Discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Discussions - Essay Example This creates a company that focuses on standards with rigid controlled process and the best practices that are closely supervised. The main advantage associated with the bureaucratic structure of an organization is the fact that decision-making takes a shorter time as less people who take part in this activity and this makes sure that work is completed in an efficient manner and on time. In contrast, bureaucratic structures may have a discouraging effect to creativity as well as innovation in the entire organization, as it is difficult for a single person in the organization to come up with all the strategic ideas that are required in a large company. Information systems are computer systems that provide the management and other employees within the company with latest information in terms of the performance of the organization such as the prevailing inventory and sales (Jawadekar, 2013). It is usually connected to a computer network that is developed through linking various computers to allow sharing of data as well as resources. These systems are intended to collect, transmit, store and retrieve as well as display the information that is utilized by several process in the organization. The systems that are supposed to serve general and foreseeable management practices are also referred to as management information systems. An example of a report that is generated by this system is the information that contained in yearly reports developed for the stakeholders of organizations. Staffing professionals include staffing managers in the human resource department who are responsible for all the areas that are linked to the staffing requirements of the company(Strayer, 2005). These professionals must be able to recruit when they find the applicants who are appropriately qualified while being able to deal with the hiring and retaining of the already hired employees. For a company to be successful, staffing is not enough, as the human resource

Public Relations Consultancies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Relations Consultancies - Essay Example This report discusses the Gulf Region PR consultancy. With this regard, it focuses on Bahrain as a country. Regarding the PR Consultancy, five major areas/issues are considered; Self-Regulation of businesses in the execution of their mandate within the economy and society, increased competition from Global Agencies, Corporate social responsibility, Social Media, as well as Communications (Golob, 2006). These issues are critical because they affect businesses and corporations significantly. Increased competition puts pressure to corporations, social media could influence the corporation’s public image, while self regulation is based on the existing regulations from both the government and local authorities. At any given time, the consultancy need to be socially responsible and it should maintain a good communication system (Golob, 2006). Different theorists arguing these issues are incorporated. Typically, the practitioners are found to agree or disagree with some of the theori sts incorporated in the discussion. For convenience whereby if the organization has a number of offices, then consultancy can be able to deliver services that are centrally based for functions that need be organized such as press launches, conferences and receptions. Histories and textbooks on public relations mark both the PR consultancy as well as the subsequent developments of the sector. Research and theorists in public relations have ignored both consultants and the consultancy bit of the sector despite being distinct and meaningful. This aspect has been exemplified roles through research. The long-established research stream in PR consultancy literature has offered some significant engagement with the work of practitioners. Mostly, two roles are theorized in public relations (Tharp and Jeong, 2001). The roles include managers’ roles and technician roles. In

Strategies for Brand Revival

Strategies for Brand Revival INTRODUCTION The world, it seems, is disappearing beneath a deluge of logos. In the past decade, corporations looking to navigate an ever more competitive marketplace have embraced the gospel of branding with newfound fervour. The brand value of companies like Coca-Cola and IBM is routinely calculated at tens of billions of dollars, and brands have come to be seen as the ultimate long-term asset economic engines capable of withstanding turbulence and generating profits for decades. So companies spend billions on brand campaigns and try to indelibly mark everything in sight, from the ING New York City Marathon to the Diamond Nuts cup holders at SBC Park. Marketers may consider the explosion of new brands to be evidence of brandings importance, but in fact the opposite is true. It would be a waste of money to launch a clever logo into a world of durable brands and loyal customers. But because consumers are more promiscuous and fickle than ever, established brands are vulnerable, and new ones have a real chance of succeeding for at least a little while. The obsession with brands, paradoxically, demonstrates their weakness. Therefore, sometimes in business, a good brand dies. Everyone knows and respects the brand, but theres a gap between peoples knowledge and their desire to actually buy the product. When the company cant close that gap, the brand slowly but surely finds its way to the dustbin of history (Mannie Jackson, 2001). Therefore, the biggest question that a company can face is the decision whether to revive the brand or let it die. And if revive, how? But before we go further on to answer this question, its critical to understand why brands fail or die? Is it lack of consumer interest? Or introduction of new brands? Or is it something as simple as ignorance to the changing market dynamics? Lets look at an article from Business line which gives us a view point on the same: Why must brands die at all? And why do they die?1 The answer is a simple one! Brands never die. There is just no organic death in the life cycle of brands. In fact, there is just no life cycle at all! Lets bury this brand-ism once and for all! Brands are meant to live on forever. Brands dont die. Instead, they are murdered by Brand Managers. The over-zealous and the lazy ones alike! Most of the time done to death by stubborn brand-folks who just dont see the future unraveling! One common thread that is seen in brands that actually die on the cushy laps of their emotional brand owners is their inability to embrace change. The lack of flexibility to adapt and adjust to a changing market scenario that is as unpredictable as ever! Brands traverse the trajectory of slow death as soon as rigidity in their management styles step in. And there are many styles equally guilty of forcing their brands onto the track of death near or distant! Brand Management is as dynamic a subject as any. It i s as dynamic in its changes, as is society itself. Brands need to change and adapt to their customers and consumers. They need to be in sync with the psyche of their target segment. Rigid brand managers are the biggest liability to the brand. The solution: Keep changing them every 18 months for a start! The second brand sin is perpetuated by the jumpy brand manager who wants to prove a point. The guy knows for sure he is a short-tenure resource on the brand. He is young and raring to go. He has read enough of the brands mystique. He now wants to leave his indelible mark on the brand he is slated to handle. The intelligent brand manager of the future is the guy who sits between these two points of action and inaction. He is one who knows his strengths and his gaps alike. He is therefore the sutradhaar who knits the purpose of the brand and its longevity together by bringing to the brand party every resource that he deems necessary. Bring in that sociologist who will give you a quick perspective of how society is morphing, bring in that practicing psychologist who will psycho-analyze your consumer of today and hopefully tomorrow! Bring in the holistic market  researcher who will look beyond the tools that are quantitative, qualitative and eventually a cusp of the two! Bring in the dentist and the tailor if necessary! Brands die due to neglect. Due to a lack of accepting change. Due to stubborn, age-old thoughts, Managing brands is an art, a science and a philosophy as well! Practice each of these with perfection and humility! As we can see the article clearly talks about how brands di e due to peoples choice between in-action and action. But what happens when a company intentionally kills its flagship brand? Lets have a look at an article that talks about how Ford beheaded its once flagship brand The Ford Taurus. There are some important pointers to be learnt from this article. How to Kill your Brand 2 The Ford Taurus was a brand success of the 1990s. Its jellybean shape helped pioneer aerodynamic and dramatic styling when it was introduced in 1985, a time when most Japanese and American vehicles were little more than square boxes with round wheels. It had a powerful but fuel-efficient V6 engine. The moderately priced car made middle-class buyers feel like they were standing out without sticking out. The Taurus revived a Ford that was on the financial ropes. Ford sold 263,000 units the first year. In 1986, Motor Trend magazine named the Taurus Car of the Year. A year later it was Fords best-selling car. By 1992, it had surpassed the Honda Accord as the best-sell ing passenger car in the US. It kept that title for five straight years, outselling both the Accord and the Toyota Camry. Eventually, Ford sold about 7 million Tauruses and 2 million Mercury Sables (essentially the same car). But at the end of 2006, the last Ford Taurus rolled off the line at an assembly plant in an Atlanta suburb. Says Peter DeLorenzo, publisher of auto-extremist.com, an automotive website: Ford is the only auto manufacturer in history to take a number-one-selling car and systematically destroy the franchise through a fatal combination of ineptness, incompetence and flat-out neglect. 8 The death of the Taurus is a contributing reason why Ford reported a $5.8 billion loss last October, the worst in 14 years, announced the closing of 14 plants (including the plant that produced the Taurus), and now wants to borrow $18 billion to help revive the company. How did this king of automotive brands get beheaded? Ford provides a textbook case in how to destroy a brand. Key lessons include: Ignore your target customer segment: The Taurus was most popular among 50+ consumers, the group with the most disposable income. But Ford was entranced by the 18-35 group, and redesigned the car twice to appeal to this segment. The redesigns turned off the Taurus customer base while failing to turn on younger buyers. Listen to the customers who actually buy your product, not the ones you want to buy your product. Stop promotion: Unbelievably, Ford stopped advertising one of its best-selling cars for two years. Thats one reason Taurus sales dropped from a high of 410,000 in 1992 to 145,000 in 2006. Remember that advertising and promotion is not just for new products. It is also for established products. Undercut the value: When sales started declining, Ford took the quick and easy route of expanding sales to rental companies as well as taxi and corporate fleets. It also substantially boosted dealer and other discounts. While these have the temporary effect of juicing sales, they also harm profits for companies and resale value for customers. Never do anything that hurts your brand among existing customers. Focus on new, and not loyal, customers: Remember the Contour, Windstar, Escort, Galaxy and many other Ford brands? Automotive companies are infamous for spending millions to develop and promote brands, then inexplicably orphaning them years later to devote resources to newer models. Abandon a product only when it is truly at the end of its life-cycle, not because something sexier comes out of product development. Cannibalize your product unnecessarily: Fixed costs are high in the automotive industry, which means that profitability depends on volume. Ford cannibalized sales of Taurus by introducing the slightly bigger Five Hundred, and the slightly smaller Fusion. The Fusion, which came out in late 2004, has been a hit, but sales of the Five Hundred have not met expectations. Would Ford have been better off devoting the resources  dedicated to Fusion and Five Hundred to the revitalization of Taurus? Who knows? However, while it is important to be receptive to new segments, gains must be measured against the losses to established products. The articles also states examples of other iconic brands like Wonder Bread and Twinkies that have been immortalized by Andy Warhol. Yet the manufacturer of those brands, the $3.5 billion Interstate Bakeries, filed for bankruptcy last September. Mistakes made by Interstate include focusing on low-profit, mass-produced products like Wonder Bread at a time when customers were turning to tastier alternatives like fresh-baked supermarket offerings. They rested on their Twinkies laurels at a time when mothers everywhere were worried about childhood obesity. There are other brands that are on their road to failure. Two strong candidates are Gap and Time magazine. Quick excerpt on GAP (details in next article) At one time, Gap set the fashion benchmark for both boomers and yuppies. Who hasnt owned a pair of Gap khakis? In UK, Gaps share of the clothing market has dropped by 25% over the past three years. Its recent advertising featuring Audry Hepburn has done little but make worst ad- lists . What happened? Gap committed the ultimate branding sins a lack of focus and knowledge of what its customers valued. Robert Buchanan, a retail analyst at the stockbroker AG Edwards, says: In their heyday, they were really good at taking care of the baby boomer . They stopped targeting them and started aiming for the children of the boomers but not having done much research, they blew it. Then they took a democratic approach and tried to be all things to all men. If theres one thing that doesnt work in retailing, its a lack of focus. The articles opinion on Time Magazine If there is a better example of trying to be all things to all people; its Times recent choice for Person of the Year.- For more than 70 years, Time has selected a person who has had the most impact for good or bad on world events. Agree or disagree, Times choice always made you think. But this year, they put a cheesy reflective Mylar strip on the cover and said, The Person of the Year is You!- If you believe that a brand must drive its stake into the ground and say proudly, this is what we stand for, and these are the customers we want- then Times we-love-everybody- pandering is a reason to cringe. This 10 follows other missteps, like putting radical Ann Coulter, who advocates terrorism against American institutions and believes that all Muslims ought to be forcibly converted to Christianity, on the cover, and recently adding Bill Kristol, who forcefully advocated the invasion of Iraq to bring peace and democracy to the Middle East, as one of its star columnists. (Full disclosure: I used to work for Time-Life.) Talk about alienating middle class customers, the bread-and-butter of a mass-circulation magazine. A lot has been written about how to build a brand. But valuable lessons can also be learned from dead and dying brands. Undoubtedly, the most important lesson is not to let a disconnect grow between you and customer. When was the last time you talked to customers about what they valued, and how well you were doing to deliver that value? Now let us look at an article that goes into the details of the story of the GAP decline: American retailing: Fashion victim 3 Gap, a fashion retai ler that was once one of corporate Americas shining success stories used to get everything right. Its affordable, trendy clothes epitomized casual cool. But not anymore. The companys production cycles are too slow to keep pace with rivals, prices have risen and the brand has lost its shine. In 29 of the past 31 months Gap reported flat or declining same-store sales. Senior executives are quitting in droves. Profit margins, at 6.5%, are about half the industrys average. In December, traditionally the busiest month for shopping, same-store sales were 8% lower than in December 2005. Gap is now said to have hired Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, to evaluate its options. This is not the first crisis at Gap. Analysts think a change at the top is the most likely outcome of the review. Another possibility would be for Gaps ageing founders, who still own 37% of the group, to sell out. Dana Cohen, an analyst at Bank of America, thinks private-equity firms would be the most likely buyers, as few companies in the trade could swallow Gap. Alternatively, one of the groups three major brands could be sold. The trouble is that both Gap and Old Navy would sell at a 11 discount because of their troubles, and the Fishers (the founders) are unlikely to want to divest Banana Republic, their only healthy brand. Brands can also die due to lack of company focus or initiative. As the article states they can die of natural causes it is inevitable due to various actions taken by the company or the people. Autopsy on Olds: Death by neglect, stagnation4 Oldsmobile once was among the strongest car brands, anchored by such vehicles as the Cutlass, infused with the heritage of Rocket engines and benefiting from a competent dealer network. Yet the 107-year-old brand was officially buried this spring. Was the death inevitable? Might better communications around the brand have helped effect a cure? Many myths come into play when once-great brands such as Oldsmobile expire. Among the most durable: Strong brands die of natural causes In fact, brands die of neglect and abuse. It takes effort and many bad decisions to kill a strong brand. Oldsmobile died because General Motors designed vehicles in the 1980s and early 1990s that didnt live up to the brands legacy: They were unattractive, uncomfortable and of low quality, and they handled poorly. At the same time, the dealer network atrophied and consolidated with other brands, losing its focus on Oldsmobile. Customers who were dissatisfied with Olds vehicles, sales and service lost their emotional connection to the brand. By the time GM finally came out with a somewhat decent vehicle for Oldsmobile the Alero in the late 1990s it was too late. Changing consumer tastes kill brands. What really kills a brand is its failure to respond to changing tastes. Let us look at an example of how a brands responded to changing tastes from the same article and today is the symbol of how brands can evolve and become part of peoples lives and personality Harley Davidson and Cadillac (a glimpse): LITERATURE Sometimes in business, a good brand dies Everyone knows and respects the brand, but theres a gap between peoples knowledge and their desire to actually buy the product. When the company cant close that gap, the brand slowly but surely finds its way to the dustbin of history (Mannie Jackson, 2001). The question is: To leave it there or bring it back to life? An even bigger question is, how to re-create the magic? PROBLEM DEFINITION The purpose of this study is to analyze different strategies adopted by target companies during the process of brand revival. The study will involve analyzing case studies of a sample of companies who have been engaged in brand revival. This study will also serve to address strategies that can be adopted by companies who are in the need to revitalize their brands and the reasons for their death. For example companies have used several strategies to successfully revive their brands. These actions are prominent as is evident in the case of Harlem Globetrotters who survived by reinventing their product. (Mannie Jackson, 2001). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY To get a deeper understanding of the chosen topic, various case-studies will be analyzed so as to investigate the various strategies used by firms and use the findings to establish a set of tactics and success factors. These case-studies will primarily be sourced from secondary data like the 4 various books on brands, newspapers, historical data of companies, journals, business magazines, internet etc. JUSTIFICATION FOR RESEARCH PROPOSAL In todays dynamic environment, companies often have to face circumstances where their brands are in danger of falling out of customers buying radars. In todays highly competitive environment, it is not only products that need to be upgraded but brands also need a new lease of life. No longer is it taken for granted that upgraded products will keep a brand running, but brands itself need to be revived to be in tune to customers desires. This research explores the strategies followed for a successful brand revival. SCOPE Since this study deals with an analysis of case-studies, its scope is wide and the analysis paradigm is not limited to one country or industry. This is an empirical study that has a wide scope and applicability across industries and geographies.

The Importance of Freedom of Expression in America Essay -- Argumentat

The Importance of Freedom of Expression in America Would life be the same without freedom of expression?   Expressions of hate, sometimes called hate speech, are highly prevalent in today's society; one group using them is the KKK, in particular Charles Brandenburg. Government leaders may also want to repress free speech for the motive of keeping the citizenry in the dark so they don't learn about corruption in the hierarchy of our country. The aforementioned corruption is what freedom of expression was created for; to give the populace some control over the government's actions. The Vietnam War was one of the largest events where freedom of expression was used. From wearing black armbands to the massacre at Kent State University, people definitely showed their discontentment. For these and many other reasons, American citizens should have absolute freedom of expression with no interference from the government. Expressions of hate can be tolerated, but become a responsibility of the government when they are acts inciting violence, such as hate crimes.   In the Supreme Court Case Brandenburg v. Ohio, the KKK leader Charles Brandenburg's rights of freedom of speech were violated. He gave a speech to a group of other Klan members with a reporter there filming it.   Brandenburg encouraged taking revenge upon the branches of government because they were restraining the white race, according to him.   This went against the Ohio Criminal Syndicalism statute of 1919. That law made it illegal for anyone to advocate action against the government. This case was instrumental in how freedom of speech is looked at today. The Supreme Court decided that the, "...constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to ... ...he end of the United State’s involvement in Vietnam. The government should have no interference in the absolute freedom of expression rights the American people have. These many things affected our right to freedom of speech in their own way, but always the American people have come out stronger because of it. Because these rights are guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America, the U.S. government should have no say whatsoever in changing or limiting them. If the government takes away our rights of freedom of expression, then what is the war in Afghanistan and Iraq's purpose? What are we fighting for if not the civilians rights to freely express themselves? Works Cited * No named author. Kent State, May 4, 1970: America Kills Its Children:. 1 June 1995. The Ethical Spectacle. 8 Dec. 2004 <http://www.spectacle.org/595/kent.html>.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 22

Elena couldn't breathe. She could vaguely feel her mouth opening and closing, but she found she wasn't able to say anything. Her hands and feet had gone numb. Damon gave her an almost shy smile – which was funny, because Damon didn't do shy – and shrugged. â€Å"Wel , princess? You wanted me to be here with you, didn't you?† As if a rubber band holding her back had snapped, Elena leaped out of bed and hurtled into Damon's arms. â€Å"Are you real?† she said, half sobbing. â€Å"Is this real?† She kissed him fiercely, and he met her kiss with equal fervor. He felt real, cool skin and leather, the surprising softness of his lips familiar under hers. â€Å"Here I am,† he murmured into her hair as he pul ed her close to him. â€Å"It's real, I promise you.† Elena stepped back and smacked him hard across the face. Damon glared at her and reached up to rub his cheek. â€Å"Ouch,† he said, and then cracked a narrow, irritating smile. â€Å"I can't say that was completely unexpected – I get slapped by women more often than you'd think possible – but not a nice welcome for the long-lost love, sweetheart.† â€Å"How could you?† Elena said, dry-eyed now and furious. â€Å"How could you, Damon? We've al been mourning you. Stefan's fal ing apart. Bonnie blames herself. I†¦ I†¦ A piece of my heart died. How long have you been watching us? Didn't you care? Was this al some kind of joke to you? Did you laugh when we cried?† Damon winced. â€Å"Darling,† he said. â€Å"My princess. Aren't you glad to see me at al ?† â€Å"Of course I am!† said Elena indignantly. She took a breath and cooled down a little. â€Å"But, Damon, what were you thinking? We al thought you were dead! Permanently dead, not show-up-in-my-bedroom-a-few-days-laterlooking-perfectly-healthy dead! What's going on? Did the Guardians do this? They told me they couldn't when I begged them to, that death is permanent for a vampire once it happens.† Damon graced her with a genuine, laughing smile. â€Å"Wel , you of al people ought to know that death isn't always permanent.† Elena shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"They told me that when I came back, it was different,† she said in a smal voice, her emotions zigzagging al over the place. Because you're in shock, a tiny voice at the back of her head said wisely. â€Å"Mystical stuff, you know. My time wasn't up. Hey!† She poked him with one finger, perking up. â€Å"Are you human now? I was human when I returned.† Damon gave a long, theatrical shudder. â€Å"God forbid. I had enough of that when that meddling kitsune made me a mortal. Thank heaven – or whoever – I don't have to go looking for an obliging vampire princess to turn me back this time.† He grinned slyly at Elena. â€Å"I'm as bloodsucking as ever, darling.† He eyed her neck. â€Å"Speaking of which, I'm rather hungry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena smacked him again, though more gently this time. â€Å"Knock it off, Damon.† â€Å"Can I sit down now?† Damon asked and, when she nodded, settled himself on the foot of her bed and drew her down to sit beside him. Elena looked searchingly into his eyes, then gently traced her hand over his sharp cheekbones, his sculpted mouth, his soft raven hair. â€Å"You were dead, Damon,† she said quietly. â€Å"I know it. I saw you die.† â€Å"Yes,† he said, and sighed. â€Å"I felt myself die. It was horribly painful and it seemed to both go on forever and be over in a few moments.† He shuddered. â€Å"There was a little bit left of me even then though† – Elena nodded – â€Å"and Stefan told me, told him, to fly away. And you held him – held me – and told me to close my eyes. And then that last little bit of me was gone, too, and even the pain was gone. And then†¦ I came back.† Damon's dark eyes were wide with remembered wonder. â€Å"But how?† asked Elena. â€Å"Remember the star bal ?† â€Å"How could I forget? It was the root of al our problems with the kitsune. It was vaporized when I†¦ Oh, Damon, I used my Wings of Destruction on the tree on the Nether World's moon. But they destroyed the kitsune's star bal , too, and I had to go to the Guardians to save Fel ‘s Church. The Wings of Destruction were†¦ like nothing I've ever seen or felt before.† She shivered. â€Å"I've seen what you did to that moon,† Damon said, smiling slightly. â€Å"Would it make you feel better, my lovely angel, if you knew that using your Powers like that and destroying the star bal is what saved me?† â€Å"Don't cal me that,† said Elena, scowling. The Guardians were the closest thing she had ever seen to real angels, and she did not have fond memories of them. â€Å"How did it save you?† â€Å"Do they explain how condensation works in modern schools?† Damon asked with the supercilious expression he always wore when he teasingly criticized her world in comparison to the one he had grown up in. â€Å"Is it al sex education, empathy, and second-rate novels now, or do they stil tel the children a little about science? I know they've dropped Latin and Greek in favor of theater and consciousness-raising.† His voice dripped with contempt. Elena told herself not to rise to his bait. Instead she folded her hands neatly in front of her in her lap. â€Å"I think you may be a few decades out-of-date. But please, O wise one,† she said, â€Å"assume that my education didn't include the connection between condensation and rising from the dead, and enlighten me.† â€Å"Nice.† Damon smirked. â€Å"I like to see a young woman who is respectful of her elders and betters.† Elena cocked an eyebrow at him warningly. â€Å"Anyway,† he continued, â€Å"the liquid in the star bal , the pure magic, didn't vanish. It's not that easy to get rid of real y strong magic. As the atmosphere cooled, the magic turned from vapor back into liquid and fel down on me, with the rain of ash. I was soaking in pure Power for hours, gradual y being reborn.† Elena's mouth dropped open. â€Å"Those sneaks,† she said indignantly. â€Å"The Guardians told me you were gone for good, and they took al the treasures we bribed them with, too.† She thought briefly of the one last treasure she stil had, a water bottle ful of the Water of Eternal Youth, hidden high up on the shelf in her closet, and pushed the thought away. She couldn't even acknowledge that hidden treasure to herself for more than a moment, for fear the Guardians would realize she had it, and she couldn't use it†¦ not yet, maybe not ever. Damon shrugged one shoulder. â€Å"They do cheat, sometimes, I hear. But it's more likely this time that they thought they were tel ing the truth. They don't know everything, even though they like to pretend they do. And kitsune and vampires are both a little outside their area of expertise.† He told her how he had woken, buried deep in ash and mud, clawed his way to the surface, and set off across the desolate moon, not knowing who he was or what had happened to him, and how he had almost died again, and that Sage had saved him. â€Å"And then what?† Elena asked eagerly. â€Å"How did you remember everything? How did you get back to Earth?† â€Å"Wel ,† said Damon, turning a slight, fond smile on her, â€Å"that's a funny story.† He reached into an inner pocket of his leather jacket and pul ed out a neatly folded white linen handkerchief. Elena blinked. It looked like the same handkerchief he had given her in her dream. Damon noticed her expression and smiled more widely, as though he knew where she was recognizing it from. He unfolded it and held it out for Elena's inspection. Cradled inside the handkerchief were two strands of hair. Very familiar hair, Elena realized. She and Bonnie had each cut off a lock of hair and placed them on Damon's body, wanting to leave a part of themselves with him, since they couldn't take his body off the desolate moon with them. Before her now lay a curling red lock and a waving gold one, as bright and shiny as if they had just been cut from freshly washed heads, rather than left on a world with ash fal ing al around. Damon gazed at the locks with an expression made up of tenderness and a little awe. Elena thought that she had never seen such an open, almost hopeful look from him. â€Å"The Power from the star bal saved these, too,† he said. â€Å"First they were burned almost to ash, but then they regenerated. I held them and studied them and cherished them, and you started to come back to me. Sage had given me my name, and it sounded right to me, but I couldn't recal anything else about myself. But as I held these locks of hair, I gradual y remembered who you were, and what we had been through together, and al the things I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"What I knew and felt about you, and then I remembered the little redbird, too, and then everything else came flooding back and I was myself again.† He glanced away and lost the sentimental look, smoothing his face into its usual cool expression, as if embarrassed, then folded the locks of hair back inside the handkerchief and tucked it careful y away into his jacket. â€Å"Wel ,† he said briskly, â€Å"then it was just a matter of having Sage lend me some clothes, fil me in on what I had missed, and give me a lift back to Fel ‘s Church. And now here I am.† â€Å"I bet he was amazed,† said Elena, â€Å"and ecstatic.† The vampire Keeper of the Gates Between Worlds was a dear friend of Damon's, the only friend of Damon's she knew of, other than herself. Damon's acquaintances tended to be enemies or admirers more often than friends. â€Å"He was quite pleased,† Damon admitted. â€Å"So you just now made it back to Earth?† Damon nodded. â€Å"Wel , you've missed a lot here,† Elena said, launching into an explanation of the past few days, starting with Celia's name written in blood and ending on Caleb's hospitalization. â€Å"Wow.† Damon let out a low whistle. â€Å"But I have to assume the problem is more than my little brother acting like a madman with Caleb? Because, you know, that may be simple jealousy. Jealousy has always been Stefan's biggest sin.† He said the last with a smug twist to his lips, and Elena elbowed him gently in the ribs. â€Å"Don't put Stefan down,† she said reprovingly, and smiled to herself. It felt so good to be scolding Damon again. He real y was his own maddening, changeable, wonderful self again. Damon was back. Wait. Oh, no. â€Å"You're in danger, too!† Elena gasped, remembering suddenly that he could stil be taken from her. â€Å"Your name appeared earlier, written in the weeds that were holding Meredith underwater. We didn't know what it could mean, because we thought you were dead. But, since you're alive, it seems you're the next target.† She paused. â€Å"Unless fal ing through the surface of the moon was the attack on you.† â€Å"Don't worry about me, Elena. You are probably right about the attack on the moon being my ‘accident.' But they haven't been very successful attempts, have they?† Damon said thoughtful y. â€Å"Almost as if whatever this is isn't trying very hard to kil us. I have a faint inkling about what might be causing this.† â€Å"You do?† asked Elena. â€Å"Tel me.† Damon shook his head. â€Å"It's just a glimmer right now,† he said. â€Å"Let me get some sort of confirmation.† â€Å"But Damon,† Elena pleaded, â€Å"even a glimmer is much more than the rest of us have been able to come up with. Come with me tomorrow morning and tel everyone about it, and we can al work together.† â€Å"Oh, yes,† said Damon, with a mock shudder. â€Å"You and me and Mutt and the vampire hunter, a cozy group. Plus my pious brother and the little red witch. And the old lady witch and the teacher. No, I'm going to do some more digging on my own. And what's more, Elena,† he said, fixing her with a dark stare, â€Å"you're not to tel anyone that I'm alive. Especial y not Stefan.† â€Å"Damon!† Elena protested. â€Å"You don't know how absolutely devastated Stefan is, thinking you're dead. We have to let him know you're al right.† Damon smiled wryly. â€Å"I think there's probably a part of Stefan that's glad enough to have me out of the picture. He doesn't have any reason to want me here.† Elena shook her head in furious denial, but he went on. â€Å"It's true. But maybe it's time for things to be different between us. To that end, I have to show him that I can change. In any case, I can't investigate this properly if everyone knows I'm around. Keep quiet for now, Elena.† She opened her mouth to object further, but he silenced her with a quick, fierce kiss. When they broke apart, he said, â€Å"Promise me for now, and I'l promise you that as soon as I figure this out, you can announce my resurrection to the world.† Elena nodded doubtful y. â€Å"If that's what you real y want, Damon, and you real y think it's necessary,† she said. â€Å"But I'm not happy about it.† Damon got to his feet and patted her shoulder. â€Å"Things are going to be different now,† he said. He looked down at her, his face serious. â€Å"I'm not the same as I was, Elena.† Elena nodded again, more firmly this time. â€Å"I'l keep your secret, Damon,† she promised. Damon gave her a smal , tight smile, then took three steps toward her open window. In a moment he was gone, and a large black crow flew out into the night.

Amy’s Bread Essay

Strengths: Amy’s entrepreneurial spirit; Toy Kim Dupree-excellent right-hand manager; Already has about 50 wholesale customers, plus 30 on a waiting list; Company is finally turning a profit; Positive work environment (5 day work week, better pay than competition, benefits package, 401(k) plan, employees allowed to speak freely, low turnover); Retail business allows for higher profit margins, and now represents 25% of Amy’s business; Good niche product mix-high quality bread products, micro-bakeries; Makes herself available to the press/public, leads to word of mouth advertising; Can now secure bank financing due to Amy’s proven track record; Wholesale business (representing 75% of the business) is more stable than retail business. Opportunities: Much higher profit margins in high-end breads (black olive, apple walnut rasin-$2.40 wholesale, $3.40 retail profit with the high-end breads vs. $1.71 wholesale, $2.60 retail without high-end breads); Retail business (currently 25% of business) allows for higher profit margins and payment is only in cash; Hiring another manager could allow Amy more time to run the company; Buying 31st street location would allow for production facility expansion and the ability to cater to customers currently on the waiting list; Leasing the 15th street location could allow both retail and production expansion. Weaknesses: Bakery industry is highly competitive with low wholesale profit margins; NYC locations are very expensive; Higher labor costs due to hand-production techniques (35% of CGS); Ingredient prices are volatile; Ingredients are more expensive than the competition’s; CGS is 65% of net sales; Competitors can enjoy better economies of scale due to automated production and cheaper ingredients; 75% of the business is through lower-profit wholesalers; Current production location is too small to meet growing demand. Threats: Dieting trends (i.e. Atkins diet) could affect consumer demand for bread. Mission: To produce high-quality, handmade breads for wholesale and retail customers through our retail locations and door-to-door deliveries. Objective: Amy’s Bread has seen steady growth over the last few years. This success has overextended both the employees and the warehouse space. Amy is looking to move operations to one of two locations: a building on 31st street, or one on 15th street. The 31st street location would allow Amy to expand her wholesale business and allow her to invest in a property instead of leasing. Amy should also look into adding a manager to allow her the time to focus on the overall business. Her most profitable bread lines are the high-priced breads, she should look into increasing the number of high-priced bread. Eventually, Amy should consider opening small retail locations in New York City.