Don Martin Limited Marketing Analysis Case Study

Don Martin Limited Marketing Analysis - Case Study Example The business has attempted several strategies to increase its profits, including increasing the prices of its products, increasing production lines, and promoting the business through newspapers and radio. Due to these pitfalls, marketing strategy is exceptionally paramount for the success of the business (Pearce and Hardy 379). Most of the customers in this business are low income earners. They also live within the business jurisdiction. Due to their limited income, these customers require low priced products. To attract more customers from the area, Don Martin limited has decided to open credit account to its customers. Despite offering credit to customers, the business has continued to lose them due to poor services and high cost of its products. Frequent increases in price to maximize profit have, therefore, discouraged customers from shopping in Don Martin limited. To attract more customers and compete effectively in the market, the business should consider reducing the cost of its products. The demographic size in the business location is high. The business is located along the thoroughfare street right in the middle of the city blue-collar district (Michael and Kenneth 379). The business potential customers are blue-collar workers who constitute both middle and lower class males and females. There are different products in the business essential to the potential customers. The number of people in the town where the business is located is high enough to make the business succeed and earn adequate profit. To attract a considerable number of potential customers into the business, the business managers and administrators must consider improving the quality of their services. As confirmed by Don Martin, many customers expect quality services from the salespersons in the business. The business potential customers are middle aged people. Most of the products sold in the store are regularly used by middle aged people. Additionally, most of the blue-collar jobs a re done by energetic middle aged people. Middle aged people buy products from Don Martin limited during weekends and in the evenings. To attract most of these customers, Don Martin administrators should consider offering their services over the weekends and during evening hours. Middle aged people also prefer buying their household products close to their residential areas. Therefore, Don Martins limited should consider opening businesses nears their residential areas. They should also consider improving their services delivery. This is due to the fact that most young people prefer quality services for their money. To attract and retain middle aged customers, the business management should consider advancing its service delivery to potential customers. In the recent past, Don Martin limited has faced severe reduction in its customers due to its poor services. To attract more customers, Don Martin limited should conduct market survey to understand its customers’ needs. The bus inesses should ensure that the relevant products are offered to young people in their area of coverage. On the other hand, the business has also relied on outdated service delivery methods. As observed by Don Martin, the other stores have offered different products for shoppers to compare. Don Martin limited lacks variety of products and services for the potential shoppers to compare. In its early years, Don Martin lim

Ronald Reagans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ronald Reagans - Essay Example Islamists groups were becoming stronger an aspect that increased the Americans concern due to their ailing economy (Historical times, 2011). In 1980, the country was in need of a leader who was to reform the economy. Peace through strength slogan by the conservative popularized the party and as a result Ronald Reagan was elected. The slogan supported military strength which was aimed at creating peaceful international relations in the world (Snyder & Brown, 1997, p. 45). After he took power he invested heavily on military buildup in order to wear down the soviet that had attained much power. By the time he stepped down, the military budget has been expanded to 44% increase. This increased thousands of troops, more advanced war equipments and even an advanced intelligence program. The program was of great importance as it returned America back to its military position. There is no country that can develop its economy when it is not guaranteed that the state of security is high. This is because investors fear to invest in a country where their capital is not secure (Hodge & Nolan, 2007, p.343). As a result, America recorded tremendous growth as investors were ready to invest in the country as security of their investment was guaranteed. The benefits of this economic growth and military superiority are being experienced even in current decade (Hodge & Nolan, 2007). Reagan two terms marked a new and dramatic era of innovation. Due to the funds that the government set aside for innovation, many innovators were encouraged to come up with new innovative ideas that were aimed at improving country’s security and economic growth. The innovation era was not just in America but even in other countries especially in the soviet as they tried to keep with Americans. This saw them falling into a budget deficit (Hodge & Nolan, 2007). Massive military expenditure enabled the government to avoid war. This was through scaring off their enemies due

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking Credit risk implies a potential risk that the counterparty of a loan agreement is likely to fail to meet its obligations as per the original loan agreement, and may eventually default on the obligation. Credit risks can be classified into many forms such as options , equities , mutual funds , bonds , loans and other financial issues as well , which in extensions of guarantees and the settlement of these transactions. (International Auditing Practice Statement 1006 Audits of the Financial Statements of Banks) IS IT Important For the Banks To manage Their Credit Risks ? Risk is always associated with the banking activities, and taking risk is the important part of any banking operation, there is hardly any banking operation without the risk. Most of the bankers are said to be sound when they have a clear overview of what is the amount of risk involved in the current transaction and they make sure that some of the partly earnings are therefore kept for these risks. The granting of any form of credit is the common form for any bank and this risk is very common and this is the source of risks the banks are always exposed to. (Anderson et al, 2001). By being exposed to credit risk banks have been faced with a lot of problems. The banks couple of years ago realised that credit risk is important and the banks need to monitor, identify, control and measure it is very significant. Due to this the effective management of credit risk has become a critical component of approaching risk management. This approach will be especially important in terms of the long term success of any bank. Banks now ensure that they have large amount of capital against any form of credit risks so that they can be in a position to adequately tackle any risks which will be incurred. (Bank for International Settlement, 1999) The credit risk is in the entire portfolio of any bank and also the risk which is associated in individual credits or any other transactions have to be managed adequately. It is always a ascertained that the relationship between the credit risk and other forms of risks need be to considered very seriously in to account, in order to Increase shareholder value through value creation, value preservation and value optimization Increase confidence in the market place Alleviate regulatory constraints and distortions (Amitabh Bhargava ICICI, 2000) The Basel II Accord specifies that banks must have new procedures for measuring against credit risks. Advantages and Disadvantages of Credit Risk Management The advantages of Credit risk management include: Credit risk management allows predicting and forecasting and also measuring the potential risk factor in any transaction. The banks management can also make use of certain credit models which can act as a valuable tool which can be used to determine the level of lending measuring the risk. It is always better to have some alternative techniques and strategies for transferring credit, pricing and hedging options. The disadvantages of Credit risk management include: Deciding on how good a risk you are cannot be entirely scientific, so the bank must also use judgments. Cost and Control associated with operating a credit scoring system. With the existence of different models, it?s hard to decide which to use, more often than not, companies will take a one model fits all approach to credit risk, which can result in wrong decisions. How Banks Measure Credit Risk The level of credit risk faced by a bank is provided by the structure of a bank?s credit portfolio. If the portfolio consists of large amount of loans in a certain asset class then this might be an indication of an increased risk. Similarly the presence of complex financial transactions such as lending may also indicate a larger risk. In general a risk always comprises of two kinds: One is risk exposure and the other one is the uncertainty element, and for the credit risk and the credit quality represents the uncertainty element and credit exposure represents risk exposure. Therefore a bank can assess its credit risk by analysing the credit quality of an obligation and its credit exposure. While assessing credit quality and exposure a bank must consider three issues: Probability of default or any sort of possibility whether the other party which is the counter party will default on the obligation either over the life of the obligation over a specific period of time. The exposure of credit or the amount of the outstanding obligation which again depends on the size if there is any case of default. Rate of recovery this is the extent towards which the credit can be recovered through some banking processes like bankruptcy and other proceedings of settlements. In the last decade or so many banks have started to make use of models in order to assess the risks for their credit which they lend. The credit risk models are very complex and include algorithm based methods of assessing credit risk. The aim of such model is to help banks in quantifying, aggregating and managing credit risk. Despite the method the focus of credit risk assessment stays credit quality and risk exposure. Analysis of the Quality of Credit (Credit Quality) Credit quality is a measure of the that counterparties?s ability to perform on that obligation?. (Contingency Analysis, 2003) A bank adopts different approaches for assessing credit quality of considering loans to individuals or businesses. If it is for small businesses then the credit quality will be assessed through a process of credit scoring. This is based on information obtained by the bank about the party who want the loan. The information which is gathered tends to be about annual income, existing debts etc. Credit score is generally calculated by a formula which is applied to the information which is obtained which gives a number based on it the score is generated. The credit score is a highly accurate prediction of how likely the party is to pay bills, the higher the score the better it looks to the bank. (Curry, 2007) However, assessing a large party is based on credit analysis of the loan done by specially designated credit analysts. This just like mention above is base on credit scoring but it involves human judgement. It involves an in depth analysis of various aspect of the party in question including balance sheet, income statement etc. Also assessing the nature of the obligation is taken into account as well. On basis of credit analysis the analyst assigns that party a credit rating. This allows the bank to make decisions regarding credit. A bank can also use credit ratings to measure the share of the borrowers with creditworthiness in its portfolio and get a clear indication of default risk. Measuring Credit Exposure Credit exposure also needs to be taken into account when assessing credit risk or risk exposure. If for example a bank has loaned money to a business, the bank may calculate the credit exposure rate as the outstanding balance on the loan amount. However, in case if the bank by any chance has increased or extended the line of credit but none of the line have been drawn down then the approach will be different. In this case the risk exposure may seem to be nil, but it does not reflect any sort of right by itself to draw down the line of credit. If the firm gets into any financial difficulty it can be expected to draw on the credit line before any bankruptcy. Therefore in this case the bank may consider its credit exposure to be equal to the line of the credit. Credit exposure as a fraction can also be used sometimes to calculate the credit exposure for the total line of credit. (Duffie Singleton, 2003) How Banks Mange Their Credit Risk Credit risk management practices differ from bank to bank. Generally these type of practices are dependent on the type and complexity of the credit activities which are taken by the banks. In recent years banks have been using models for credit risk management. Bank Credit Risk Management Practices: Yesterday and Today The traditional approach to managing credit risk has been based on establishing a limit of credit at various levels for the individual borrowers an sometimes also based on geographical are and industry type. Also collateral and relationship exiting hardly seem adequate to cope with the declining economics of loan markets. (Gontarek, 1999) These limits specify the maximum exposures a bank is willing to take. Until the early 1990?s , credit risk analysis was limited only based on the reviews of the loans of individuals and most of the banks kept the loans on their books for maturity. (Bernanke, 2006) In recent years banking industry has made strides in managing credit risk. Managing the credit risks is the main focus of any banking operation these days and many banking?s are looking now from transaction management to portfolio management. And have slowly changed from monitoring to practising and also predicting their performance. Banks are still holding onto traditional credit risk management tools but these are becoming more and more sophisticated. Various forms of tools and models have been generated to measure and predict the performance and management of portfolio risks which in turn build competitive advantage. Despite the differences in the credit risk management practices the credit risk management in any bank rest on four pillar of: appropriate credit risk environment Sound credit-granting process or criteria that includes a clear indication of the bank?s target market Appropriate credit administration, measurement and monitoring process Adequate controls over credit risk. (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2000) Therefore whether traditional or modern, credit risk management in banks involves reviewing creditworthiness of counterparties, setting credit limits for counterparties, evaluation of credit risk and reporting credit limits and exposures to management. (Caouette et al, 1998) Recent Trends in Credit Risk Management by Banks The credit risk management is undergoing an important change in the banking industry. Banks have clearly indicated that centralization, standardization, consolidation, timeliness, active portfolio management and efficient tools for exposures are the key best practice in credit risk management. (SAS, 2004) A bank in America is considering having efficient tools for ?what if? analysis and tools. Also another bank is focusing on stress testing, concentration risk, macro-hedges and capital market risk management. (SAS, 2004) The majority of the world?s large banks agree that integrating environmental and broader social issues into their core credit risk management process is essential to managing credit risk in the 21stcentury. (Huppman, 2005) Leading banks including Barclays now view that these non traditional issues as real credit risk variables that potentially affect their client?s bottom lines as well as their own. Quantitative models are being used by banks to measure and manage credit risk. Most of the Commercial bankers have started to opt for making use of the credit risk models for their credit options especially with relation to consumer lending and mortgage. These models are known as credit scoring models and were developed for consumer lending. On the other hand it has been a few years ago where the use of these credit risks models have been implemented successfully and are integrated these days with almost every bank to manage their risk. (Bluhm et al , 2003) In 2001, the UK?s biggest mortgage bank, Halifax, developed a forward looking credit risk management strategy which made use of quantitative models for risk management. (Algorithmics Incoporate, 2001) Similarly HSBC serves over 125 million customers worldwide and is the one of the world?s largest banking and financial services organizations. The world largest provider of quantitative credit risk solutions to lenders (Moody?s KMV) have decide to provide HSBC with this, which will provides HSBC a methodology for rapid, accurate measurement and benchmarking of credit risk portfolio. (Vyse, 2006) Role Of Management in Managing Credit Risk The board of directors of a bank approve and review the credit risk strategy and significant credit risk policies of the bank. The bank?s strategy reflects the bank?s tolerance for risk and the level of profitability the bank expects to achieve for incurring credit risks. These days banks establish and enforce internal controls and other practices to ensure that exceptions to policies, procedures and limits are reported in a timely manner to the management. Due to this credit risk is constantly monitored by the management. Innovations in Technology and Credit Risk Management Credit risk management in banks is also getting affected by innovations in technology. Innovations in technology have made significant improvements in bank information systems. This has also been encouraged by Basel II. The improvements in bank information systems has certainly increased the abilities of many banks and their management process to measure and identify and also control the characteristics of any kind of risk. For example ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) the credit management computer system was further perfected with risk alert and conversion functions and it performed effective real-time monitoring on the quality and operations of the credit assets. (ICBC, 2001)

Schizophrenia Essay -- Disorder Psychological Schizo essays

Schizophrenia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schizophrenia is an extremely puzzling condition, the most chronic and disabling of the major mental illnesses. Approximately one percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lives. With the sudden onset of severe psychotic symptoms, the individual is said to be experiencing acute schizophrenia. Psychotic means out of touch with reality, or unable to separate real from unreal experiences. Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by loss of touch with reality, thought disorders, delusions, hallucination, and affective disorder. Two psychiatrists came up with two-different concept of schizophrenia. One of the psychiatrists was Emil Kraepelin. He came up with the theory of dementia praecox. Two major aspects of the disorder is a early onset and a progressive intellectual deterioration. He presented this concept in 1898 as â€Å"The Diagnosis and Pronosis of Dementia Praecox.† Eugene Bleuler another psychiatrists took the definition further. From 1885 to 1897 he worked as a professor of psychiatry at the University of Zurich. His views were the opposite from Kraepelin theory. He believed that the disorder did not necessarily have an early onset and that it did not inevitably progress toward dementia. The differences between Kraepelin and Bleuler: Kraepelin writings then fostered a narrow definition of schizophrenia and an emphasis on description. †¦ Bleuler’s work, in contrast, led to a broader concept of schizophrenias and a more pronounced theoretical emphasis. Schizophrenic disturb though, perception and attention, motor behavior, emotion and life function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thought disorder is one symptom of schizophrenia. This is when your thought and speech is delusion. There are several types of delusion of control, and hypochondriacally delusions. One of the most dramatic symptoms is hallucination. Hallucination is strange voices heard in the air. There are three types of hallucination: aucible (repeated thoughts), arguing voices, and connecting voices. Affective symptoms is another sign of schizophrenia. This is when they show no form of expression. Being happy on somebody misery or feeling sad on somebody happiness. Motor abilities of an schizophrenia is weird. This symptom is when they’re not aware of their actions. They can also stand or sit in a uncomfortable positions for a long period of time. Recent studies... ...ange of outcomes is possible. A review of almost two thousand patients’ life histories suggests that twenty five percent achieve full recobery, fifty percent recover at least partially, and twenty percent require long term care. When large groups of patients are studied, certain factors tend to be associated with a better outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The development of a variety of treatment methods and facilities is of crucial importance because schizophrenic patients vary greatly in their needs for treatment. With a wide variety of facilities available, mental health professional will be better able to tailor treatment to the dfferent needs if individual patients.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, schizophrenia is a lost cause disease. We do not know why or how people get diagnose with this symptom. Not having the ability to know my actions is a scary thought. I couldn’t imagine myself sitting in a restaurant in the middle of my meal. Suddenly have a strange loud outburst in front of my friends, date, or a business meeting. That would be stressful and embarrassing. As scientists learn more about the chronic disease, we should be able to help more schizophrenic patients achieve successful outcomes.

Bikram Yoga

The philosophy and practice of Yoga date back to ancient times, originating perhaps as early as 5,000 to 8,000 years ago. It has been argued that the rules or percepts set down in the first systematic work on Yoga, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, do not set forth a philosophy, but are practical instructions for attaining certain psychological states. Over many millennia, different yogic meditative techniques had been developed and used to restore and maintain health, and ultimately to attain states of enlightenment.Yogic meditative techniques have been transmitted through Kundalini yoga, Sahaja yoga, Hatha yoga and the other yogic lineages. Though there are numerous styles of yoga; the styles vary according to the emphasis and combination of four primary components: asanas, pranayamas, mantras, and the various meditation techniques. In Kundalini yoga, there are thousands of different postures, some dynamic and some static, and also thousands of different mediation techniques, many of which are disorder specific.Kundalini yoga meditation techniques are usually practiced while maintaining a straight spine, and employ a large number of specific, and highly structured breathing patterns, various eye and hand postures, and a wide variety of mantras. All of these techniques supposedly have different effects and benefits in their respective combinations. 38 History of Bikram Yoga Bikram Choudhury founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills, California, in 1974. Bikram combined ancient yoga doctrines with scientific input from doctors at the Tokyo University Hospital to put together a modernized and standardized workout.Bikram yoga is an intelligently designed series of twenty-six postures that works the body from the inside out. Each posture strengthens and stretches the muscles for the next posture. Breathing is coordinated with the postures, and there are also separate breathing exercises. Bikram yoga also trains the mind through meditation to improve self-control, determination, concentration, and patience. (Simpkins, Annellen 36) This is one of the most often prescribed yoga styles. Bikram Choudhury was himself a multi-sport athlete.He was a marathon runner and a world record holder in Olympic weightlifting. Once known mainly as â€Å"the yoga of the stars,† this style of hatha spread the United States via Beverly Hills. Bikram yoga is better known today as â€Å"Hot Yoga† because it is taught in a room kept at approximately 90 degrees Celsius. What many people do not know is that although this style is purported to have originated with its namesake Bikram Choudhury, it actually can be traced back to Bishnu Gosh, the brother of Paramahansa Yogananda who founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1925. 26 Asanas of Bikram YogaThe important pranayama and asanas for correcting abdominal disorders are: Pranayama with Rechala and Puraka, Uttanapada asana, Pawana Mukta asana, Bhujanga asana, Shalabha asana, Pashchimottan asanas, and pranayama are described and illustrated: PRANAYAMA (with Rechaka and Puraka) Pranayana is a special kind of breathing exercise. There are various forms of pranayama; though each is done differently, most have these three steps in common: Rechaka (Exhalation) Puraka (Inhalation) Kumbhaka (Retention) In this particular pranayama, there are only rechaka and puraka but no kumbhaka (retention of the breath).One significant aspect of this pranayama is that it is a diaphragmatic breathing. In this exercise, the stomach is rhythmically pulled in and out. It is very important to remember that the stomach is not pushed upward and downward. Benefits: This asana activates the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and the whole abdominal area. Because of this internal activation, it removes constipation, wind troubles, indigestion, dysentery, diarrhea, acidity, and gastrointestinal disorders. This asanas also brings flexibility to the spine and invigorates the eyes, face, lungs, chest, neck, shoulders, and the whole upper area of the body.Since it is a harmless asana, it is recommended for every practitioner. (Sinha 34) PASHCHIMOTTAN ASANA (Posterior stretch pose) Sit on the floor and stretch both legs in front. Keep the heels and toes together. Be seated firmly, with the spine, neck, and head straight. At this stage, the hands should be on the floor on both sides of the legs. DHANUR ASANA (Bow Pose) Lie on your stomach. Keep your arms stretched on both sides. Rest your head on either cheek on the floor. Bring the legs and heels together. Breathe normally. Bend both legs at the knees and bring the heels close to your hips.Then grasp the right ankle with the right hand and the left ankle with the left hand. If you find it difficult to reach the ankles, your may hold the toes. Now, holding either the ankles or the toes firmly, bring the knees and the ankles close together. Keep the cheek on the floor. Benefits: Dhanur asana activates all the glands of the endocrinal system. The pancreas becomes fully energized because of the internal as well as external impact of this asana on it. Thus, there is an all-round conditioning of the pancreas. As a result, its normal health is restored and it begins to release insulin properly.The asana has a good effect on the adrenal, thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, and sex glands. Because the cells of all these glands are activated, the secretion of their respective hormones becomes normal. This asana corrects disorders of the joints, spinal cords, lungs, chest, and abdomen. It removes various types of stomach troubles, develops digestive power, and eliminates extra weight and fat. The asana has some specific benefits for women: it corrects menstrual disorders and order troubles related to the reproductive organs. (Sinha 63,64, 44, 45)UJJAYEE PRANAYAMA (In Lying Position) Pranayama is mainly a kriya (exercise) with air. It contains â€Å"life force† (Prana Shakti). It also has an absorbing, activating, and massaging capacity. Because of these qualities, air is regarded as a great purifier as well as a giver of life to the inner organs of the body. The body makes full use of these qualities during pranayama. Ujjayee Pranayama can be practiced in two positions: standing and lying. There is full impact of it in the first position and a little less in the second. But the first is a strenuous and the secondis easier.Therefore, practitioners are advised to practice Ujjayee lying down for one month and then may switch to the standing position. Benefits: The most remarkable benefits of Ujjayee are that it does the internal purification, activation, and energizing, together with external control and conditioning, all at the same time. For asthmatics, Ujjayee is most effective for correcting and strengthening the lungs and the bronchiole linings. (Sinha 70, 73) TARA ASANA (Palm Tree Pose): Stand up and make a forty-five degree angle with the feet. Let the hands hang loosely at the sides. Keep the body straight an d look ahead at eye level.Breathe normally. This is the position of readiness. Benefits: Tara asana strengthens the lungs and chest. Though the outward activation in this kriya is of the hands, it internally activates the lungs, muscles of the chest, and the respiratory system. For asthamatics, therefore, it provides a corrective as well as a strengthening effect to their bronchioles and lungs. For general practitioners, Tara asana has several benefits. It enhances the measurement of the chest. Those whose chests are not properly developed can find this asana more beneficial by making the chest proportionate.It builds up the chest muscles in an all-round way and has a curative effect for any disorder of this area. To add a few inches to their height might also find it very rewarding. People suffering from pain in their shoulder joints can correct their disorders through Tara asana. (Sinha 76, 79) YOGA MUDRA (Yoga Symbol): The perfect way of practicing the Yoga Mudra is to be in the Lotus Pose first. But it is not easy for everyone to sit in the Lotus Pose. Hence, those who cannot do it should sit on the floor with folded legs. Bring both hands behind the back. Grab the wrist of one hand with the other hand.Make a fist with the hand which is being held. At this stage, keep the hands loose and let them rest on the back. Straighten the spine. Look in front while keeping the neck and head erect. This is the position of readiness. SIMHA ASANA (Lion Pose) Put a blanket or a towel on the floor. Bend both legs at the knees and sit on the curve of soles and toes, keeping the heels apart and turned upwards under the hips. Since it might be difficult for some persons to make this curve with the toes, soles, and heels, they are advised to sit on their bent legs in any position they can possibly manage to make.After being seated either on the curve of the heels or in any position, do the following: straighten the body. Keep the head, neck, and spine in one line. Look in fr ont. Put the palms of the hands on their respective knees. Breathe normally. Benefits: Simha asan is very famous for its various remarkable benefits. It has medicinal value for curing throat trouble, voice deficiency, and tonsillitis. It also has a good effect on the respiratory system. It activates the larynx, trachea, and all the bronchioles. It invigorates the thyroid cartilages.Because of this internal activation and invigoration, health is restored to the whole respiratory system and its disorders are removed. This is an easy asana which can be done by anyone. (Sinha 83, 84) SARVANGA ASANA (Whole Body Pose) Lie down on your back on the floor. Place the palms down next to the body. Bring the heels and toes together and keep them loose. Straighten the whole body and look towards the ceiling. Breathe normally. Benefits: Sarvanga asana is one of the most valued asanas of the Hatha Yoga system. As its name indicates, it is indeed an asana of the whole body.There is hardly any area o f the body which is not energized, activated, and exercised during this asana. Because of its wholeness in effect, it is regarded next only to the king of all asanas—Shirsha asana (Head Stand Pose). The asana has countless benefits. Therefore it is a very desirable asana for general practitioners. It corrects any disorder of the circulatory system; supplies blood to the facial tissues; removes constipation, gastric disorders, and abdominal troubles; strengthens the digestive system; and energizes all the sex glands. (Sinha 85, 86) MATSYA ASANA (Fish Pose)After practicing Sarvanga asana, it is necessary to do Matsya asana. There are several good reasons for this. Certain asanas activate certain parts of the body more than others. To reverse this difference of impact, such asanas are followed by particular asanas to create a balance. For example, during Sarvanga asanas the head, neck, and shoulders are passive and the lower areas of the body are active. To create a balance, Sar vanga is followed by the Matsya asana so that the head, neck, and shoulders become active and the lower areas of the body remain passive.Thus, by doing the Matsya asana after the Sarvanga asana, the whole body is activated properly and in a balanced way. There are two ways of doing the Matsya asana: 1) With the Lotus Pose, and 2) Without being in the Lotus Pose. The first form is regarded as superior to the second, but both are equally beneficial. SANTULAN ASANA (Balancing Pose): Place a carpet on the floor and stand on it. Make the body straight and firm. Look straight ahead. Let the hands hang at the sides. This is the position of readiness. Benefits:Santulan asana is mainly a kriya of the major joints of the body. It removes their rigidity and makes them flexible. It also normalizes the blood circulation in the affected areas and tones up the muscles. As a result of enhanced blood circulation and muscle conditioning, pain in the joints is corrected. This asana has a curative effe ct on the knees, ankles, shoulder joints, wrists, palms, and fingers. SETUBANDHA ASANA (Bridge Pose): Lie down with your back on the floor. Bend the legs at the knees and bring the heels close to the hips.Keep the heels about two or three inches apart. Let the knees also be about three inches apart. Bring your hands close to the body on both sides. Put the palms on the floor. Look straight up and breathe normally. This is the position of readiness. Benefits: The main impact of Setubandha asana is on the spine and the hip joints. Those who have pain either in any part of the spine or in the hip joints strongly advised to practice this asana. SIDDHA ASANA (Auspicious Pose): Persons with moderate joint pain of any type can be completely cured if they practice the asanas of this series.Chronic cases, however, might take a little longer time than up to this point to become fully cured. Therefore, patients with chronic arthritis are advised to practice all the asanas regularly. Sit on a c arpeted floor and stretch out both legs in front. Keep your spine straight and firm. Look in front. Keep the hands on the floor. Breathe normally. This is the position of readiness. (Sinha 87, 93, 95, 106, 107, 108) It must be emphasized that one must eat a proper diet along with the regular practice of yoga to get satisfactory results.Other forms of Bikram Yoga like Ardha Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasan (Half Moon Pose with Hands to feet Pose),Utkatasana (Awkward Pose), Garurasana (Eagle Pose), Dandayaman –JanuShirasana Standing Head to Knee pose), Dhanurasana (Standing Bow Pulling Pose), Tuladandasana (Balancing Stick Pose), Dandayamana (Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Padangustasna (Toe Stand Pose), Pavanamukrasana (Wind Removing Pose), Sit Up (Sit Up), Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Salabhasana (Locust Pose), Poorna- Salabhasana (Full Locust Pose), Supta-Vajrasana (Fixed Firm Pose), Ardha- Kurmasana (Half Tortoise Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Po se), Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose) Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana (Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Pose), Ardha- Matsyendrasana (Spine Twisting Pose), Khapalbhati (Blowing In Firm). All these forms of Bikram Yoga are beneficial for the health of both men and women. All forms have their own special significance and provide extra energy to the body. Harms of Yoga: Yoga or any other exercise—done carelessly or aggressively can be harmful. Do not approach yoga practice hastily or aggressively.Constant attention to breathing an alignment distinguishes yoga form calisthenics and acrobatic, making it rehabilitative for the body and the spirit. Using each pose to create inner quietness and peach will move you towards healing and rejuvenation. But if a person attempt to do yoga poses without attention to the principles of good body mechanics and proper spinal alignment, it will hurt. If people have limited flexibility, person can suffer back injuries in forward bends or backbends. And it person will attempt to fit his inflexible (or overly flexible) body into yoga poses as demonstrate by accomplished yoga practitioners, harm can result. (Schatz 30) Conclusion:In Bikram yoga practice, the body temperature is forced up by sealing off the room and turning the heat up high; this helps to warm muscles and flush toxins from the body. Bikram involves a set sequence of postures. There are twenty-six of these, and each one is usually practices twice. Standing and balance poses come first, followed by back bends, forward bends, and twisting postures. Breathing is emphasized, and the Ujjayi breaths as well as fire breath are practiced. In a Bikram yoga class, use a mirror and are encourages watching yourself; it's said that you are your own best teacher. A Bikram yoga class makes for an intense workout and tends to attract men for that reason. However, Bikram yoga is meant to be open to everyone whatever your sex, age, or state of health.A certified Bikram yoga teacher should be able to help you pace yourself and make any necessary adaptations to postures. (Tomlinson 80, 81)) References Meditation practices for health state of the research. US: DIANE Publishing38 Simpkins, Alexander. Annellen, M, Simpkins. (2003). Yoga Basics. US: Tuttle Publishing. 36 Sinha, Phulgenda. (2005). Yoga Therapy for Common Health Problems: (Including Drug Abuse, Alcoholism†¦US: iUniverse 34, 63, 64, 44, 45, 83, 84, 85, 8687, 93, 95, 106, 107,108) Schatz, Pullig, Mary. (1992). Back Care Basics: Doctors Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief. London: Rodmell Press. 30 Tomlinson, Cybele. (2000). Simple Yoga. Red Wheel Publishers. 80, 81.

Olay

history Olay is an American skin care line. It is one of Procter & Gamble's multi-billion dollar brands. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2. 8 billion of P's $79 billion in revenue. Olay originated in South Africa as Oil of Olay. Graham Wulff (1916-2008),[1] an ex-Unilever chemist from Durban, started it in 1949. The name â€Å"Oil of Olay† was chosen by Wulff as a spin on the word â€Å"lanolin†, a key ingredient. It was unique in the early days because it was a pink fluid rather than a cream, packaged in a heavy glass bottle.Wulff and his marketing partner, Jack Lowe, a former copywriter, had tested the product on their wives and friends and were confident in its uniqueness and quality. Olay's marketing was also unique, since it was never described as a moisturizer, nor even as beauty fluid. Nowhere on the packaging did it say what the product actually did. Print adverts used copy such as â€Å"Share the secret of a younger loo king you† and talked about the ‘beauty secret’ of oil of Olay. Other adverts were written as personal messages to the reader from a fictitious advice columnist named Margaret Merril.They ran in Readers’ Digest and newspapers and often looked like editorials. Wulff and Lowe, who ran the company under the banner of Adams National Industries (ANI), did not sell the product to the trade, but waited for pharmacies to ask for it based on consumer requests. As the company began to market the product internationally, it was decided to modify the name of the product in each country so it would sound pleasing and realistic to consumers. This led to the introduction of Oil of Ulay (UK and Ireland), Oil of Ulan (Australia) and Oil of Olaz (France, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany).In 1970, ANI opened a test market in USA (Chicago), and was expanding into northern Germany. Today The Olay brand has expanded into a range of other products grouped in â€Å"boutiquesâ₠¬  including Complete, Total Effects, Professional, Regenerist, Quench (North America), White Radiance (Asia) and Olay Vitamins (USA). Olay is the market leader in many countries including USA, UK, and China. [2] Olay has extended its heritage as a moisturizer to stay looking young, to formally creating the â€Å"anti-aging† category in mass stores with the launch of Total Effects in 1999.Active Hydrating Formula, generally the least expensive variety, bears the closest resemblance to the pink â€Å"Oil of Olay† marketed in the US before the P acquisition. The launch was almost double the typical price of a mass market moisturizer at the time. Today, there are numerous products in market more expensive than Olay. Olay Regenerist was the best performing anti-aging cream in a 2006 test done by a consumer association, outperforming some much more expensive brands. [3] This report also stated: But the U. S. onsumer union said none of the creams tested produced a dramatic improvement. : It advised that staying out of the sun or using skin products with a high sun protection factor was the best option. The consumer union said: ‘We found that after 12 weeks our toprated products did smooth out some fine lines and wrinkles. ‘ However, it added: ‘Even the best performers reduced the average depth of wrinkles by less than 10 per cent, a magnitude of change was, alas, barely visible to the naked eye. In August 2007, Olay was launched in India.Olay’s current slogan is â€Å"Challenge what's possible†, which was changed from â€Å"Love the skin you're in†. Since 2010, â€Å"Oil of OLAZ† is called only â€Å"OLAZ† in German-speaking countries. Slogan : â€Å"Olaz la? t Sie strahlen. † (lit: â€Å"Olaz lets you shine. â€Å") The Olay/Olaz brand is known for animal testing, according to a list published by PETA. [4] Marketing strategy Olay : Love the Skin You are In Brand : Olay Company : P&G Agency : Saatchi & Saatchi Brand Analysis Count : 277 This July P&G launched its premium skin care brand Olay in India.Olay is a $2 Bn global brand has met with phenomenal success in all the markets it entered. Olay was born in the lab of a chemist Mr Graham Wulff in the early 1950's. At that time the brand was named Oil of Olay. Later when P acquired it, the brand was renamed Olay. Olay was available in India as an imported product. Now P directly markets this brand with all the relevant marketing mixes in place. Olay is tapping the premium slice of the Rs 2100 crore Indian skin care market. Olay has launched its first product in the anti-ageing segment with its Total Effects subbrand.Anti-ageing segment is still a niche with a market size of Rs 60 crore. The segment is but growing very fast. Olay has launched its Total Effects anti ageing solution after much consumer research. It had conducted research on over 6000 ladies of age between 30-69 years from three continents and identified 7 signs of ageing. 1. Fine lines and Wrinkles 2. Sagging skin 3. Uneven skin tones. 4. Age spots 5. Appearance of pores 6. Dull skin 7. Dryness Total Effects is differentiating itself through the presence of the ingredient VitaNiacin.VitaNiacin is a pa tented formulation that contains Niacinamide Vitamin B3 ,Vitamin E and Provitamin B5 Pathenol + sunscreen protection. Olay true to the concept of Global Brand and Local strategy has launched itself with a series of promotional campaigns. The brand has the bollywood diva Sushmita Sen as the brand ambassador. Currently Olay is running two campaigns in the visual media. One campaign is th Olay brand building campaign featuring Sushmita Sen and another is for the Total Effects moisturizing lotion. Watch the Tvc : Total EffectsFor the Total Effects range, the company uses a testimonial type of campaign featuring a Model/TV Anchor. The focus is more on the functional benefits of the product rather than harping on any emotional benefits. The brand is positioned as a brand that celebrates beauty within and outside. The brand worldwide uses the tagline † Love the skin you are in â€Å". The brand believes that Looking Good and Feeling Good are inseparable. Loving the skin we are in is the most beautiful feeling of all. Olay Total Effects is priced at Rs 599 for a 50 gm bottle.By Indian standards, this accounts for a premium category. Olay Total Effects is targeting ladies between the age 30 – 60. Besides this anti-ageing product, Olay has introduced cleansers, facepack and moisturizing lotions. The brand is expected to introduce its blockbuster range of products in India in a phased manner. The premium skincare segment was in a vacuum ever since HUL decided to cater to the masstige segment by repositioning Lakme and Ponds. Now with P and ITC seriously looking at premium segment, the market is going to witness a marketing war in days to come.