Not So Young At Heart - 1635 Words

My grandmother was a lifelong smoker until she quit cold turkey in the early 1970’s. At that time, this was one of, if not the only, ways to quit. Nowadays, we have several different methods that are available to quit. These include support groups, e-cigarettes, gum, nasal sprays, etc. With an abundance of resources, quitting has become easier than ever. And as quitting has become easier, awareness is at is peak with the rise of the Internet and social media. The stigma around smoking is growing, and the health effects are becoming more noticeable and easily communicated. This invokes the following question: Why do people continue to smoke, knowing that it will damage their health? This advertisement, titled â€Å"Not-so-young at heart† was initially created in Australia, photographed by Chris Cordeiro. It was created by the Agency, EURO RSCG Sydney for the product Nicotinelli Nicotine Gum. The ad was distributed in May of 2008 and appeared on World No Tobacco Day, May 31st. I found this image through the database provided to me in class, however through further research was able to find the origin of it at advertolog.com. World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31st and is intended to discourage the use of tobacco on that day in hopes of encouraging tobacco users to continue their abstinence as the year progresses. The setting of this ad is fairly homely as it seems to be taking place in the backyard of a house, with plants and trees in the background.Show MoreRelatedShould Student Get Screen For Heart Disease Before Athletics?1539 Words   |  7 Pagesdying of a heart attack at an early age? Should student get screen for heart disease before athletics? Sadly In today’s society, student athletes are dying of heart attacks, at an early age. Which is why student athletes should be required to get screened for heart disease. When the individual gets a screening, they should take both popular diagnostic tests, such as the electrogram (EKG) and the echocardiography (ECHOS). Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in young athletes (DreznerRead MoreThe Medical Science Of Cardiology1179 Words   |  5 PagesYoung 1 The Medical Science of Cardiology Have you ever felt your heart race after a run, or when you watch a movie, your heart stops? Well, your heart is an incredibly important organ within the human body that keeps you alive and helps run your body. The heart is such an important component of the body. If something goes wrong, it needs to be taken care of immediately; this urgent job is given to cardiologists. Cardiology is the medical science of treatment of the heart. This science isRead MoreGustave Flaubert A Simple Heart Essay1195 Words   |  5 PagesGustave Flaubert A Simple Heart Gustave Flaubert’s short story, A Simple Heart, is the narrative account of one woman’s painfully unrewarding life as a humble and blindly dedicated servant, Felicite. Throughout the story chronicling her life, she suffers a series of heartbreaking losses, but continues to love unconditionally nonetheless. A Simple Heart brings up themes of death and loss, and unquestioning duty and responsibility. It also calls into question conventional religious beliefRead MoreThe Dollar Baby Is A Film About Loss, Perseverance, And Love845 Words   |  4 Pagesand trials of life, the film depicts characters having heart. The characters show heart in the film by rendering motivation, kindness and love. Scrap, Maggie, Frankie, and Danger all different characters are similar in that they have heart. They all show in various ways what it means to have heart and live life. Million Dollar Baby film showed characters having heart. The tall old black man that had worn down clothes was a tough but yet had heart. The old black man’s face was wrinkled with a gray beardRead MoreCultural Observation Project Essay examples1473 Words   |  6 Pages I went to this location on a Saturday night, where it was full of young people. The weather outside was warm, but rainy, so I believe this caused even more people to look for indoor fun, so the mall was packed on this Saturday night. I began my observation in the food court, which is near the movie theatre. This is definitely a hot spot in the mall for young people. I got something to eat and began to observe. Most young people were not with their families, but were with their friends insteadRead MoreThe Fountain Of Health : A Disease Caused By Degeneration Of Your Brain962 Words   |  4 Pagesin her hand just a minute ago. This is a heart-breaking disease that no one wants to see their loved one’s suffer from, but it seems to be almost inevitable as you start to age. This is only one of the many diseases caused by age, however thanks to amazing scientists and our much advanced technology they have been able to come up with a solution to all of these issues. The solution would be injecting a young humans blood, which is someone who is very young and healthy, into someone who is old whoRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Peace `` By Rupert Brooke1683 Words   |  7 Pagesin his poem â€Å"Peace† addresses the value and honor of fighting in war. Brooke hopes to inform readers that war is a gift and that those who are able to fight should do so willingly, with great pride and honor. He adopts a passionate and serious tone in order to appeal to the feelings and experiences in his intended audience of young English males. Brooke challenges his intended audience by combatting their pessimistic beliefs of war. 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This leaves a pathway for many diseases and failures in our organs. However, a current study shows that there may be a solution to the dreaded breakdown of our hearts and other functioning organs in our bodies. At Harvard UniversitiesRead MoreAnalysis of Romeo and Juliets Exchange in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet593 Words   |  3 Pagesloyalty. We see love: at first sight, which is one-sided and between young lovers. We also see love in old ages between members of one family and lost and found again. The modern reader will face certain difficulties in Romeo and Juliet. These difficulties consist not so much in the strength of the words or the structure of the sentence. The names Romeo and Juliet have come to epitomize passionate young love; so successful was Shakespeare in creating these characters through

A Comparison of Exxon and Chevron - 1707 Words

Executive Summary Exxon and Chevron are no doubt some of the leading incorporated oil companies on the globe. Exxon Corp. is the second largest oil firm after Royal Dutch Shell, it is respected for getting the biggest revenue return in 2008 which no company in the U.S. have ever reported before. According to Wilson (2009) Chevron has managed to show a lot of profitability in the market despite the decease in its oil production. It graded as one of firms which made a billion dollars profit within a week in the period of July to September 2008. Regardless of profitability trends set by the two oil firms in the U.S. market, they have been facing financial decline like the rest of the companies in other industries. The two firms are like two sailing ships which are taking longer time to sink. In the last few years, the production capacity of Chevron and Exxon has decreased and their listings on the stock market have become weak. The continuation of construction and drilling which requires billions of doll ars in expense of oil production might make them experience a bigger financial crisis (Wilson, 2009). Exxon and Chevron are so different in a number of ways. When you compare Chevron to Exxon, Chevron is a smaller firm. The ratios of Exxon are relatively larger than Chevrons. Nevertheless, Chevron has a got a wide net working capital and market ratio than its counterpart Exxon. This therefore, means that because its larger networking capital, Chevron needs a lot of moneyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Exxon Mobil and Chevron Financial Performance2071 Words   |  9 Pagesexxon mobil and chevron Exxon Mobil and Chevron Financial Performance Understanding the key ratios of a company is very important for investors. Each ratio uncovers the inner workings of the company, and may lead an investor to make a decision on whether to invest in the company, or to continue looking elsewhere. 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OLIGOPOLY CONCENTRATION CAUSES The most notable causes for the high concentrationRead MoreFinancial Research Report Essay3621 Words   |  15 Pagesdriving your decision as a financial manager: Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon Mobil) is a manufacturer and marketer of commodity petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics and a range of specialty products. It also has interests in electric power generation facilities. The company has a numerous divisions and affiliates that include Exxon Mobil, Exxon, Esso or Mobil. Divisions and affiliated companies of Exxon Mobil not only operate but also market productsRead MoreCase Analysis : Exxon Chevron Corporation2318 Words   |  10 PagesThis is the audit project memo of Exxon Mobil Corporation, at your request, it is consists of a brief introduction of the background, the analysis of inherent risk, control risk and detection risk. 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Guess, Inc. Free Essays

string(128) " to listening and responding to the needs of our customers, associates and business partners, and honor their individual value\." Guess? , Inc. What started as a small family owned jeans boutique has flourished into a global lifestyle brand. Guess? , Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Guess, Inc. or any similar topic only for you Order Now currently designs, markets, distributes, and licenses a leading lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel and accessories for men, women, and children that mirror the American lifestyle, while grasping European fashion sensibilities. While the foundation of Guess, Inc. ’s history and massive success can be attributed to their roots in the sale of jeans, Guess, Inc. has now expanded globally, granting licenses for the manufacture and distribution of a full line of product categories. Guess, Inc. perates in 87 countries, with the majority of the stores in the U. S. and Canada. As of 2010, Guess has 1292 stores, 504 in North America, 441 in Europe, and 347 in South East Asia (Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers). The company has agreements with 17 licensees. Throughout the past 30 years, Guess, Inc. has made every effort to maintain their status as a global phenomenon. History CEO and Chairman, Maurice Marciano, and Co-Chairman,  Paul Marciano The epitome of a successful family business, Guess, Inc was founded in 1981 by the four Marciano brothers, Georges, Armand, Paul, and Maurice (Guess? Inc. ). They came equipped with experience in the fashion industry, having previously owned and operated a chain of twelve retail stores in France (Guess, Inc. ). The brothers moved to California from Marseilles, France in 1977, where Guess was born, starting as a small jeans company. Georges Marciano was the designer of the jeans, and the brothers gave them the name â€Å"Guess† as they believed that word to be easy to pronounce due to their limited English (Guess, Inc. ). The company’s original jeans were innovative for its time, stone-washed, made to fit tightly, and featured zippers at the ankles. They called this the â€Å"Marilyn Jean† (Guess, Inc. ), and the style lived up to its name, with a sexy, unique style and attitude. They had a softer feel and lighter colors than typical denim jeans. They also featured the classic Guess triangle on the back pocket, which would soon become the distinctive Guess trademark. Believing strongly in his family’s jean business, Georges flew to New York, and convinced Bloomingdale’s to display 30 pairs of his European-style jeans on consignment in the Bloomingdale’s flagship New York store (Guess, Inc. ). Within three hours, Bloomingdale’s sold out every pair. Demand for the jeans soon skyrocketed, and the brothers would find themselves overwhelmed. Though he possessed no previous advertising experience, the brothers appointed Paul Marciano as their advertising director, in hope of expanding their capital. This proved to be wildly successful, as Paul would design an ad campaign that would revolutionize the way jeans and other clothing were sold. Seeking to take a different direction from the typical studio design, Paul brought the models and the jeans outdoors, using grainy black-and-white photography. He had the models show off the jeans using provocative poses, which would later be described by Forbes Magazine as â€Å"catering to teenage cravings for sex, power, attention, and self-love†¦electric not only with sexuality, but with an implicit brutality and exhibitionism as well. † (GUESS INC (NYSE: GES) | Balance Sheet). These controversial ads would quickly create a household name for Guess. By the end of 1982, their jeans produced about $12 million in revenue (Guess, Inc. ). Over the next 15 years, Guess would grow from a company of 30 pairs of jeans, to a globally diversified billion-dollar empire. Legal Battles Overwhelmed by their increasing costs to produce, the Marciano brothers sought a solution to expand their capital and access cheaper foreign labor. In July 1983, they signed an agreement with the Nakash brothers of the company Jordache which would entitle the Nakash brothers to 50% ownership of Guess, Inc. in exchange for $4. 8 million, as well as the use of Jordache’s Hong Kong manufacturing plants (Guess, Inc. ). This deal also licensed Jordache to produce a new line of jeans, entitled Gasoline, using parts of Guess designs in a lower-priced line. However, Guess made a mistake in putting their trust in the Nakash brothers, and neglecting to provide written assurances in the agreement to protect each company against creating knock-off’s of each other’s designs. This mistake would soon come back to haunt them, in their biggest legal battle to date. The Marcianos sued the Nakash brothers on charges of unfair competition, accusing them of using their position on the Guess board of directors and their access to Guess designs in the Hong King plant to produce clothing in their Jordache line that were clear knockoffs of Guess designs. In the suit, the Marcianos sought to null the 1983 agreement that had given Nakashes ownership of half of Guess (Guess, Inc. ). This battle would continue for the next five years, eventually ending with the two sets of brothers settling out of court, and the Marcianos regaining full control of the business. Estimated attorney fees were as high as $10 million per year for each side (Guess, Inc. ). This was an ugly legal battle that cost Guess Inc. an unnecessary amount of funds. 1982 also bought a smaller legal battle with Jeff Hamilton, Inc. Guess sought to enter the menswear market by obtaining a licensing agreement with this company. Under this agreement, Jeff Hamilton, Inc would market a line of clothing under the Guess name in exchange for a 7% royalty fee (Guess, Inc. ). However, Guess soon decided that Hamilton was targeting the young men’s market too strongly, and did not approve of Hamilton’s â€Å"dumping† of Guess merchandise in large discount stores, which was hurting the label’s high-end image. Guess sought to terminate the license agreement, which they eventually succeeded in doing in 1986. This extensive legal battle resulted in a slow growth for Guess menswear. Marketing Promotional Strategies Guess is backed by their corporate mission statement; â€Å"At Guess, we are committed to being a worldwide leader in the fashion industry. We will deliver products and services of uncompromising quality and integrity consistent with our brand and our image. We are committed to listening and responding to the needs of our customers, associates and business partners, and honor their individual value. You read "Guess, Inc." in category "Papers" We are dedicated to personal and professional enrichment through an environment of open communication, creativity, teamwork, trust, and respect. We continue to give back to the community, support humanity, and protect the environment as part of our responsibility. We remain committed to an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels the growth of our Company and increased shareholder value. Through principled leadership we will embrace diversity, cultivate strength, pride and passion to align our personal life and our professional life. (The Guess Mission Statement). The target customer for Guess is a young, affluent adult, between the ages of 18 and 32. Guess makes every effort to live by this mission statement every day, and uses a variety of creative marketing and promotional strategies to further entice the target customer to purchase Guess products. The mission statement is executed everyday in Guess, Inc’s corporate strategy, which focuses on the long term. Guess is a global compa ny known for their quality, trend-setting styles, and marketing creativity. In realizing the importance of diversity, and consumers’ needs to constantly have something new, Guess never fails to bring forward new products and images to keep their name alive. While originally gaining momentum with their jeans, Guess now manufacturers and distributes a wide range of product lines. Once realizing their success, in the 80’s, the Marciano brothers decided to increase their potential, and expand beyond men’s and women’s jeans. Baby GUESS? , GUESS? watches, GUESS? footwear, GUESS? eyewear, and GUESS? fragrances were introduced. Wishing to continue their expansion, Guess introduced even more products in the late 90’s, including an entire collection of GUESS handbags, active wear, jewelry, swimwear, innerwear, leather, belts, neckwear, and men’s classics (CITE- annual report). Around the millennium, Guess introduced their website, opening the company to a whole other world of potential. Guess operates in 6 different store concepts in an attempt to appeal to a variety of different markets. The original GUESS? retail stores carry a full assortment of full-priced Guess products, including men’s and women’s merchandise, and licensed products. GUESS? factory outlet stores are primarily located in outlet malls, and sell a select assortment of men’s and women’s apparel and licensed products at lower price points. GUESS by MARCIANO stores were introduced in the summer of 2004 (GUESS INC (NYSE: GES) | Balance Sheet), in an attempt to recapture the company’s glamorous image. The Marciano chain offers apparel and accessories that are sexy, yet sophisticated. The target market for these stores is slightly older customers interested in higher-end clothing and accessories such as ritzy evening dresses and fancy jeans. G by GUESS stores offers Guess products at a lower price point than Guess retail stores, in order to target a wider demographic. These stores carry apparel for men and women, as well as a full line of accessories and footwear. Products in this line provide a more fun, youthful image; fashion-forward, yet not cutting edge fashion. GUESS? accessories stores sell GUESS? and GUESS by Marciano labeled accessory products. Finally, GUESS also operates in an e-commerce segment, with websites in 6 different languages (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). Guess is known for their iconic black-and-white print advertisements and logos that have maintained a level of consistency throughout the company’s history. The aim of Guess advertisements is to place more of an emphasis on the brand image than on the actual products (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). All Guess advertisements use similar themes and images, primarily using outdoor images. Guess images have been showcased in international print campaigns in virtually all major magazines, on television, billboards, bus shelters, and advertisements throughout the world. The image of the Guess model has become a pop culture icon in the history of fashion advertising. Guess model, Anna Nicole Smith, in the early 1990’s Drew Barrymore Adriana Lima Paris HIlton Guess brought forth the faces of many future supermodels in their sexy promotional campaigns, including names such as Anna Nicole Smith, Claudia, Schiffer, , Drew Barrymore, Jessica Miller, Cindy Taylor, Minki Van Der Westhuizen, and Shana Zadrick (Guess? Inc. News- Company Information). Iconic models, actresses and all-round sex-bombs have all pouted and posed for these successful Guess ad campaigns. It goes without saying that Guess has been such an influential brand in the fashion world. Sales Trends Financial Data For the first quarter of 2012, Guess, Inc reported net earnings of $42. 7 million. This was a 15. 2% decrease from the first quarter of the fiscal year 2011, in which Guess, Inc. reported net earnings of $50. 3 million (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). Balance Sheet from www. FORBES. com For the entire year, ending January 29 ,2011, net earnings for Guess, Inc were reported at $289. 5 million, an increase of 19. %, with gross profit increasing to $1090. 2 million, an increase of 15. 8%. Total net revenue increased to $2,487. 3 million, and gross margin decreased from the previous year to 43. 8% of total revenues (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). The decrease in gross margin was attributed to the negative impact of the stronger U. S. dollar on product purchases, increased occupancy costs due to retail expansion in Europe, lower initial mark-ups in Europe, and higher markdowns in the North American retail segment (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). Earnings from operations were reported at $404. million, a 12. 8% increase from the prior year, and other income, including interest income and expense, totaled $16. 7 million (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). As of January 29, 2011, Guess, Inc. had $442. 1 million in cash and cash equivalents, down $60. 0 million from 2010. In breaking down all of their marketing segments, Guess, Inc found that once again, the largest increase in gross profit came from their European segment. In Europe, revenues increased 23. 2% to $920. 3 million. Revenues produced by other segments were reported as follows: North American Retail- Net Revenue: $1069. 9 million * Earnings from Operations: $122. 6 million * Operation Margin: 11. 5% Asia- * Net Revenue: $53. 6 million * Earnings from Operation: $28. 6million * Operating Margin: 14. 3% North American Wholesale- * Net Revenue: $181. 0 million * Earnings from Oper ations: $46. 2 million * Operating Margin: 25. 5% (Maurice Marciano and Marciano) Despite setbacks from their legal battles (The Marciano brothers believed they would have exceeded $1 billion in sales by their 10th anniversary, had it not been for the court cases) (Guess? Inc. ), Guess sales flourished from the very beginning. 1984 brought sales of $150 million, and in 1987, the company reached profits of $100 million, with sales reaching $350 million (Guess, Inc. ). At that time, Guess retail stores grew to 19 locations, and sales reached $575 million in 1990 (Guess, Inc. ). In 1991, Guess strategically increased their advertising budget to $22 million. This worked in their favor, as the company earned enough profits to add 33 more stores by the end of the year, including the European flagship store in Florence, Italy. Sales slowed during the recession in the early 1990’s (Guess, Inc. ). However, the men’s collection took an opposite approach, and sales skyrocketed, with a 41% sales growth in 1991 alone (Guess, Inc. ). By the end of the year, menswear sales would account for 40 of total company sales. During this time, Guess also began to see the extensive opportunities available with international sales, as licensing arrangements introduced Guess to over a dozen countries, causing a significant increase in revenues. By 1993, Guess had reached an estimated $700 million in sales (Guess, Inc. . During this time, Georges Marciano decided to step down from his position as CEO, and sell his 40% of the company to his brothers for around $200 million. Maurice was then named CEO, and took over direction of design. Guess then stepped up their promotional campaign, looking to fuel its future growth. Licensing became a vital part of total revenues, with products now including home furnishings, i nfant wear, and junior knit wear (Guess, Inc. ). Meanwhile, sales continued to grow, now focusing on more accessories as well. In 1994, sales of Guess watches exceeded $100 million and footwear more than $60 million. Guess became a publicly traded company in 1996 (Guess, Inc. ). Hoping to continue their uninterrupted success, Guess was disappointed when 1997 sales began to drop. To compensate, Guess created a new line of high-end jeans called Premium Denim for men and women. However, this proved to be another disappointment, and the market share was lost due to competitive pressures and a terrible retail environment. In 1999, Guess decided to start their first e-commerce store (www. guess. om), which gave their sales a much-needed boost. Even in critical times, Guess was able to open 56 new stores in 2000. Annual sales would increase by 32% with the introduction of G Brand, a new complete line of high quality unisexual jeans wear that used Italian denim and European designs. At the end of 2000, Guess had 212 stores in the U. S. and Canada. In 2001, Guess implemented a new marketing strategy in order to keep their profits rising. With these new strong marketing methods, Guess was able to increase their sales, and open 24 new stores in the U. S. and Canada, a total of 249 stores. Guess continues their success over the next several years. As of 2010, Guess has 1292 stores, 504 in North America, 441 in Europe, and 347 in South East Asia (Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers). Looking towards the year ending January 28, 2012, Guess, Inc. expects new revenues to range from $2. 74 billion to $2. 80 billion (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). Operating margins are expected to be between $16. 5%, while diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $3. 30 to $3. 50 (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). SWOT Analysis Like any business, Guess must analyze each of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and implement a strategy of using each of these aspects to their advantage. Strengths A quick overview of the strengths of Guess, Inc. include maintaining a strong and diversified brand portfolio, a global full lifestyle brand, an effective management team, and solid capital structure. Guess produces a brand that portrays a fun, fashionable, and sexy image, which is developed and maintained worldwide. Guess maintain a massive level of global success, with stores in 85 countries besides the U. S. and Canada. Because of this global diversification, the company is still able to grow, even in tough economic times. International growth remains one of Guess, Inc’s top strengths. Another major advantage Guess has is their use of multiple distribution channels. Not a company to focus solely on one channel, Guess Inc uses retail, wholesale, e-commerce, as well as licensing distribution to sell their products. This proves as a preventative benefit, as their operating results are not relying solely on the performance on one single channel. This also allows Guess, Inc to quickly adapt to ay changes in the distribution or retail environment of any one particular region. Adding to their diversity, Guess also relies on multiple store concepts, including flagship GUESS? full-priced retail stores, GUESS? factory outlet stores, GUESS by MARCIANO stores, G by GUESS stores, GUESS? Accessories stores, and GUESS? kids stores (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). This allows Guess to target multiple demographics in different regions. Weaknesses Like any company, Guess, Inc must also identify their weaknesses. A quick overview of the weaknesses of Guess, Inc. include maintaining a business in a highly promotional environment, the highly competitive nature of the apparel industry, discretionary spending being dictated by the situation in the global economy, and the narrow focus on women’s apparel. While Guess has very diversified products, and targets women, men, as well as children, their heavy focus on women’s apparel could be seen as a big weakness. Only 10% of Guess consumers are men, boys, or babies (Maurice Marciano and Marciano), which may indicate a lack of balance of promotional activities. Guess should assign more of their promotional budget to focusing on these areas, rather than attempting to portray an image of solely a women’s retailer. This also creates an opportunity for competitors to gain control over these sectors. While Guess stores may be growing rapidly in other countries, they must continue to be careful not to saturate the market. Opportunities A quick overview of the opportunities for Guess, Inc. include growing demand in foreign countries, such as China, under-penetrated markets in Europe, growth in the U. S. , and alliances by leasing. The Guess e-commerce environment improves customer relations, and creates an alternative shopping environment. In realizing this, Guess has the opportunity to increase their profits significantly by continuing to offer a wide range of products and keep up with an ever-changing economy. Technology proves to be a great opportunity for Guess, as they can benefit from consumer’s need for convenience. Guess men’s clothing category also has the biggest potential and room for growth. If Guess takes advantage of that, they will allow themselves the potential for a tremendous increase in profits. Guess should also take advantage of the new business casual trend, whereas smart casual clothing is becoming more and more acceptable in professional offices, and more people are looking for an acceptable replacement for their suits, ties, and other â€Å"formal† business attire. Threats A quick overview of the threats against Guess, Inc. include continued weakness in global consumer spending, low entry cost for competitors in the apparel market, changes to import tariffs, quotas, and taxes, and increases in energy and raw materials prices. Competitors are always considered one of a business’s greatest threats. The apparel industry is highly competitive, which may cause difficulties for Guess in the future. During a recession or uncertain economic conditions, consumers may be faced with reduced confidence and spending habits, resulting in a slow-down in sales and profits. While relationships with international markets and suppliers prove to be a steady strength for Guess, there are also threats involved. Since Guess does not own or operate any production facilities of their own (CITE- annual report), they depend heavily on foreign suppliers and manufacturers to produce products of top quality, and exactly to their specifications. Since Guess is a global business, there revenues could inadvertently be affected by factors beyond their control, such as recessions in foreign countries, political instability which may interrupt trade with foreign vendors, reduced global demand, significant fluxations in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies, or local business practices that do not conform to legal or ethical guidelines. Furthermore, Maurice and Paul Marciano currently hold 33% ownership of Guess shares, which is a very significant percentage. Their interests may differ from those of other stockholders, which could present a potential threat to the nature of the business. Competition One of Guess, Inc’s top competitors is Abercrombie and Fitch. Similar to Guess, Abercrombie’s positioning strategy involves the use of sexually overt advertising positioned to appeal to young adult markets. Unlike Guess, Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements often depict nudity, alcohol consumption and assorted sexual behaviors. Guess chooses to take a less scandalous approach, and maintain a softer, more classical image. Abercrombie ; Fitch does not have a mass market approach to its advertising. It places print ads in 4 magazines: Vanity Fair, Interview, Out, and Rolling Stone. Abercrombie ; Fitch is well positioned for the future, however it is necessary for them to continue to move forward in their efforts to maintain a new, trendy image. In the face of a falling economy, Abercrombie’s advertising stands out to an audience that has been exposed to a lot of noisy ads. In comparison to Guess, Abercrombie has the advantage of selling products under four different concepts, Abercrombie Fitch, Abercrombie, Hollister, and RUEHL. This provides the added benefit of appealing to different markets and demographics under completely different names, whereas Guess will only sell products with the Guess name , allowing Guess limited access to the market. GUESS? In the Future Immediate strategies to make Guess bigger and better would be to focus more of their advertising and promotional capabilities to their menswear collection. In the near future, I would recommend opening individual Guess for Men stores, which would open the door to an entire new demographic, increasing the potential for an immeasurable amount of profits. Focusing on new markets in Europe should also prove to be beneficial for the company. Currently, this market is under-penetrated, but has great potential for expansion in the future. As for a long term growth strategy, Guess needs to continue increasing their retail presence and expanding internationally. Guess has an excellent retail strategy which needs to be executed in each region of the world. Looking towards the long term, Guess should consider forming an alliance with a major competitor in the market, such as BEBE or Levi’s. Both of these companies have showed evidence of trying to come up with new styles in an attempt to keep up with Guess (Guess? , Inc. ), and are equally dominating the market for jeans and/or casual wear. Merging with either of these companies would prove to be tremendously profitable for Guess, as it would eliminate much of the competition, as well as allow them to dominate more of the market. Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, Guess, Inc. is now bigger and better than ever, and growth shows no signs of slowing down. As long as they continue to leverage their presence globally and execute their mission statement and creative promotional strategies, Guess will continue to stay on top of the fashion world. Works Cited â€Å"Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers. 25 June 2009. Guess, Inc. 1 May 2011 http://www. guessinc. com/presskit/history. â€Å"Guess, Inc. † Funding Universe. 27 May 2011 http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Guess-Inc-Company-History. html. â€Å"Guess? Inc. News- Company Information. † New York Times 2011. â€Å"Guess? , Inc. † 2011. Hoover’s Company Information. May 2011 ;http://proquest. umi. c om. ezproxy. library. berkeley. org/pqdweb? index=4;did=168188551;SrchMode=1;sid=1;Fmt=3;VInst=PROD;VType=PQD;RQT=309;VName=PQD;TS=1307571605;clientId=11195;. Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results. Fiscal Results for the First Quarter Ended April 30, 2011. Los Angeles, CA: PR Newswire, 2011. â€Å"Marcianos Go Full Time Now at Guess. † Women’s Wear Daily 16 6 1990: 1. Maurice Marciano, Chairman of the Board, Guess, Inc. and Paul, CEO Vice Chairman of the Board, Guess, Inc Marciano. â€Å"Guess? , Inc Annual Report 2010. † Annual Report. 2010. â€Å"The Guess Mission Statement. † Guess, Inc. 2011 http://www. guessinc. com/help. asp. ——————————————– How to cite Guess, Inc., Papers

Effectiveness of Learning Experience Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Effectiveness of Learning Experience. Answer: Effectiveness of learning experience The assignment that I have done in assignment one and two has helped me to learn a lot of things. Through the assignment, I have been able to read and learn various things, which will be of great importance in life. Interactions and discussions with others as well as my research from various internet sites have helped me learn about every aspect of business outsourcing and cloud computing. Assignments help us to learn a lot from them as we get to research various things and give our own views in them. Moreover, the topic that I have covered in the previous two assignments is in high demand nowadays, thus, huge amount of materials was available le on the secondary sources. This facilitated me o learn a lot about the topics which will be useful to me in the long run. The overall learning experience from the previous assignments has been very beneficial to me depending on the course that I am pursuing (Siemens, 2014). Value of the learning experience The learning experience has been very valuable for me as it has not only helped me to pursue my course effectively and helped me for future growth. The topics that I have focused on in the research have helped me learn every important point of my course study materials. I have realized that in future I would be aware and comfortable in answering any question coming from business outsourcing and cloud computing (Bornmann, 2014). This shows that the assignment were of great value to me. In addition to this, I have also learnt various processes of research such as the pattern and format of writing a literature review. This will help me to write further research project with better understanding and accuracy. Moreover, I also got to know the type of development going on in the business sector, which might be helpful for me in future. The project has made me up to date with the processes adopted by business to expand internationally and make its business processes free of any complexities (Vapnik, 2013). Usefulness of learning experience The assignments that I have completed proved to be very useful for me in every aspects. It has helped me grow in my course as I learnt many things form the project. The aim of the assignment was to know various business strategies that can be useful to the business in todays world. Thus, I have to learn about these strategies, which is a beneficial task for me not only in my college but also in my career growth. As I am abusiness management student, these strategies will also be guiding me in future if I have to manage any business process (Wuyts, Rindfleisch Citrin, 2015). Moreover, the cloud computing system that I have learnt from the assignment has helped me know the ways I can easily process my data in my course study as well as in my personal life. Being able to know so many things from the assignment will not only assist me in growing in my job life but also in my personal life. This is because my career development will automatically affect my personal life. Usefulness of business research Business research is about analyzing various prospects of business that would be helpful to a person in developing and running a successful business. Thus conducting a business research helps us to learn various aspects of running a business. From the business research that I have conducted in the previous assignment helped me realize various crucial factors that are important in a business. In assignment, one I have learned about the business outsourcing method adopted by the business and the advantages and disadvantages that process puts on the organizations growth. On the other hand, the cloud computing process that I researched for in assignment two helped me to know another important method that will allow the company to secure their data in a better way (Arora, Parashar Transforming, 2013). However, it also showed some of the threats attached to cloud computing. Thus, business research conducted by me has been very useful in providing me with all crucial knowledge about variou s aspects of business (Zikmund, 2013). Reason for choosing the activity There were various reasons that motivated me to choose these assignments. One of the reasons is that I was enthusiastic about learning some new things, which will be beneficial for me in every perspective. Moreover, the process such as business process outsourcing and cloud computing that I have researched in the assignments are very demanding topics in todays business and are thus can fetch me good marks in future. This is because the processes of the business are becoming complex day by day due to international expansion and thus requires business process outsourcing and cloud computing technologies (Rittinghouse Ransome, 2016). Knowing the way to deal with it can only help a company to fight tough competition. Business outsourcing is growing on a faster rate and an assignment on this topic can be very useful to me a preset and in future (Gerbl et. al, 2015). The second reason behind choosing the activity is to know more about running a business process in a way that is very diffe rent from other. This is because uniqueness of the process can only help the business to gain the perfect customer base and profitability they want. Impact on future The research work carried out by me will not only put an impact on my present course that I am pursuing but also affect my future in a great way. In future, the processes will put an impact not only on my career but also on my personal life. After the completion of the task, I have realized that I have a lot of knowledge about the two important business processes such as business process outsourcing and cloud computing. Further, it will also affect my personal life, as the knowledge I gathered from here will allow me to open my own business and run it in a successful manner. This will help me become successful in every work I do. Thus, the assignment has proved to put a long-term effect on my present as well as my future. References Arora, R., Parashar, A., Transforming, C. C. I. (2013). Secure user data in cloud computing using encryption algorithms.International journal of engineering research and applications,3(4), 1922-1926. Bornmann, L. (2014). Do altmetrics point to the broader impact of research? An overview of benefits and disadvantages of altmetrics.Journal of informetrics,8(4), 895-903. Gerbl, M., McIvor, R., Loane, S., Humphreys, P. (2015). A multi-theory approach to understanding the business process outsourcing decision.Journal of World Business,50(3), 505-518. Rittinghouse, J. W., Ransome, J. F. (2016).Cloud computing: implementation, management, and security. CRC press. Siemens, G. (2014). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Vapnik, V. (2013).The nature of statistical learning theory. Springer science business media. Wuyts, S., Rindfleisch, A., Citrin, A. (2015). Outsourcing customer support: The role of provider customer focus.Journal of Operations Management,35, 40-55. Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., Griffin, M. (2013).Business research methods. Cengage Learning.