Berlucchi Market Analysis

————————————————- Berlucchi ————————————————- Marketing Plan 2012 Table of contents Executive Summary Introduction Guido Berlucchi & Co. SpA is one of Italy’s leading sparkling wine producers. After years of outstanding success, the company finds itself facing a stable market, with competition becoming even more intense, distribution more complex and consumers more sophisticated.The executive Committee is convinced that the strategy that drove the company’s development in its first 40 years needs to open up a new growth path, thus this marketing plan for the strategy for the upcoming three years. External Analysis Customer analysis Approximately 35% of the 313,000 million inhabitants of the U. S. drink wine at a per capita rate of 11. 5 liters. In te rms of demographics 69% are white, 14% Hispanic, and 11% African American, with the remainder 9% from other races.The average age of the American wine consumer is 49, with Millennials making up 26% of wine consumers,  generation X-ers aged 35-44 at 19%, ages 45 to 54 at 21%, and those over 55 at 34%. 24% of wine consumers in the U. S. have a college degree Segmentation by frequency Wine consumers are divided into two categories, core wine drinkers and marginal wine drinkers. The core group drinks wine once a week at least and represents 57% of wine consumers whereas the marginal group has a glass of wine in a time span ranging from once every 2 or 3 months to 2 or 3 times a month. 8% of all wine consumers have a glass of wine more than once a week and are considered to be the high frequency wine drinkers. Segmentation by age Thirty two percent of baby boomers (47 to 65) have a glass of wine compared to 17 percent in 2005. 62 percent of Generation X-ers (aged 35 to 46) are core win e drinkers, compared to only 43 percent in 2007. 6 percent of Millennials (aged 17 to 34) drink wine on a daily basis, 26 percent of them drink wine several times a week and 19 percent drinks once a week on average. This comprises the core wine drinking segment of Millennials, accounting for 63 percent of them compared to 37 percent in 2007.There is a significant difference between younger Millennials (17 – 25) and older Millennials (26 – 34). Older Millennials consume wine with greater frequency, consumed more glasses of wine per drinking occasion (2. 92 glasses on average) and were found to be highly experimental as 89% of older Millennials frequently purchase wine of an unfamiliar brand. Also interesting is that 60 percent of older Millennials found â€Å"fun and contemporary† looking labels of great importance when choosing wine to drink at home compared to just 31% of Baby Boomers.All Millennials and high end wine drinkers throughout the Generation X and ba by boomers often visit wine related web sites and Facebook pages or follow wine twitter accounts. The generational differences are also noticeable in the preference of domestically produced wines and imported wines. * 63% of Millennials, (70 million consumers), are reported to either â€Å"primarily drink imports† or â€Å"equally drink imports and domestics† * 43% of Generation X members (44 million consumers) report the same preferences * 32% of Baby Boomers (77 million consumers) report these preferences Segmentation by geographyWine consumption per person is lowest in the Midwest where 13% buys 4 or more bottles per month compared to 24% in the South, 25% of those in the North East and 29% in the West where 10% of the adult population even purchases 11 or more bottles per month. The top three states for Wine consumption are California, New York and Florida. The top three emerging markets, where the capita per wine consumption has grown the most over the past three years are Texas, Illinois and New Jersey Western states, especially those that produce wine locally such as California, Washington and Oregon, have proven more ikely to favor domestic wines while eastern states are more receptive to imports. Amongst others, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Washington DC all import more than 30% of the total wine consumption from outside the U. S. Competitive analysis Direct Competitors Listed below are the top 3 sparkling wines in the US at the current moment. They all fall in the range of our target customers in terms of their taste and their prices making them a direct threat and therefore a direct competitor. JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset No. 69 Burgundy, France ———————————————— Jean-Charles Boisset's JCB wines are made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Burgundy region of France, this refreshing rose is light and crisp, offeri ng raspberry and red currant aromas. Many wine lovers associate this brand with romantic outings. It is currently listed as number one on the top sparkling wines in the US available at only 7 stores, and at a very affordably price it is sure to be serious competitor. Price: $20 ————————————————- Toso BrutMendoza, Argentina Toso has been producing sparkling wines in the Mendoza wine region of Argentina for 85 years. Their non-vintage brut is made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Light and refreshing, it offers aromas of lemon and apple with buttery and toasty notes. It is very popular in the US with people looking for something inexpensive, well made, clean and bubbly especially for large events like weddings, receptions and birthday parties. ————————————————- Pri ce: $11 ————————————————-Taltarni Brut Tache Australia ————————————————- Made from Chardonnay, it is an established household name, known for producing extraordinarily high quality sparkling wines in Australia. They are known to be very environmental friendly because they recycle the vines and they refrain from using Diuron and Simazine on their property, thereby reducing the impact on ground water. One disadvantage however is that its prices compared to other wines has been progressively rising lately. Price: $25 Indirect competitorListed below is one of the top wines in the US at the current moment, although it does not fall under the category sparkling wines it is nonetheless a competitor in the total wine market especially now that it is making is mark on the US market making it worth the mention. Moscato’s Asti, Italy ————————————————- Moscato is currently one of the fastest-growing wine varietals in the U. S. Moscato wines tend to be sweeter and less alcoholic. Gallo, which holds 44 per cent of Moscato’s market share, saw sales of its own Gallo Family Vineyard Moscato increase by 124%in 2010, according to marketing research firm IRI.More than half of all Moscato consumers are under the age of 45, while nearly one-third are between the ages of 25 and 34. ————————————————- ————————————————- Moscato’s popularity with the younger generation could, perhaps, be due to hip hop influences. Ka nye West claimed  on MTV that he liked Moscato, while Lil’ Kim sang â€Å"Still over in Brazil/Sipping Moscato. † A more likely reason, however, is the low price tag that many Moscatos enjoy. ————————————————- ————————————————-Price: $5,99 – $16,79 Market analysis Overall size The U. S. wine industry has steadily increased in size and revenue over the past ten years and has grown into the fourth largest wine producing country in the world. In 2010 the U. S. became the leading wine consuming country, consuming as much as 330 million cases a year. This means Americans drink 3. 96 billion bottles of wine, surpassing France’s 3. 85 billion bottles and have spent more than $40 billion on wine in 2010. California is the largest wine produc ing and consuming state in the nation, currently it accounts for 61% volume share of the U.S. market. Projected growth Wine market is currently witnessing steady growth in both developed and emerging economies. Increasing disposable incomes, rising awareness about the medical benefits of wine, and the resultant consumer shift towards consumption of premium alcoholic beverages are driving the growth in the wine industry. US wine market is one of the fastest growing markets of the world, both in terms of production and consumption As per our findings, the US wine market is expected to hit a value of around US$ 33. Billion with 871 Million Gallons of wine sales by 2013. The market (in volume terms) will grow at an annual growth rate of over 3% during 2010-2013. The economic recession had impacted the US wine industry by consumers starting to enjoy low-priced bottles and wines by glasses. The millennial segment is the future of the US wine industry, and their numbers are increasing as y ounger members are attaining the drinking age. Moreover, rise in the number of female wine drinkers in marginal segment is also fueling the growth of the US wine industry.This trend, coupled with government’s initiatives, is playing a greater role in promoting reforms and competitiveness in the wine industry of the US. The market for sparkling wine in the USA has been growing rapidly in recent years according to some top findings from the Wine Market Council Report: Profitability Sparkling wine sales in the U. S. are estimated to have outperformed table wine brands for the third straight year in 2011, when American drinkers will have consumed the equivalent of 900 million glasses.More than 40 percent of those 15 million cases are sold during the holiday season. The overall wine market is projected to increase 1. 7 percent by year-end, to 313 million cases, its 18th consecutive annual gain. Sparkling wines account for a modest 5 percent, but growing, share of that volume. Entr y Barriers The wine industry in the U. S. has high barriers of entry because of high investments needed to buy land and machinery together with high costs of advertising and distribution. Because of the strict laws and high taxation of alcohol in the U. S. large economies of scale have the best chance of becoming and remaining profitable. Distribution System Throughout the U. S. the three tier system is enforced for the distribution of all alcoholic beverages. The system works as follows: * Non-U. S. Producer * 1st Tier – U. S. Producer / Importer * 2nd Tier – Distributor * 3rd Tier – On/Off Premise Trade (restaurants/ bars/ retailer) Non-U. S. producers are only allowed to sell directly to an importer, Importers and U. S. Producers are only allowed to sell to retailers, and only retailers are allowed to sell to consumers.Some states have partially or completely prohibited the distribution and/or the retailing tier and have these operated by the state government itself or contractors operating under its authority rather than by independent privateers. In any case taxes must be collected at all three tiers, even though in some states the importer and the distributor can be the same company, it must still pay taxes for both tiers. Trends A broadening of the consumer base, a greater range on offer, and an increasing desire among some consumers to make sparkling wine a regular rather than occasional treat are the main factors driving the trend.Americans still do not drink as much sparkling wine as consumers in other countries like Germany and the UK, but there is a strong long-term growth trend establishing for domestic and particularly mid-priced imported sparkling wines in the years ahead. At the moment Moscato has experienced a sharp increase in sales, up 73%, driven largely by younger drinkers. Cheaper and in wide range of flavored wines have become more popular as well due to restaurants adding less popular varietals to their glass pour l ist because the higher profit margin.This has resulted in wine consumers becoming more open-minded to seeking out unique varietals. Italy’s Macro Environment analysis: Demographic The Italian Population is currently approximately 61,261,254 but the growth rate of the population is gradually slowing, with most of the increase coming from immigration. Birth rates and death rates are virtually identical. However, the national figures conceal contrasting regional trends. In general, the birth rate and average family size are higher in the south of Italy than in the north, although populations in Molise, Basilicata, and Calabria are declining through continued emigration.For the country as a whole, life expectancy rose during the second half of the 20th century, reflecting higher nutritional, sanitary, and medical standards. At the beginning of the 21st century, the majority of the population was between 20 and 49 years old, with the largest group between ages 30 and 44. The age s tructure is built up as follows: 0-14 years:13. 8% male 4,315,292female 4,124,624. 15-64 years:65. 9% male 19,888,901female 20,330,495 65 years and over:  20. 3% male 5,248,418female 7,109,074 GDP Contribution by Economic Sector  and Top Industries: Agriculture:  3. 9%Industry:  28. 3% Services:  67. 8% (2011) Economic Italy  is currently the world's largest  wine  producer. However it has not been immune to the global economic downturn but it has been able to weather the financial storm. Wine is a key player in Italian trade with exports in 2011 valued at 3. 6 billion euros, compared to imports of 326 million euros. Sparkling wines account for 11% of exports. A sector report presented at the Vinitaly wine trade fair showed that the economic downturn was responsible for a 5. 1% decline in Italian wine exports in 2008 over the previous year.In this moment of economic crisis and uncertainty, people try to satisfy their desires. Italian cuisine is the most popular all o ver the world. In Italy the Docg sparkling wines do better than others, indicating that high quality standards and strong local identity, as much as the price, are central factors for the customers’ choices. Italian exports   rose 17 per cent in the first nine months of 2010, according to Coldiretti, the   Italian farmers   association. The growth had been even higher at 22% for the first six months of the year, primarily due to explosive demand from the US. Ecological (Natural)The future of wine grape supply depends on the availability of groundwater and high temperatures will decrease the availability of wine grapes. High water use by the industry, and in particular the treatment of wastewater, is likely to come under increasing public scrutiny. Over the five years through 2015-16, the level of capital intensity is likely to increase marginally due to investment in water treatment. Political The wine and grape industry in Italy is regulated by laws and decrees issued by the Ministry of Agriculture (Ministro Delle Risorse Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali).Italy is also a member of the European Union and shares the Common External Tariff regime. EU duties are charged by the Italian Customs Agency on the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of the product imported into Italy. Below are the 4 wine designations: * DOCG:  the highest classification for Italian wines, introduced in 1963. It denotes controlled production methods and guaranteed wine quality. There are strict rules governing the production of DOCG wines, most obviously the permitted grape varieties,  yield  limits, grape ripeness, winemaking procedures and ageing specifications.Every DOCG wine is subject to official tasting procedures. To prevent counterfeiting, the bottles have a numbered government seal across the neck. * DOC: a step below DOCG, the DOC classification accounts for the majority of wines produced in Italy. The quality control regulations are less stringent than t hose applied to DOCG wines. * IGT: The IGT classification was introduced in 1992, to allow a certain level of freedom to Italy's winemakers. Prior to 1992, many wines did not qualify for DOC or DOCG status not because they were of low quality, but because they were made from grape varieties (or blends) not sanctioned under DOC/G laws.The IGT classification focuses on the region of origin, rather than grape varieties or wine styles. * VDT:  VDT wines are typically of lesser quality than those labeled with IGT, DOC or DOCG, but not always; the ‘Super Tuscans' (see below) are often labeled as Vino da Tavola. U. S. Macro Environment analysis The following macro environmental factors have an indirect effect on Berlucchi’s success in the US market. The major forces of the macro environment should be highly regarded as the company is looking to enter unfamiliar territory while at the same time striving to acquire a competitive advantage.Demographics According to the Wine Int elligence USA Sparkling Report 2012, over 30 million Americans say they drink sparkling wine at least once a year. For the majority of this population their sparkling wine experience is confined to perhaps one or two glasses a year, on special occasions. However, what appears to be driving the growth in sparkling wine is the segment of consumer; estimated at around 9 million, and female-dominated, who say they like to drink the bubbly stuff at least once a week. Many of these people say that sparkling wine is their favorite drink, ahead of still wine.California| California accommodates 37,691,912 people, houses more people than any of the other states of America and has eight of the 50 most populous cities in the U. S.. Remarkable is that only 39. 7% of the people living in California are white non Hispanics and 38. 1% are Hispanic whites, only 6. 6% is black and 13. 6% of Asian ethnicity. The ethnic makeup is very different from the countries average. Of the persons aged 25 years o r older 80. 7% has graduated high school and 30. % has a bachelor’s degree or higher. The Median house hold income is $60. 883. Texas| Texas is the second most populous U. S. state, housing 25,674,681 people who are mostly located in the major cities of Houston, San Antonia and Dallas. Similar to California, Texas also houses a relatively large number of Hispanics. 38. 1% of the population is white of Hispanic decent and 44. 8% is non-Hispanic white. The division of other ethnic groups is quite similar to the nations average. 80% of adults 25 years or older have a high school degree and 25. 8% of them have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median household income is $49,646 a year. |New York| New York is the third largest state after California and Texas with a population of 19,465,197 of which roughly 64% lives in the New York City metropolitan area. The percentage of the population that is of African American decent is slightly higher than the nations average, 17. 5 % as well as those with an asian heritage, 7. 8%. The median household income is $55,603, 84. 4% of the persons age 25+ are high school graduates and 32. 1% has a bachelor’s degree or higher. | Florida| Florida is the fourth most inhabited state in America, accommodating 19,057,542 people.Notable are that it contains the highest percentage of people over 65, 17. 6% and the 8th fewest people under 18, 21%, also its population is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. Florida’s ethnic makeup shows few differences from the countries average with the exception of persons of Hispanic or Latino origin which is 23% and growing faster than in any other state. 85. 3% of the adults 25 years of age or| Social-Cultural In the U. S. wineries have become more than just wine producers and sellers. They're often venues for gatherings as diverse as  weddings  and business meetings.Some wineries have onboard restaurants and gift shops and are also lively tourist attractions. That says something for the ingenuity of savvy wine producers, but it says even more about the changing American attitude toward wine. Recent consumption gains for sparkling wine have been driven by many factors over the last few years including the adoption of wine in early adulthood by the large Millennial generation, the availability of quality wine at all price levels, and the acceptance of moderate wine consumption as compatible with a healthy lifestyle. EconomicThe turbulent economy has had a moderately negative affect on the nation’s collective wine consumptions growth. Within the 2008–2011 period, stock market volatility had little effect on how much wine consumers were drinking. In 2008, 61% of respondents stated they hadn’t changed the amount of wine they consumed despite the poor economic conditions. The economy has had a direct effect on prices over the last 10 years, prices went down significantly during the recession, but as the economy has improved, t hey have bounced back very quickly and even surpassed previous highs.Fine wine prices dropped 19 percent from August 2008 to August 2009 and they increased 33 percent from August 2009 to August 2010, surpassing their previous pre-recession prices. Political Wine is regulated by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives division of the internal revenue service which makes it subjected to high levels of control and tax. Us wines are shaped by politics including which grapes grow where, what can be written on the label, which wines are exported or imported, which wines are available in local stores, and how much a wine costs.In the  United States, the wine laws are more flexible than European standards in regards to regulations on what viticultural and winemaking practices are allowed in each wine region. A sizable portion of American wine laws relate to  wine labelling  practices. The United States imported 932 million liters of wine in 2010. The majority of imports came fro m Italy ($1. 3 billion). Depending on the type of wine, U. S. tariffs on imported wine from nations with which the United States maintains normal trade relations range from 5. 3 cents per liter to 22. 4 cents per liter.Tax rate for natural wine imported to New York for example is $0. 30 per gallon Internal Analysis Current products Berlucchi’s current products: * Cuvee Imperiale Brut * Cuvee Imperiale Max Rose * Cuvee imperial Demi Sec * Cuvee imperial vintage * Cuvee Storica Franciacorta DOCG * Bianco imperiale * Cellarius Brut * Cellarius Rose * Cellarius Pas Dose * Berlucchi ’61 brut * Berlucchi ’61 Rose * Berlucchi ’61 Saten * Palazzo Lana Franciacorta Brut Millesimato * Palazzo Lana Franciacorta Saten millesimato * Palazzo Lana Franciacorta Extreme millesimato PricesThe sparkling wines of Berlucchi are between â‚ ¬15 and â‚ ¬28. The average price per line: * Berlucchi bianco imperiale: â‚ ¬10 * Berlucchi ’61: â‚ ¬15 * Cuvee imperia le: â‚ ¬20 * Cellarius: between â‚ ¬15 and â‚ ¬20 * Palazzo Lana: â‚ ¬28 Target Market Geographically speaking, Berlucchi is targeting Italy. Berlucchi won market leadership in its first few years because of its mission to ‘democratize the bubbles’. With their below average price for sparkling wine, and their distribution through grocery stores, Berlucchi sparkling wine was accessible for everyone. Distribution channels Grocery retailersIn 2006 70% of all Berlucchi sales went through the grocery retail distribution channel. Because of the company’s solid penetration of this channel, they established an undisputed leadership position. HoReCa and specialty stores Berlucchi produced a product especially made for this channel, which won considerable success and allowed the company to re-establish its reputation among connoisseurs and win over specialized dealers. Positioning By distributing through grocery retailers, Berlucchi positions itself in a totall y different range than most other Italian sparkling wine, which are available in specialty stores.The company’s solid penetration in this modern distribution channel anchored the positioning of the Berlucchi brand. But having a lower price does not mean they work with a bad quality, although some may look at Berlucchi as a cheap supermarket wine. The Berlucchi brand guarantees a high-quality, prestigious, accessible product. Competitive Advantage Berlucchi stands out because of their innovative spirit and desire to experiment with new products and market segments, but off course, still in an accessible and qualitatively good manner. The solid penetration in the modern distribution channel of grocery retailers is something no other ompany has accomplished. Marketing Mix The marketing strategy that has secured Berlucchi’s success over the last thirty years can be summed up in three key words: Italy, mass market, and corporate brand. In the 1960s, the company’s fou nders saw an opportunity to create a sparkling wine market in Italy using the champenoise method. This method meant educating both trade and final consumers through constant communication, the aim of which was to eliminate the image of Italian spumante as a sub-category of wine, or a lower-quality version of the more familiar French champagne.In just a few years’ time the company won a leadership position in the Italian market. They had a clear mission: â€Å"To make bubbly accessible to everyone†. The firm achieved this mission with an extensive distribution strategy. Berlucchi spumante wanted to create a festive atmosphere on any occasion. The best way to achieve this was to reach the consumer through the simplest distribution channel, for instance grocery retailers. Berlucchi has always implemented a push rather than a pull strategy, focusing communication and commercial investments on trade.Another marketing strategy of Berlucchi was based on avoiding product proli feration in the portfolio, in keeping with the need to educate Italian consumers on the traditional method. Berlucchi came up with a series of simple, distinctive brand visuals, which over time have come to be identified with the company. Financial Performance SWOT analysis Confrontation matrix * S1 x O4, because despite the challenging economic environment we are currently in, sparkling wines are set to gain share in the US alcohol market.Berlucchi has a below average price and that could be an opportunity for them to gain share in the US alcohol market. * S3 x O3, because Berlucchi has an innovative spirit and desire to experiment with new products and market segments. They could have an opportunity in the US alcohol market, because most Americans show an interest in broadening their horizons in terms of what kinds of wine they buy. * S3 x T3, because consumers in the wine market are constantly evolving. That could be an opportunity for Berlucchi, because they have an innovative s pirit and desire to experiment with new products and market segments.Corporate strategy Berlucchi grew in a few years after founding to be leader in its market thanks to a clear mission: ‘democratize the bubbles’. The founders were convinced they could produce an Italian sparkling wine of comparable quality to the current products on the market. The aim was to produce a high-quality, prestigious, accessible product for a below average price. The basic reason for their attitude was that they could not justify the substantial price difference between Berlucchi products marketed through large retailers and the same wines sold in specialized stores and wine bars.Eventually Berlucchi grew to be a market leader in the large grocery retailers and an important player in the HoReCa and wine shops, without ever letting go of the initial corporate mission. Segmentation The wine consumers in the U. S. can be segmented in to the following groups based on consumption and spending pat terns: Daily Musts | Variety Seekers| Personal Image| Savvy Buyers | Occasional Consumers | Represent 16. 4% of wine drinkers| Represents 14. 4% of wine drinkers|   Represents 14. 1% of wine drinkers| Represents 2. 6% of wine drinkers| Represents 34. % of wine drinkers| Spending share of 49. 3 % | Spending share of 34%| Spending share of 3. 1%| Spending share of 9. 7%| Spending share of 4%| Median age is 61| Median age is 50| Median age is 34| Median age is 48| Median age is 55| Annual income averages $62,000| Annual income averages $100,000| Annual income averages $62,000| Annual income averages $80,000| Annual income averages $63,000| | Target Market The segments most viable for targeting are the Daily Musts, the Variety Seekers and Personal Image consumers and through using a differentiated strategy all three can be targeted.Daily musts Although this segment is brand loyal, by applying low cost strategy and attractive packaging this segment can be entered, after which the focus should be customer retention and maintaining everyday low price offers in combination with a loyalty program to create loyalty to the berlucchi brand and maximize customer equity. Variety seekers Premium brand images and first-class packaging will strongly appeal to the Variety Seekers and expert ratings, premium pricing and event or celebrity sponsorships will truly entice this segment to try berlucchi brand wine.However because of their low brand loyalty a truly aggressive loyalty program is necessary to retain their business. Advertisement be should focused on wine magazines and internet media. Personal Image This segment shows the most potential profitability on the long term and should be engaged to ensure a significant market share in the next decade as this is the fastest growing segment. The focus has to be on moving them towards Variety Seeker of Daily Must habits. Innovation through products and packaging and leveraging social media would speak most to the Personal Image wine drinkers. PositioningDaily Musts and the Personal Image consumers can be catered to with one product in the area , the product’s should have a below average to average price level and focus on offering an accessible product of decent or higher quality. The product targeting the variety seekers should be higher priced to project a somewhat prestigious image and high quality. Below you can see the product value proposition for Berlucchi’s target customers. Objectives Market share Brand familiarity Revenue Timeframe: 3 years Marketing Mix Product As described in positioning, there are three target groups for which there are different product needs.To accustom all potential customers it is neccessary to introduce two different lines of products. Lines Cuvee Imperiale – Brut – Max Rose – Demi Sec – Vintage ‘For over half a century, Cuvee Imperiale has been synonymous with festiveness, joy, and raising a toast, and its consistently fine taste has made it the Italians’ favourite classic-method sparkler. Its four styles make it the perfect choice for both casual moments and the most special of occasions. ’ This line will serve the needs of the Daily Musts and Personal Image consumers, it has a below average price, it is accessible and has a high quality.Palazzo Lana – Brut – Saten – Extreme ‘The timeless elegance of the Palazzo Lana Berlucchi, the handsome mansion that inspired the first Franciacorta,   is present once again in these vintage-dated Franciacortas. Produced from free-run must, and rare both in quantity and quality, the three are bound together by a common thread of gracefulness, complexity, and avoidance of excess, each wine dedicated to those who enjoy them thoughtfully. ’ This line will serve the needs of the Variety Seekers consumers, it is above average prices, has a prestigious image and has a high quality. Packaging Daily mustsThe Daily Musts cons umers are flexible in their response to different packaging designs. Personal Image They consider wine consumption an extension of their personal images, however are more focused on store brands. Variety seekers This consumer group appreciates premium packaging. When lining together these consumer characteristics and the packaging of the chosen products, we can come to a conclusion of no necessity to change the packaging of the products, due to the already existing compatibility of consumer needs and the product packaging. Price Cuvee Imperiale The price for the Cuvee Imperiale line will be $15.Berlucchi will have to lower their price a little bit than they have in Italy, but this way they can compete with the competitors in the US, for instance the Toso Brut from Argentina. The Cuvee Imperiale will be a good competitor due to their below average price and good quality sparkling wine. Palazzo Lana The price for the Palazzo Lana line will be around the $30 in the US. One big competit or is the Taltarni Brut Tache, their price is around the $25. Berlucchi Palazzo Lana is more expensive, but Berlucchi will still be a good competitor since the prices of Taltarni have been progressively rising lately.It will also be a good competitor, because of its prestigious image and high quality. Place Locations Below is a table with 6 states located in the U. S. whom are known to have an extremely large wine drinking population, and therefor will be the best states in the US to introduce the Berlucchi’s wines. Type| California| Texas| Florida| New York| Illinois| New Jersey| Population| 38,053,956| 25,901,361| 19,057,542| 19,465,197| 12,869,257| 8,821,155| Binge drinkers| 14. 7%| 15. 6%| 12,40%| 15. 2%| 17. 5%| 14. 4%| Casual drinkers| 56. 2%| 51. %| 56,3| 59. 1%| 58%| 59. 7%| Heavy drinkers| 5. 9%| 5. 2%| 5,3| 4. 3%| 4. 7%| 4. 5%| Retailers: Within each one of these 6 states the wines will be available in two types of store retailers: * Specialty stores: A small retail outlet that focuses on selling a particular product range and associated items. Most specialty store business operators will maintain considerable debt in the type of product that they specialize in selling, usually at premium prices, in addition to providing higher service quality and expert guidance to shoppers. Superstores: A very large retail store that stocks highly diversified merchandise, such as groceries, toys, and camera equipment, or a wide variety of merchandise in a specific product line, such as computers or sporting goods. Specialty stores: Berlucchi’s wines will be available in the best of the best wine shops in each state. They will be placed in these shops according to the stores location and popularity. State| Specialty Wine Stores[1| California| 867| New York| 533| New jersey| 265| Florida| 252| Illinois| 211| Texas| 181| Superstores:More than a third of all wines sold in America are purchased at Superstores. Wall-Mart 2011 USA Retail Sales ($000): $307,7 36,000 Extending its lead, it is making solid progress on improving its merchanides through different new projects. The company’s grocery business accounted for more than half of its 2011 sales. Wall-Mart constantly hires wine scouts to research new wines in order to further broaden their inventory. Wines located in a Wall-Mart store Kroger 2011 USA Retail Sales ($000): $78,326,000 America’s largest traditional grocer is food focused and price led.It includes a wide variety of all sorts of wines. In 2012 Kroger hired wine stewards for a few of its Texas stores. The political push to sell wine in grocery stores is now in different Kroger stores. Wines located in a Kroger store Target 2011 USA Retail Sales ($000): $65,815,000 Target will try to become more beverage focused and currently has strong store innovations and loyalty programs. They combine grocery store bargains with wine shop-level service and expertise. Wines located in a Target store Restaurants:In addition to these retail stores, the wines will also be available in a variety of restaurants in each state. These restaurants will include non-fast food restaurants that have an ideal location for different types of customers to reach. Below is an example of one of the restaurants that look real promising in terms of boosting Berlucchi’s brand image. Since 1979 Antonello Ristorante located in California has captured the essence of Old World authenticity with a new Italian. Antonello's award-winning wine list boasts more than 700 foreign and domestic labels.For special occasions or business meetings, there are eight Promotion The goal is to become the first thing that comes to mind for a person from one of our targeted segments when in the market for wine. According to professor Jacob’s Creek of the University of South Australia’s Wine Marketing Research Group, it is not the brand but the wine regions that influences consumers choice the most. The promotional strategy us ed to differentiate the Berlucchi wines from others is to sell the idea of living the southern European care free, want for nothing life style using the campaign slogan: ‘A taste of the Italian life’.This should invoke an emotional response to advertisement as consumers in the Daily must segment, who are older and often retired or near retirement age can relate to the care free living. The variety seekers can relate to the ‘want for nothing’ aspect and high end allure of Milan or Rome and the younger personal image consumers can indulge in the American romanticized cultural image of Europe. Promoting the Brand As Americans are not yet aware of how many wines are actually Italian and no wine markets itself distinctively as such, the Berlucchi products can be analyzed as a new product.To start the introduction phase a launch event will be held in Los Angeles, California to which columnists/writers for different lifestyle and food magazines, influential taster s and VIPs’ will attend to experience the different wines by Berlucchi that will be launched in the U. S. which will result in features in magazines such as ‘food and wine’, Decanter, WineEnthusiast and Fine. During the introduction phase a print ad and a broadcast media advertisement featuring Robert Deniro will run.Because of his Italian heritage and wine expertise as he owns his own vineyard, on the other hand because of his long and outstanding acting career he is recognizable and idolized by people across generations. The broadcast ad, which will run for thirteen weeks, will be shown during lifestyle television shows and cooking shows such as ‘Master chef’ and ‘come dine with me’ and can even be featured on the shows. The print ad will run for a total of 30 weeks, appearing once to 10 times throughout that period in different magazines and as banners on different online magazines.To promote the brand directly to the target group, Be rlucchi nights will be organized during which selected restaurants will serve free glasses of Berlucchi wine that go well with the dish ordered. The before mentioned strategies will be very effective for the Daily must and Variety seeker segments, but to ensure the involvement of the personal image segment a social media campaign needs to be launched. Each bottle of Berlucchi wine will have a code and instructions printed on the back side of the label.After purchasing a bottle a consumer can befriend Berlucchi on Facebook or follow them on twitter, after which the phrase â€Å"Having a taste of the Italian life #Berlucchi #;code;† should be posted online. In response a code will be send back to the consumer which entitles him or her to a 61% discount on their next purchase of a bottle of Berlucchi Cuvee Imperiale and they enter a lottery for a set of 3 Berlucchi Franciacorta ’61 bottles. The low price and exciting price will attract the segment and by posting they imme diately communicate the existence of Berlucchi to their friends. Loyalty program – – – Budget ; Control – – Recommendation – – – Appendix Figure 1a Figure 1b Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Top 3 states in wine consumption Figure 6 Top 3 states in emerging wine markets Figure 7 Figure 8a Figure 8b Figure 9 Daily Musts| Variety Seekers | Personal Image | Savvy Buyers | Occasional Consumers| * Represent 16. 4% of wine drinkers * Accountable for 49. 3 % of all wine sales. * Median age is 61 * Annual income averages $62,000. Daily Musts are the heaviest wine consumers and consumers and drink on a daily basis. They are brand loyal and flexible in their response to different packaging designs and tend to buy based on low prices. * Represents 14. 4% of wine drinkers * Spending share of 34% * Median age is 50. * Annual income averages $100,000. They tend to spend more per capita than the Daily Musts, appreciate premium packaging, q uality wine and variety. They often view higher price as a sign of higher quality. The Variety seeker is most likely to use the internet to secure information before purchases and look at wine as an extension of their personal image and tend not to be brand loyal. | * Represents 14. 1% of wine drinkers * Spending share of 3. 1% * Median age is 34 * Annual income averages $62,000.This group will grow in consumption as their ages and incomes increase. The Personal image drinker’s habits are in development, and they tend to turn to social media and the Internet for information. They consider wine consumption an extension of their personal images, however are more focused on store brands. | * Represents 2. 6% of wine drinkers * Spending share of 9. 7% * Median age is 48 * Annual income averages $80,000This group enjoys trying a variety of wines and tends to buy on value, however not necessarily focused on low price since they only consume moderate to small amounts. * Represents 3 4. 5% of wine drinkers * Spending share of 4% * Median age is 55 * Annual income averages $63,000| Figure 10 Segmentation by lifestyle Figure 11 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. SVB, 2012 [ 2 ]. See Appendix figure 2 [ 3 ]. See Appendix figure 3 [ 4 ]. See Appendix figure 4 [ 5 ]. See Appendix figure 5 [ 6 ]. See Appendix figure 6 [ 7 ]. http://www. gayot. com/wine/top10american-sparkling-wines/main. html [ 8 ]. Wine Institute, 2011 [ 9 ]. Press Democrat, 2011 [ 10 ]. See Appendix figure 7 [ 11 ]. With the exception of the state of Washington [ 12 ]. https://www. cia. ov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/it. html [ 13 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_wine-producing_countries [ 14 ]. http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/06000. html . S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts [ 15 ]. http://www. tax. ny. gov/bus/bev/abt_tax_information_individuals. htm [ 16 ]. Be rlucchi Case page 15 table 2 [ 17 ]. http://www. berlucchi. it/we-do/ [ 18 ]. See Appendix Figure 1a [ 19 ]. See Appendix Figure 1b [ 20 ]. http://www. wine-searcher. com/wine-197764-0001-berlucchi-palazzo-lana-brut-franciacorta-docg-italy [ 21 ]. Berlucchi Case page 5 [ 22 ]. Berlucchi Case page 5 [ 23 ].Berlucchi Case page 5 [ 24 ]. Berlucchi Case page 5 [ 25 ]. Berlucchi Case page 11 [ 26 ]. Berlucchi Case page 21 table 23, 24 [ 27 ]. See Appendix figure 10 for more info. [ 28 ]. See Appendix figure 11 [ 29 ]. http://www. berlucchi. it/we-do/#cuvee [ 30 ]. http://www. berlucchi. it/we-do/#palazzo-lana [ 31 ]. See Appendix Figure 10 [ 32 ]. See Appendix Figure 1a [ 33 ]. http://www. statemaster. com/graph/hea_alc_con_cas_dri-health-alcohol-consumption-casual-drinkers [ 35 ]. http://www. wkrn. com/story/19808909/kroger-begins-focused-push-for-wine-in-grocery-stores [ 36 ]. Based on research findings of SymphonyIRI group, INC

Cycle Incense Sticks

â€Å"Everyone has a reason to Pray† 1 Established in the year 1945, Cycle Agarbatti was a well-respected and much preferred brand when it came to their target audience, being deemed a ‘trustworthy’ and ‘traditional’ brand. However, over the years, things had changed – access to technology increased, competition increased, nuclear families increased and so did the presence of internet in one’s life. Given this context, and given that Cycle wanted to connect with the youth, being ‘traditional’ wasn’t all that desirable any more.So the challenge was to make the category and the relevant for that part of society that had not given them a thought yet. Out of all the things that divide this country, class, caste, creed etc. , there was only one unifying factor – Cricket. In our country, it is equivalent to a religion, where Sachin is revered as the God. The entire nation had hoped that the personal success of Sachin Tendulkar and the collective success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 would coincide in one grand affair.We won the cup, but a huge chunk of the cricket crazy nation was not appeased as their God stood at a precarious juncture in his 22 years of cricketing action. It was just a matter of time. All communication in this category has been established within the realms/ confines of prayer, both as a concept and a creative hook. Building brand salience for Cycle brand was the key and had to explore, create and exploit opportunities where one would have to leave reason to rest and just had to keep the faith. 2The answer to all prayers and a long and tiring wait came in the form of Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international century on Mirpur on 16th March 2012. The maestro became the first cricketer to notch up 100 international centuries when he scored 114 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup ODI tournament. And when he did, all he did was to look up and thank his God. This became the intervention point for Cycle with the message â€Å"Everyone has a reason to Pray†. It took Sachin over a year to score his 100th 100.And when it did, he thanked god. 3 What makes the innovation differentiated and unique? Twists and turns in cricket cannot be predicted. We managed to creatively and contextually place a brand message without being a part of the desi commercial blitzkrieg with vada pavwallahs, gola vendors and cola giants and spending crores celebrating the same. The scale of execution Every leading newspaper was going to cover Sachin’s 100th 100. There were going to be half page, full page and page on page coverage of the same.And our message was present on each such page. There were several pictures of Sachin in the coverage. But our brief was very clear: we would only have our message published in newspapers which had THAT picture of Sachin looking up, to thank god at the momentous occasion of his 100th 100. There were 6 publications who agreed to do so. Deccan Herald, Prajavani, Hindustan Times, Vijay Karnataka, Hindu and DNA with all their editions were chosen to populate this simple yet contextually relevant message.The brand message only occupied around 635 sq cm beneath Sachin’s picture which was set in over 5000 sq cms of editorial coverage across publications in ONE day. There are several ways in which a brand can populate their message: Spending money’s to create opportunities Vs. Latching on to events or occurrences fitting the brand ideology. Scenario 1: If we were to rope in Sachin as a brand ambassador, create a campaign for his 100th 100 and then celebrating it in media – it would mean an easy twenty crore + spends for us.Scenario 2: Instead, we managed our money by celebrating his win in a smart way and plugging the extremely relevant brand message 4 The Campaign won the ‘Big Bang Award 2012’ from AD club Bangalore. Our Media agency DDB Mudra MAX won the gold in the category PRINT INNOVATION. The parameters for the award selection: 1) The simplicity of the idea- (all great ideas are simple) 2) The brilliant brand fit 3) The execution 4) Cost effectiveness-in a way Sachin became our idea ambassador for ‘Everyone has a reason to pray’ at zero cost. 5 C S S UD E A E T IS

Drafting and Use of Questionnaire as a Research Tool in Legal Research Essay

Introduction The word research is derived from the Middle French â€Å"recherche†, which means â€Å"to go about seeking†, the term itself being derived from the Old French term â€Å"recerchier† a compound word from â€Å"re-† + â€Å"cerchier†, or â€Å"sercher†, meaning ‘search’. The earliest recorded use of the term was in 1577 Research and experimental development is formal work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications (OECD (2002) Frascati Manual: proposed standard practice for surveys on research and experimental development, 6th edition. It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, support theorems, or develop new theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects, or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, or the research and development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. In lay man language research means search or find those things which are already in existence. Research work is not something which can be completed in one stroke or in one step. It consists of a number of closely related activities which very often overlap, and therefore, it becomes difficult to ascertain where one step ended and the other began. However, it is important to keep in mind that various steps are not mutually exclusive, nor they are totally separate and distinct. What step should be followed at what time depends on the research . However, the following guide-lines in this regard are significant: 1. Formulation of researcher problem- At the very outset the researcher must choose the area in which he wants to carry on research. In the field of law the researcher has a very wide scope. After selecting the area we are required to select specific topic or subject for the study. Thus formulation of a general topic into a specific researcher problem constitutes the first step in this regard. It can be said that formulation the researcher problem involves two steps: a) Understanding the problem thoroughly: and b) Re-shaping that understanding into meaningful terms to arrive at a concrete result. Thus formulation of research problem is very significant for a researcher and if it is done successfully, a good deal of battle is won. 2. Extensive literature survey- Once a problem is formulated a brief summary of it should be prepared. For this the researcher must undertake an extensive survey of the available literature on the subject: preferably connected with the problem. For this purpose the abstracting and indexing journals, published and unpublished bibliographies should first of all be examined. Academic journals, conference proceedings government reports, reference books and text books, depending on the nature of the problem must be seen. 3. Formulation of hypothesis- When the literature relating to the problem is extensively surveyed researcher should state in clear terms the hypothesis. A hypothesis is the tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical consequences. In its most elementary stage the hypothesis may be any guess, imagination ideas which becomes the basis for action or investigation. It helps in the analysis of the material pertaining to the subject. It helps in delimiting the area of research and keeps the researcher on the right track. 4. Collection of material- A research cannot be said to be duly carried out unless the relevant materials have been examined. But the relevant cannot be examined unless and until they have been collected and compiled. The collection of the relevant materials is most difficult and comprehensive work and requires lot of energy and attention as well as patience. 5. Analysis of material- Once the requisite materials are collected, the researcher undertakes to analyse them. This is also a very important step in the direction of fulfilment of research work. In case of doctrinal research the researcher can proceed smoothly if he is well aware about the principles of interpretation and construction. He is required to examine the fact of each case, the principle applied to that fact, the line of argument taken, relief sought and provided and if necessary the history or legislation, etc. There may be situations in relation to which no statutory provision existed it was decided on the basis of the principle of justice, equity and good conscience. If the bulk of the examined material indicates to a particular direction, the principle so applied should be accepted as general principles and principles not applied should be deemed to have been overlooked. 6. Testing of hypothesis- After analysis of materials or data as the case may be the researcher becomes confident enough to test his hypothesis which he had already formulated. He can examine if the material or data after analysis support his hypothesis or they are contrary to it. The hypothesis testing ultimately results in either accepting the hypothesis or in rejecting it or in making amendment in it. 7. Generalisation and interpretation- The research work whether doctrinal or non-doctrinal will proceed towards generalisation and interpretation if the hypothesis has been tested positive. If it results in negative the question of generalisation and interpretation does not arise. The purpose of generalisation and interpretation is to built up a theory to be applicable in future to adjudicate upon similar and identical problems. This process of generalisation and interpretation, while helping in formulation of a general theory, also raises many important question which may lead to further research and till those question are answered they may be regarded as exceptions to the general theory or principle thus build up. 8. Preparation of report- The penultimate task in a researcher work is to write the report of the exercise done so far. It should be prepared with great care and caution because it is this report that gives credit to the researcher. Objective of research are following: i. To familiarize with a phenomenon or to acquire new insights into an existing fact, that is, Exploratory Research. ii. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else, that is, Diagnostic Research. iii. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular object, situation or group, that is, Descriptive Research. iv. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between two objects, that is, Hypothesis Testing Research. v. To separate fact from speculation and wish, that is, Distinguishing Research. Definition- Research has been defined in a number of different ways. A broad definition of research is given by Martyn Shuttleworth – â€Å"In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge.† Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states – â€Å"Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyse information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue†. It consists of three steps: Pose a question, collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines research in more detail as â€Å"a studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws†. The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911 edition) defines research to mean- â€Å"the act of searching into a matter closely and carefully, inquiry directed to the discovery of truth and in particular the trained scientific investigation of the principles and facts of any subject, based on original and first hand study of authorities or experiment. Investigation of every kind which has been based on original sources of knowledge may be styled research and it may be said that without ‘research’ no authoritative work have been written, no scientific inventions or discoveries made, no theories of any value propounded†. This definition is probably most exhaustive and meaningful. Meaning and Objective of Legal Research- ‘Legal research’ means research in that branch of knowledge which deals with the principles of law and legal institution. There are three main sources of law, that is, legislation, precedent, and custom. Juristic writings are another important though secondary source of law and their important is dependent on the fact whether it is given due recognition by the courts or the legislature or jurists in solving problems or not. The contents of these sources of law change with the changing requirement of the society and if these changes are not taken into account in interpreting the law, the existing law is bound to be doomed. The aim of law is, therefore, to regulate the human behaviour in the present day society and hence, legal research must be directed to the study of the relationship between the world of the law and the world that the law purports to govern. Generally, law is enacted to regulate the human conduct for the welfare of humankind. It is considered that law should be enacted to protect the interest of a person, society, and the county as a whole. The goal of legal research cannot be distinguished from the goal of law. As law is directly related with the social science, its research is also automatically related with the research of social science. This is the age of democracy and good governance. Democracy and good governance depend upon the rule of law. In democratic society, law is changed for welfare of the people and society along with the pace of time. Alternatively, law shall not be constraint for the development rather it be facilitator. That is why law needs charges. Similarly, legal research is essential to have changes in law for socialization and betterment of the people and society. Now-a-days, legal research is not limited only on the analysing of criminal behaviour, activities of public, court, public prosecutors, legal practitioners etc. but it also includes the protection of environment of all creatures in the world and the development as well. As a result, legal research plays crucial role for the welfare of the humankind and is more important than others to bring positive changes in our society and at the end in the whole humankind. The following are the objectives of legal research- i. To discover new facts; i. To test and verify old facts; ii. To analysis the facts in new theoretical framework; iii. To examine the consequences of new facts or new principles of law; or judicial decisions; iv. To develop new legal researcher tools or apply tools of other disciplines in the area of law; v. To propound a new legal concept; vi. To analyse law and legal institutions from point of view of history; vii. To examine the nature and scope of new law or legal institutions; viii. To ascertain the merits and demerits of old law or institution and to give suggestion for a new or institution in place of old one; ix. To ascertain the relationship between legislature and judiciary and to give suggestion as to haw one can assist the discharge of one’s duties and responsibilities; and x. To develop the principles of interpretation for critical examination of statutes. These objectives of legal research as of any other research may be obtained by any of the following processes: i. Evolutive; or ii. Explicative; or iii. Identificatory; or iv. Projective; or v. Collative; or vi. Impact analysis; or vii. Interactive; or viii. Interpretative. Evolutive process : Evolutive research is one which seeks to identify the roots of a social evil and tries to prohibit it by law, eg. Eradication of dowry , prohibition of Sati, prohibition of child marriage, legalising widow marriage, etc. historical facts play most important role in this kind of research. Explicative process- Explicative process is one which tries to ascertain the nature, scope of law in order to fxplain the nature, scope of law in order to explain what law is, e.g. law relating to industrial pollution and legal relating to administrative action and its legal control, matrimonial relief etc. Identificatory process- An identificatory process is one whose objective is to ascertain the people for whose benefit a legal is enacted e.g. research carried on to find out the beneficiaries of land reform, beneficiaries of reservation among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Backwards, the group of industrial establishments kept out of the area of operation of a piece of legislation, e.g. activities outside the area of the Factories Act, 1948, industrial establishments not covered by the Provident Fund Act, etc. employees entitled to the benefit of provident fund and insurance fund, etc. Projective Process- A projective process is one which aims at examining the degree of social acceptance to a policy the State is planning to implement. This kind of research attempts to find out at the very beginning, the mood of the people or masses, or electorate or industrial workers, whether they will accept the proposed scheme or not, or they will accept it with certain modification. Truly speaking, it is a survey beforehand rather than a research work to find out the feasibility of the proposed scheme. Collative process- A collative process is one which tries to find out the effect of existing law, in relation to other existing law, i.e. its objective is to compare the two set of rules to find out which one is more workable and by which the desired effect may be achieved. Impact analysis process- This kind of research is carried on to find out the impact of an established or newly formed legal principle, rule or institution. In the area of planning this kind of study assumes much significance. On the basis of the outcome of the research necessary changes may be made wherever necessary it helps us to change our outlook towards the objective sought to be achieved, thus it is a preliminary steps to law reform. Interactive process- Law does not operate in vacuum. It operates in society. There are a number of other factors, which interact with it. These factors are of various types such as formal or non-formal, permanent or transitory. A legal researcher cannot be insensitive to such factors of society which annihilate the entire fabric of law. Since law is a part of the society, therefore, the law should be such as that it can work in the society. A researcher must take care of- a) The relative autonomy of law in relation to other component of society; b) The relationship between various component within the legal system; and c) The inter-dependence of one or more components of law within the legal system. Interpretative Research process- This kind of research aims at interpreting the various words and phrases used in defining the law. The researcher makes effort to give a particular word, a specific meaning by using his own logic and authoritative opinion of other people. This kind of researcher is confined mostly to the study of statutes, text and judicial pronouncement and is done by analysing the words. It helps acquire clarity, consistency, uniformity in the meaning of legal writing. These objectives of researcher, thus, help us in determining for what purpose the research is directed, and how, the research may be carried on. In the process, the researcher explains the relevant juridical concept, analysis statutory provisions, picks out significant juridical date, formulated principles deducible from judicial decisions and arranges the whole material in some logical order.If the researcher has sufficient aptitude for research, he may identify the problems likely to arise and deduct principles with sufficient prec ision to provide solution to those problems. Tools of Legal Research- In pursuing research for disclosing facts or proving a hypothesis true or false, various kinds of methods can be applied for the successful research. The following research methods collectively or individually can be applied for the successful research as the main methods. A. Observation: Information can be received by observing, visiting and viewing the place, society, events or the things pertinent to the study or research. Observation can be taken as primary and reliable source of information. If a researcher is careful, he/she can get the points that may play the significant role in his research or study. Observation is a method that is common in the research of legal and social science. Observation should be guided by a specific research purpose, the information receive from the observation should be recorded and subjected to checks on the trail of reliability. B. Questionnaire: In questionnaire method, a researcher develops a form containing such questions pertinent to his study. Generally, the researcher prepares yes/ No questions or short answer questions. In questionnaire method, researcher distributes such forms to the people to whom he/she deems appropriate. The people, to whom the questionnaires have been distributed, should answer that what they have known by filling out the form and return it to researcher. C. Sampling: When the subject of research is vague, comprehensive and when each indicator cannot be taken by virtue of financial constraint, time and complexity, etc. then the researcher can randomly collect data/sample depending on the reason. This is called as sampling method. For instance, in a demographic research, part of population represent various groups can be taken into consideration That is why, it is said that sample is a method that saves time and money. D. Interviews: A researcher can receive information sought by him/her asking people concerned through interview. It is a direct method of receiving information. Interview can be generally held asking questions in face-to-face contact to the person or persons and sometimes through telephone conversation. This method is common in the research of legal and social science. In this method, the researcher has to use less skill and knowledge to receive information he/she had sought. Interview is known as an art of receiving pertinent information. In the opinion of P.V. Young, interview can be taken as a systematic method by which a person enters more or less imaginatively into the life of a stranger. E. Case study: Case study is taken as one of the important and reliable methods for legal research. Case study can be defined as a method of research where facts and grounds of each legal issue are dealt with by taking individual case. Case study is a method of exploring and analysing of life of a social unit such as a person, a family, an institution, a cultural group or even entire community. It is a way of organizing social data so as to preserve the utility character of the social object being studied.11 Keeping in view to the matters above, we can state here that the case study is a method of legal research to explore and analyse the fact and data of a social unit and to organize social data for prescription of useful character and society.

Globalizing a Local Brand Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalizing a Local Brand - Case Study Example In international marketing, it is important for any company to judge the external environment before entering into a new foreign market to understand the feasibility of the business in the target country. The evaluation of external environment is very essential and it is a continuous process. In the light of the all the external environmental factors the crucial factors that are important to know are market growth of the particular industry and the organization’s growth. From that only, anyone can actually understand the performance of the company. For example, if the market is not good in a particular region then it’s obvious that a company should maintain caution while going to international market. The host country’s political and economic conditions play a major role in understanding the potentiality of the company. The branding of Wiggles is also important aspect here to understand the situation. This study has analysed the entire business situation of the c ompany on the basis of the mentioned criteria. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 5 1.1 Aim 5 1.2 Scope 5 1.3 Background 5 2.0 Environmental forces of Middle-east affecting the Wiggles 7 2.1 External Environmental Forces 7 2.1.1 Political Environment 7 2.1.2 Economic Environment 7 2.1.3 Social Environment 9 2.1.4 Legal Environment 11 2.1.5 Technological Environment 11 3.0 Competitive Factors in UAE 12 3.1 Market size 12 3.2 Purchasing power 12 3.3 Disposable income 12 3.4 Market Demand 12 3.5 Industry Supply 13 4.0 Market potentiality in the Middle-East analysis and discussion 13 4.1 Analysis 13 Strengths and weakness to open a market in UAE 14 4.2 Discussion 15 5.0 Conclusion 16 References 17 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Aim Business has taken a new dimension now days. It is not the traditional way to do the business where there will be a point of sale and people will believe on hard sales that means selling the products would be in highest priority. Business has taken new shape and colour . Previously there were only two approaches of marketing present in the world – the Production concept and the product concept. The production concept says that emphasizing more on production can lead to a greater amount of output in the economics. 1.2 Scope By selling more units the firms can gain more profit. After that, the Product concept came in view and the concept explains the details about the product differentiation that means adding more and more features on product could make the product different from the other product. But this concept also leads to high cost for the producers and this is what we call as â€Å"Marketing Myopia.†Recently the concept is present in the market is Social marketing. Social business concept is the new dimension of the business where the organization feels itself as a part of the society. The organization would provide the merit goods to the society (Blythe, 2006, p.89). 1.3 Background It’s not only the goods market but ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s the service market that has created a new era in the marketing field. The companies like Wiggles provide service to the people around world for last 21 years. Here it is noted that goods market is somehow different from the service market. In goods market, we can actually see the products, we can touch the products, we can transfer the product but in case of service marketing there is no transformation of the product, there is no homogeneity of the products. ‘Wiggles’

Organization Theories Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organization Theories - Term Paper Example The paper will explain how the organization applies different theories that are part of the complex organizational theory. The paper will focus on how the organization displays all the perspectives of the theory from the classical perspective to the neo-classical perspective. DOL’s characteristics will also be a main area of interest in the paper. Introduction and background of the organization The United States Department of Labor is a large global organization that is one of the departments of the cabinet in the United States. The organization falls under the classification of a complex organization. A complex organization is one which requires strong management bases, and that is beyond the management of a single individual. The mission statement of the organizations summarizes the main functions of the organization. The main functions of the organization are to maintain occupational safety, wage limits, standards of working hours, insurance benefit for the unemployed, and various employment statistics (United States Department of Labor, 2012). Therefore, it is clear that the main concern of DOL is creating an enabling environment that helps in improving the performance and productivity of the employees (United Sates Department of Labor, 2012). The United States Secretary of Labor occupies the highest rank in the hierarchical structure of DOL. DOL classifies its workers by assigning them some codes that are alphabetically arranged. Workers have different codes depending on the rank they occupy in the orga nization (United Sates Department of Labor, 2012). The hierarchical structure in DOL is such that each member becomes aware of his or her duties and responsibilities, and the expected level of performance. However, a critical analysis of the organization will reveal other authoritative hierarchies other than the main hierarchy. Management practices of the organization DOL capitalizes on the impacts of enhancing efficiency of operations in production. Improved efficiency in production leads to the overall success of an organization in the given field. Thus, the organization uses the model of the scientific management theory as a guide towards increasing its overall performance. Taylor’s scientific management theory suggests that efficiency and production should be the key values of any organization. Taylor argues that if an organization defines tasks and operations well and provides incentives to its workers, then the organization is destined to be successful in its operations . DOL exhibits the characteristics of Taylor’s model because its main objective is to establish a platform that looks at the welfare of all workers within and outside the United States. The organization uses cost-effective methods of ensuring that her members are conversant with the current trends in the world and enlightens them for available job opportunities that may arise in the market. It also has training facilities for the employees that help them in adapting to emerging issues and demand. These are among the factors that Taylor refers to as incentives of increasing performance and efficiency. DOL makes sure that all its operations and procedures rhyme across all its members and stakeholders. This is possible due to availability and strength of the available channel of communication between the management and employees. Employees are also part of the major decisions of the organization despite their rank in the hierarchical structure of the organization. This implies t hat there is a complete and continuous flow of

The impact of advertisements on customers Research Paper

The impact of advertisements on customers - Research Paper Example Therefore, the advertising done by any company should be planned and executed in an excellent way so as to affect the customers. Successful advertising can impact on customers psychologically, emotionally and rationally. Advertisers have to pay a lot of attention to the way customers think and behave. They have to carefully study the impacts their advertising can have on customer`s minds. Their main focus is on the design of their advertising as that is the component affecting the decision making behavior of the customers. The main goal of advertising should be to attract as many customers as possible and also to analyze the affects that advertising can have on the minds of the customers (The positive effects of advertising, Web). The psychological effects of advertising are such that it arouses the customer`s wish to purchase the products. In the process of advertising, firstly, the customer`s attention is focused on the design of the advertising and the information being told through it. After that, the process of reasoning takes place during which the customer`s emotions are transferred into desires of actually acquiring the product. This desire of customers is then turned into an action when they actually purchase the product. An example of this psychological impact on customers is when a particular customer watches an advertisement of a product like a burger on television. This is the first stage during which the customer`s attention is focused on this burger and the different features or ingredients of this particular burger. In the second stage, the customer starts desiring the burger and wants to actually go out and buy this burger. During the last stage, the customer will go out and purchase this burger in order to fulfill his desire and wish. After consuming it, if it satisfies the customer then he will become a regular buyer and will keep buying it and if not then he will regret his decision, will not buy it again and will even tell others not to buy this burger in the future. Therefore, a company should make sure that its advertising successfully promotes the true features of its products and should not misguide the customers (The psychological impact of advertising , Web). Apart from the psychological impacts of advertising, there are a number of emotional impacts of advertising as well. Advertising can emotionally affect the attitudes and purchase decisions of customers. Researchers have proved that the emotional impacts of advertising can indirectly affect the memory of customers. Many advertisers today are trying to create emotional impacts on customers through their advertising strategies and lure them into buying the products in order to increase their sales. According to a theory, advertising can have three kinds of impacts on customers. Out of these three impacts, two are positive while one relates to a negative emotion. One of these emotional responses relates to the arousal stage of the psychological impact process and involves emotions such as joy, surprise, excitement etc. the other set of positive emotions include feelings of warmth, hope as well as care and gentleness. These emotions can together have an impact on the customer att itudes and intentions of purchase of all the customers. The impact that advertisers plan to have on customers is actually different from what customers feel and this is portrayed in their attitudes.

Wicked Problems Social Policy in America on Equality Essay

Wicked Problems Social Policy in America on Equality - Essay Example They were able to work; educate themselves and rise in society. Social policies do not address the sociological issues, they answer at a very superficial level the end problems dealing with inequality and and not within inequality. Meritocracy and Egalitarism cannot be achieved as it assumes that we are not unique individuals. Three issues we be covered: legacy issues in Elite colleges, Blacks fail in law school and Gay marriages. In concluding a summary will be made, confirming when the government gets involved, social groups suffer. Much argument has been in the press about alumni accepting legacy preferences. Legacy preferences currently is not covered by Affirmative Action but the government is looking to pass legislation under the" The Civil Rights Act of 1866 which preventing discrimination based on ancestry and on race." (Wise 2010) I personally don't think the issue should be addressed at the government level. An alumni child has a 20% more chance of being accepted in his par ent's school. Is this not human nature?(Kahlenberg 2010) Currently in France, it is policy in order to apply for a job, the applicant has the right to omit all information indicating his race, background or religion. If the US were to do the same, then the College applicant still has the SAT scores. A parent, who has come from an Elite college, will have given his child a good background thus the best preparation possible for the SAT. Empirically it is impossible to statistically test, if legacy preference is an indication of acceptance. If Elite colleges were to strictly apply affirmative action, it would be at the detriment of under qualified students. A study done by Standford University found that "33% of black law school graduates in California pass the bar exam on the first try and most never become lawyers". (Kahlenberg 2010)T he question at hand is to prepare black students before they get to University so they are not in the situation to fail. Â  Gay Marriages implies that the institution of marriages is completely eroded. If 1 in 2 children will suffer a divorced marriage, the question is not allowing gay marriages but why is the concept of marriage having degraded to such a deplorable level. (Frum 1997 ) The Social Structure and concept of marriage is the real problem. There is no longer the social structure within the religion which checks and balances each relationship to make sure people and couples stay on the right track. Gay marriages are a sign of society that the institution of marriage is even more insecure. Marriage used to be a means to raise children; to make a life time bond; to continue family legacies. Now it has become "an exercise in radical autonomy". Affirmative Action and marriage do not go hand in hand. Bringing a child into the world assumes that the mother, normally the woman, plays a lower role in the couple as she has given up many of her equalitarian freedoms to raise her family. He proposes to make it harder to divorce; t o teach in school the different roles of the "sexes" and to teach in sociology that it were socially acceptable, Government policy has nothing to do with it. David asks if homosexuals would really want to marry if they knew the complicated social structure it actually involved. It is hard work to stay married and happy. There is not the autonomy or the affirmative action in a marriage. An institution is meant to stand. The family is a sociological structure that has been long part of our society before the 50's. Those, who favor gay marriage, must not have strong marriage themselves. A woman was built to have children and to rear children. Perhaps the word 'marriage' is the issue. In some countries, laws have been passed legalizing the right to live

Speech given by that candidate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speech given by that candidate - Essay Example The president uses the opportunity to dedicate the victory to his supporters. He says, ‘The victory belong to the American people, the victory is yours†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The president uses the speech to restore hope in the American people and create confidence in them towards his leadership. He says, ‘There is no doubt that change in the united states of America is possible, the founding fathers dream’s are valid and no one should question the power of democracy in the country†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..’ The president is able to connect with the audience by use of various techniques while delivering his speech. The president employs the use of transcendence. He is able to utilize tangible and concrete language to reconnect with the audience. He drifts the audience to other places and makes them visualize in their own eyes (Olive & David, 20). The use of examples in his speech rather than just being direct enables him to take control of the audience’s attention. The president says, â€Å"We started with less money in our campaigns. Our campaign was never supported financially by the white house; it began in Des Moines, Concord and Charleston’s the front porches. It was developed by women and men who were working, and contributed $5 and $10 and $20 towards the campaigns †¦..† The president also employed the use of repetition in his speech. The president’s use of repetitive words in sentences that are created successfully is aimed at emphasizing certain ideas and making the speech even more memorable. The set of ideas brought by the president is also less in number and easier to remember. The president begins the second, third and fourth paragraph of his speech by use of the word, ‘it is the answer†¦.’ in the beginning of all the three paragraphs. Finally the president is able to use voice and gestures to connect with the audience. The president is seen to use hand gestures in emphasizing his ideas. The use of gestures

Social Organization of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Social Organization of Religion - Essay Example What does it mean to be religious nowadays? Why do we need to go to church, or in what other ways is it possible to confirm one’s aspiration to be a religious person? From the perspective of sociologists all answers to these questions can be found in the ordinary behavior of people in their daily lives. For example, it is ordinary for people to follow behaviors of others. Thus, they follow other people’s beliefs and religious is a favorable basis for unification of people. Moreover, it performs a pacifying function in the society; it instills hope in people’s hearts and exerts much more positive influence on individuals. Nevertheless, there are negative outcomes of religion, when people are involved in different sectarian developments or when they are ready to give all their money to churches for charity. Religion has exceeded its limits as of a spiritual basis for people’s development. It turned into a global machine, which requires people’s money for fake hopes and beliefs. A sociological root of religion is presented to people on TV or in the magazines, online or broadcast on radio. Still, no one knows where to find the truth and what is the real essence of the modern religion. Group spirit of religion can be interpreted from the perspective of humanity’s desire to be together with other people and follow a so-called spirit of herd. Sociological aspect of religion can clarify numerous aspects of this global phenomenon. For example, religion is often correlated with supernatural phenomena and people are often afraid of unknown. Thus, their belief in God is often considered to be a strong power, which helps them living their lives. Moreover, there is an evident blending of real phenomena and imaginative divinities. A real life of humans is compared with the lives in the Heaven or Hell. Social events and phenomena are correlated with religious practices and religious followers explicate their

Cognitive And Neuropsychological Models Of Mathematical Processing Essay

Cognitive And Neuropsychological Models Of Mathematical Processing Have Advanced Our Knowledge Of How We Do Mathematics - Essay Example Number sense may is indispensable to judge the number of predators or the quantity of food or the size of the turf indispensable for survival (Gallistel C. R., Rochel Gelman. (2003)). Research to understand brain mechanisms underlying mathematical ability have included not only normal human subjects but infants, patients with injured brains and even animals. While an unequivocal proof is still illusive, several interesting finds have helped make progress. Studies confirm the mathematical prowess all of many animals like chimpanzees, birds and even the lions (Gallistel C. R., Rochel Gelman.(2003)), (Brian Butterworth.1999. ) Human understanding of mathematics is more complex and advanced as it involves the verbal pathways as well. According to Butterworth, human cognition of numbers begins from the first day of life. Studies were performed with babies by increasing or decreasing the number of dolls shown to them. A perceptible, intelligent change in their response confirmed the presen ce of mathematical hardware in the brain right from Birth. In fact Butterworth calls this an, â€Å"instinct.† (Brian Butterworth.1999.)

Should Disabled Children Be Mainstreamed In Public Schools Essay

Should Disabled Children Be Mainstreamed In Public Schools - Essay Example The supporters of mainstreaming argue that all special children have an equal right to the opportunity of social inclusion. The opponents of mainstreaming do not disagree; no rational minded person can deny the rights of social inclusion of disabled children. But the question is: does mainstreaming ensure social inclusion of the disabled children? The answer is unfortunately, in the negative. In a book titled: ‘Alone in the mainstream: A deaf woman remembers public school’, Olivia shares her experiences as a deaf student in a mainstream environment (Rossetti, 2005). Olivia has shared her experiences of the painful social isolation she felt while being mainstreamed in a school where she was the only deaf child and how the environment and being different from other children made her feel like a solitaire. ‘I was alone among so many people because they were not like me’. The main principle underlying mainstream is social inclusion; what’s the point in it if the mainstreamed children despite being a part of it, remain isolated in the normal environment? The advocators of mainstreaming also claim that disabled children can be taught is regular public classrooms (Williams and Algozzine, 1979). This is also not as simple as it appears. The success of a special child in a regular environment depend upon two main factors, one: the type and extent of disability and second is the attitude of teachers. Children with physical handicaps are usually a bit more accepted by regular children and teachers.

Holy Spirit Essay Example for Free

Holy Spirit Essay Mary Magdalene along with other women visited the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning to apply fresh spices to the body of Jesus who was crucified on Friday. The agony and pain carried by Mary Magdalene for Jesus has lead to visit Jesus early before the sun rise. As a matter of fact, for all believers of Christianity, this moment of Mary Magdalene witnessing an empty tomb the absence of Jesus physical body provides a strength to the faith of believers with the fact that Mary Magdalene carried the message of resurrection of Jesus first to the disciples and to the entire world. On the other side, if Mary Magdalene would not visit the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning, how the world would view the death and resurrection of Jesus, and how the gospel and missionary work of Jesus would be carried on, such as these questions would arise whereas by witnessing an empty tomb, Mary Magdalene has brought a message to the world that Jesus has risen from the dead. This amazing fact and for this purpose, Jesus may have chosen Mary Magdalene in spite of the fact that, Jesus had 12 ardent and strong followers as disciples who knew and witnessed the Lord’s miracle work and missionary work. In Matthew 28:1-2 angels declare that Jesus has risen and Jesus cannot be found among the dead and this message was first disclosed to women who visited the tomb. In Mark 16:4-5 it was stated that stone on the tomb was rolled away, and an angel was seated in side the tomb to tell that Jesus has risen from the dead and this resurrection message must be carried to all. Among all women who visited the tomb of Jesus, Mary Magdalene was the first to meet Jesus after the resurrection and also as the first person to disclose the message of resurrection of Jesus to the disciples of Jesus. The life of Mary Magdalene was one part, wherein on several occasions, was pointed out as a rich woman who led a luxurious and lavish life, who lived a family life along with brother Lazarus and sister Martha, and who possessed demons and was also viewed by people as a sinner. The second part of Mary Magdalene life began with the association of Jesus gospel work , and there was a great transformation and change in the life of life of Mary Magdalene. Mary witnessed the life of brother Lazarus which was brought back by Jesus, Jesus participation with Pharisees and Sadducees along with disciples in feast and how Jesus motivated and preached the teachings. Mary Magdalene was present on several occasions with Jesus which provide an understanding that Mary Magdalene after choosing to follow Jesus did not go back to the old life and remained with Jesus until the resurrection and Jesus accepted the presence of Mary Magdalene every where. Many scholars also state that Mary Magdalene was the best female disciple of Jesus and men disciples disliked this fact. Jesus did not permit Mary Magdalene to touch Jesus, after the resurrection, and this is quite notable as â€Å"noli me tangere† which means â€Å"Don’t touch me, for I have not ascended to my father as stated in St. John 20:17. Just after this episode, a week later Jesus visits doubting Thomas along with other disciples and asks to touch Jesus hands and side as stated in John 20:24-28. With the above facts, it is a very strong and evidential fact that Mary Magdalene was the closest disciple of Jesus who maintained well tuned relation with Jesus in all respects and Jesus did not deny this. Mary Magdalene life after Jesus is another interesting point of view as Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lead to the birth and inception of The Holy Grail and it is also interesting to take note how this has been achieved. 2. Gospels of New Testament about Mary Magdalene All the four gospels of New Testament speak about Mary as Mary Magdalene. It can be stated here that if Jesus showed much appreciation for Peter among men disciples Mary Magdalene was the most appreciative among women disciples of Jesus and Peter disliked this and as per Gospel of Thomas, Peter on several occasions asked Mary to leave Jesus and disciples and also stated that â€Å"for women are not worthy of life† (Bart D. Ehrman, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, page. 254). There is also a question whether it was Mary Magdalene who laid the foundation for the birth of Christianity, and that Mary was the first apostle of Jesus who lead to the church movement. Mary Magdalene was cured from seven demons when Jesus was journeying from one place to another preaching the good news about kingdom of god. (Luke 8:1-3) This was the first inspiration that has drawn Mary towards Jesus. In the second instance, during crucifixion Mark 15:40 along with other women viz. , Mary the mother of James, Joses and Salome, Mary Magdalene was also present for visiting the tomb of Jesus. Again in Math 27:56 Mary Magdalene with other women Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of sons of Zebedee. In John 19:25 Mary Magdalene was standing at the cross along with Mary the mother of Jesus, mother’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Mark 15:47 states that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking where Jesus was laid. Matt 27:61 states that Mary Magdalene and other Mary were sitting opposite the sepulcher. Mat 28:1 states that after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. Mark 16:1 states that after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus. On the occasion of resurrection of Jesus, it is stated in John 20:1, Marg Magdalene came to the tomb on the first day of the week and it was still dark and Mary Magdalene saw that the stone was already taken from the tomb. Mark 16:9 states that Jesus after the resurrection, the first day of the week, first appeared to Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus casted out seven demons. In John 20:18, Mary Magdalene announced to the disciples as â€Å"I have seen the Lord†. Luke 24 states that women took the spices and went to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week and found that the stone was rolled away from the tomb. Women when entered the tomb, did not find the body of Lord Jesus and saw two men in dazzling garments who said â€Å"why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day†. Immediately women among whom was Mary Magdalene was present along with Joanna, and Mary the mother of James and others who visited disciples and unfolded the message of resurrection of Jesus. This fact was first not accepted by disciples who did not believe the fact that Jesus would definitely rise from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion. This discussion clearly indicates that the presence of Mary Magdalene is constant from the time of crucifixion, during the burial of Jesus and most importantly the resurrection of Jesus. In all the three phases of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection Mary Magdalene was persistent and faithful to meet Lord Jesus Christ. This strongly communicates that Mary Magdalene was truly the first apostle of women who longed for the presence of Jesus and did not look back to the old life which was filled with luxuries and riches whereas Mary Magdalene was pursuing Jesus taking note of every good news of gospel work performed by Jesus. 3. Character analysis of Mary Magdalene Some people identify Mary Magdalene as â€Å"sinner† who anointed Jesus feet in the home of Simon, the Pharisee as stated in St. Luke 7:36-50 whereas there is no concrete evidence for this. Mary Magdalene is portrayed as an ardent follower of Jesus as it is revealed in the scriptures of New Testament in several places of gospels which describe about the association of Mary Magdalene with Jesus viz. , St. Mat 27:56, 61: 28:1, Mark 15:40,47. 16:1-19; 8:2, 24:10, John 19:25, 20:1-18. Magdala means â€Å"tower or castle† is a prosperous town on the coast of Galilee, three miles away from Capernaum, wherein there are many dye work factories and Mary is from this city which is why Mary is called as Mary Magdalene. The perfume/oil Mary uses to anoint the feet of Jesus was very expensive to an amount of $ 17,000 worth which was approximate wage of 300 days ($7 per hour x 8hrs per day) which strongly confirm the fact that Mary had great respect for Jesus and the fact that Jesus could forgive the sins of Mary Magdalene. Jesus clearly understood this fact and developed deep sympathy for Mary Magdalene and condemns the words of disciples against Mary Magdalene. St. Mark 14:3-9, St. Mat 26:6-13. The Gospel of John also identifies Mary Magdalene is also identified as a sister of Martha and Lazarus who was raised from the dead John 11:1-44 and the fact that Mary was at the feet of Jesus when a dinner was arranged in Martha and Mary’s home and did not participate in the domestic help for Martha. Mary as Magdalene is first introduced in St. Luke 8:2, and Jesus had driven seven demons out of Mary, who is called Magdalene as stated in St. Luke. As per New Testament, Mary Magdalene presence is quite evident at the time of crucifixion and after the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, Mary Magdalene was the first person to meet visit after the resurrection of Jesus. Luke 23:27 says â€Å" a large number of people followed him, including women mourned and wailed for him†. Mat 27:55 †She was there at the cross† . It gives an understanding to the people that Mary Magdalene after meeting Jesus, never looked back to the old way of life, and continued to life with God. Mary was faithful, steadfast and strong follower of Jesus until crucifixion and after the resurrection of Jesus. At the time when Jesus was carrying cross to the calvary Mary was present among those women who wept for Jesus and also as a witness for the death of Jesus on the cross as stated in Mark 15:40, Luk 23:48 and John 19:25. Particularly, when Jesus body was wrapped in linen clothes and was kept in tomb as per Jewish customs, Mary Magdalene spends lot of amount for purchase of dry spices and liquid spices as stated in Mar 16:1 to be applied for the body of Jesus on the Sabbath day. Mary visits the tomb early before the sun rise and finds that the body of Jesus was not present in the tomb, and talks to two angels who question â€Å"Woman, why are you crying? † John 20:13 and Mary answered â€Å"They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him†. The message of Jesus resurrection was first unfolded to the world by Mary Magdalene and Jesus first spoke to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection by saying â€Å"Greetings† (Mat 28:9) and Mary proclaims this message to the disciples as â€Å"I have seen the Lord† John 20:18. 4. Holy Grail The Holy Grail is a cup which was used by Jesus Christ at the time of Last Supper to drink wine and this was the same cup used by Joseph of Arimethea (12th Century) to hold the blood of Jesus while on the cross. The term â€Å"grail† is derived from Latin word gradale which means a dish brought to the table in various stages during the course of a meal. According to the Christian mythology, the Holy Grail is deemed to be possessed with miraculous powers and Joseph d’Arimathie late 12th century passed Holy Grail to Great Britain. The description of Holy Grail is 17cm high, in the form of a cup having a body and a base. The cup finely carved and carries 28 pea-sized pearls, two balaxes and two emeralds. An inscription is also ingraved on the back which was first read and publicized by the archaelogist Antonio Beltran. According to some documents, the Holy Grail stood at Saint Juan de la Pena Monastery at least in 1399 and in the same year, King Martin brought it to the chapel of Royal Palace at the Alfajeria in Zaragoa. After the death of King Martin, in September 1410, it was taken as a property of Barcelona. In 1424, The Holy Grail was transferred to Valencia Royal Palace and in 1437 Dan Juan, King of Navarran presented Holy Grail to Valencia Cathedral. From here, Holy Grail was moved to Alicante and to the towns of Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca. As on today, The Holy Grail is preserved in Valencia Cathedral. The Holy Grail was first discovered in The Last Supper, the painting by Leonardo Da Vinci who painted Last Supper on the wall for church community and there are questions whether the Holy Grail or the Holy cup was present in the painting. Leonardo drawn the sketch of painting from the Gospels as stated and there were many hypotheses to declare Holy Grail as a literary invention and also to decide whether it is a cup? , platter, stone or religuary. Many other writers also claim the Holy Grail as a fictitious device and there are many arguments about this. In Mat 26:27 it is stated â€Å"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;† and a similar verse in repeated in all other gospels, which indicates that in the Passover feast, Jesus did use cup which later took the form as The Holy Grail predicted to be used by Joseph Arimathea and Mary Magdalene. This vessel used by Jesus is presumed to be the Holy Eucharist as described in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. There are also other arguments that Mary Magdalene, travelled along with brother Lazarus and Joseph Arimathea and brought the Holy Grail to the coast of France. Further there are arguments whether in the Last Supper painting, Mary Magdalene was present amidst of Jesus and disciples and to this Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code states that the person sitting next to Jesus in the Last Supper was not Mary Magdalene and it was John, the disciple of Jesus. Here John appears as a woman in the painting made by Leonardo and it depicts the art work and the imagination in that era. The Holy Grail is the preserver of Jesus missionary work and the service delivered by Jesus to the humanity. The comparison of the sacred vessel or Holy Grail with Mary Magdalene is made here that both the sacred vessel and Mary Magdalene had the presence of Jesus who performed respective jobs in the missionary work of Jesus while on earth. Sacred vessel indicates that Jesus did participate in the Last Supper along with disciples before the crucifixion and Mary Magdalene represents as the first woman apostle who lead to the movement of christian church. 5. Analysis from Old Testament about the word â€Å"Rabbi† In the gospel of John 20:13, Mary Magdalene says â€Å"They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him†. Even in spite of the fact that Jesus stood by the side, Mary Magdalene did not recognize and mistakes Jesus for a gardener and says â€Å"Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away† (John 20:15) In John 20:16 Jesus says â€Å" Mary† and immediately Magdalene recognizes Jesus and says â€Å"Rabbouni† which means â€Å"teacher†. In John 1:38 â€Å"Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master) The original language of Old Testament is Hebrew and Rabbis are fluent in Hebrew. Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi. Teachers of Jesus were Jewish Rabbis and the main book Jesus studied was the Bible – the Old Testament. Hebrew language is considered to be a holy language and God when created the universe, God used Hebrew Alphabets and each of these letters have a shape and a special meaning. In Hebrew language the Old Testament is called as Torah which means law. Therefore Rabbis according to Old Testament are the teachers of law and Jesus was a descendant from Jewish community and was also participating in the teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God and also about the laws of social issues as well political issues. In this manner, Mary Magdalene addressed Jesus as Rabbi calling Jesus as teacher. This clearly states that Mary Magdalene learnt many facts about spiritual living and how the kingdom of God should be practiced on earth. 6. Dan Brown â€Å"Da Vinci Code† Dan Brown’s â€Å"Da Vinci Code† states that Mary Magdalene was the Holy Grail, as the vessel that carried Sangreal (Holy Grail in the Medieval French). The French word for blood is sang, which indicates a fact that Mary Magdalene was carrying the royal blood or the holy blood of Jesus as stated in the books Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code. As per this source, Dan Brown in the novel, depicts a fact that Mary Magdalene with at least one child secretly trying to enter France and seeking a refuge in Jewish community. According to this fiction, Jesus and Mary’s child called Sarah, is presumed to be an ancestress for Merovingian royals. At this period of 12th century, the popularity of Mary Magdalene was placed at greater heights and it was also one of the darkest period of civilization. It is stated that the wedding of Cana took place between Jesus and Mary Magdalene and mother of Jesus who was present instructed all the servants to carryout the instructions of Jesus when there was not enough wine. In the Jewish custom, bachelorhood was not acceptable and marriage was honored. In Matt 19:4-5 it is stated â€Å" Have ye’ not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh†. In weddings, mostly it is mother of bride or groom spend time and organize in the matters of food and drink and take interest to see that guests are satisfied. In the wedding of Cana, Mary the mother of Jesus was worried about the arrangements made at the wedding in spite of the fact being a guest as stated in John 2:3-10. There are many questions for a common man understanding whether was this acceptable to Mary Magdalene and whether disciples accepted this arrangement. This is one part of an argument whether did Jesus truly part of this fiction or was this a fact? And there is no end for such as these doubts who worship Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world. Some writers have truly suggested that the wedding at Cana was none other than Mary Magdalene’s own wedding with Jesus who was present with disciples. (Meera Lester, Mary Magdalene, page. 38) Another argument is that whether Mary Magadalene was present in Last Supper along with Jesus. The Da Vinci Code believes that Mary Magdalene was present in Last Supper and the novelists asks the readers to look for â€Å"V† created by the positions of disciples to the right of Jesus. The letter â€Å"V† stands for Sacred Feminine. â€Å"The symbol of hieros gamos, sacred marriage, is a six pointed star. One half of the star is made by a â€Å"V†. The other half of the star is a pyramid, a male symbol of power. The Da Vinci’s The Last Supper could reflect the artist’s beliefs regarding the importance of Mary in Jesus’ inner circle – that she was the wife of Jesus and also the Holy Grail, a human chalice to contain the savior’s blood line† (Meera Lester, Mary Magdalene, page 40) 7. Mary Magdalene bearer of the Holy Grail What is the significance of Holy Grail and what is it? These are some of the questions that interest the common man. According to the scholars, the sacred vessel that was used to hold the blood of Jesus while on the cross which was held by Joseph of Arimathea is termed as Holy Grail and another belief is that the sacred vessel that was used by Jesus to drink wine at the Last Supper is also termed as Holy Grail. Holy Grail is precious and is a historical evidence that Jesus did live and die on the cross. Another legend also states that a jar was held at the foot of cross to hold the blood of Jesus on the cross, which was held by Mary Magdalene. Vessel has become sacred because the vessel carried the holy blood of Jesus. (Margaret Starbird, Mary Magdalene: Bearer of the Holy Grail) The Holy Grail is a powerful symbol for Christianity for it is a sacred evidence of Jesus blood and chastity it carries to the entire world of christianity. The echoes of Grail promise many truths for Christian believers that precious blood of Jesus who died on the cross for bringing salvation to the entire world that whoever believes in Jesus and confesses sins, such people would be forgiven and are permitted to live a born-again life. Jesus emphasized on life of faith as the prime most important aspect in a Christian life. Why the Holy Grail is carried by Mary Magdalene and why not disciples or why not others? The answer to this question would be explained as, a story in Southern Coast of France states that Mary Magdalene was the bearer of the â€Å"sangraal†, the French word translated as â€Å"holy grail† as Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus and most prominently, the first person who met Jesus on Easter Sunday morning, Mary took note of all the events after the crucifixion of Jesus and silently decided to proclaim the gospel of Christianity which is why, Holy Grail is held as a sacred vessel by Mary Magdalene. In other words, the seed that was preserved by Jesus and Mary Magdalene is known as The Holy Grail which presumably carries mystical powers and also the presence of Christ. Here it can stated that Jesus has chosen Mary Magdalene to be the bearer of Holy Grail, or Mary Magdalene all by self, has consecrated the whole life to preserve the Holy Grail after the ascension of Jesus. According to the New Testament, all through the Gospels, there are no texts cited about either Holy Grail or about the life of Mary Magdalene after the ascension of Jesus. There are no evidences, how old are the gospels written in New Testament whereas going by the each scripture portion, it depicts the sanctity and power of Jesus on earth. Even in the letters written by Apostle Paul, there are no citations or discussion about Mary Magdalene as the bearer of Holy Grail. In the garden of Gethsmane, before the arrest of Jesus while Jesus was praying (John 17:1-26) (Mark 14:35-39, Mat 26:36-44). Therefore, historical evidence prove that Mary Magdalene as the bearer of Holy Grail whereas Holy Bible New Testament does not carry or state any scripture in this regard neither by Gospel writers nor essentially by Apostle Paul who has written 22 letters on the gospel of Jesus Christ which indicate that it was St. Paul who has brought a daylight to Christianity. 8. Conclusion Whether a fiction or a fact that is based on Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, according to the New Testament, Jesus came into the world as Messiah, â€Å"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Mat 1:23). The teachings of Jesus especially sermon on the mount Mat 5:1-19, miracles, parables and teachings are closely relevant to this day and the application and implementation of these theories have always given perfect results which is why Christianity is considered to be a fruitful and life giving religion in the world and any contradictory theories to this effect would disappear through the time whereas the teachings of Jesus, the works of Holy Spirit would continue to lead believers. References Bart D. Ehrman, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene http://books.google. co. in/books? id=WsQpdzzC7oMCdq=Mary+Magdalenepg=PP1ots=FFCegubqjvsource=insig=isSozHQC45SGH8zIgm9Q3UUlMhl=ensa=Xoi=book_resultresnum=11ct=result Meera Lester (2005), Mary Magdalene Accessed 5 December, 2008 http://books. google. co. in/books? id=LIMBrOJ0zGgCpg=PA31lpg=PA31dq=Mary+Magdalene+and+Holy+Grailsource=blots=YJoq3ZwQ4ssig=JKSjW0tdg73-fsxgOVsO-LDoc_shl=ensa=Xoi=book_resultresnum=8ct=result Mary Magdalene and The Holy Grail Accessed 5 December, 2008 http://www. newconnexion. net/article/05-05/mary_magdalene. html