Persuasive Tap Water free essay sample

IV. I will be explaining first the problems of bottled water, next the possible solutions to drinking water, and finish with what you can do to drink the cleanest and most healthy water. Transition to point #1: First I will be speaking about the problems of bottled water. Body I. Luckily drinking water in our country is very clean, but there are still plenty of sources where it can become contaminated. A. Tap water is regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) while bottled water is regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)— 1. This causes a huge issue because the same water we use for drinking has different regulations. 2. Unlike tap water regulations, bottled water companies are not required by the FDA to have certified lab tests on the water. Acording to EWG. com article Water by sara Sciammaco, retrieved may 2013 â€Å"The Environmental Working Group took a survey of 188 brands of bottled water . We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive Tap Water or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page . . they found only two provided information about its product to consumers† a. So just because you see a water bottle with the name Dasani or Arrowhead on it you trust it? b. There’s plenty of facts out there stating that water in water bottles are barely regulated making it basically equivalent to tap water for a much larger price. B. Not only can some water bottles be unsanitary but also it negatively affects our environment. 1. According to Kimberly Amaral, a Marine Biologist, in an article called Plastics in our ocean, retrieved May 2013 â€Å"Plastic bottles produce up to 1. 5 million tons of plastic waste per year. Now someone could easily say we recycle all those water bottles. Well the EPA says over 80 percent of plastic bottles are simply thrown away. 2. But what is not known is how it can affect our health. Water bottles can liter our oceans and lakes, which affect animals within such as fish. a. Humans eat fish and might ingest a contaminated one that was affected by a water bottle. (Transition) There are plenty of problems with water bottles that directly effect our lives but we can take matters into our own hands which is what Iâ€⠄¢m going to talk about next II. As consumers of water we have a say in what we drink, so why not take action? A. Filtered Water 1. To avoid drinking bottled water its simple drink tap water! 2. If you think it’s unsanitary than invest in a water filter, which conveniently fit in your fridge. a. Not only do you save money but you also are drinking clean water. B. Personal Action 1. If you are really passionate about this subject then you can petition to make changes in your community. 2. FDA does not regulate water bottles too well so bring it up at a town hall meeting and try to raise awareness on how we can get more regulations on water bottles. 3. There is a simple alternative to bottled water: buy a stainless steel thermos. a. Thermos are kind of like coffee mugs but they can keep your water cold for a long period of time. . According to Crains Detroit business, in article titled about thermosphere, â€Å"thermo state plastic bottles will typically use 30% less material then regular packaging, reducing material cost and shipping weight. † c. Utilizing a thermo mug can eliminate the countless dollars you spend on water bottles, and greatly decreases the nega tive affect on our environment. (Transition) Finally with these possible solutions to this problem I am going to tell you exactly what you can do. III. The truth is tap water isn’t unsanitary at all. A. Water bottle industries try scaring us into believing that tap water is unsanitary. 1. Many people think there are harmful chemicals in tap water. 2. Some industries even use tap water in their bottled water. a. Do you really think public water fountains at parks use unsanitary water to quench our kids? B. By drinking tap water we can save so much money. What we do not realize is how staggering the amount of money really is that we spend 1. We spend two thousand times more for bottled water than tap 2. Fifty to one hundred billion dollars every year (Transition) With plenty of signs revealing that tap water is safer and more economically efficient it should be an easy choice to make a change. Conclusion To conclude my speech I would like to review my points one last time. I. First the problem of drinking water bottles can directly effect your health, second there are several solutions that can cure this problem, and finally I explained what exactly you have to do to avoid this problem. II. As a final note I would like to say that is very hard not to crack open a nice cold and refreshing water bottle of on a hot day. But I hope my information that I shared with you today allows you to give one more extra thought on what exactly is in that water bottle even though it has a trusted name brand.. Thank you. Works Cited 5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water. MNN Mother Nature Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Audience Analysis, April 8, 2013, LAMC, Speech 101, Speech 0468. Marshlian, Tammy. La Mesa Reports Tainted Bottled Water on Campus. SCV Signal. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Amaral, Kimberly. Plastics in Our Oceans. Plastics in Our Oceans. N. p. , n. d. Web. 19 May 2013. Sciammaco, Sara. Water. Environmental Working Group. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 May 2013. ABOUT THERMOSHAPE. Crains Detroit Business [serial online]. May 16, 2011;27(20):0017. Available from: MasterFILE Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 22, 2013.

A Great College Recommendation Letter Template

A Great College Recommendation Letter Template SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While the best recommendation letters are unique to each student, they all share certain key features that make them effective. This guide provides you with a structure to help you produce an outstanding letter of recommendation. Not only will this recommendation letter template guide you through the writing process, it'll also assist you in determining whether you’re able to truly recommend a student for admission to college. Before outlining the steps, let’s consider what goes into a good letter of recommendation. What Makes for a Good Letter of Recommendation? The best recommendation letters are enthusiastic and highly positive about a student. They’re not just filled with compliments, though. They dive deeply to illuminate a student’s key intellectual and personal qualities. Additionally, these letters give specific examples to back up what they have to say. Rather than tell admissions committees everything they could ever want to know about a student, strong rec letters are focused on a specific narrative. You don't have to covera broad range of qualities, but rather you can focus in on the most significant ones, especially as they relate to your relationship with the student. You should start every recommendation letter by brainstorming the qualities you wish to highlight and examples you want to give. If you find you haven’t come up with much that’s positive or personal, then you might ultimately decide that you’re not the best person to write that student a recommendation letter for college. Let’s look more closely at this first stage in the rec letter writing process: brainstorming. The Brainstorming Stage There are a few main considerations in the brainstorming stage. First, how do you feel about recommending the student and why? Second, what key qualities do you intend to communicate in your letter? And third, what stories can you share to illustrate your points? Read on to consider each of these thoughts individually. How Do You Feel About the Student? Before delving into specifics, you should pause here and ask yourself how you feel about recommending the student. Are you able to genuinely provide a positive endorsement? If you feel relatively neutral, do you need more information from the student? In the case that you feel negatively towards a student, you may suggest that she ask another teacher to provide her with a letter. A lukewarm or negative letter would not be useful, or could even hurt, the student’s application. Admissions officers have a discerning eye when it comes to reading letters. They’ll be able to tell if you wrote your letter with reservations. If this is how you feel, then you may have to do the difficult thing and inform the student that you’re unable to provide a recommendation letter. If the student still wants you to fulfill the requirement, she should know that your letter may not do much to boost her chances of admission. In all three cases, you should root out the reasons behind your evaluation of the student. What qualities of the student have stood out to you? What Qualities Do You Plan to Highlight? Considering the features mentioned above, what intellectual and personal qualities of the student have you noticed or been impressed by? Intellectual qualities you could highlight include problem-solving skills, analysis, curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, and foreign language skills. Some personal qualities you could emphasize might be strength of character, honesty, integrity, courage, humor, thoughtfulness, maturity, cultural awareness, and compassion for others. Once you’ve narrowed down the key qualities you want to present, you can think about stories and examples. What Anecdotes Can You Share? After considering what qualities you plan to highlight, you should think about whatspecific anecdotes you can shareto illustrate your assessment and help the student come alive in the eyes of the reader. These stories can be based on your interactions with and observations of the student. They may also be informed by the student herself, through discussions and her â€Å"brag sheet.† The student should provide you with her thoughts on her goals and significant experiences that have shaped who she is today. These reflections can be helpful reminders, but ideally you also know the student well enough to write an insightful letter based on your familiarity with her academic work and personal character. Some potential anecdotes include times when the student you're writing the letter for showed exceptional intelligence, compassion, motivation, tenacity, leadership skills, and/or teamwork abilities. Once you’ve come up with a list of what you want to focus on and how to back up your evaluation, you can begin to draft. Want to build the best possible college application, with the strongest recommendations? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The Drafting Stage After brainstorming, you can start to shape your thoughts into the typical structure for a recommendation letter. It's usually a full page consisting of four paragraphs: the introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, and conclusion. Let's look at what should be included in each paragraph, and how a teacher and counselor might write their first body paragraphs with different ideas in mind. You can choose to start your letter as creatively as you wish, but all introductions should include certain key information, as you'll see in the next section. Introduction What does the reader want to know when she starts reading your letter? One, she wants to know who the letter is about. Just as importantly, she wants to know who you are, along with what makes you qualified to assess this student. Logistically, you should answer the latter question by providing your name, school, and contact information in official letterhead at the top. In your introduction, furthermore, you should explicitly state who you are and how you know the student. If you’ve taught the student in more than one class or gotten to know her in other contexts, like as the advisor of a club, then you should include that as well. The better you know the student, the more weight your recommendation carries. Here are a coupleexamples for starting out your recommendation. Example 1 To Whom It May Concern, It is my pleasure to recommend Judy, whom I taught in my th grade honors English program. Example 2 Dear Admissions Committee, I am delighted to recommend the multi-talented Eduardo for admission to your undergraduate program. As Eduardo’s th grade music teacher, as well as his chorus leader throughout all four years of high school, I've watched him grow into an outstanding and dedicated musician. Your entire introduction should be three to five sentences. After stating who the recommendation is for, who you are, and how you know the student, you may add about two sentences describing the student and introducing what’s to come. If you’re customizing your letter to a specific program or college, then you’ll mention that here too. Once you’ve introduced the student and yourself, you’ll move onto the first body paragraph. If you’re a teacher, you may focus on the student’s intellectual qualities and academic work. If you’re a counselor, you may speak more to a student’s growth throughout high school and role in the school community. Let’s start out by considering the first body paragraphthat a teacher might draft. Body Paragraph 1 (Teacher) Your first body paragraph should consist of four to six sentences. As a teacher, you may use this paragraph to hone in on the student’s key academic strengths and interests. In your brainstorming, you should have come up with the main qualities you want to describe, along with a meaningful anecdote to back up what you’re saying. Make sure to use enthusiastic and vivid language that will make the letter interesting and memorable to an admissions officer, who might be reading through hundreds of teacher rec letters. If the student especially impressed you, you might use a statement of high ranking, calling her, for example,one of the best students you’ve taught. This example uses a statement of high ranking and will go on to focus on Bella’s writing talent. Bella is one of the most talented writers I’ve had the pleasure of teaching in my ten years at Forks High School. She demonstrates a nuanced understanding of literature and is comfortable within spaces of ambiguity and interpretation. She produced a particularly thought-provoking thesis paper on spirituality in Native American literature... This second example focuses more on Dave’s strong interest in the subject of computer science. Dave has developed an avid interest in computer science. Not only was he an excellent student throughout the year, but he also worked on developing an app that would use a school-wide crowdsourcing strategy to clean up the school grounds†¦ As mentioned above, a teacher will draw on her experience with the student from class. A counselor, on the other hand, may speak more clearly on a student’s development over the years and/or participation in the greater community. Body Paragraph 1 (Counselor) While a teacher interacts with a student every day in the classroom, a counselor has a different relationship with the student. Rather than speaking to their work as a student, the counselor may talk about the student’s maturity, development, community service, and interactions with other students and faculty. As with a teacher recommendation, a counselor recommendation should hone in on a few specific qualities and give an insightful example. In the following examples, the counselor touches on one student’s school leadership and on the other'sgrowth throughout high school. Example 1 Rory brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to her fellow students and teachers. As Class President, she organized fundraisers and events that both raised money for class projects and were enjoyed by all. Last spring, she set up McKinley High’s version of The Sing Off, complete with spinning chairs for the judges to scoop up contestants for their teams. The entire performance was recorded and is available on our new YouTube channel, which Rory and her fellow student council members set up and have added to throughout the year. Example 2 Michael has impressed all of us at Washington High School with the incredible progress he’s made over his four years. While he arrived in 9th grade with limited English, he’s grown his language abilities in leaps and bounds. Now he actively participates in his classes and contributes to the school newspaper. His latest article on college planning for ELL students, in which he shares his personal story and family background, has been shared among faculty and counselors here at the school. While the teacher and counselor may start out their recommendations by focusing on different aspects of the student, their second body paragraph may share more similarities. Here you might discuss the student’s impressive personal qualities. Body Paragraph 2 In the second bodyparagraph, you might focus on revealing the student’s personal strengths and personality. You could talk about traits like integrity, honesty, compassion, courage, and resilience, to name a few. Admissions officers want to know if the student has overcome any particular challenges in life, or if there are any special family circumstances that have affected the student. Apart from shedding light on the student’s personal journey, you also want to consider how you can add to her application. What has she already shared, and how can you both complement and add to her story? Whatever you choose to share, it should be something that you can speak in some depth about. In the following example, the recommender speaks about Jamie’s strong value of integrity. Not only is Jamie an outstanding history student, but he also displays exceptional strength of character. When you speak toany of his teachers aboutJamie, the first word that comes up is "integrity." He’s an honest and caring young person committed to upholding these values in our school community. When administrators revised the school handbook last year, Jamie volunteered to review and give input into the section on academic integrity and plagiarism. He helped promote the ideas throughout the school and stayed after for discussion groups on what leads students to turn to cheating. Once you have two strong body paragraphs, you’ll finish yourletter with a succinct and memorable conclusion. Conclusion In the conclusion of your letter, you should reiterate your support for the student’s application to the college or program. You can add a concluding statement of her strengths and assets, making sure to reinforce the points you made above while still adding fresh language. On top of this, your conclusion may offer a vision of how the student will perform in the future, both in terms of personal achievement and contributions to her college community. Finally, finish up by inviting admissions officers to contact you for any further information. Most letters end with the salutation of â€Å"Sincerely,† followed by your name, position, and school. Outside of this overall four-paragraph structure, there are a few formatting points to keep in mind. Want to build the best possible college application, with the strongest recommendations? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Format of Your Recommendation Letter Your recommendation should be a full page in length. Any less may look that you didn’t have much to say about the student. Any more is unusual and not necessary apart fromexceptional circumstances. Use official school letterhead and include all the necessary contact information described above. Ultimately, you’ll upload your letter to the Common Application or a college’s individual application portal. In closing, let’s review the structure to follow when brainstorming, drafting, and revising your recommendation letter. Following the Recommendation Letter Template As you brainstorm exactly what you want to communicate in your letter, keep in mind how you can structure your thoughts according to therecommendation letter template described above. To review, let's go over the key elements you should include: Introduction:Here, you'll state your support for the student, describe how you know the student, and touch on her key strengths and achievements. Body Paragraph 1: In your first body paragraph, you may speak about a student's academic strengths and interests, along with an anecdote to back up your assessment. If you're a counselor, you may focus more on the student's community involvement in this first body paragraph. Body Paragraph 2: In the second body paragraph, you can reveal the student's impressive personal qualities, ones that admissions officers may not know about from the rest of her application. Make sure to include a meaningful example to back up your assessment. Conclusion:Restate your support of the student, andprovide a vision of her future success. Invite admissions officers to contact you with any questions. While letters will vary in terms of writing style and emphasis, the best ones will include these key elements. To write an effective letter, as well as to make sure that you can genuinely recommend a student, you should take the time to plan and map out your letter according to this template. You can include meaningful anecdotes based on your interactions with the students and discussions with her about her college plans and application strategy. By gathering thoughts from the student herself and informing yourself about how to structure your rec letter, you'll be poised to write a memorable letter that will both impressadmissions officers and help them get to know the studentbetter.Your letter canreveal meaningful insight into the student's academic and personal strengths and thereby make a significant impact in improving her chances of admission to college. What's Next? Now that you've learned about a template you can use to structure your recommendation letter, check out these sample recommendation letters. Here you can read 4 great teacher recommendation letters, plus 3 examples of bad teacher recs. Beyond this structure, what else do you need to know about writing a letter of recommendation? This complete guide discusses how to write a strong letter of recommendation, from how to choose powerful language to the common traps to avoid. Are you a counselor writing a letter of recommendation?Check out our guide that includes three excellent examples of counselor letters of recto give you some ideas. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The role of operational management in the construction industry Essay

The role of operational management in the construction industry project - Essay Example The study provides an analysis of actions to be taken by strategic project management which can enable planning and completing construction process in time and within set cost targets. A brief conclusion is provided touching on key lessons that project management can learn from experiences in the project. Szkieletor also known as Skeletor is an incomplete building in Poland. It is located in the sides of Krakow near Rondo Mogilskie. The building stays incomplete in its construction since 1975. It is one of the tallest structures around and it was intended to be headquarters of the main Technical Organisation. The reasons for the incomplete building construction are a result of deterioration of the economy and high costs of construction materials. Szkieletor construction was intended to be made into an international four star luxury hotel, A-class offices, several commercial facilities and luxury apartments. Construction of Szkieletor was based on location of apartments in relation to targeted market. Luxurious apartments constructed were targeting individuals who were well off in terms of income and thus payment. The offices and commercial facilities were to be constructed for those in a position to acquire them since the city was growing up fast enough to demand the offices. The costs of the apartments were to be set as per the market price. The adjustments of the project were flexible enough to incorporate the ever adjusting activities during the construction process.... The offices and commercial facilities were to be constructed for those in a position to acquire them since the city was growing up fast enough to demand the offices. The costs of the apartments were to be set as per the market price. The adjustments of the project were flexible enough to incorporate the ever adjusting activities during the construction process. The cost budget was well set by qualified management team and construction process commenced. Several adjustments were made during the construction process so as objectives in the proposals would be met. The project management team selected to head and run the project was not qualified enough to address factors that would affect the project before commencing construction process. Lack of proper qualification may result into several inconveniences due to poor construction process and even failure of the project. The selected project management team should be made aware of the requirements of the project and the necessary resour ces availed to them. Duration that the construction process expected should also be conveyed out so that when construction strategies are being made time factor is kept in mind. Since the project management is the one supposed to control the project, it should be fit to undertake the given work. Where investment is involved there is an aspect of risk. If the risk is passed to a staff that cannot handle apartment construction then great losses are anticipated. It is required that the selection panel be careful to award the tender to the right team which will not cause defaults of the programs jeopardizing the whole project. Assessment of the extent of risk involved should be carefully done so that no mistakes are left out before the start

Metrics Estimation Analysis And Team Assignment Essay

Metrics Estimation Analysis And Team Assignment - Essay Example Various organizations have their specific measures that yield their desired goals; as well failure to measure project progress and performance reduces levels of monitoring and evaluation. Measurements are crucial in problem identification, the position of a certain program and their respective processes. It is good to pinpoint mistakes and errors at the initial stages by use of appropriate measurement tool which yields a more quantifiable accurateness of more complex projects (Pressman 2006). Metrics in its innate form can identify critical risks and accord resolutions before they happen. Importance of measurements therefore, is crucial a strategic, technical and project level. The goals of an organization are initially done before listing questions and identifying the measures to be undertaken. In order to have successful project development, the measures should each have attributes, evaluation, unit and counting rule. The measures are: 1. Support Definition: The supportability of a system e.g. software can be measured by tracking specific pertinent supportability features. The developer and acquirer have the opportunity to obtain knowledge which can be directed to supportability control. The systems support can be described in the form of memory size, I/O (input and output), the process, average module size, module complexity, error rate, supportability and lines of code change. Counting and Measurement: The metric can measure spare memory over time which should not be below any specification requirement. Metrics also tracks amounts of I/O that are reserved as functions of time again the capacity should not be below the given requirements. On the process, throughput capacity entails the amount of time and should not be below specification requirements. Average module size should not exceed requirement specification. Similar scenarios can be recorded by knowing the number of errors, average time required and average lines of code changed per deficiency. Estimation: the measurements need to start at project level and should include project planning, monitoring which will entirely depend on the gathered information through the process of measurement (Pressman 2006) Ana lysis: metrics used are representations of software and the process yielding them. Advanced process metrics is as a result of more mature software development process. It requires accurate data to provide good metrics process. There are indicators that are brought out by measurement of data. The indicator quality influences the analysis process since both objective and subjective measures are required when determining the current program state. The objective data constitutes staff hours, software lines of code, current function points, the prevailing components, list of items to be tested, number of coded units and the potentiality of changes and errors. On the other hand, subjective data could be based on the feelings of individuals or groups comprehension of certain features. Collected data must determine issues to be addressed, which requires understanding of metric meanings through performing multiple data sourcing, studying the data collection process at a lower level, separati on of collected data, emphasizing on different data sources and realizing the development process. 2. Risk Definition: To run projects effectively, risks have to be identified and solutions given appropriately. The users should beware of existing and potential limitations and give actions appropriately. There is good knowledge on the levels of risks that can occur in software development environments. To avoid risks understanding of all phases and data

In the heart of the sea the tragedy of the whaleship essex analysis Term Paper

In the heart of the sea the tragedy of the whaleship essex analysis - Term Paper Example The main aspect in the story is the whaling ship Essex as well as its inmates who sets out for whaling and gets destroyed by an attack of a sperm whale. The story background is set during the year 1819 when the whale ship having a crew of twenty people abroad sets out for a two year voyage. The ship faces disasters for nearly one and a half years and gets rammed by the sperm whale and sank in the pacific. All the crew gets on to three whaleboats and were lost at sea for three unbearable months equipped with short rations and very little fresh water. This situation leads to death due to starvation as well as killing by others for food. During the course, one boat gets disappeared and the other two gets separated. When the rescue time arrives at the coast of Chile, only five men had survived this tremendous ordeal. This includes the captain and the first mate as well as three others rescued from a nearby Henderson island. The story brings out an era of life giving its readers a nostalg ic and tragic picture of the whaling industry and its society. The story relies upon the narratives of two survivors. One of the survivors has just been found through his narratives, the hardships of life of a whaling sailors are descripted in a very interesting manner. His narratives include modern medical knowledge of the physical and mental effect of starvation. The book also has descriptions of other two shipwrecks as well as stories of survivors who loved their rest of their lives as well as an introduction to the recent work of the Nantucket whaling museum. â€Å"The heart of the sea† is one of the greatest sea stories ever written. It has an extraordinary ordeal of ordinary men along with a wealth of whale lore as well as a brilliantly described portrait of the ones who are lost among the unique community of Nantucket whalers. It is the story of man against nature. The impact of the shipwreck of Essex had far sighted impact on the community of Nantucket. It inspired ma ny writers including the creation of world classic Mobi Dick by Hermann Melville which was written on the basis of this story. The community consisting of about seven thousand people lived on a gently sloping crowded with houses and topped by wind mills and church towers. The community lived here peacefully. Only the sea below was crowded with activity. The destruction of the ship Essex cast a shadow on the family of crew members. Children lost their joyfulness due to their loss of their fathers. Moreover the destruction and its aftermath teached the community a new type of psychology of survival and the incidence of cannibalism in extreme conditions. The destruction also had an impact on the nation. Since it was times of economic depression every one looked at the whaling community with expectations. The whaling industry was concentrated in and around Nantucket and it was shortly going to become one of the wealthiest towns in America within a short span of time. Destruction of Esse x created a shadow in their prosperity expectations. The capsizing of the ship was blockbuster news in New England and New York during the 1820’s. The survival tactics became well known tribulations about people going without food for very long periods. The author Nathaniel Philbrik has used the narrative of Owen Chase to write this book he also has taken into account the uncovered account of cabin boy

Comparing Costa and Starbucks

Comparing Costa and Starbucks One of the biggest and fastest growing industries today is the coffee industry. This industry basically includes individual cafes, hotel cafes and retail chains. In this study, we shall be focusing on the Retail Chains that belongs to the organized sector. The retail outlets share a particular brand and have similar kind of management, with standardized business procedures and practices. The major players today covering market share all over the world are Starbucks Coffee, Barista Coffee, Cafà © Coffee Day, Costa Coffee, etc. For this study, the two retailers Starbucks Coffee and Costa Coffee are chosen because of their identical pattern of functioning and growth. They are the two major players in the coffee cafà © industry, and their customers consider them both as interchangeable brands. That is why it is important to study how these brands differentiate themselves from each other, and attempt to improve brand loyalty amongst the customers. Objectives of the Study By conducting a comparative study of Starbucks Coffee and Costa Coffee, we shall study why one retailer is more successful than the other, and how the performance of these retailers can be improved. Studying the characteristics, history, performance and marketing strategies adopted by both the companies, and the customers perception about the two is the centre point of this research. The objectives of the study can be summarized as below: To compare and study the 4Ps, namely Product, Price, Promotion and Place, of Starbucks Coffee and Costa Coffee. To understand how these cafà ©s have positioned them in order to differentiate them in the market. To find out the customers perceptions and preferences about both these cafes and what motivates the customer to visit these coffee houses. To identify the areas where both organizations are performing well and areas where they need to improve. Research Methodology The methodology for the research includes: Survey Collection of Data Findings Recommendations Formulation of Questionnaire Classification Analysis Collecting primary data from the customers visiting Starbucks Coffee and Costa Coffee and the personnel of the organization through observations, filling up of questionnaires as well as interviewing them. The sample size is very small, i.e. only 5 customers, each belonging to a different age group and background. Collecting relevant secondary data from various sources like magazines, books, journals, internet, and Companys website. The data so collected shall be classified, tabulated and analyzed through graphs and pie charts to extract findings from the collected data. Based on the relevant secondary and primary data, a comparative analysis will be done so as to find out the areas of excellence and areas needing improvement. In the light of these findings, critical aspects shall be evaluated and recommendations and suggestions will be provided for the overall improvement of the Starbucks Coffee Company. Knowing Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks Coffee Company (Starbucks), one of the worlds premier roasters and retailers of specialty coffee, has travelled a journey beginning from opening just a narrow, single store in Seattles historic Pike Place Market in 1979, to more than 17,000 stores in 50 countries today. Starbucks offers one of the finest and fresh-roasted coffee beans in the world. The coffee buyers of the company personally travel to the coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia to select the best quality Arabica beans, which is roasted into a blend exclusively for Starbucks by the Starbucks experts, who bring out the rich flavor of the beans. Mission Statement To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Starbucks Products Starbucks offers a variety of products, ranging from hot cold beverages to eatables like sandwiches, salads, wraps, ice creams, etc. Keeping in mind the health and wellness of its customers, it has a separate menu for low-calorie food and beverages, along with its nutritional data. Knowing that some of its customers may be allergic to certain ingredients, the company offers products under Food Allergens section, specifying the food and beverages which do not contain the ingredient the customer is allergic to. The products are well designed, and are served in different measures, not on the basis of quantity, but according to the value for money. They also provide bottled drinks, which can be refrigerated and used at home later on. Moreover, there is a separate menu for kids keeping in mind their taste and health. Starbucks Price Starbucks has a skim pricing policy. They began with a higher price, and skimmed the cream of the market. With the growth in the number of outlets, came the benefits of economies of scale. Because of this, they have been able to gradually lower their prices, and appeal to different segments of their target market. The main factors that affect their pricing are their cost of goods sold, which is quite high because imports form a majority of its products. Starbucks Place Starbucks cater to their target market with strategically located outlets at main markets, malls, and family entertainment centers. The stores are considered to be having a warm and welcoming ambience whether for meeting friends and family, or enjoying time alone. There are around 8870 company owned stores and 8139 licensed stores. Starbucks Promotion Starbucks carries out mass promotion campaigns, mainly in the form of promotions on the Print, TV and Radio Medias. At present, they do not rely heavily on advertising, but rely more on sponsorships and strategic alliances with other corporations. It also takes part in various sales promotion activities to help increase sales at their outlets, some of which are Sponsorships, Collaborations, Tie-ups, Starbucks Membership Card, etc. Starbucks People The people at the stores have to undergo a training procedure so that they have an in-depth knowledge of the companys products and are able to provide best customer service. All employees are treated as partners and provided with comprehensive health coverage and stock in the company through the Bean Stock program to inculcate a sense of ownership and motivate them to perform their best. Starbucks Process The order and delivery process at Starbucks is based on self- service, where a customer goes up to the counter to place the order, and goes back to the counter to pick the delivery once it is prepared. The company believes that although it is just a moment, in which one hand reaching over the counter to present a cup to another outstretched hand, but it establishes a connection between the company and its customers. (Starbucks Coffee, n.d.) Knowing Costa Coffee Costa coffee was introduced in 1971 at 9 Newport Street, London, by Sergio and Bruno Costa. Worlds best Arabica and Robusta beans, sourced from Central and South America, Africa and the Far East, are blended to create a unique taste and aroma from its own blending company (Mocha Italia). Costa was the first UK-based coffee retail chain which operates the entire coffee making process from sourcing, blending, roasting, grinding and making coffee. Costa Coffee Products Like many other brands, Costa Coffee also offers a wide range of products in its retail outlets which includes hot chocolate, teas and infusions, iced coffees frescato. The USP of the company is its customized products without any extra charge. It prepares its coffee according to the exact requirement of the customer, where the customer can state its preference in terms of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee; skimmed, full fat or soya milk; variety of syrups; flavors of vanilla, hazelnut or caramel, etc. Moreover, the store provides a nutritional content chart and lists of allergens in their food and drinks for its health-conscious customers. Costa Coffee Price The pricing policy of Costa Coffees is not to touch the upper cream of the society, but to penetrate the market. Hence, price of its products is lower than that of Starbucks. Costa Coffee Place The location of Costa Coffee outlets is in the areas where there is maximum youth movement. It is found generally near colleges, shopping malls, petrol pumps, and areas which are easily visible and approachable. It is also located at all 57 Moto motorway services around UK. This shows the accessibility and availability of the Coffee Cafà © Day outlets for drive in customers. Costa Coffee Promotion Costa Coffee does not believe much in mass media promotions. But like other brands, it also has Costa Coffee Club Card. Its promotion techniques are unique. For e.g. it offers points when a customer goes to a Moto motorway services. Costa Coffee People The people at Costa Coffee are characteristically trained to be pleasant, polite and positive with the customers. They ensure that the customers have a memorable visit. Costa Coffee Process The order and delivery process at Costa is not based on self- service. The staff member fetches the order to the table of the customer. (Costa Coffee, n.d.) Findings and Recommendations Starbucks has an extremely strong brand image but they need to work hard on improving their quality of product as taste plays a major role in coffee industry. Starbucks should prepare its communication program in such a way that it changes customers perception and makes it an affordable brand. A majority of Costa outlets are located in the posh areas. Starbucks must open some outlets near residential areas in order to increase its market coverage. Starbucks should consider a change in its delivery process. It must shift to a more convenient format where a cafà © attendant delivers the product to the table. This change may seem insignificant but it also improves customer satisfaction. Conclusion Our survey made us reach the conclusion that both, Costa Coffee and Starbucks Coffee, enjoys equal customer preference. Although price and promotional schemes influence the decision of the people, but the taste of coffee is a very important factor in deciding the store to visit. Costa coffee has a unique taste which attracts the customers. Moreover, people love to sit in the excellent ambience provided by Costa coffee. The visitors in Starbucks outlets are basically executives and elite class, whereas Costa Coffee is preferred by youth. As far the prices were concerned, our research led us to the conclusion that the Costa Coffee offered low prices as compared to Starbucks Coffee and Starbucks can invite more crowd if they reduce their prices, along with providing offers. Bibliography Coffee Market. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www.maketradefair.com/assets/english/CoffeeMarket.pdf Costa Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www.costa.co.uk/ Starbucks Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www.starbucks.com/

John Heartfield :: Essays Papers

John Singer Sargent Recognized as the leading portraitist in England and the United States at the turn of the century, John Singer Sargent was acclaimed for his elegant and very stylish depictions of high society. Known for his technical ability, he shunned traditional academic precepts in favor of a modern approach towards technique, color and form, thereby making his own special contribution to the history of grand manner portraiture. A true cosmopolite, he was also a painter of plain air landscapes and genre scenes, drawing his subjects from such diverse locales as England, France, Italy and Switzerland. In so doing, Sargent also played a vital role in the history of British and American Impressionism. Sargent was born in Florence in 1856. He was the first child of Dr. Fitzwilliam Sargent, a surgeon from an old New England family, and Mary Newbold Singer, the daughter of a Philadelphia merchant. His parents were among the many prosperous Americans who adopted an outcast-like lifestyle during the later nineteenth century. Indeed, Sargent’s family traveled constantly throughout the Continent and in England, a mode of living that enriched Sargent both culturally and socially. He ultimately became fluent in French, Italian and German, in addition to English. Having developed an interest in drawing as a boy, Sargent received his earliest formal instruction in Rome in 1869, where he was taught by the German-American landscape painter Carl Welsch. Following this, he attended the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence during 1873-74. In the spring of 1874, Sargent’s family moved to Paris, enabling him to continue his training there. He soon entered the studio of Charles-Emile-Auguste Carolus-Duran. In contrast to most French academic painters, Carolus-Duran taught his students to paint directly on the canvas, capturing the essence of his subject through relaxed brushwork, a tonal palette and strong chiaroscuro. Although Sargent also spent four years studying drawing under Là ©on Bonnat at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, it was Carolus-Duran’s approach that would form the aesthetic basis of his style. Upon his teacher’s advice, Sargent also traveled to Spain and Holland to study the work of old master painters such as Diego Velà ¡zquez and Frans Hals, both of whom also employed skilled, fluid techniques.