Innocent Drink Analysis | SWOT and PESTEL

Innocent Drink Analysis | SWOT and PESTEL 1. Introduction This report shall analyse Innocent Drinks, which has been cited as one of the fastest growing British companies on record (Phelvin and Wallop, 2008; Reynolds, 2013). This shall be done by giving a brief overview of the Innocent Drinks, carrying out a SWOT analysis in order to determine its prospects and potential challenges, as well as conducting a PESTEL analysis in order to determine the impact its various environments have had and will possibly have in the future. A cultural analysis shall also be performed, as culture has been proven to have an influence on a company’s performance (Kotter and Heskett, 1992). Based on these analyses, recommendations for Innocent Drinks shall be suggested and conclusions drawn. 2. Overview Innocent Drinks was founded in 1999 by a group of three friends – Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright – following a positive reception to the sales of their smoothies at a music festival (Innocent Drinks, 2014a; Rubin, 2010). It has grown since then from its small start as a stall set up at the Jazz on Green festival in London to become Europe’s best selling smoothie, with its products being sold in several European countries, a revenue of over  £213.5 million as of 2012, and a consistent increase in market share over the years (Innocent Drinks, 2014a; Reynolds, 2013; Rubin, 2010). Its mission is â€Å"to make it easy for people to do themselves some good – and that doing so should taste good too† (Rubin, 2010, p. 1). Its values are to be natural, entrepreneurial, responsible, commercial and generous (Innocent Drinks, 2014d). The innocent promise is that it â€Å"tastes good; does good†, and this is fulfilled through its use of tasty healthy products which are sustainably sourced, and through giving 10% of all its profits to charity (Innocent Drinks, 2014c, n.p.). The company’s product range is divided into four categories: smoothies, juices, kids’ products (including kid’s drinks and fruit tubes), and foods (Innocent Drinks, 2014b). 3. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis below highlights the strengths and weaknesses of Innocent Drinks, as well as the opportunities available to the company and the potential threats it could face. Strengths Innocent Drinks has experienced strong consistent growth over the past years. According to Reynolds (2013), Britvic Soft Drinks reported that Innocent Drinks was one of 2013’s big winners, with a growth in its annual value sales by more than 35%. It was also a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics, and following this, its sales volume experienced a significant increase of more than 60%. It also has a wide range of products and is continuously increases the number of products in its range (O’Reilly, 2014), and this expansion strategy helps increase its customer base and sales volume. Its recent partnership with Coca-Cola, which involved Coca-Cola buying the majority of its shares, has also enabled it to leverage on Coca-Cola’s marketing, buying and media power, as well as its wealth of experience and available capital. It was also through this partnership that it was able to become the official smoothie of the Olympics (Neate, 2013). Innocent Drinks has also won several awards, including an award from the Healthy Food Guide in 2011 for its Caribbean veg pot, another from the World Juice Award in 2011 for the best new product (its Apple Juice), and another for best packaging (for its carafe), various awards from the Brand Index Buzz, CoolBrands Award, and the Grocer Gold Awards (Innocent Drinks, 2014e). These awards greatly enhance brand awareness and customer perception. It is also seen as a company with strong ethical values, and topped the list of Social Brands in 2012 (Innocent Drinks, 2014e). This is also very beneficial for the company, because strong ethics and environmentally-friendly policies and actions can be a source of reputational, financial and competitive advantage for companies (Markley and Davis, 2007). The ideas, skills, commitment and dedication of the founders as well as the staff of the company is also a key strength of Innocent Drinks, and is one of the reasons behind its growth and expansion over the years. Weaknesses Innocent Drinks is still a growing brand, and has relatively less visibility than other fruit juice brands. It also faces strong competition from Tropicana Products, a division of PepsiCo which is more popular, being the UK’s number one juice brand. When PepsiCo launched its smoothies range in 2008, Richard Reed, one of Innocent Drinks’ founders, stated that their competitor â€Å"is regarded as one of the most ferociously competitive on the planet. They have launched smoothies this year and we are their target† (Sibun, 2008, n.p.). Tropicana also has the advantage of â€Å"60 years of experience in fruit selection and excellent blends† (PepsiCo, n.d., p.1). Innocent Drinks’ prices are also higher than that of other brands, and this can prevent some segments of the market from purchasing their products, and also give competitors an upper hand. Additionally, there have been criticisms regarding its ethical claims (Phelvin and Wallop, 2008; Sibun, 2008). Furthermore, Innocent Drinks major market is the United Kingdom, and the strong reliance on this market leaves it susceptible to economic as well as other challenges faced by this market. Although it has expanded across Europe, its expansion was reported as â€Å"an expensive decision†, with the company recording considerable losses from 2008 to 2011 following the expansion (Anderson, 2012, p. 1). Opportunities A growing interest in healthy eating and healthy lifestyles in general; and campaigns such as the five a day campaign present significant opportunities from Innocent Drinks, particularly as their products are mainly made from fruits and vegetables (Bainbridge, 2013; Briggs, 2014). Bainbridge (2013) notes that as fruit juices and smoothies count towards the target of consuming 5 fruit and vegetable portions a day, they create a marketable health benefit. The fruit juice and smoothies market is also a popular and mature one, with a study by Marketing Week revealing that 88% of respondents had drank fruit juice or smoothies within the previous six months (Bainbridge, 2013). Bainbridge (2013) also notes that growths in the demographic (families, ABC1s and 16-34 year olds) which are above-average consumers of such drinks also lend support to the growth of this industry in general. Threats Reynolds (2013) reports that increases in raw material prices have particularly affected the juice industry. Climate change issues can also have a considerable impact on the supply of fruit, which in turn can affect Innocent Drinks’ juice and smoothie production. Barron (2009, p. 2) notes that Innocent Drinks â€Å"has been made increasingly aware of extreme weather conditions such as higher than average temperatures, drought and hurricanes†. These seriously affect its ability to, and ease of, sourcing particular fruits. There have also been questions regarding the purported health benefits of its juices and smoothies, and these doubts can have an impact on customer perception and sales volumes if not effectively addressed (Hodgekiss, 2013; Mintel, 2010). The information from this SWOT analysis, as well as the PESTEL analysis below, shall subsequently be used as a basis for recommendations for Innocent Drinks. 4. PESTEL Analysis And Analysis Of Innocent Drinks’ Competition The PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) framework is framework for analysing the macro environment in which an organisation operates. Analysing an environment using this framework enables an organisation to identify, understand and adapt to relevant external factors, and to plan for any effects environmental trends can have on its strategies and activities (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2012). Political Political factors which affect Innocent Drinks include rulings and guidelines by the Department of Health, the Advertising Standards Authority, Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading. For instance, the Department of Health changed the 5-a-day guidelines to allow smoothies which contain all edible parts of the fruit used, or which contain 100% pure juice to count as two portions of the 5-a-day (The Telegraph, 2009). The guidelines by these bodes also affect even seemingly minor details. For instance, Innocent Drinks had to fight with trading standards when it wanted to change ‘use by’ to ‘enjoy by’ on its products, as part of the image they aimed to depict (Gubbay, 2011). Economic There are several economic factors which influence Innocent Drinks. These include the economic situation in the countries it operates in, particularly United Kingdom as well as some European countries, tax policies, and other market and industry factors. For instance, Levy (2011, n.p.) reports that smoothie sales fell by a third as they were deemed â€Å"too expensive for credit-crunched Brits†. The Food and Drink Innovation Network (FDIN) (2010) also report that following the recession, Innocent Drinks suffered significantly, with the sales of its smoothies falling by 29% in 2008 and 2009. Social Social factors which affect Innocent Drinks include consumer attitudes and buying patterns, the growth of its target demographics, and various health campaigns such as the 5-a-day campaign. A growing interest in healthy eating and projected growth trends for its main demographic present considerable opportunities for Innocent Drinks in the United Kingdom as well as in Europe in general. Technological Technological factors include innovation regarding new production methods and products, as well as the packaging for its products, recycling, and other trends and advances in manufacturing. For instance, Innocent Drinks had been working on increasing the percentage of recycled plastic used to manufacture its bottles (as it was previously made from 50% recycled plastic). It increased this to 100% in 2007, and is continuously looking for new ways in which it can minimise its impact on the environment through technological advances in manufacturing its packaging (Innocent Drinks, 2007). Environmental Innocent Drinks is affected by various environmental laws such as those regarding the carbon impact of its packaging components, the use of recyclable/renewable material, etc. Innocent Drinks has focused on discovering ways in which it can reduce wastage and its carbon impact on the environment, in terms of packaging, transportation of goods etc. Although it has faced some challenges regarding this, as reported by Phelvin and Wallop (2008) and discussed below under the cultural analysis, it nevertheless makes considerable effort to reduce any negative impact it has on the environment. In 2013 for instance, Innocent Drinks save over 1000 tonnes of plastic by putting its juice carafes on a diet, and also makes use of 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified material for its cartons (Innocent Drinks, 2014f). Legal Innocent Drinks has to comply with various laws including consumer protection laws, industry regulations (such as those outlined above). Legal issues such as competition laws also influence factors such as mergers and acquisitions, as in the case with Innocent Drinks’ partnership with Coca-Cola (Macalister and Teather, 2010). Table 1 below shows Innocent Drinks’ performance compared with other leading drink companies. TABLE 1: THE BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS REPORT: TOP GROCERY, CONVENIENCE AND IMPULSE BRANDS Source: Reynolds (2013, p. 1) It can be observed that Innocent Drinks recorded the highest percentage increase in the group, thus showing a strong growth potential. However, it should also be noted that Innocent is a relatively new company and is also is a rapid growth phase. It may therefore be somewhat challenging to maintain such high growth levels over time. 5. An Analysis Of Innocent Drinks’ Organisational Culture A number of studies have revealed that there is a significant relationship between an organisation’s culture and certain aspects of its performance (Kotter and Heskett, 1992; Rashid, Sabasivan and Johari, 2003). According to Kotter and Heskett (1992), organisations with cultures where emphasis was on leadership at all levels and key managerial constituencies (i.e. employees, customers and shareholders) performed considerably better than companies who did not have such cultural traits (the former experienced a 682% revenue increase on average over a period of 11 years, while the latter experienced 166%). It is therefore important to consider the culture of a company when evaluating its performance. In order to evaluate Innocent Drinks’ organisational culture, Deal and Kennedy’s (1999) typology of corporate cultures shall be used. Deal and Kennedy (1999) outlined four main categories of company cultures based on the degree of risk involved in the activities of the organisation, and the speed at which the organisation and employees obtain feedback regarding the success of their strategies/ventures. They note that these two factors have an impact on the development of cultural elements in an organisation and how these influence the company’s employees. The four categories are: the process culture, bet-your-company culture, work-hard/play-hard culture and tough-guy/macho culture (Deal and Kennedy, 1999; Mullins, 2010). Figure 1 below illustrates these categories: Source: Revenaugh (1994, p. 20) The process culture is characterised by low risk and slow feedback, and this leads employees to focus on how they do things (i.e. the process), rather than what they actually do. Although quite bureaucratic, it can actually be effective when order and predictability is needed (Mullins, 2010). The bet-your-company culture is characterised by high risk and low feedback. In such organisations, due to the nature of the feedback, it can take a long time before the success or failure of decisions becomes apparent. Examples of companies with such cultures are oil companies and investment banks. The tough-guy, macho culture is one which is characterised by high risk, quick feedback regarding actions taken, high financial stakes, and intense pressure and speed. Examples of such organisations with this type of culture include police departments, hospitals and the entertainment industry (Deal and Kennedy, 1999; Mullins, 2010). The work-hard, play-hard culture is few risks, quick feedback and fun and action. In such a culture, there is a â€Å"high level of relatively low risk activity† (Mullins, 2010, p. 741). Deal and Kennedy (1999) point out that a considerable number of sales-driven organisations have this culture. Such organisations are highly dynamic, customer-focused, and place a high emphasis on team work, as it is the team that produces the volume (Deal and Kennedy, 1999; Mullins, 2010). It is important to note though that not all companies will fall strictly into these four categories, and some may be characterised by a blend of more than one, such as banks for instance. Nevertheless, it still provides a useful guide for understanding the culture of an organisation, and taking steps to maximise the benefits of such a culture, as well as handle the challenges such a culture poses. Having briefly described these four categories and based on the information available on Innocent Drinks, the company can be said to have a work-hard, play-hard culture. While it is characterised by a high level of activity, much of it is low risk. It is also sales-driven, has a strong team culture, and a fun, informal approach to carrying out its activities and relating with the public (Innocent Drinks, 2014a). However, a key challenge of this type of culture is that employees can possibly rely on the good performance of a team to hide weak personal performance. Another challenge is that a focus on volume can have a negative impact on quality (Mullins, 2010). Innocent Drinks has consequently been accused of making misleading claims regarding its environmental and ethical credentials (Phelvin and Wallop, 2008). Phelvin and Wallop (2008) reported that while Innocent Drinks leads its customers to believe that it imports the fruit and then makes the drinks in the UK, and that its fruit is always transported by by road or rail because this uses less fossil fuel than air/road transport. This is not the case, as the drinks are actually made elsewhere in Europe, and transported in lorries to the UK for bottling. Innocent Drinks however argued that the company had not deliberately attempted to mislead customers, but had simply stopped publicising where its drinks were made since it moved its production abroad, and had failed to update this information on their web page. 6. Recommendations And Conclusion Having carried out these analyses of Innocent Drinks from various aspects, this section shall use the results of these analyses to offer recommendations to Innocent Drinks. Subsequently, conclusions shall be drawn. From the SWOT analysis, it can be seen that Innocent Drinks needs to work on changing their sourcing strategies, particularly from areas affected by such adverse weather conditions. Innocent Drinks could also work with its suppliers to carry out certain farm practices that will minimise the impact of these conditions such as reforestation, mulching techniques, shade management, improved drainage systems etc. (Barron, 2009). Innocent Drinks’ partnership with Coca-Cola was a good strategy, considering the competition it faced from PepsiCo and the need for enhanced marketing in order to boost its brand visibility and market share. It is nevertheless important that it preserves its key values which have endeared it to customers, and also maintains its reputation as an ethical, environmentally friendly, social brand. This issue of Innocent Drinks maintaining its brand values has been a particular concern for customers following its takeover by Coca-Cola (Cohen, 2011; Macalister and Teather, 2010). As such, efforts need to be made to convince their stakeholders that they will remain loyal to their values. Based on the analysis of Innocent Drinks’ culture, it can be observed that there is a need to pay attention to not just team performance, but the performance of individuals as well. This can be done by ensuring that team leaders allocate specific tasks to various members of the team and hold them responsible for each of these tasks. Furthermore, in reports on the team’s activities, the contribution of each individual member can also be highlighted, in order to avoid social loafing. There also needs to be an increased emphasis on transparency. This is because the discovery that Innocent Drinks is not doing what it claims to be doing can lead to feelings of distrust from customers and other relevant stakeholders. As such, it is necessary to keep the information open to the public on their websites or other similar places up-to-date, and ensure that efforts are made to do what the company claims it will do. It should also aim to effectively address the accusations that its smoothies are high in calories/sugar and are not necessarily as healthy as they are purported to be, due to the processing methods used. Innocent Drinks can also look into the possibility of expanding into other continents such as Asia and Africa, in order to negate the effects of possible adverse market conditions in Europe. However, a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis would need to be done first, in order to determine how feasible this would be. In conclusion, it can be observed that Innocent Drinks has considerable potential to grow and be a market leader in the industry. However, there are a number of weaknesses and threats which need to be managed and possibly overcome. The recommendations outlined above, while not exhaustive, can serve as a guide for Innocent Drinks decision makers and could potentially enhance its customer base, market position and its overall profitability. References Andersen, E. (2012). Innocent Drinks founder: Exporting pushed us into the red.Management Today, 26th October 2012. Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1156817/Innocent-Drinks-founder-Exporting-pushed-us-red/ > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Bainbridge, J. (2013). Sector Insight (Interactive): Fruit juice, juice drinks and smoothies.Marketing Magazine, 14th March, 2013 [Online]. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Barron, V. (2009). Climate Change Impacts on Business: A case study of Innocent Drinks and their top fruits. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Briggs, H. (2014). Fruit and veg: More than five-a-day ‘no effect’. BBC, 30 July, 2014 [Online]. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Cohen, T. (2011) Innocent accused over charity ‘con’.Daily Mail, 27 May 2011. Available at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391521/Innocent-Smoothie-maker-defends-handing-520-000-charity-cash-2008.html > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Deal, T.E. and Kennedy, A.A. (1999)The new corporate cultures. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books Gubbay (2011). Brains behind famous smoothie company shares his Innocent approach to business. Available at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/businessschool/newssummary/news_20-6-2011-17-54-53 > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Hodgekiss, A. (2013) The 15 WORST sugary drinks in Britain.Daily Mail, 30 March 2013 [Online]. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2007) Our brand new 100% recycled plastic bottles. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014a). Our story. Available at http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/our-story> Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014b). Things we make. Available at http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/things-we-make> Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014c). The innocent promise. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014d). Our purpose, Our values. Available at http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/careers> Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014e). Awards we have won. Available at . Retrieved 28th October 2014. Innocent Drinks (2014f). Being sustainable. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Johnson, G., Whittington, R. and Scholes, K. (2012)Fundamentals of Strategy. Second edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Kotter, J.P. and Heskett, J.L. (1992)Corporate Culture and Performance. New York: The Free Press Levy, A. (2011) Feel the squeeze: Smoothie sales down a third as they are ‘too expensive’ for credit-crunched Brits.Daily Mail, 1st November 2011 [Online]. Available at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2055681/Smoothie-sales-theyre-expensive-credit-crunch-Brits.html > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Macalister, T. and Teather, D. (2010) Innocent smoothie denies sell-out after Coca-Cola gets majority stake.The Guardian, 9 April 2010 [Online]. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/apr/09/coca-cola-innocent-smoothie-stake > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Markley, M. J., and Davis, L. (2007). Exploring future competitive advantage through sustainable supply chains.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,37(9), 763-774 Mintel (2010) Smoothies –UK. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Mullins, L.J. (2010).Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9th Edition. Harlow: Prentice Hall Neate, R. (2013). Coca-Cola takes full control of Innocent.The Guardian, 22nd February, 2013 [Online]. Available at < http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/feb/22/coca-cola-full-control-innocent> Retrieved 28th October 2014. O’Reilly, L. (2014). Innocent launces ‘super smoothie’ range.Marketing Week, 10th March, 2014. Available at < http://www.marketingweek.com/2014/03/10/innocent-launches-super-smoothie-range/> Retrieved 28th October 2014. PepsiCo (n.d.). New Tropicana Smoothies will boost 5-a-day efforts. Available at < http://www.pepsico.co.uk/our-company/media-centre/news-and-comment/new-tropicana-smoothies-will-boost-5-a-day-efforts>. Retrieved 28th October 2014. Phelvin, P. and Wallop, H. (2008). Innocent Smoothies accused over environmental marketing.The Telegraph, 1st August 2008 [Online]. Available at Retrieved 28th October 2014. Rashid, M. Z. A., Sambasivan, M., Johari, J. (2003). The influence of corporate culture and organisational commitment on performance.Journal of Management Development,22(8), 708-728 Revenaugh, D. L. (1994). Business process re-engineering: the unavoidable challenge.Management Decision,32(7), 16-27 Reynolds, J. (2013). Innocent sales rocket over 35%, says Britvic Soft Drinks Report. Available at . Retrieved 28th October 2014. Rubin, C. (2010) Building England’s Ethical, Healthy and Slightly Cheeky Beverage Brand. Inc., July 2010. Available at http://www.inc.com/articles/2010/07/building-englands-favorite-smoothie-company.html > Retrieved 28th October 2014. Sibun, J. (2008). Not such a smooth ride for Innocent.The Telegraph, 2nd August 2008 [Online]. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2794173/Not-such-a-smooth-ride-for-Innocent.html > Retrieved 28th October 2014. The Food and Drink Innovation Network (FDIN) Comment on Coca-Cola’s Purchase of Innocent. Available at http://www.fdin.org.uk/2010/04/comment-on-coca-colas-purchase-of-innocent/ > Retrieved 28th October 2014. The Telegraph (2009). Smoothies count as two of five fruit and veg per day. The Telegraph, 16th September 2009 [Online]. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6197202/Smoothies-count-as-two-of-five-fruit-and-veg-per-day.html > Retrieved 28th October 2014.

France And Germanys Relationships From 1815-1917 Essay -- essays resea

Throughout the time period of 1815 – 1917 there was a vast number of changes. There were good and bad ones. The main principle of this time period was that people were starting to realize that peace should be prevalent throughout Europe. This paper will discuss the relationships between France and Germany during the time period of 1815 – 1917.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The paper will primarily focus on the Franco Prussian War, The Revolutions of 1848, the Dreyfus affair, the Austro Prussian War, imperialism and the beginning of World War One and everything that is closely related to those topics. The paper will have various pictures and primary documents for you to refer to throughout the reading. The Outcome of the Congress of Vienna   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Congress of Vienna was formed to keep a balance of power, and preserve peace throughout Europe. There were many territorial decisions that were made during this congress. These decisions effected the outcome of the Congress of Vienna. France was deprived of any land that was conquered by Napoleon. Prussia received much of Saxony and important parts of Westphalia and the Rhine Province.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Prussia received the Rhineland, it was not thought too much of a political gain. However in the long run it paid off. The Rhineland was full of coal and iron. This was very important during Prussian industrial revolution of the 1840s. Since there was this abundance of iron a plethora of railroad tracks could be produced. This led to a large free trade zone. Since King Fredrick William III eliminated all tariffs in the German states, a large free trade state was formed. This allowed the Prussian to have a large monopoly in the middle of the continent of Europe. However the Prussian success did not last forever. It ran into a small glitch. This glitch was the revolution of 1848.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France did not have the same luck. They were given no land and kept under watch by the other countries. The clever Tallyrand represented France at the congress and just tried to make sure that France could stay in the thick of things in European politics. France would soon also have their own problems just as Prussia would. France would also have their own revolution in 1848, as did almost every other country in Europe. The Revolutions of 1848   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...;  Ã‚   Nationalism is the overall feeling of a group of people to feel part of a group. This feeling was becoming more and more prevalent throughout these times. It was many times a cause of revolt or war just as imperialism was. The underlying causes of World War I were the spirit of intense nationalism that superfluous in Europe throughout the 19th and into the 20th century. The political and economic rivalry among the nations, and the establishment and maintenance in Europe after 1871 of large armaments and of two hostile military alliances. Refer to document â€Å"C† on page 714.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The times from 1815 – 1917 were a time of massive change. Many things went on that changed our world forever. One thing is the Dreyfus affair was a situation that any society has never encountered until this time. Just at the beginning of the Twentieth century was the First World War. This left an ever-impressionable impact upon our world. All of this change was good and need. Otherwise our society would not have turned out the way it has.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Lab Report: Ph

Lab Report: pH Name: _________________________________________________________ Materials Needed You will need the following materials for this lab. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Red cabbage Coffee filter or paper towel Container for water (at least 250 ml or 1 / 2 pint) Three transparent cups (about 100 ml or 3 ounces) or other similar containers Hot water (e. g. , from a faucet, heated in a microwave oven, etc. ) Thermometer Vinegar Baking soda Safety goggles Tongs or fork Eyedropper or drinking straw Craft stick or toothpick Extra sticks or drinking straws for stirringHypothesis In this lab, you will compare the pH ranges of vinegar and a solution of water and baking soda. Do you think vinegar is an acid or a base? What about the baking soda? Write down your hypothesis now. Procedure Carry out the following steps to complete this lab. 1. Peel off several red cabbage leaves and tear them into pieces about 2. 5 cm (1 inch) square. Place the red cabbage pieces into the container. 2. Cover the cabbage pieces with hot water (not boiling water) and soak for about 30 minutes.As a safety precaution, use the thermometer to make sure that the temperature of the water is not higher than 50 degrees Celsius (about 125 degrees Fahrenheit).  ©Ã‚  KC  Distance  Learning 3. With tongs or a fork, remove and discard as many cabbage pieces from the container as you can. 4. Carefully pour the remaining cabbage water from the larger container through the coffee filter into the three smaller cups or other transparent containers. 5. Note the purplish or dark blue color.If the cabbage water has a pH of about 7. 0, which is typical for plain tap water, the color will be more purplish. If your water is treated by a water supply facility, it may have a pH around 8. 0, resulting in a dark blue color. This water color is your baseline. You will be comparing other colors to this as you proceed. 6. Use a drinkin g straw or eyedropper to transfer vinegar from its container to one cup of cabbage water, five drops at a time.Stir the cabbage water after each vinegar transfer. Note any color change. Continue transferring vinegar five drops at a time until the color of the cabbage water has changed to a color different from that of the original cabbage water. 7. Use a craft stick or toothpick to transfer baking soda from its container to another cup of cabbage water, just a few grains at a time. Stir the cabbage water after each baking soda transfer. Note any color change.Continue transferring baking soda a few grains at a time until the color of the cabbage water has changed to a color different from that of the original cabbage water. 8. The THIRD cup is your baseline cup. If you tap water is neutral, its color should be mostly purple, but it may be more bluish if your tap water has been treated by your county or city water supplier. 9. Record the color of the water after your final additions o f vinegar or baking soda. What pH does each color represent? Is vinegar an acid or a base?How about baking soda? Observations/Data Record the observations and/or data you collected here.  ©Ã‚  KC  Distance  Learning Lab Evaluation What strengths and weaknesses did you find in the experimental design? Is there anything you would do differently next time? How, if at all, would you do the experiment differently if you were to do it again? Discussion After you complete your lab, discuss your results in the course discussion board. Summarize the responses to your discussion here.  ©Ã‚  KC  Distance  Learning

Investment Portfolio Essay Example

Investment Portfolio Essay Example Investment Portfolio Essay Investment Portfolio Essay Investment Portfolio Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Investment Portfolio The investment portfolio would take more than seven years considering there are bonds that will mature after 10 years. Therefore, the time horizon for this project would be in the long term. Although other investments such as securities are within seven years, the bonds make the investment a long-term project. The investment experience for this project can be described as extensive considering the time horizon as well as the investment portfolio itself, which combines several investments in the long term. With securities and bonds that go for more than seven years, the investment can be describes as extensive (Goldie Murray, 2011). Additionally, it is an investment by the same person, meaning the portfolio is diversified making it extensive. I do not intend to withdraw retirement savings for non-retirement expenses. This raises the risk of having no retirement savings in the end. Therefore, I would prefer leaving the retirement savings untouched and exploit other means. I would consider retirement savings to be a future investment, and should not be withdrawn since it means having no savings at the end. However, if it is an investment withdrawal likely to earn more, I could consider withdrawing. In case of an emergency, my long-term investment would last for quite some time if the emergency were not solved by short-term investments. My long-term investments would last for more than a year, about two years in the event of a significant amount of emergency. The monthly income used for paying up the installment debt is between 25% and 50% per month, which does not include the mortgage. The installment debt does vary with the variation of interest rate in the market but does not exceed 50% of my salary. In the future, about five years from now I expect that my salary and earnings will be able to grow and exceed the inflation, considering the investments I have made. As I expect my investment to grow within the five years, I would also expect my earnings to exceed the inflation rate or grow faster than the inflation rate within the five-year period (Goldie Murray, 2011). I could be ready to take some risks for my investment in order to exceed the inflation rate. Currently, the investment is likely to exceed the inflation rate in the future. However, if it would require taking more risks, I would take some, but not to a big extent. During steep decline in the equity markets, many people or investors are under pressure to sell their investment. At this time, the equities sell at a cheap price. Therefore, I would see it as a chance of increasing my investment by buying more equities. Therefore, after a steep decline, I would be comfortable, and see it as a chance of buying more equities (Hagin, 2004). If I had $100,000 invested and lost 20%, which is $20,000, I would see it as an investment opportunity and buy more since many investors would sell cheap at that time to avoid further loss. I would probably hope they would gain in the future, when I shall have some profit. However, if the investment dropped by another $12,000, which is 15% loss to make it 35 in total, I would still hold on and wait for them to gain. Selling the entire investment would mean a bigger loss than waiting for them to gain and earn some earnings. References Goldie, D. C., Murray, G. S. (2011). The investment answer: Learn to manage your money protect your financial future. New York, NY: Business Plus. Hagin, R. (2004). Investment management: Portfolio diversification, risk, and timing–fact and fiction. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Rise of the Killer Mutants

Rise of the Killer Mutants ers appear to be far from solving this phenomenon In 2005, Wright and his team also discovered many streptomyces strain and species have multiple resistances to various antibiotic drugs including some new synthetic drugs. This makes one to think of possible resistance of these streptomyces strain and species to the currently famous herbal drugs. What caught my attention is that commercial livestock practices as well as use of antibacterial detergents are some of the transfer grounds for these killer antibiotic resistant genes.

I'll attach it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I'll attach it - Essay Example Saudi Arabia has a GDP growth rate of 5.1 %, compared to the world 8.6 % and 7.4 % in 2011 and 2010 respectively. The total GDP (in US$ billions) of all 22 Arab League members by 2012 was $71,707.3 calculated at the government official exchange rates. The GDP in (US$) Saudi Arabia 727.3, U.A.E 358.9, Egypt 256.7, Iraq 212.5, Algeria 207.8, Qatar 183.4, Kuwait 173.4, Morocco 107.1, Libya 81.92, Oman 76.46, Syria 64.7. Sudan 59.94, Tunisia 45.61, Lebanon 41.35, Yemen 35.64, Jordan 31.21, Bahrain 27.03, Palestine N/A, Mauritania 4.199, Somalia 2.372, Djibouti 1.354, and lastly Comoros 0.600 (Central Intelligence Agency).The GDP dollar estimates that have been presented here have been calculated at government official exchange rates. In 2012 the total GDP for the United States was $16.02 trillion, Japan $5.88 trillion, Germany $3.383 trillion, France $2.579 trillion, and the United Kingdom was $2.443 trillion (CIA). On the other hand, the total GDP of the Arab League members by 2012 was $71,707.3. This is less compared to the individual GDP of the aforementioned countries. This means that these countries have a higher GDP compared to the 22 Arab League nations. This contradicts the misconception that most Arab countries are rich because of the oil proceeds. None of the Arab League country has a GDP higher than France, Germany, USA, Japan, and the UK. Palestine has GDP growth of $10 billion and a GDP per capita of $1924 and $876 for West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively (Abed 59). Between 1967 and 1990, the economy of West Bank and Gaza Strip was characterized by increase in individual income, reduction in the economy’s capacity to absorb its labour force, produce goods, and upgrade technologically.   The total GDP reduced from 34% to 13% between 1968 and 1993 (Aranson, 7-8). Viewed as the driver for any economy seeking to develop and upgrade, the industry

Gentleman Alone - by Pablo Neruda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gentleman Alone - by Pablo Neruda - Essay Example In the poem, Gentleman Alone, Neruda has explicitly talked about sex and lovers and the whole theme of the poem is preoccupied with the sexual content. The poem starts with the illustration of people who are surrounding the speaker. They include homosexual men, pregnant house wives, young girls, cats in their heat, all of whom are surrounding the house of the speaker and making love. The speaker’s tone shows that he is desperate about his loneliness when the whole world around him is making love. Sex and passion seems in the air and everybody in the poem is shown drenched with the lust of bodily experiences. People of all ages are getting involved in sex. The speaker talks about a beach paradise which is lined with palm trees, a scene that is depicting the summer season, and which is perfect for lovers. The poem then talks about a low salaried clerk who has been sleeping with his neighbor and has seduced her to making love. He takes her to the movies and continues to fill his desire of lust. The poet talks about his own despair when he sees that the husbands, students, priests and animals, all are occupied with sex and lovemaking. Hence, the message that we can figure out from this poem is that despite the fact that one is surrounded with people who are enjoying and having fun and are doing whatever they like, one is bound to live in despair if his heart is not happy just the same. When one is sad from within, then no matter how much enjoyment is going on around him, he will continue feeling sad and nothing in the world will seem pleasurable enough to soothe him. The poet is feeling lonely instead of the crowd surrounding him. People are making love and there is nobody to love him and thus he feels deserted. As far as the poetic devices used in the poem are concerned, the overall tone of the poem is melancholic depicting the speaker’s frustration that he feels inside him when he sees the world having fun. There is no alliteration and assonance obs erved in the stanzas. However, the poet has intensively made use of imagery and has described things that create vivid mental pictures using any of the five senses. For example, he has used imagery in phrases like ‘palpitating sexual oysters’ (line 5), ‘fat and thin and happy and sad couples’ (line 12), and ‘bees smell of blood’ (line 28). Metaphors have been used, for example, when the poet compares the women’s breasts with glistening eyes, heroes with horses and passionate princes, and beds with ships. The poet has been able to give human qualities to many inanimate objects by using personification in phrases like ‘my solitary home’ (line 6), nights of hunters and husbands ‘burying’ the poet (line 25), and ‘breathing forest crushes me’ (line 36). Onomatopoeia has also been used when the poet uses words like buzz to imitate sounds like in the phrase ‘and the flies buzz cholerically’ (l ine 28). The poet has used the first person narrative with him being a character in the story telling it from his perspective like in phrases ‘cross my garden at night’ (line 4), ‘enemies of my soul’ (line 7), and ‘bury me’ (line 25). There is no repetition of words, lines and stanzas. Every line seems independent of the one preceding it and there is no rhyming scheme as well. The poem has also not been divided into stanzas. The poet has sometimes used hyperbole to make