Structure of a Descriptive Essay

The descriptive essay can be arranged in one of many organization patterns, and you will soon find that one style is best for your particular topic. Some effective organization patterns for a descriptive essay are spatial, which is best used when you are describing a location; chronological organization, which is best used when you are describing an event; and functional organization, which is best used when you are describing how a device or process works. Start with a Mind Dump Before you can begin writing your essay or deciding upon an organizational pattern, you should put everything you know about your subject on a piece of paper in a mind dump. In this first stage of information gathering, you should not worry about organizing your information. To start out, simply write down every item, characteristic, or feature that you can think of, allowing your thoughts to flow onto the paper. Note: A giant sticky note is a fun tool for mind dumping. Once your paper is filled with bits of information, you can use a simple numbering system to begin identifying topics and subtopics. Simply look over your items and â€Å"clump† them together in logical groups. Your groups will become major topics that you address in body paragraphs. Come Up with an Overall Impression The next step is to read over your information to come up with one major impression that you get from it all. Ponder the information for a few moments and see if you can boil it all down to one thought. Sound difficult? This list below shows three imaginary topics (in bold) followed by examples of a few thoughts that might be generated about each topic. You will see that the thoughts lead to an overall impression (in italics). 1. Your City Zoo - The animals were arranged by continents. Each area featured interesting plants and flowers from the continents. There were beautiful murals painted everywhere. Impression: the visual elements make this a more interesting zoo. Structure: Since a zoo is a place, the best structure for the city zoo essay is likely to be spatial. As a writer, you would begin with an introductory paragraph that ends with a thesis statement based on your impression. A sample thesis state would be While the animals were fascinating, the visual elements made this zoo most interesting. You could write your essay as a walking tour, visiting (describing) one area at a time.Each area would be described in your body paragraphs.You would use descriptive language to convey the striking visual elements of each area. 2. A Birthday Party - The birthday boy cried when we sang to him. He was too young to know what was happening. The cake was too sweet. The sun was hot. Impression: this party was a disaster! Structure: Since this is an event in time, the best structure would likely be chronological. Your introductory paragraph would build up to the conclusion (your impression) that this party was not a success!Each disastrous event would be described in individual body paragraphs. 3. Making a Cake from Scratch - I learned what sifting was, and it was messy. Creaming butter and sugar takes time. It’s hard to pick slippery egg shell bits out of flour. We really take box mixes for granted! Structure: The best structure would be functional. You would build up to the (surprising) complexity of making a cake from scratch.Body paragraphs would address the difficulty you encountered at each turn. End with a Conclusion Every essay requires a good conclusion to tie things up and make a tidy and complete package. In your concluding paragraph for a descriptive essay, you should summarize your main points and explain your overall impression or thesis in new words.

The Medieval Era Essay example - 1014 Words

The Medieval Era The Medieval era is so easily generalized into the three orders of those who fight, those who work, and those who pray, or even simply divided into the privileged and unprivileged. These distinctions are important, for the ability of the church and manor to influence a peasants actions and to take a peasants earnings was obviously a central component of a peasants life. However, when peasants constituted such a sizable majority of the population (over 90 percent), it is also important to recognize the distinctions among them. Some peasants were free and some were serfs. Some peasants were well off and some were barely subsisting. Some peasants held manorial offices and some†¦show more content†¦Through recording land sales and inheritances, the courts rolls explain the economic status of certain peasants, and through recording contracts and crimes committed, they can describe relationships between peasants. For example, Bennett writes, Cecilia illegally took hay off the l and of Richard Everard; she let her animals trespass onto the property of others; she argued with Alice Baker, (103). Again, the records are factual but anything that goes beyond the written word is an inference subject to interpretation and generalization. Bennett also uses poems and songs throughout the text. Clues about how privileged people regarded peasants can be found in their courtly songs, sarcastic proverbs, nasty jokes, and pious sermons, writes Bennett (3). However, these only tell about the generalized negative opinions of elites regarding peasants. Personal diaries and letters are missing from the book because almost all peasants were illiterate. Therefore, sources used are for the most part objective and lack emotion. This takes away from the readers ability to connect with Cecilia as a person. The reader knows that Cecilia was allowed many more rights since she never married, but they do not know if she enjoyed her individuality orShow MoreRelatedThe Medieval Era1778 Words   |  8 PagesTyler Sun December 14, 2014 Prof. Sparks HUMN 220 Chartres Cathedral The Medieval Era was one with explosive cultural and architectural growth across almost all of Europe. One of the places that experienced this the most was in France. With all of the radical changes happening in France, there was a huge emphasis on religion and as a result the Chartres Cathedral was created. The town of Chartres officially became a bishopric in the 4th century, and as with any bishopric the cathedral was the mostRead MoreMedieval Vs. Medieval Era1506 Words   |  7 PagesThe Medieval, or Middle, Ages in Europe have often been called the Dark Ages, since they seem to have been lacking in many ways. 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In this paper you will read about all of these lifestyles, as well as the castles in which these lords and kings lived in. Mainly castle designs, fortifications, and siege tactics will be revealed to you; yet there are several sections, dealing with the lifestylesRead MoreEssay on The Punishments of the Medieval era1244 Words   |  5 PagesThe Punishments of the Medieval Era When Shakespeare was born in 1564, Queen Elizabeth had taken power a mere 6 years prior, and her justice system was very different from ours. In this paper, I hope to explore some of the ways punishments were different, such as how many crimes had individual punishments, often times depending on how severe the crime was. I will also go in-depth to one of the most infamous cases of the medieval period. Imprisonment was very rare. If you were in jailRead MoreCultural Influence Of The Early Medieval Era1570 Words   |  7 Pagesfor new types of artwork to be produced. Artwork during the Early Medieval era, Romanesque era, and Gothic era demonstrates how local and imported ideas intermingle to produce new things. In order to fully express the idea of cultures integrating local ideas with ideas of other cultures to form new artworks, focusing specifically on architecture will allow for the theme to be fully justified. During the dynamic Early Medieval era, which dates back to 500-1000 BCE, European identity was developedRead MoreModern Food During The Medieval Era1331 Words   |  6 PagesFood is an essential need in order to survive. Medieval food took a turn during the Middle Ages. Different foods were put in groups to be consumed according to the social rank of individuals. Noble’s diets would be unquestionably different than the peasants. Religion also played a sign ificant role on food during the Medieval Times. People celebrated large banquets and feasts during this Era. During the Medieval Era, there was a difference in food that was consumed by the rich and poor. The dietRead MoreThe Age Of Europe During The Medieval Era1717 Words   |  7 PagesBetween the years 500 A.D. and 1400 A.D., a time referred to as the Middle Ages occurred in Europe. This era began as the Roman Empire collapsed, following the disorder that occurred because of the destruction of the Romans. During this dark time, there was much disorder. Eventually, this time period led to the rise of feudalism, the immense power of the Roman Catholic Church, and many advancements in architecture, literacy, and art. The variety of events that occurred in this period allowed historiansRead MoreEssay Islamic Science in the Medieval Era2580 Words   |  11 PagesThere are many terms used to describe the period after the fall of Rome and before the Renaissance, three main terms being the Middle, Medieval, and Dark Ages. In general, these terms are used interchangeably, but are these fair s ubstitutions? In recent years the term â€Å"Dark Ages† is becoming less and less acceptable as a phrase which describes the span of years it is meant to refer to. The use of the term â€Å"dark† implies a period of stagnation, which is becoming a questionable concept. In particular

How to Implement Direct Elections free essay sample

Examines the politics behind electoral college reform. This paper addresses the question of how to effectively implement electoral reform in favor of direct election with a runoff contingent. The author addresses the complexities of the amendment process, the general reluctance to tamper with the Constitution, the multiplicity of reform proposals that abound, and the difficulty in countering the opposition of those groups who benefit under the status quo. How to cultivate national interest and support from an array of interest groups and the government is also discussed. Constitutional amendments regarding electoral college reform have been offered in almost every single session of Congress, leading many to believe that more proposals have been offered for electoral reform than for any other single part of the Constitution (Longley and Braun 42). Oddly enough, rectification has proven remarkably challenging despite a history of electoral upheavals and insistent criticism. This difficulty arises from the numerous obstacles that hinder electoral reform. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Implement Direct Elections or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To begin with, the amendment process itself is rather arduous and requires substantial support within both chambers of Congress and individual state legislatures. Moreover, there is an overall reluctance to tamper with the Constitution in general. Additionally, the existence of a multiplicity of reform proposals- automatic, proportional, district, direct vote, and an array of hybrid plans- diminishes the strength of any reform movement by dividing its supporters.

Tools to assess curriculum free essay sample

Essay is a pencil-and-paper assessment where a student constructs response to a question, or brief statement. Select response is pencil-and-paper assessment in which the student is to identify the correct answer. B. PERFORMANCE-BASED STRATEGY is an assessment which requires students to demonstrate a skill or proficiency by asking them to create. Demonstration is used to assess progress in tasks that require students to be actively engaged in an activity. C. OBSERVATIONAL STRATEGY is a process of systematically viewing and recording student’s behavior for the purpose of making programming decisions.   Conference – is a formal or informal meeting between/among the teacher and student and/or parents. Interview – a form of conversation among/between the teachers, parents, and students. E. ORAL STRATEGY often used by the teacher inside the classroom, a question and answer portion where in students develop their verbal skill on how he/she response to the question given by the teacher. We will write a custom essay sample on Tools to assess curriculum or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page F. REFLECTIVE STRATEGY is a form of metacognition, a concept that is growing in popularity in educational circles—and with good reason. Simply put, metacognition is â€Å"thinking about thinking† or what we know about what we know. G. COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES used by the teacher to enhance students creativeness of answering questions. Portfolio is a purposeful collection of samples of a student’s work that is selected, reflected, and collaborative. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT Educational Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners), the institution, or the educational system as a whole (also known as granularity). The final purpose of assessment practices in education depends on the theoretical framework of the practitioners and researchers, their assumptions and beliefs about the nature of human mind, the origin of knowledge, and the process of learning. Three types of Assessment A. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT occurs in the short term, as learners are in the process of making meaning of new content and of integrating it into what they already know. Feedback to the learner is immediate (or nearly so), to enable the learner to change his/her behavior and understandings right away. Formative Assessment also enables the teacher to turn on a dime and rethink instructional strategies, activities, and content based on student understanding and performance. His/her role here is comparable to that of a coach. Formative Assessment can be as informal as observing the learners work or as formal as a written test. Formative Assessment is the most powerful type of assessment for improving student understanding and performance. a very interactive class discussion; a warm-up, closure, or exit slip; a on-the-spot performance; a quiz. B. INTERIM ASSESSMENT  takes place occasionally throughout a larger time period. Feedback to the learner is still quick, but may not be immediate. Interim Assessments tend to be more formal, using tools such as projects, written assignments, and tests. The learner should be given the opportunity to re-demonstrate his/her understanding once the feedback has been digested and acted upon. Interim Assessments can help teachers identify gaps in student understanding and instruction, and ideally teachers address these before moving on or by weaving remedies into upcoming instruction and activities. Chapter test; extended essay; a project scored with a rubric. C. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT takes place at the end of a large chunk of learning, with the results being primarily for the teachers or schools use. Results may take time to be returned to the student/parent, feedback to the student is usually very limited, and the student usually has no opportunity to be reassessed. Thus, Summative Assessment tends to have the least impact on improving an individual students understanding or performance. Students/parents can use the results of Summative Assessments to see where the students performance lies compared to either a standard (MEAP/MME) or to a group of students (usually a grade-level group, such as all 6th graders nationally, such as Iowa Tests or ACT). Teachers/schools can use these assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses of curriculum and instruction, with improvements affecting the next years/terms students. Standardized testing (MEAP, MME, ACT, WorkKeys, Terra Nova, etc. ); Final exams; Major cumulative projects, research projects, and performances.

Medical Ethics Essays (1633 words) - Ethics, Philosophy,

Medical Ethics Class 1 Most people in the USA believe that we have private right. The struggle is that there is no such thing as a private right. A private right would be something that has no influence on any body else. There is no clear-cut difference between public and private. The issue is right and obligation. Pg. 367 Deontological ethics or deontology (from Greek , Deon, "obligation, duty") is the normative ethical position that judges the morality of an action based on rules. It is sometimes described as "duty-" or "obligation-" or "rule-" based ethics, because rules "bind you to your duty." From a deontological point of view, he did not want to give his kidney because he was a coward and he was justifying a lie. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that maximizes utility. "Utility" is defined in various ways, usually in terms of the well being of sentient entities, such as human beings and other animals. According to D C you find your duty by reasoning. You have to come up with reasons for what you decide. From a utilitarian point of view for the case of the 5 years old girl needing a kidney, the father should be able to give his daughter the kidney because the risk of him dying those not out weight the need for the girl to have the kidney because more people would benefits from his transplant. You cannot make a decision from a utilitarian perspective just pertaining to you. It recognizes that none of our decision is just prevent and they affect other people's lives. Categorical Imperative (in Kantian ethics) an unconditional moral obligation that is binding in all circumstances and is not dependent on a person's inclination or purpose. Kant gives two forms of the categorical imperative: Behave in such a way that a reasonable generalization of your action to a universal rule will lead to a benefit to a generic person under this universal rule. Always treat others as ends and not means because there is value in the human life. Suppose there were a class of people who liked to be ends. Suppose these people, under certain special circumstances, would like to be treated as objects, for example, as tables. They enjoy being tables, and have tablecloths and wine glasses put on their backs, it does them no harm, and they enjoy the experience, and talk about the experience with joy and regard. Under these circumstances, knowing that you too might want to be a table at some point, would it be ok to treat these people as means and not ends, at least temporarily? Is there a precise sense in which 1 and 2 are equivalent, as they seem completely different to me. Perhaps the answer is that by respecting the wish to be means, not ends, you are treating the people as ends, not means. But then it becomes very difficult to actually determine when you are acting correctly according to imperative 2. To give more realistic precise examples, here are some things that are ok under 1 and not ok under 2: purchasing blood plasma from a poor, willing donor. lying to someone about something painful (like whether this person has cancer, or whether she is attractive in that dress, etc). prostitution, dwarf tossing, and other superficially exploitative professions. hypothetical imperatives, which are valid only in the presence of some ulterior desire or goale.g., "If you want to be well-liked, do not lie.") Why does your rationality indicate your dignity? The morally law within define our dignity. We only know it by reason. Right Theory A right gives his holder a justified claim to something and justified claim to another party. A right is identified as something that out an obligatory claim upon somebody else. Example because we have a right to life, homicide can't be justified. A right is different at different countries, for example in England if you are 80 it is going to be hard to get a kidney transplant than a 18 years old. This because we judge the value of our lives based on the natural coarse of life. Because we belief that everybody has a natural coarse of life. Beginning and ending, the

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America Introduction The Allstar Brands Corporation was founded in 1924 and is among the leading makers of packaged goods around the world (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). Over the years the company has merged or acquired several smaller packaged goods companies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today the company is made up of three divisions namely Consumer Products, International and Pharmaceuticals. The Consumer Products division is primarily concerned with a number of packaged goods including laundry detergent, bar soap and shampoo. The International division is in charge of the distribution of Allstar products in international markets around the world. The Pharmaceutical division is in charge of the production and marketing of ethical and over the counter medications (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). The primary product curre ntly offered by the Allstar brand is an over the counter cold liquid known as Allround. The products designed as combat remedies are designed to relieve several basic symptoms including aches and fever, nasal congestion, chest congestion, runny nose and coughs. It is common for allergy remedies to be grouped together with cold remedies due to the fact that these address many of the same symptoms as cold remedies (James, Deighan and Spotts 21). In the current over the counter cold and allergy market the Allstar brand has four other competitors. The cold and allergy industry is divided into five different product categories namely cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The five firms offer a total of 10 brands that cater for these product categories. Based on current statistics the Allstar brand currently accounts for 12% of the total sales in the industry (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).Advertising Looking for r esearch paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current financial statistics indicate that Allround which is the company’s only product is performing fairly well within the market. Based on statistics from the last period the product managed to report sales of $ 214.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The company reported a gross margin of $132.5 million and after making deductions received $ 50.7 million in net profits for the same period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). It is the belief of the senior management that the OCM group will continue to make even more significant contributions in the coming years. For this reason it will be wise to consider what goals the company intends to achieve to improve its current position in the future. Goals In this section some of the crucial goals will be highlighted and some insight will be shed on how to improve. For example, one of the goals tha t Allstar will have to focus on includes maintaining the drive within the company as far as product development is concerned. According to the company report there are expected to be a released reformulations of the Allround brand within a year. In addition to that it has been reported that three new products are expected to be released by the beginning of the third period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This drive to continue production of new and competitive products is crucial because one risk associated with the industry stems from the fact that new competing products can be launched at any time within the market. To push this point further home, it has been reported that Curall announced the introduction of a new drug called cold cure in the same period (n.p.). This is of special concern to the company because this new drug is the second drug by Curall to be launched into the market suggesting a loss in the market to this drug.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition to this it has been observed that prior to this launch Curall had only a cough liquid which did not affect the market for Allround whereas cold cure may have a direct effect on sales in the following period (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The company must therefore focus on research and release new products drugs to be more competitive. Another important goal for the company to focus on in the coming period is that of increasing expenditure on advertising. The main reason for this is due to the fact that advertising plays a major role in creation of awareness among a product’s consumers. In addition to that it has been reported that advertising can be used to shape consumers perception about products (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). Based on that information it is clear to see that the company risks losing business by not advertising adequately. In addition to the above information highlighting the importance of advertising it was reported that in the just concluded period the total expenditure on advertising went up by $19.6 million whereas promotional expenditure increased by $ 6.3 million (n.p.). This fact proves that competitors are increasing spending on advertising and thus the company should make efforts to also increase expenditure on advertising. The focus on increased advertising expenditure should also be driven by the fact that when listed against 10 competitors it was noted that the company expenditure on advertising had it ranked between 5th and 6th (n.p.). In addition to focus on advertising it would appear that in order to improve its competitive position the company will need to consider increasing its focus on the mass merchandiser sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that during the last period mass merchandiser sales showed the strong growth with 8% (n.p.). Thi s statistic indicates that it is likely that with more emphasis sales from this sector can grow even further. Given the increase in mass merchandiser sales it is possible to see that the company risks losing business if it does not increase the sales force in this area. Upon observation of the company sales force it was noted that only 10 of the sales staff were mass merchandisers (James, Deighan and Spotts 27). When this figure was compared with competitors it was noted that the number was very low and for this reason the number of mass merchandisers for the next period should be increased. It may be that the competition has not yet identified this potential loophole thus giving the company a head start.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to the sales force it would also be prudent to focus on ways to increase retail sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that retail sales increased by 4.6% for the ended period (n.p.). In order to achieve this there is a need to reassess the current prices of products. It has been observed that the current Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Allround is $5.49. In addition to this retailers receive an allowance of 13% and a volume discount of 30%. It has already been observed that the current price was significantly higher than that of its competitors (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). To increase the retail sales further it would appear wise to make reductions on the MSRP. Overall Competitive Strategy Situation Analysis: As it has been mentioned earlier in the report Allround has so far been a successful and profitable brand with sales exceeding $200 million at the manufacturer’s level during the last period. These sales figures transl ate to net income of slightly over $50 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). However it has been observed that the company urgently needs to increase it expenditure due to trends within the industry. It has already been reported that competitors have launched competing products into the market that are likely to affect the sales figures of the company in the coming period (n.p.). This matter causes a lot of concern and needs urgent remedial action due to the fact that the product in question is in the same category of products such as Allround. In addition to the competing products in the market it has already been observed that there have been significant increases in advertising and promotional expenditure in the concluded period (n.p.). Given the crucial role played by advertising in shaping customer perceptions it would appear that the company will need to increase its expenditure on advertising in response. Also to be given consideration in the upcoming budget is the need to increase the sales force. This comes in light of the fact that mass merchandiser sales had increased significantly (n.p.). This report comes when the company is ill equipped to deal with this sector of retail sales and such some money needs to be spent on this sector in the upcoming budget. It has also been observed that despite the good performance in the just ended period, Allround’s prices were comparatively high (n.p.). At the same time it has also been observed that trends within the market indicate that retail sales were increasing. It has therefore been suggested that with a view to improving sales further, the MSRP be reduced and the allowances and volume discounts be increased as an incentive. SWOT: In the case of Allround its main strength stems from the fact that the company has no competition in the manufacture of cold liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In an overview of the industry it is noted that the company is in competition with four other firms. The fir ms all produce products that can be categorized into cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray. The five companies offer a total of 10 brands within the market and only Allstar provides cold liquid from this list (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In the market a brand can be availed in three forms namely liquid, capsule or spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). The consumer’s selection of a product with regard to form is usually based on personal preference. For this reason those who prefer liquid form the only available option is Allround. Being a relatively new market the company will also exhibit some weakness in comparison to the competition. This is because it has been observed that advertising plays a major role in creation of brand awareness among consumers (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The entry into the market suggests that brand awareness is comparatively low and therefore will require much more expenditure to build. Another weakness th at the company has within the new market is a lack of resources. It has been reported that the company senior management will only make budget increases based on results from sales and profitability (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This leaves the company at a disadvantaged position when compared with its competitors. This is the case given the significant financial input that is required to address the current financial demands for the next period. However, there are some opportunities that the company can exploit to improve its position in the market. It has been observed the United States Food and Drug Administration regulate the amount of medication for various periods of relief. Based on this a drug can be made in a 4 hour formulation such as Allround or in 12 hour formulation (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). This presents an opportunity for the company due to the fact that it can still produce 12 hour formulations of the same drug to improve its product range. In addition to cha nging the formulation to increase product range another opportunity exists in making different cold formulations. It has been reported that a brand can be made available in one of three forms namely liquid, capsule and spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). It has been reported nasal sprays typically provide faster relief than other forms of drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). In addition to that it has also been reported that most consumers find the capsule form more convenient than liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 23). The production of a nasal spray or capsule for relief of cold and flu symptoms presents an opportunity. In order to have a complete marketing plan the company also has to prepare to deal with threats. The main threat to the company exists in the form of its competitors and the likelihood of their releasing similar products within the market. The current statistics places the number of competitors in the market at 5 (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).It has already bee n observed that one of the competitors released a product that may affect sales for the coming period (n.p.). Basis for effective competition: In order for the firm to remain competitive in the coming periods it would have to increase its expenditure on advertising and promotions. This comes in light of the fact that the market indicates spending on advertising is increasing (n.p.). In addition to this it has already been established that advertising plays a crucial role in product awareness. For these reasons the marketing plan for the future would require this change be made. It has also been noted that there has been a significant increase in retail sales (n.p.). For this reason the company will need to consider means to increase these sales further. It has been reported that Allround’s MSRP was significantly higher than competing brands (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). It would appear that to improve the company’s competitive position a reduction should be made on t he MSRP and some incentives such as increased promotional allowances and volume discounts. Finally it would appear that the company will need to increase the number of mass merchandisers on its sales force. This comes in light of the fact that there was significant increase in the sales volumes from mass merchandisers (n.p.). To maintain a competitive position would thus require that the company increase the numbers involved in mass merchandising. It is also crucial that the company continue research on new products and release them into the market as soon as possible. This comes in light of the fact that competitors are constantly producing new products to compete with existing company products (n.p.). Resources and Capabilities: Based on the results from the previous year it was reported that the company made a net income of slightly over $50 million. Using the available resources to improve the company position to allow it be profitable in the coming years requires some adjustmen ts to be made. It was observed that an increase of funding for promotion was required and after calculations it was reported that promotion would now be worth 19% of the budget. Advertising expenditure also had to be increased to meet the current demands. This saw the expenditure on advertising rise to 38% of the budget. It was also observed that the company required adjustments on its sales force in order to meet the demands of the market. The sales force adjustments suggest the sales staff will now consume 41.3% of the budget. In addition to this it was observed that the company needed to work on production of new products. This required a budget allocation of 1.7% to finance research. The total amount for this budget came to $29.1 million. The previous budget for the period was $28.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 30). Given the amount of net income made from the previous period it would appear that the company has the resources to finance this budget and the associated incre ments. Segmentation, Target, Positioning Segmentation options and final analysis: The industry selected is basically divided into segments based on the way products are branded (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). There are three standard product categories in the OTC market namely cold, cough and allergy. As earlier mentioned since the company currently has only one product in the market the segment that it will operate in is the cold segment. This segment produces 59% percent of the revenue from sales of OTC drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). This represents a very large segment of the OTC market. Within the segment the company has to compete with 5 competitors. Of the five competitors currently only one company has a product that generated more revenue than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). Target: The target group for the company represents 59% of the current OTC market (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). However, since the company is only selling a single product the remaining 41% of the market also exists as a potential target market for the company’s future products. Based on the sales in relation to brand awareness it would appear that if the company increases expenditure on advertising there is bound to be a significant increase in sales. This is based on the fact that all the companies that report greater brand awareness than Allround also report greater sales (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). Positioning options: As it has been mentioned above all the companies that have reported greater brand awareness have also recorded greater sales than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The positioning strategy for Allround therefore is to spend more on advertising to create greater brand awareness and greater sales. In addition to that the company also intends to spend an increased amount on increasing the sales force to improve overall sales. Marketing Mix Product: It has already been observed that the company’s strength stems from the fact that it has the only cold liquid product currently available. All the remaining competitors either produce a cold capsule or a nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). For this reason the company intends to take full advantage of this position to market its product. It is the only product that alleviates several symptoms with one drug. This fact has been reported to be the reason many consumers prefer the brand (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). At the same time the company also intends to increase expenditure on research aimed at producing new products to be released in the near future. Promotion: Another essential aspect catered for in the marketing plan was the promotional approach. The approach that will be used with regard to advertising will be the same as before just that there will be more spending on each segment. It has been observed that the previous budget allocated 25% for primary demand adverts, 25% for benefits approach adverts, 25% for comparison approach adverts an d 25% for a reminder approach adverts (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The marketing plan suggests similar allocations for the new amount. However, the message of the advertisements needs to be changed to reflect greater maturity than those of the previous period. The increased retail sales suggest that there should be an increase in the amount of promotional material within the stores. Price: Based on the significant increase observed in retail sales the marketing plan suggests price reductions for the coming period (n.p.). Due to the trends within the market it would appear that there is a need to encourage sales to increase further. To achieve this there is going to be a reduction in the MSRP to reflect this need. In addition to that there are going to be reductions made in the promotional allowances and volume discounts. This is aimed at increasing the revenue earned from sales of Allround and act as an incentive for sellers of the product. Place: In addition to the increased adv ertising in retail stores and incentives to sell the product the marketing plan will also include shift of focus on the marketing place. In the analysis of the business for the next period it was observed that sales from mass merchandisers reported a significant increase (n.p.). It has been suggested that an increase is made in the number of mass merchandisers. James, Stuart W., Michael Deighan and Harlan Spotts. MarketShare: The Marketing Principles Simulation. Virginia: Interpretive Simulations, 2005. Print. n.p. The MarketShare Case. Interpretive Simulations. n.d. Web.

Construction assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction assignment - Essay Example It overlooks the Thames. It lies between the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul`s Cathedral. It is opposite to the Royal Courts of Justice. It is within five minutes walk of the Covent Garden, West End theatres and Trafalgar Square. The building is a 13 storied structure, and has 4 basement levels. The building is made of concrete and inflexible blockwork partitions. The floor to ceiling height is high. Roofs have valley gutters. Iron cramps have been inserted in masonry to bind the blocks together. Bonding timbers have been used in external brick and stone walls. The facade build-up includes glazed infill cladding. There are windows, and the flooring made of wood. The blockwork is inflexible, requiring extensive works. The facade are worn out. The facade are leaky allowing water ingress and air infiltration. VAV dual duct ventilation with open able windows caused high energy consumption. The environmental performance was poor. There are DDA and fire compliance issues. The top three floors were completely gutted. Access for fire escape and fire brigade was poor. Facade, building services and DDA access were not compliant. Major defects have been included in the table below. The occupants gave a negative feedback regarding the internal environment including noise and air pollution. Routine maintenance includes work that has to be carried out at intervals for keeping the building in appropriate condition. There may be requirements for replacement or repairing an item necessitated by natural deterioration of normal wear and tear. According to Chanter and Swallow (2000), routine maintenance is five yearly external decorations and servicing of boilers. According to the Audit Commission, details of maintenance cycles have to be set with a balance between planned and responsive maintenance. The initial focus must be on replacements that could be expected instead of those considered avoidable. The routine replacement items must be identified at the outset