marcus's lemonade, and I soon had proof that it was a woman. â€Å"Thanks, love,† Marcus said, giving her a smile that nearly made her swoon and drop the tray. When he turned back to us, he was all business. â€Å"That's where Sabrina comes in. Not long before Wade got the list, she overheard Master Jameson talking to one of his cronies about an upcoming trip to St. Louis and how he was going to find out about leads on some missing girl. The timing lines up.† â€Å"It's an awfully big coincidence,† I said. Yet even as I spoke, I was reminded of something Sonya Karp always said about the world of Moroi and Alchemists: There are no coincidences. â€Å"What missing girl were they talking about?† asked Eddie carefully. I met his eyes and immediately understood what he wasn't saying. A missing girl that the Warriors were interested in. There was one missing girl that the Moroi were very, very interested in as well. And whom the Alchemists were determined to keep safe. She was the reason I was stationed in Palm Springs in the first place. In fact, I was pretending to be her sister. Jill. I said nothing and focused on Marcus again. He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know, just that finding her would create a lot of problems for the Moroi. The details aren't important yet. First we have to prove the connection.† Those details were immensely important to Eddie and me, but I wasn't sure how much Marcus and friends knew about Jill. I wasn't about to show too much interest. â€Å"And that's what you want me to do?† I asked, recalling the arcade discussion. â€Å"How would you like me to do that? Go visit Master Jameson and ask him?† â€Å"Every visitor is recorded on video if they're going through the secure access point,† said Wade. â€Å"Even the top secret ones. All you have to do is steal a copy of that footage. They store it all in their computers.† These people had a very different idea than me of what â€Å"all you have to do† meant. â€Å"I'm a field Alchemist in Palm Springs,† I reminded them. â€Å"I'm not a computer hacker. I'm not even in St. Louis! How would I walk in and steal something?† Marcus tilted his head to study me, allowing some of that golden hair to slip forward. â€Å"It's more of that resourceful vibe I get off you. Couldn't you find some way to get to St. Louis? Some reason to visit?† â€Å"No! I'd have no . . .† I trailed off, flashing back to the wedding. Ian, with his lovesick eyes, had invited me to visit him in St. Louis. He'd had the audacity to use church services as a way to further his chances with me. Marcus's eyes sparkled. â€Å"You've already thought of something, haven't you? Brilliant, just like I thought.† Amelia looked mildly put out at hearing me complimented. â€Å"It'd be a long shot,† I said. â€Å"That's kind of how we roll,† said Marcus. I still wasn't on board. â€Å"Look, I know someone there, but I'd have to get permission to even go, which wouldn't be easy.† I stared at each of them in turn. â€Å"You know how it is. You were all in the Alchemists. You know we can't just take vacations whenever we want.† Wade and Amelia actually had the grace to look embarrassed, but Marcus was undaunted. â€Å"Can you let this chance pass? Even if you don't want to join us or alter your tattoo, just think about it. You saw the Warriors. You saw what they're capable of. Can you even imagine what could happen if they had access to Alchemist resources?† â€Å"It's all circumstantial,† argued the scientist in me. â€Å"Sydney,† said Eddie. I turned to him and saw something in his eyes I'd never expected to see: pleading. He didn't care about Alchemist conspiracies or Marcus's Merry Men. What he cared about was Jill, and he'd heard something that made him think she was in danger. That was unacceptable in his world. He would do anything in his power to keep her safe, but even he knew stealing information from the Alchemists was out of his league. It was pretty much out of mine too, but he didn't know that. He believed in me, and he was silently begging me to help. Marcus pushed his advantage. â€Å"You have nothing to lose – I mean, if you aren't caught. If you get the footage and we find nothing . . . well, so be it. False alarm. But if we get hard proof that Jameson was there, then I don't have to tell you how big that is. Either way, you should break your tattoo and join us. Besides, after a stunt like this, would you really want to stick around?† He eyed me. â€Å"But that part's up to you. Just help us for now.† Against my better judgment, my mind was starting to figure out how I could pull this off. â€Å"I'd need a lot more information about operations,† I murmured. â€Å"I can get you that,† said Wade promptly. I didn't answer. This was crazy – a crazy idea from a crazy group. But I looked at Marcus's tattoo and the way the others followed him – the way even Sabrina followed him. There was a dedication, an ardent belief that had nothing to do with Marcus's silly flirting. They might really be on to something. â€Å"Sydney,† said Eddie again. And this time: â€Å"Please.† I could feel my resolve weakening. A missing girl, who could cause lots of trouble if found. If they were really talking about Jill, how could I risk anything happening to her? But what if I was caught? Don't get caught, an inner voice said. With a sigh, I looked back up at Wade. â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Give me the scoop.†

Titration In Industry Essay

How Are Standard Solutions Prepared In Industry The main difference between industrial and teaching institution laboratory preparation of standard solutions is in the processes. In that in the industrial environment, it can happen even without the need of supervision, unlike in the education institutions that mandate presence of laboratory staff. Meaning that the machines in the former setting can be able to read quickly and translate the results from the end point. Unlike in the college environment that most of the analysis is manually concluded which leaves a lot of room for error. Learning settings utilize class B glassware (Volumetric flasks, pipette, among others). While industries use class A glassware that is expensive, but more accurate. Equipments like automatic titrator used by companies can take the samples weight from a balance carry-out precise titration and save the solution to a PC or highlight the solution that removes data interference and errors. How are Titrations Carried Out in Industry Laboratories in learning institutions instead of using a burette weigh the liquids this in itself presents some challenges when preparing every day stand solutions especially those that need a standardizing against a primary standard. In addition, students in college laboratories are not permitted to make standard solutions that are highly concentrated, for example, sodium thiosphate, or hysrochloric acid, so they get them to make a very dilute mixture (Verner & Revzin, 2008). Lastly, in the college setting it is often recommended that in the preparation of the element mixtures, it is advisable to avoid the formation of precipitates. It is, therefore, imperative to add the water and most of the acids to the solution containers before introducing the individual aliquots elements concentrations. Difference between titration done in industry and college Different manufacturers use titration for quality control. In the learning institutions, the titration being done is manual, while industries mostly automate the processes. In that it is programmed to measure (volume or weight) quality of the sample and the instrument performs the rest. Instruments like the Karl Fischer auto titrator can be implemented to measure the content of water in a given sample. The method is quite reproductive and accurate, and it needs very little maintenance. How Are Standard Solutions And Titrations Prepared in Industry Titrations performed in colleges are done manually by using burets. The only significant variation is that carrying out a large number of fundamentally similar routine titration analyses in the laboratory the routine is, simplified and automated. Mainly in relation to the aspect of calculations where the volume of titration is in-put into an Excel spreadsheet, and the results immediately return. In addition after each titration the burette is automatically zeroed and refilled. The size of the sample through an automated pipette system can dispense. It’s mostly a question of error elimination and time saving (Harvey, 2000). Lastly, another significant difference between the two lies in the fact that titrations in colleges are done by students who study Chemistry, and they get graded by experts in the subject or field. Concurrently, titrations in the industries are often performed by technicians in QC laboratories. The technicians do not necessarily have to have formal chemical backgrounds. References Harvey, D. (2000).  Modern analytical chemistry  (pp. 135-178). New York: McGraw-Hill. Verner, I. M., & Revzin, L. B. (2008). Towards Automation of Manual Operations in a High School Chemistry Laboratory. In  ASME 2008 9th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis  (pp. 569-572). American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Toxicology and terrorism (the threat of chemical wepons and there Essay

Toxicology and terrorism (the threat of chemical wepons and there effects) - Essay Example This essay will therefore, explore the health impacts of the September 11 attack on the US in relation to toxic exposure. Dust that resulted from the collapse of the two buildings was heavily toxic according to experts. After the collapse of the two buildings, hundreds of tons of debris were introduced into the atmosphere through dust and smoke. Of the toxic substances resulting from the site, more than 50% consisted of non-fibrous material, 40% consisted of glass fibers that are known to be highly toxic. In addition, large quantities of heavy metals such as mercury and lead were also produced from the site of explosion. The toxic dust emanating from the site also contained high asbestos, polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbons and cadmium. All the toxic materials produced from the site have diverse and long-lasting health effects on the victims. Majority of the people affected by the toxic materials are the rescue workers and security personnel who stayed around the explosion site for a long time. The toxic substances also affected people who were rescued from the site after being trapped in the rabbles for long time. Toxic materials such as crystalline silica, asbestos, and lead are believed to cause cancer due to their carcinogenic effects. Some of these materials can also cause terminal illness such as heart disease and kidney failure (Timbrell, 2002). Studies carried out on rescue and recovery officers at ground zero indicate a strong correlation between their level of exposure to the toxic debris and their health. Of all rescue officers who in action at ground zero, 75 have been diagnosed with different types of cancer including blood cancer. Respiratory diseases are also common among people who were exposed to t oxic debris (Gupta, 2009). Following these attacks, and the knowledge I have acquired from studying toxicology, I feel adequately prepared to manage toxicological threats. The September 11

International law in the contemporary world arena Essay

International law in the contemporary world arena - Essay Example t the international level, and traditionally this era is viewed as one in which the League lacked any formal means to enforce decisions related to violations of international law outside of the voluntary agreement of sovereign nations themselves. The League of Nations had a â€Å"Permanent Court of Justice† for judicial hearings of matters related to international law that functioned in a similar manner to the International Court of Justice of the UN. â€Å"The establishment of the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), the predecessor of the International Court of Justice, was provided for in the Covenant of the League of Nations. It held its inaugural sitting in 1922 and was dissolved in 1946. The work of the PCIJ, the first permanent international tribunal with general jurisdiction, made possible the clarification of a number of aspects of international law, and contributed to its development. Between 1922 and 1940 the PCIJ dealt with 29 contentious cases between States, and delivered 27 advisory opinions.†3 In both the instances of the PCIJ and the ICJ, the constructed nature of international law is evident, as both courts operate with authority and jurisdiction established through the charters of the associated international organizations, the League of Nations and the United Nations. Thus, in joining the larger, international organization, the States themselves agree to the terms and the limitation of sovereignty inherent in the organizations, as well as being bound by the international courts and their enforcement process. However, these organizations must coexist with the a priori of both customary international law and the sovereignty of the nation state domestically, and the traditions may occasionally conflict on matters of interpretation. As Article 38 of the ICJ Statute states: 1. â€Å"The Court, whose function is to decide in accordance with international law such disputes as are submitted to it, shall apply: a. internati onal conventions, whether general or particular, establishing rules expressly recognized by the contesting states; b. international custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law; c. the general principles of law recognized by civilized nations; d. subject to the provisions of Article 59, judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law. 2. This provision shall not prejudice the power of the Court to decide a case ex aequo et bono, if the parties agree thereto.†4 Within this framework, the charters of the UN and League of Nations can both be classified as â€Å"international conventions† under Article 38:1a of the agreement and customary international law. Customary International Law (CIL), as evidenced by â€Å"

Sea level rise in the Mediterranean Sea and Mallorca Island Essay

Sea level rise in the Mediterranean Sea and Mallorca Island - Essay Example The answers to these questions can be given in a twofold criteria and include the change in the estuarine geodatum caused as a result of the flow of melt water from the glaciated lands across the globe into the sea. Consequently, thermal expansion of the upper layers of the sea water caused by the decrease in water density due to its warming leading to the rise in the sea levels (Szabados, 2002). The occurrences of these situations within the earth’s geographical landscape usually lead to varied rise in the sea levels in some areas and a fall in certain areas. Another cause for the changes in the level of the seawater is the rising or uplifting of the lands close to the sea. This often causes the decline in sea levels in some regions though to a limited extent. Sea level rise is of recent times has resulted in very great concern to the global community as environmental conservation issues is a global phenomenon and is of global concern. According to the statistics taken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) using the satellite images, the global sea levels have been rising tenderly at an average rate of about 3mm per year from 1993 to 2007 (IPCC, 2007). This report highlights the various effects of the continued rise in sea level within the global context. This report will also look at the changes in the sea level in the Mallorca and the Mediterranean regions of the world, their causes and consequences on the adjacent lands as well as the extent of the influences on the coastal communities around the mentioned areas. Mallorca is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain that has been characterized by a number of notable cases of sea level change. Studies by Jeffrey Dorale shows that the sea level was about one meter above the levels that reached 81000 years ago indicating a positive deviation in the in the level of the sea waters. The rise in the levels as he argues is brought about by the rapid melting of ice aroun d the globe. The ice water consequently finds its way into the sea thereby raising the water levels by about one meter for every fifty years (Jieffrey, 2010). The observable results of this rise in the levels of the Mediterranean Sea are seen as a spillover effect in the communities surrounding the sea. Most of the communities that were once living closer to the sea have retreated by about sixty miles away from the coastline as much of the land has been submerged under the seawaters. Moreover, Barnetti (2005) argues that the formally dry lands adjacent to the Mediterranean regions have now been covered under water thereby continuously diminishing the amount of cultivatable lands in these regions and the consequent migration of people out of these areas (Barnetti, 2005). Geography has evolved as a more organized subject of study that uses different methodological approaches in understanding various observed geographical phenomena. On one hand, physical geography adopts a scientific a nd rational approach while on the other hand human geography relies heavily on descriptive techniques in examining the relationship between complex human factors and their influence on geographical environment. The scientific approach has been adopted widely in the study of physical geography based on observation, precise scientific experience and sound precision and measurements of the geographical phenomena. As such, the Mediterranean region has been experiencing constant shifts in its climatic characteristics contributed mostly by the wide variation in the

Individual assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual assignment - Essay Example In the next section, these two articles will be discussed briefly and after that, implication of the content of these two articles will be analyzed. Question 1 Article 1: Failure on gas could hit GDP by $14bn Tasker (2013) reported that Australian government is developing new gas supplies in New South Wales (NSW) but failure of this development would not only affect the wholesale price index of market in the country but also cause reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by more than $14 billion in next 22 years. Although, Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) states that the country has significant amount of scope to develop its gas and petroleum reserve in the east coast but there is argument that development of coal-seam gas would negatively affect the economic growth of the country. Tasker (2013) reported that at present, NSW imports gas from other states and developing gas would definitely reduce gas price in the state. There are three pertinent is sues in this case such as 1- developing CSG assets in NSW would increase resource capability of Australian government and that would decrease wholesale price index and volatility of economy in the country (Tasker, 2013). Developing gas reserves in NSW would help the Australian government to create jobs in the area between Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. 2- Developing CSG assets in NSW would be matter of great interest for local oil companies in Australia. As of now, 95% of gas resources are being imported by NSW and local companies need to pay heavy amount of tax to use the imports but development of gas resources in NSW would probably increase resource availability of local Australian oil companies and due to availability of gas, gas export driven revenue for local oil companies would shot up (Tasker, 2013). 3- Developing gas sector would probably increase national competitiveness of Australia and provide opportunity to multinational oil companies to enter the gas market in NSW. However, developing gas and oil sector in NSW could decrease command of international companies over Australian companies regarding the supply of gas and crude oil. It’s expected that Australian companies would go for low cost local gas supply rather than importing it from International players and such change in supply-demand equation would decrease bargaining power of international oil companies (Tasker, 2013). Article 2: Australian businesses must grab Indonesian opportunity Durie (2013) reported that Australian government is trying to increase business transactions with Indonesia and it is quite evident from the visit of Australian Prime Minister to Indonesia in order to strengthen the business, economic and political tie-ups. At present, Indonesia is the fourth largest country in terms of population in the world and the country can be the potential doorstep for Australian companies to enter business environment ASEAN countries. Australian government is also taking help o f the leading companies such as Leighton, ANZ and Coca Cola to decide the business and trade policies that could increase ease of doing business in Indonesia. Three implications of this article can be briefed in the following manner. 1- Australian government is trying to boost up its economy and GDP growth by increasing trade transactions with Indonesia (having GDP growth over 6%) and also trying to achieve the first mover advantage for

Evidence Based Practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evidence Based Practice - Research Paper Example 167-168) state, Privacy can be seen as an individual’s freedom and having private space to be by oneself, being protected against physical and psychological intrusion, having the opportunity to achieve emotional release, ensuring that certain personal information is protected from others, and controlling how personal information is handled† and â€Å"Altman defines privacy as ‘the selective control of access to the self’ and Westin10 as freedom of choice. These are important notions in the context of the research discussion as they provide an overarching framework within to examine the nature of privacy in the emergency setting. The research goes on the articulate the core notions of privacy as consisting of autonomy and confidentiality. With the implementation of computer technology the research notes that there is increasing concern with patient privacy. As a result, the study examined privacy issues within this context. The research analyzed patient sati sfaction with current medical privacy levels. The study was a descriptive analytical approach that involved 360 patients within three emergency departments. The study measured three areas of privacy: physical, informational, and psychosocial. The study results demonstrated that over half (50.6%) of the respondents believed that their privacy was either weak or average. Conversely, 49.4% indicated that their privacy was ‘fairly good’ or ‘good’. There were also demographic factors that correlated to some of the privacy statistics. Finally, the study demonstrated a strong correlation between perceived privacy and satisfaction. Shepherd, Ho, Shepherd, and Sivarajasin (2004) further considered patient privacy questions through the investigation of confidential registration in health services.... The research discussion revealed a number of pertinent information that can be applied to the investigation of HIPAA violations. In terms of HIPAA privacy violations, Nayeri and Aghajani established medical notions of privacy as being highly important to the functional medical environment. Their study measured three areas of privacy: physical, informational, and psychosocial. The results demonstrated that over half of the respondents believed that their privacy was either weak or average – a statistically significant figure. While this study established patient concern and desire for privacy, Shepherd, Ho, Shepherd, and Sivarajasin examined the issue in more specificity considering its implementation in confidential registration of health services. This study implemented control and intervention patients as a means of statistically determining patient perspectives on medical privacy when speaking to a receptionist. The results proved significant in that many patients in the co ntrol group expressed a desire for increased privacy. The applicability of these results are such that allowing increased privacy levels could have a corresponding benefit for patient confidence and satisfaction; notably this is a theme that was also echoed in the research by Nayeri and Aghajani.

Measuring Productivity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Measuring Productivity - Research Paper Example As Lippi, Mattiuzzi and Plebani (2015) said, some of the factors that should be considered when establishing the primary productivity measure for the microbiology unit encompasses the duration of time spent by the staffs on hands on activities: that is, for a centrifuging operation, the most important productivity measure is usually the duration of time taken by a technologist to load and remove the centrifuge, not the spinning time. Other time productivity measurements which are equally important to the process include: time of day, the technologist to patient or sample ratio, and the amount of time spent on preparing laboratory machines or conducting their routine maintenance (Langabeer, 2008). One productivity measure for this unit is: spending an average of 5 minutes on setting up the machines for use and conducting routine maintenance; 4 minutes for preparing each specimen for centrifuging; and displaying the deliverables on soft-copy and hard copies. This productivity measure will optimize the primary microbiology activities by limiting potential time wastage on setting up the machine, placing the specimen for examination or relaying the results to physicians to facilitate interventions (Yakusheva, Lindrooth, & Weiss, 2014). However, the productivity measure can create the unintended consequence of impeding quality deliverables, which would otherwise be achieved if the technologists spent slightly longer time to conduct the

What factors affect the rate of transport of molecules across cell Essay

What factors affect the rate of transport of molecules across cell membrane - Essay Example Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high to low concentration. It allows transportation of substances into and out of the cell (Wright 2000, p 12). Active transport is the movement of substances against a concentration gradient. It requires energy because it takes place against a concentration gradient. It explains why mitochondria are usually present when active transport takes place (Wright 2000, p 12). Osmosis is a special type of diffusion that takes place in solutions only (Wright 2000, p.12). Phagocytosis the process through which some cells such as the white blood cells take in substances (Wright 2000, p 12). The cell membrane is described as semi permeable or selectively permeable because it lets some substances to pass through but not all (Wright 2000, p 12). Four major factors determine the rate at which molecules pass through a cell membrane (Kent 1998, p3).The first one is the size of the molecule (Kent 1998, p. 3). Large sized molecules cannot enter or leave the cell. An example of a large molecule is proteins that are too large to squeeze through the molecules that make up the cell membrane. The smaller the size of the molecule the faster it will pass through (Lippincott 2002, p 11). The epithelial cells that cover the villus have carriers that absorb specific nutrients (Sherwood 2012, p. 467). The second factor is the solubility of the molecule in fats or lipids. As seen in Fig 2, the cell membrane is made up of thin layers of phospholipids. The molecules that can dissolve in them will be able to pass quickly. A good example is the fast absorption of ethanol by the stomach and intestinal walls (Kent 1998, p38).When the cell membrane contains more unsaturated fatty acids, it makes it fluid like. This increases the rate of active transport. The third factor is the electrical charge of ions and molecules (Kent 1998, p.38). The cell membrane through which the substances are expected to pass

Operations Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations Strategy - Essay Example For instance, it is not only enough to focus the whole energy of an organization on production activities, but considering that there are existing processes in the business world as it continuously evolves, other aspects need to be substantially focused and even strategic actions have to be implemented. History The existence of business itself paves way to the formulation of operations strategy. Businesses ended up to the creation of business strategies. These led to the formulation of effective operations strategies (Waters, 1999). Businesses have to function efficiently and this is the reason why strategies are necessary to be integrated with the whole business operation. In fact, this is evident on how the United States’ business evolved over time. The evolution of business policy and management started between 1930 and 1960 as highly influenced by American dominance in the global market (Amatori & Jones, 2003). It is during this period that business was considered as an is olated American subdiscipline. During this time, the United States has become one of the leading countries that introduced business sophistication into the world. This resulted to significant innovation and major changes how the business including its operations was conducted. Throughout history, businesses evolved and primarily this is sped up by the onset of globalization in the modern business world. In globalization, there is increasing interdependence between national systems through different aspects including trade, military alliance, domination and cultural imperialism (Waters, 2001). It is not surprising therefore that the business world has significant changes over time due to the fact that interdependence between nations existed. This includes maximization of resources and operation. This is the very reason why business has become international and has turned into a good opportunity for international organizations to maximize their operations and resources. As the effect, each organization that tries to compete with each other is trying to create competitive strategies for their competitive advantage (Porter, 1990). For instance, marketing strategies existed and companies are after of stimulating needs not just relying purely on production oriented operation approach (Boone & Kurtz, 2006; Kotler et al., 1999). In short, the need for operations strategy is necessary in order to compete. The need for innovation is not just on producing new service or product offerings, but there is substantial consideration on business operation approach in which strategies are become its integral parts in the process. In other words, as business itself evolved, its corresponding operation which has been an integral part in its existence has also become so involved with business strategic formulation. This is in line with the creation of competitive advantage due to spiraling growth of competition everywhere most especially that the world has become so compressed when it comes to interdependence in trade. Thus, every organization is expected to formulate their very own operation strategies in order to sustain their ventures and even maximize their full advantage in their respective industries. Relevance It is important to understand that the relevance of operations strategy at present can be traced back to how business has substantially evolved. Operations element of a business

Case Study Analysis on an Organisation Essay Example for Free

Case Study Analysis on an Organisation Essay Organisational change is something that occurs throughout an organisation’s life cycle and effects the entire organisation rather than one part of it. Employing a new person is one example. Change is increasing due to a number of forces including globalisation led by rapidly advancing technologies, cultural diversity, environmental resources and the economy; therefore the ability to recognise the need for change as well as implement change strategies effectively, in a proactive response to internal and external pressures is essential to organisational performance. Internal changes can include organisational structure, process and HR requirements and external changes involve government legislation, competitor movements and customer demand (Wood et al, 2010). Change does not need to be a painful process, as it may seem when observing the amount of failed change management initiatives with reports as low as 10% of researched success rates (Oakland Tanner, 2007), when successful change management strategies are utilised and planned, including effective communication strategies, operational alignment, readiness to change and implementation, which all lower and overcome resistance (Wood et al, 2010). There is a great amount of literature on the negative aspects and difficult management with employees resisting change, however Wood et al (2010) challenge this notion by questioning the change management process as people do not resist change itself but aspects of the change that affects them personally such as fear of the unknown, status, remuneration and comfort. Resistance to these changes is a healthy reaction and can be managed effectively in the beginning by ensuring communication and using one of the change initiatives described here. Background Information Truelocal is based in Sydney, with small sales branches in Brisbane and Melbourne. It employs over 150 staff, an increase of approximately 50% over the past two years. It was founded in 2005 by NDM as part of an expanding operation of online websites to provide across the board consumer services, including news and magazine websites; online sport and weather information; and shopping comparison search engine, web-based recruitment, and travel search engine solutions [http://www. ewsdigitalmedia. com. au, accessed 25/08/2010]. As the world shifted into what is often referred to as the ‘digital info age’, consumer demand for online media as a way to source information significantly increased and demand for printed media decreased putting pressure on newspaper companies to expand to producing news and information online in digital format. This included News Corporation which decreased its newspaper operations and increased its digital expansion. As an employee at Truelocal for over six years, I have acquired this information presented here through interviews with management, company information and my own observations internally within the organisation’s sales department working in the roles of sales executive, account manager and senior retention account manager. The Need for Change – Management Structure Truelocal needed to align its culture, values and structure with the parent company in order to meet strategic growth goals not long after it was founded. Wood et al (2010) describe the work of an author, Noel Tichey on managing strategic change. Experts use three fundamental sets of change in their approach; technical design, political allocation and culture/ideological mix problems. It is one of these problems that become a pressing issue at any one time of which then initiates the change. In Truelocal’s case there were a number of changes evolving and at this time it was culture problems. NDM has been growing in size since its establishment in 2006 with a number of acquired website operations, each operating as a separate business unit with the support of HR, Finance, IT, Commercial Operations and other support services provided by the parent company (NDM). A decision was made to align the organisation in terms of operations, culture and strategy so it could concentrate on innovation and performance to achieve its goal of becoming the number one provider of online information in Australia. As a result NDM redesigned its organisational structure as Truelocal and most of the other business units merged together in one location. Not long after this relocation, Truelocal began flattening out the company structure lead by a new management team and CEO. It has since been under constant change to achieve it’s goal to continue growth (both in number of staff and performance) and excel as a high performing and innovative company with an agenda of being the second largest online directory service in Australia after it’s competitor Sensis (Yellow pages online). Wood et al (2010) explain the performance gap is a desire to move from one less desired state to another. This can be seen by the increased performance after the change occurred and culture change was implemented. What changed Fundamental changes that occurred were a shift from the existing vertical, bureaucratic structure to a horizontal structure and change in specialist functioning of divisions creating a professional, corporate environmental culture that was customer focused. The existing culture was a casual attitude towards dress requirements, starting and finishing times, breaks, informal communication expression and channels and many staff were employed as friends of existing staff rather than based on competency and job skills. Some managers had their partners working for them and a few were family members. There didn’t appear to be any dress code and people came and left work at varying times. Additionally management employed more skilled staff, retrained existing staff and created processes of which procedures were then put in place. One of the ways these objectives were achieved was by the reduction of management layers resulting in more direct reporting. Wood et al (2010) explain as organisational size increases, the more interconnections and less direct communication between people takes place (Wood et al, 2010). Change Process When management at Truelocal uplifted existing management and reporting structures, staffs were initially left without direction, reporting channels, processes and goals were not clearly communicated causing a lot of uncertainty. Consequently many staff resigned as they felt upset and confused about what was happening. Truelocal however, retained some of the more experienced staff with new career development propositions and new managers were encouraging and open about future improvements that were to take place within the organisation. One of the ways Truelocal could have managed this change is by using the Freeze/Unfreeze concept; Wood et al (2010) explains Kurt Lewin, a famous organisational Psychologist’s three-force phase, which is needed for any organisation to be motivated to bring about the change of which are; 1) Unfreezing focuses on preparing people for change. This is a critical part of the change phase prior to implementation by analysing and influencing resistance and need to change. A common tool that is used at this stage is called Force Field Analysis, this measures these forces. ) Changing of people; tasks; structure; technology. Ideally the organisation will be completely unfrozen, ready for change and its goals made clear. It is recommended that staff are not perceived to have a sense of high or low security at this stage in order to avoid resistance. 3) Refreezing is the evaluation and reinforcement of the changes that took place. The new managers were recruited by Truelocal for their exp erience in organisational transformation within the type of professional, high performing, corporate environment the organisation desired and who worked at their competitor company. These managers were expected to manage the entire change process themselves. Change agents are people or groups who take responsibility for the change of behaviours and existing patterns in a supportive manner (Wood et al, 2010). The perceived risks however, are the responsibility of the organisation’s leader who decides on the direction of the change (Oakland Tanner, 2007). Planned changes that took place were; Structure – change in organisational design by reporting systems, operational processes and size of teams, while roles were redefined by definition, job title and remuneration. Tasks – Most jobs were redesigned including more responsibility for staff in management roles and multi functional tasks for other staff. One of these job designs is called job enrichment, which is the increase and deepening of motivating factors built into a job (Wood et al, 2010). Some of these enrichments used by new management were increased responsibility and accountability, less control and more freedom in the job and more recognition. People – improvement of recruitment and selection process by advertising formal job vacancies on the organization’s intranet and incentives for staff to nominate candidates who were then formally interviewed by a number of managers. Additionally training sessions for new staff, coaching and certification courses were made available. Carless (2005) describes her research on the compatibility of job-person-organisation-environment fit. She believes a person must assess their attributes and personality with the job and organisational characteristics, which is likely to improve job satisfaction and adjustment to the environment. Culture – organisational values and beliefs were communicated from the parent company of which staff was rewarded when their behaviour displayed these values. Recognition was given in addition at meetings and performance appraisals. This is the observable culture, however as Wood et al (2010) explain, shared meanings and stories are other powerful aspects of culture and this can be observed at Truelocal by the high turnover of staff by both stories and norms that communicate the need to work hard to perform in the job or leave. Cultural symbols include trophies for ‘employee of the month’ awarded to the highest performer. These symbols serve to transmit cultural meaning (Wood et al, 2010). In the sales department a large subculture can be observed. Wood et al (2010) explain strong subcultures are often found in high performance task forces where people share similar values and backgrounds. This subculture included men between the ages of 22-30 yrs that have no formal education, drink alcohol excessively, and are passionate about technology, highly materialistic and view women as sex objects, which can often be observed by their language and behaviour. Moreover this culture is likely to be influenced by the national culture of which the organisation is embedded (Wood et al, 2010). In fact this subculture existed in the old culture before the restructure of which the company held ‘diversity training’ focused on discrimination and fairness within the workplace resulting in terminations. According to The Economist (2008), in the economic downturn companies need ‘Generation Y’ as hungry 25-35 year olds without commitment, for marketing and product innovation with emerging technologies, able to put in the time and energy to help them deal with recession hazards, especially in sales. Strategy – operations and planning were clarified at monthly and quarterly meetings including product changes. These were addressed by department managers regularly and CEO meetings irregularly, to engage staff. Wood et al (2010) explain leadership has changed from the traditional trait and behaviour approaches to transformational, charismatic, visionary focus and is separate from management. The leadership team at Truelocal formally includes the CEO and parent company (NDM) leaders. Their leadership function can be observed by their language and behaviours they use a transformational and visionary change approach. Objectives – specific performance targets were set allowing staff to earn a higher commission by overachieving set targets, recognition and prizes to increase motivation consistently. Purpose – both the CEO and the parent company made organisational goals clearly communicated vision and clarified progress regularly. Recognition was given for the contribution of each department and each business unit to the overall success of the organisation. These changes were managed by senior staff using a combination of change strategy approaches as explained by Wood et al (2010) that include a forced approach of top down command, one way communication, coercive reward and punishment approach, rationalisation approach and shared decision making, empowered approach. Of these approaches no single approach was concluded best by researchers on organisational change and it is advised that more commonly a combination will occur, however guidelines are offered to change agents and managers (Wood et al, 2010); consider use of expert consultants communicate the need for change feedback from employees avoid changing for the sake of change study organisational change and structures From this perspective Truelocal management took the right approach by varying the way they managed the change. Change Results The facilitation of clearer and faster communication channels enabled staff to work more efficiently and get things done faster, along wit h improved technology. Further benefits of this structure were people collaborating in teams, using initiative and increased spontaneous communication while rules, procedures and close supervision were reduced as described in (Tushman, Anderson O’Reilly, 1997). Wood et al (2010) describe the matrix structure is common in large organisations wanting to improve customer responsiveness. Truelocal’s reporting structure utilised this organisational design as part of the change, for example the finance manager reports to the CEO of Truelocal and to the Commercial Director of NDM, however Wood et al (2010) note each organisation’s structure is unique and there is no single observed design. This change is described by Wood et al (2010) as radical. Radical changes are fundamental reorientations and transformational, often initiated by the arrival of a new CEO. Culture Performance Change Since the change occurred, Truelocal’s sales department recorded a growth rate of 15% per full time employee (FTE). Some strategies used were; Performance appraisal review (PAR) – staff are asked to grade themselves on their performance and their use of company values of which are discussed by their managers. For example one of the values is ‘Impact’ and an employee is asked how much impact they contributed to the organisation since the last performance review and they are required to give examples of this behaviour. These PARs are held quarterly and annually. Reward and remuneration – staff are given targets according to their job level and experience with incentives to over achieve. These targets are called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The person’s job is broken into task components of which each component consists of a target behaviour that is rewarded. Remuneration is based on the overall percentage of KP I achievement. Recognition – employee of the month award was created by encouraging staff to use an online submission for their preferred co-worker who had gone over and above their job requirement displaying one of the company values. In addition the company awards the sales department with the person with the highest dollar value in sales and yearly a larger reward of which one year was a new car. Similarly a newsletter recognises new sales people who achieve early in their job. All of these reinforcements are called extrinsic which are rewards given to someone by another person’s valued outcome and because they are environmentally impactful are valued in influencing behaviour through the law of effect (Wood et al, 2010). Cultural change can take years according to Wood et al (2010); however effective cultural change strategies can be used to shorten the timeframe. One of which is explained by Oakland Tanner (2007), it is important to align the culture to support the desired change in behaviour. For example Truelocal needed a professional, customer focused culture which required staff to develop professional skills and behaviour. The result was all departments undertook a full training programme designed to increase awareness in communication, with a focus on questioning and empathy. Conclusion Truelocal is a young company and part of the larger and still relatively new parent organisation, NDM, operating under the global News Corporation. The industry it operates in, digital media is one of the fastest growing and changing environments globally. It changed from a structure and culture of casual, unprofessional work practices managed within a more bureaucratic structure that was under performing to a transformational, high performing, innovative and professional culture that is customer focused. Truelocal achieved its goal of growth, productivity and change in culture, however many staff were lost in the process and not much planning appeared to be in place. It is unclear as to the lack of planning, communication or use of external consultant in the case of radical change that occurred. One assumption might be due to budgetary restrictions as the company has been running at a loss since it started, reporting a loss this year of over one hundred million. Apart from the successful change management strategies that were used by the change agents, in particular the motivational strategies used by nominated change managers, numerous other approaches were identified that may benefit the organisation for managing future changes more effectively. Reference List Carless, S. A. (2005). Person-job fit versus person-organisation fit as predictors of organisational attraction and job acceptance intentions: a longitudinal study. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology. 78 (3), 411-429. Generation Y goes to work (2008, December 30). The Economist (US). Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/business/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12863573 Oakland, J. S. , Tanner, S. (2007). Successful change management. Total Quality Management, 18 (1-2), 1-19. Tushman, M. L. , Anderson, P. C. O’Reilly, C. (1997). Technology cycles, innovation streams and ambidextrous organisations: organisaiton renewal through innovation streams and strategic change. Managing strategic innovation and change. Oxford University Press, NY. 2-23. Wood, J, Zeffane, R. , Fromholtz M. , Wiesner R. , Creed A. , Schermerhorn J. , Hunt J. , Osborn R. , (2010). Organisational Behaviour, Core concepts applications. 2nd Ed. John Wiley Sons, Australia, Ltd. Milton Qld.

The Conclusion Recommendations Construction Essay

The Conclusion Recommendations Construction Essay From the unstructured interview it appears that Anthony is somewhat frustrated with the lack of support for timber frame housing. Anthony has successfully constructed two five-storey apartment blocks of timber frame without any problems, yet the public are concerned about two storey timber structures. More needs to be done to market the benefits of timber frame housing and to educate the public. Although Anthony suggests that timber frame construction will become more popular in the future due to new building regulations requiring increased thermal performance and the Code for Sustainable Homes, it cannot be expected to happen overnight. Despite the governments drive for sustainable developments and using renewable construction materials, such as timber, their support to the timber industry is limited. However, the timber industry cannot wait any longer in the hope that the government will help to persuade the public to construct their homes of timber frame. The timber industry need to take the initiative and invest in marketing techniques that are beneficial to the industry. The government, designers, builders and developers all have a major part to play in raising the awareness of timber frame construction. Over three-quarters of Anthonys work is in the public sector. With government funding reducing year on year and limited profits to be made from public housing Anthony is dependent on private houses. He is keen to do more bespoke timber frame houses but until public perception changes he knows bespoke timber frame houses are sparse. 8.0 conclusion Recommendations 8.1 Introduction After carrying out the primary and secondary research, a thorough understanding of timber frame construction has been developed. It is felt that all requirements set out in the aims and objectives have been achieved. The literature review discussed in detail the current state of timber frame construction in the United Kingdom and the important role it has in the future of the construction industry. The various components, design parameters and regulations of timber frame construction were discussed in detail. Timber frame was compared against traditional masonry in many aspects throughout the research. The case studies demonstrated how flexible timber frame design and construction can be. The interview and questionnaires highlighted the many factors that are restraining timber frame construction in Northern Ireland and what can be done to help it progress. 8.2 Conclusion Traditionally, houses in the UK and Ireland are constructed of brick and mortar, and timber frame is seen as an alternative method of construction. There are many barriers preventing timber frame from progressing from an alternative method of construction into a mainstream competitor of traditional masonry. In the housing sector, it appears timber frame construction is suffering due to the publics negative perception. As was shown in the questionnaire, although a large number of the public recognise the benefits of timber frame construction they are still wary of it and the majority would prefer to build their own homes using traditional masonry. The questionnaire also highlighted the problems the public perceived timber frame construction to have, such as structural instability, poor fire resistance, poor value on the property and limited design. Timber frame construction is the most popular form of construction used throughout the world, but here in Northern Ireland it is seen as cheap and fragile and as a result people do not rate it on the same level as traditional masonry. This investigation has proven all the perceived problems to be untrue and established there is a general lack of understanding, knowledge and widespread availability of information, which has led to the public resisting change from traditional forms of construction. The construction industry is traditionally conservative towards new methods of construction hence many developers and contractors believe it to be a substantial risk to incorporate timber frame construction into their private housing schemes. Housing associations are keen to use timber frame as they want to achieve level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes with minimal costs while benefitting from the accuracy and minimal waste that prefabrication offers. Private developers will not use timber frame construction until they are certain the public are prepared to purchase a timber frame home as they do not want to devalue their site. A perceived problem within the industry was the unfamiliarity of timber frame from design through to construction. There is some unease within the industry regarding timber frame construction, whilst some are accepting it; others are oblivious to its existence. The construction industry, as a whole, need to start to familiarise themselves with timber frame design, timber frame detailing and timber frame construction. For timber frame construction to develop, its critical that the industry professionals accept timber frame construction and pass the benefits onto clients. Although the case studies demonstrated that timber frame is a versatile method of construction, until public and industry appreciation of the benefits of timber frame increases, masonry construction will remain the dominant form of construction within the UK. It is important that the benefits of timber frame construction are well demonstrated in order to gain acceptance within the industry and the general public. Upon examination of the information collected during the course of this investigation, it appears that timber frame construction has the ability to be used in the construction of complex bespoke homes. Timber frame construction can offer the public and the industry many benefits, however, the research indicates that until timber frame perception changes, it will struggle to impact Northern Ireland in a way that it potentially could. With new building regulations, due to be released in the second half of 2010, a further increase in regulations due in 2013, zero carbon homes in 2016 and the introduction of The Code for Sustainable Homes; it is likely timber frame will grow in popularity due to its thermal ability and environmentally friendly nature. However, public and industry awareness need to increase before the significance of timber frame construction can be fully appreciated. 8.3 Limitations The questionnaires had to be short and concise, and not overly technical to keep the interest of the respondent. This could have resulted in insufficient data being collected. Although a total of sixty questionnaires were distributed in the North West, only forty were returned. To achieve a broader spectrum of results more questionnaires could have been handed out and posted to further regions of the province, such as Belfast. The single interview conducted was very beneficial in getting a timber frame manufacturers view on different aspects of the industry. Although arrangements were in place to interview another two timber frame manufacturers, the interviews never materialised. It would have been beneficial to conduct further interviews to gather a wider range of views. The two case studies provided an insight into two opposing timber frame structures. It would have been constructive to investigate a second bespoke house to gain a further insight into the methods used to construct bespoke timber frame homes. 8.4 Recommendations When carrying out research for this investigation the public, and some professions within the construction industry, appeared to have a negative perception of timber frame construction. A further area that could be investigated is how these negative perceptions can be changed. Further research could be undertaken into marketing campaigns to increase awareness of timber frame construction. Investigate how advertising and promotion could be used to educate people on the benefits of timber frame construction and see if government support is required. Another area of further research could be industrial training. There is a lack of knowledge within the industry about timber frame design and detailing. An investigation into how further timber training is required within the industry. Possibly there are not enough courses and support available, or maybe there is no government funding therefore no incentive for employers to send their workforce. Timber frame design and detailing could also be looked at in university courses. Napier are offering timber engineering degrees, this is possibly the way of the future.

Marketing Strategies Of Loreal Marketing Essay

Marketing Strategies Of Loreal Marketing Essay The market chosen for this assignment is for cosmetic products which have already a huge market and growing at a rapid rate with consumers having contrasting working attitudes and style, and companies producing goods according to the local requirement in accordance to the wants of the customers and consumers. This is more evident when we compare the DE (Developing and Emerging) pyramid of global population in 2009 getting transformed into a Diamond from a positive transition from Not Yet to Aspiring and to Have Lots. This assignment compares and contrasts the way in which two different companies, LOreal and Unilever carry out their international marketing. Initially this assignment revolves around the two mega cosmetic brand industry LOreal and Unilever and their marketing tactics and strategies around the globe in a few countries. LOreal a cosmetic giant is operating in over 130 countries worldwide and recorded a turnover à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 17.5 billion in 2009. The company records a consistent growth of over the years while there is a dip from 2008 to 2009 especially due to economic slowdown in the global market. The consistent growth of the company and the share in the particular market is due to its varied marketing activities and innovation in Research and Development. The Company, in 2009, has spent à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5.4 Billion as Advertising and Promotion which is close to 30% of their annual revenue and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 0.6 billion in Research and Development, almost quarter of their annual Operating Profit. The company differs itself from other companies in the sphere of product/service design; packaging; brand name/logo; price; advertising; sales promotion; distribution channel(s). Their website reads: At LOreal, we have made cosmetics the focus of all our energy and know-how for nearly a century. We are fully committed to putting all our expertise and research resources to work for the well-being of men and women, in all their diversity, around the world Unilever, another multinational giant operating in 100 countries (products sold in 170 countries) recorded annual revenue of close to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40 billion in 2009. Unilever spent à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.3 billion (13% of their revenue) for their Advertisement and Promotion budget and close to 18% (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.9 billion) on their Research and Development. Unilever realise that innovation is key to their progress, and through cutting-edge science they are constantly enhancing their brands, improving their nutritional properties, taste, fragrance, or functionality. It is quite interesting to read the first sentence of their website: On any given day, two billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life Global reach allows both the companies to get closer to consumers in local markets to understand diverse needs and priorities of peoples lives in so many different ways. The success of Brand LOreal lies in the fact that the company succeeded in reaching out to the customers of different countries of the world, across different income ranges and cultural patterns, giving them the appropriate product they are worthy of. The area of expertise of LOreal being that it succeeded almost in every country that it entered. The strategies of LOreal was varied enough to help it and stop itself from restricting itself in a single country. LOreal sold its product on the basis of customer demand and country want rather than keeping the product identical across the globe. It built ample number of brands or mammoth brands entrenched to the restricted culture and which appealed to a variety of segment of the universal market instead of generalising the brand and edible in innumerable culture. LOreal went on to being a local product in every international market. The brand extension of LOreal also came in the same sector or the same segment of market. LOreal believed i n growing its expertise in the segment it is conscious of rather than going into a completely new sector of market LOreal had built a dozen or so mega brands rooted in the local culture and appealing to different segments of the global market. Instead of homogenizing the various brands and making them palatable in myriad cultures, Owen-Jones decided to embody their (the brands) country of origin, turning what many marketing gurus considered a narrowing factor into a marketing virtue. As a senior LOreal manager put it, You have to be local and as strong as the best locals but backed by an international image and strategy. We have made a conscious effort to diversify the cultural origins of our brands. Brand Extensions LOreal realized the need for caution in case of brand extensions. The company extended its brands after doing a thorough research. When LOreal decided to enter the kids shampoo category in 1998, it debated whether to launch a new brand or go for an extension. The company realized the LOreal name, long associated with womens hair care, would capture instant credibility with moms. But Kids was really a child-oriented product. When LOreal first unveiled its LOreal Kids shampoo line early 1998, retailers were sceptical. Retailers say the value isnt there. We say it is that the child establishes value. We were pretty tenacious. mentioned Carol Hamilton, 45, senior VP-marketing for the LOreal retail division of Cosmair LOreal professionals mechanises with LOreal professional salons in order to not only promote their product but also to help hairdressers to have a vision, excel and accomplish. LOreal has divided their product range in five different categories to focus its marketing activities exclusively designed for the targeted market audience. Professional products for the service sector business holders like hair salons. Consumer Products for mass consumption of local people. Luxury Products for those who want to pay a little more extra and who are cautious about how they look. Cosmetics general cosmetics. Body Shop a new sector of product range said to have based its products after getting inspired from the nature. The body shop was founded in 1976 in the United Kingdom well known for its strong product base of natural ingredients and having a network of over 2550 stores in 63 countries Unilever on the other hand is a British-Dutch multinational company owning ample number of consumer products in the food, beverage and the personal care product sector. Promises to give a consistent evolution in the sustainable living plan of the commoners. In a world of hype and stereotypes, the Dove Unilever provides a refreshing alternative for women who recognise that beauty isnt simply about how you look but it makes a genuine difference. Dove Unilever is committed to widening the definition of beauty for women because it believes real beauty comes in all ages, shapes and sizes. To help enjoy your own brand of beauty, Dove provides an extensive range of cleansing and personal care products that make a genuine difference to the condition and feel of skin and hair. Dove is the UKs top Bar Soap brand and 45% of the population bought a Dove product in 2010. In fact, 10.1 million women use Dove every week in the UK. Unilever first launched its products in the US during the 1950s, and in 1957 the basic Dove bar formula was refined and developed into the Original Dove Beauty bar. It was launched as a beauty soap that was clinically proven to be milder on dry and sensitive skins. The following years saw the launch of more bath time treats like beauty baths and moisturising body washes. Unilever Dove then expanded its brand into antiperspirant deodorants and Pro-Age, a range of skin cream and hair care products specifically designed in accordance to the requirement of the local women. Unilever re-defined the definition of beauty for women. In 2010 Unilever Dove came out with another revolutionary product of Damage therapy which could be used by the consumers at home rather than spending a fortune on other beauty therapies to keep their hair strong damage free. In 2010 Unilever also diversifies its Dove products from the female sector to the male and hence the birth of a completely new brand of products in which Unilever had never stepped its foot into, the Dove Men Care brand was formed offering deodorants and body washes specifically designed for the male skin. LOreal entered India with the hair colour product, they changed the way consumers viewed the product. From being a product for the old-age to turn grey hair into shining black, LOreal targeted the young market for whom looking stylish and to the modern mark wasimportant, a very tough job to change the mind-sets of the people. Dove entered India in the late 1993. Dove-known to be a custodian to promise gave products to women to satisfy them all over the world. Dove started giving out products which fitted to their customer requirement in the female sector. In India Dove became the fastest growing hair care shampoo product in fifteen month of its launch proving its Promotional strategies to be worth. LOreal launched a shampoo+oil in India under Garnier brand name which is best suited for local Indian market but Unilever standardized the product rather than launching a new brand in a local market. LOreal focuses on target customers and then tailored their supply chain model according to the need of the specific geographical location while Unilever focus on mass market and depend on the overall economic development and the increasing purchasing power of the people. Portfolio of Brand management of Unilever is quite huge although 75% of their revenue comes from only 25 major brands. Therefore strategy of Unilever is on a much broader scale of mass consumption. However, LOreal spends their major advertisement activities towards focussed clientele and depends heavily on new product innovation; in 2009 alone LOreal has filed for 674 patent applications. ADVERTISING LOreal-because you are worth it, gives a kind of a fulfilment to the consumer that the kind of product the consumer was looking for, this is it. It gives the customer the belief that the product worth a lot and hence they are worth it validates to them being as worthy as the product though most of planning and thinking is only a virtual belief. LOreal started its advertising campaign in the late 1920 via posters and other such mediums. It first time appeared onscreen in 1950s in movies. In todays date LOreal got celebrity of all ages to promote their product. The strategy that LOreal used here is to use local celebrities to whom the common man relate to rather than having just one celebrity to promote their product globally. For example in India LOreal used ex Miss World Aishwariya Rai to promote their product where as in the United Kingdom they used Penelope Cruz to promote their product. This got LOreal the image of Traditional Beauty. LOreal knew that the best way to attract customers was to bestow the customers with the image that they could become as beautiful as their favourite celebrities. Dove on the other hand used the tactic of complementing their customers giving them a profound positive vibe by giving a positive line of you are beautiful. Dove uses various creative marketing strategies like using Facebook which is a social commerce networking site to promote its product. Dove has made its products available to the customers on the social website. Dove believes that it makes complete sense to move from a social networking website to a purchase worthwhile at the same place.Launching a competitive advertisement in competition with LOreal with the tag line Dove is No.1 Shampoo sending prospective customers personalised emails with such adverts and making customer believe that it is the best the customer can get. Given the image of real women Dove never used or endorsed their products through celebrities like in the case of LOreal. Instead Unilever built a new strategy for Dove. Given the cote of being Real Women Dove used a corporate advertising strategy by various cultures of women and projecting an image of self-satisfaction for the Unilever brands. Unilever tried to get their customer in the real world and by not giving them a fake hope that they could be liketheir favourite celebrity but giving them a hope that they could be beautiful with the real beauty bestowed in them. Unilever made its product Dove available to the customers through Facebook and other social networking sites in the United States and other parts of the world, with Unilever unveiling the new ecommerce offering shortly Marshall Manson, Europe Middle East and Africa managing director of digital at Unilevers PR agency Edelman, said: It makes sense to allow users to move directly from a social word-of-mouth recommendation, or from information a brand has shared, to purchase. He also said that the move makes it easier for Dove to connect social activity with business values and measure their effectiveness. The news comes just days after a study by Foresee found that consumers prefer email marketing messages than social media interactions with retailer websites in the UK. Larry Freed, president and chief executive officer of ForeSee Results, said brands need to be aware of how their target markets are influenced by promotional emails, advertising on Facebook or word-of-mouth recommendations. SALES PROMOTION In India LOreal brought the international style by transforming the looks in the form of amenities to its customers. LOreal marked its products through hair salons, owning over 2000 saloons over 36 cities in India. LOreal and Unilever competed on getting positioned in the shelf-space in the United States to be in the eye of the customers. Dove on the other hand promoted its product by positioning itself the best that is as the number one product and also with the help of dove the seven day challenge, where dove promised healthy hair or money back guarantee. In the United States Dove bought about the half-faced challenge. Dove asked the American customers to use the product on half of their face and feel the difference. Dove relies on websites to carry out its major sales promotions. Dove used theOscar ceremony by paying huge amount to broadcast live on television on the prime advertising time a 45second advertisement to bring their product into the eyes of the people. The real beauty code used by Unilever for Dove gained a lot of intangible possession towards Dove by Increasing customer loyalty and sales towards the brand. This led to a continuous rise in the sales of Dove; from 2005 to 2006 sales of dove grew by 10.1%. LOreal on the other hand promised a reduction in the hair fall or healthy hair. LOreal carried out its sales promotion having a wide assortment with varying range of products for premium and the middle class. Though LOreals premium product was at low demand, LOreal kept on reinforcing them through promoting their premium brand as a look of necessity. LOreal produced its goods in the form of services to the market by distributing it through professional hair-dressers. LOreals products came with various names such as the LOreal Paris hair colour which imbibed the country name in the brand which fostered the customer the urge of possessing that product. WEBSITE The LOreal website not only gives a brief introduction of its varied product features but it also gives information about the company history and also about the various product ranges for women in the market supplementing it with a little extra of for women categorising it specifically for them. LOreal in China launched a website in mandarin to help customer easy accessibility and making it easy for them to use the website. Due to this strategy of LOreal the customers felt more close to the brand and made it easy for the customers to access the product easily. Unilever for dove maintains its simplicity in its website also but to it dove also adds up a space for testimonials to looks at the customer response and also gave out various offers and promotions. To that Dove had also added up an interactive session and video to show how dove has helped peoples hair giving the customers the proof to what they claimed. They also came up with advertisement of the websites specific to that part of the region. Unilever wanted the local customer to be able to relate with the brand and see for themselves how they could look beautiful just by themselves. For example the Indian website had adverts of Dove dry hair shampoo which helped rough dry hair and prevented split-ends whereas in the United Kingdome Unilever had a range of special shampoo to reduce and prevent hair fall which generally happened in accordance to the hard water. DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL A market channel is one of the most important factors in the marketing of a product. It closures the period, space and hole in the market between the consumers and the product manufacturers. In India to distribute its product Dove Unilever uses three approaches, indirect coverage, and direct coverage and Streamline method. Dove Unilever looked out for short supply-chain for distribution to meet its customers needs and to reach out to a huge population. In India Unilever elected sub-stockist that covered up the mass part of the marketing areas where as in the Unites Kingdome Unilever were in direct contact with the retailers. Over 180 million units are produced in the United Kingdom annum and 65% of it is exported overseas. LOreal believes that its their obligation to generate value for the customers and hence adopts various sales strategies to the precise distribution channel of every individual market. http://en.oboulo.com/l-oreal-s-penetration-into-the-indian-market-64841.html http://company.monster.com/lorealusafr.aspx With 290 subsidiaries, more than 100 distributors and 42 plants, all spread out in about 130 countries, LOreal is the leader of the cosmetic industry. The group has begun its internationalisation in 1912 by following three steps: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First, commercialisation of professional shampoos to hair-dressers via distributors in near Europe (Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Germany and Poland) and in the Americas first landing; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second, local firms are taken over for example in the USA (Redken 1993, Maybelline 1996 etc.), in Argentina (Miss Y lang 2000) go native; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Third, subsidiaries (production, research and development) are directly created (Greenfield investment) without any first passage via distribution. It is the case in Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) globalisation. The group has to face harsh competition and new stakes like diversify its product segments (baby-boomers which become mammy-boomers; American, French and Japanese young with specific tastes; and men), exploit new means of distribution (like on line sales) and finally, take advantage before the competitors, of new emerging markets like Asia, India, Latin America, Africa and East European countries. When LOreals Professional Products Division entered India in 1997, hairdressing Industry as a market segment is almost insignificant. There were no organized education and training, couple of dubious domestic products and prohibitive expensive foreign brands. The first strategy of LOreal was to exploit this inherent gap in the nascent industry and invested heavily in hairdressing and training. Their head start also ensured broad distribution in the focussed market. We skim the top 100 cities in India and have the largest salon base in the country, of which 20 per cent is exclusive to us, contributing to 40 per cent of our revenue. Says Sharma, Director, LOreal Professional Products Division. He further adds Our biggest cost is the education of our trade. We have over 40 trainers; its an entire machine that needs constant oiling. In 2009, this industry alone in India isà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 33 Mio, growing in double digits, and LOreal Professional Products Professionnel and Kerastase are market leaders. LOreal Professional Products prides itself on a product they believe is technologically unmatched. 3.5 per cent of our sales are pumped back into research development; the best technology goes back into the trade, says Vismay Sharma, director, LOreal Professional Products Division. The challenge is to beat competitors who is adopting the same strategy. But competitors are eating into the same strategy. Both Schwarzkopf, at the number two position in the industry, and Wella have launched technical training centres. Schwarzkopf even launched a by-invitation-only hairdressers club and flew 150 members to Goa for an inaugural meeting. Strategy of Schwarzkopf is to demand an increased commitment to turnover in return from these loyal and exclusive customers to become high volume buyers. Wella, the other brand which entered India in 2001, is aiming to be in 5,000 salons by June 2006. LOreal organizes Colour trophy, a nationwide quest to find the most creative hairdressers in the country and also sponsor hair shows besides their annual showcasing of global fashions in hairdressing and colour to give a platform to unleash creativity and lead to creating new trends in the industry. And in a revision of distribution strategy, Schwarzkopf has just begun retailing their hair colour range to power growth. Sharma reacts, LOreal Professional Products began by selling through Parisienne salons. Thats at the heart of our business; we will not dilute it by retailing for home use. Okay, so the LOreal brand is strong, well established within target markets, and Sharma claims sales are up in India, although figures dont come by easily in the discussion. Well, this was the time, then, to become more proactive than ever before; to begin the task of figuring out just what it was going to take to sustain their competitive advantage and ensure that they stay at the cutting edge of their field. And so, in February this year, LOreal announced the arrival of Matrix (their number one brand in the US), an affordable range of hair products to add to their existing offering to offer Indian hairdressers the option of using a professional brand at this price point. The value proposition is similar. Both brands offer all the support hairdressers need, from education, complete in-salon marketing, and salon promotions. Matrix, however will thrive on depth of distribution, with a training centre in every city it retails in. LOreal India is the only company to offer products at three different price points luxury, premium and affordable. With this they will have a combination no one can beat. LOreal hasextensive campaign for LOreal Paris Lip Colour. They also wish to modify the product by adding SPF, so that lips can be protected from harmful. They are also putting ads in TV and out of home advertisements like hoardings, at malls on digital screen Marketing Strategy Distribution: Will widen distribution network by giving various incentives to distributers, retailers, stockiest in order, not to loseself-space to competition. Promotion: Will be distributing complementary lip care guide on minimum purchase, having tips on how the various brand ambassadors of LOreal Paris apply Lip Colour on themselves and take care of their lips. Social Responsibility: LOreal supports campaign for safe cosmetics which was started in October 2007. This will help in building consumer confidence, that LOreal Lip colour is safeBrand Management LOreal had built a dozen or so mega brands rooted in the local culture and appealing to different segments of the global market. Instead of homogenizing the various brands and making them palatable in myriad cultures, Owen-Jones decided to embody their country of origin, turning what marketing experts considered a narrowing factor into a marketing virtue. LOreal believed as being local but being backed up by the global international image diversifying the traditionalroots of brands. Brand Extensions: LOreal realized the need for caution in case of brand extensions. When LOreal decided to enter the kids shampoo category in 1998, it debated whether to launch a new brand or go for an extension. The company realized the LOreal name, long associated with womens hair care, would capture instant credibility with moms. But Kids was really a child-oriented product. When LOreal first unveiled its LOreal Kids shampoo line early 1998, retailers were sceptical. Advertising and Promotion LOreal backed its product innovations with the twelfth-largest media budget in the world. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, external charges, which included LOreals advertising and promotions expenditure jumped from 37% to 47% of sales. LOreal increased its global ad spending to $1.25 billion in 1998. LOreal had a unique promotion policy for all its brands. A brand, which sold in mass-market outlets, advertised and promoted itself in a way similar to brands sold in department stores. Corporate Structure LOreal was organized as a clutch of small profit centres, some with as few as ten employees. The companys work culture encouraged audits and budget meetings to focus less on the spilled milk of the past, and more on leading indicators of how things would look at year-end. These meetings encouraged discussions to find out which overlooked products showed signs of life but were undercapitalized and which products were not matching expectations and needed pruning. The structure allowed LOreal to move fast Competition LOreal faced competition from various formidable rivals. On one side, cosmetic majors like Revlon and Avon and Nivea vied for shelf space. On the other, there were the giant FMCG companies like Unilever and PG. There were also local competitors like HLL-Lakme in India, Dark and Lovely in Africa, and the erstwhile Shu Umera in Japan (LOreal later acquired this brand). Dove brand has grown inIndia from a mere à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12.5 Mio to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬85 Mio in 2006 with products across the soap, shampoo, deodorant and skin care segments.Dove brand became Indias premium brand within one year of its launch. Some years ago the key to success was penetration in the market but it has changed now to educating the target customers about the benefit of the product and using it the right way. Unilever in India is well positioned because they have the right portfolio, focussed brands and operates at various price points. Being the market leader in India and estimated market growth is at 40-50%, Unilevers strategy is to build the market and translate other opportunities for launching new products like serum, masks and treatments under umbrella brand of Dove. To continue its leadership position, Unilever is constantly upgrading Dove from time to time to meet customers needs like Dove Daily, Dove dry therapy, Dove breakage therapy and son on. Levers strategy is to build rural market for increasing consumption level. Market estimate that 80% rural population have used shampoo but the big challenge is to convert the one time consumers to repeat purchasers, are they buying next weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.next month, next quarter? The strategy and challenge is to go deeper to media dark villages and build sales which will become the market of the future. Just for an example close to 30-40% of UP, the largest state in India, is media dark. Unilever in India has started running one of their largest consumer connect initiatives Khushiyon Ki Doli. It allows them to go deeper to villages with population of 5000 people. The heartening part is that consumers are will to embrace new things in life if they see a value proposition. The strategy of Unilever is broadly on the following basis: Adopted Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) which means Zero Error and Zero Loss Short supply chain module to enhance customer service To meet everyones needs at various product level and price points Penetrate, educate and build markets for the future> Project Shakti is targeted towards reaching small villages through micro financing model to reach village women. Integrate economic, environmental and social objectives with sustainable business agenda. Conclusion: