Paper and Coin currency Vs Electronic Money Transfer Systems Essay

Paper and Coin currency Vs Electronic Money Transfer Systems - Essay Example Bill Gates, while delivering his lecture at International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Nevada) in January this year, said "Software is providing power, but software has got to provide simplicity. And that's why our investment levels are going up in the toughest problems: Security, privacy, speech recognition, video recognition - and all of those things we will fold into this platform."1 1. Today we are in an IT era and wish to live in a Digital life-style. Being digital has become sort of a fashion statement. The older generation expresses its reservation regarding security issues etc. but the Gen-X is fully geared up to exploit the full potential of Digital age. Well, having said about the 'attitude', it certainly needs to be pointed out that the youth of the day is not as carefree as is being branded, at times, by the elders. The fact is, the technologies like Electronic Money Transfer or Electronic Funds Transfer have proved their utility beyond doubt and we believe in this capability because we understand the intricacies of this technology. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) provides for electronic payments and collections. It is a system of transferring money from one bank account directly to another without any paper money changing hands e.g. There's will be more transpa... Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) provides for electronic payments and collections. It is a system of transferring money from one bank account directly to another without any paper money changing hands e.g. Using Internet or bank transfers. Using ATM/Debit/Credit Cards etc Payments thorough telephone (using voice synthesizers) In fact the Radio Frequency IDs (RFID) technique is also used in Electronic Transfer. RFID tags are used in a wide range of contexts like; Electronic payment cards used in many countries to pay road tolls, bus and metro fares, Electronic security tags used by retailers, 'Intelligent' luggage labels used in some airports etc Monitoring the workers within the factory/ company builiding. Advantages of Using Electronic Money Transfer Salary of an employee can be directly deposited in his/ her bank account. There's will be more transparency in money transfers. For example transfer of huge sums of money to illegal operations like financing the terrorist organizations can now be easily traced, as there will be less number of manual transactions. Money can be transferred in lesser time, usually the same day. It increases the efficiency, safety/ security standards of the bank. Such transfers are less expansive for the bank. Customer is free from the stress of carrying bundles of notes in a bag/ packets etc. hence reducing the threat of robbery. The threat of a 'Returned Check' is gone as well. It results in less paper work meaning less cutting of trees i.e. an environment friendly technique. The day is not far when we do not need to carry any wallet, Credit cards etc. in our pocket, Soon enough we may see the times when we'll have all our banking records, personal details, identification tags etc in a smart chip embedded in the ring of our middle

The story Killings by Andre Dubus Essay Example for Free

The story Killings by Andre Dubus Essay The story Killings by Andre Dubus is about a man named Matt and his love for his son Frank. He is upset because his son has been killed by a man called Richard. Matts wife, older son, and his friends think that Richard should be killed too. His son wishes to kill the murderer of his younger brother, but Matt is even scared of the thought because doing so means that he would lose his second son, too. His wife also does not want to see Richard alive. In Killings, Matt is very angry at himself for the reason of not being able to protect his son and is forced to kill his sons murderer; however, at the end he is not very enthusiastic about it instead he is very upset and depressed. One of the reasons that Matt kills Richard is his own wife. She is very hurt by her sons death. She is always crying because she sees her sons murderer walking around in the stores all the time which kills her. Once Matt tells his friend Willis Ruth sees him too much. She was at sunny Hurst today getting cigarettes and aspirins and there he was. She cant even go out anymore. It is killing her (90). This explains how much of pressure he is under to avenge his sons death. This leads him to kill Richard even though he does not really want to kill him Another one of the reasons for Matts action is that Matts older son Steve wants to kill Richard. For example, when they leave after burying Frank to his graveyard, Steve turns to his family and states, I should kill him (89). This point out that Steve is also very hurt by his younger brothers death, who was only twenty one years old. He feels so helpless and wishes to kill Richard. Matt is very alarmed by this because he does want his son to kill anyone. If he commits murder, Matt would lose his second son, too. Matts friend Willis also suggests that he should kill Richard because Richard has always been cruel and violent. Once he shot a womans husband for her and dropped him off the bridge in the Merrimack River with a hundred pound sack of cement. He even covered his crime by saying that nobody helped the woman. This declares what kind of a man Richard is and what he has done to others. Now he has killed Frank which was very cruel of him, and Matts family believes that he has no right to live. Willis is also forcing Matt to believe that whatever his family thinks of doing to Richard is right. Willis urges Matt to kill Richard himself before someone in his family commits the act and he loses another family member. Just so everyone would be relieved and think that justice has been done.

Airplanes And Aircraft Engineering Essay

Airplanes And Aircraft Engineering Essay Aircrafts are capable of flight using forward motion that generates lift as the wing moves through the air. Airplane is propelled by a screw propeller or a high-velocity jet, and supported by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings. There are many components of an airplane however the essential components are a wing system to sustain it during flight, tail surfaces to stabilize the wing, movable surfaces to control the attitude of the machine in flight, and a power plant to provide the thrust to push the craft through the air. An enclosed body which is known as the fuselage houses the crew, passengers, and cargo, as well as the controls and instruments used by the navigator. An airplane also requires a support system when it is at rest on a surface and during takeoff and landing. Airplanes have different shapes and sizes depending on the purpose, but the modern airplanes have some features in common. They are fuselage, tail assembly and control surfaces, wing, power-plant and landing gear. In this report the prime focus is on the Prime components of the aircraft assuring structural integrity while meeting requirements for optimum operational performance of an aircraft. The empennage is also known as the tail is the rear part of the aircraft. Usually it includes the stabilizers, rudder and elevator as many other components as seen below.. It is constructed depending on the aircraft for example in fighter jets it may be constructed around the exhaust nozzle. In commercial aircrafts the empennage is built from the cabin pressure-cone and may contain the Flight Data Recorder (black box), Cockpit Voice Recorder and the pressure out-flow valve. There is another design which does not require an elevator. In this design there is a one-piece horizontal stabilizer that pivots from a central hinge point, such a design is known as a stabilator. 2. Wings: As we can see below is a wing. Wings are airfoils attached to each side of the fuselage and are the main lifting surfaces that help the airplane during flight. There are great variations in the wing designs, sizes, and shapes used by the various manufacturers. Each of these specifications fulfils a certain need with respect to the performance for an airplane. Wings may be attached at the top, middle, or lower portion of the fuselage and are referred to as high-, mid-, and low-wing, respectively. The number of wings may vary. Monoplanes contain a single set of wings while those with two sets are called Biplanes. The principal structural parts of the wing are SPARS, RIBS, and STRINGERS. These are reinforced by trusses, I-beams, tubing, or other devices, including the skin. The wing ribs determine the shape and thickness of the wing (airfoil). Attached to the rear, or trailing, edges of the wings are two types of control surfaces referred to as ailerons and flaps. http://khup.com/view/2_keyword-design-of-aircraft-rib-structure/aircraft-structure.html 2.1 Spars 2.1.1. Definition: The spar is the main structural member of the wing, in a fixed-wing aircraft, running span wise at right angles to the fuselage. There may be more than 1 spar or none at all. 2.1.2 Uses: Fight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground is carried by spars. Spars are also used in aerofoil surfaces such as the tail plane, fin and serve a similar function, although the loads transmitted may be different. 2.1.3. Loads: Upward bending loads from the wing lift force that supports the fuselage in flight. Downward bending loads due to the weights acting. Drag loads dependent on airspeed and inertia. Rolling inertia loads. Chordwise twisting loads due to aerodynamic effects at high airspeeds. 2.1.4. Materials: Wooden construction Early aircraft used spars carved from solid Spruce or Ash. Wooden spar types have been used and tried with such as spars which are box-section in form; or laminated spars which are laid up in a jig, and compression glued to retain the wing dihedral. Wooden spars are still being used in light aircraft such as the Robin DR400. Metal spars A common metal spar in a general aviation aircraft generally consists of a sheet aluminium spar web, with L or T -shaped spar caps being welded or riveted to the top and bottom of the sheet to prevent buckling under applied loads. Tubular metal spars The German Junkers J.I armoured fuselage ground-attack sesquiplane of 1917 used a Hugo Junkers -designed multi-tube network of several tubular wing spars, placed just under the corrugated duralumin wing covering and with each tubular spar connected to the adjacent one with a space frame of triangulated duralumin strips riveted onto the spars. Advantages Gives substantial increase in structural strength at a time when most other designs were built with wood-structure wings. Geodesic construction In aircraft such as the Vickers Wellington, a geodesic wing spar structure was employed which had the advantages of being lightweight and able to withstand heavy battle damage with only partial loss of strength. Composite construction Nowadays aircraft use carbon fibre and Kevlar in their construction, ranging in size from large airliners to small aircraft. Companies have employed solid fibreglass spars in their designs but now often use carbon fibre in their high performance gliders such as the ASG 29 Advantages The increase in strength and reduction in weight compared to the earlier fibreglass-sparred aircraft allows a greater quantity of water ballast to be carried. 2.1.5. Disadvantages: The wooden spar has a danger of the deteriorating effect that atmospheric conditions, both dry and wet, and biological threats such as wood-boring insect infestation and fungal attack can have on the wooded spars; consequently regular inspections are often mandated to maintain airworthiness. Similar disadvantages on metal spars limit their use. 2.2 Ribs 2.2.1. Definition: In an aircraft,  ribs  are forming elements of the structure of a  wing. Ribs are attached to the main  spar, and by being repeated at frequent intervals they form a skeletal shape. Usually ribs incorporate the  airfoil  shape of the wing. They are the cross-section shape of a wing. The ribs can be classified according to the types of load acting on it. Lightly loaded ribs are subjected to aerodynamic loads while a rib is subjected to concentrated forces transferred from primary points is considered as moderately loaded rib. 2.2.2 Function: Maintain the sectional shape of wing box. Function as panel breakers for stringers. Provide support for attachment of other systems. Distribute locally applied air pressure loads. 2.2.3. Stiffness: The ribs contribute little to the overall stiffness of the wing box and also carry little of global bend and twist loads acting on the wing. 2.2.4. Loads: Loads acting on the ribs are of three types: Loads transmitted from the skin-stringer wing panels. Concentrated forces transmitted to the rib due to landing gear connections, power plants nacelle connections, etc Body forces in the form of gravitational forces. Inertia forces due to wing structural mass. 2.2.5. Materials: Ribs are made out of wood, metal, plastic, composites, foam. Carbon reinforced composites (CFC) or Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are used extensively in aircraft structures as they give high stiffness and strength with lower weight. 2.2.6. Advantages and Disadvantages: Wooden ribs are subjected to atmospheric deterioration. http://khup.com/view/2_keyword-loads-acting-on-ribs/report-5.html 2.3. Stringers or Longerons Interior of a Boeing/ Stearman PT-17 showing small channel section stringers. 2.3.1. Definition: A longeron  or  stringer  or  stiffener  is a thin strip of wood, metal or carbon fibre, to which the skin of the aircraft is fastened. Longerons are attached to  formers  in the case of the fuselage, or  ribs  in the case of a wing, or  empennage. In early aircraft, a fabric covering was sewn to the longerons, and then stretched tight by painting it with  dope, which would make the fabric shrink, and become stiff. 2.3.2. Properties: Longeron and stringer are used interchangeably. If the longitudinal members in a fuselage are less in number (usually 4 to 8), they are called longerons. The longeron system requires that the fuselage frames be closely spaced (about every 4 to 6 in/10 to 15 cm). If the longitudinal members are numerous (usually 50 to 100) then they are called stringers. In the stringer system the longitudinal members are smaller and the frames are spaced farther apart (about 15 to 20 in/38 to 51 cm). Longerons are of larger cross-section when compared to stringers. 2.3.3. Advantages: On modern aircraft the stringer system is more common because its more weight efficient despite being complex to construct and analyze. Some aircraft, use a combination of both stringers and longerons. The stringers carry bending moments and axial forces. They also stabilize the thin fuselage skin. 3. Power Plant: A power plant consists of propeller and engine.   The main function of the engine is to supply power to run the propeller. It also generates electrical power, provides vacuum source for flight instruments, and provides a source of heat for the pilot and passengers. The engine is covered by a cowling, or in some airplanes, surrounded by a nacelle. Its purpose is to streamline the flow of air around the engine and to help cool the engine by ducting air around the cylinders. The propeller on the front of the engine converts the rotating force of the engine into forward acting force called thrust that helps move the airplane through the air. 4. Landing gear: Every matter has its base on which it stands. The principle support of the airplane when parked, taxiing, taking off, or when landing is its landing gear. The most common type of landing gear consists of wheels, but airplanes can also be equipped with floats for water operations, or skis for landing on snow. The landing gear consists of three wheels two main wheels-tail wheels and a third wheel positioned either at the front or rear of the airplane-nose wheel, the design is referred to as a tricycle gear A steerable nose wheel or tail wheel permits the airplane to be controlled throughout all operations while on the ground.    5. Fuselage Fuselage is aircrafts main body and covers the majority of the airplane, it holds all other pieces of the aircraft together and other large components are attached to it. The fuselage is generally streamlined to reduce drag. Designs for fuselages vary widely. The fuselage houses the cockpit where the pilot and flight crew sit and it provides areas for passengers and cargo. Some aircraft carry fuel in the fuselage; others carry the fuel in the wings. 5.1. Types of Fuselage Structures: Truss Structure Geodesic construction Monocoque Shell Semi-monocoque 5.5.1. Truss Structure: This kind of structure is used in lightweight aircraft using welded steel tube trusses. A box truss fuselage structure can also be built out of wood-covered with plywood. 5.1.2. Geodesic construction: Geodesic structural elements used by during the wars, World War II, to form the whole of the fuselage, including its shape. In this multiple flat strip stringers are wound about the formers in opposite spiral directions, giving a basket-like appearance. This proved to be light, strong, and rigid and had the advantage of being made almost entirely of wood. Its redundant structure can survive localized damage without catastrophic failure. 5.1.3. Monocoque Shell In this method, the exterior surface of the fuselage is also the primary structure. A typical early form of this built using moulded plywood, where the layers of plywood are formed over a plug or within a mould. A later form of this structure uses fibreglass cloth impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin, instead of plywood, as the skin. A simple form of this used in some amateur-built aircraft uses rigid expanded foam plastic as the core, with a fibreglass covering, eliminating the necessity of fabricating moulds, but requiring more effort in finishing. An example of a larger moulded plywood aircraft is the de Havilland Mosquito fighter/light bomber of World War II. No plywood-skin fuselage is truly monocoque, since stiffening elements are incorporated into the structure to carry concentrated loads that would otherwise buckle the thin skin. The use of moulded fibreglass using negative (female) moulds (which give a nearly finished product) is prevalent in the series production of ma ny modern sailplanes. 5.1.4. Semi-monocoque. This is the preferred method of constructing an all-aluminium fuselage. First, a series of frames in the shape of the fuselage cross sections are held in position on a rigid fixture, or jig. These frames are then joined with lightweight longitudinal elements called stringers. These are in turn covered with a skin of sheet aluminium, attached by riveting or by bonding with special adhesives. The fixture is then disassembled and removed from the completed fuselage shell, which is then fitted out with wiring, controls, and interior equipment such as seats and luggage bins. Most modern large aircraft are built using this technique, but use several large sections constructed in this fashion which are then joined with fasteners to form the complete fuselage. As the accuracy of the final product is determined largely by the costly fixture, this form is suitable for series production, where a large number of identical aircraft are to be produced. Both monocoque and semi-monocoque are referred to as stressed skin structures as all or a portion of the external load (i.e. from wings and empennage, and from discrete masses such as the engine) is taken by the surface covering. In addition, the entire load from internal pressurization is carried (as skin tension) by the external skin. As stated above we are now familiar with the prime components of an airplane. Now let us get into detail, and understand the components such as the bulkhead, Frames, Ribs, Spars, Stringers (Longerons), and Skins. 5.2. BULKHEADS 5.2.1. Definition: A bulkhead is the physical partition that divides a plane or a fuselage into different classes or sections. Typically, a bulkhead is a wall but can also be a curtain or screen. In addition to separating classes from one another, i.e. business and economy, bulkheads can be found throughout the plane, separating the seats from the galley and lavatory areas. Bulkheads also contribute to the structural stability and rigidity of a craft. 5.2.2. Uses: 5.2.3. Loads: 5.2.4. Materials: 5.3. FRAMES 5.3.1. Definition: The airframe provides the structure to which all other components are attached. Airframes may be welded tube, sheet metal, composite, or simply tubes bolted together. A combination of construction methods may also be employed. The airframes with the greatest strength-to-weight ratios are a carbon fibre material or the welded tube structure, which has been in use for a number of years. 5.3.2. Uses: 5.3.3. Loads: 5.3.4. Materials: Material Selection Material Usage Advantages Disadvantages High strength unidirectional graphite/epoxy Spar caps High strength, low weight High cost, low impact resistance, difficult to manufacture High modulus  ±45 ° graphite/epoxy Skin (w/foam core), Shear web, Wing ribs High strength, low weight, low surface roughness, stealth characteristics High cost, low impact resistance, difficult to manufacture Aluminum 7075-T6 Bulkheads, Longerons Low cost, ease of manufacture, good sturctural efficiency Low strength, not weldable Stainless steel (AM-350) Landing gear Relatively low cost, high strength, corrosion resistance High weight Nickel (Hastelloy B) Nozzles and ducting Temperature resistance Low structural resistance Kevlar Internal armor High strength, low weight, high impact resistance High cost, difficult to manufacture

Use of Puck to Explore Love in A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Love is a timeless topic. It will forever be the theme of popular entertainment and source of confusion for men and women alike. No one understands this better than William Shakespeare, and he frequently explores this complex emotion in his plays. In "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" Shakespeare cleverly reveals the fickle and inebriating aspects of love through his mischievous character Puck. Though Puck adds much humor to the play while tormenting and drugging the lovers in the forest, he also acts as a catalyst in redirecting their devotions among one-another, thus demonstrating the fickle nature of love. For example, Lysander, who in one instant is blindly in love with his fair Hermia, will suddenly wake to find himself obsessed with Helena. Without questioning this drastic change, he boldly proclaims to Helena, â€Å"Content with Hermia? No, I do repent /The tedious minutes I with her have spent. /Not Hermia, but Helena I love. /Who will not change a raven for a dove?† (II.ii.118-21). Lysander’s drugged state (courtesy of Puck) was the source of his apparent change of heart, but even to this day this abrupt transformation happens more often than the average person would care to admit. Drugged or not, it is in the human nature to desire what isn’t ours, and admire the greener grass that our cute neighbor seems to have growing. The reader can also r elate to Demetrius’s statement, â€Å"Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none. /If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone† (III.ii.172-73)...

Betrayal in Hamlet Essay

How does betrayal or treachery help in developing the main character? What it reveals about the characters? Use a theme. How betrayal was a theme and how if affected the main character? William Shakespeare, one of the most influential writers in history, was renowned for masterfully elaborating themes of real life into his pieces of literature. In fact, his plays were able to transcend time, influencing the course of western literature because of their universal thematic. In one of Shakespeare’s most acclaimed plays, Hamlet, the author dissects the common theme of betrayal. Although the play carries the name of its main protagonist, all characters play crucial roles in the development of the many layers of meaning of the intricate plot and the character of Hamlet himself. Four characters in particular play important roles in developing a predominant theme in Hamlet. From the beginning of the play to the end, Hamlet experiences a development of character through the betrayals of Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Gildernstern. When the play opens, Hamlet’s relationship with his mother was very close. Nonetheless, after his mother married his uncle only two months after his father’s death, Hamlet suspected that she was involved in the plot to murder his father. Consequently, Hamlet’s feeling and trust in his mother were greatly diminished. These incestuous actions by Hamlet’s mother, the most important woman in his life, added the distrust of women to Hamlet’s feelings. He mocked his mother, the â€Å"seeming virtuous queen†, with phrases like â€Å"frailty, thy name is woman†, and â€Å"such dexterity to incestuous sheets†. His words not only illustrated his disgust, frustration and disappointment towards his mother and women in general, but also established Hamlet’s sense of isolation. A young man such as Hamlet often puts his mother on a pillar and uses her as a comparison as to how all women are to behave. Gertrude’s behaviour provided Hamlet with a false sense of security and distorted his views on women. Hamlet showed no affection towards his mother throughout the entire play. It is obvious that he loved her dearly, however, his behaviour did not portray his true emotions. Though it is difficult to see, due to Hamlet’s immature behaviour, it is clear that the loving relationship between mother and son did exist. The extent to which Hamlet felt betrayed by Gertrude is far more apparent with his interactions with Ophelia. Hamlet’s feelings of rage against his mother were directed toward Ophelia, who was, in his estimation, disguised her true nature behind a veil of impeccability. Ophelia complied with Polonius’ orders to stop seeing Hamlet, and later allowed both Polonius and Claudius to spy on her conversation with Hamlet. These continuous betrayals from Ophelia deteriorate Hamlet’s opinion of women. Hamlet advised Ophelia â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery†(3.1.121). Hamlet felt embarrassment and frustration in the failure of persuading Ophelia to care about him. In Hamlets eyes, this failure could only be explained by the fact that she is a woman. Hamlet’s love was broken and misused once again in the case with Ophelia. Hamlet’s consistent betrayal by the women in his life has added to the growing hatred of women through his eyes. Hamlet’s feelings for Ophelia shifted from passionate love, to resentful hatred. He resented her for being the weak character that she is and listening to her father, therefore not returning his love. While at the same time, he was madly in love with her, and could not express his feelings any more than he already has. Not only is he immature in his actions towards her, but also very unpredictable. For example, his behaviour towards her during the play that he created is immoral, and rude. His possessive and persistent behaviour frightened Ophelia, for he continuously threatened her and attempted to persuade her to return his love. Even Hamlet’s close friends Rosencrantz and Gildernstern betrayed him by spying on Hamlet for Claudius and Gertrude (Act 2 Scene 3). Rosencratz and Guildenstern represent disloyalty and dishonesty in the play. They betray their friend and conspire with the King to eliminate Hamlet. Hamlet uncovered their deceitfulness and ironically arranges for their death. Ironically, these two men’s treachery leads to their own demise in the hands of the man they betrayed, Hamlet. The betrayal of Rosencrantz and Gildernstern affected his life significantly. Hamlet reached his lowest point. From the evidence stated above, one can see that it was all the traumatic events in Hamlet’s life that lead him to grieve. Hamlet not only lost his father, but was also betrayed by everyone that he holds dear. Hamlet could not handle and bear all the pressures of life at that particular part in time. Hamlet’s character, though extremely complex and intricate, is also surprisingly immature and unpredictable. Hamlet’s personality is directly reflected in most notably in his relationships with his mother, Gertrude, and his lover Ophelia. The character of Gertrude and Ophelia help to reveal Hamlet’s true personality. The weakness and naà ¯ve aspects of their characters exemplify Hamlet’s controlling personality. Through their own characteristics, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Gildernstern helped illustrate Hamlet’s personality throughout the play. â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman† may have been Shakepeare’s attitude about the female characters of the play; however, this weak and naive characteristic that he placed on the female roles was a necessity to the play. Hamlet’s immature, unpredictable and insane behaviour could not have been defined if the female roles had not existed in the plot to shape his true personality.

Brand Repositioning

WHAT IS RE-POSITIONING? A company or product is new and people already formed judgments about it. In other word, the company or product already has an image either good or bad or in between. Many companies are not aware of their exact image but it is important if that image can be identified. If a company does not know where it is now, then that product or company unlikely to get to where it wants to go. RE-POSITIONING BRANDS As markets and customer needs evolve; brands can lose customers to new competitors.In addition, brands can become diluted as product or service offerings become commodities. When a brand loses meaning and relevance to target customer, a new brand promise should be defined so the brand can be repositioned. TYPES OF BRAND RE-POSITIONING Brand Re-positioning Brand re-positioning is changing the positioning of a brand. A particular positioning statement may not work with a brand. Brand re-positioning is undertaken in order to increase a brand competitive position an d therefore increase sales volume by seizing market share from rival products.When re-positioning companies can change aspects of the product, change the brand’s target market or both. There are four types of re-positioning options for develop a new product in market. I. Image Re-positioning This option takes when both the product and the target market remain unchanged. The aim is to change the image of the product in its current target market. For example product Adidas were seen as reliable but dull in early 1990s. The company created an image of ‘street credibility’ in an attempt to reposition the brand to appeal to the customer in the sports shoe market.During the 1990s, Tango the Britvic soft drink has been transformed from a minor UK brand into a brand showing dynamic growth. This has been achieved by creating an anarchic image for the products through a major promotional re launch that was aimed to appeal to consumers in the critical 16-24 age of group. II . Market Re-positioning The product remains unchanged but the product repositioned to appeal to a new market segment. For example, Lucozade is a brand of carbonated glucose drink was originally targeted as a product for individuals suffering from illness, particularly children.Now it has been repositioned as an isotonic drink aimed at young adults undertaking sporting activities. III. Product Re-positioning Product re-positioning is materially changed but is still aimed to appeal to the existing target market. Product positioning is closely related to market segment focus. Product positioning involves creating a unique, consistent, and recognized customer perception about a firm’s offering and image. A product or service may be positioned on the basis of an attitude or benefit, use or application, user, class, price, or level of quality.It targets a product for specific market segments and product needs at specific prices. The same product can be positioned in many different ways. IV. Total Re-positioning This option involves both a change of target market and accompanying product modifications. For example, Skoda has managed under Volkswagen’s ownership to reposition itself totally. The product quality and design has changed significantly and the brand now has credibility with new, more affluent consumers. This has also allowed the brand to expand its sales outside its Eastern European heartland.REASONS TO CONSIDER BRAND RE-POSITIONING 1. The brand has a negative image This can easily happen and often is not the company’s fault. Damage can be done by maverick individuals as in the notorious cases of poisoning of the products such as Tylenol and Perrier. It can also be an effect of government policy. For example, if a company builds a highway and forecasts year ahead the toll charges for the government, the public may know nothing about any intended road price increases until the government announces them at a much later date.This announce ment may be handled badly by the government, perhaps being made during recessionary times when disposable income is reduced. Although it is not within the control of the company collecting the toll, it still reflects badly on the company. Public relation is usually the fire-fighting answer, but forward looking companies use advertising and public relation strategically to think ahead about potential problems. This is sometimes scenario planning or issues management. The company looks ahead for a certain length of time.It can be months with fast moving consumer goods or a couple of decades with conglomerates. An example of how a company thought about its brand image in this way is seen in Telekom Malaysia’s sponsorship of the 1998 Malaysian Everest climb. Many things could have happened including the injury and death of the climbers. But a comprehensive set of guidelines was prepared for staff covering responses to possible questions the company would be asked in both positive and negative scenarios. On the other hand Coca-Cola did not seem to react quickly enough when the European scare surfaced in mid-1999.They suggesting that it might not have planned what to say in such unlikely circumstances and now it has a major re-positioning job to do. 2. The brand has a blurred or fuzzy image When this happen, people do not feel strongly about image one way or the other way or have mixed perceptions about it. This is quite likely to happen when a brand has not been positioned properly. Perceptual mapping would probably reveal that the brand is very close to other brands in terms of customer preferences and has little to differentiate it.A re-positioning exercise would need to be carried out to get the brand into a space away from the other brands. This may involve changes to product or packaging. 3. Competition has moved close or taken over brand position This is constant threat facing any successful brand because everyone wants to emulate success. It sometimes takes companies by surprise as Japan brand Lexus did to BMW in the U. Ss this is a constant hazard in the consumer goods category. Companies have to be prepared to constantly innovate with existing products and bring out new products to surround the category space.FedEx, one of the world’s leading courier companies upon finding out that all other Asian courier companies had positioned themselves around the benefit of speed as it had done moved away with a very large advertising campaign and suggesting that whatever the adverse circumstances, FedEx would deliver. It has not lost the speed benefit because this product related. It has instead added a dimension of corporate personality to strengthen overall company image hence differentiating it from the rest of the crowd. 4. The company embarks on new strategic directionWhen a company embarks on a new strategic direction move into a new industry or introduces a brand that is remote from the core business, brands with an already powerful image faces less of a problem this might bring. However, weak brands will find it essential to reposition it to convince the target audience of its credibility. For example, Coca-Cola feels confident enough to bring out its own brand of clothing. There are limits to brand extensions. If the brand name is not too elastic, a totally new brand name may be necessary. 5. The company introduces new brand personalityWhen a company introduces new brand values or personality characteristics it needs to undertake re-positioning. Privatization and deregulation have forced many government institutions to change their practices, values and their cultures. This is a significant challenge as consumer perceptions are deeply entrenched and re-positioning requires considerable persistence repetition backed up by a totally different brand culture and customer experience. Similarly, re-packaging a brand requires re-positioning. 6. The company addresses a new target audienceMoving to a new mar ket segment in addition to the existing ones is always tempting for the brand development. The danger lies in alienating the brand’s existing customer base. Example presented by Toyota, which said it is considering joining the Formula One racing by 2003. It is trying to revitalize its image to appeal more to the youth, a segment that tends to buy more innovative products such as those produced by Honda. By joining Formula One it hopes to send a message to young people about the fun of driving and position Toyota as technically up to date. 7. The sales are declining.This is the basic reason why Marlboro considered re-positioning in the 1950’s. If the absolute sales start to drop, you need to take a step back and figure out the cause. If you think that you are offering your service or goods at its best, but it still does not continue to attract customers, it could be that your brand needs to be refreshed, if not represented differently. 8. New competitors have a better v alue proposition. In that case, rest assured that your initial position will be destabilized. If customers see that other brands offer better than yours, they tend to shift.Hence, company option is to either step up or get left behind. 9. Customers think that your brand is outdated and not established. Being an older brand does not necessarily put you at a higher position. Customers may see your brand as outdated or irrelevant. What you need to work on is how you can really ‘establish’ your brand. You know your brand is established when customers trust and go back to it again and again. In other words, established brand produces loyal customers. 10. Your products and services have evolved drastically. Over time, companies change and expand.You may have added new products, refined old ones, or expanded the line. This would help you stay relevant and fresh. However, if you have changed your products or offerings over a long stretch of time, chances are, the branding strat egy that you started with does not reflect the brand anymore. It might be out of sync already. You may need to change it to mirror what the brand stand for now. HOW TO REPOSITION BRAND FOR HIGHER MEANING? To be successful at re-positioning your brand, you have to create higher meaning and aim higher. Aiming higher requires outward thinking and learning from the marketplace.Some companies have been engaged with a variety of consumer products brands whose managers are seeking new opportunities to grow their brand’s value. In all these engagements, I have noticed a common thread among all of them which was consumers no longer care about them because they have lost their compelling meaning in the consumer’s mind. Once a consumer’s mind is made up about a brand, it’s next to impossible to change it. The decisions facing brand managers and marketing executives regarding how they deal with our ever-evolving market landscape usually comes down to three options: i . ontinue to invest in the existing brand meaning ii. create a sub-brand iii. invent a completely new brand All of these options have advantages and disadvantages, more so if the brand is also facing dramatic challenges in distribution. The driver underpinning all these options is change. Brands are dynamic. They have their cycles and they run their course. What is hard for managers to grasp is when to move on. This is particularly true if the brand was once a leader. Market success always creates size, power and a false sense of security.Over time, this creates an unrealistic view of the external reality, and a lack of urgency to correct course in maintaining relevancy among consumers. Brand managers naturally become inwardly focused and they tend to miss seeing new opportunities or competitive threats. Complacency becomes the norm and the brand’s compelling meaning in the minds of consumers gets blurred and sales drop. If the companies are faced with reinventing brand, the problem that they faced most likely is obvious. Somehow many people believe a good idea has to be clever, mysterious or layered in complexity. The best ideas for re-positioning brands are simple.If the core idea behind the brand’s meaning is not simple and obvious, it would not stand a chance in the over-crowded slush pile of a marketplace in which the brand must reside. Simple ideas are self-evident, which is why they work so well. Positioning is the art of sacrifice. A brand can only stand for one compelling, radical differentiating selling idea. The trouble with simple ideas is they have no appeal to the imagination and are easily over-looked. We are naturally drawn to the more clever and ingenious ideas. Resist this temptation. The company needs to aim higher thinking toward the simple, obvious differentiating idea hat elevates the brand to a new meaning people really care about. RE-POSITIONING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE It is high time we re-examine the way re-positioning of brand is done in this ever changing market place. Uncertainty and trends have placed companies in a race against time. Gone are the days when work for every segment of consumers like a charm. The life and soul of the market place today is focusing and engaging specific target market. Major paradigm of strategic re-positioning is now introduction of small scale change with budget.Value based system is the money spinner that competitors have been using to bring companies down. Strategic re-positioning and exploitation of brand advantage is the only cash cow that can be used to counter them. The re-positioning strategy below will keep the company aware from the failure. 1. Reposition brand internally. Internal brand building is an emerging trend in marketing that is used to solidify the position of a brand in an organization. Brand based internal communication will communicate new strategic position of a brand to employees of an organization.Major home improvement companies like Home Depot, and Lowes are example of companies with strong internal communication. Engagement will foster strategic intent of re-positioning in to the training experience and job activities of employee. Organization alliance with brand re-positioning activities will enable company to achieve increased customer referral expanded sale portfolio, and customer service efficiency. 2. Carry out consumer analysis The essence of carrying out consumer analysis is to identify prospects, customers and target group in order to position brand correctly.Success will go an extra mile if new product development can focus consumer’s need and wants. New brand profile should correlate with consumer behavior and value. New product development manager have to make sure that they meet and exceed consumer expectation in order to make them loyal to brand. And lastly company should engage brand in the mind of consumers consistently in order to create a lasting emotional affinity. 3. C ompetitive analysis Competitive analysis is the assessment of the strength and weakness of your rival. Company does not underestimate the power of their competitors.Emergence of technologies has made it easy for them to gain insight in to the future before anyone does. New product development should create an uncontested market space by making sure their marketing mix is innovative in nature. They can differentiate the position of their brand by instilling a distinct feature in price, promotion, distribution and the product itself. 4. Fine tune to advertising strategy Companies like Verizon, gap, apple, Microsoft and MacDonald have fine-tuned their advertising strategy to â€Å"consumer needs† tactics. Appealing message will create brand awareness and increased sales to them.By using a medium that will clearly communicate new brand position and features to existing customers and prospects. They have to employ message that has specific objective in order to add value, success, quality, excitement, substance, and equity to the positioning of their brand. Besides that, advertising objectives should be derived assessment of market situation, price position, competition, and channel of distribution. 5. Create good relationship with trade partner and channel members Trade partner and channel members are people that ensures product or brand gets to the hands of final consumers.Intermediaries have very strong ties to brands. Good strategic partnership and relationship with channel members are very important in ensuring that new brand position is communicated to consumers. They can also supply sales force and marketing communications necessary persuade consumers to go beyond buying a product. Companies like Dell Computer, FedEx, and Charles Schwab have a very great system that have enabled them achieve a very powerful competitive advantage. 6. Reassess It is always good to carry out assessment of brand position continuously to ensure relevance in the market.This strategy will eliminate risk and problem from piling up. It is done by carrying out internal and external analysis of brand rating within employees, customers and prospect. The result of the analysis will enable them to know the strength and weakness of brand position. Furthermore, data collected will enable you map out informed strategy to reposition their brand all over again. PROFITABLE WAYS TO REPOSITION A BRAND The reason is because brand re-positioning strategy is applicable to wide range of real business problems and marketing issues.Brand re-positioning is the only effective strategy that can generate feasible solution to problems based on current needs of the market. Therefore, it is imperative organizations understand specific ways to reposition a brand. Below are illustrations of ways to reposition a product or services. i. To make brand relevant One way to reposition a product or service in the mind of target market is to make it relevance. Brand relevance can be define d as the alignment of brand’s identity, attribute and personality with the needs of target group.The reason behind making brand relevant constantly is because of changing needs of the society and profusion of alternatives. Brand relevance entails keeping brand current and significant in the mind of target group. It also encompass ensuring that brand resonate and connect to consumers emotionally. ii. To enhance brand identity Another way to reposition a brand is to enhance its identity in the market place. Brand identity is the visible element of a brand such as colors, logo, design, symbol and name that distinguishes a product or services in the mind of consumer.Identity enhancement is done especially if there is no consistency between brand interfaces and consumers. Redefinition of identity is also done when two or more company is merging together. Brand identity is strategic or substance oriented in nature. Brand identity begins with analysis of marketing environment and en ds with using research data to create relevant brand portfolio. iii. To enhance brand personality Organizations reposition brand personality especially when they need to solidify customer loyalty and engagement.According to David Aaker, author of the book â€Å"Building strong brand† â€Å"brand personality can also be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a given brand†. It is also the personification of intangible and tangible traits of a brand. Brand personality projects beliefs and core value of product or services. It is a framework that creates passion and affinity for consumers. Types of brand personalities include trustworthiness, sincerity, strong, reliable, consistency, sophistication, and emotional. iv. To enhance brand experienceAnother way to reposition a brand is to enhance consumers experience in order to gain long term competitive advantage. Brand experience encompasses aligning product or services to end-user mood, needs, desires, and behavior. It also involves using stimuli to invoke feelings, sensation and responses. A memorable and unforgettable experience is created by being insightful, remarkable, valuable, dynamic, relevance and accessible enough to unravel gaps and deliver satisfaction incessantly. Customer’s physical & emotional expectations are enhanced by creating great experience at all faucet of interaction. . To enhance brand essence Periodically, organizations enhance the essence of their brand by associating brand with meaningful and relevant substance. Brand essence is a pathway for adding value and equity to a product or services continuously. The concept of brand essences is also defined as a phrase or statement that contains emotional connection or impression about product or services experience. It is the DNA or core characteristic that distinguishes a brand from other alternatives. Illustrations of traits associated with brand essence include unique, relevance, scalable, and susta inable. i. To enhance brand image/reputation Another Way to reposition the image of a brand is through its appeal, fame, and value. Business dictionary defines brand image as the â€Å"impression in the consumer’s mind of a brand total personality†. Brand image can be also defined as what a brand stand for or set of specific belief about brand in the mind of consumers. It deals with readjusting the perception of consumers on brand. It is tactical or appearance oriented in nature. Various ways to enhance brand image is through advertising, promotion, word of mouth, customer service and other touch points. ii. To adjust brand association Re-positioning of brand association is done by organizations to increase product or service appeal to core target group. Business dictionary defined brand association as the â€Å"extent to which a particular brand calls to mind the attribute of a general product category†. It can also be defined as the meaning, attributes, image associated with a brand in the mind of consumers. Associating brand with enchanting features can solidify loyalty and turn consumers to evangelist or advocates.Various brand association include customers contact, advertisements, character, word of mouth, celebrity, category, geography, end-users, slogan, intangibles, products, extensions, and displays. viii. To emphasize on brand attribute Sporadically, factors like unstable market, short product life cycle, technological advancement, and alternative can make the attribute of a product or services irrelevant. Re-positioning of brand attribute is done by emphasizing on attribute that matter most to consumers or target group. Brand Attributes is defined as the properties or characteristics of a product or services.It can also be defined as the emotional as well as functional association consumers confer to a brand. Types of attribute include cost, friendly, authentic, innovative, prestige, and reliability. ix. Brand differentiation Or ganization indulges in differentiation strategy when they need to establish a strong identity in the mind of consumers. Business dictionary defined brand differentiation as the â€Å"result of effort to make a product or service stand out as a provider of unique value to customers in comparisons with its competitors†.Chosen point of differentiation need to be significant to target market, not used by competitors and supported by organizational resources. Types of differentiation include components, performance, experience, market leader, convenient, innovation, pioneer, essential, expertise, and responsiveness. WHY BRAND RE-POSITIONING COULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION THROUGH WEBSITE? When you have been working on a brand for a long time, it can be depressing to find out that it is not having the positive effect that you hoped.Examining the brand equity for the website can sometimes reveal that there is virtually no difference between marketing your company with the brand, and prom oting it without. This usually means that your current brand is missing the mark, and you are just not connecting with your customers. In order to create a better equity, and retain more customers while bringing in new traffic, you should seriously consider brand re-positioning for your website. Re-positioning a brand means changing the angle or design of your current brand marketing campaign, or even simply discarding your brand and starting again.On a website, which needs to be constantly changing in order to keep up with modern trends, it can actually be a good idea to reposition your brand every so often. This keeps the website fresh for your clients, and can also attract and retain customers who would not be otherwise connected, while also allowing you to fine-tweak the Brand Promise or other elements which affect the levels of brand equity. There are a number of reasons why you should consider brand re-positioning for your website. If you are just not attracting the sales that you had at the beginning, then changing the brand can bring back former customers.You would also need to focus upon promoting different elements of your products or services to keep the interest, but this can be a positive side effect of brand re-positioning. Another reason may be that brand you have chosen does not really match your website, and you are therefore losing customers. For example if you are promoting a brand of shoes with puppies and kittens on, then you would not want a brand image that more resembles a heavy metal poster. Your customers base their opinions of your values upon your branding, so the item and the brand need to be a close, if not completely perfect, match.A brand which clashes with your website or the item or service offered for sale simply has to go, and changing the logo, colors and appearance of your brand can be the incentive that some websites need to completely overhaul the way that they operate which was by leading to new initiatives that generat e more income for the owners. Brand re-positioning can also be a step designed to help the owner of the website with brand management, keeping the brand to a set design, and making it clearly different from other types of brand which are very similar to your own.If a rival company has put out a product with a virtually identical brand to your own, then you can cut down their stealing of your clients by changing the appearance of your brand. This type of brand re-positioning can also ensure that you keep up-to-date with your opposition, and don’t become the traditional website, as this can put off some buyers. There are also several different types of effects which can result from brand re-positioning. For example, you may find that changing the look and feel of your brand can make your company more relevant to the customer.If you offer a service, then you may find that your regular customers increase their levels of use, because re-positioning the brand has opened up potentia l uses that the customer had not previously thought of. It may also serve to make the customer take your product more seriously. Sometimes when a website has been used for a long while, clients can feel a bit bored about your site, and re-positioning can make them think again about your products. Re-positioning can also ensure that your brand keeps up with changing market conditions that would otherwise have resulted in a drop in sales.By constantly re-positioning the brand in the market, websites can keep themselves one step ahead of the competition, and keep up with current trends. Making sure that you don’t fall behind ensures that you retain customers and keep bringing in new ones. In the more modern era of the social network site, companies also rebrand in response to changing customer demands. Some websites may need re-positioning in order to keep the interest of ‘followers’, because it gives them something to notify their fans about, and so keep the compan y in the user’s memory.Others may hear direct complaints about their current brand, and this can lead them to reposition their brand in the market, hoping to ease customer dissatisfaction with a particular part of the brand’s products. Although you may not have experienced any opposition as yet, re-positioning is a good idea even for a very small company with social networking contacts, and in order to ensure that effective branding is installed, working with a company such as www. expertsbranding. com can ensure that you keep your brand contemporary and consistent even after it has been repositioned.SUCCESSFUL BRAND RE-POSITIONING There are three key factors in successfully planning for and delivering on brand positioning. There are of course many examples of this not going to plan and in fact companies having to back-track on their new promise to a more pragmatic place. The three components to success or consideration on this topic to be: i. Planning new positioning so that it fits within the existing reference points of the target market. Some company much like the creation of social media personas and communities and not trying to create a new identity or personality or place for the brand.That is too far away from the existing perception of that brand in its category and market position. ii. Ensuring that the audience will grant you permission to re-position. This stage essentially encourages the brand to again consider current customer sentiment. The question is they looking for the brand to evolve and change, or are they comfortable with where it is or not even aware of the current positioning. Essentially efforts are wasted if the audience are not likely or be receptive. iii.Finally, and I think critically, the last component is ensuring the organization delivers on the new brand promise. This seems logical, but the best examples of brand re-positioning are where brands start transforming internally and fundamentally – brand of cou rse needs to behave like it wants to be seen. No one likes a big talker with no follow through. EXAMPLES OF RE-POSITIONING BRAND SUNKIST In this digital age where music and the virtual world dominate most of the younger generation's daily lives, marketers have to change and adapt their strategies to reach their target market.Recently, the American soda brand Sunkist has initiated a brand re-positioning. They are now aimed at trend savvy teens and young adults. Sunkist's brand manager said that they just can't rely on traditional marketing. The brand's mother company, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, is now utilizing YouTube, MySpace and Facebook platforms to promote their products. The company has also partnered with MySpace to promote its project. Sunkist has also created four new videos featuring young break dancers out at night.Many brands and companies are now using digital communication mediums and social media tools for a more relevant communication strategy that is in line with t heir target markets’ interests and ways of life such as LG, Unilever, and Nutella. In an era when people are switching from television to computers and mobile phones, companies cannot only use traditional advertisement channels and must find new ways to reach their customers. Today, the proliferation of online platforms seems to be a great opportunity for marketers to enter this new age of communication.There is no doubt that Sunkist’s new strategy will help the brand increase its global awareness and successfully reach their consumers. Today, the young generation is more health conscious and probably less willing to buy drinks containing huge amounts of sugar. Sunkist did their market research before launching the new campaign to ensure their brand re-positioning is a success. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON Liquid petroleum is low-value, mass-produced and has a wide variety of uses; there is huge potential for mass marketing.The market name for this substance has been long known as Mineral Oil, used primarily for health and medical uses. But US pharmaceutical and fast-moving-consumer-goods manufacturer Johnson and Johnson bridged the gap between the initial R&D and the market-ready innovation by defining a baby-care niche: Johnson’s Baby Oil was born. This extended their ‘baby’ product range, which later also included ‘No more tears shampoo’. These products demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of a ‘Focus’ strategy as the consequential brand re-positioning shows, operating in a niche has its limitations.The branding of their baby oil and shampoo has highly effective in defining their niche: happy babies in above-the-line advertising, pink packaging and a trusted producer sends out all the right connotations; mothers know that these products will never harm their babies. As a result of this, Johnson and Johnson can differentiate themselves from the competition by which is the essence of what a brand should aim to do that seduces a female-orientated target market to ignore generic competitors. This may have been key to uccess as Micheal Porter’s Five Forces demonstrates, Johnson and Johnson has less power than their customers, the supermarkets, who are also trying to sell their own-brand alternatives. Hence, branding to create a niche is a competition-driven objective. However, while it was a competitive strategy, nowadays the products are marketed to a wider, mass market and the ‘baby’ niche, which limited sales, has been ditched to pursue a new sales growth aim. This is essentially re-positioning a brand.The baby oil and shampoo, it is argued, if soft and gentle enough even for babies, then surely new consumers can be attracted to use the product, which mirrors a form of market development. Predictably, more customers equates to more sales and therefore greater revenue; also, by increasing demand Johnson and Johnson can benefit from internal economies of scale to red uce average unit costs, which boosts profit margins. But this is easier said than done: very good marketing was needed to successful reposition their products.Ironically, therefore, the secret behind successful brand re-positioning is not to change the branding to match the new consumer, but change the consumer’s perceived ‘needs’ to match the brand. REFFERENCES Brandsource. 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