Can Nanotechnology Transform Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars?

Would nanotechnology be able to Transform Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars? Juan Manuel Vargas Ferreira  Would nanotechnology be able to change over hydrogen power device vehicles into standard vehicles?  â Area 1: Abstract The point of this report is to decide if Nanotechnology can change hydrogen power module vehicles into standard vehicles through upgrades in the expense of impetuses (Section 4:A) in addition to hydrogen creation (Section 4:B); battery life (Section 4:C) and the wellbeing of hydrogen stockpiling (Section 4:D). The word standard for this report implies that there will be in any event 1.15 million hydrogen energy unit vehicles on the universes streets [the number of electric vehicles in the planet (Carbon brief, 2016)] Area 2: Introduction   â Nanotechnology is tied in with watching and controlling issue possessing the nanoscale, which is ranges from 1 nanometre to 100 nanometres (Nanodic.com, nd). A nanometre is one billionth of a meter or 100 000 times littler than the width of human hair (DigPhilosophy, 2013). Nanotechnology is a rule factor in improving hydrogen power devices, which are gadgets that bridle the vitality of hydrogen to make power through a synthetic response without burning (CHFCA, nd). These gadgets will be pivotal as they are used to make zero carbon impression vehicles. Lessening the carbon impression of humankind will diminish the broad impacts of worldwide notice, which envelop biological systems and horticulture among different factors (Barret, nd). Consequently, the turn of events and execution of hydrogen power module vehicles will have an extraordinary impact in safe guarding life in our planet. [DS1] Area 3: Methodology Budgetary Sources for Research For any task to go ahead to the physical examination stage there must be interior or potentially outside wellsprings of account. A few models incorporate government awards, organizations and non benefit organizations (Understanding Science, nd). For my own exploration, the most proper wellspring of account would be familys salary. This is on the grounds that I will exclusively be completing auxiliary examination. Making a spending plan for Research[DS2] The financial plan required for my examination involves the thought of the accompanying: Cost of broadband (SKY, 2016) Cost of power (sust-it, 2015) Cost of renting of a PC (HARDSOFT, 2016) Cost Specification Monitory Cost (pounds) Broadband 16 Power 0.34 Renting a PC 65 All out expense 81.34 Examination systems and strategies So as to complete the important exploration I utilized the Internets broad database. The strategies engaged with this sort of examination are web perusing, which includes composing the subject or question you wish to investigate in a web search tool and extricating disclosure data from the sources that show up. The other procedure included is referencing with the incredibly famous Harvard referencing model. Moral Issues: Nanotechnology[DS3] Despite the fact that Nanotechnology has a variety of extremely valuable applications some moral concerns were raised against its execution. Such concerns spin for the most part around the way that it isn't yet certain whether nanoparticles can, truth be told, interface contrarily with our cells. There are now instances of different sorts of particles of comparative measurements making hurt our bodies. Such a model would be vehicle rage particles being kept in our lungs (techNyouvids, 2013) and conceivably causing malignant growth, cardiovascular infections and asthma assaults (Nairaland Forum, 2013). It is in this way just intelligent to address whether nanomaterials will have the equivalent or more awful consequences for our wellbeing. Therefore, more exploration would need to be done if Nanotechnology is to be a set up discipline with normal practice inside society. Segment 4: Results and Discussion A: Reducing the expense of the impetuses Nanotechnology can lessen the expense of the impetus (typically Platinum) utilized in a hydrogen power devices as less of the impetus would be utilized (Soutter, 2016). So as to downsize conventional impetuses, the top down assembling procedure can be utilized, which includes separating material of bigger measurement into the ideal nanomaterial (GrennFacts, 2016). Outstanding weaknesses of this procedure incorporate the way that a great deal of material is squandered ([2] Nano.gov, nd). also, that around 250 complex advances are required to have the completed item (NanoScale Systems, 2015). An elective procedure is the base up assembling process, which involves building nanomaterials by developing single particles and atoms (GrennFacts, 2016). Furthermore, since the impetus is at nanoscale it will have a more prominent surface zone; expanding the reactivity of the impetus thus the speed of the energy components substance response (Nano.gov, nd). The advantages can be additionally evolved by the presentation of permeable nano bolster structures, for example, nanotubes, which would make the platinum nanoparticles considerably progressively open for responding (Soutter, 2016). This would imply that power would me conveyed to the engine all the more rapidly thus increment the increasing speed of the hydrogen energy unit vehicle. Such an improvement would make it increasingly serious in the market and help power module vehicles to go into standard industry waters. Moreover, the improvement of nitrogen doped nanotubes can supplant platinum impetus. Consequently diminishing the expense of hydrogen power modules since the expense of the impetus produced for 25% of the general energy unit cost (Soutter, 2016). The less expensive expense of nanotube impetuses isn't the main preferred position they offer; they will likewise furnish the energy unit with the equivalent or more prominent force yield contrasted with the standard platinum impetus. It is likewise essential to consider the way that nanotube structures are additionally more grounded than customary impetuses meaning they are not undermined via carbon monoxide while responding synthetically to make power. Such upgrades would imply that energy unit vehicles are considerably less expensive; all the more remarkable and have a more drawn out running life. Therefore, Nanotechnology is unquestionably helping this developing vehicle innovation to enter the primary street of the 21st-century business vehicle industry. B: Reducing the expense of hydrogen creation Around 75% of everything in our universe is in reality hydrogen (Dnews, 2015). As result using this bountiful component to fuel our vehicles appears as though an all around financed thought. Its creation is likewise not in its early stages of advancement as the U.S makes 9 million measurement tones of hydrogen every year (Dnews, 2015). Be that as it may, current strategies for hydrogen creation are not perfect. A model would be that the strategy for acquiring hydrogen by breaking flammable gas with high temperatures and weights produces carbon dioxide. Another method includes parting oxygen and hydrogen iotas in water with power, officially known as electrolysis (Dnews, 2015). Lamentably, power for electrolysis is basically gotten through the burning of coal that is another carbon dioxide producing process. The procedure of hydrogen creation is likewise a famously costly methodology, which is a piece of the explanation behind the absence of usage of hydrogen power device vehicles. Strangely, be that as it may, making new impetuses can likewise diminish the assembling of hydrogen. Since hydrogen can be created by disintegrating petroleum gas, which requires being disregarded silicon or aluminum impetus (BBC Bitesize, nd), a lessening in the cost of the impetus would legitimately diminish the expense of assembling hydrogen. C: Extending energy components life once completely energized There have been various coordinated efforts so as to improve the sturdiness of batteries. One energizing improvement are nanowire batteries, which are presently supposed to have the option to withstand 200, 000 rounds of charging because of work at the University of California Irvine. Nanowires are produced using gold and future advancements might give the world the main battery that doesn't require reviving. Another sort of battery utilizing nanotechnology has been created by the MIT that keep going multiple times as long as current choices available and it very well may be completely energized in only 6 minutes; they have named it nano yolk (Pocket lit, 2016). Such improvements would not just mean hydrogen power module vehicles become standard vehicles yet the fundamental method of transport for our regularly developing populace (Pocket lit, 2016). D: Increasing the security of hydrogen stockpiling An ongoing paper (ACS Nano) has recommended Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as an absorptive stockpiling compound for hydrogen. The paper by driving creator Dr. Kondo Francois Aguey Zinsou likewise expressed that NaBH4 can assimilate hydrogen with the goal that it gives hydrogen fuel a similar vitality potential as that of petroleum in a comparative fuel tank. This would improve the security of hydrogen stockpiling since the compound NaBaH4 doesnt discharge hydrogen fundamentally at lodge temperatures, extending from 57.3 degrees Celsius to 60.5 degrees Celsius (Manning, R., Ewing, J., 2009) [DS4]However, the compound must be built in the nanoscale and it must be inundated in a nickel shell. Also, the wipe like compound (NaBH4) just discharges hydrogen overwhelmingly at 350 degrees Celsius (The A Register, nd). Area 5: Conclusions[DS5] So as to decide if Nanotechnology can change hydrogen energy component vehicles into standard vehicles, the chance of 1.15 million hydrogen power device vehicles being a piece of the universes streets must be dissected. A hypothetical point of view on the issue is given by the US setting the objective of having in any event 15% of all of Californias vehicles to be zero outflow vehicles be 2025 (Dnews, nd), that means 4.2 million vehicles [In 2012 there were 27.7 million enlisted vehicles in California (Reference, nd)]. That assuredly surpasses my objective of 1.5 million, which propose Nanotechnology is headed to make energy unit vehicles standard vehicles in America at any rate. In this manner, I can presume that Nanotechnology will transform hydrogen power device vehicles into standard vehicles. It

Marketing Plan analysis on Forever Living Products Essay

3 Steps to Acing Your Upcoming Group Interview You’ve been approached in for a board meet. Perhaps you’re threatened. Perhaps frightened. Possibly you’re not even sure you comprehend what that really involves. Whatever your degree of fear, here are three simple strides to traversing your board meet tranquilly and in one piece. Stage 1: BEFOREYou reserve the privilege to ask who will be on your board. Do this. At that point inquire about each board part as well as could be expected. You’ll have the option to make sense of a considerable amount and get ready better for what each may be generally quick to ask you. What does this specific gathering of individuals educate you regarding what the organization is attempting to assess?You can likewise ask to what extent (generally) the meeting should last. This will give you a nice sentiment for what amount to and fro conversation will be conceivable, how much space you’ll be given to pose inquiries, to what extent your answers can be, etc.Step 2: DURING Treat every individual on the board like an individual not simply one more anonymous face. This isn't an indifferent divider asking you inquiries. Every questioner on your board is another chance to make a human association and persuade that a lot more individuals in the organization what an extraordinary fit you would be.Be sure to observe everybody’s name as they are presented. Record every one if that causes you recall. When responding to questions, talk straightforwardly to the person who asked, yet then attempt to widen your answer out to cause the remainder of the board to feel remembered for the discussion.Step 3: AFTERYou’ve took in their names and put forth an attempt to interface with each board part presently thank every single one of them earnestly withâ solid eye to eye connection and a quality handshake. From that point forward, it’s the typical post-meet follow-up methodology. Be that as it may, recall that you have to keep in touch with one card to say thanks for each board part. It appears to be a torment, however it’s these little contacts that will help set you apart.The board talk with: 6 hints for previously, during, and after

Forgo vs. Forego

Do without versus Forego Do without versus Forego Do without versus Forego By Mark Nichol What’s the contrast among swear off and forego? It’s an inevitable end product that there’ll be some disarray, yet I’ll swear off further diversion to get to the conversation. To do without is to manage without, or surrender: â€Å"He will swear off the joy of her company†; â€Å"I’ll renounce the custom of requiring a co-signer.† The current participle is doing without (â€Å"She is doing without the procedure†), the past-tense structure can be swore off (â€Å"She did without the procedure†) or sworn off (â€Å"She had done without the procedure†), and one who does without is a forgoer. Just the essential action word structure, notwithstanding, is normal. To forego, conversely, is to go previously, to go before. Forego is significantly less normal in use than swear off, and it by and large has a metaphorical sense, frequently utilized in such explanations as â€Å"Her notoriety will forego her† or â€Å"Her notoriety foregoes her,† implying that others will have caught wind of the subject before they meet her. Be that as it may, despite the fact that the past-tense structure forewent is uncommon, the structure inevitable, and the current participle prior are more typical than the root word. An expression I utilized in the main section, â€Å"foregone conclusion,† is applied every now and again to show that something is certainly comprehended to be valid; prior alludes to something that has recently been experienced, as an entry in an archive: â€Å"The previous articulation ought not be understood as an endorsement.† To keep up the qualification between the words renounce and forego in your brain, recollect these nuts and bolts: Use do without or swearing off in the feeling of â€Å"doing without†; past-tense use is uncommon. Also, however utilization of forego is impossible, predestined and prior are basic terms for reference to something previously done. Or on the other hand, most essentially, consider - fore in before to advise yourself that forego and its variations allude to grouping and that do without takes after overlook, which is regularly the explanation something is left fixed. Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Misused Words class, check our mainstream posts, or pick a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?10 Types of TransitionsMay Have versus Might Have

Illegal Immigration. Sepcifically Spanish or Asian Illigell Immigrants Essay

Unlawful Immigration. Sepcifically Spanish or Asian Illigell Immigrants - Essay Example Unlawful migrants get more from open monies than they contribute which brings down the way of life for legitimate residents. Illicit migrants contribute significantly to the general populace development and human services, instruction and business are the most affected. Compensations are driven somewhere near unlawful migrants ready to work for substantially less while their kids, illicit and legitimate, stuff the schools. It’s the U.S. citizen who is sent the bill for their medicinal services benefits also. What's more, the huge deluge of displaced people troubles the effectively insufficient number of units delegated moderate lodging and other government assistance assets, for example, vitality, water and land utilization (â€Å"Illegal Immigration†, 2003). Unlawful migrants have just overstepped the law upon appearance into the nation and an impressive number break all the more including selling drugs, burglary, murder, assault, and so forth while in the nation. The expense to the government court and jail framework alone in 2002 ascribed to foreigners was $1.6 billion. This does exclude the expenses to state legal and corrective foundations. It costs Arizona, for instance, $80 million to imprison foreigners yearly. As indicated by a 2002 report by Heather MacDonald of the City Journal, â€Å"In Los Angeles, 95 percent of every extraordinary warrant for manslaughter (which all out 1,200 to 1,500) target displaced people. Up to 66% of all criminal lawful offense warrants (17,000) are for illicit aliens† (McDonald, 2004). Expatriates channel social administrations paid for by legitimate residents, $2.5 billion from Medicaid, $2 billion from food help programs and $2 billion in emergency clinic care from the government coffers in 2 002 alone.

How to Choose Music Essay Topics

How to Choose Music Essay TopicsChoosing good music essay topics is the first step to putting together a very successful composition. Even if you're one of those writers who is prone to despair over failing in this activity, it doesn't have to be that way. Rather, you can use your creative juices to come up with topic ideas, which could help you craft an essay with some fun and originality.If you were to ask high school students what they consider to be their favorite essay topics, they will probably answer something along the lines of literature, communication, or another area in which they think they would excel. A lot of individuals, however, seem to think that topic writing for music is a difficult task. They'd probably be quite surprised to learn that it's really not that hard. In fact, it could be considered a relatively easy task.There are a lot of people who have quite artistic and musical talents. They could also benefit from these talents when it comes to writing music essa ys. However, these folks are in the minority. It is rare to find someone who doesn't have talent for writing music.Subjects that are commonly utilized in these types of compositions are those that are related to music. There are many subjects that are popular in composing these kinds of essays. Some of these subjects include piano playing, songwriting, and composing. There are also topics that deal with music theory and composition.Other topics which are very common among writers include classic and jazz music. Almost all people who are interested in making a living as a composer have to write about the history of a certain type of music, even if it's only in a quick mention. These topics usually involve the history of how that type of music came to be.Some topics are more general music topics, and some are specific. This is true with songwriting and composition, too. The topic that are in vogue right now might be good for you to write about in the future, but it won't make much sen se to write about it now.One good topic is something related to popular music. By popular music, we mean things like pop music, reggae, and r&b. By the way, these topics are usually considered to be quite abstract, in terms of what people expect from an essay. That's why there are some people who prefer to write about a topic that is related to the topics of their choices.Because the topics are already so narrow, you'll need to brainstorm as much as possible in order to come up with the best essay possible. Doing this should help you come up with the best essay topics you can possibly write.

Opinion Essay Samples From 5th Grade

Opinion Essay Samples From 5th GradeOpinion essay samples from 5th grade are typically gathered from popular magazines and newspapers. Popular opinion is formed by what a student thinks, feels, and reads in these media, and all students are encouraged to write one. Although, these essays are usually written in response to a specific article or question from a parent, teacher, or student, they can be used by teachers to inspire and motivate students.Opinion essay samples from 5th grade are not actually samples of writing styles - they are responses to questions about different subjects. The essay is the response. They are very good at helping students remember all the things that they should think, feel, and read about a particular topic. This helps students see that they should explore this subject area further in their writing.Another way that opinion essays help students is by showing them how to think for themselves and research information and facts. Students that have a strong b ase of knowledge in a subject area generally start to focus more on that information when writing an opinion essay. It helps students develop their ideas and skills by expanding on what they know about a particular topic.Although, it is important for students to understand that writing an opinion sample doesn't make them perfect writers. They still need to build up a body of knowledge about the topic at hand. Many teachers continue to ask their students about how much they know about the topic in their essay. In the beginning, students often aren't sure if they know enough about the topic.By giving them a chance to take an opinion sample from a professional opinion writer, a student can see how they write and learn the basics of professional writing. Many teachers use opinion samples as an opportunity to bring up information from a student's childhood, or even look at their past writing habits. Teaching students how to write great articles at a young age is another way to keep them motivated to finish their school work.The goal of teachers who use opinion samples is to encourage their students to write better articles. By helping them improve their reading comprehension, they are then able to read and write better articles in the future.Opinion essay samples from 5th grade are not only good for helping students write better articles. They are also useful for students that are trying to create persuasive essays to influence their opinions in a particular area. Students that are more successful at influencing others with an opinion article are more likely to succeed in a position within the academic environment.

Power and Love through Sonnet - Literature Essay Samples

The relationship between power and love brims with conflict. Introducing a dominant and a surrendering role within the interactions of men and women unequivocally creates opposition between the two. In three different sonnets by Sir Thomas Wyatt, Edmund Spenser, and W. B. Yeats display the conflicting dynamic between men and women in different situations depicting one as more powerful than the other. In Sir Thomas Wyatt’s â€Å"Whoso list to honte I know where is an hind†, the metaphor of a hunter unable to catch a fleeting and already claimed hind, or deer, describes the love of a man for an unattainable woman. Next, Edmund Spenser’s similar poem â€Å"Sonnet LXVII† details a deer allowing a hunter to obtain her. Lastly, W. B. Yeats’s poem â€Å"Leda and the Swan† discusses the Greek myth of Zeus’s rape of Leda in swan form and its subsequent results. Using varied approaches to the traditional conventions of the sonnet, as well as cop ious literary techniques, Wyatt, Spenser, and Yeats each clearly present three different arguments on the nature of power in love. Firstly, Sir Thomas Wyatt’s warning sonnet, â€Å"Whoso list to honte I know where is an hind† argues that above all the magnitude of power determines love. Honouring the original theme of the sonnet form, the speaker suffers unrequited love. But even beyond this, Wyatt remains very traditional in his usage of the Petrarchan sonnet, and essentially remains within its conventions. Each section entirely contains a single phase of the poem’s function. The initial four lines of the octave present the problem of the hunter’s exhaustion in the chase. The second half, containing a separate action upon the transitional word â€Å"yet† (5), assures that the speaker however continues to pursue. Both of these narrative quatrains contain several examples of alliteration, such as â€Å"me/may/more† (2) and â€Å"fainting/follow† (7), emphasising the tiresome repetition of the speaker’s weary plight. The final sestet separates itself with a s udden change of tone from narrative to warning in the form of an apostrophe â€Å"Who list her hunt† (9), while simultaneously drawing attention back to the speaker’s purpose by repeating a line similar to the first of the poem. In this way, Wyatt effectively produces his caution on pursuing an unattainable woman. Notably, the poem ends in a slant rhyme, â€Å"am/tame† (13, 14). This imperfection mirrors message of the the final line: â€Å"wild for to hold, though I seem tame† (14). Although the entire poem until this point reads in almost flawless Petrarchan form, it does not end as perfectly. The poem, much like the deer herself, cannot be seamlessly contained within traditional poetic conventions. In connection, beyond the poem’s historical context of Wyatt within the court of King Henry VIII, the poet produces a higher lesson regarding power and the pursuit of love through the final two lines. The deer teases the hunter as evidenced by its description of seeming tame. Regardless of whether the deer wants the hunter to catch it or not, a higher power suppresses this possibility. It belongs to â€Å"Caesar† (13), a king. With this dissatisfactory conclusion, Wyatt clearly proves his overlying argument: love is subject to the highest power confronting it. In a related extended metaphor, Edmund Spenser’s â€Å"Sonnet LXVII† presents a contrasting solution to attaining a desired woman. Ultimately, Spenser argues that power and pursuit do not always determine the achievement. In terms of style, â€Å"Sonnet LXVII† already sets itself apart from Yeats and Wyatt’s poems by taking Spenser’s own Spenserian form. Spenser uses the first two quatrains to describe an extended metaphor taken one step further than Wyatt’s; â€Å"lyke as a huntsman† (1) refers to the deer itself. The role reversal appears as the deer â€Å"return’d the selfe-same way† in reference to the aforementioned metaphorical huntsman. Thus, not only the speaker but also the deer take on the role of hunter, displaying a rare equality of power. In this way, Spenser stresses the matched ability of the female half of the pursuit to determine whether to subside. Spenser however contradicts himself as to the nature and intent of the deer, when, in consecutive lines, he describes the deer as both â€Å"fearelesse† (10) and simultaneously â€Å"halfe trembling† (11). This illuminates the remaining relationship between the two, although the deer made the choice to surrender, this does not ensure a complete empowerment of the female party. The two roles remain: man and beast, and her position persists as the lower. Spenser, like Wyatt, retains the unavoidable message the hunting metaphor carries: one party must take on the subordinate role. In the case of â€Å"Sonnet LXVII†, Spenser concludes by asserting that the deer, albeit â€Å"with her owne will†, is â€Å"beguyld† (14). Both Wyatt and Spenser convey the essentiality of the male party either possessing or failing, and the female either succumbing or fleeing. Nevertheless, Spenser’s poem differs in that the power of the hunter remained uninfluential to the ultimate result. Hence, Spenser argues that lov e can act outside of the power of those who desire it. Finally, W.B. Yeats’s ‘Leda and the Swan’ presents an ambiguous yet undeniably jarring scene which clearly illustrates a more carnal perspective of intimate power not entirely restricted to winning possession. In the first place, Yeats utilises the short but adequate sonnet form in order to convey the rapidity of the event itself without sacrificing space to present and discuss its importance. Much like Wyatt, Yeats designates the Petrarchan sonnet’s two quatrains for a description of action. Yet unlike Wyatt, who signals the volta by a change in tone at the outset of the sestet, Yeats begins with the swan’s climax as his poem’s volta. This action serves as a definitive point from which to discuss a final idea, that of the deed’s consequences. Meanwhile, the poem’s rhyme scheme decays parallel to the nearing of this act. Initially, the first quatrain retains a conventional rhyme with the only noteworthy change being the rich rhym e â€Å"caressed/breast† (2, 4). But the second contains a heightened combination of a rich rhyme, â€Å"thighs, lies† (6, 8), as well as a sight rhyme, â€Å"push/rush† (5, 7). Afterward, Yeats uses a visible caesura in line 11 to draw importance to the brief premonition of catastrophe upon the moment of fateful conception. But, Yeats proceeds with a traditional Petrarchan sestet rhyme scheme as a signal of a return to normality and, consequently, a sealed fate, until the final line’s dissatisfying sight rhyme, â€Å"up/drop† (11, 14). By ending the final question on an imperfect sound, Yeats draws attention to the unresolved nature of the poem, and emphasises his focus on rhetorical cries rather than the sonnet’s traditional resolution or consolance of the discussed issue. Throughout the poem, Yeats uses visceral imagery to invoke an uneasy mixture of sexuality and violence. Although the dominant descriptive themes paint a clear alternating picture of force and victim, â€Å"blow/staggering† (1, 2), â€Å"caught/helpless† (3, 4), â€Å"brute/mastered† (12), Yeats also chooses a few unmistakably softer, more seductive descriptions such as â€Å"thighs caressed† (2) and â€Å"shudder in the loins† (9). This produces a message of desire unlike that of Wyatt or Spenser, who strictly remained within the thematic boundaries of possession and submission. Furthermore, Yeats uses diction associated with fear, helplessness, and force, however there lacks similarly forward mentions of intent or craving of the swan. Additionally, the actions described come from Leda’s own perception, such as the very first jolting line, â€Å"A sudden blow† (1), or the feeling of the swan’s â€Å"strange heart beating† (8), which describe what Leda herself feels and hears. The combination of these two effects brings the perspective of Leda closer rather than that of the swan, despite the uninvolvement of the speaker. Simply in this way alone, Yeats’s poem already holds a differing message from those of Wyatt and Spenser, who chose to make their speakers the male half of their pairs. Yeats’s reversal of roles with a human woman’s perspective of a male animal’s advance offers the idea of the male pursuer aligning more with primal motivation rather than a female doe’s naà ¯ve animalistic fear causing her to flee the hunter. In conclusion, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Edmund Spenser, and W. B. Yeats take differing approaches to the sonnet’s form, but all use numerous literary techniques to illustrate their arguments. Although Spenser’s poem concludes inversely, both his and Wyatt’s extended metaphors of a hunt present desire as something to be won or lost, requiring one side to succumb. By switching the roles of the animal subject’s gender, Yeats adversely concludes that men’s power and motive is irrevocably intertwined with their more carnal nature. Through these scenarios, they each produce arguments dealing with separate themes of love and power. Wyatt asserts that love obeys the highest power with which it is confronted, while Spenser argues that love can take on a nature of its own and act indifferent to the power desiring it, but Yeats ultimately argues that power in love stems from primal desire. Overall, the representation of men and women as human and animal immediately i ncites a sense of opposition and love, or lust, as an affair to be conquered. Works Cited Spenser, Edmund. â€Å"Sonnet LXVII.† The Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin Classics, 2005. 138-9. Print. Wyatt, Thomas. â€Å"Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde† The Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin Classics, 2005. 80. Print. Yeats, W.B. â€Å"Leda and the Swan.† The Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin Classics, 2005. 885. Print.

An evaluation of the claim that Rousseaus Social Contract sacrifices the individual to the collective Free Essay Example, 5000 words

I. Introduction The social contact is a term that refers to establishment of government and the origination of its ity over society at large. In terms of individuals who existed post the construction of the state, it is assumed that they implicitly consented to the social contract. A key example of this is the fact that individuals reap the benefits of society, such as peace and access to health care and use of a medium of exchange. Jean Jacques Rousseau indicated that society operates freely insofar as the general will is used as a criteria for making policy decisions. The will of the public is represented though democratic procedures in society. While most interest converge to reflect the overarching consensus within society, there are bound to be some marginalized opinions. This means that society has to develop a means of arbitrating between what is right and wrong. Rousseau developed a simple calculus for making this decision. He uses the general will to evaluate whether the up holding the individuals rights is good for society as a collective entity. In this paper after providing background information on the nature of humanity, I describe the social contract and the role of government. We will write a custom essay sample on An evaluation of the claim that Rousseaus Social Contract sacrifices the individual to the collective or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Next, we explore the philosophical framework that surrounds the rights that individuals have in society. Before concluding, I discuss the General Will and determine whether its meant to sacrifice the individual for the collective. II. Background Rousseau exclaimed that the state of nature existed without the rule of law or a system of morality. In this state humans banned together for the benefits and necessity of cooperation. As society became increasingly developed, the perpetual division of labor and the extension of private property demanded the totality of the human race to adopt governing institutions of law. This structure of society forces individuals to be increasingly interdependent whereby on one hand, they continue competition while on the other hand, they require each other. Rousseau theorized that by joining together into a civil society through the social contract surrendering their natural rights, individuals can both preserve themselves and remain free. Specifically, because the submission to the authority of the general will guarantees individuals protection against being subordinated to the wills of others and ensures that they obey the collective because they are, holistically, the authors of the law. This is where the general will becomes and important aspect of Rousseau’s Theory of the social contract.

Testing Reaction Times of Local and Global Perception Essay

Global and Local Processing in Visual Perception Abstract This study examined visual perception and the rates at which global and local features are reacted to with an aim of replicating and validating a previous experiment conducted by Navon (1977) to see if global processing was faster than local processing. There was 222 University of Newcastle students participating in the experiment, partaking in two phases, one centred round global processing, the other around local processing, where there reaction times were recorded using a computer program and imputed into a data worksheet. Results indicated that, as predicted, global processing occurred at a faster rate than local processing. It was concluded that global features were†¦show more content†¦It was therefore hypothesised that the reaction times for global judgments would be faster than the reaction times of local judgments. It was also hypothesised that consistent stimuli would be faster than conflicting stimuli in the local tasks. Method Participants The sample for this study consisted of 222 participants who were second year psychology students from the University of Newcastle. All students were participating as part of a course requirement and all had given their consent to participating in the study. Design The independent variables consisted of 3 consistency types (contingent, neutral and conflicting displays). The dependant variable was the reaction time of participants. Apparatus A computerised program SuperLab Pro and a keyboard was required in order to record reaction times. Stimuli In the first phase of this study that was based around recognising global features, the letters used were large H’s or S’s. In the second phase, global letters of H, S and O were used and were made up of smaller H’s or S’s, the local characters. These make up the 3 stimulus types: congruent, neutral and conflicting. The large and small letters could be combined to create 3 types of displays: 1) Consistent, where the large and small letters were the same (H printed from small H’s, or S made of small S’s). 2) Conflicting (H made of small S’s, S made of small H’s), and 3) Neutral (H made of O’s, S made ofShow MoreRelatedCase Analysis of Coca Cola India Crisis1874 Words   |  8 Pagesinformation, and a measurable communication objective for handling it. Step 2: Gather as much information as possible: Gupta quickly reacted to the situation without taking a fair and objective look at the facts in the statements being made. Gupta’s reaction was emotional and attacked the credibility of the Center for Science and Environment ( hereafter CSE). 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Balancing between Planned and Emergent Approaches to Business and Mark Term Paper

Essays on Balancing between Planned and Emergent Approaches to Business and Marketing Strategy Term Paper The paper â€Å"Balancing between Planned and Emergent Approaches to Business and Marketing Strategy† is a  convincing example of a term paper on management. Planning refers to the process of brainstorming, designing, and organizing the most important activities which are necessary for the achievement of the desired goals. The process does, therefore, involve the devising, implementation, and maintenance of a strategy that is in line with the goals and objectives of the organization. In this regard, planning processes are considered to be fundamental properties of the stakeholders’ intelligent behavior (Cunningham Harney 2012, 13).An aforethought process is important since it facilitates the preparation of strategic policy or the integration of a strategic policy with other types of plans. Plans can, therefore, be considered to be the representatives of combined forecasted developments that facilitate the preparation of various types of scenarios. Plans do also prese nt the manner in which the organization ought to react to the scenarios in question (Burnett 2010, 43).An important aspect that is usually ignored during planning processes is the connection between forecasting and planning. While forecasting predicts how the market’s future will be, planning predicts how the future ought to be. Managers do appreciate that planning cannot succeed without regard for spontaneous order. This paper does, therefore, endeavor to establish the connection between the planned and emergent approaches to strategy as well as why it is important to strike the balance between the two. The paper addresses each of the two approaches in-depth, and then it explicates the value of having an integrated approach (Cunningham Harney 2012, 17).Planned Approach to Business and Marketing StrategyA planned approach is where the strategist determines the mission and vision of the organization in an endeavor to facilitate the achievement of the strategic goals and objec tives in a timely manner. Research studies have established that the understanding of strategic planning is important as it enables organizations to achieve competitive advantages in a sustainable manner. In that case, it proves to be important for stakeholders to know the advantages and disadvantages of this approach so as to establish when it is most appropriate to implement them. The understanding does also enables the stakeholders to figure out what to expect once the approach is implemented (Burnett 2010, 46).According to Nallebuff and Brandenburger (2011), the overall analysis of the approach indicates that it has more advantages than limitations. In this regard, this section lists and explains five main advantages and three main disadvantages. There are other advantages and disadvantages to this approach. However, by discussing the main issues, the approach will be appropriately understood (Nallebuff Brandenburger 2011, 30; Schuler Jackson 2007, 76).Advantages of the Planne d ApproachOne of the main objectives of the planned approach is to enhance collaboration amongst functional managers. The approach facilitates this by prompting effective communication amongst managers as well as between the managers and the rest of the workforce. By communication, stakeholders are able to achieve synergism and various sections of a business organization work for a common goal (Schuler Jackson 2007, 76).Nallebuff and Brandenburger (2011) argue that managers in human resources, operations, marketing, and finance departments have equal importance. In spite of that fact, it has been proved that there are times when they engage in useless competition instead of collaborating. The situation gets worse when these departments operate with separate command structures of the subordinate staff. A planned approach to business and marketing does readily facilitate cooperation and collaboration amongst the different sections of management (Schuler Jackson 2007, 77).

Slavery in the Southern Colonies Essay - 463 Words

Introduced to Britains North American colonies in 1619 by the Dutch, the slavery of African Natives did not become a notable source of labor for the southern plantation system until the eighteenth century. Economic factors such as the development of plantations made the use of slaves more necessary and profitable and greatly influenced the idea of slavery. Also, social factors including politcal and religious views had a large impact on the growth of slavery in the colonies. In the southern colonies, helped by fertile soil and a warm climate and encouraged by open land, large plantations of crops such as rice and indigo became the main source of economic stability and produced surpluses for export which resulted in the development of†¦show more content†¦Most plantation owners began using enslaved Africans to provide the labor and from 1730 to 1750, the slave population more than doubled. As use of slaves became more profitable and necessary, more laws had to be passed to regulate slave trade. Making slavery heriditary based of the mothers status virtually guarantees the supply of new slaves. Religion also played a principle role in slavery. John Saffin once said It is no Evil thing to bring them [Negro slaves] out of their own Heathenish Country, where they may have the knowledge of the True God, be Converted and Eternally saved.. Many religious people shared the same views of Saffin. The Catholic Church wanted to convert the Africans to christianity, but also had the belief that blacks were ignorant, inferior, and better off being told what to do. Along with the religious veiwpoint, political opinion also affected the issue of slavery. According to Thomas Jefferson, blacks were inferior and lack understanding, education, and intellect. Slaves were even sold at slave auctions that advertised them like any kind of animal would be advertised. In 1705, a law was passed that made the status of African slaves very clear. The Act of the Virginia General Assembly stated that slaves were the property of their owners and could be punished even by death as seen fit by the master. Southerners defended slavery as a necessary but kindly labor system which served as a civilizing force for the allegedlyShow MoreRelatedSlavery and the Economy of the Southern Colonies Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesThis is what African slaves were to the Southern colonists. Slavery was a huge factor in the Southerner’s lives. Originally the colonists used indentured servants to work in their homes and on their plantations. This situation was not ideal because the Southern farmers wanted more control over their workers (orange). Virginian farmers heard about the success of slavery in the Caribbean and thought it would be a good solution to their problems (blue). 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This is the first record of Africans settling in America. The Southern colonies were more dependent on labour then the North, as the climate in the South was ideal for plantation agricultural. In the 17th century the basisRead MoreEconomic, Geographic, And Social Factors1352 Words   |  6 Pagesencourage the growth of slavery as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and 1775? The introduction of Africans to America in 1619 set off an irreversible chain of events that effected the economy of the southern colonies. With a switch from the expensive system of indentured servitude, slavery emerged and grew rapidly for various reasons, consisting of economic, geographic, and social factors. The expansion of slavery in the southern colonies, from the founding ofRead MoreIndentured Servants And The Colonies871 Words   |  4 Pagesto the 13 Colonies? Why were indentured servants needed more in the Southern Colonies? The Indentured Servants have measured the particular property of their masters. Voluntary indentured servants were often expert in a craft or skill, related to an apprentice system. The people who traveled to America under this system often suffered highly troubled lives indenture contracts could be bought and sold or exchanged for goods. In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution ended slavery and involuntaryRead MoreNorth And South Colonial Differences Essay888 Words   |  4 PagesThe Northern and Southern Cultural Differences During the 18th century differences in life, thought, and interests had developed between the Southern and Northern colonies. The origin of these differences grew from the differences in religion, economics, and social structures between the Southern and Northern Colonies. Slavery, manufacturing, education, and agriculture influenced the everyday way of life for the colonists. This has had everlasting effects on America till this day. 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As for the missing history, I have always been captivated be the underlying history that made slavery possible in America. Chapter three delves into the subject that has intrigued me ever since high school, especially how the slave trade came to be, how it was started, and those who actually began andRead MoreColonial American Slavery Essay examples1458 Words   |  6 PagesThe study of slavery in the development of early America is an extremely complex, yet vitally important part of American History. There are hundreds of thousands of documents, debates, and historical studies available today. According to Ms. Goetz, the assistant pr ofessor of history at Rice University, who states, in The Southern Journal of History, that in addition to geographic and chronological diversity in the America’s, assessment of experiences of colonial slaves is extremely complex, â€Å"especially

Danfoos Trata Case Study free essay sample

Why is Danfoss Trata an example of the transnational type of company? Please argument and provide some examples of where this is visible. A transnational company is an entity/corporation that is able to do business (provides the exchange of services and/or products) among lots of different countries and is also capable to manage its various business operations from different locations around the world in order to satisfy the necessities and objectives of consumers and/or other corporations. Analyzing the case study we can refer Danfoss Trata is definitely a multinational and transnational company that is operating worldwide. Thus Danfoss Trata not only has business interests in other countries, in a global basis, but also has a set of departments and activities (related to sales, production, leading, managing, distribution and so on) in different locations around the world to simply achieve efficiency and to obtain the maximum of global profit. This is possible because this type of company is able to reach a wide range of customers outside of its country’s headquarters. With the purpose of finding information to clarify and explain all the sentences described above, we can easily see some passages in the case study related to them such as â€Å"(†¦) Danfoss is today with over 21,300 employees worldwide and operating in over 21 countries one of Denmark’s leading and biggest industrial organizations (†¦)† and â€Å"Being a true transnational company at heart, Danfoss’ success lies in its innate ability of striking a balance between centralization of certain common functions and best practices (e. . sales), with external centralization (e. g. RD) and decentralization of other functions and practices (e. g. production), enabling it to reap the rewards of global efficiency, while at the same time maintaining flexibility and facilitating worldwide learning, validating the concept of transnational companies as the most appropriate structures of contemporary multinational companies (†¦)†. 2. What role does flexibil ity play in Danfoss Trata and how does Danfoss Trata create flexibility within its organization? Although Slovenia seems to be a country that is resisting to change, (in particularly, it has a low foreign direct investment), the country has been developing its flexibility regarding to the economic activities. Despite of the beliefs, Slovenia labor market is not that rigid and has some flexibility – â€Å"Linking this view of non-formalized flexibilisation with the allegedly inflexible and rigid Slovene labour market again shows that the Slovene labour market is not at all as rigid as it is thought to be, and that its flexibility again exists somewhere on the outskirts of the formalized economy†. There are only two features that characterizes the Slovenian economy as a rigid labor market: payments and wages, and high degrees of job security. In what concerns to Danfoss Trata, the location of the different suppliers is not important. What really matters is the relation with relevant suppliers. Slovenia has a really good reputation on making mechanical tools and mechanical processing which makes this country an excellent supplier base for different products, such as plastic, metal works, cast-iron products and so on. In fact, there is one big advantage of using Slovenian suppliers (like Danfoss Trata is doing): high flexibility in terms of quantity and speed of production. A strong evaluation of work and all the uncertainty avoidance are also seen like a great advantage â€Å"especially in the context of a transition to a market economy where firms no longer enjoy unlimited soft budget constraints and need to shed socialist inefficiencies, mainly in terms of over employment. In this circumstances, finding workers who are willing to work for more hours per day can easily become a source of internal flexibility. The principal source of external flexibility is actually the use of temporary employment â€Å"with hired contractual workers for production and assembly activities in demand and production peaks† and also the hiring of students in summer. 3. What are in your opinion the key sources of competitive advantage in Danfoss Trata, and how are they linked to their transnational mentality? In my opinion there are several keys sources that helps Danfoss Trata to have a high competitive advantage: it has a strong and unique organizational culture absent of hierarchy (every single worker knows what their role is in the company which results in a very stimulating and highly motivated environment); communication (and also constant feedback and rewards for the achievements) is very important for the success of the company; the enhance of the constant education, training programs and personal growth are also a requisite for its success; Trata does not have a sales department or function which means that this business associate can focus on other areas that has clearly more advantages and finally, all the work and plans are designed to be organized and structured to respond the needs of every production line. Trata’s motto is basically all about flexibility, change and constant improvement â€Å"Such a high focus on work processes and process management enables people to work flexibly, because they are familiar and integrated with many different processes† – which makes this company stand out and also capable to proliferate in such a competitive business market.

Six Flags free essay sample

We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information. In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its failure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research. The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement. The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags. Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoaster’s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also their product offerings. Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults. Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location. We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue. That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boulevard Six. Six Flags’ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line. Another feature would be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion â€Å"FREEdom Day†. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Marketing Plan. 2 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Research Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Competitor Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Customer Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Company Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Marketing Problems and Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Target Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Differentiation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Positioning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Marketing Programs Product Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Pricing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 Promotion Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Distribution Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Implementation and Control Financial Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Financial Projection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Financial Control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Introduction Six Flags has had great success over a number of years through providing a one-stop entertainment destination complete with thrilling roller coaster rides and an exciting atmosphere. In recent years, however, Six Flags has been struggling and is now in dire need of a boost to help regain its success in the Theme park industry. The amusement park industry offers a variety of attractions to a very large and diverse market. With everything from high-flying roller coasters to cartoon and movie character based offerings, theme parks have created a very successful market that has been on the rise for many years. However, like everything else, companies have seen their good times as well as their bad. It seems as though Six Flags may be on the decline in an exhausted market. Notwithstanding increased attendance on an annual basis, including the sharp decline of their teen market, the amusement park industry has been affected greatly by harsh economic times. Six Flags, Inc. specifically has become the epitome of this trying industry. Despite an increasing attendance rate over the years, Six Flags has seemed to dig itself into a hole that it cannot seem to get out of. Their debt-load has handcuffed them to the verge of bankruptcy. Their inability to increase attendance to the point of improved profitability and debt-reduction has helped lead this company toward potential failure. The significance of an increased attendance rate in 2008, (up to 25. 3 million from 24. 9 in 2007) yet still reporting a net loss of $207 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 is very big. 1 This signifies the tremendous amount of trouble Six Flags is currently in as their biggest point of profitability, attendance, has not been enough to dig this company out. This indicates that a drastic change of direction is in need for Six Flags, Inc. Although the numbers are bad for Six Flags, a marketing initiative may help bring this dying company back to life. Research Methodology Due to lack of resources and low participant count, we have decided to focus our research on secondary research only. While we do believe it may be beneficial to gather information and suggestions through primary research, there are many resources available through secondary research that will sufficient. As the theme park industry is large, a vast amount of literature and information is available. Through researching readily available information, we are able to gather both positive and negative options and research from very credible sources. Although the utilization and execution f primary research is ideal and extremely beneficial, particularly for marketing initiatives, its overall implementation is not a simple task. The type of primary research required to make sound marketing decisions, especially for a depressed company like Six Flags, would need to be on a much larger scale than we are capable of handling in such a short period of time. We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information. In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its failure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research. 1 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Six Flags’ main strength in the present state of the U. S. economy seems to be its â€Å"free falling† prices. For instance, everyone who buys a daily ticket online for Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA) pays the kids’ price of $29. 99. This has directly increased attendance. Next to its attractive prices is Six Flags’ internationally recognized brand name. The name, along with its wide array of entertainment products and experiences, has built enduring equity for 48 years. To refocus and re-energize its brand, Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro and his marketing and entertainment teams have worked to make the theme park more family-friendly while still maintaining its ignature reputation for record-breaking thrill rides. The parks are cleaner, there is more broad-based entertainment, an enforced code of conduct for guests, and better trained employees who can deliver more quality service. As a result, key satisfaction scores were at or above all time highs for the company. Six Flags advocates special causes by holding annual walk-a-thons in the park, joining the fight to help cu re childrens cancer. They further support the â€Å"green movement† by using biodegradable commercial trash bags throughout the company’s 20 locations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Location is another strength of Six Flags. The theme park is located in major metropolitan areas making it a probable, convenient drive away from home. Weaknesses Although Six Flags is now showing an increase in visitor attendance due to advertisements showcasing low ticket prices and an increased value offering, its number one weakness seems to be leveraging their massive debt load of over $2 billion dollars. It must also pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders in which it has no way of paying. The creation of new thrill rides can cost up to $20 million dollars each while consumer spending remains low. This debt will continue to stifle Six Flags’ growth and may lead them to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since admission is up, the lines for each major attraction will also increase. This may make impatient patrons waiting in the hot summer sun to go elsewhere for entertainment. Another weakness is the retention rate of teenagers and young adults has continued to lessen because they claim â€Å"there’s nothing new for us. Disappointingly, a major weakness that the theme park is also trying to control is its fatal freak accidents. In June 2008, a 17-year-old was decapitated by the Batman roller coaster when he scaled two six-foot fences and entered a restricted area at Six Flags Over Georgia. The year before, a girl’s feet were cut off when a freefall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A cable had snapped and wrapped around the 16-year-old’s feet, severing them at her ankles. Opportunities Six Flags is limited in opportunities as they have no cash on hand and an overwhelming debt load. However, to attract back the decreasing retention rate of its young adult market which as a result can leverage the debt, perhaps Six Flags can open a 21 and over nightclub. The club can have different elaborate themes each night, such as a â€Å"Batman† or â€Å"Terminator† party. A sports bar and restaurant can attract a new demographic of sports fanatics. Guest appearances by sports icons in these restaurants can also drive traffic through the park. Ride simulators in malls, introducing new and upcoming thrill rides, may also convince prospects to try the â€Å"real thing† at a 2 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 theme park. Six Flags can also try to sell some of its land that it owns surrounding its parks to help lessen their debt. It can even hold more events ranging from special causes to entertainment and extend its operational hours to the 21 and over crowd so as to increase ticket sales. Joining more strategic alliances internationally such as Dubai Holding to build a Six Flags in Dubailand can also prove to be profitable. Most importantly, Six Flags needs to get to the root of the problem and come up with a restructuring agreement that will satisfy both its stockholders and the company. Filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy may inadvertently decrease attendance as visitors may perceive that operations, including safety on rides and the cleanliness of the premises could be affected (although Six Flags confirms that these will not be affected if they do file). Thus, bankruptcy could ruin Six Flags’ image and limit more of their opportunities to expand. Threats Threats mainly include other major theme park competitors such as Disneyland and Universal Studios and indirect competition with more affordable fun activities such as miniature golfing or watching a movie. Other threats include the current swine flu that has spread rapidly throughout several states in the U. S. from its origin in Mexico. Some families may think twice before going to a theme park with hundreds or thousands of other persons in which any may be infected with the deadly virus. Severe weather conditions can even temporarily close down the park. In 2005, it was necessary for Six Flags New Orleans to close down in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. Katrina’s heavy winds and floods left an estimated $32. 5 million worth of damages. The park has since been closed. Competitor Analysis The major competitor of Six Flags Inc. is the Walt Disney Company. In comparison, the Disney Company focuses on attracting visitors from across the world to visit its parks while Six Flags targets its local demographic and does not seek to advertise internationally. Although Disneyland offers the magical experience that families have grown up to know and love through its flagship characters and movies, Six Flags is seeking to be the alternative getaway in a downward economy. First off, Six Flags is just a drive away for those who live in close radius to metropolitan areas. At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA), as mentioned earlier, everyone can pay the online daily kid’s price of $29. 99. Disneyland and Disney World mainly require a whole vacation package, including airplane flights and a hotel stay. To visit Disneyland’s entire theme park in one day, a patron will have to shell out as much as $94 per day. In 2008, Six Flags even reported a 5 percent increase in revenue with reduced costs from the previous year while Disneyland recently reported an 8. 2 percent drop in revenue and increased costs for this year’s first quarter. Universal Studios movie-theme park, known for simulating their top rated movies into rides and other experiences, is another competitor that also requires a vacation package. Its general admission is $67. 99 a day. Last year, the park underwent attendance downturns due to construction and visitors holding off on vacations until the new rides were complete. However, even in a troubling economy families are willing to pay a premium to visit such parks as Disneyland and Universal Studios to go to a place â€Å"where dreams come true† and to get the ultimate Hollywood experience as seen through television and movies respectively. These are deemed to be more affordable when comparing it to a family trip to Europe or Asia. Six Flags’ other competition includes the experience of shopping at a mall, going out to the movies, or even staying home and obtaining thrills through Sony Playstation or Nintendo’s Wii. Consumers feel like â€Å"getting away† once in a while and if they are restricted to a budget, they may consider the cheaper activity that they can repeat more than once during closer periods of time. 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Customer Analysis Approximately 25 million guests attend Six Flags annually. The park appeals to a broad demographic in which seventy-five percent of its customers live within 100 miles. Its main customer focus is its family unit. Most of its parks are limited to being open during the spring and summer seasons and only on weekends during off-seasons (due to weather factors). In this case, generating revenue from the family unit is crucial while still trying to retain its core audience of teens and young adults who are drawn to extreme rides. Thus, Six Flags is providing a wider product offering to increase its overall visitor attendance. It is also remaking its image into a wholesome, highly-branded, family-friendly place similar to that of Disney. There are more rides and attractions not only for a young demographic, but also for families. Six Flags has also given these customers more to do and spend money on by bringing in brands such as Johnny Rockets, Papa John’s, Cold Stone Creamery, and Kodak. The park’s attendance has gradually declined in recent years but started to pick up again in 2008 and is showing great promise this spring season. For instance, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom had its largest attendance since 2003 during their two-week spring break period. The family unit is price sensitive; therefore with daily ticket prices being fairly low along with current low gas prices, Six Flags seems like an affordable trip. The company is projecting 55 percent of its total revenues to come during the months of July and August. More families and higher disposable income families are expected to contribute to these revenues. Also, seventy-five percent of Six Flags consumers claim that their primary reason for attending the park is to spend time with friends and family. Company Analysis Six Flags, Inc. is the largest regional theme park company in the world providing a national brand with regional focus. The firm has 20 parks total, 18 of which are in the United States, with the other 2 located in Mexico and Canada. The entertainment destinations in the U. S. comprise theme, water and zoological parks with over 900 rides, including 130 rollercoaster’s. Six Flags, Inc. is headed by CEO Mark Shapiro and is a publicly-traded corporation headquartered in New York City. The first Six Flags theme park, Six Flags Over Texas, was opened in 1961 by Angus Wynn. The parks name came from the six themed sections, modeled after the culture of the six countries whose flags flew over Texas during the states colorful history. Today’s parks offer a complete one-stop diversified entertainment destination for all ages. 3 Thrill rides, restaurants, games, themed areas, children’s areas, parades, concerts, shows and much more are available for the customers’ enjoyment. Business Model Six Flags operates as a seasonal business over 85% of park attendance and revenues are generat ed between the second and third quarters of the calendar year. 4 Its business model is comprised primarily of making money through ticket sales, in-park food and merchandise sales, and sponsorship revenue. 5 4 Confidential Ticket Pricing For Internal Use Only Team 8 Ticket pricing covers a broad range, with tickets available for a single day park visit to season passes. There are 3 types of tickets available: †¢ †¢ †¢ Single day 1 park (general and children admission) Single day 2 park pass (general and children admission) Season Pass Single day 2 park passes are for locations that have both a Six Flags theme park and water park located next to each other. Please note that some theme parks have a water park inside of them, but do not require a 2 park pass. General admission prices range from $29. 9 $69. 99. Children admission prices range from $20. 99 $29. 99. These ranges cover Single Day 1 and 2 park passes for theme, water, and animal parks. Season Pass prices range from $39. 99 $125. Season Passes may be purchased for single park admission or dual park admission. Season Passes include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Unlimited visits Free tickets for guests Over $300 in pa rk savings Access to Rise and Scream early openings and private Season Passholder Day Accepted at 15 Six Flags locations including La Ronde, Montreal Season passes are Six Flags core value offering. Passes cost little more than a day’s regular admission ticket price, and provide Six Flags visitors with added benefits and savings. Six Flags also offers a premium pass – the FLASH Pass – that serves as a ride reservation system. A limited number of FLASH Passes are available each day of operation and are valid the day of purchase only. There are 2 tiers for the FLASH Pass, Regular and Gold, with different stipulations for each. Regular FLASH Pass †¢ Avoid lines by making a reservation †¢ Wait as long as everyone else is waiting, but not in line †¢ Prices: $27. 9 for 1 person to $117. 99 for 6 people Gold FLASH Pass †¢ Enjoy discounted wait time of up to 75% †¢ Prices: $37. 99 for 1 person to $177. 99 for 6 people In-park Merchandise and Food Six Flags has various licensing and partnership agreements with other firms. Six Flags has held a licensing agreement with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products enabling Six Flags to utilize the rights to the cartoon characters. Six Flags has used the licensing agreement to create character programs including meet and greets, meals, photograph and autograph opportunities. 6 5 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Six Flags has further utilized the characters’ likeness for merchandise sales including toys, souvenir items, apparel, and more. In addition, cartoon themed rides have been constructed after both DC Comic and Warner Bros characters. Six Flags employs in-park and out-park alliances with restaurants and food manufacturers. Past and current out-of-park alliances have included promotions with Coca Cola, Kraft’s Lunchables product line, and Papa Johns Pizza. 7 In-park alliances have included the implementation of restaurant chains within Six Flags parks. Johnny Rockets, Papa Johns Pizza, and Cold Stone Creamery can be found within the parks, and Tyson chicken has become the official chicken supplier to all parks. 8 Additional Partnerships Other promotional alliances have been implemented as well. One such example is the sale and availability of Kodak products in Six Flags paks. Moreover, Six Flags and Nintendo have collaborated by offering free Wii game plays to the Six Flags visitors standing in-line, thus allowing them the opportunity to sample the Nintendo DS games. Six Flags also promotes its brand through American Express, Chase, Blue Green, Panda Express, and The United States Army. 9 American Express and Six Flags have a promotional offering for park visitors in the form of a VIP tours. Patrons may book their Six Flags VIP Tour Presented by American Express for participating theme parks. Please note that the VIP Tour is for theme parks only and does not include water slides and other waterpark attractions. Tours are given to groups or families by an experienced tour guide and can be customized. Tours are priced at $299 and include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Private guided tour for your family or group Front-of-the-line ride privileges Preferred parking Theme park admission Reserved show seating Private autograph session with select LOONEY TUNES or The Justice League characters Lunch and dinner with reserved seating at restaurants Unlimited snacks Souvenir ride or character photo Expedited access to most rides in the park American Express cardholders gain an additional offer by receiving 20% off each VIP tour booked when they pay with any American Express card. Six Flag Parks California Six Flags Magic Mountain, Los Angeles – theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Los Angeles – water park Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo – theme and animal park 6 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta – theme park Six Flags White Water, Atlanta – water park Illinois Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor, Chicago – theme and water park Kentucky Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Lousiville – theme and water park Maryland Six Flags America, Baltimore/Washington DC – theme and water park Massachusetts Six Flags New England, Springfield – theme and water park Missouri Six Flags St. Louis – theme and water park New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson – theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Jackson – water park Six Flags Wild Safari, Jackson – animal park New York The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George – theme and water park Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark, Lake George – lodge and water park Texas Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington – theme park Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio – theme and water park Canada La Ronde, Montreal – theme park Mexico Six Flags Mexico, Mexico City – theme park Six Flags will be opening a third international location in the United Arab Emirates, Dubailand, which will open its doors to customers in 2011. Marketing Problems and Opportunities The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement. The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags. Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoaster’s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of 7 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also their product offerings. Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectives The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults. We seek to create promotional offers that affect price and new product offerings, and to re-position Six Flags theme parks as an entertainment destination that appeals to all ages, and more importantly families. Value communication is extremely important in the current economic situation we are experiencing. Six Flags is a one-stop entertainment destination that offers very low admission prices along with numerous attractions and activities. It is a park that price-sensitive consumers can enjoy and afford. Six Flags needs to increase its revenue to become viable. These additional revenue streams are to include diversification and promotions. The largest project to create more revenue is the creation of Boulevard Six. It will create the opportunity to have in review stream all year long, rather than just the summer months. It will have a diverse collection of food and entertainment to please the target markets of families and young adults. This will include well known restaurants and entertainment companies, as well as new and excited ventures. Next would be the introduction of Motion Simulator rides located in malls around the nation. These would bring in additional revenue as well as bring awareness of Six Flags. At these locations, the rides would be of the most popular attractions from across all the Six Flags. Promotions could also increase traffic to the parks and increase the revenue during these times. Boulevard Bash is a Saturday night event for those 21 years and older with live entertainment. Six Dollar Sundays would increase visitors to the parks and would bring in more repeat customers. Too Hot to Resist Days would entice people to come to parks on days when it is warm out. They could partake in the water rides to stay cool during these times. And â€Å"Free†dom Day would increase traffic to the park, however there would be revenue from ticket sales there would be from parking, food, and Boulevard Six. Target Market Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags current target market is mass-market blue-collar, with average income $50,000 per year, and probably split between teens and young adults on the one hand, and families on the 8 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 ther. 10 These families are not the type that are/were taking international family vacations. These families are â€Å"trading from a three-day, four-figure trip to Disney to a one-day, three-figure trip to Six Flags. †11 A trip to Six Flags is not cheap, but it is cheaper than. â€Å"A typical Six Flags visitor in 2007 spent $36 for the day, including parking, the price of a ticket, and meals. So, the company says, a day at Six Flags for a fami ly of four costs less than $175. †12 Young adults are another target market Six Flags is looking into. They are a segment that had more disposable income than teens do, possible even more than families. â€Å"Young adults in the U. S. spend 52% of their money on clothing, 22% on food, and 13% on music. †13 With the addition of Boulevard Six, there is the opportunity to bring in more of the young adults, who would normally go to the local mall. Differentiation Six Flags has a lot going for it right now and with our marketing strategy, it may have the ability to differentiate itself from all the competitors. We aim to focus our differentiation based on the style of entertainment it offers. Six Flags will be a place people can go to have a day of excitement like no other theme park can offer. Without having to spend lots of money, people can have a great deal of fun during the day at an exciting theme park, and at night can cruise the Boulevard (Discussed below). There are obviously many places where one can go and enjoy a day at a theme park, however, they may have to travel a great distance if they desire to cap off the day with a night on the town. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location. Positioning We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order to do this, we seek to position Six Flags in two ways. Due to the different offerings from Six Flags we don’t want to position ourselves in just one way. First, we aim to position ourselves as safe, family-friendly, lowcost form of entertainment. This position will be targeted to families and younger guests. We will advertise through day-time television and kid’s programming. Second, we will position ourselves as cool, fun, energetic and young-hearted. This position will be targeted to teens and younger adults (over 21) who would be interested in the Night of Fun as described below. We will hope to utilize different types of social media to target this demographic and project this type of positioning for Six Flags. Marketing Programs Product Strategy Six Flags has been providing their visitors products through their main channel, theme parks, during their existence. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue. That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boulevard Six. The motion simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target – families, teens, and young adults. The rides will have a selection of popular rides from Six Flags 19 parks. After the ride is over, it will â€Å"spit out† a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. 9 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Boulevard Six will be an outdoor shopping district located outside of Six Flags larger parks. Its intention is to help produce revenue all year long, even while the parks are closed for the season. Boulevard Six will have a mix of food, shopping and entertainment for all ages. Restaurants will include California Pizza Kitchen, P. F. Changs, Johnny Rockets and more. Shopping will include Fossil, Gap, Abercrombie and more. Entertainment will come from the Comcast Sports Bar, nightclubs, live concert stages, Lucky Strike Bowling and movie theaters. Boulevard Six will also be the location of Boulevard Bash. Pricing Strategy Six Flags’ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. A great example is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA). As a price bundle, the theme park can also offer online daily tickets with one-day discounted parking at 20 percent to further raise attendance. For its Discovery Kingdom park, visitors will pay $29. 99 plus $12 for one-day parking totaling $41. 99. If paid separately, parking would cost $15. For its season pass holders, Six Flags can give an automatic 10 percent on all meals and merchandise simply by presenting their season passes at point-of-sale. Vouchers and coupons do not need to be redeemed for the sake of customers’ convenience. In addition to perks such as free tickets for your friends on select days, and free special events, season pass holders who are 21 and over will also pay a discounted price of $15 to get into Six Flags’ exclusive nightclub in Boulevard Six (mentioned under Promotion). Season parking passes also purchased online can be reduced by 20 percent and bundled with their appropriate season passes to increase the affordability and convenience of visiting Six Flags respectively. The V. I. P. tour requires a 4-person minimum and can cost up to $299 per person. This may seem like an extravagant and an unnecessary option. However, American Express cardholders with more discretionary income can enjoy this option at a 20 percent discount. To appeal towards more price-sensitive families who still want to get the ultimate V. I. P. experience, online specials should include a 20 percent discount on select days regardless of what credit card is being used. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line. Another feature would be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits. Ride simulators (mentioned in opportunities under SWOT analysis) will cost the consumer $9 for a four-minute edge-of-your-seat excursion! (These will be located in all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. ) After the ride is over, it will â€Å"spit out† a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. Promotion In order for our marketing efforts to be successful, we need to attract customers to the previously discussed new park and activities. This is where the use of promotions will come into play. With exciting new attractions offered by Six Flags, we will need to engage more people through various type of promotions. We suggest by starting with sales promotions. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion â€Å"FREEdom Day†. By incorporating the Independence Day 10 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 theme, every Six Flags park will be the most enjoyable place to be on the Fourth of July. This will be a day where families can come to experience the rides and attractions, all themed accordingly, and can end the day with a 45 minute long firework display coordinated to a serious of popular current music hits. We want this promotion to help Six Flags become the leading place to be during the Fourth of July. Due to capacity constraints in each of the parks, attendance will be limited to the maximum capacity the park can handle. We will let more people in as other leave, and while everyone waits, we will have activities and entertainment out in the waiting area. Even though the guests are not in the park yet, they should still be able to have an enjoyable time while they wait. Since one of our main goals is to improve loyalty among our guests, we also want to have promotions on a more frequent level. One of these frequent promotions will be Six Dollar Sundays. We will offer admission to all Six-Flags for only $6 every Sunday. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. Anytime the temperature hits above a certain temperature (depending on the location of the park) admission will be half-price. This will help entice the people that are reluctant to come to the park if it is too hot outside. This next promotion will give free admission to people on their Birthday. We will call this our Birthday Club and promote keep records of every person’s Birthday so every year we can send them reminders to entice them to come back. Our final promotion will be called Boulevard Bash. This will be for the 21 and older crowd and will be priced at $25 per person. We will block off our Boulevard Six (described below) and admit only persons of age. We will provide alcohol and bring in musical talent to perform every Saturday night. Distribution The main channel of distribution will continue to be Six Flags parks. The majority of our marketing plan is focused around promotional and pricing methodologies, with the promos taking place in Six Flags. Through the price promos we execute, we anticipate an increase in sales of in-park merchandise as consumers will have more disposable income due to their savings on park admission. There will be one other channel of distribution, however, for the thrill Motion Ride simulators. The ride simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target – families, teens, and young adults. Implementation and Control Financial Data Six Flags is in financial distress, which might lead Six Flags to file chapter-eleven for bankruptcy. Furthermore, in October of 2008, the New York Stock Exchange penalized Six Flags since its stockholder equity had fallen below $75-million, and the stock price had fallen below one-dollar violating the New York Stock Exchange standards. 4 If Six Flags does not increase its stock price 11 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 and market capitalization, it risks being removed from the NYSE. 15 Six Flags will not be able to continue operating without finding a plan to restructure the debt. Six Flags lost $113 million in 2008, which is compared to $253 million in 2007. However, the m ost recent forth quarter its reported loss is $201 million, which is compared to 2007 forth quarter $127 million. 16 The projections for Six Flags are concerning. First, by August 15th of 2009, Six Flags must pay $287. million in Preferred Income Equity Redeemable Shares to the shareholders. However, if Six Flags failed, the amount would reach in excess of $318 million. 17 Second, the financial situation is very critical further complicating Six Flags ability to continue operating. Due to major banks being in financial trouble, there is no access to adequate capital resources and lending procedures are more stringent. In order to obtain capital, our group is projecting the possibility of Busch Entertainment Corporation, a competing theme park operator in the United States, to acquire Six Flags. Busch Entertainment Corporation is a subsidiary of Anheuser- Busch. Busch Entertainment Corporation operates nine-theme parks across the nation including the Sea World and Busch Garden Parks. The company’s financial performance has been generating revenue of $1. 3 Billion and a positive earned income on the revenue. 18 Therefore, by reaching such a deal, Six Flags can have access to capital to meet the financial obligations and payoff the creditors. On the other hand, it will diversify its risk portfolio, and the advantages to share assets of both Six Flags and Busch Entertainment Corporation. Financial Projection Financial Control Six Flags CEO has been proactive in restructuring the Six Flags itself, and not only the debt. For instance, by making some major changes, Six Flags can survive these crucial economic circumstances. Therefore, CEO Mark Shapiro has used his private equity firm, Red Zone Capital, for purchasing the restaurant chain Johnny Rockets in order to integrate the chain into all parks. In addition, Red Zone Capital bought Dick Clark Productions, television home of the Golden Globe Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards. This was done with the intention of featuring celebrity and music events in the parks to generate revenue and stimulate and increase foot traffic. 19 Financial control over the Six Flags situation is still valid, by both restructuring the debt, and the theme parks. In addition, to potential of gaining access to some financial resources from a possible merger or consolidation with the Busch Entertainment Corporation is valid as the firms have similar revenue models and Busch has experienced more successful financial performance than Six Flags. Conclusion Six Flags financial situation is extremely dire and the firm is currently floundering to stay afloat. We believe that with our Marketing Plan, we may enable them to greatly increase foot traffic and sales revenue. The pricing promotions will bring people to the park and cause them to spend the money they save on ticket sales, on in-park food or merchandise. The promotions for young adults featuring 21+ nights will provide a great source of income through food and alcoholic beverage sales. The Boulevard will further create a diversified source of revenue. The re-positioning of Six Flags as a fun, low-cost entertainment destination for the family will further increase their target market and communicate value to price-sensitive consumers. Six Flags is an enjoyable theme park where all of your family entertaining needs may be met. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Marketing Plan. 12 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 McCann, Kyle. Rough Year Recorded at Six Flags. ABC2News. com. 12 March 2009. 7 May 2009 . 2 Six Flags Investor Relations. Six Flags. 10 May 2009 Six Flags free essay sample Please address the following questions regarding Six Flags’ goodwill. Perform computations for 2007 and 2008 unless otherwise indicated. 1. Examine Six Flags’ auditors’ report on the financial statements. Is there anything noteworthy about this report? The Company will continue as a going concern†¦with substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern due to recurring losses, stockholder’s deficit, and substantial liquidity needs. The financial statements don’t include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. 2. Examine Six Flags’ balance sheet. Compute the percentage of total assets comprised by intangible assets, net of amortization. Are intangible assets a significant component of Six Flags’ total assets? Intangible assets/total assets: $1,059,486/3,030,845=34. 96% Yes, intangible assets are a significant component of total assets, at almost 35% 3. Refer to part (k) of footnote (1). What is Six Flags’ goodwill balance at December 31, 2008? What proportion of Six Flags’ 2008 intangible assets is attributable to goodwill? Is goodwill a significant component of Six Flags’ total assets? Has Six Flags taken any impairment charges against its goodwill in 2008 or 2007? Goodwill Dec. 31, 2008 = $1,048. 1 million Int. Assets/goodwill = $1,059,486/$1,048,122 = 101. 08% Yes, goodwill is a significant component of assets at 101. 08% No, according to the Six Flag’s, the company has not taken any impairment charges in 2008 or 2007; however, in note 2 it does have recorded impairment on assets held for sale ($3,490) and $1,088 for 2008 and 2007, respectively. 4. Examine Six Flags’ stockholders equity section and note any issues of concern. Based on what you observe, what do you conclude about Six Flags’ past profitability? The Company was less than $75 million; book equity does not exceed the fair market value of equity; since 2004 – 2008 the Company’s stockholder equity has a negative trend, which signifies no profit 5. Compute Six Flags’ net profit margin (Net income (loss)/Total revenues) for the last three years. How has Six Flags’ performed over the last three years? Year200820072006 Net income-$134,933-278,129-327,588 Total revenue$1,021,298970,825942,177 Performance-13. 21%-28. 34%-34. 77% Net Income seems to be increasing each year, along with Revenues; the perfomance over the last 3 years is in a positve trend . Read part (c) of footnote (1). What factors does management identify as casting substantial doubt on Six Flags’ ability to continue as a going concern? What happens if Six Flags defaults on its PIERS? The factors that management identifies as casting substantial doubt on the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern are 1) a history of n et losses, which are principally attributable to insufficient revenue to cover fixed costs; 2) a stockholder’s deficit; 3) substantial uncertainty about being able to refinance its debt. If the Company defaults on its PIERS, then the lenders would be permitted to accelerate the obligations due from Six Flags. Also, such a default would result in most or all of Six Flag’s long-term debt to become due and payable. 7. Goodwill reflects the economic benefit that accrues to a firm due to its ability to generate an above normal rate of return. Based on your analysis thus far, do you believe Six Flags is capable of generating an above normal rate of return? Based on your answer, do you believe that Six Flags’ goodwill has suffered an economic impairment? In other words, regardless of what Six Flags balance sheet purports, do you believe that Six Flags has goodwill with an economic value in excess of $1 billion? Yes, I believe Six Flags is capable of generating an above normal rate of return based on its positive trend with net income and revenue increasing the last 3 year. However, it will take another couple of years, based on the positive trend, for Six Flags to see such results. Yes, I do believe that the Company has suffered an economic impairment; No, I do not believe that the Company has goodwill with an economic value in excess of $1 billion due to the financial strain that the Company has experienced for the last several years. 8. Describe the procedure management follows in conducting their annual impairment test of goodwill, as described in the first paragraph of part (k) footnote (1). Based on this test, why did they conclude that â€Å"no impairment was required†? If their stock price were to drop to ZERO, would an impairment be required? Management’s procedure: 1) identifies reporting units, 2) determines carrying value of each unit by assigning assets and liabilities to those reporting units, 3) determine fair value of each reporting unit and compare it to carrying value amount of reporting unit. No impairment was required because their comparison showed the fair value of the single reporting unit exceeded their carrying amount. If their stock price dropped to ZERO, an impairment would not be required because they are comparing the market price of their stock to their carrying amount of stockholder’s equity, which in a deficit. Also, the Company is anticipating those assets to produce future benefits that exceed its costs. 9. If Six Flags’ goodwill has no economic value, the amount reported on the balance sheet is an example of what type of measurement error (gaap-based measurement error, unintentional measurement error, or intentional measurement error). GAAP-based measurement error because in the paragraph describing goodwill, the Company includes what rule it is following, SFAS No. 142. 10. Complete the following table to show how Six Flags’ 2008 balance sheet would change if it fully impaired its goodwill. Ignore income tax effects. Classify â€Å"Redeemable Minority Interest† and â€Å"Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock† as liabilities. | |Assets |Liabilities |Owners’ Equity | |As reported: |$3,030,845 |$3,474,670 |$-443,825 | |Goodwill Adjustment: |$1,971,359 | |$1,971,359 | |Adjusted figures: |$5,002,204 |$3,474,670 |$1,527,534 | 1. Using the liabilities and assets reported on Six Flags’ balance sheet, as well as Six Flags’ liabilitiesand assets adjusted for the write-off of goodwill, compute Six Flags total debt-to-total assets ratio. Interpret the results. Which ratio is more representative of Six Flags’ economic solvency? What is the implication for Six Flags’ creditors and shareholders? Would you invest in Six Flags? |Reported |Adjusted | |Reported |Adjusted | |Assets |$3,030,845 |$5,002,204 |Debt |$3,474,670 |$3,474,670 | |Liabilities |$3,474,670 |$3,474,670 |Equity |-$443,825 |$1,527,534 | |D-to-total assets |$1. 15 |$0. 69 |D-to-E |-$7. 3 |$2. 27 | | ratio | | | | | | As reported, the Company shows a higher debt to assets versus the adjusted numbers show that the Company has a lower debt to assets, making the company more solvent. The adjusted ratio shows a more accurate representation of Six Flags’ economic solvency because assets are shown to be more than liabilities. This implication for Six Flags’ creditors and shareholders is positive news, in contrast to the auditors opinion of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. I believe I would eventually invest in Six Flags because of the positive trend with net income and revenue postings the last three years. Also, the debt-to-equity ratio using the adjusted figures shows more accurately Six Flag’s financial position with its debt 1