Adidas vs Nike Case Study

Creating a powerful website wherein all products and services offered of the company are available and also a websites which interactive too. 5. Using woman athletes in their advertising tactics: commercials or models. SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ In many invents  is the biggest sponsor †¢ Strong management team †¢ Brand recognition and reputation †¢ Diversity and variety in products offered on the web (footwear, apparel, sporting equipment, etc. ) †¢ Strong control over its own distribution channel †¢ No bad reputation like child labor or environment pollution †¢ In the Soccer industry, Adidas has a stronghold Weaknesses †¢ High prices in some products †¢ E-commerce is limited to USA †¢ Online customer service not helpful or NOT easy to find. Opportunities †¢ Increase female participation in athletics †¢ Collaborate with other online retailers to offer Adidas products †¢ Possibility of outsourcing the web development and e-commerce to a third party developer   Threats †¢ Nikes strong reputation in the footwear and apparel industry too †¢ Negative image created by the sponsored athletes (i. e. Kobe Bryant and his sexual assault case) †¢ Increase in the Price of Raw materials Continuing challenges in import/export duties Competitors Analysis Strengths: †¢ Nike uses a â€Å"Make to Stock† customer order which provides a fast service to customers from available stock. †¢ Nike operates Nike Town shoe and sportswear stores, Nike factory outlets and Nike Women shops. Nike sells its products throughout US and in more than 180 countries. †¢ Nike is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the lowest possible price. †¢ Nike Company is great at expanding their product. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nike’s market share. Objectives of the Analysis 1. To help management understand their competitive advantages/disadvantages relative to competitors. 2. To generate understanding of competitors’ past, present (and most importantly) future strategies 3. To provide an informed basis to develop strategies to achieve competitive advantage in the future. 4. To help forecast the returns that may be made from future investments (e. g. how will competitors respond to a new product or pricing strategy? Strategies . Market Segmentation Most of the consumers of Nike’s products are mainly sportsmen. This is so because of the utility that comes with the products. An athlete is more likely to go a sports shoe designed and marketed by Nike more than a person who detests sporting and exercises. Nike targets these consumers by agreements between Nike and athletic teams, college’s athletic teams, etc. for product spo nsorship and eventual promotion to the members of these teams. In this way, Nike is able to reach a wide number of consumers and consumers who are more likely to buy. Even though others are likely to buy the products, Nike pays specific emphatic targeting to the athlete more than any group of individuals even though it also targets the youth who have embraced the hip hop culture 2. Targeting strategies Nike lays a number of strategies to target their immediate consumers; athletes and other sportsmen. The targeting strategies include among others the sponsorship of products by professional athletic teams, celebrity athletes and college athletic teams. This strategy is specifically successful because of its ability to reach a large number of athletes. If the athletic team manager prescribes a specific type of track shoes made by Nike, the trainees have no option other than to buy them. The teams can as well buy the track shoes in bulky and supply them to the team members. The second strategy that Nike applies is the designing of product destination. It does this by associating success with the product. For example, when a celebrity athlete sponsors a specific brand of athletic shoes, the brand will be associated with success. This psychological effect is reinforced with advertisements that affirm this position. Finally, Nike targets the consumers who are likely to develop product intimacy; those who care more about the utility and quality of the product than the price. In this way, the pricing is not affected too much in a bid to accommodate a large number of consumers. 3. Pricing Strategies Nike targets the consumers who embrace product intimacy and thus care less about the product. This has enables Nike to set relatively higher prices than its competitors. This is a strategy that calls for higher pricing points so as to push the perceived product value. It has been established that consumers who consider a product to be of high quality are likely to pay the high price more often and consistently. Once consumers develop product intimacy, they come to associate their person with the product and will pay whatever price quoted on the product provided it has the Nike logo on it. Another very important thing to note is the fact that Nike uses the vertical integration pricing strategy in which they take ownership of the participants at channel levels that differ and they also engage in multifarious channel level operations both in a bid to control costs and thus influence pricing function. . Distribution Strategies Distribution strategies embraced by an organization can either give them an edge in market or make them lag behind the winners in the market. The more efficient the product distribution is the more sales and thus more profits. The delivery of the right product and at the right time to the consumer not only effects utility but al so leads to high degree of consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Nike distributes its products on level basis. The high priced premium products are given to certain distributors while leaving the low priced to be sold at highly discounted prices at mega retail stores such as Wal-Mart. Whereas Reebok embraced a limited distribution strategy Nike ventured more into a global market capitalization. 5. Promotional and Communication Strategies Apart from Nike selling quality products which have lead to a high degree of customer loyalty, the promotional strategies that the company employs are simply superb. Nike has contracted a number of professional and celebrity athlete which have managed to draw a considerable attention to their products. Some of the sportsmen signed by Nike include soccer stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Basketballers such as Jermaine ONeal and Lebron James2, tri-athlete Lance Armstrong and golf superstar Tiger Woods. This has created a relatively high degree of Nike products’ awareness. Besides the signing of celebrity sportsmen to promote their products, Nike has also employed a great deal of advertisements through the mass media. Nike employs a selective- demand advertisement focused on the high priced shoes used for traditional sports. Research and Development Plan Adidas policy is to control and monitor hazardous substance to protect human health and environment, one of those is to eliminate PVC making progress in finding substitutes like polyurethane, ethyl vinyl, silicones thermoplastic rubber. Adidas also  provide training sessions on employment standards and HR systems, health  and safety is important for the company. Establishing teams to manage and monitor SARS in Asia factory, washing stations, disinfectant  units. Adidas join into technology by make up the world’s first smart shoe, adding a microchip inside the shoe and wireless mp3 player. Also using hot melt system of the  production that is environmentally safe, using heat-activated adhesives. The  packaging that company use, are suitable for transportation over long distances humid conditions and extreme temperature changes and use recycled paper and other  environmentally-friendly packaging materials. Human Resource Plan The welfare of the employees is significant for Adidas family. Adidas identified that in order to achieving the goal to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry depends on the talents, enthusiasm and dedication of the employees. In order to success their satisfaction Adidas uses various methods. Some of these are: †¢ provide medical insurance for staff located in different cities †¢ improve the housing accumulation fund and social retirement fund coverage †¢ introduce flexible working hours †¢ provide annual performance bonus for eligible employees †¢ Make internal agreements on the use of internet, (mobile) phone and E-mail, on reintegration of employees coming back from parental leave, and on on-call service †¢ Support the existence of formal work council Adidas as a large international company occupies thousand of employees of different ethics, cultures, and race. Due to the existence of the HR department the potential  problems are eliminated. As Adidas has to cover many different job positions, the skills that are demanded are various. HR department recruits both low and high skilled employees depending on each job description. Diversity exists in all matters  because there are employees of different age, gender, race, nationality and religion. Alternative Plan and Recommendation In human resource we recommend a continuous training to their employees which are very important. Have a continuous organized and numerous seminars in all levels of employment. As it is mentioned  before, Adidas believes that employees and their talents are critical to the continuing commercial success. For this reason, we recommend Adidas to create a Global Salary Management System which responsibility is to motivate employees through different ways of remuneration and through offering various attractive  compensation systems that could be implemented globally. ADIDAS GROUP OF COMPANY 2012 BRYAN MAWAC RHIZA NEMES 10/11/2012 949 The foundation 18 August adidas is registered as a company, named after its founder: Adi from Adolf and Das from Dassler. 50s The Miracle of Bern 1954 The Miracle of Bern Germany battle Hungary with a competitive advantage. They are wearing adidas soccer boots which for the first time feature removable studs. 60s Higher Driven by a desire to help all athletes committed to performance, adidas manufactures equipment for what some consider fringe s ports. Unconventional high jumper Dick Fosbury launches himself up and over in adidas footwear. 0s The adidas team wins Crowning moment: Franz Beckenbauer, the Kaiser, raising the World Cup in victory salute. Germany had just beaten Holland 2-1 in the 1974 final. 80s The transition After Adi Dasslers death, Adis wife Kathe, his son Horst, and his daughters carry on the business. 90s With a new management Under the CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus, adidas is moving from being a manufacturing and sales based company to a marketing company. 1995 adidas goes public Flotation of the company on the Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchange. 1996 A splendid year The three-stripes company equips 6,000 Olympic athletes from 33 countries. adidas athletes win 220 medals, including 70 gold. Apparel sales increase 50%. 1997 adidas-Salomon AG adidas AG acquires the Salomon Group with the brands Salomon, TaylorMade, Mavic and Bonfire in December 1997. The new company is named adidas-Salomon AG. 1999 The new brands The integration of the new brands is gaining momentum. The new TaylorMade FireSole clubs boost sales. Salomon in-line skates take off with high double-digit growth during the first half of 1999. 2000 – New management Following personnel changes, the new management initiates an ambitious Growth and Efficiency Program. Major sports events such as the European Soccer Championship EURO 2000â„ ¢ and the Olympic Summer Games, where swimmer Ian Thorpe takes three gold medals, contribute to the company’s success. 2005 Sale of Salomon The Salomon Group (including Salomon, Mavic, Bonfire, Cliche and Arc’Teryx) is being sold to Amer Sports in October 2005. The new adidas Group is focusing even more on its core strength in the athletic footwear and apparel market as well as the growing golf category. The legal name of the company will change to â€Å"adidas AG† in May/June 2006. 2006 adidas-Salomon AG acquires Reebok The closing of the Reebok transaction on January 31, 2006 marks a new chapter in the history of the adidas Group. By combining two of the most respected and well-known brands in the worldwide sporting goods industry, the new Group will benefit from a more competitive worldwide platform, well-defined and complementary brand identities, a wider range of products, and a stronger presence across teams, athletes, events and leagues. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

On student engagement and interaction in IT-based education Essay

On student engagement and interaction in IT-based education - Essay Example The notion of pedagogy is strikingly complex (Anderson, 2005). Nonetheless, such notion could generally be defined in three ways: as a process of knowledge transfer; as a structure of information transfer; and as an art of teaching The third definition of pedagogy as a theory and praxis is considerably broad. This paper, however, heavily uses the term â€Å"pedagogy† as the process of teaching in which a particular knowledge or information is transmitted from one person or group to another. On the other hand, the question of how Information and Technology, or simply IT, significantly affects classroom learning can be substantially answered through the elements characterized in IT system and their intricate processes relating to the practice of pedagogy. Wellington (1994) gives several factors in which present-day IT system is highly advantageous: (1) stores a huge amount of information; (2) performs complex operations and calculations; (3) processes and displays a set of data in many and varied formats; and (4) facilitates in communicating information. By and large, these factors are indirectly and probably directly connected to the process of classroom teaching since pedagogy involves information, calculation, processes, and communications. Needless to say, IT is only a medium used in transferring a specialized type of data (i.e., body of knowledge) from one or numerous person/s to another. Engaging and Interacting Information and Technology widely facilitate the teacher’s pedagogy in encouraging and stimulating the learner’s engagement and interaction. ... In general, IT as a tool stimulates the students to be engaged, if not engrossed, into learning experience via experimentation or technological manipulation. In the University of Minnesota’s Interactive Classroom, biology students in their freshmen year are able to create ideas or knowledge based from their group interaction using IT application. In the context of conjectural paradigm, learners from this state-of-the-art classroom are able to visually and conceptually construct models, say, of the human body (e.g., cell structure) via the given interface. The biology teacher from said University says that the IT medium is a valuable tool for transforming a textbook-based knowledge into a new and fresh idea (University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, 2009). Another category is called revelatory paradigm; this paradigm primarily aims to permit students in discovering ideas or hypotheses in their own way. Unlike the â€Å"anyone anyone† type of classroom pedag ogy, interactive classroom as a method of teaching allows students to explore and discover the field or knowledge of biology in the way that suits their intellectual curiosity. Problem, Solution, and Impression One of the major obstacles of classroom education with respect to IT-based learning is the so-called digital divide. Like the notion of pedagogy, digital divide as a concept is varied. Besides economic in nature, the term â€Å"digital divide† entails the inability to acquire knowledge and learning via computer application due mainly to the adult person’s being â€Å"resistant to change† (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2000). Moreover, the

Business law 'corporate personality' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business law 'corporate personality' - Essay Example o such existence the right of the company to sue and be sued in its own name, hold its own property and liable to any debts that are accrued(Rose et al 2009). The main provision of this concept is limited liability (that is the liability of the shareholders is restricted only to the unpaid amount of their shares) for shareholders and therefore the debts of the company are restrained to the legal entity of the company. (Ridley 2009) The concept evolved when small businesses began to avail the use of such corporate form and this was done in the landmark decision of Salomon v Salomon1 where Mr. Salomon, a leather merchant formed a company which included his wife, five children and himself (this was done to fulfill the requirement of shareholders as per the Companies Act prevailing at that time). He appointed himself as the managing director of the company and subsequently purchased the sole trading business. However the valuation placed on the business being purchased was not fair, but this was due to his confidence in the business and not due to any mala fide intentions. The business was valued at 39,000 pounds of which 10000 were paid by issuance of debentures plus 20,000 shares at 1 pound each and 9000 pounds in cash. After a certain period the company went into insolvent liquidation and a liquidator was appointed by the court. The liquidator evaluated that the company was a sham and a mere agent of Mr. Salomo n and went on to conclude that he should be held personally liable to the debts of the company. The House of Lords reversing the decision of the Court of Appeal, which was a moralistic approach, stated that the fact that some of the shareholders were holding shares so as to fulfill a technicality was irrelevant and so the procedure which had been laid down by the Companies Act could be used by any person who in reality wanted to carry on what was in reality his own business. The Court further went on to state that if a company had been formed in accordance

Designing an Automatic Air Freshener Robot :: Robotics

The Automatic Air Freshener Our project idea is to create an automatic air freshener robot. This robot will follow a path created by colored tape along a board to a holder with a piece of pH paper and liquids with varying pH levels. After the paper is dipped into the liquid and the color changes, the robot will detect what color it is and respond accordingly. If the odor is â€Å"foul†, it will choose to spray the air freshener. The only thing it will be programmed to do is to detect the â€Å"foul odor† and to spray the air freshener, because that is its only purpose. Smell. One of our five senses. It's used everyday to help us gain a better understanding of our surroundings. But how does it work? Olfaction, or smell, is the detection of chemicals in our surroundings. For humans, odors are processed in our olfactory epithelium. We have thousands of genes that act as odor receptors. Each of these genes act as a lock, with the odor molecules acting as the key. When the correct odor molecule fits into the olfactory receptor neuron, a signal is sent to our brain, allowing it to determine whether the odor is pleasant or repulsive. In order to remove the foul odor, our robot will employ air fresheners. Many air fresheners use extracts from plants, fruits, and flowers. While the history of perfume dates back millenia to the Ancient Egyptians, many modern-day armoatics are produced synthetically in a lab. There are many different kinds on the market. One type of advanced air freshener works like a charcoal or pollen filter. They filter out of the air all the foul smelling particles. Other types of air freshener can absorb the odor molecules. Also, some disinfect by killing bacteria and germs that sometimes cause the bad odors. However, most air fresheners use masking, introducing a stronger fragrance that humans find favorable, masking out the unpleasant smells. For our project, we will be using the type of air freshener that masks the smell. For our project, we were going to put together a robot that would be able to detect such bad odors and to spray air freshener in the general area, thus masking the unwanted smell. Currently, there is no product on the market that does such a job. However, there is one product that can detect bad smells and report the data to the user. It is a halitosis detector made by the Japanese company Tanita called Fresh Kiss (Tsunoda). It analyzes gas in ones mouth using a gas

European Government and Politics Essay

The three forms of government that will be examined in this paper include broadly, the Parliamentary system and the Presidential systems existing in Britain, France and Germany. Any comparative study of governing institutions involves an understanding of the governing institutions prevailing in different countries. All governmental institutions comprise a Legislature, an Executive and a Judiciary. Differences between governmental institutions primarily lie in how these three organs of government are related to each other and the extent of their functions. Traditionally, Britain consists of a parliamentary form of government. A parliamentary government is one where the most important and powerful office belongs to the prime minister. In this form of government, the legislature and the executive arms of the government are closely related, with the executive being involved in the working of the legislature and the executive being formed out of the legislature. In Britain, the legislature comprises the two houses of government, that is, the House of Lords (the upper house) and the House of Commons (the lower house). The House of Lords is a non-elective body and consists of both hereditary and life members who are called ‘Peers’. The strength of the House of Lords is over 900 members and a quorum of 30 members is the minimum for conducting proceedings in the House. The House of Commons comprises the elected representatives of the country. Since Britain has a bi-party system, members of the legislature mainly come from the two major parties, namely, the Labour and the Conservative. Elections for forming the government are held every five years and the party that secures a majority of votes polled forms the government with the leader of the party assuming the post of prime minister. It falls upon the prime minister to form the executive and he appoints his ministers and Cabinet members with the approval of the British Monarch. While the monarch and the prime minister together form the executive in Britain, the monarch is the constitutional head of the government and his powers are mostly ceremonial. It is the prime minister who is the real head of the government. However, there is a close collaboration between the prime minister and the monarch with the prime minister having to meet with the monarch and discuss matters relating to the running of the government. The House of Commons is more powerful than the House of Lords and money bills can be initiated only in the House of Commons, thus the lower chamber of parliament controls the purse of the government. The judiciary is the third organ of government. In the United Kingdom, there is no single judicial system and the judiciary of Britain consists of the judiciary of England and Wales. The House of Lords is the highest court of appeals both in civil and criminal cases. Since Britain does not have a written constitution, there is an absence of the system of ‘judicial review’ which enables the judiciary to act as the interpreter and guardian of the constitution. The courts in England therefore cannot decide on the merit of any law passed by the parliament. An important feature of the judicial system in Britain is ‘rule of law’ which implies that every person is governed by the same law, punishment is meted out only if a breach of law has been committed and the law protects the freedom and rights of the person. The British courts use three types of laws – the Cannon law, the Statutory law and the law of Equity. The judiciary functions on the basis of a jury system and open trial. Germany : In Germany, which is a Federal Parliamentary Democratic Republic, the parliamentary system of government prevails. In contrast to the two forms of governmental systems discussed above, Germany has a multi-party system unlike Britain and similar to that existing in France. In other words, while the political system in Britain is dominated by two major parties, in Germany there are several parties that contest elections. Among these the two main parties are the Socialist Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. The other parties such as the Alliance 90 or the Greens, the Free Democratic Party and Delinke support the SPD or the CDU. Another important characteristic is that in Germany, coalition politics has dominated and the SDP and CDU, despite being dominant, have failed to secure a complete majority in the elections. Therefore the other parties have systematically supported either the SDP or the CDU in forming the government. The constitutional framework adopted in 1949 known as the Grundgesetz, or the basic law, has been in effect even after 1990. The executive in Germany is comprised of the Chancellor who is equivalent to a prime minister and holds office for a period of four years and the President who holds office for a period of five years. The Chancellor is the head of the government while the President is the head of the state. Like a parliamentary system, the executive functions in close collaboration with the legislature. The legislature in germany consists of the Federal Diet or the Bundestag and the Federal Council or the Bundesrat. The Bundestag is a directly elected body through the system of proportional representation. The Bundesrat consists of the representatives of the 16 federal states who are also members of the state Cabinet. The Bundestag has the power to remove the Chancellor by passing a motion of no-confidence. The judiciary in Germany is independent of both the executive and the legislature and follows the concept of Judicial Review. Almost all state actions are therefore subject to interpretation by the courts. In Germany, a complex and hierarchical system of appeals exists with separate branches dealing with administrative, taxation, labour and security aspects. In addition, there exists a Constitutional Court which handles violation of constitutional rights after the regular appeals system has been exhausted. France : Arguably, France is the seat of modern democracy following the French Revolutions of 1789. Like Germany, politics in France in its present form is of recent origin from 1958 to the Fifth Republic. While the government in Britain and Germany is Prime Ministerial, the French government is semi-Presidential. In effect the executive arm of the government consists of two heads of government where the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is head of government. On the other hand, unlike in Britain and very much similar to Germany, France has a pluralist and multi-party system of politics. The French Presidency is the oldest in Europe. France has had five Republics and the powers and functions of the President has varied in these five Republics. Parliamentary system of government was in order in the Third and Fourth Republics which made the presidential office a nominal one, where as in the Fifth Republic, the President has been vested with more powers. Thus, although there exist two heads of government, the President is more powerful in comparison to the prime minister unlike in a parliamentary system. In addition, where as previously the Presidential tenure was seven years,, it has been cut down to five years. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party or coalition and can be appointed by the president indefinitely. He has no fixed tenure. The prime minister forms and heads the Council of Ministers whose sessions, in turn are chaired by the president. The legislature consists of the National Assembly which is the lower house and represents single-member constituencies and the Senate which is the upper house and represents mainland France and its 13 overseas territories. The lower house is in charge of conducting the daily proceedings of the government while the Senate looks after constitutional and foreign matters. The judiciary in France is composed of a two-tier system, one relating to the judicial branch dealing with civil and criminal law and the other relating to the administrative branch. France has a written constitution and therefore laws can only be interpreted by the judiciary in accordance with the process of judicial review. The Cour de Cassation is the highest court of appeals which is headed by six chief judges appointed by the president. All judicial appointments to the Supreme Court are appointments for life and all former French presidents are de jure members of the Constitutional Court. In conclusion, it can be said that the merits of the presidential system involving a fixed tenure and separation of powers and more important than a parliamentary system. Similarly, a multi-party system offers more representation and accountability than a bi-party system. Refernces Curtis, Michael & Ammendola, Guiseppe. (2002) Western European Government and Politics. Longman.

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