AIDS/HIV

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the progression of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).   AIDS is the final stage of the development of HIV.   Without receiving treatment, an HIV infected person usually develops AIDS within ten years (Advert.org, 2007).   In order to understand AIDS, you must understand where it comes from: HIV.HIV is a virus, transmitted from one person who is infected to another person who is not infected.   HIV attacks the immune system and kills a specific system cell called a CD4 lymphocyte (Advert.org, 2007).   HIV is a rapid mutating virus, which helps it form being destroyed by the immune system’s natural defenses.According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first human case of HIV appeared in a male from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959.   It is unknown exactly how he became infected (CDC.gov, 2007).   The CDC stated (2007):â€Å"For many years scientists theorized as to the origins of H IV and how it appeared in the human population, most believing that HIV originated in other primates.Then in 1999, an international team of researchers reported that they had discovered the origins of HIV-1, the predominant strain of HIV in the developed world.   A subspecies of chimpanzees native to west equatorial Africa had been identified as the original source of the virus.The researchers believe that HIV-1 was introduced into the human population when hunters became exposed to infected blood† (CDC.gov, 2007).In America, the first cases of AIDS occurred in the beginning of the 1980s.   There had been a few cases of homosexual men who developed opportunistic cancers or infections that did not respond to treatment attempts.   AIDS was not yet named.   AIDS was later identified in 1982.There are four main stages that compose HIV infection: â€Å"primary infection, clinically asymptomatic stage, symptomatic HIV infection, and progression from HIV to AIDS† (Adve rt.org). ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Primary infection is similar to the flu, with symptoms that are characteristic of the flu virus.   This stage only lasts a few weeks.   During this stage, diagnosis is often missed (Advert.org, 2007) ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The clinically asymptomatic stage can have an average duration of ten years.   There are usually no symptoms during this time.   Antibody tests, however, can be positive for HIV.The viral load test plays an important role in treatment.   It measures the amount of HIV that enters the lymph nodes, where the virus tends to gravitate to (Advert.org, 2007). ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The symptomatic HIV infection stage shows more symptoms.   This is because the immune system has been damaged quite a bit more.   The symptoms can start out weak and become stronger as the immune system deteriorates further.   During this time, many opportunistic infections and cancers appear (Advert.org, 20 07). ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final stage is the progression from HIV to AIDS.   A person with HIV will be diagnosed with AIDS when they develop a low count of T helper cells.   They may also be diagnosed with AIDS if they have several opportunistic infections or cancers (Advert.org).The symptoms of AIDS can vary.   Most symptoms are caused by infections.   Many are similar to the flu virus, such as fever, chills, and weakness.   Major pulmonary illnesses that can occur are pneumocystis pneumonia and tuberculosis.Major gastrointestinal illnesses that can occur are esophagitis and chronic diarrhea.   Major neurological illnesses that can occur are toxoplasmosis, which infects the brain, eyes, or lungs, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which causes nerve impulse impairment, AIDS dementia complex (ADC), and cryptoccal meningitis, which can be fatal if not treated (Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia, 2007).Major opportunistic cancers occur in peopl e with HIV, and almost always signal progression to AIDS.   The following malignant cancers can lead to an AIDS diagnosis: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kaposi’s sarcoma – the most common type of tumor found in HIV+ people; affects the skin, mouth, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   B-cell lymphomas – the presence of these cancers almost guarantees a person has progressed to AIDS ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cervical cancer – In women with HIV, this cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV)With a weakened immune system, HIV+ people can also develop a large amount of infections that can be bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or viral in nature.   The following are descriptions of some of the possibilities, provided by MayoClinic.org (2006):

Contrasting Differences in Family Life in USA and Mexico Essay

The family is the basic unit of any particular society or community. It is therefore imperative that for the society to exist the family has to be there to produce members into the community. The community or national character any particular country is basically determined by the nature of the family values. An individual is shaped in the early ages by the family. In the contemporary society there are increased diversity changes in the family a characteristic of the many changes in culture, political, economic, social, and psychological and even the environment. The content definition of has not been agreed upon because of the great changes that are so accommodating. In the previous many years the family was considered as the people who are related by blood. This definition based on the kinship ties has been revoked due to the influence of many forms of families which has stripped off the family its actual definition. For instance there can husband and wife who do not have any kinship ties and they go ahead to adopt children. Another case that has changed such a definition of the family based on kinship ties is the increasing number of intermarriage within the context of race or ethnicity. This brings out a mixture of offspring and therefore it is difficult to trace the family bonds based on kinship ties. The issue of who is next to kin is no longer important in the current families. The most common aspect in the current families is the bonding based on mutual understanding. The many changes of husband and wife have been changed by the introduction of lesbianism and gay. These try to go against the grain of opposite gender type of marriage. The concept of marriage has changed from opposite gender type of marriage to a mixture of gay, lesbianism and opposite gender marriages. These are some of the dynamisms that are facing the contemporary families. This paper shall give an indebt analysis of the family, the changes in roles and functions of the families and the general effects of such changes to the contemporary families. A close reference and examples shall be drawn from the US and Mexico, the countries that border each other geographically. The contrasting differences I n family issues shall be pointed out clearly. Family life in the United States The family relationship in the United States has undergone several transformations due to the effect of globalization. Race and ethnicity are the most significant factors in shaping the variety of values, attitudes and behaviour amongst the families in the United States. There are a number of changes in families in the United States. These changes range from political, social, economic, and psychological to spiritual. The social dislocations have given rise to new ideas and values especially there is increased individualism among the members of the community. In the US there increased diversity in the organizational structures. There are many cases of divorce and separation in the United Stated which has grabbed the family the unity and love that is supposed to be enjoyed. Most the single families that are common in the US are as a result of divorce and remarriage due to greater democratization. (Hines & Morrison, 2005) Cultural diversity in the US is accounting for the many different types of families that have emerged in the recent past. The United States constitutes almost all races and ethnic groups in the world. For this reason there are diverse cultural values as a resulting of this contact. The factor that there are free intermarriages between these diverse races and ethnic groups has made the US to have diverse cultural values which transcend the native culture. The immigrants who move to the United State try to maintain their native language despite the fact that they are forced to learn the official language of the United States, which is English. The immigrants from Spanish speaking countries (Hispanic) when they move to the United States they try to maintain their languages. The culture of the people is usually transmitted through language and due to the numerous languages in the United States there exists different cultures. This means that there are very many family clusters formed through the sharing of the languages. For instance most of the Hispanic immigrants have formed family clusters in the sides of Florida. The black American speaks a variety of English as they identify themselves as belonging or originating from one family. These disparities have affected the notion of the family because these people are allowed to mix freely with people from different cultures. The concept of the family in the United States is changing even the more during the advent of the green card where people from different pasts acquire citizenship. Many people from different races and ethnic groups have found their way to the US and as such most of them are allowed to move with their families. The nuclear family still remains an ideal source of the society in the United States. The United States families are characterized by the great social stratification. In the United the families are organized according to different classes. Among these classes there are great disparities in terms of economic value. The choice of families has not taken shift from mutual understanding to materials and resources. This has affected relationships from a sociological point of view. This issue of the class is a dominant phenomenon among the families in the United States as those who are rich wants to maintain the status quo. This is done through the inheritance that is passed within the nuclear families. The nuclear families in the United States are created and broken up and then reconstituted. This has led to the decline of family values which consequently affects the family patterns. This diversity in family pattern has been identified as the cause of problems such as violence, crime and drug use in the united state. The parents are usually very busy with their duties (United States, Congress, 1992). The increasing cases of divorce and separation in the United States have a negative effect on maintaining the ideal norms of the nuclear family value. The families that are exposed to values outside the parental domain are likely to deviate from norms. The human rights in the United States are considered fundamental. There is protection of the universal human right which is a recipe to the process of democratization. This the reason why the US government invest huge amount of money in education health and other basic sectors so as to enhance the promotion of the human rights among the citizens. The Family Life in Mexico Most people have preferred to live in Mexico for a variety of reasons such as social, political, economic and even good climatic reasons. Living in Mexico requires one to learn the Spanish language so as to increase effective communication. This is because the families are socialized in the Spanish language. The Mexican people are extremely warm and friendly as they are organized in smaller communities that come from the mutually intelligible families. This means that the socialization process is high since there tow much contact between the families. The family bonds are tightly held together and for this reason there is cultural uniformity. The society per se is integrated under common cultural values through the common language shared. Piped water is relatively inexpensive, but not always potable (drinkable). Decades of under-investment, combined with an attitude of impertinence towards paying water bills, has left Mexico’s mains water system in poor condition. As a result, most people purchase bottled water, often in 20L containers. Bottled water is very expensive. Rents in Mexico can be higher than in equivalent-sized US towns or cities if the place is popular or fashionable, particularly places within easy reach of the US border. Mexico has a centralized economy: that is, most of the country’s economic activity revolves around. The Mexican pace of life is relatively slower than in the US Especially when the life in major cities is given consideration. The families in Mexico are closely tied as most of the families have time to attend to their families. There is a high degree of parental responsibility among the families. This transcends to greater heights of good values that the society enjoys. Mexico’s culture has a rich history in a consolidated family religion, people and tradition. The Mexican people are proud of their culture that they keep on passing from one generation to another. This is because there is little infusion of the foreign cultures. The family is the basic unit in Mexico and a cornerstone to the maintenance of the culture. The rate of socialization and interaction among these people is too high. It is a usual phenomenon to meet two or more families meeting for a common interest or for a special event. This part of the family function in Mexico, people in Mexico have free time to visit resort centers for the purpose of relaxation which is not a common phenomenon in the United States, where people are too busy. (Heymann, 2006) The Mexican People are too religious which is a big contrast with the United States where people feel that they are in control; of their own life. A large number of people are Christian and they are usually committed to going to church. When you walk in the Mexican homes it is easy for you to see the religious images. In America people stay a non-religious life thus an effect of religious intermingling that has made it difficult for the people to which religious practice to adopt. Thus they resign from subscribing to any of the religious practice. The social stratification is not prevalent in the Mexican family as it is in the United States; people are seeking for money the Mexican people strive for titles. The professionals in Mexico prefer to be addressed with the titles that they deserve. This is as a result of the traditional emphasis given to the tittles within the family domain. The economic living standards in Mexico are slightly lower than in the United State. There are many poor people in Mexico than in the United States. The impact of these high levels of poverty in Mexico has necessitated the immigration of most Mexican families to the United States in search of better jobs and pay of most illegal immigrants from Mexico have gotten their way into the United States through the Mexican borders. These immigrants have settled in cities such as Florida. Working in the United States gives them better pay. This aspect of brain drain is lowering the general development of the families in Mexico as most of the people move leaving behind other family members Basically the cost of living in Mexico is lower than that of the US particularly for agricultural produce. Other sectors such as transport and communication are also lower in Mexico than I n the United States. Other utilities as electricity are more expensive compared to the United State. Working families in the United States, observing how parents struggled to find a balance between caring for children and earning a decent income. When parents split and one of the parents went from Mexico to the United States and was no longer available to give the necessary care, families suffer. What significantly exacerbates the problem is when the borders are so tight that they prevent families from reuniting. This has been a common phenomenon when the immigrants are not given the opportunity by the America to even visit their families in back home in Mexico. (Poole M. et al, 1993) Globalization of the economy created increased pressure for workers to accept lower labor standards, accept lower wages, longer hours, fewer benefits, and less paid leave. Both Nations likewise feel pressure from economic globalization not to implement family-friendly policies, such as paid leave for illness or when a child is sick, or paid parental leave. And that leaves working families struggling to balance work and their care-giving duties. The globalization process has affected families in both Mexico and United States economy was transforming the relationship between work and care-giving in similar ways everywhere. Globalization has forcing both countries to at a very high pace as far as labor standards and social policies are concerned hence leaving working parents with less and less time to raise their children. Parents’ work has shifted markedly around the world and that goes for every region. The child rearing process has been left in the hands of maids who offer supportive care while the parents are away working till late hours of the day. Men in particular have been moving away from one place to another in search of better jobs especially in various industries. Globalization has made men and women to work day and night and this has made them move away from their homes to go work in various places. A good example is that of outsourcing where people work in shifts where some work during the day and others at night. Women, likewise, have moved into the paid labor force and away from the home. From the period between 1960 and 2000 the number of women in the labor force went from 26 to 38 percent in America. The percentage of women in the workplace has increased both in the United States and Mexico. This has adversely affected the family care services that were provided by the women while their men were working in various sectors. This is a result of civilization which been brought about by the factors such as education, religion, work, urbanization among others. These factors have changed the various roles that were supposed to be executed by the family so as to prepare an individual to be a responsible member of the society. (Cecil, 1992) What has happened is that the world has seen women get better job opportunities which has assisted then them raise income to cater for their families. The increased number of single parent families has made it possible for the women to struggle to get money for rearing their families. While this is was going on there is also massive urbanization occurring all across the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as people who move from very poor rural areas to urban areas often get better jobs, and become less dependent on, for instance, a good rain to feed their families. (Rowntree, Lewis, Price & Wyckoff, 2006). References Hines D. A. , Morrison K. (2005) Family Violence in the United States: Defining, Understanding, and Combating. Sage Publisher. Heymann J. (2006) Forgotten Families: Ending the Growing Crisis Confronting Children and Working Parents in the Global Economy. Oxford University Press Poole M. et al (1993) Family: Changing Families, Changing Times. Allen & Unwin publisher. Robinson, Cecil. (1992). No short journeys: The interplay of cultures in the history and Literature of the borderlands. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Rowntree L. , Lewis M. , Price M. and Wyckoff W. (2006). Diversity amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development. United States, Congress. House America’s (1992) Families: Conditions, Trends, Hopes, and Fears: Family policy. United States, Congress, House publisher.

HR paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HR paper - Essay Example As an HR, there is a great need to look into the above problem statement and redefine it to enable organization solve their current and future talent gaps as reviewed below. Most organizations fail to assess the gaps in terms of competencies and right skills required to meet future goals. Eventually, this leads to lack of required staff resources in the right location to meet the current and future workload. This lack of right individual with the right skills widens capability gap and finally pose a threat to organizational achievements. Additionally, most organizations fail to recognize employees as their greatest assets. They risks losing the few talented individuals to other competitors’ just because the organization fails to encourage, promote and invest in their staff resources. HR manager should lead the organization in rooting out this mentality and instead invest in continuous trainings that build capability workforce to address the organization’s future skill gaps. Due to scarcity in skills, most organizations find it very expensive to hire staff to address the skills gap. Most critical skills attract a market premium for those organizations that fail to develop and retain key skills. The cost of training and developing critical skills has remained high for most organizations hence making such necessary expertise not affordable. Rapid technological changes continue to remain a major challenge to most organization in addressing capability drive. This creates business environment with a more complex operations as skills evolve and become obsolete more rapidly. As an HR, there is a need to establish a proper knowledge and understanding of the global market and get the organization on toss with the changing market trends and technology so as to identify the relevant skills required in today’s world of production (Emmerichs & Marcum 2004). Based on the fact that most graduates are â€Å"half baked†, they get employed

Philosophy of Art Monroe Beardsley's Aesthetic Definition of Art Essay

Philosophy of Art Monroe Beardsley's Aesthetic Definition of Art - Essay Example The paper will review the min concepts and definitions of art proposed by Monroe Beardsley, and then, critically review the proposed concepts. In this, its ultimate role is to provide a critique of its own conditions of possibility. And, as is well known, for Beardsley this became a matter of artists acknowledging the flatness of the picture plane as a way of asserting what they took to be the essential fact about the nature of painting. Beardsley defines artwork as: "something produced with the intension of giving it the capacity to satisfy the authentic interest" (Beardsley 57). Beardsley has in mind such audience responses as noticing details, recognizing patterns, making interpretations, filling in the work, etc (Beardsley 55). It is against this understanding of avant-garde art, the genuine art of the contemporary world, that Beardsley articulates his understanding of modern art. Avant-garde art is abstract, whereas modern art ostensibly favors representation. Avant-garde art is reflexive, whereas modern art is generally imitative. Avant-garde art is introverted -- it is about itself (it is about its medium). Modern art is extroverted; it is about the world. Moreover, in being introverted, avant-garde art is detached from practical affairs and disinterested, whereas by representing the world, modern art is implicated in practical concerns (Beardsley 55). In order to accomplish this, genuine art must be difficult, whereas Beardsley believes that modern art can be enjoyed without effort. Moreover, this emphasis on the active response of the spectator in genuine art is what leads Beardsley to nominate avant-garde art as the genuine art of our times, since avant-garde art requires an active spectator to fill in its open structures. Thus, avant-garde art can be said to preserve the central value of art properly so-called. For art properly so-called has always been dedicated to engendering active spectatorship. Indeed, commitment to this role, it would appear, is a necessary feature of art for Beardsley, as it is for many other modern theorists of art. On the other hand, Beardsley maintains that art involves 'unreflective enjoyment'. It abets passive spectatorship -- of the sort putatively evinced by 'couch potatoes' -- whereas Beardsley, with the authority of a long tradition behind him, presumes that a necessary feature of genuine art in volves a commitment to active vowing (Beardsley 56). Avant-garde art accords with this profile. In order to appreciate it, a certain sort of knowledge and background information will have to come into play, if, for example, one is to identify the reflexive comment that an abstract array makes on the nature of painting. Beardsley argues: "once we know what things are artworks in a particular society, we can identify artistic activities by discovering which activities involve interaction with artworks" (Beardsley 57). To interpret such a work one must be initiated into a certain discourse and, even after one assimilates the relevant art discourse, a great deal of cogitation will still be required in order to apply that discourse with understanding to the painting at hand. Such painting demands intellectual work from the spectator because of its hermetic structure, which serves as a difficult obstacle, or puzzle,

Joining the esthetics profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Joining the esthetics profession - Essay Example As I reflect upon the life-lessons learned over the course of 40 years, I realize that joining the esthetics profession represents the culmination of my dreams and interests.   As I was growing up, I had a consistent interest in the dental, esthetician, and designer fields; which demonstrates to me that The author has always recognized the importance of personal appearance.   I initially pursued a career in dentistry, obtaining certification in dental assisting (CDA) in 1988 and taking additional dental courses, as well as EFDA and x-ray certification, in 1989.   As I grew older, married and had children, I witnessed first-hand how important appearance really is; people tend to judge an individual on their appearance.   It has become very important to me to help people achieve their esthetic goals and develop a positive self image.   I feel that I can best accomplish this through a career in the esthetics field. For the future, I have determined to learn as much as possible about esthetics, and become a licensed esthetician.   Ultimately, I hope to work for a plastic surgeon and then achieve my dream of opening my own business.   I am convinced that admission to the Euro Institute Esthetician School will best equip me to fulfill my life goals and achieve my dream. Organizational skill has impacted her personal and professional success by equipping her to accomplish the goals set before her.   I initially pursued a career in dentistry, obtaining certification in dental assisting.

DFS Presentation Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DFS Presentation Assignment - Case Study Example Increased competition, operative costs, overhead, and the need for augmented efficiency in operations make the need for DFS to adopt lean supply chain. DFS can make its supply chain agiler and lean through: †¢ Collaboration with suppliers and customers of DFS to get instant demand and supply information for efficient response to demand changes is one way of making DFS supply chain agile and lean †¢ Reducing all the processes and operations at DFS that have no added value to the consumer (Sople, 2011, 115) †¢ Reducing lead time for raw materials and components is the other manner of implementing lean supply chain (Sople, 2011, 115) †¢ Documenting all the supply chain processes and standardizing them will also allow DFS manage a lean and agile supply chain †¢ Collection of up to date information allows management to make supply decisions that efficiently and effectively meet demand †¢ Providing workers with information on high-quality requirement at the business will ensure more client satisfaction and meet the needs of an agile and lean supply chain for high-quality products †¢ Information can also guide DFS in setting up new distribution centers in areas near customer locations to allow for more responsiveness to changing consumer needs within a short period of time †¢ Use of the internet to easily receive and collect demand information and dispatch supplies to the consumers

Financial management of channel tunnel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial management of channel tunnel - Essay Example Eurotunnel was mainly financed by bank loans from a large consortium of over 100 European and Japanese banks. Eurotunnel also raised substantial amounts of equity in four public offerings during the construction of the Tunnel, mainly from small shareholders in France and the UK. The marketing of the shares was pitched towards small shareholders. In the end, the Channel Tunnel costs about 10 billion to build (compared with initial estimates 8 years earlier of about 5 billion). Of this 10 billion, 8 billion was raised in debt from banks and 2 billion in equity. The last fund-raising exercise took place in May 1994, just 2 months before the new services were to begin, when 800 million of new equity and 700 million of debt was raised to get the project finished and up and running. By then the banks and many shareholders were very nervous about the costs and delays to the project and the prospects of recouping their investment. Eurotunnel shareholders have seen their investment crumble by around 90% since the company went public in 1987. Construction costs spiralled and revenues fell short of forecasts, leaving the company struggling with debts of 9bn (6.4bn). Shareholders have never been paid a dividend. The UK government has already made it clear that there can be no question of any public money for Eurotunnel, and there is no change in that position. Eurotunnel shareholders are mostly French private investors. But it said it could not afford to do so without help in cutting the burden of repayments on debts which it ran up during vast cost over-runs on the tunnel's construction in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Euro tunnel begs for rescue plan (Clark, 2004)2. 2. Andrew, Clark, (2004) Guardian, retrieved from the website on 19th Feb' 06. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/) Financial Management of Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) is the largest civil engineering infrastructure project currently being constructed in the UK with a budget of 5.3 billion (S$14.8 billion). The Project is split into two sections. Section 1, 70 km long from the Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in North Kent is scheduled for completion and operational running of Eurostar trains by September 2003. Section 2, 39 km long, completes the Link from North Kent to St Pancras in central London and is programmed to be operational in January 2007 (Davies and Joy, 2004)2. The London & Continental Railways Limited (LCR) was awarded the contract to build the CTRL in February 1996 and to run the British arm of the Eurostar International train service (Eurostar UK). Initially, LCR proposed to fund the construction of the link from private finance through debt and equity raised on the back of future revenue from Eurostar, UK and from direct government grants. This overtly optimistic plan backfired and LCR abandoned its plans to raise private finance and approached the Department for additional grants in return for a share of future profits. After reviewing the options, the department of transport decided to restructure the existing deal with LCR. In 1998, the government set out the principles of a negotiated restructuring which enhanced public

Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Media - Essay Example They target almost everyone. In the recent past, advertisers have tremendously shifted their focus to children. Eric Schlosser’s through his article tries to bring to our attention how today child advertising is in high note through the various tactics marketers and advertisers are using to get today children to always want and thus in that context demand for their products (Schlosser 356). Eric brings to our attention that advertisers know that if the children saw their advertisement and which are appealing to them, they will with no doubt nag their parent to get the products for them. Again, through the article, we find how advertisers have begun using catching songs and cartoon characters to attract children. Today’s young generation have changed tremendously through media especially through advertisements, as observed by Eric Schlosser’s essay, today even products that young children at their tender age, who are not allowed to access some products such as cig arettes, companies are still coming with ways of developing unique advertisements that are aimed at targeting the children. These companies intelligently achieve this by changing the packaging around these products and go a step further to ensure that they develop iconic symbols on these products so that the children will recognize them even in future. This, they do putting in mind that even though the children will not necessarily access this at young age they will with no doubt remember them from the same advertisements they saw years ago when they were still young. Clearly it is with no doubt that that media has more negatives than positives effects on today’s young people. As a matter of fact, it is in my opinion that media has a tremendously negatives effects on our young children (Johnson 2011). From the article â€Å"Television: The Plug-In Drug† by Marie Winn, we find that today, the television has invaded most family both in known and unknown territories. This is characterized with wake up, go to school, watch television and thereafter retire to bed and this is the pattern in many families today. Almost every family today has a television set on their household and this has led many families dynamic to suffer. Watching television has clearly become the norm in almost every family today and this is leading to loss of touch such the quality of sharing a meal together, going out on holiday and vacations (Winn 457). Television has unknowingly eliminated most of the individuality enjoyed aspect of families and has in turn managed to create a boring uniformity, which is experienced with all families that watches the television. Television also affects how today’s children communicate with other people in the society, it’s evident that a child who spend his/her all day indoors watching television will have difficulties in maintaining eye conducts, and even of great concern failure to maintain conversations and even trust the same people in the society. I strongly believe that in today’s world the media is changing our young people, the family as a whole and even culture and more so education. As observed from Marie Winn’s article, television is invading many families; it is interfering with our today’s culture and eroding most of the family’s rituals in a faster way. Today television denies the families an opportunity to share their daily experiences and in return build their

The Movie Disclosure as a Depiction of Office Politics Essay

The Movie Disclosure as a Depiction of Office Politics - Essay Example The plot starts to develop when tom sanders (Michael Douglas) misses a promotion opportunity which ended up being given to his ex girlfriend Meredith (Demi Moore) instead. The new boss tries to rekindle the relationship by aggressively urging Tom to reconsider. Tom is steadfast in refusing her advances since he is happily married and now a family man. Tom has a momentary lapse of judgment, and almost gives in to Meredith’s advances, but quickly recovers rejecting her. This prompts Meredith to get back at him by falsely accusing him of sexual harassment. This .leads to tom being offered an ultimatum of being fired or being reassign. However, Tom fights for his innocence and various twists in the plot characterize the rest of the film. The film was captivating for the whole length and the twists that characterize the film keep the audience movie e interested. The film was fascinating and kept me glued on the screen until the end. The movie is a depiction of the reality of sexual harassment in the workplace. The movie elicited strong feelings from the audience in that there were mixed reactions on the issues explored by the film. The movie impressed critics, and the audience with its twists and the gripping storyline on sex and power in the office. The cast was also commended for their brilliant displays in bringing the film to life through their roles. The role of Demi more as the villain was commended in that she portrayed the role of a dreadful boss brilliantly. The movie also had a negative reaction from viewers in that some factions felt that the film was too graphical. They also felt that the plot was only used to justify the explicit scenes that characterized the film. The reaction of the audience was mixed in terms of interest in the film, since the film had astonishing financial success totaling over $200 million. The movie was commended for shedding light into the unethical practice that individuals go through in the workplace. It took the social responsibility of addressing the social issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. The cast was well picked, and they fit into their roles with ease. The plot was a complex one, but the cast did a remarkable job in bringing out the issue being addressed in the film. The leading characters were brilliant throughout the film, and Michael Douglas did an outstanding job in playing the role of a victimized employee. He relates brilliantly with the dilemma that victims of sexual harassment face especially if they are subordinates in a working environment. Demi Moore is believable in her part as the villain in the movie. She depicts the role of an abusive and powerful boss who is aggressive and does not accept being denied her desires. She empowers the women in her role in that she exudes power. The directing of the film was nevertheless found wanting in that the movie lacked the creative passion. The director was seen to be trying too hard to strengthen his credentials in the film indus try. Nevertheless, he is successful at bringing out the conflict and dilemma brought about by the story. The movie’s plot was taken from the book Disclosure by Michael Crichton. The plot was largely borrowed from the story in the book, making the two works largely similar. There are, however, differences in that the movie is more engaging and brings to life the plot of the book. The story is clearly brought

Risk - de Havillands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk - de Havillands - Essay Example Its jets had many advantage vis-Ã  -vis high speed, quieter and more comfortable interior, distinctive design etc. But management’s decision to launch its first commercial jet ‘Comet’ was fraught with many mistakes and lacked proper and comprehensive risk management plan. de Havilland management’s hurry to be the first to launch jet aircraft commercially was important because it saw the launch of Comet as setting of the standards for the aircraft industry. It also wrongly assumed that because it was leading aircraft company and known for its high performing designs, it could repeat its success in the commercial market also. The lack of proper research and its apathy for the security of the customers was key managerial issue that was overlooked or not properly researched. The development of new products need to be well research and well tested before bringing it to the people. Though de Havilland had introduced innovative changes in its commercial jet, Comet, the changes were not tested extensively and the jet was launched in hurry. The faulty design of the jet had resulted in three massive crashes which ultimately discredited the company in the eyes of its various stakeholders. The various perspectives of de Havilland case are important ingredients because they help to execute projects successfully. In the Havilland case, priorities were set wrongly. Passenger safety was overlooked in order to become the first one to set standards for aircraft industry. Moreover, the new designs were not tested and risks were not identified from different perspectives and outcome. This was a major blunder especially as it put to risks the lives of the people or its passengers. As a project manager, the case study helps to identify the flaws in the project. In the highly competitive business environment, while gaining leverage in the market greatly facilitates business outcome but sustaining the

Jane Austens Persuasion Essay Example for Free

Jane Austens Persuasion Essay Jane Austen is a successful classic romance novelist, one of her many novels is Persuasion, a novel that portrays love. She published six novels that all relate to the theme of love and marriage along with the consequences of making that important decision. While the novel Persuasion is romantically favourable, there are ideas presented about marriage that are not very appealing. The main story of the novel was the reunion of Anne and her shattered love with, Captain Wentworth. Though they were sincerely in love, the relationship was rejected by her father and Mrs. Russell from a financial and social class perspective. The ending of the story brings us to a beautiful happily ever after, where the engagement of Anne and Captain Wentworth takes place. The reunion of the couple, led to happiness for the two and that was all that concerned them. There are marriages however, that are quite uncooperatively performed. Some marriages usually serve the purpose of financial aid or social mobility for the significant other who is less fortunate, in this case it is usually the women. This is evident with Mrs. Clay and her desire to marry Sir Walter for wealth or Mr. Elliot and his desire to marry Anne to become baronet. Marriage in Regency England was used as a vehicle for many things (Pack 2012) . Hence, Jane Austen tells her perspective of women’s idea of why they should marry during that period of time. Overall, the ideas of marriage would be happiness; social class and wealth are what persuades most of the women into marrying in Regency England. â€Å"Why should the people be unhappy? Are there not landed gentry, country parsons, and even wealthy naval commanders for them to marry? Ruoff 2012)† For a successful marriage relationship involves the dedication and affection of both partners. During the course of the novel, the most successful and content relationship would be Anne Captain Wentworth. Though their relationship was unapproved and disregarded by the elders of the family, they both knew from time that they were meant for each other. Jane Austen uses Anne and Cap tain Wentworth as an example, contrary to the other marriages present in the novel to reveal her belief in the possibility of â€Å"good† marriages. The substantial ratio of love marriages to the others in the novel evidently conveys Jane Austen’s opinion on happy marriages; indicating that perhaps happiness in marriage is just a matter of chance. The love relationship with Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth in the beginning was very strong; regardless of their separation it is still continued to be one. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight and a half years ago. Dare not say that a man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. (Austen, page 177) When Captain Wentworth says this to Anne its describes his unconditional love towards Anne which is true, regardless of her breaking their engagement when Lady Russell discourages her from the engagement. He willingly stated the truth of his feelings which indicates the fact that he had loved nobody and thought of nobody other than Anne. In this novel Captain Wentworth was portrayed by Jane Austen as a character to show the value of men’s love. â€Å"What was most wrong to Jane Austen was to marry without at least affection if not love. Always ridiculed when young women and their mothers go into secure marriages more than love† (wit and wisdom of Jane Austen 2012). In all the novels that Jane Austen has written it showed how much of a believer she was in love marriages and how she regarded it as. Austen felt that love should be shown in all relationships within the partners. When the other reasons of marriage were looked upon it came back to the necessity of women. When looking at this argument however, men also have the equal standing and determinations regarding the decision of marriage. Throughout this story Austen points out and mocks the characters that chose to get married for security of themselves over happiness of their lives. For example, Mary was shown to be arrogant, complaining, and careless mother because she cared about social class more. Just as much as men showing their affections and happiness towards their partners, women also show the same amount of affection and happiness but in some cases women’s love towards their partner is greater than expected compared to men. If I loved a man as she loves the Admiral, I would always be with him, nothing should ever separate us, and I would rather be overturned by him, than driven safely by anybody else. (Austen, page 61). When Louisa says this line it portrays that another character who believed in love marriages. This quote points out the depths of a women’s love in Aus ten’s perspective, showing her understanding of love and how it should be seen. The effectiveness of this line proves that it is not easy for a woman to accept love and it’s just as important as any other decision that you could ever make in your life. Their union, she believed, could not divide her more from other men, than their final separation. (21. 2). When Anne says this quote it shows her unconditional love towards Captain Wentworth and that there will be no other man other than him to replace her love, it also shows that even after seven years she never stopped loving Captain Wentworth still regretting her actions. This proves that women take their love seriously and that it is very strong. â€Å"†¦ is the only man she can love †¦ she in sorrow and lose beauty and youth in unveiling regret† (Kavanagh 2012). This quote reveals the sorrow of a woman when she has to part from her partner, it uses imagery to better illustrate the feelings of a woman when she goes through this. It relates to Anne because this is how she felt when she had to break the engagement between her and Captain Wentworth; and how much she regretted making that decision. Marriage is an important factor when it came to women especially when it either helps elevate their social status or bring it down. Throughout the story, Austen mainly portrays the significance of social ranking in society marriages. She pictured out which couples were more successful in the marriages, for example, the Crofts whom were well matched when it came to social status. Most of the women in this novel are put out as wanting to marry for high position in social rank. One of the marriages was Mary, it helps the purpose of marriage but it does not show the real meaning of marriage. â€Å"He thought it a very degrading alliance† (Austen, page 18). At the end of the novel, Anne and Wentworth are united but in the beginning they were disapproved especially by Sir Walter because Wentworth had no social ranking. Particularly, to the people of higher ranks, social class was tremendously important regardless of what the situation might be. No matter what the circumstance was, one does not marry below their own class. Looking at Anne’s perspective, her being a Baronet’s daughter could not marry Wentworth who was not of social rank or it was frowned upon in society and brought disgrace to the family. Westgate Buildings! said he, and who is Miss Anne Elliot to be visiting in Westgate Buildings? A Mrs Smith. A widow Mrs Smith; and who was her husband? One of five thousand Mr Smiths whose names are to be met with everywhere. And what is her attraction? That she is old and sickly. Upon my word, Miss Anne Elliot, you have the most extraordinary taste! Everything that revolts other people, low company, paltry rooms, foul air, disgusting associations are inviting to you. But surely you may put off this old lady till to-morrow: she is not so near her end, I presume, but that she may hope to see another day. ( Austen, page 14). The usage of this quote reminds Austen’s audience the consequence of marrying of low class. Since Mrs. Smith married someone of a low class she was frowned upon those who were above her like Sir Walter. â€Å"Jane Austen’s novels do affirm the value of a social order is undeniable† (Ruoff 2012). When Jane Austen wrote her novels she was extremely careful about how social class worked in marriages and the importance it gave even for the smallest issues, social class was almost a question of life or death. Marriage was undisputable. Women needed to find a husband with a high status to maintain personal status. Mary had merely connected herself with an old country family of respectability and large fortune, and had therefore given all the honour (chap 1 page 3). Mary like her father was very concerned about her personal statues and chose to get married to a wealthy and respected family. Since she was married into a family like that she was given all the honour and respect automatically regardless of what she was before. Here Austen shows that marriage in Mary’s case was to upgrade her social ranking and it shows the relationship of Mary and Charles is rather unstable and nor do they love each other. Marriage here was shown as a social mobility. â€Å"†¦by her pride, the Elliot pride† (Austen, pages 65). When Louisa said this, a believer of love marriages, suggested the pride that she had towards her husband, his family and herself. Mary is completely proud of her married life because as Baron’s daughter she held up the pride of the Elliot’s name and married into a respectful family. Even though she does not lead a happy life, she is fulfilled with the position that she has in society from the marriage she had. Jane thought the worst case scenario of a woman is not able to find a husband in her own social class and whose family cannot support her (wit and wisdom of Jane Austen 2012). Even though Jane Austen was a believer of love marriages at heart she also understood that a woman without social rank or a husband without a social rank won’t have a bright future. Especially when the woman’s family won’t support her in any way. Respect and Pride was two words that if in any case it was taken away; it is almost as life or death in most women’s lives. Mary acquired importance after becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character †¦ was nobody: her word had no weight†. Anne’s characteristic was portrayed as sweet, wittier and overall a better person compared to her sister Mary. However, she was barely respected or seen as a member in the family. Mary’s characteristic was portrayed as a horrible mot her, arrogant and just obnoxious and yet people respected her and treated her like an equal part of the family. Mary, being married into a wealthy and high social ranked family, secured her position as high in the social circle. Still, focusing on appearance and rank as he inserts Captain Wentworth’s name in the Baronetage. He has not changed at all (Adamson 2012). Sir Walter dismissed Captain Wentworth as a potential husband for Anne because he had no title or wealth but now Wentworth is respected by Sir Walter since Wentworth has acquired a fortune putting him stable and rich and qualified to be respected as one in the high society. This will help Anne gain everybody’s respect when she becomes dependent on Captain Wentworth and will lead a wealthy life. Throughout the past, marriages were frequently seen as a contract to protect the welfare of the family’s statues and finance, especially amongst the mist of local nobility and landlord gentlemen which is always pointed out and focused on in all her novels. Marriage was a tool and excuse to become wealthy and respected. Vastly women took the upper hand and advantage when considering marriage especially if it allows their lives to be prosperous. They are not mainly to be blamed because they have no choice, they were not educated or had the right to their parent’s wealth, marriage was the only other option for them to avoid the gutters and live royalty. Since women had no education like the men, women had no means or opportunities to make money to live their own life of their choosing. â€Å"Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. † (Austen, page 172). This quote states that education was not something woman were able to grasp at all, it was given to the men at a high degree and even if women were given education and it was just to read and write a little and that was it. In today’s world the more education you had, the better the career. However, back then, women were unfortunate as the quote suggests â€Å"The pen has been in their hands. † â€Å"Men always had the upper hand and the means of living compared to the women, â€Å"You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions. (Austen, page 173. ) When Anne says this line it bluntly says the situation of women and how they can’t have a job to rely on or anything else like the men because they have no education and mostly women were not allowed to even work in England. They were expected to stay home and look after the house and the children. Hence women relying on making good marriages financial wise in order to live happily. Women in the upper classes had the leisure to educate themselves; however, they, like their counterparts in the lower classes, were not expected to think for themselves and were not often listened to when they did. Jane Austens novels both reflect and challenge the periods attitudes toward women (Smith 2012). In Jane Austen’s novels, Austen was able to portray the struggles of uneducated people in that time period. The lower class women had no education at all compared to the high class ladies so their words were not considered anywhere. While the high class ladies at least were able to read and write somewhat and because of their positions in society it was easier for higher class ladies to express themselves. Regardless, of whether a family had a daughter, as the oldest child, the parent’s wealth always ended to the closet male family member and the daughter has nothing. â€Å"She had, while a very young girl, as soon as she had known him to be, in the event of her having no brother, the future baronet, meant to marry him. † (Austen, page 4). In England back in the time, had the law where the property and wealth of the family will go to the son who will be the next in line to take responsibilities of the household. Sir Walter has no heir; son, hence, putting his nephew William Walter Elliot, cousin of Elizabeth and her sisters next in line to the Baronet title. Elizabeth knowing this well enough decided to get married to him at such a young age to gain respect and wealth, proving that women have no choice regarding the family’s wealth it never went to the daughters. Hence, forcing them to marry for just wealth and prestige. â€Å"The gentlemen, the head of the house, like you father† (Austen, page 8). Ideally the head of the house back in the time and even now the men were the head of house. Austen uses a little dryness in this quote because women were in charge of looking after the house like cooking and cleaning and they were considered as â€Å"head of the house†. However, this quote says men to be the head of the house. This shows the reality of a woman’s life and goes to prove that women had limited to no opportunity regarding credit and job opportunities. Therefore, pushing forth with women using marriage has a tool to get the hold of respect and money. She realised that it was necessary for women to marry in order to avoid poverty (Gill and Gregory, 2003).

Relationship Between Customer Perception and Branding

Relationship Between Customer Perception and Branding ABSTRACT: Purpose: This paper will try to establish a relationship between the perception build within the users through the process of the branding irrespective of the core use ability, and thus trying to prove the importance of branding which has become the modern tool for doing the business METHODOLOGY The basic questionnaire was designed and were distributed to the users who spend atleast the minimum amount on the above three product, the target of 70 was set order to get rid of the errors like miscommunication, unfilled sets etc and thus of 70, 38 did answer the questionnaire properly which were further tabulated and concluded FINDINGS What I was expecting that Neurofen would appear as a most effective in its class of product but, rather Anadin leads in term of effectiveness but still the sales figure shows that Neurofen is market leader. So this might be the sheer effect of the branding which Neurofen has adopted, thus despite a little bit weak in its performance as per the survey its branding is excellent far better than other two products. LIMITATION Due to the limitation of the time the primary research was conducted on time scale of around 17 days, so I was able to cover 38 users which is more than half as compared to the 70 which were targeted. Executive summary: Well the basic aim of the dissertation is to show how the perception is built among the users for a particular brand irrespective of the effectiveness. Thus also I will try to explain the UK market for the over the counter products and try to analyze the top three brands, where I will be dealing with process of branding in respect to these three brand The dissertation initially will deal with general introduction where we will be able to understand the what is the over the counter products are, who are brands that leads the market, then I will be dealing with each brand with brief description of their portfolio, this will certainly give the clearer picture of the brands in whole. Followed by this I will give the brief description of the primary research where in I will investigate the effectiveness of the brand irrespective of the brand position and we expect Neurofen to be the most effective as per the market position, and thus relating the findings to the process of the branding and ultimately to the sales figure In order to make the data understanding more easy there has been use of graphs and the few of the pie chart which gives the more precise picture of the situation. Thus dissertation will end up with few of the interesting figures their analysis vs. the actual scenario GENERAL INTRODUCTION: Until 1960s and 1970s, painkillers were kept in a glass bottle in the bathroom medicine cabinet. When you had a headache, you would wait until you got home and then open the dusty bottle and shake out two pills: round, powdery discs with bevelled edges and a bisect line a groove cut into the pill so that you could snap it in half for a reduced dose. Youd swallow the pills, either aspirin or Paracetamol, with a glass of water. They felt uncomfortably large in the throat and had a bitter taste. The bottle, which contained 50 pills, hung around for months, even years. Now, when we feel a headache coming on, we pat our pockets to see if we have any painkillers with us. The time between pain and treatment has shrunk to almost nothing. These days, the pills do not come in bottles, but in blister-packs in bright, shiny boxes. When I leave the house, I sometimes run through a checklist keys, wallet, phone painkillers. The packets, some of which are plastic and shaped like mobile phones, are cheerful and glossy; elegant enough to put on a table in a restaurant, they look like lifestyle accessories. You take them with you when you leave the house, partly for convenience and partly because you know that, if you leave them lying around, someone else will pocket them. Painkillers are no longer hard to swallow; the pills have smooth edges, and some have a glossy coating of hard sugar, like Smarties or MMs. Some of them are mint- or lemon-flavored. If your throat objects to tablets, you can take caplets, which are longer and thinner, or â€Å"liquid capsules†, which are soft and gelatinous, like vitamin pills, or powder, which is poured from a sachet into a glass of water. You could conceivably take a painkiller while you were out jogging, or running for the bus. Painkillers are also more widely available than they used to be. We have been able to buy aspirin and paracetamol over the counter for some time now, but in 1996 restrictions on the sale of ibuprofen the newest, raciest painkiller were relaxed, making it available in supermarkets, newsagents and corner shops, as well as from the pharmacist. This was part of an NHS drive to save money by taking pressure off doctors and pharmacists; during my stay in London, we have been taught to be self-medicating when it comes to pain. The change came about after Galpharm, a British pharmaceutical company, made a successful application to the Medicines Control Agency for a license to have ibuprofen moved from the pharmacy to the â€Å"general sales list†. After that, painkiller advertising, marketing and packaging moved into a different league. Inevitably, we are also spending more on painkillers than ever. Id buy them as a matter of course, with my groceries. We now a days found wanting to buy smart painkillers, in the same way that I might buy smart jeans or decent coffee. For me, and for many people I spoke to(co-employee), the temptation is to catch headaches early, nip them in the bud. We have become enthusiastic self-medicators. In 1997, according to the market research firm Euro monitor, the British painkiller market was worth  £309m. In 2001, it was worth  £398m. In other words, it grew by almost 30% in just four years, probably the biggest hike since the German company Bayer opened the first US aspirin factory in 1903. Euro monitor predicts more growth: by 2006, it estimates that the market will be worth  £483m, and by now it has already crossed  £600 figure. Recently, I found myself in someones (college friend) house with a slight headache. No problem, he said. He had stocked up on painkillers he thought he had four packets, a total of 48 pills. But he couldnt find them; the packets had all gone. Three people (room mates working in Mac Donald) were living in the house. â€Å"I just bought them a couple of days ago,† he said. This is what makes me more querious that how this tiny stuff has entrenched in our lives. As per my finding from the local corner shops An ordinary shop, you can buy three basic types of painkiller The one which contains aspirin, which has been around for a century; or either has paracetamol, which emerged as a popular alternative after the war; and from past couple of decades they contain basically ibuprofen, which was invented in the early 1960s and has been a pharmacy medicine since 1983. Ibuprofen is slightly gentler on our stomach than aspirin, but it does not thin our blood to the same extent. Aspirin and ibuprofen reduce pain, fever and inflammation, while paracetamol reduces only pain and fever. Paracetamol is gentle on the stomach, but can damage the liver if you take too many. Paracetamol is also the suicide drug; you can die a painful death by knocking back as few as 25. (For this reason, the government has taken steps to reduce packet sizes; since 1998, you have been able to buy packets of no more than 16 in supermarkets, or 32 in pharmacies though there is nothing to stop you from going to more than one shop. The multibillion-dollar paracetamol industry in the US has thus far resisted all attempts by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce packet size.) Aspirin and ibuprofen are potentially less harmful: most people would survive a cry-for-help dose of around 50 aspirins, or even 100 ibuprofen tablets. When it comes to headaches, ibuprofen is my drug of choice. (Im not alone: according to Euromonitor, ibuprofen now has 31% of the market, and is growing exponentially. Aspirin has a 7% share, and paracetamol 13%; the rest of the market is made up of combination painkillers.) I also, I have noticed, have strong brand loyalty. When I go to the supermarket, my eye is drawn to the row of shiny silver packs with a chevron and a target design Nurofen. Nurofen claims to be â€Å"targeted pain relief†. I am highly influenced by the advert of the car racing and the way the tablet they have shown as bullet acting on the pain. Targeting a headache costs me around 20p a shot. On one level, I am aware that the active ingredient in a single Nurofen tablet, 200mg of ibuprofen, is exactly the same as that in a single Anadin ibuprofen tablet, or an Anadin Ultra, a Hedex ibuprofen, a Cuprofen or, for that matter, a generic own-brand ibuprofen tablet from Safeway, Sainsburys or Tesco. On another level, Nurofens targeting promise appeals to me. It feels hi-tech(Remember about car advert), almost environmentally sound. It makes me think of stealth bombers dropping smart bombs down the chimney of the building they want to destroy, with minimum collateral damage. Are our headaches getting worse, or do we just think they are? I went to see DrVajpayee My GP, a consultant in pain management, in his office at Brigstock medical service in Thornton heath, to find out what he thought. Dr Vajpayee offers his service through NHS Dr Vajpayee believes that our society tolerates less pain than ever before. Modern life requires you to be pain-free; there just isnt time to lie around waiting for a headache to go. Young people are more impatient than older people; when they feel pain, they want something done about it, immediately. Generally speaking, the younger the consumer, the stronger the painkiller they are marketed: Anadin Original is pitched at people over 45, Anadin Extra at people between 25 and 55, and Anadin Ultra at people between 19 and 32. Of course, there is a limit to this sliding scale: Nurofen for Children (six months and over) contains 100mg of Nurofen, half the adult dose. Is any of this surprising? We live in an age of quick fixes. These days, we expect everything to get faster cars, lifts, food. When we suffer psychological distress, we take Prozac and Seroxat. More people are having their wisdom teeth extracted under general anesthetic. Caesarean section is on the increase. Half a century of the NHS has softened us up, and the sheer success of modern medicine has made pain something of an anomaly. We work out, we take vitamins: we cant really be doing with headaches. We see pain not as a symptom an alarm system to warn us of illness but more as an illness in itself. When the alarm comes on, we just want it turned off. Look at the ads on TV, and on buses and trains in any major city: painkillers will get you back to work, help you keep your job, deal with the kids; with painkillers, you can cope. I had a slight hangover the day I visited Vajpayee, which seemed to be getting worse. Id nearly missed my train, and found myself repeatedly clenching my jaw in the taxi. Id planned to buy some Nurofen before I got on the train, but had run out of time. Dr Vajpayee explained the anatomy of my headache. The alcohol We drink does dehydrates the inside of our skull. Consequently, the Dura, the Cellophane-like membrane that encases our brain, has no longer fully supported. Cells inside our skull were gets traumatized, and had responds by releasing tiny amounts of Arachidonic acid; this acid, having seeped out by our cell after we drink ,later this acid turns into a set of chemical compounds called prostaglandins. And these prostaglandins hurt us; they tell nerve endings in our head to tell our brain that my cells were traumatized. Our brain, in turn, does try to get our attention, and succeeds. And this process of our brain to communicate that there is some defect in our system the process is called pain. It felt as if something inside my head was being gently pulled away from my skull, which it was. When you take aspirin, or paracetamol, or ibuprofen, the drug works by deactivating a chemical called prostaglandin H synthetase, the catalyst that turns Arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. So even though your cells are still traumatized, your brain is no longer aware of the trauma. Your brain is being fooled. This process was discovered in aspirin in the 1970s by John Vane, a scientist working at the Welcome Foundation, who went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1982. (Aspirin was first synthesized in Germany in 1899, and so had been on the market for more than 70 years before anybody knew how it worked.) â€Å"Pain,† said Vajpayee, â€Å"is what the patient says it is.† All sorts of things can make you feel headachey, including muscle contractions on the scalp or the back of the neck, dehydration from drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, staring at your computer screen for too long, looking at bright lights, colds and flu, grinding your teeth, anxiety at the prospect of getting a headache. Sometimes, prostaglandins are produced when there is no apparent trauma. You might feel pain because something has subtly altered the balance of your brain chemistry, or simply because your mood has changed; you might be producing an uneven amount of serotonin or dopamine. You might, most worryingly, have a headache because you take too many painkillers, a condition known as â€Å"medication overuse headache†. A study published in the British Medical Journal last October found that â€Å"daily or near-daily headache is at epidemic levels, affecting up to 5% of some populations, and chronic overuse of headache drugs may account for half of this phenomenon†. Low doses daily appeared to carry greater risks than larger doses weekly. Of course, most pharmaceutical research is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, which are understandably reluctant to explore the negatives. But what research there is suggests that analgesics, when used frequently, chronically reduce levels of serotonin, and increase levels of pain-signalling molecules. Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that a German study had found that even a two-week course of Tylenol (an American brand of paracetamol) â€Å"causes a drop in serotonin-receptor density in rat brains†, an effect that is reversed when the rats are taken off the painkillers. If you keep fooling your brain into not feeling pain, your body will eventually fight back and make you feel more pain. And then youll want more painkillers; its a vicious circle. Imagine this as a business proposition. You buy a cardboard tub of fluffy white powder for around  £100. Then you turn the powder into a quarter of a million pills, which you sell at 10p per pill. Every cardboard tub you buy makes you a profit of  £24,900. The powder is pure ibuprofen. The pills are painkillers. The company is Boots, which owns a subsidiary called Crookes Healthcare, which manufactures Nurofen. Sounds good, doesnt it? Of course, there are overheads you have to invent the drug, spend years on expensive clinical trials, build a factory, and hire people to make the pills, tell the public about the pills, and design the packs so they look attractive on the shelves. From the store manager of East Croydon boots pharmacy and article from Google, Boots corporate responsibility. â€Å"It takes 10 years and  £200m to get a new drug accepted,† said Dr Jagdish Acharya, a senior medical adviser to Boots(From the store manager of East Croydon.) Boots head office, and the factory that makes many of its painkillers, are on a campus that lies a few miles outside Nottingham. Every day, trucks full of raw ingredients arrive at one end of the factory, and trucks leave the other end with the finished product tens of thousands of cardboard packs, destined for 90 countries. This is D-95, one of the biggest painkiller factories in Britain, working 24 hours a day. If youve ever popped a Nurofen tablet, or a Nurofen tablet, or a Nurofen Plus, or a Nurofen liquid capsule, or a Boots own-brand generic ibuprofen tablet (the active ingredient is the same), or a Boots own-brand aspirin or Paracetamol tablet, the pill you swallowed will have been made here. â€Å"Six hundred people work here,† as per Catherine McGrath, who is working there as â€Å"shift manager, analgesics†. She explained that the factory works seasonally, making cold remedies in the autumn to meet winter demand, and hay fever remedies in the spring. Headaches are a year-round phenomenon. â€Å"Theres a constant demand for painkillers,† McGrath Before the fluffy white powder becomes a hard, glossy pill, it must go through many different stages. First, it is mixed with â€Å"excipients†, ingredients that have no painkilling role. Each Nurofen pill, for instance, contains 200mg of ibuprofen, but also maize starch, sucrose, calcium Sulphate, Stearic acid and shellac. These things hold it together, bulk it out, make it taste nice and help it disintegrate when it reaches the stomach. The factory is large and sterile, like a setting in a JG Ballard novel big, barn-like spaces, dull, neutral colours, large rooms full of vats. The thing that gets you is the scale. This is about making millions and millions of pills to cure tension headaches in France, migraines in Germany, hangovers in Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. Naturally, after a few hours in this environment, a headache started creeping up on me. Stewart Adams, the inventor of ibuprofen, lives modestly in a compact modern house on the outskirts of Nottingham. On the sideboard in his living room there is a silver Nurofen pack, cast in metal, with the names of the first Nurofen advertisers on the back. He won an OBE for services to science in 1987, and his name is on the ibuprofen patent. But Adams has derived no great material reward from his invention no house in the country, not even a lifetime supply of painkillers. When he gets a headache, he goes to the corner shop just like the rest of us. From the article the guardian 2001 A sprightly, talkative 79, Adams came upon ibuprofen when he was working as a research scientist for Boots in the late 1950s, looking for a drug to reduce inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Looking back on his career, he says he was â€Å"very disappointed†. He had found a headache remedy that was more potent than aspirin, with fewer side-effects but he hadnt found a cure for rheumatoid arthritis. His operation was very small â€Å"a man and a boy†. Typically, his research budget was between  £4,000 and  £5,000 a year. Adams discovered that aspirin reduced the swelling caused by ultraviolet light on the skin. Working with an organic chemist called John Nicholson, he began looking for aspirin-like compounds that might have fewer side-effects on arthritic patients. â€Å"It was a bit hit and miss,† he told me. (This was long before John Vane had discovered how aspirin worked.) â€Å"We werent as clearcut in our thinking as we might have been,† said Adams. He and Nicholson looked at hundreds of chemical compounds. They put several drugs through clinical trials, testing them on arthritic patients. One drug produced a nasty rash in a large percentage of the patients; another produced a rash in a smaller, but still significant, percentage. A third, ibufenac, an acetic acid, caused jaundice. â€Å"We had to sit back and have another rethink,† said Adams. During this long process of trial and error, Adams synthesized a version of ibufenac that was not an acetic acid but a proprionic acid ie, related to propane rather than vinegar. He assumed it would be toxic but, surprisingly, it wasnt: it had a short half-life in the tissues. It was like aspirin, only you could take more of it. Adams and his colleagues began taking the compound, ibuprofen, when they got headaches. â€Å"We knew it was analgesic, because we were taking it well before it got on the market,† he says. He remembers making a speech at a conference after a few drinks the night before, having dealt with his hangover by taking 600mg of this new drug he had invented. When Boots patented ibuprofen in 1962, Adams could have had little idea what he had invented an analgesic that would compete with aspirin; a drug that, once its control had passed into the hands of the marketing men, would change the way we consume painkillers for ever. For the rest of his career, Adams continued with his efforts to find a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, without success (although ibuprofen has important uses in its treatment). Holding the original patent in his hands, Adams said, laughing, â€Å"We didnt get anything. I think, in fact, we were supposed to be given a pound for signing away our signatures, but we didnt even get that.† Now that painkillers exist in a no mans land between medicine and product, they dont need someone to prescribe them they need someone to market them. Don Williams, the man currently responsible for the design of the Nurofen pack, works in Notting Hill, west London. His office is just what youd expect minimal furnishings, varnished, blond-wood floors. In the upstairs lobby there is a shopping trolley full of products designed by his company, Packaging Innovations Global: Double Velvet loo paper, Head Shoulders shampoo, Pot Noodle and Nurofen. A former session guitarist from Middlesbrough, Williams is tall and slim, with wonderfully tasteful casual clothes and a fashionably shaved head. â€Å"Thats our philosophy,† Williams said, looking at the trolley. â€Å"Thats what we believe in. Getting things in trolleys. At the end of the day, thats what were paid for.† Packaging Innovations began designing Nurofen packs about five years ago. â€Å"There are very few brand icons that visually communicate what they actually do,† Williams said. The target design is â€Å"directly related to the brand promise†. Two years ago, the Brand Council, an advertising industry panel, named Nurofen as one of 100 British â€Å"superbrands†, one that â€Å"offers consumers significant emotional and/or physical advantage over its competitors that (consciously or subconsciously) customers want, recognize and are willing to pay a premium for†. One of Williams innovations was to place the target in the centre of the pack, with a chevron radiating out to the sides. He also wanted more of the silver foil on the packs to be visible. Consumers, he told me, are visually literate they see the pack design before they read the words. When he took over the design of Benson Hedges cigarette packs, Williams made sure that every pack was gold, even the packs containing low-tar cigarettes, which had previously been silver. â€Å"We believe that brand identities should be recognized at a distance,† he said, â€Å"even through half-closed eyes, or sub-optimal conditions, or in peripheral vision.† In supermarkets, says Williams, â€Å"We want a blocking effect on the shelf. The chevron links all the packs together, so you get a wave effect.† As I left, he said, â€Å"I get more kicks out of seeing a pack in a bin than on a shelf.† This article gives the glimpse of the Neurofen how it is produce? How it was established and how the packing of the brand was designed. So right from 1960 through the effort from the three colleagues from the boots pharmaceutical while developing the drug to the event of August 1983 where it was launched as OTC medicine under the name of the Neurofen, the process of branding had already began. The brand is owned by the Reckitt Benckiser Now the company Reckitt Benckiser, creates the question mark specially on most of us specially to common people who has atleast the knowledge about companies like Pfizer and JohnsonJohnson or say Procter and Gamble which are very much well-known for the best corporate practices and are always been active in media .where as in case of this company it is not rather, the brands which they owned has been widely accepted and has been part of our daily lives from decades long Brand like: Veet, Dettol, Clearasil, Streptsile, Gaviscon Home care like: Air wick, Mortein Fabric care: Calgon, Vanish Surface care: Lysol: Dettol: and Neurofen Most of these brands like Dettol Airwick and Mortien are well establish brand and are 1st choice of the customers when they buy it, they are whichever brand these company owns has certainly enjoyed the brand loyalty, these are the brands that are emotionally attached to the people. Now Neurofen is among the other brand which has already achieved a market leader in its segment and it is in the process to get emotionally attached to their lives. As per the latest figure (0) mentioned the,net sales was 83.5 million which was further boosted to 89.90 million in the year 2008. So there is a clear difference of around 7 and half million growth, specially in such a enviournment where business are not growing, it is very rare, also companies are not investing too much in developing their brand and this might have affected Anadin and Panadol business. Where as in case of Anadin which is owned by Wyeth the net sales in 2007 was 38.50 which dropped down in 2008 by 2.3% to 37.60 million and similar is the case of Panadol which is owned by Glaxo smith Kline where the net sales which were just 12.8 in 2007 to 13.4 growth of around 4.9 % in all. Prior to 2007 Anadin was market leader but later on the placed is replaced by the Neurofen and now it has established brand as a with sustainable growth. So what are the factor that has created this change? Is it totally phenomenal event where 1 brand dies and other replaces it? But how can Neurofen can compete with brand like Anadin who as I mentioned is owned by Wyeth which is one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical and healthcare products companies, which have skilled professional who understand the pharmaceutical business, similar is the case of Panadol whose owner Glaxo Smith Keline which are also involved in the core business of pharmaceuticals from many years. So a company which is partially related to pharmaceuticals with just few OTC products in its portfolio has become market leader in past couple years is indeed due to the fabulous branding of the product Thus how the Nurofen is different from the other brands? Is it really more effective towards the pain ?or Is it the components of the branding that is creating the space within the buyers? To understand this we need to know where the other competitors are were during the 2006 and where are they right now, what were their strategic moves? STARTING WITH ANADIN Few interesting facts: Anadin was formulated by a US dentist in 1918. Nearly 400m Anadin tablets were sold in the last year. If laid side by side they would reach from London to New York ACHIEVEMENT: Anadin is the most famous OTC brand in the UK with over 90% consumer awareness (Source: RSGB). It has mass market appeal with users of all ages from sixteen upwards. Changes in legislation in the 1990s enabled the brand to extend its product range while maintaining its position as a leading pain killer brand which delivered a range of long standing values to the consumer. Today Anadin is the second biggest selling branded analgesic in the UK and its product range is worth  £45m. History Originally launched in the US as Anacin, the brand appeared in the UK in 1932 under the Anadin name. It is owned by Wyeth and has always communicated that its key task is to defeat pain quickly. Widely respected by health care professionals and consumers alike, Anadin has used several different slogans to press home its message over the years. These range from the famous Nothing Acts Faster than Anadin slogan, which was introduced in 1955, to the recent â€Å"Headache! What Headache?† and â€Å"When only fast will do†. Anadin has successfully steered its way through the growth of Own Label products during the 1990s which resulted in many consumers switching from branded goods to retailers own lines, including health care products by innovating and providing solutions relevant to its target market. Product Anadin is one of the UKs oldest and best known oral analgesics and a firm family favorite. The original aspirin-based formula provides fast, effective relief for a wide range of everyday aches and pains including headaches, period and dental pains, as well as the symptoms of colds and flu. The range has evolved into a portfolio of six UK variants delivering pain relievers in a variety of formats comprising caplets, tablets, liquid capsules and soluble tablets. Anadin Extra, containing aspirin, Paracetamol and caffeine was launched in 1983. Its counterpart, Anadin Extra Soluble, which was unveiled in 1992, is ideal for those finding tablets difficult to swallow. The formula is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream enabling it to act faster. In 1988, Wyeth launched Anadin Paracetamol, a formulation suitable for children from the age of six, which is designed to reduce temperature and is therefore especially beneficial in the treatment of feverish colds and flu. In 1997, Anadin Ibu profen was introduced. Coated for easy swallowing, it is formulated to relieve rheumatic or muscular pain, backache and period pain whilst actively reducing inflammation. Recent developments The last three years have witnessed continuing innovation. As a result of the launch of Anadin Ultra in September 1999, sales grew at a double-digit rate. Anadin Ultra contains an ibuprofen solution in an easy to swallow, soft gelatin capsule allowing it to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, combating pain more than twice as fast as tablets. In a move to benefit consumers and trade, the entire range received a new look in July 2002. Key features included a new embossed Anadin logo which reflects a more modern and dynamic image. In addition, Anadin Ultra and Extra packs were foiled to differentiate these variants as the most premium within the range. The effect of these changes has added branding consistency across the entire product range, ensuring stronger impact when the variants are grouped together. This improved on-shelf stand-out conveys to consumers that in an increasingly competitive market, Anadin offers a range of premium quality products. For consumers, the new design aims to take the pain out of choosing a painkiller while communicating the modernity of the brand. Key indicators on the front of packs encourage analgesic users to identify the best product for their specific type of pain. Additionally, the use of consumer friendly language on the back of packs and on information leaflets further simplifies product selection and usage. Careline details are also included on packs, allowing consumers to receive further advice and guidance about the range. Promotion Anadins familiar logo is synonymous with its brief to tackle everyday aches and pains swiftly and effectively since its launch more than 70 years ago. It is important for the brand to be at the forefront of product development and to inform the public about the benefits these products can bring. Therefore, advertising is key to Anadins promotional strategy. In September 2002 it launched a terrestrial and satellite television campaign for Anadin Ultra. The campaign avoided the scientific angle taken by some other brands and opted for a humorous, slice-of-life approach featuring the Twice as Fast strapline with the consumer message that Anadin Ultras liquid ibuprofen capsules could hit pain more than twice as fast as their tablet equivalent. The Bus Stop creative focuses on a typical British scene †¹ a bus queue. The woman at the front of the queue announces, â€Å"Its gone!† leaving everyone to assume she means the bus. Confus Relationship Between Customer Perception and Branding Relationship Between Customer Perception and Branding ABSTRACT: Purpose: This paper will try to establish a relationship between the perception build within the users through the process of the branding irrespective of the core use ability, and thus trying to prove the importance of branding which has become the modern tool for doing the business METHODOLOGY The basic questionnaire was designed and were distributed to the users who spend atleast the minimum amount on the above three product, the target of 70 was set order to get rid of the errors like miscommunication, unfilled sets etc and thus of 70, 38 did answer the questionnaire properly which were further tabulated and concluded FINDINGS What I was expecting that Neurofen would appear as a most effective in its class of product but, rather Anadin leads in term of effectiveness but still the sales figure shows that Neurofen is market leader. So this might be the sheer effect of the branding which Neurofen has adopted, thus despite a little bit weak in its performance as per the survey its branding is excellent far better than other two products. LIMITATION Due to the limitation of the time the primary research was conducted on time scale of around 17 days, so I was able to cover 38 users which is more than half as compared to the 70 which were targeted. Executive summary: Well the basic aim of the dissertation is to show how the perception is built among the users for a particular brand irrespective of the effectiveness. Thus also I will try to explain the UK market for the over the counter products and try to analyze the top three brands, where I will be dealing with process of branding in respect to these three brand The dissertation initially will deal with general introduction where we will be able to understand the what is the over the counter products are, who are brands that leads the market, then I will be dealing with each brand with brief description of their portfolio, this will certainly give the clearer picture of the brands in whole. Followed by this I will give the brief description of the primary research where in I will investigate the effectiveness of the brand irrespective of the brand position and we expect Neurofen to be the most effective as per the market position, and thus relating the findings to the process of the branding and ultimately to the sales figure In order to make the data understanding more easy there has been use of graphs and the few of the pie chart which gives the more precise picture of the situation. Thus dissertation will end up with few of the interesting figures their analysis vs. the actual scenario GENERAL INTRODUCTION: Until 1960s and 1970s, painkillers were kept in a glass bottle in the bathroom medicine cabinet. When you had a headache, you would wait until you got home and then open the dusty bottle and shake out two pills: round, powdery discs with bevelled edges and a bisect line a groove cut into the pill so that you could snap it in half for a reduced dose. Youd swallow the pills, either aspirin or Paracetamol, with a glass of water. They felt uncomfortably large in the throat and had a bitter taste. The bottle, which contained 50 pills, hung around for months, even years. Now, when we feel a headache coming on, we pat our pockets to see if we have any painkillers with us. The time between pain and treatment has shrunk to almost nothing. These days, the pills do not come in bottles, but in blister-packs in bright, shiny boxes. When I leave the house, I sometimes run through a checklist keys, wallet, phone painkillers. The packets, some of which are plastic and shaped like mobile phones, are cheerful and glossy; elegant enough to put on a table in a restaurant, they look like lifestyle accessories. You take them with you when you leave the house, partly for convenience and partly because you know that, if you leave them lying around, someone else will pocket them. Painkillers are no longer hard to swallow; the pills have smooth edges, and some have a glossy coating of hard sugar, like Smarties or MMs. Some of them are mint- or lemon-flavored. If your throat objects to tablets, you can take caplets, which are longer and thinner, or â€Å"liquid capsules†, which are soft and gelatinous, like vitamin pills, or powder, which is poured from a sachet into a glass of water. You could conceivably take a painkiller while you were out jogging, or running for the bus. Painkillers are also more widely available than they used to be. We have been able to buy aspirin and paracetamol over the counter for some time now, but in 1996 restrictions on the sale of ibuprofen the newest, raciest painkiller were relaxed, making it available in supermarkets, newsagents and corner shops, as well as from the pharmacist. This was part of an NHS drive to save money by taking pressure off doctors and pharmacists; during my stay in London, we have been taught to be self-medicating when it comes to pain. The change came about after Galpharm, a British pharmaceutical company, made a successful application to the Medicines Control Agency for a license to have ibuprofen moved from the pharmacy to the â€Å"general sales list†. After that, painkiller advertising, marketing and packaging moved into a different league. Inevitably, we are also spending more on painkillers than ever. Id buy them as a matter of course, with my groceries. We now a days found wanting to buy smart painkillers, in the same way that I might buy smart jeans or decent coffee. For me, and for many people I spoke to(co-employee), the temptation is to catch headaches early, nip them in the bud. We have become enthusiastic self-medicators. In 1997, according to the market research firm Euro monitor, the British painkiller market was worth  £309m. In 2001, it was worth  £398m. In other words, it grew by almost 30% in just four years, probably the biggest hike since the German company Bayer opened the first US aspirin factory in 1903. Euro monitor predicts more growth: by 2006, it estimates that the market will be worth  £483m, and by now it has already crossed  £600 figure. Recently, I found myself in someones (college friend) house with a slight headache. No problem, he said. He had stocked up on painkillers he thought he had four packets, a total of 48 pills. But he couldnt find them; the packets had all gone. Three people (room mates working in Mac Donald) were living in the house. â€Å"I just bought them a couple of days ago,† he said. This is what makes me more querious that how this tiny stuff has entrenched in our lives. As per my finding from the local corner shops An ordinary shop, you can buy three basic types of painkiller The one which contains aspirin, which has been around for a century; or either has paracetamol, which emerged as a popular alternative after the war; and from past couple of decades they contain basically ibuprofen, which was invented in the early 1960s and has been a pharmacy medicine since 1983. Ibuprofen is slightly gentler on our stomach than aspirin, but it does not thin our blood to the same extent. Aspirin and ibuprofen reduce pain, fever and inflammation, while paracetamol reduces only pain and fever. Paracetamol is gentle on the stomach, but can damage the liver if you take too many. Paracetamol is also the suicide drug; you can die a painful death by knocking back as few as 25. (For this reason, the government has taken steps to reduce packet sizes; since 1998, you have been able to buy packets of no more than 16 in supermarkets, or 32 in pharmacies though there is nothing to stop you from going to more than one shop. The multibillion-dollar paracetamol industry in the US has thus far resisted all attempts by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce packet size.) Aspirin and ibuprofen are potentially less harmful: most people would survive a cry-for-help dose of around 50 aspirins, or even 100 ibuprofen tablets. When it comes to headaches, ibuprofen is my drug of choice. (Im not alone: according to Euromonitor, ibuprofen now has 31% of the market, and is growing exponentially. Aspirin has a 7% share, and paracetamol 13%; the rest of the market is made up of combination painkillers.) I also, I have noticed, have strong brand loyalty. When I go to the supermarket, my eye is drawn to the row of shiny silver packs with a chevron and a target design Nurofen. Nurofen claims to be â€Å"targeted pain relief†. I am highly influenced by the advert of the car racing and the way the tablet they have shown as bullet acting on the pain. Targeting a headache costs me around 20p a shot. On one level, I am aware that the active ingredient in a single Nurofen tablet, 200mg of ibuprofen, is exactly the same as that in a single Anadin ibuprofen tablet, or an Anadin Ultra, a Hedex ibuprofen, a Cuprofen or, for that matter, a generic own-brand ibuprofen tablet from Safeway, Sainsburys or Tesco. On another level, Nurofens targeting promise appeals to me. It feels hi-tech(Remember about car advert), almost environmentally sound. It makes me think of stealth bombers dropping smart bombs down the chimney of the building they want to destroy, with minimum collateral damage. Are our headaches getting worse, or do we just think they are? I went to see DrVajpayee My GP, a consultant in pain management, in his office at Brigstock medical service in Thornton heath, to find out what he thought. Dr Vajpayee offers his service through NHS Dr Vajpayee believes that our society tolerates less pain than ever before. Modern life requires you to be pain-free; there just isnt time to lie around waiting for a headache to go. Young people are more impatient than older people; when they feel pain, they want something done about it, immediately. Generally speaking, the younger the consumer, the stronger the painkiller they are marketed: Anadin Original is pitched at people over 45, Anadin Extra at people between 25 and 55, and Anadin Ultra at people between 19 and 32. Of course, there is a limit to this sliding scale: Nurofen for Children (six months and over) contains 100mg of Nurofen, half the adult dose. Is any of this surprising? We live in an age of quick fixes. These days, we expect everything to get faster cars, lifts, food. When we suffer psychological distress, we take Prozac and Seroxat. More people are having their wisdom teeth extracted under general anesthetic. Caesarean section is on the increase. Half a century of the NHS has softened us up, and the sheer success of modern medicine has made pain something of an anomaly. We work out, we take vitamins: we cant really be doing with headaches. We see pain not as a symptom an alarm system to warn us of illness but more as an illness in itself. When the alarm comes on, we just want it turned off. Look at the ads on TV, and on buses and trains in any major city: painkillers will get you back to work, help you keep your job, deal with the kids; with painkillers, you can cope. I had a slight hangover the day I visited Vajpayee, which seemed to be getting worse. Id nearly missed my train, and found myself repeatedly clenching my jaw in the taxi. Id planned to buy some Nurofen before I got on the train, but had run out of time. Dr Vajpayee explained the anatomy of my headache. The alcohol We drink does dehydrates the inside of our skull. Consequently, the Dura, the Cellophane-like membrane that encases our brain, has no longer fully supported. Cells inside our skull were gets traumatized, and had responds by releasing tiny amounts of Arachidonic acid; this acid, having seeped out by our cell after we drink ,later this acid turns into a set of chemical compounds called prostaglandins. And these prostaglandins hurt us; they tell nerve endings in our head to tell our brain that my cells were traumatized. Our brain, in turn, does try to get our attention, and succeeds. And this process of our brain to communicate that there is some defect in our system the process is called pain. It felt as if something inside my head was being gently pulled away from my skull, which it was. When you take aspirin, or paracetamol, or ibuprofen, the drug works by deactivating a chemical called prostaglandin H synthetase, the catalyst that turns Arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. So even though your cells are still traumatized, your brain is no longer aware of the trauma. Your brain is being fooled. This process was discovered in aspirin in the 1970s by John Vane, a scientist working at the Welcome Foundation, who went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1982. (Aspirin was first synthesized in Germany in 1899, and so had been on the market for more than 70 years before anybody knew how it worked.) â€Å"Pain,† said Vajpayee, â€Å"is what the patient says it is.† All sorts of things can make you feel headachey, including muscle contractions on the scalp or the back of the neck, dehydration from drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, staring at your computer screen for too long, looking at bright lights, colds and flu, grinding your teeth, anxiety at the prospect of getting a headache. Sometimes, prostaglandins are produced when there is no apparent trauma. You might feel pain because something has subtly altered the balance of your brain chemistry, or simply because your mood has changed; you might be producing an uneven amount of serotonin or dopamine. You might, most worryingly, have a headache because you take too many painkillers, a condition known as â€Å"medication overuse headache†. A study published in the British Medical Journal last October found that â€Å"daily or near-daily headache is at epidemic levels, affecting up to 5% of some populations, and chronic overuse of headache drugs may account for half of this phenomenon†. Low doses daily appeared to carry greater risks than larger doses weekly. Of course, most pharmaceutical research is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, which are understandably reluctant to explore the negatives. But what research there is suggests that analgesics, when used frequently, chronically reduce levels of serotonin, and increase levels of pain-signalling molecules. Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that a German study had found that even a two-week course of Tylenol (an American brand of paracetamol) â€Å"causes a drop in serotonin-receptor density in rat brains†, an effect that is reversed when the rats are taken off the painkillers. If you keep fooling your brain into not feeling pain, your body will eventually fight back and make you feel more pain. And then youll want more painkillers; its a vicious circle. Imagine this as a business proposition. You buy a cardboard tub of fluffy white powder for around  £100. Then you turn the powder into a quarter of a million pills, which you sell at 10p per pill. Every cardboard tub you buy makes you a profit of  £24,900. The powder is pure ibuprofen. The pills are painkillers. The company is Boots, which owns a subsidiary called Crookes Healthcare, which manufactures Nurofen. Sounds good, doesnt it? Of course, there are overheads you have to invent the drug, spend years on expensive clinical trials, build a factory, and hire people to make the pills, tell the public about the pills, and design the packs so they look attractive on the shelves. From the store manager of East Croydon boots pharmacy and article from Google, Boots corporate responsibility. â€Å"It takes 10 years and  £200m to get a new drug accepted,† said Dr Jagdish Acharya, a senior medical adviser to Boots(From the store manager of East Croydon.) Boots head office, and the factory that makes many of its painkillers, are on a campus that lies a few miles outside Nottingham. Every day, trucks full of raw ingredients arrive at one end of the factory, and trucks leave the other end with the finished product tens of thousands of cardboard packs, destined for 90 countries. This is D-95, one of the biggest painkiller factories in Britain, working 24 hours a day. If youve ever popped a Nurofen tablet, or a Nurofen tablet, or a Nurofen Plus, or a Nurofen liquid capsule, or a Boots own-brand generic ibuprofen tablet (the active ingredient is the same), or a Boots own-brand aspirin or Paracetamol tablet, the pill you swallowed will have been made here. â€Å"Six hundred people work here,† as per Catherine McGrath, who is working there as â€Å"shift manager, analgesics†. She explained that the factory works seasonally, making cold remedies in the autumn to meet winter demand, and hay fever remedies in the spring. Headaches are a year-round phenomenon. â€Å"Theres a constant demand for painkillers,† McGrath Before the fluffy white powder becomes a hard, glossy pill, it must go through many different stages. First, it is mixed with â€Å"excipients†, ingredients that have no painkilling role. Each Nurofen pill, for instance, contains 200mg of ibuprofen, but also maize starch, sucrose, calcium Sulphate, Stearic acid and shellac. These things hold it together, bulk it out, make it taste nice and help it disintegrate when it reaches the stomach. The factory is large and sterile, like a setting in a JG Ballard novel big, barn-like spaces, dull, neutral colours, large rooms full of vats. The thing that gets you is the scale. This is about making millions and millions of pills to cure tension headaches in France, migraines in Germany, hangovers in Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. Naturally, after a few hours in this environment, a headache started creeping up on me. Stewart Adams, the inventor of ibuprofen, lives modestly in a compact modern house on the outskirts of Nottingham. On the sideboard in his living room there is a silver Nurofen pack, cast in metal, with the names of the first Nurofen advertisers on the back. He won an OBE for services to science in 1987, and his name is on the ibuprofen patent. But Adams has derived no great material reward from his invention no house in the country, not even a lifetime supply of painkillers. When he gets a headache, he goes to the corner shop just like the rest of us. From the article the guardian 2001 A sprightly, talkative 79, Adams came upon ibuprofen when he was working as a research scientist for Boots in the late 1950s, looking for a drug to reduce inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Looking back on his career, he says he was â€Å"very disappointed†. He had found a headache remedy that was more potent than aspirin, with fewer side-effects but he hadnt found a cure for rheumatoid arthritis. His operation was very small â€Å"a man and a boy†. Typically, his research budget was between  £4,000 and  £5,000 a year. Adams discovered that aspirin reduced the swelling caused by ultraviolet light on the skin. Working with an organic chemist called John Nicholson, he began looking for aspirin-like compounds that might have fewer side-effects on arthritic patients. â€Å"It was a bit hit and miss,† he told me. (This was long before John Vane had discovered how aspirin worked.) â€Å"We werent as clearcut in our thinking as we might have been,† said Adams. He and Nicholson looked at hundreds of chemical compounds. They put several drugs through clinical trials, testing them on arthritic patients. One drug produced a nasty rash in a large percentage of the patients; another produced a rash in a smaller, but still significant, percentage. A third, ibufenac, an acetic acid, caused jaundice. â€Å"We had to sit back and have another rethink,† said Adams. During this long process of trial and error, Adams synthesized a version of ibufenac that was not an acetic acid but a proprionic acid ie, related to propane rather than vinegar. He assumed it would be toxic but, surprisingly, it wasnt: it had a short half-life in the tissues. It was like aspirin, only you could take more of it. Adams and his colleagues began taking the compound, ibuprofen, when they got headaches. â€Å"We knew it was analgesic, because we were taking it well before it got on the market,† he says. He remembers making a speech at a conference after a few drinks the night before, having dealt with his hangover by taking 600mg of this new drug he had invented. When Boots patented ibuprofen in 1962, Adams could have had little idea what he had invented an analgesic that would compete with aspirin; a drug that, once its control had passed into the hands of the marketing men, would change the way we consume painkillers for ever. For the rest of his career, Adams continued with his efforts to find a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, without success (although ibuprofen has important uses in its treatment). Holding the original patent in his hands, Adams said, laughing, â€Å"We didnt get anything. I think, in fact, we were supposed to be given a pound for signing away our signatures, but we didnt even get that.† Now that painkillers exist in a no mans land between medicine and product, they dont need someone to prescribe them they need someone to market them. Don Williams, the man currently responsible for the design of the Nurofen pack, works in Notting Hill, west London. His office is just what youd expect minimal furnishings, varnished, blond-wood floors. In the upstairs lobby there is a shopping trolley full of products designed by his company, Packaging Innovations Global: Double Velvet loo paper, Head Shoulders shampoo, Pot Noodle and Nurofen. A former session guitarist from Middlesbrough, Williams is tall and slim, with wonderfully tasteful casual clothes and a fashionably shaved head. â€Å"Thats our philosophy,† Williams said, looking at the trolley. â€Å"Thats what we believe in. Getting things in trolleys. At the end of the day, thats what were paid for.† Packaging Innovations began designing Nurofen packs about five years ago. â€Å"There are very few brand icons that visually communicate what they actually do,† Williams said. The target design is â€Å"directly related to the brand promise†. Two years ago, the Brand Council, an advertising industry panel, named Nurofen as one of 100 British â€Å"superbrands†, one that â€Å"offers consumers significant emotional and/or physical advantage over its competitors that (consciously or subconsciously) customers want, recognize and are willing to pay a premium for†. One of Williams innovations was to place the target in the centre of the pack, with a chevron radiating out to the sides. He also wanted more of the silver foil on the packs to be visible. Consumers, he told me, are visually literate they see the pack design before they read the words. When he took over the design of Benson Hedges cigarette packs, Williams made sure that every pack was gold, even the packs containing low-tar cigarettes, which had previously been silver. â€Å"We believe that brand identities should be recognized at a distance,† he said, â€Å"even through half-closed eyes, or sub-optimal conditions, or in peripheral vision.† In supermarkets, says Williams, â€Å"We want a blocking effect on the shelf. The chevron links all the packs together, so you get a wave effect.† As I left, he said, â€Å"I get more kicks out of seeing a pack in a bin than on a shelf.† This article gives the glimpse of the Neurofen how it is produce? How it was established and how the packing of the brand was designed. So right from 1960 through the effort from the three colleagues from the boots pharmaceutical while developing the drug to the event of August 1983 where it was launched as OTC medicine under the name of the Neurofen, the process of branding had already began. The brand is owned by the Reckitt Benckiser Now the company Reckitt Benckiser, creates the question mark specially on most of us specially to common people who has atleast the knowledge about companies like Pfizer and JohnsonJohnson or say Procter and Gamble which are very much well-known for the best corporate practices and are always been active in media .where as in case of this company it is not rather, the brands which they owned has been widely accepted and has been part of our daily lives from decades long Brand like: Veet, Dettol, Clearasil, Streptsile, Gaviscon Home care like: Air wick, Mortein Fabric care: Calgon, Vanish Surface care: Lysol: Dettol: and Neurofen Most of these brands like Dettol Airwick and Mortien are well establish brand and are 1st choice of the customers when they buy it, they are whichever brand these company owns has certainly enjoyed the brand loyalty, these are the brands that are emotionally attached to the people. Now Neurofen is among the other brand which has already achieved a market leader in its segment and it is in the process to get emotionally attached to their lives. As per the latest figure (0) mentioned the,net sales was 83.5 million which was further boosted to 89.90 million in the year 2008. So there is a clear difference of around 7 and half million growth, specially in such a enviournment where business are not growing, it is very rare, also companies are not investing too much in developing their brand and this might have affected Anadin and Panadol business. Where as in case of Anadin which is owned by Wyeth the net sales in 2007 was 38.50 which dropped down in 2008 by 2.3% to 37.60 million and similar is the case of Panadol which is owned by Glaxo smith Kline where the net sales which were just 12.8 in 2007 to 13.4 growth of around 4.9 % in all. Prior to 2007 Anadin was market leader but later on the placed is replaced by the Neurofen and now it has established brand as a with sustainable growth. So what are the factor that has created this change? Is it totally phenomenal event where 1 brand dies and other replaces it? But how can Neurofen can compete with brand like Anadin who as I mentioned is owned by Wyeth which is one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical and healthcare products companies, which have skilled professional who understand the pharmaceutical business, similar is the case of Panadol whose owner Glaxo Smith Keline which are also involved in the core business of pharmaceuticals from many years. So a company which is partially related to pharmaceuticals with just few OTC products in its portfolio has become market leader in past couple years is indeed due to the fabulous branding of the product Thus how the Nurofen is different from the other brands? Is it really more effective towards the pain ?or Is it the components of the branding that is creating the space within the buyers? To understand this we need to know where the other competitors are were during the 2006 and where are they right now, what were their strategic moves? STARTING WITH ANADIN Few interesting facts: Anadin was formulated by a US dentist in 1918. Nearly 400m Anadin tablets were sold in the last year. If laid side by side they would reach from London to New York ACHIEVEMENT: Anadin is the most famous OTC brand in the UK with over 90% consumer awareness (Source: RSGB). It has mass market appeal with users of all ages from sixteen upwards. Changes in legislation in the 1990s enabled the brand to extend its product range while maintaining its position as a leading pain killer brand which delivered a range of long standing values to the consumer. Today Anadin is the second biggest selling branded analgesic in the UK and its product range is worth  £45m. History Originally launched in the US as Anacin, the brand appeared in the UK in 1932 under the Anadin name. It is owned by Wyeth and has always communicated that its key task is to defeat pain quickly. Widely respected by health care professionals and consumers alike, Anadin has used several different slogans to press home its message over the years. These range from the famous Nothing Acts Faster than Anadin slogan, which was introduced in 1955, to the recent â€Å"Headache! What Headache?† and â€Å"When only fast will do†. Anadin has successfully steered its way through the growth of Own Label products during the 1990s which resulted in many consumers switching from branded goods to retailers own lines, including health care products by innovating and providing solutions relevant to its target market. Product Anadin is one of the UKs oldest and best known oral analgesics and a firm family favorite. The original aspirin-based formula provides fast, effective relief for a wide range of everyday aches and pains including headaches, period and dental pains, as well as the symptoms of colds and flu. The range has evolved into a portfolio of six UK variants delivering pain relievers in a variety of formats comprising caplets, tablets, liquid capsules and soluble tablets. Anadin Extra, containing aspirin, Paracetamol and caffeine was launched in 1983. Its counterpart, Anadin Extra Soluble, which was unveiled in 1992, is ideal for those finding tablets difficult to swallow. The formula is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream enabling it to act faster. In 1988, Wyeth launched Anadin Paracetamol, a formulation suitable for children from the age of six, which is designed to reduce temperature and is therefore especially beneficial in the treatment of feverish colds and flu. In 1997, Anadin Ibu profen was introduced. Coated for easy swallowing, it is formulated to relieve rheumatic or muscular pain, backache and period pain whilst actively reducing inflammation. Recent developments The last three years have witnessed continuing innovation. As a result of the launch of Anadin Ultra in September 1999, sales grew at a double-digit rate. Anadin Ultra contains an ibuprofen solution in an easy to swallow, soft gelatin capsule allowing it to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, combating pain more than twice as fast as tablets. In a move to benefit consumers and trade, the entire range received a new look in July 2002. Key features included a new embossed Anadin logo which reflects a more modern and dynamic image. In addition, Anadin Ultra and Extra packs were foiled to differentiate these variants as the most premium within the range. The effect of these changes has added branding consistency across the entire product range, ensuring stronger impact when the variants are grouped together. This improved on-shelf stand-out conveys to consumers that in an increasingly competitive market, Anadin offers a range of premium quality products. For consumers, the new design aims to take the pain out of choosing a painkiller while communicating the modernity of the brand. Key indicators on the front of packs encourage analgesic users to identify the best product for their specific type of pain. Additionally, the use of consumer friendly language on the back of packs and on information leaflets further simplifies product selection and usage. Careline details are also included on packs, allowing consumers to receive further advice and guidance about the range. Promotion Anadins familiar logo is synonymous with its brief to tackle everyday aches and pains swiftly and effectively since its launch more than 70 years ago. It is important for the brand to be at the forefront of product development and to inform the public about the benefits these products can bring. Therefore, advertising is key to Anadins promotional strategy. In September 2002 it launched a terrestrial and satellite television campaign for Anadin Ultra. The campaign avoided the scientific angle taken by some other brands and opted for a humorous, slice-of-life approach featuring the Twice as Fast strapline with the consumer message that Anadin Ultras liquid ibuprofen capsules could hit pain more than twice as fast as their tablet equivalent. The Bus Stop creative focuses on a typical British scene †¹ a bus queue. The woman at the front of the queue announces, â€Å"Its gone!† leaving everyone to assume she means the bus. Confus