Best Practice

What is a best practice? 1. It is the most efficient quantity and quality 2. A previously successful method 3. labor/appropriate use of materials 4. Money goes up (owner) 5. Replicable (everyone) 6. Defines goal (making money while maintaining guest satisfaction) 7. High guest satisfaction 8. Efficient 9. Ethical Stake Holders Employer/Owner Employee Guest Environment BONUS QUESTION: Jay Westerweld in 1987, invented Green Washing which is a deceptively used method to appear â€Å"eco-friendly† to increase profits or gain political support STOP: Standard Operating Procedure (Used by corporations)QPI: Quality Performance Indicators ROI: Return of Investment Q: What is the difference between an independent and corporate chain? (INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS SHARE BEST PRACTICES by ERIC STOESSEL) Independent: * They are not branded and as well known * Customers tell the Independent hotels if something is wrong, not the brand * â€Å"Can do what they want when they want† * Biggest C hallenge: Online Travel Agencies – reduced rates and high commission = losing money but you get exposure * 25% rate for product purchasing while corporate pay less than 17% * BP: â€Å"Capture and Keep† customers from OTA BP: Using online websites for bulk products such as Alibaba. com or Amazon. com * BP: Loyalty Program * BP: Call other property owners for advice * BP: Incentives for front desk staff of 20% – 50% commission for every room upgrade, early check in or pool pass sold instead of hiring a director of sales * BP: ? Charge guests property tax in times of trouble INDEPENDENT HOTELS: The drake hotels, Windsor Arms Hotel, Hotel Victoria What are best management practices for natural resource conservation? (29 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CASE STUDIES AT NRPA.ORG/CONSERVATION) * Rain Barrels: Conservation education and fun with a 1,000 gallon rain barrel * Rain Gardens: Can slow stormwater, conserve water, and create a wild life habitat and landscape bea uty * Wind and Solar Energy (WESTIN HOTEL IN TORONTO: GREEN ENERGY, ONLY HOTEL WHO’S LOBBY RESTAURANTS ARE POWERED 100% GREEN ELECTRICITY, FOR RECYCLING: ALL ORANIC WASTE MATTER IS SENT TO A COMPOST OF SITE. HOTEL IS EQUIPPED WITH RECYCLING BINS IN ALL AREAS & FOUR SEASONS INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATES IN TREE PLANTING DAY) Best practice in Hospitality Maintenance BP: Management can remind housekeeping staff of the three basic rules: Clean, Disinfect, and Deodorize * Cleaning: Wipe surface from one side to another, and dirt removed first before disinfection. * Bucket of solution should be changed frequently eg. Every 3 rooms. * When Cleaning hard floors, use two bucket moping techniques * Use a cleanser appropriate for multiple surfaces * Dilution Control saves time and money- bulk * Shiny floors and vases – use metal polish daily * Provide incentives to staff who pick up trash, sweep corridors, wipe counters and tables (BEST PRACTICES IN HOSPITALITY MAINTENANCE – H2E CORNER) ARUBA MARRIOT CARRIBIAN RESORT PROVIDES HOUSEKEEPING STAFF A FULL WEEK OF FUN WITH BREAKFASTS, DINNERS, GAMES AND PARTIES ON AND OFF PROPERTY TO SHOW APPRECIATION AS AN INCENTIVE) Q: Name five different ways of being able to tell whether you have pests 1. Gnaw Marks 2. Droppings 3. Wall Marks 4. Smell 5. See the Animal 6. Skin Q: What do you do to eliminate them? 1. More air flow where there the air makes the flies go out 2. Fly Lights – sodium lights which keep them off instead of killing them 3. Automatic or spinning doors 4.Weather stripping (the thing at the bottom of the door) 5. Gravel barrier or a grate because pests don’t like uneven surfaces 6. Training staff to understand the importance of closing the door behind them such and pest control Best practice of water management * EPA – began a label called Water Sense that helps the end user identify water-saving products. * Managers being trained and aware of making sure only the best when buyi ng the products * Utilize the service of performance contractors * Minimize water waste and expense has started to become on the best practices.

Franco Zefferelli’s film techniques Essay

The opening sequence of a film has to tell us a great deal about the story, it’s the opening sequence, which captivates the mind and keeps the viewer interested. Franco Zeffirellis opening shot is of the camera panning over a long-shot of central Verona, he does this to give an insight into the city, a quick zoom across instantly tells us this is set in the past as we are seeing fifteenth century Verona. The director’s name is superimposed on this, and then the camera focuses on a misty sun, this gives a sense of calmness. The camera then zooms in on the sun, and William Shakespeare’s name comes up below it. We then do a straight cut to a shot inside the city walls, the title of the film is again superimposed on the same shot while all this is happening music is playing (romantic orchestral). The camera then is showing a long shot of the citizens entering through the gate, the camera pans left, this shot lasts for fifteen seconds – this shot is given to add to the anticipation on what we are going to see next, where are these people going? It adds to the whole scene we have seen so far, every shot we are gathering more information about the place and that shot just helps it along a little. Then we hear the bustle of the market and cut to the market. Yellow and red clad legs are walking through the market, this is done, as this is our first view of the Capulets. Zefferelli frames the men’s legs, in their house colours to focus on them as part of the Capulets. We are now up to shot 4, the camera tracks the legs through to shot 6 – one of the Capulets kicks a dog, and someone shouts villain. Shot six is when we first see the men’s faces, this shot is quite close to give a clear view of the servants of the Capulets, it also shows us their emotions and they are talking about the everlasting quarrel between the masters of the Capulet and Montague. The Capulets are portrayed to be mischievous and having scandalous fun in the market that makes them laugh. Shot 7 we see the Capulet servants at a market stall, the shot is took behind the stall so we see a full on view of the Capulets, and there expressions when they see a Montague coming The camera then cuts to another stall, where the Montague priest is talking to the stall holder, this bring in the religious theme of the story. Then for the final shot in the opening sequence we cut back to the Capulets, where they are talking about quarrelling with the Montague’s. This whole sequence lasted one minute thirty three and due to the shots the camera took we have gained a great deal of information about the setting and themes, already we have seen evidence of religious and conflict themes within the story.

Should gay marriage be legal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Should gay marriage be legal - Essay Example I think not. Legalizing gay marriage is not simply about protecting the rights of homosexuals. It’s not about treating fairly the so addressed minority of the population, the mythic 3 percent figure of Americans (Cameron 12). Gay marriages will arouse deep structural changes by transforming beliefs, questioning values, and institutionally proclaiming something that has long been rejected by human nature as valid, accepted and official. In this essay I am not trying to be a moralist, saying what people should or should not believe in. I simply want to question a change that is so unnatural and intrusive to me, that the argument saying â€Å"it’s their inherent human right† is not strong enough to accept it. Today the world is changing so fast and many core values are simply swept away by fashion, carelessness and eccentricity. The civil rights activists once playing the important part for this society to overcome racial or female intolerance have now shifted their efforts into new directions, pleading for further liberation of sexist rights. Now, that the so widely proclaimed same-sex marriages are in the limelight, it pays to stop and think, will their legalization really create added value to society or, on the contrary, will it actually cause harm by undermining the institution of marriage. Marriage represents a legal bondage, an institution that is recognized by church, and society. This is the couple’s official declaration for long-term commitment to one another. Marriage is a unique contract, different from simply sharing property or setting up a new business; it establishes a relationship that does not exist for people who are simply living together (Cline). When people get married, they become a social unit with strong kinship ties regarded by society as one unity. When gay couples want to contract a marriage, they actually ask for society’s

Ethical, legal, and social responsibility issues that your topic Research Paper

Ethical, legal, and social responsibility issues that your topic raises - Research Paper Example It is usually hard to choose whether to apply these unethical conditions because despite the challenges they face, it can be beneficial to the organization. It can lead to lower variable costs and increase in company profits. It is very important that executive members of organizations such as senior managers and supervisors equip themselves with ethical knowledge and skills. These would come handy when they face ethical dilemma on whether to use appropriate employee working conditions or not (Crowther, 43). When deciding on whether to change the current working conditions, it is important to research if the issue is serious and if it harms stakeholders of the organization. These stakeholders include employees, families of employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers and the society that neighbors the organization. Some of the issues such as hiring fewer employees are small problems that can be sort out internally. Large issues such as massive pay cut of employee salaries or exposing employees to health hazards put the reputation of the organization down. If the issue is very serious, junior managers should take it upon their responsibility to pass it to a senior manager or any officer with a high authority. It takes great courage when it comes to managers voicing personal values on ethical issues of employee working conditions. Not every organization executive share the same beliefs and values, but understanding and knowing ones values puts them at an advantage when dealing with ethical dilemma that may arise in the organization. Several steps should be considered before organizations change their employee working conditions. First, it should ask itself how it feels about the particular issue. It should then have its intentions to be for the greater good .Next; the organization should evaluate and consider its power in the specific industry that it carries its operations. After this, the organization can then weigh the risk and benefits of its action.

Aspect of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aspect of Leadership - Essay Example In the modern age, it is not unusual for a government to be selected by the number of votes, that are a shear representation of the total population in a country. This results in a state of anarchy and is detrimental to the peace and harmony among individuals of a nation. Authenticity of the leader is one of the most basic requirements that maintain followers’ faith in their leader. A leader has to frequently make commitments with his followers because of the tough nature of his job. Authenticity of the leader dawns upon the followers cardinally by compliance of the leader’s actions with his commitments. Authenticity in a leadership can be measured on the scale of certain factors. Compliance of the leader’s actions with prior commitments with his followers, maintenance of consistency in the theme of a leader, and, frequent and open confrontation of the leader with the followers are some of such factors. A leader should be very particular about defining his theme. Theme of a leader serves as a focus of all his progressions. It is imperative that the followers are well educated on the theme of the leader so that they can fully comprehend the leader’s intentions and rationalize his approach towards attainment of the ultimate goal. In addition to that, a leader needs to confess all potential mistakes, that he did unintentionally or that raised doubts among the followers in any manner. These factors solely pertain to the leader in person. A leader also needs to ensure that he ensures the use of authentic means to convey his message to the followers. Followers, act as per th e instructions of their leader and their level of compliance with the leader’s instructions decides for the effectiveness of the leader’s approach. It is, therefore, the leader’s responsibility to ensure that the message that is conveyed to the followers is authentic in all

Current United States Policy on Commerical Aviation Security and Three Research Paper

Current United States Policy on Commerical Aviation Security and Three Potential Policy Alternatives to the Current Policies in - Research Paper Example The significance of ensuring security in the commercial aviation sector is to promote the safety of Americans and their property as well as minimizing the threat in other countries. Indeed, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 together with the security mishap at the Heathrow airport in August 2006 in which a gang of terrorists who intended to bomb transatlantic jets scheduled to leave Heathrow Airport were arrested reminds the American people about the need to protect the American people against adversities. Therefore, some of the notable ways this possible is through constant revision of the Commercial Aviation Security Policy. The United States Policy on Commercial Aviation Security seeks to offer the most secure commercial aviation services to all stakeholders including travelers, airline firms, landing field, airline and airport service officers, government departments, and tourists and visitors. The passengers screening strategies has been reliance on technology that dete cts metallic objects from passengers' luggage. However, in some scenarios the technology has not been perfect in detecting explosives (Lisa, 2009; pg. 197). Therefore, three policy alternatives are discussed in this paper including; maintaining the status quo in the existing policies, enhanced technological equipment that detects both metals and non-metals, and finally passenger behavior analysis and profiling. The discussions of the three policy alternatives have revealed that the government needs to consider passengers behavior analysis and profiling implemented together with the technological screening methods in order to generate the best policy alternative. Background The United States Policy on Commercial Aviation Security exists to provide the most secure commercial aviation services to all stakeholders including travelers, airline firms, landing field, airline and airport service officers, government departments, and tourists and visitors. The threats that America faces each time sometimes forces them to get back with a review of the aviation policies in order to ensure security is even tightened more. Furthermore, the recent security threats have made the department of homeland security to intervene with the intention of making crucial policy changes. The aviation security strategy recognizes the fact that the security and economic success of America relies upon the protected business of its aviation industry and the utilization of her airspace. The strategy recognizes that the America needs to ensure the safe existence of the airspace for her citizens, for the global partners, and legitimate commercial activities. The country also recognizes that terrorists and unfriendly nations have developed perceptions that the aviation industry is a good ground for launching attacks and terrorist activities. Indeed, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 reminds the American people about the need to protect them against adversities. Therefore, some of the no table ways this has been made possible is through continuous revision of the Commercial Aviation Security Policy. Of great significance however, is the passenger screening at the airports. The present technology has sometimes failed to detect terrorists smuggling explosives. The paper discusses the different strategies that the American government should sanction for implementation in order to

Taxation and health care financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxation and health care financing - Essay Example Health care financing is one of the most fundamental issues faced by every society which has some health care services to provide to its members. Health Care Financing is a term which often refers to the means and sources required to provide health care services. However, it is also critical to understand that sourcing of financing the healthcare do not only include just the money but it also include the voluntary sources such as rendering of voluntary services as well as gifts received in kind. The issue of financing health care is critical in the sense that the quantum of financing defines the overall quality of basic health care provision.While discussing healthcare financing, it is also important to understand the sources of financing i.e. from where to raise the money, how those sources are used and who controls them therefore, what is critical is the fact that health care financing is not just limited to the monetary aspect of financing but it also requires careful management o f various other non-monetary aspects of health care financing too.While discussing the sources of financing for health care, taxation is one of the major sources which can help raise the necessary funds to leverage healthcare provision on much larger scale. Taxation is also important because of it is probably the largest source of revenue for any government to fund its expenses including expenditure on health care. This paper will discuss some of the advantages of using taxation to finance health care. Taxation and Health Care Financing One of the most important sources of raising general revenue for healthcare financing is general taxes imposed by State. Important sources of taxes include income taxes, excise duties as well as various business taxes however, what is important is how the government allocates funds raised by charging such taxes. Though, such taxes are general in nature and the allocation of such resources depends upon the general priorities of the respective government however, If government's priorities include providing sustainable health care provision than government may divert substantial sources of funds to health care services. (Goodman & Waddington, 2008). UK's population is increasingly becoming old as well as obese therefore the overall expenditure on healthcare services is forecasted to increase in coming years. It is therefore, being proposed that specific taxes shall be levied for raising the standards of healthcare services in the country. According to one survey by BBC, in 2002, 69% of the respondents suggested to levy taxes for NHS. Similarly, obesity is increasing the overall costs to be incurred on providing quality healthcare services. Leicester & Windmeijer (2004) are of the opinion that a Fat tax should be imposed on foods which contain high fat or salt in order to control the prevalence of obesity in the country. (Leicester & Windmeijer, 2004). This is because of the fact that increase in obesity rates are increasing the overall budgets for healthcare services as service providers have to divert substantial resources to cure obese people with common diseases such as Cardiac problems, Hypertension, high sugar glucose level s etc. therefore, by levying taxes, substantial revenue sources can be generated in order to improve the general health standards of the masses. Advantages of Taxation There are different advantages of taxation for financing health care as increase in quantum of government revenue would mean greater resources to be diverted to upgrade the current state of healthcare in the country. Increasing the tax base for financing the healthcare services would therefore provide an incentive to the consumers for receiving better and much improved health care services. It is also important to understand that since taxation serve as a general source of revenue for the countries however, in most of the case; it is not earmarked for particular sectors of public healthcare services. By levying taxes specifically for healthcare se

Archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Archaeology - Essay Example kler believes that for a creature to grow culture to a point that it can devise its way of life seems to offer freedom, but that freedom is a trap, and that freedom for any existing society is anarchy in a cooperative system of these societies. Anarchy — exceptional in the life history - makes inevitable a power struggle amongst societies. This perpetual competition, together with open-ended cultural innovation possibilities, inevitably drives social evolution towards an unchosen direction, according to the author: ways of life which do not confer adequate power, regardless of how civilized intrinsically, are eradicated, while the power ways are relentlessly spread throughout the system (Schmookler, 93). The author says that he experienced the vision containing his idea 1970, and the book developing the vision got published in 1984. In between those years, he asserts that he had conducted research in the many diverse relevant study areas to check out the main thesis and the various subordinate hypotheses that forms the components of the general theoretical edifice. Schmookler relies on schematically nursed parable to lay down his argument: how one aggressive tribe among an otherwise peaceful group can force the spread of power, civilization and involuntary cultural evolution. The author offers the reader with a model that makes his / her predicament comprehensible, and that is what makes the book important. It supplies pieces missing from a great puzzle (Schmookler, 83). While human well-being could be incidental to one foremost social- evolutionary force, there remains room for human ambition to dictate the other part of the evolution story. I therefore argue that not that Schmookler’s work has been the only force directing civilization evolution but only that it stands out as an extremely important factor. Civilization evolution can be seen as a dialectic between the organized selection for power and human striving for a civilized world, between the

Purchasing Power Parity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Purchasing Power Parity - Essay Example It states that the country which is having high inflation rate is weak in terms of currency because inflation reduces the real purchasing power of a nation’s currency. It predicts a relationship between the inflation rates of two countries over a specified period and the movement in the exchange rate between their two currencies over the same period which means that the exchange rate of two currencies reflects the effect of inflation rate (Murphy, p.1). Absolute PPP states that the value of 2 currencies changes in contrary proportion to the changes in the ratio of price levels. On the other hand relative, PPP predicts a relationship between the inflation rates of two countries over a specified period and the movement in the exchange rate between their two currencies over the same period. Absolute PPP is based on the law of one price that is tested for a basket of commodities or individual commodities. The relative PPP approximates the change in individual price by change in pr ice indices. Empirical evidence of absolute PPP: An orange costs 3 dollars in country A and the same orange costs 6 dollars in country B. This means 3 dollars in country A equals to 6 dollars in country B. This exchange rate is based on the cost of orange and it is assumed that the cost of orange is same worldwide. Empirical evidence of relative PPP: Japan’s anticipated annual rate of inflation is equal to 6% per year, while the anticipated annual inflation rate for the U.S. is 3%. As an approximation, it is expected that the Japanese yen would devalue at the rate of 4% a year. The whole concept is based on unrealistic assumptions. That’s why forex market does not take into consideration the purchasing power parity. Those assumptions were a basket of goods and services in the CPI is the same in all countries, no transportation cost, and consumptions patterns are the same all over the world.

The Ontology of Plato and Lucretius Essay Example for Free

The Ontology of Plato and Lucretius Essay Ontology is the science involved with the study of nature and the different aspects of being. It is an arm of the realm of metaphysics and is understood to be a mixture of two fields: science and philosophy. It can be considered as the primary philosophy as it serves as an instrument through which different problems regarding the relations of being and nature are examined. Ontology involves many different concepts and has evolved through the years to include many theories and evaluations established by renowned philosophers. It has grown to include a large body of knowledge. The specific ontologies to be tackled here, however, will only include two of the more popular philosophers involved in the field, namely, Plato and Lucretius.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Plato’s Theory of Forms states the different aspects of his ontology. The theory was first established in Plato’s Republic, as evidenced in the   Myth of the Sun, the Divided Line, and the Myth of the Cave and is composed of five basic characteristics. First, words are the names of things. This means that words or nouns are names of actual entities. Second, that Forms exist. This second characteristic expounds the first indicating that the words that name things or entities are particular to a certain form. Thus the entity takes form. This is part of Plato’s concept of dualism indicating the presence of two worlds: the sensible-where specific objects exist and the intelligible-where the Forms exist. The third characteristic stresses that the Forms of objects have more weight in reality than do ordinary objects. This is because of the stated fact that Forms are universal indicating more permanence and greater contribution to the identity of a particular object. Fourth, all particular objects in the sensible world are directly related to their counterpart forms in the intelligible world through a process coined by Plato as â€Å"participation†. This process was never expounded and remains problematic to this day. The fifth characteristic of the theory states that the forms residing in the intelligible world are the causes of or are the reasons for events occurring in the sensible world. Lucretius also stated his own ontology through his six-book poem entitled De Rerum Natura or On the Nature of Things. This epic poem is the only known work produced by this Epicurean poet. Lucretius first establishes his ontology through by restating the characteristics of the atomic theory: nothing comes from nothing, nothing becomes nothing, everything is composed of the indivisible bodies called atoms, and atoms are separated by empty space. Thus Lucretius believed that the basic units of reality were only the body, composed of atoms, and void, space between atoms. Everything that is perceived in reality simply stems from the properties present in these two basic units. Thus concrete bodies are simply aggregations of many atoms combined and space is merely extended to exist between these atoms. Thus it is only the combination of these individsible atoms that leads to the formation of more complex structures and beings. It should be noted that Lucretius did not make use of the word â€Å"atom†. Instead, he used terms such as the primordial rerum, seeds, and matter. These terms served the purposes of his poetry better and were more appropriate to the context in which these matters were discussed and used. Both Plato and Lucretius presented their ontologies through literary works. Both were able to maintain the beliefs established in their individual theological commitments in their ontologies. Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura was completely in line with Epicurean teachings. Plato’s ontology was also clearly in agreement with his theologies as it was often restated in many of his writings. References Watt, S. (1997). Introduction: the theory of forms (books 5-7). In Plato:Republic (15-16) London: Wordsworth Editions Englert, W. (2003). Lucretius, on the nature of things. Newburyport, Mass.: Focus. Ross, D. (1951). Platos Theory of Ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Marketing Plan For Lipton Ice Tea

Marketing Plan For Lipton Ice Tea In 2005, the tea industry reached the $1.7 billion category and it is expected to continue growing indefinitely (Mintel 2005). Market analysts believe the tea industry will continue to boom and is not expected to reach saturation level in the near future. The favorable movement in the tea industry can be attributed to two major factors: a) consumers need for convenience and time-saving services; and b) the positive press given to tea. American lifestyle and work habits have made convenience a necessity. As employers demand for productivity from their employees, consumers are more pressed for time. In addition, the shaky economy has made Americans fear for their jobs; thus, any product that can fill the consumers need for convenience and speed are almost automatically embraced into the American lifestyle (Mintel 2005). For the last decade, the health benefits of tea have gained wide coverage in the media. Studies continue to show the beneficial properties of teas, with health benefits ranging from lower cholesterol levels to improve arterial health and decreasing chance of cancer. This positive press has definitely catapulted the demand for tea (Mintel 2005). Both the need for convenience and positive press on tea have spurred an increase in sales of tea products, specifically ready-to-drink (RTD) teas sold in single-serve containers (Mintel 2005). Recognizing this trend, various companies in the tea industry have come up with innovative products to take advantage of the booming market for ready-to-drink teas. Lipton tea, one of the global leaders in refreshment brands, launched new products to meet the growing the need for ready-to drink teas and introduced innovative product line to capture the health- conscious market. For over a century, Lipton has been dominating the world tea market with the companys tea-based drinks including leaf tea, infusions and ready-to-drink tea. Its success has been attributed to the firms â€Å"strong focus on innovation and the expertise of its tea specialists- professionals in tea-growing, tasting, buying, blending and RD teams† (Wikipedia 2007). One of the main driving forces for Liptons success is the companys source of tea. Lipton teas are sourced from various plantations in well-know tea-producing countries such as India, Indonesia, Kenya and Sri Lanka. It maintains specialized tasting rooms in seven regional located across the globe. Presently, Lipton has about 30 different tea blends (Wikipedia 2007). As Lipton is a part of the Unilever global consortium, the company ensures that its tea producing farms do not only yield high-quality product but also protect and improve the natural environment and livelihood of workers and local communities. Liptons plantations in East Africa have been working with third party estates to ensure compliance with Unilevers sustainable agriculture guidelines and the Ethical Tea Partnership criteria (Wikipedia 2007). As part of Lipton teas drive to capture the booming market for ready-to-drink teas, the Anglo-Dutch Unilever Company entered into a joint agreement with American PepsiCo in 2003. Through the joint venture agreement, PepsiCo distributes or markets Lipton tea products, specifically Lipton Ice Tea in more than 60 countries where PepsiCo has established its corporate presence (Wikipedia 2007). â€Å"The 50-50 JV Pepsi Lipton International is the latest move in Unilevers Path to Growth strategy which has mostly involved the disposal of non-core businesses rather than support for existing brands† (â€Å"Unilever-PepsiCo† 2003). In a press statement, Unilever announced that the joint agreement with PepsiCo has two main goals: to move the Lipton brand into new distribution channels and into new markets. While Unilever claims that Lipton is the leader in the 16-billion liter world market for ready-to- drink tea, its presence remains slim in a number of key markets; thus, the agreement with PepsiCo is expected to address such concern (â€Å"Unilever-PepsiCo† 2003). Unilever stated that â€Å"the [50-50 JV Pepsi Lipton International] will target the ‘white space markets where Lipton has no current presence and it is anticipated that significant business opportunities will come from the key high-potential markets where Pepsi is already strong† (â€Å"Unilever-PepsiCo† 2003). PepsiCo is expected to build the sales of the Lipton ice tea in 60 countries including Brazil, Spain, Greece, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Albania, Romania, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi and the six Gulf States. The Pepsi Lipton International venture is a logical expansion of an earlier collaboration between the two companies. The Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership was set up by the two companies some 10 years ago to expand sales in the North American market, and is now firmly established as the leading RTD tea player in both the United States and Canada. With the aim of achieving a similar level of market dominance in the rest of the world, the latest joint venture will aim to leverage the strengths of both parents. It will principally sell ready-to-drink tea concentrate to franchise bottlers for distribution by Pepsi. As the worlds largest tea producer, Unilever will bring the brand, knowledge of the tea industry and a substantial research and development capability to the JV; Pepsi will contribute access to its extensive bottling and distribution network with strong customer relations (â€Å"Unilever PepsiCo† 2003). Customer Analysis There are two major target markets for ready-to-drink ice tea. One group is the consumers on the go. These are the employees, students, and other consumers who lead a busy lifestyle. The hectic American lifestyle demands for optimize productivity with lesser time- consumption. Thus, there is a need for products that are accessible and readily available. Convenience has dominated the market, particularly the food and beverage industry. The other group is made up of health conscious consumers, specifically the baby boomers who patronize anything healthy. The positive reviews as well as the studies on the benefits of tea drinking have stirred an interest in tea drinking. Representing about 10 percent of the world market for tea (Wikipedia 2007), Lipton ice tea is poised to improve its customer base through a joint agreement with PepsiCo and aggressive marketing strategy. Recent report (Winslow 2006) that the main factor for the improving market performance of Lipton ice tea is its health benefits. Consumers believe that tea is very good for the body; thus, it is more logical to drink more tea and less soda pop and other drinks. Consumers drink Lipton tea because of its beneficial effects to ones health. Consumers consider drinking Lipton as a healthy habit. The 100 percent Natural Tea and 150 mg of protective natural antioxidants has made Lipton tea a major participant in the global tea market. â€Å"Many tea drinkers choose Lipton because it is really inexpensive and you can get it just about anywhere. It is surprising that more people do not drink tea, as they would longer, happier and healthier lives if they did† (Winslow 2006). Furthermore, some customers think that taking anti-oxidants are healthy, thus, customers drink a couple of gallons per week: â€Å"Tea makes you look younger too and gives you energy as well. You know it also costs a lot less to drink tea too, for 100 bags at $2.50 lasts you about 3- weeks. 2-quarts per day are possible when it is really hot out, of course it varies with the drinker† (Winslow 2006). Recognizing that majority of Lipton ice teas consumers are the health-conscious and on- the-go drinkers, Lipton continues to develop its product lines to make it more convenient, accessible and health-appealing to consumers. Brand Analysis and Positioning Lipton ice tea is produced to make it â€Å"great tasting and good for [consumers] because it is rich in protective antioxidants† (Unilever 2007). Lipton ice tea is marketed globally as â€Å"the perfect drink for active, healthy lifestyle† (Unilever 2007). It is available in 16 oz plastic bottles with select flavors sold in six-pack cases. Flavors available are: Iced tea Sweetened Lightly sweetened iced tea Iced tea Unsweetened Tea with no sugar and no added flavors Iced tea with Lemon Sweetened iced tea with a twist of citrus flavor Iced tea with Raspberry Sweetened iced tea with raspberry flavor Iced tea with peach Sweetened iced tea with peach flavor Iced tea Diet Sweet Tea Lightly sweetened with Splendid and no calories Iced tea Diet Lemon Lightly sweetened with a hint of lemon Iced tea Extra Sweet Very sweet iced tea, marketed as Southern Style in some areas Half Half Half sweetened ice tea and half lemonade Diet green tea with Mixed Berry Mellow tea diet and lightly flavored with mixed berry (Wikipedia 2007; Unilever 2007). The packaging and marketing strategy for Lipton ice tea is a reflection of Unilevers thrust for consumer welfare and sustainable development. To meet the growing demand for ice tea, Lipton continues to develop new products through its research and development department. New flavors are being added to cater to changing and adventurous tastes of consumers. More importantly, the Unilever-PepsiCo ensures that Lipton ice tea continues to expand its niche in the global market. According to Patrick Cescau, director of Unilever Foods: We [Unilever] have a strong presence in the developing and emerging markets yet there is plenty of ‘white space to move into. These markets are the next in our planned rollout and we see Pepsi as the best partner to help us achieve this. This new joint venture marks a truly significant step in the expansion of the brand, bringing it within the reach of many millions of new consumers.(â€Å"Unilever PepsiCo† 2003). Moreover the alliance between Unilever and PepsiCo is expected to â€Å"enable Lipton to strengthen its global position. At the same time, we are rounding out our portfolio with a strategic partnership in one of the fastest growing beverage segments and providing consumers with Lipton, the world leader in tea. (â€Å"Unilever PepsiCo† 2003). Direct Competitor Analysis One of the major competitors for Lipton in the world ice tea market is Nestle Refreshment Company, maker of Nestea Ice Tea, well-known competitor for Lipton ice tea. Like Lipton-Unilever, Nestle Refreshment Company has forged agreement with another soda manufacturer, Coca Cola, to form the Coca Cola/Nestle Refreshment Company (Sturdivant 1992). Nestles alliance with Coca Cola has the same purpose as the Unilever PepsiCo joint agreement: global distribution. The strong presence of Coca Cola/Nestle ice tea in the United States and some parts of the globe remains a threat to the goals of Unilever PepsiCo to make Lipton the most dominant player in the global ice tea market. Coca Cola/Nestle has two major products: Nestea sweetened with natural lemon flavor and diet Nestea with natural lemon flavor. Both are available in 12 ounce cans and in 16 ounce wide mouth glass bottles. In addition to the cans and bottles, Nestea is available in refrigerated cartons (as in milk cartons) in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores and convenience stores. The tea is preservative free and made from a brewed product taken back down to a tea powder. While Nestle Coca Cola continues to develop the packaging and marketing strategies for Nestea Ice Tea, there are no recent announcements of impending new products or new flavors of ice tea to be developed soon. There is a limited flavor of Nestea Ice Tea which is basically the original ice tea flavor. The company has not shown interest to capture the emerging demand for healthy ready-to-drink ice tea products. This can be a good opportunity for Unilever PepsiCo to exploit. Lipton Ice Tea can continue to expand its market niche by capturing the growing market for healthy ready-to- drink ice tea. Unilever PepsiCo can exploit the limited flavors of Nestea Ice Tea. Recommendations/Conclusions: With the expected growth of the billion dollar ready-to-drink ice tea market, Lipton Ice Tea is poised to capture a bigger share of the market with an aggressive marketing strategy: from packaging to advertising. Short Term Goals: Improve market presence by 20% Short-Term Objectives Aggressive Marketing Strategy Unilever can take advantage of the positive press on the health benefits of tea to boost the sales of its ice tea product line. The company can use recent studies on the health benefits of tea as the basis of its press releases and advertising campaigns. Improve Packaging Currently, the Lipton Ice Tea are available globally in two sizes: the 16-oz bottle and 2 liter bottle. Unilever can come up with other packaging sizes to ensure that consumers will have other choices and that Lipton Ice Tea will be easily and readily available to consumers. Improve Shelf Presence Unilever PepsiCo can make a deal with retailers ensure retail shelf space and prominent positioning for Lipton Ice Tea. â€Å"Although an average shopper may not notice what brands are positioned in prominent places on shelves or how much room is allotted to each manufacturer, †¦shelf space and positioning as make or break factors in introducing new products† (Sturdivant 1992). Long-Term Goals: World Number One ready-to-drink ice tea Long-Term Objectives: Product Innovation Unilever PepsiCo must continue its innovative research and development strategy to come up with new flavors and products. Unilever has extensive research facilities on product improvement. The company can use its resources and professional expertise to come up with new flavors that will suit the continuous demand for healthy ready-to-drink ice tea. With aggressive marketing strategy and product positioning, Lipton Ice Tea is poised to take the global lead in ready-to-drink ice tea industry.