The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 37. Contrivances

Aro did not rejoin his anxious guard waiting on the north side of the clearing; instead, he waved them forward. Edward started backing up immediately, pulling my arm and Emmett's. We hurried backward, keeping our eyes on the advancing threat. Jacob retreated slowest, the fur on his shoulders standing straight up as he bared his fangs at Aro. Renesmee grabbed the end of his tail as we retreated; she held it like a leash, forcing him to stay with us. We reached our family at the same time that the dark cloaks surrounded Aro again. Now there were only fifty yards between them and us – a distance any of us could leap in just a fraction of a second. Caius began arguing with Aro at once. â€Å"How can you abide this infamy? Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?† He held his arms rigidly at his sides, his hands curled into claws. I wondered why he did not just touch Aro to share his opinion. Were we seeing a division in their ranks already? Could we be that lucky? â€Å"Because it's all true,† Aro told him calmly. â€Å"Every word of it. See how many witnesses stand ready to give evidence that they have seen this miraculous child grow and mature in just the short time they've known her. That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in her veins.† Aro's gesture swept from Amun on one side across to Siobhan on the other. Caius reacted oddly to Aro's soothing words, starting ever so slightly at the mention of witnesses. The anger drained from his features, replaced by a cold calculation. He glanced at the Volturi witnesses with an expression that looked vaguely†¦ nervous. I glanced at the angry mob, too, and saw immediately that the description no longer applied. The frenzy for action had turned to confusion. Whispered conversations seethed through the crowd as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Caius was frowning, deep in thought. His speculative expression stoked the flames of my smoldering anger at the same time that it worried me. What if the guard acted again on some invisible signal, as they had in their march? Anxiously, I inspected my shield; it felt just as impenetrable as before. I flexed it now into a low, wide dome that arced over our company. I could feel the sharp plumes of light where my family and friends stood – each one an individual flavor that I thought I would be able to recognize with practice. I already knew Edward's – his was the very brightest of them all. The extra empty space around the shining spots bothered me; there was no physical barrier to the shield, and if any of the talented Volturi got under it, it would protect no one but me. I felt my forehead crease as I pulled the elastic armor very carefully closer. Carlisle was the farthest forward; I sucked the shield back inch by inch, trying to wrap it as exactly to his body as I could. My shield seemed to want to cooperate. It hugged his shape; when Carlisle shifted to the side to stand nearer to Tanya, the elastic stretched with him, drawn to his spark. Fascinated, I tugged in more threads of the fabric, pulling it around each glimmering shape that was a friend or ally. The shield clung to them willingly, moving as they moved. Only a second had passed; Caius was still deliberating. â€Å"The werewolves,† he murmured at last. With sudden panic, 1 realized that most of the werewolves were unprotected. I was about to reach out to them when I realize that, strangely, I could still feel their sparks. Curious, I drew the shield tighter in, until Amun and Kebi – the farthest edge of our group – were outside with the wolves. Once they were on the other side, their lights vanished. They no longer existed to that new sense. But the wolves were still bright flames – or rather, half of them were. Hmm†¦ I edged outward again, and as soon as Sam was under cover, all the wolves were brilliant sparks again. Their minds must have been more interconnected than I'd imagined. If the Alpha was inside my shield, the rest of their minds were every bit as protected as his. â€Å"Ah, brother†¦,† Aro answered Caius's statement with a pained look. â€Å"Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?† Caius demanded. â€Å"The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation – no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle.† Edward cleared his throat loudly and Caius glared at him. Aro placed one thin, delicate hand over his own face as if he was embarrassed for the other ancient. â€Å"Caius, it's the middle of the day,† Edward pointed out. He gestured to Jacob. â€Å"These are not Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world.† â€Å"You breed mutants here,† Caius spit back at him. Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched, then he answered evenly, â€Å"They aren't even werewolves. Aro can tell you all about it if you don't believe me.† Not werewolves? I shot a mystified look at Jacob. He lifted his huge shoulders and let them drop – a shrug. He didn't know what Edward was talking about, either. â€Å"Dear Caius, I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts,† Aro murmured. â€Å"Though the creatures think of themselves as werewolves, they are not. The more accurate name for them would be shape-shifters. The choice of a wolf form was purely chance. It could have been a bear or a hawk or a panther when the first change was made. These creatures truly have nothing to do with the Children of the Moon. They have merely inherited this skill from their fathers. It's genetic – they do not continue their species by infecting others the way true werewolves do.† Caius glared at Aro with irritation and something more – an accusation of betrayal, maybe. â€Å"They know our secret,† he said flatly. Edward looked about to answer this accusation, but Aro spoke faster. â€Å"They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother. Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are; they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere.† Caius took a deep breath and nodded. They exchanged a long, significant glance. I thought I understood the instruction behind Aro's careful wording. False charges weren't helping convince the watching witnesses on either side; Aro was cautioning Caius to move on to the next strategy. I wondered if the reason behind the apparent strain between the two ancients – Caius's unwillingness to share his thoughts with a touch – was that Caius didn't care about the show as much as Aro did. If the coming slaughter was so much more essential to Caius than an untarnished reputation. â€Å"I want to talk to the informant,† Caius announced abruptly, and turned his glare on Irina. Irina wasn't paying attention to Caius and Aro's conversation; her face was twisted in agony, her eyes locked on her sisters, lined up to die. It was clear on her face that she knew now her accusation had been totally false. â€Å"Irina,† Caius barked, unhappy to have to address her. She looked up, startled and instantly afraid. Caius snapped his fingers. Hesitantly, she moved from the fringes of the Volturi formation to stand in front of Caius again. â€Å"So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations,† Caius began. Tanya and Kate leaned forward anxiously. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Irina whispered. â€Å"I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea___† She gestured helplessly in our direction. â€Å"Dear Caius, could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible?† Aro asked. â€Å"Any of us would have made the same assumption.† Caius flicked his fingers at Aro to silence him. â€Å"We all know you made a mistake,† he said brusquely. â€Å"I meant to speak of your motivations.† Irina waited nervously for him to continue, and then repeated, â€Å"My motivations?† â€Å"Yes, for coming to spy on them in the first place.† Irina flinched at the word spy. â€Å"You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?† She turned her miserable eyes to Carlisle's face. â€Å"I was,† she admitted. â€Å"Because†¦ ?† Caius prompted. â€Å"Because the werewolves killed my friend,† she whispered. â€Å"And the Cullens wouldn't stand aside to let me avenge him.† â€Å"The shape-shifters,† Aro corrected quietly. â€Å"So the Cullens sided with the shape-shifters against our own kind – against the friend of a friend, even,† Caius summarized. I heard Edward make a disgusted sound under his breath. Caius was ticking down his list, looking for an accusation that would stick. Irina's shoulders stiffened. â€Å"That's how I saw it.† Caius waited again and then prompted, â€Å"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters – and the Cullens for supporting their actions – now would be the time.† He smiled a tiny cruel smile, waiting for Irina to give him his next excuse. Maybe Caius didn't understand real families – relationships based on love rather than just the love of power. Maybe he overestimated the potency of vengeance. Irina's jaw jerked up, her shoulders squared. â€Å"No, I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens. You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here. I'm so sorry,† she said to us, and then she turned her face toward the Volturi witnesses. â€Å"There was no crime. There's no valid reason for you to continue here.† Caius raised his hand as she spoke, and in it was a strange metal object, carved and ornate. This was a signal. The response was so fast that we all stared in stunned disbelief while it happened. Before there was time to react, it was over. Three of the Volturi soldiers leaped forward, and Irina was completely obscured by their gray cloaks. In the same instant, a horrible metallic screeching ripped through the clearing. Caius slithered into the center of the gray melee, and the shocking squealing sound exploded into a startling upward shower of sparks and tongues of flame. The soldiers leaped back from the sudden inferno, immediately retaking their places in the guard's perfectly straight line. Caius stood alone beside the blazing remains of Irina, the metal object in his hand still throwing a thick jet of flame into the pyre. With a small clicking sound, the fire shooting from Caius's hand disappeared. A gasp rippled through the mass of witnesses behind the Volturi. We were too aghast to make any noise at all. It was one thing to know that death was coming with fierce, unstoppable speed; it was another thing to watch it happen. Caius smiled coldly. â€Å"Now she has taken full responsibility for her actions.† His eyes flashed to our front line, touching swiftly on Tanya's and Kate's frozen forms. In that second I understood that Caius had never underestimated the ties of a true family. This was the ploy. He had not wanted Irina's complaint; he had wanted her defiance. His excuse to destroy her, to ignite the violence that filled the air like a thick, combustible mist. He had thrown a match. The strained peace of this summit already teetered more precariously than an elephant on a tightrope. Once the fight began, there would be no way to stop it. It would only escalate until one side was entirely extinct. Our side. Caius knew this. So did Edward. â€Å"Stop them!† Edward cried out, jumping to grab Tanya's arm as she lurched forward toward the smiling Caius with a maddened cry of pure rage. She couldn't shake Edward off before Carlisle had his arms locked around her waist. â€Å"It's too late to help her,† he reasoned urgently as she struggled. â€Å"Don't give him what he wants!† Kate was harder to contain. Shrieking wordlessly like Tanya, she broke into the first stride of the attack that would end with everyone's death. Rosalie was closest to her, but before Rose could clinch her in a headlock, Kate shocked her so violently that Rose crumpled to the ground. Emmett caught Kate's arm and threw her down, then staggered back, his knees giving out. Kate rolled to her feet, and it looked like no one could stop her. Garrett flung himself at her, knocking her to the ground again. He bound his arms around hers, locking his hands around his own wrists. I saw his body spasm as she shocked him. His eyes rolled back in his head, but his hold did not break. â€Å"Zafrina,† Edward shouted. Kate's eyes went blank and her screams turned to moans. Tanya stopped struggling. â€Å"Give me my sight back,† Tanya hissed. Desperately, but with all the delicacy I could manage, I pulled my shield even tighter against the sparks of my friends, peeling it back carefully from Kate while trying to keep it around Garrett, making it a thin skin between them. And then Garrett was in command of himself again, holding Kate to the snow. â€Å"If I let you up, will you knock me down again, Katie?† he whispered. She snarled in response, still thrashing blindly. â€Å"Listen to me, Tanya, Kate,† Carlisle said in a low but intense whisper. â€Å"Vengeance doesn't help her now. Irina wouldn't want you to waste your lives this way. Think about what you're doing. If you attack them, we all die.† Tanya's shoulders hunched with grief, and she leaned into Carlisle for support. Kate was finally still. Carlisle and Garrett continued to console the sisters with words too urgent to sound like comfort. And my attention returned to the weight of the stares that pressed down on our moment of chaos. From the corners of my eyes, I could see that Edward and everyone else besides Carlisle and Garrett were on their guard again as well. The heaviest glare came from Caius, staring with enraged disbelief at Kate and Garrett in the snow. Aro was watching the same two, incredulity the strongest emotion on his face. He knew what Kate could do. He had felt her potency through Edward's memories. Did he understand what was happening now – did he see that my shield had grown in strength and subtlety far beyond what Edward knew me to be capable of? Or did he think Garrett had learned his own form of immunity? The Volturi guard no longer stood at disciplined attention – they were crouched forward, waiting to spring the counterstrike the moment we attacked. Behind them, forty-three witnesses watched with very different expressions than the ones they'd worn entering the clearing. Confusion had turned to suspicion. The lightning-fast destruction of Irina had shaken them all. What had been her crime? Without the immediate attack that Caius had counted on to distract from his rash act, the Volturi witnesses were left questioning exactly what was going on here. Aro glanced back swiftly while I watched, his face betraying him with one flash of vexation. His need for an audience had backfired badly. I heard Stefan and Vladimir murmur to each other in quiet glee at Aro's discomfort. Aro was obviously concerned with keeping his white hat, as the Romanians had put it. But I didn't believe that the Volturi would leave us in peace just to save their reputation. After they finished with us, surely they would slaughter their witnesses for that purpose. I felt a strange, sudden pity for the mass of the strangers the Volturi had brought to watch us die. Demetri would hunt them until they were extinct, too. For Jacob and Renesmee, for Alice and Jasper, for Alistair, and for these strangers who had not known what today would cost them, Demetri had to die. Aro touched Caius's shoulder lightly. â€Å"Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child.† So that was to be their excuse. He went on. â€Å"Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?† Caius straightened, and his expression hardened into unreadability. He stared forward, seeing nothing. His face reminded me, oddly, of a person who'd just learned he'd been demoted. Aro drifted forward, Renata, Felix, and Demetri automatically moving with him. â€Å"Just to be thorough,† he said, â€Å"I'd like to speak with a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know.† He waved a hand dismissively. Two things happened at once. Caius's eyes focused on Aro, and the tiny cruel smile came back. And Edward hissed, his hands balling up in fists so tight it looked like the bones in his knuckles would split through his diamond-hard skin. I was desperate to ask him what was going on, but Aro was close enough to hear even the quietest breath. I saw Carlisle glance anxiously at Edward's face, and then his own face hardened. While Caius had blundered through useless accusations and injudicious attempts to trigger the fight, Aro must have been coming up with a more effective strategy. Aro ghosted across the snow to the far western end of our line, stopping about ten yards from Amun and Kebi. The nearby wolves bristled angrily but held their positions. â€Å"Ah, Amun, my southern neighbor!† Aro said warmly. â€Å"It has been so long since you've visited me.† Amun was motionless with anxiety, Kebi a statue at his side. â€Å"Time means little; I never notice its passing,† Amun said through unmoving lips. â€Å"So true,† Aro agreed. â€Å"But maybe you had another reason to stay away?† Amun said nothing. â€Å"It can be terribly time-consuming to organize newcomers into a coven. I know that well! I'm grateful I have others to deal with the tedium. I'm glad your new additions have fit in so well. I would have loved to have been introduced. I'm sure you were meaning to come to see me soon.† â€Å"Of course,† Amun said, his tone so emotionless that it was impossible to tell if there was any fear or sarcasm in his assent. â€Å"Oh well, we're all together now! Isn't it lovely?† Amun nodded, his face blank. â€Å"But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately. Carlisle called on you to witness?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And what did you witness for him?† Amun spoke with the same cold lack of emotion. â€Å"I've observed the child in question. It was evident almost immediately that she was not an immortal child – â€Å" â€Å"Perhaps we should define our terminology,† Aro interrupted, â€Å"now that there seem to be new classifications. By immortal child, you mean of course a human child who had been bitten and thus transformed into a vampire.† â€Å"Yes, that's what I meant.† â€Å"What else did you observe about the child?† â€Å"The same things that you surely saw in Edward's mind. That the child is his biologically. That she grows. That she learns.† â€Å"Yes, yes,† Aro said, a hint of impatience in his otherwise amiable tone. â€Å"But specifically in your few weeks here, what did you see?† Amun's brow furrowed. â€Å"That she grows†¦ quickly.† Aro smiled. â€Å"And do you believe that she should be allowed to live?† A hiss escaped my lips, and I was not alone. Half the vampires in our line echoed my protest. The sound was a low sizzle of fury hanging in the air. Across the meadow, a few of the Volturi witnesses made the same noise. Edward stepped back and wrapped a restraining hand around my wrist. Aro did not turn to the noise, but Amun glanced around uneasily. â€Å"I did not come to make judgments,† he equivocated. Aro laughed lightly. â€Å"Just your opinion.† Amun's chin lifted. â€Å"I see no danger in the child. She learns even more swiftly than she grows.† Aro nodded, considering. After a moment, he turned away. â€Å"Aro?† Amun called. Aro whirled back. â€Å"Yes, friend?† â€Å"I gave my witness. I have no more business here. My mate and I would like to take our leave now.† Aro smiled warmly. â€Å"Of course. I'm so glad we were able to chat for a bit. And I'm sure we'll see each other again soon.† Amun's lips were a tight line as he inclined his head once, acknowledging the barely concealed threat. He touched Kebi's arm, and then the two of them ran quickly to the southern edge of the meadow and disappeared into the trees. I knew they wouldn't stop running for a very long time. Aro was gliding back along the length of our line to the east, his guards hovering tensely. He stopped when he was in front of Siobhan's massive form. â€Å"Hello, dear Siobhan. You are as lovely as ever.† Siobhan inclined her head, waiting. â€Å"And you?† he asked. â€Å"Would you answer my questions the same way Amun has?† â€Å"I would,† Siobhan said. â€Å"But I would perhaps add a little more. Renesmee understands the limitations. She's no danger to humans – she blends in better than we do. She poses no threat of exposure.† â€Å"Can you think of none?† Aro asked soberly. Edward growled, a low ripping sound deep in his throat. Caius's cloudy crimson eyes brightened. Renata reached out protectively toward her master. And Garrett freed Kate to take a step forward, ignoring Kate's hand as she tried to caution him this time. Siobhan answered slowly, â€Å"I don't think I follow you.† Aro drifted lightly back, casually, but toward the rest of his guard. Renata, Felix, and Demetri were closer than his shadow. â€Å"There is no broken law,† Aro said in a placating voice, but every one of us could hear that a qualification was coming. I fought back the rage that tried to claw its way up my throat and snarl out my defiance. I hurled the fury into my shield, thickening it, making sure everyone was protected. â€Å"No broken law,† Aro repeated. â€Å"However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No.† He shook his head gently. â€Å"That is a separate issue.† The only response was the tightening of already stretched nerves, and Maggie, at the fringes of our band of fighters, shaking her head with slow anger. Aro paced thoughtfully, looking as if he floated rather than touched the ground with his feet. I noticed every pass took him closer to the protection of his guard. â€Å"She is unique†¦ utterly, impossibly unique. Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely. Especially when we could learn so much .. .† He sighed, as if unwilling to go on. â€Å"But there is danger, danger that cannot simply be ignored.† No one answered his assertion. It was dead silent as he continued in a monologue that sounded as if he spoke it for himself only. â€Å"How ironic it is that as the humans advance, as their faith in science grows and controls their world, the more free we are from discovery. Yet, as we become ever more uninhibited by their disbelief in the supernatural, they become strong enough in their technologies that, if they wished, they could actually pose a threat to us, even destroy some of us. â€Å"For thousands and thousands of years, our secrecy has been more a matter of convenience, of ease, than of actual safety. This last raw, angry century has given birth to weapons of such power that they endanger even immortals. Now our status as mere myth in truth protects us from these weak creatures we hunt. â€Å"Thisamazingchild† – he lifted his hand palm down as if to rest it on Renesmee, though he was forty yards from her now, almost within the Volturi formation again – â€Å"if we could but know her potential – know with absolute certainty that she could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what she will become! Her own parents are plagued by fears of her future. We cannot know what she will grow to be.† He paused, looking first at our witnesses, and then, meaningfully, at his own. His voice gave a good imitation of sounding torn by his words. Still looking at his own witnesses, he spoke again. â€Å"Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is†¦ a vulnerability.† Caius's smile widened viciously. â€Å"You're reaching, Aro,† Carlisle said in a bleak voice. â€Å"Peace, friend.† Aro smiled, his face as kind, his voice as gentle, as ever. â€Å"Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side.† â€Å"May I offer a side to be considered?† Garrett petitioned in a level tone, taking another step forward. â€Å"Nomad,† Aro said, nodding in permission. Garrett's chin lifted. His eyes focused on the huddled mass at the end of the meadow, and he spoke directly to the Volturi witnesses. â€Å"I came here at Carlisle's request, as the others, to witness,† he said. â€Å"That is certainly no longer necessary, with regard to the child. We all see what she is. â€Å"I stayed to witness something else. You.† He jabbed his finger toward the wary vampires. â€Å"Two of you I know – Makenna, Charles – and I can see that many of you others are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now. ‘These ancient ones did not come here for justice as they told you. We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose – to destroy this family here.† He gestured toward Carlisle and Tanya. â€Å"The Volturi come to erase what they perceive as the competition. Perhaps, like me, you look at this clan's golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, it's true. But the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice. They see power. â€Å"I have witnessed the bonds within this family – I say family and not coven. These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures. But in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire? I've made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding – that which makes them possible at all – is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. And Aro knows this better than I do.† I watched Aro's face as Garrett's words condemned him, waiting tensely for some response. But Aro's face was only politely amused, as if waiting for a tantrum-throwing child to realize that no one was paying attention to his histrionics. â€Å"Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight. These witnesses† – Garrett pointed to Siobhan and Liam – â€Å"agreed to give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case. â€Å"But some of us wondered† – his eyes flashed to Eleazars face – â€Å"if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice. Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or to protect their own power? Did they come to destroy an illegal creation, or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice? â€Å"We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro's lying words – we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain – and we see it now in Caius's eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters' quest for domination. â€Å"So now there are more questions, questions that you must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do you answer to someone's will besides your own? Are you free to choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live? â€Å"I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will.† He turned, then, to face the ancients. â€Å"So come, I say! Let's hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom. You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here.† Once more he looked to the Volturi witnesses, his eyes probing each face. The power of his words was evident in their expressions. â€Å"You might consider joining us. If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell this tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed† – he shrugged – â€Å"but then again, maybe not. Perhaps we are on more equal footing than they know. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though – if we fall, so do you.† He ended his heated speech by stepping back to Kate's side and then sliding forward in a half-crouch, prepared for the onslaught. Aro smiled. â€Å"Avery pretty speech, my revolutionary friend.† Garrett remained poised for attack. â€Å"Revolutionary?† he growled. â€Å"Who am I revolting against, might I ask? Are you my king? Do you wish me to call you master, too, like your sycophantic guard?† â€Å"Peace, Garrett,† Aro said tolerantly. â€Å"I meant only to refer to your time of birth. Still a patriot, I see.† Garrett glared back furiously. â€Å"Let us ask our witnesses,† Aro suggested. â€Å"Let us hear their thoughts before we make our decision. Tell us, friends† – and he turned his back casually on us, moving a few yards toward his mass of nervous observers hovering even closer now to the edge of the forest – â€Å"what do you think of all this? I can assure you the child is not what we feared. Do we take the risk and let the child live? Do we put our world in jeopardy to preserve their family intact? Or does earnest Garrett have the right of it? Will you join them in a fight against our sudden quest for dominion?† The witnesses met his gaze with careful faces. One, a small black-haired woman, looked briefly at the dark blond male at her side. â€Å"Are those our only choices?† she asked suddenly, gaze flashing back to Aro. â€Å"Agree with you, or fight against you?† â€Å"Of course not, most charming Makenna,† Aro said, appearing horrified that anyone could come to that conclusion. â€Å"You may go in peace, of course, as Amun did, even if you disagree with the council's decision.† Makenna looked at her mate's face again, and he nodded minutely. â€Å"We did not come here for a fight.† She paused, exhaled, then said, â€Å"We came here to witness. And our witness is that this condemned family is innocent. Everything that Garrett claimed is the truth.† â€Å"Ah,† Aro said sadly. â€Å"I'm sorry you see us in that way. But such is the nature of our work.† â€Å"It is not what I see, but what I feel,† Makenna's maize-haired mate spoke in a high, nervous voice. He glanced at Garrett. â€Å"Garrett said they have ways of knowing lies. I, too, know when I am hearing the truth, and when I am not.† With frightened eyes he moved closer to his mate, waiting for Aro's reaction. â€Å"Do not fear us, friend Charles. No doubt the patriot truly believes what he says,† Aro chuckled lightly, and Charles's eyes narrowed. â€Å"That is our witness,† Makenna said. â€Å"We're leaving now.† She and Charles backed away slowly, not turning before they were lost from view in the trees. One other stranger began to retreat the same way, then three more darted after him. I evaluated the thirty-seven vampires that stayed. A few of them appeared just too confused to make the decision. But the majority of them seemed only too aware of the direction this confrontation had taken. I guessed that they were giving up a head start in favor of knowing exactly who would be chasing after them. I was sure Aro saw the same thing I did. He turned away, walking back to his guard with a measured pace. He stopped in front of them and addressed them in a clear voice. â€Å"We are outnumbered, dearest ones,† he said. â€Å"We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?† â€Å"No, master,† they whispered in unison. â€Å"Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?† â€Å"Yes,† they breathed. â€Å"We are not afraid.† Aro smiled and turned to his black-clad companions. â€Å"Brothers,† Aro said somberly, â€Å"there is much to consider here.† â€Å"Let us counsel,† Caius said eagerly. â€Å"Let us counsel,† Marcus repeated in an uninterested tone. Aro turned his back to us again, facing the other ancients. They joined hands to form a black-shrouded triangle. As soon as Aro's attention was engaged in the silent counsel, two more of their witnesses disappeared silently into the forest. I hoped, for their sakes, that they were fast. This was it. Carefully, I loosened Renesmee's arms from my neck. â€Å"You remember what I told you?† Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded. â€Å"I love you,† she whispered. Edward was watching us now, his topaz eyes wide. Jacob stared at us from the corner of his big dark eye. â€Å"I love you, too,† I said, and then I touched her locket. â€Å"More than my own life.† I kissed her forehead. Jacob whined uneasily. I stretched up on my toes and whispered into his ear. â€Å"Wait until they're totally distracted, then run with her. Get as far from this place as you possibly can. When you've gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get you in the air.† Edward's and Jacob's faces were almost identical masks of horror, despite the fact that one of them was an animal. Renesmee reached for Edward, and he took her in his arms. They hugged each other tightly. â€Å"This is what you kept from me?† he whispered over her head. â€Å"From Aro,† I breathed. â€Å"Alice?† I nodded. His face twisted with understanding and pain. Had that been the expression on my face when I'd finally put together Alice's clues? Jacob was growling quietly, a low rasp that was as even and unbroken as a purr. His hackles were stiff and his teeth exposed. Edward kissed Renesmee's forehead and both her cheeks, then he lifted her to Jacob's shoulder. She scrambled agilely onto his back, pulling herself into place with handfuls of his fur, and fit herself easily into the dip between his massive shoulder blades. Jacob turned to me, his expressive eyes full of agony, the rumbling growl still grating through his chest. â€Å"You're the only one we could ever trust her with,† I murmured to him. â€Å"If you didn't love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob.† He whined again, and dipped his head to butt it against my shoulder. â€Å"I know,† I whispered. â€Å"I love you, too, Jake. You'll always be my best man.† A tear the size of a baseball rolled into the russet fur beneath his eye. Edward leaned his head against the same shoulder where he'd placed Renesmee. â€Å"Goodbye, Jacob, my brother†¦ my son.† The others were not oblivious to the farewell scene. Their eyes were locked on the silent black triangle, but I could tell they were listening. â€Å"Is there no hope, then?† Carlisle whispered. There was no fear in his voice. Just determination and acceptance. â€Å"There is absolutely hope,† I murmured back. It could be true, I told myself. â€Å"I only know my own fate.† Edward took my hand. He knew that he was included. When I said my fate, there was no question that I meant the two of us. We were just halves of the whole. Esme's breath was ragged behind me. She moved past us, touching our faces as she passed, to stand beside Carlisle and hold his hand. Suddenly, we were surrounded by murmured goodbyes and I love you's. â€Å"If we live through this,† Garrett whispered to Kate, â€Å"I'll follow you anywhere, woman.† â€Å"Now he tells me,† she muttered. Rosalie and Emmett kissed quickly but passionately. Tia caressed Benjamin's face. He smiled back cheerfully, catching her hand and holding it against his cheek. I didn't see all the expressions of love and pain. I was distracted by a sudden fluttering pressure against the outside of my shield. I couldn't tell where it came from, but it felt like it was directed at the edges of our group, Siobhan and Liam particularly. The pressure did no damage, and then it was gone. There was no change in the silent, still forms of the counseling ancients. But perhaps there was some signal I'd missed. â€Å"Get ready,† I whispered to the others. â€Å"It's starting.†

Link Antiretroviral Therapy Centre Health And Social Care Essay

Peoples populating with HIV/AIDS face a major economic load on themselves every bit good as their households. This economic load put their households into vulnerable state of affairs by doing them to sell their assets and utilize their economy which in bend puts them in debt. If this economic load can be reduced, PLHA will hold important decrease in mortality and morbidity and their households can populate their lives with less problem and jobs. Aim and aims: To cognize the benefits received by people populating with HIV/AIDS and go toing Link ART Centre in Karkala and Kundapura taluk of Udupi territory which includes their outgo of cost and clip while on ART on a regular basis. This survey besides includes appraisal of services provided by link ART Centre. Methodology: There were entire 154 survey topics interviewed with a pre tested interview agenda inquiring them about their cost and clip outgo while taking ART from link ART and nodal ART Centre. Servicess provided by the Link ART Centres was besides assessed as portion of the benefits of people and compared with guidelines given for running Link ART Centre by NACO, India. Consequences: A cost minimisation analysis was done with a conjectural scenario of Link ART absence and presence. It was found that there was a great decrease in cost and clip outgo of clients since they have started coming to associate ART Centre. Mean ( Std. Dev. ) cost spent by clients in the instance when nexus ART was unavailable was Rs. 2462.00 ( Rs.1752.43 ) and in the instance where nexus ART was available was Rs. 1134.90 ( Rs. 1548.98 ) . Median clip spent by clients in instance when nexus ART was unavailable was 20 hours and in instance when nexus ART was available was 40hours.These two cost and clip was compared and tested with Wilcoxson mark rank trial and found to be important ( p= & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) in both clip and cost analysis. Health service appraisal found out that both link ART Centre have some substructure and human re source demands to be fulfilled. Drugs handiness and research lab services are good under state of affairs and working harmonizing to guidelines. Decision: Link ART Centre was an first-class measure taken by the NACO with Government of India. It helped a batch of PLHA to salvage their clip and cost on going and other outgos. Link ART centres gives chance to primary wellness attention system to include HIV/AIDS in their precedence country by deconcentrating ART Centres as drug distribution Centres. Link ART centres reduced a great burden of clients coming to ART Centres every month. Clients can besides be attended good when the instance burden on each counselor is non more. Important demands of the Centres need to be fulfilled to give better services to the clients go toing link ART Centre.IntroductionWhen HIV/AIDS was first recognized in 1981, few would hold predicted that it would intensify into a modern twenty-four hours pestilence, with over 33.3 million person infected worldwide. 1 The most advanced phase of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS ) . It can take 10-15 old ages for an HIV-infected individual to develop AIDS ; antiretroviral drugs can decelerate down the procedure even further.2 Antiretroviral therapy ( ART ) has been proven to be extremely effectual at cut downing HIV/AIDS-related morbidity and mortality. 4-8 Standard Antiretroviral Therapy ( ART ) consists of the usage of at least three Antiretroviral ( ARV ) drugs to maximally stamp down the HIV virus and halt the patterned advance of HIV disease. Huge decreases have been seen in rates of decease and agony when usage is made of a powerful antiretroviral regimen.2 Art Centres were started by Government of India in April 2004 with 8 Centres across the state. In a phased mode it was up scaled to 250 Centres all over the state. These Centres in all over the state provide free ART to more than 300,000 grownups and 40,000 kids. The ART Centres are located chiefly in Medical Colleges, Tertiary Hospitals and District Hospitals in some provinces. As a consequence, many a times, patients from fringe have to go long distances to make the ART Centre. As the intervention is life-long and drugs are provided one time a month, it means the patient has to come to ART Centre every month for remainder of his life, even when he is stable on intervention. This may take to losing of visits, peculiarly when patient is going or is otherwise feeling healthy. Besides monthly visits lead to batch of haste at ART Centres, taking to long waiting hours and incommodiousness to patients. The monthly visits may besides imply the patient ‘s stay in the metropolis taking to escalation of costs in add-on to go cost. Many a times these costs may be more than cost of drugs that patient is provided. All these factors have been perceived as possible barriers to an optimum attachment for ART. To minimise the travel demand for the patients stable on ART, it is envisaged to hold authorized Drug Distribution Centres that are called Link ART centres located near the patient ‘s abode. These Centres will be linked to a Nodal ART Centre within accessible distance. Link ART centres was started with the aims to incorporate ART services with the Primary / Secondary Health Care system, to construct the capacity of the wellness attention staff at the Primary Health Care Level in ART intervention, to increase the entree of ART services to the people populating with HIV/AIDS ( PLHA ) , to better the attachment of patients to ART, to cut down the travel cost and travel clip of PLHA to entree services and to cut down the burden at the Nodal ART Centre.Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted to understand the benefits received by people populating with HIV/AIDS go toing link antiretroviral therapy Centre in Karkala and Kundapura link antiretroviral therapy Centre of Udupi territory. A pre tested interview agenda was administered to enter the cost and clip spent on the twenty-four hours of the visit to associate and nodal antiretroviral therapy Centre by people on antiretroviral therapy. Data was collected and analyzed utilizing SPSS ( version 16 ) bundle and Microsoft Excel 2007.ConsequencesTable I depicts that in Kundapura link ART Centre there were 117 participant ‘s registered and out of them 101 ( 86.32 % ) clients are taking ART, 2 ( 1.71 % ) of the clients were loss to follow-up, 12 ( 10.26 ) clients shifted back to nodal ART Centre due to Opportunist Infections, personal jobs and 2 ( 1.71 % ) deceases were reported. In Karkala link ART Centre at the terminal of July 2011 there were 37 clients registered, out of them 35 ( 94.6 % ) clients are taking ART, 1 ( 2.7 % ) of the client was loss to follow up, 1 ( 2.7 % ) client was shifted back to nodal ART due to timeserving infection ( TB ) and no deceases were reported. Table Two sh ows that 124 ( 91.2 % ) participants were passing less than 1750 Rs per annum on going to ART Centres. This outgo includes travel charges of 12 visits to associate and 2 visits to nodal ART Centre. Table Three shows that 109 ( 80.1 % ) participants did non passing on nutrient on the twenty-four hours of travel to associate ART Centre and 17 ( 12.5 % ) of participants are passing about 265 to 530 Rs per annum on nutrient. Table Four shows that 37 ( 27.2 % ) of participants spent their clip between one hr to 15 hours per twelvemonth on going for nexus and nodal ART Centre, 71 ( 52.2 % ) participants exhausted 15 to 30 hours on going while 18 ( 13.2 % ) participants spent 30-45 hours of their clip on going. It was besides noticed that average clip spent on going to associate and nodal ART Centre per twelvemonth was 20 hour. Table Volt shows that there was a important difference ( p= & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) in the cost when nexus ART is available and non available was compared at 5 % importa nt degree. Average cost spent when nexus ART was available was Rs.1134.91with standard divergence of 1548.98 and average cost spent when nexus ART was non available was Rs. 2462.06 with standard divergence of 1752.43. Table VI depicts that there was a important difference ( p= & A ; lt ; 0.001 ) in the cost, when nexus ART is available and non available was compared at 5 % important degree. Median clip spent when link ART was available was 20 hours ( 25th percentile 15 hours and 75th percentile 29 hours ) and average clip spent when link ART was non available was 40 hours ( 25th percentile 33 hours and 75th percentile 72 hours )DiscussionA cost-minimization analysis ( CMA ) steps and compares input costs and clip, and assumes results to be tantamount. In this survey cost and clip spent by the clients go toing link ART Centre was measured with doing an premise of equal result i.e. in this instance is drug distributing to the ART clients. There were batch of cost effectivity surveies conducted on ART for HIV/AIDS and it was proved to be really cost effectual. ART has been proven to be extremely effectual at cut downing HIV/AIDS-related morbidity and mortality. 4-8 In India ART is provided free of cost in selected authorities wellness attention Centre named as ART centres. Most of these Centres are located in territory central offices hence clients need to go to these Centres every month to roll up their medical specialties for life long. Due to regular traveling to these Centres there is immense sum of out-of-pocket outgo on these disbursals from the clients which causes economic load on household.18 This economic load leads the household to run on crises, they start selling their assets and salvaging and in bend seting households in debt which may worsen preexistent poverty.21 Studies proved HIV/AIDS in India causes major economic load on households even when drugs are provided free of cost to the clients due to immense out-of-pocket outgo on transposing to take the drugs.25,26 To get the better of the burden Government of India and NACO started periphery drug distribution Centres called link ART Centres which was located in fringes of territ ory central office. So that, it will be less clip and money consuming for the clients to go to the Centres located near to their houses. This survey is based on the cost minimisation rule to warrant the construct of link ART Centre as the right pick of intercession to minimise the load on the households with people populating with HIV/AIDS.Out of Pocket outgoThere is immense sum of decrease in out of pocket outgo of money and clip being saved due to opening up of link ART Centre. The magnitude of clip and money saved can be utilized with more productive work and that money can be used in bettering wellness of the person and household. After link ART was opened many of the clients do n't hold to take leave from their occupation and come to take their medical specialties. Many people are day-to-day pay worker and if they take off from occupation that twenty-four hours salary will be cut. Now, as link ART is opened they come during their tiffin clip to roll up their medical specialty w ithout taking off from work. It was found in the survey that few of the kids ‘s parents died with AIDS and now either their household member or relations are taking attention of those kids. All the disbursals of those kids are borne by their defenders and in bend seting their household with economic load. Since the nexus ART Centre has been opened, there is immense sum of decrease in economic load on these households. It was besides found that few grandparents are taking attention of their grandkids and taking them for their medical specialties to Centres. This construct of link ART Centre will cut down their load excessively.Transportation system CostMost preferred manner of conveyance for the clients to go to associate ART Centre was Public conveyance system i.e. coach. As HIV/AIDS is extremely stigmatising societal job, PLHA do non prefer to utilize the base on balls service as they have to unwrap their HIV position to the conveyance company to acquire the base on balls issued.Food Cost and drug costMan y clients go toing link ART Centre skip their afternoon repast as they do n't desire to pass some excess money on nutrient. Jumping nutrient can do serious job with their unsusceptibility on interest as they are really vulnerable to many timeserving infection. Clients sometimes have to purchase few medical specialties for their timeserving infection and general jobs. These medical specialties put more economic load on the clients and doing them vulnerable to economic debt.Travel TimeClients had to go a long distance boulder clay link ART Centre was non opened but now people who are shifted to associate ART Centre reported a great decrease in clip ingestion on travel and they can pass more clip on work and with households.Table I: – Associate ART enrollment inside informationsLink ARTStatusNumber of ParticipantsPercentageKundapura On ART 101 86.32 Loss to follow up 2 1.71 Shifted back to Nodal ART Centre 12 10.26 Death 2 1.71 Entire 117 100 Karkala On ART 35 94.6 Loss to follow up 1 2.7 Shifted back to Nodal ART Centre 1 2.7 Death Nothing Nothing Entire 37 100Table Two: – Outgo on travel by participants per twelvemonth ( n=136 )Travel cost per twelvemonth ( Rupees )Number of ParticipantsPercentage& A ; lt ; 1750 124 91.2 1750-3500 9 6.6 3500-5250 2 1.5 5250-7000 Nothing Nothing 7000-8750 Nothing Nothing 8750-10500 Nothing Nothing 10500-12250 Nothing Nothing 12250-14000 1 0.7Entire136100.0Table Three: – Outgo on nutrient per twelvemonth by participants ( n=136 )Food Cost ( Rupees )Number of ParticipantsPercentageNothing 109 80.1 265-530 17 12.5 530-795 6 4.4 795-1060 2 1.5 1060-1590 Nothing Nothing 1590-1855 1 0.7 1855-2120 1 0.7 Entire 136 100.0Table Four: – Time spent on going per twelvemonth by participants ( n=136 )Time spent ( Hours )Number of participantsPercentage0-15 37 27.2 15-30 71 52.2 30-45 18 13.2 45-60 7 5.1 60-75 1 0.7 75-90 Nothing Nothing 90-105 Nothing Nothing 105-120 2 1.5 Entire 136 100Table Volt: – Wilcoxon mark rank trial for comparing link ART available and unavailable cost spent by the participants ( n=136 )ClassNumber of ParticipantsMeanStd. DeviationPercentilesP- value25thfiftieth75thLink ART available cost136 1134.91 1548.98 514.50 783.00 1133.50 & A ; lt ; 0.001Link ART unavailable cost136 2462.06 1752.43 1356 1812.00 3120.00Table Six: – Wilcoxon mark rank trial for comparing link ART available and unavailable clip spent by the participants ( n=136 )ClassNumber of ParticipantsMedianPercentilesP- value25thfiftieth75thLink ART available clip136 20 15 20 29 & A ; lt ; 0.001Link ART unavailable clip136 40 33 40 72

Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Example

Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Example Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Brand Audit of Power Root Essay Essay Topic: Like Water for Chocolate We Real Cool BMR 3164 BRAND MANAGEMENT ‘POWER ROOT’ No |Name |Student ID |Hp No | |1 |DHEEPAN A/L PRANTHAMAN |1061111669 |017-7648515 | |2 |TEH AI ZEK |1051103950 |016-7628762 | |3 |NURUL AQILAH MOHD NAJRI |1041105941 |013-6286479 | |4 |AZWIN BINTI KHAIRUDDIN |1051101309 |017-2477010 | |5 |ONG LEE YING |1051103227 |012-7640604 | SEMESTER 1 08/09 MULTIMEDIA UNIVERSITY (436821-T) MELAKA CAMPUS, JALAN AYER KEROH LAMA, 75450 MELAKA, MALAYSIA. Tel 606 252 3594 Fax 606 231 8799 Contents  ¦ Brand audit objectives, scope, and approach-2  ¦ Background about the brand (self-analysis)4  ¦ Background about the industries5  ¦ Consumer analysis (trends, motivation, perceptions, needs, segmentation, behavior)7  ¦ Brand inventory  ¦ Elements, current marketing programs, POPs, PODs10-13  ¦ Branding strategies (extensions, sub-brands, etc. 14-16  ¦ Brand portfolio analysis17-19  ¦ Competitors’ brand inventory20  ¦ Strengths and weaknesses-22  ¦ Brand exploratory  ¦ Brand associations24  ¦ Brand positioning analysis25  ¦ Summary of competitor analysis -25 SWOT analysis-26  ¦ Brand equity evaluation29  ¦ Strategic brand management recommendations 30  ¦ Reference31 Brand Audit Objectives To enhance our understanding of the brand audit process. To enhance our understanding of how a successful brand works. To showcase our teamwork. To experience being a brand manager. To study the Power Root brand. Scope In designing our brand audit study, we chose to limit our scope to the local arena. There are several reasons for this. First we feel that the examples in our textbook are mostly international brand to which we have no strong affinity or understanding. Secondly, by choosing a local brand we will have access to more information which will be readily available compared to foreign brands. Finally we feel that it is a better choice to start with something at home to learn about brand audit and it also to show that we are proud of our homegrown brands. These are the reasons as to why we chose Power Root. Our scope of study will cover many aspects of the brand. We will study the background, followed by the brand’s inventory (elements, branding strategies, and marketing strategies), brand associations, perceptions and positioning and we end with some recommendations to enhance the brand. Approach There have to be a way of how to conduct a brand audit. Our approach is this: Format First we came up with a format on the things that needed to be included in the study. As brand audit covers a wide variety of things to discuss and analyze, a proper format is vital in order to ensure the audit progresses smoothly and achieves its objectives. We included important areas such as brand inventory, brand exploratory and we included recommendations on how the brand can be further enhanced. Information Search The group had an intensive information search in order to do a thorough audit. The search was conducted via Internet, library database, newspaper, magazine and television. Group discussion A group discussion was held in order to analyze the Power Root brand. The group discussed various aspects of the brand based on the information gained during the search. Task allocation Task was allocated among team members for report compilation. Background Power Root is a homegrown brand and is a true success story when it comes to Malaysian brands. The story of Power Root began in 1999. This brand was born in Johor and officially launched on 23 July 1999 and since then it has not looked back ever since. Owned by the parent company NatBio Resources Sdn Bhd, Power Root has grown from strength to strength for the past 9 years it had been in existence. Their main and core product strategy is by commercializing the well know aphrodisiac more well known as Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) and Kacip Fatimah (Labisia Pumilia). These 2 herbs is popular in Malaysia due to wide believe about its ability to give energy and enhance sexual prowess. They are also commonly used for ensuring good health and physical well being. From 2 main products, they have grown and extended into many products by using the same brand name. More information about the brand portfolio of Power Root is in the inventory segment. They first established a branch in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 for the purpose of co-ordinating logistics and also to enhance customer service. Power Root have 2 manufacturing plants, the earliest was established in Johor in 2003 and was followed by another manufacturing plant in Kuala Lumpur. In 2007 Power Root via its holding company Natural Bio Resources Sdn Bhd was listed in the Second Board of Bursa Malaysia. Power Root’s operational objective is ‘Quality, Innovation Sharing’. To stay true to this mantra, they have invested heavily in R D to come up with a line of brand that best signifies quality. They are also committed to bringing these herbs beyond Malaysian shores across the globe to enhance its popularity and bringing benefit to the product in return. All in all Power Root’s is a success today stems from its entrepreneurial spirit, concentration in research and development in improving existing products and commitment in providing consumers variety choices of its high quality products. Background of the Industry When we talk about industry, first we need to identify the elements that constitute the industry. What is the background of the industry that Power Root is operating in. Power Root is geographically located in Malaysia. In terms of the industry, Power Root can be concluded as being in several different segments within the larger beverage industry. They are mainly in the instant coffee drinks segment with the core product being Ali Cafe TongkatAli drinks. This instant coffee segment is a large and very attractive segment. Due to changes in lifestyle, current trend shows that people value speed. This to the extend something as simple as making coffee is required to be simplified which explains the phenomenal growth of instant coffee drinks. Can drinks is another segment they are operating in. Can drinks is a big market with almost all beverage having a can product. People like can drinks for its convenience and cool factor. The cereal market is another industry segment where fierce competition is common. Due to the high consumption nature of breakfast foods, this segment is lucrative to capture. Chocolate drink segment is fast growing. Although not as strong as in US but cocoa based drink trend is catching on in Malaysia. Power Root knows this and hence the release of Cocoa based drink like Pearl Cafe’ Choco. A little background about Tongkat Ali which is being used as the main ingredient not only by Power Root but also by Power Root’s competitors. Tongkat Ali also known as Eurycoma Longifolia Jack is a common herbal shrub usually found along the slopes of hilly terrain of the Malaysian rainforests. This shrub is identified as the ‘Bitter Cures’ because it is really bitter and it also can cure all sorts of ailments and diseases. ‘Pasak Bumi’ or the ‘Earth Fixer’ is also one of them and because of its solid and long winding roots, it got its name and the name is Tongkat Ali. The name is said to be associated with a dashing warrior, the hidden meaning to the name- the spirit of manliness and health. The herb helps to revitalize tired minds and body and soothes a person. In addition, Kacip Fatimah is another common herb found in the rain forests of Malaysia, it contains element of antioxidants and photo estrogen, where these two elements are known to provide goodness and health to both women and men. These 2 herbs together present a multimillion or perhaps a multibillion dollar market to be exploited. With the emerging trends and unfulfilled needs in terms of personal healthcare this industry’s core has a long way to go. The general situation right now in the industry is the intense competition among the manufacturers of such herb based beverage drinks. Since taking the herb in pill or medical form does not interest consumer much, beverage is seen as the next best way to sell such products. Hence many entrants have made the fight hard especially when some competitors purposely copy the entire brand elements of another successful brand. Consumer Analysis Needs There is a real need for energy and herbal based drink in Malaysian market. Hence Power Root is seen as a natural choice because they contain Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah, 2 most well known energy boosting herbs. Because of these two main herbs in their products, customer demands are increasing because they believe that Power Root products can help them in their daily lifestyles in all ways. They believe they will feel re-energized and be more energetic after drinking it. These herbs are indigenous to Malaysia and its properties for promoting physical well-being are highly regarded by Malaysians. There is also a real need for an integrated product that combines energy herbs and a daily beverage of people’ choice be it coffee, tea or cocoa drinks. These needs are however not restricted to local arena alone as there high demands from foreign countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Middle East signifying the universality of the need. Segmentation First and foremost, Power Root as a family brand targets almost everyone in the market. However when it comes to selecting and targeting segments then they become selective. There are several segmentations as practised by Power Root: Race: Power Root has segmented the market into racial segments and it actively targets the Malay market. Its entire branding, marketing and promotional strategies are very much focused on this segment. There are attempts to court other racial segments such as the Chinese segment but it is largely limited. Gender: Usually tongkat ali is targeted towards the male customers whereas Kacip Fatimah is targeted to the female audience. Tongkat Ali is seen as the male aphrodisiac while Kacip Fatimah on the other hand is associated with women. Both herbs can be consumed by both genders considering that there are similar benefits between them but for marketing purposes, they are marketed separately to different segments. Age group: 18 49 Power Root has chosen to target this group age segment. The reason could be that this age group has the purchasing power necessary to buy and consume the products. Besides that as this time period is where they grow up, they will seek energy boosting beverages more than any other age group. The brand also has access to various ways to reach this age group as they are widely exposed to various mediums. Health conscious segment: This segment is hard to measure and to find out considering that it is hard to measure intangible things. Nevertheless this health conscious segment is visible enough to be noticed by Power Root to be targeted aggressively. Behaviour When it comes to behaviour, here the analysis will have to focus on the behaviour of Power Root’s consumers towards the product. Power Root’s consumers are very loyal to the brand especially from the Malay market segment. With a strong positioning, we can actually see that the support is strong from this segment alone. Even when similar products and brands got launched, Power Root remained strong due to the loyalty to the brand. Customers of this brand are enthusiastic about the brand, have high brand awareness, brand recall and brand recognition of Power Root. They support the marketing programs and also love the brand ambassadors which they think relate well with them. Trends In this competitive world, companies must always understand about customers’ trends in order to attract and best serve them. Since customer’s trend keep n changing their taste, the companies must always formulate strategies to satisfy them. Current trend shows that there is a significant shift in consumer’s mindset towards living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of one’s own body. Due to proliferati on of healthy living lifestyle on various mediums such as TV, movies, magazines and others lifestyle trends, more and more people are looking for products that are good for their body. Also due to changing pace of life and hectic, busy lifestyle led by most people on earth today, energy boosting beverages has seen a spike in demand. Motivation Since Power Root has become more and more famous among consumers, so this can be a reason to motivate customer to buy their products. The company had created their own brand image, once consumer want to purchase instant coffee or tea or even energy products, Power Root will become one of their choices. As mentioned before, Power Root are producing few types of instant drink products such as coffee, tea, energy drink and etc. By providing customers with lots of choice, this can be one of the reasons to motivate people to buy it. Beside that, the price of Power Root products can be another point that can motivate customers to purchase it. Most of the consumers are finding out that the prices of Power Root are reasonable compare to other brand. In addition, Power Root Company always is doing promotion in order to attract customer. It is one of the ways to increase the motivation of consumers toward Power Root products. Consumers are always interesting with products promotion, so Power Root sometimes will organize some activity such as competition or products sampling in order to increase the interest of consumers toward their products. Perceptions According to the majority of consumers, when they think of Power Root, naturally energy drinks, stamina and health will come to their mind. Power Root’s current standing is good and hence consumers’ perception towards it is good as well. In most of the consumers’ mind, Power Root products always fulfill customers’ need which is to give energy. Consumers perceive Power Root as a brand that has a variety of products that satisfies many different people. The taste is seen as different and unique to Power Root. Consumers also have a perception that the products has a reasonable price. Brand Inventory Elements Logo Brand Mantra: Quality, Innovation Sharing Slogan: Infinite Energy Brand jingle/Catchphrase: Cut, Cut, Cut Ali Cafe URL: www. powerroot. com. my Packaging: Marketing Programs Power Root has a very sound marketing program in place which explains their success so far. The high sales and high business activity can be attributed to the brand cleverly taking care of its 4 major part that constitutes marketing. Product Power Root invests a lot in RD funding in order to come up with good and delicious products to satisfy the market needs and demands. All their products so far according to the analysis show that all of them have gone through rigorous vetting process before being launched into the market. Each and every product has its own distinctive packaging, clear name, colour and taste. For example, Pearl Cafe serves the women market while Ali Cafe serves the male market. There are also products to cater to market needs for low sugar products such as the non-sugar instant drinks. Place When it comes to place it basically relates more to the distribution network that is responsible to distribute and sell the product. Power Root has a very strong distribution network in place with good connection and working relationship with the wholesaler and retailers. The brand is easily available in all major hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini markets, sundry shop and convenient shops Brand is easily available and has high brand visibility. The good working relationship shows especially when seeing that Power Root always get the strategic and most visible place on the shelves’. Price Power Root have a range of price that is neither very expensive nor very cheap, it is there in the middle affordable for all. The pricing for each product is different but each price reflects the value of the product. |RM (+/-) | |Ali Cafe |14. 50 | |Pearl Cafe |11. 20 | |Can Products |2. 50 | |Oligo Cereals |14. 50 | |Pearl Choco |16. 00 | Promotion They have promotions such as extra packs in the main packets with every purchase. They have free gifts when the customers buy two or more packets. Free gifts may include thing s like umbrella, mugs and so on. Power root sometimes gives out incentives to shopping malls so that hey keep their shelf full of power root products everytime and a merchandiser can keep track of it as well. Sometimes they give out discounts to customers in the form of free coupons such as the one being distributed in TESCO receipts. POP (Points of Parity) A point of Parity is when the attributes of a brand is similar to other brands in the market. Power Root shares these POPs: Same market (Malay majority)-What Power Root is currently targeting and heavily investing in is also pursued and served by other competitors. And these competitors not only come from those with instant coffee background or herbal energy giving beverage but also anyone with the interest of capturing the sales from the Malay market segment. Coffee drink- There are a lot of companies producing coffee products and instant coffee brands are one to many sometimes. Power Root product coffee, others also produce coffee. Instant beverage- The age of convenience has brought us this trend, instant beverages and Power Root’s instant formulas or way of packaging its products are similar to other instant beverage brands. Pricing- The pricing is almost similar to other competitors and there is no large variation among the brands showing that price is something common among them. POD (Points of Difference) Points of Difference is the part that where differentiation takes place and aids positioning process in consumer’s minds. There are 3 main PODs for Power Root: Health and herbal products- Power Root has exploited the health benefits of the herbs and making sure it becomes synonymous with the brand itself. Now whenever someone mentions Tongkat Ali or Eurycoma Longifolia they are quickly reminded of Power Root first before being followed by other products. Unique Pink, Black, Gold Packaging- Power Root’s packaging are distinctive and has their own place in consumer’s mind and heart. The packaging is easily recognizable and differentiated from its competitors. Besides that, there are different colours for each flavour or product. Delicious taste and aroma- Power Root has a distinctive taste and aroma to its products so much so that the moment someone smells it, they will be quickly reminded of the brand showing high brand awareness. The aroma is also strong in nature and can easily fill a room with its sweet smell. Branding Strategies Brands today are no longer like the way it was once before where brands were merely a name assigned to a product. Today consumers respond positively to brands and the more powerful a brand is the greater opportunities that brand will have especially in terms of profit. Power Root is only 9 years old and barely a teenager but in Malaysia they have become one of the number one brands in beverages. And today they are venturing into exporting their products to other countries like Indonesia and to the Middle Eastern Region like Dubai. In getting to where they are today Power Root has made efforts in their branding strategies. Some branding strategies they have applied are using spokespersons, sponsoring events, having road shows around Malaysia, organizing contests through publicity, billboards, advertising and having sub brands or extensions. Power Root has invested in using public figures and celebrities to be their spokespeople. Using a spokesperson is when an organization uses a person to represent the organization. Power Root have employed four very well known Malaysian celebrities in representing their brand who are Rosyam Nor one of Malaysia’s number one leading actors, Adam and Faraf from the very popular reality show â€Å"Akademi Fantasia† and one of Malaysia’s songbirds Nurul. They have been used in promoting Power Root’s products via commercials, road shows, and ads. Another brand strategy used by Power Root is by sponsoring events. Some of the events sponsored by Power Root are the ‘Dance with Nnergy’ competition which is a dance competition during Jomheboh, one of Malaysia’s very popular carnivals handled around the country. Power Root has even sponsored drama series on TV 2 entitled â€Å"Dilemma Wanita†, and â€Å"Rafflesia†. Another event they have sponsored is Smart Kids 2006 (Aerospace Educational Planet). Every event they sponsor is a way for them to publicize their product to the public and create brand awareness. Linking a brand to events helps consumers to build their trust towards a brand and also it portrays a more likeable image for the consumers. Power Root has also organized road shows around Malaysia. Road shows are travelling exhibit as a way to promote a company’s product. In this case, Power Root has gone around Malaysia from Penang to Johor to promote their products and also some of their contest like promoting one of their biggest contests the â€Å"You Can Be a Millionaire† contest. Through road shows Power Root can also build positive rapport with their loyal customers and plus achieve new customers. Power Root has also organized many contests in the past in order to stimulate sales and at the same time build brand loyalty. These contests include the search for gold and prizes under the tab of the can products and the most recently is the ‘Be a Millionaire’ contest. Publicity or public relation is used to promote or protect a company’s image or products. Over the years Power Root have conducted various forms of publicity in promoting their brand. For example in the year 2006 Power Root organized a press and conference and simultaneously officially launched their new Power Root Ambassadors for that year. By organizing this sort of publicity they have created again brand awareness for the public. Another example of their efforts in publicity is through having official events to launch their contests so that consumers especially Power Root loyal customers are aware of their contest which they can participate and maybe have some opportunity in winning grand prizes. Other than that Power Root has also put up billboard along the PLUS highway. They have organized a continuous of 20f x 60f Billboard Campaign along the PLUS highway. The PLUS highway is the main highway to get from North to South of Malaysia and many Malaysian citizens use this highway to get from one destination to another. By putting up billboards along the highway, Power Root has great exposure because many Malaysian citizens use the highway daily. Power Root has also used many forms of advertising to promote their brand. Like mentioned before using billboards and such, Power Root has also used other ways of advertising their product for instance through television commercials, radio commercials and print advertisements. With their ambassadors, they use them in their commercials to promote their brand. Choosing the right form of advertisement is crucial so that Power Root can reach the right customers. Lastly, another form of brand strategy Power Root has adopted is through brand extensions and sub-branding. There are two forms of brand extension which are line extension and category extension. Power Root has adopted both the line extension and category extension. Line extensions use sub-brands to target a new market segment within the same category. For example under the Power Root brand name in the coffee line, they have come up with Ali Cafe targeting male consumers and Pearl Cafe to target female consumers. As for category extension, it is a form of extension by using the parent brand in a different product category. Power Root has used the brands distinctive taste which is tongkat ali and kacip fatimah in another form than instant products like can drinks. Brand portfolio analysis Power root is known for the energy drink they produce which is Alicafe Tongkat ali and automatically the product is the core product for this brand. Power root is mainly associated with tongkat ali gingseng and therefore when it comes to Power root, consumer will think of energy drink or tongkat ali. Power root has come out with many sub brands which are instant cafe and tin product: Instant beverage Alicafe Tongkat Ali instant: premix coffee drink with Tongkat Ali. A wonderful blend of coffee made from Robusta Arabica fine coffee beans, combined with quality creamer from Europe for smoothness and heavenly aroma. Also contains water soluble Tongkat Ali and Gingseng extracts. Alitea tongkat ali instant: Premix tea drink with Tongkat Ali. Also known as â€Å"Power Root teh Tarik Tongkat Ali instant†. Quality red tea mixed with imported skimmed milk and creamer from Europe for a fresh and aromatic flavour. Perl cafe instant: Mildest blend features a smooth and flavourous coffee specially made from the finest Arabca Robusta coffee beans. It is catered mainly for today’s women. Also includes premium quality creamer and chocolate from Europe and contains water soluble Kacip Fatimah extract. Perl choco instant: premix chocolate drink with Kacip Fatimah and Collagen. Made from imported Cocoa, Kacip Fatimah, Collagen, Sugar and Non-Dairy Creamer. Oligo cafe instant: premix coffee with Oligofructose. It is a natural ingredient extract from the chicory root. Oligofructose has many beneficial effects on the human body studied by scientist. The chicory root, where its beneficial effects have been known for a long time, contains large amount of inulin. The chicory root is also one of the most researched food substances by scientists for its nutritional benefits. Oligo cereal instant: cereal drink mixed with B-Glucan and Oigofructose. This product consists of fine blend of oats, cereal, B-Glucan, Oligofructose, sugar and non-dairy creamer. It is rich in amico acids, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre and fulfills the modern era dietary principles to maintain health diet. Oligo choco instant: formulated from cocoa, DHA/EPA (categoriesed as an Omega- fatty acid, one of the essential fatty acids), sugar and fat-free dairy ingredients, and rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid,stearic acid, palmitic acid, protein, various vitamins, minerals, fibre and flavonoids. Ali cafe no sugar added: a wonderful blend of coffee with no sugar added specially formulated for the health conscious public. It is made from Arabica Robusta fine coffee beans, combined with quality creamer from Europe for smoothness heavenly aroma. It also contains water soluble Tongkat Ali Gingseng extracts. Perl cafe no sugar added: the mildest blend features a smooth and flavourous coffee with no sugar added, specially made from the finest Arabica Robusta coffee beans. It is mainly catered to health conscious female public. It is also includes premium quality creamer and chocolate from Europe and contains water soluble Kacip Fatimah extract. Can products Nnergy carbonated energy drink: a special carbonated energy drink formulated with Caffein, Taurine, and Vitamin B6 B12 that helps the release of sustained energy. Nnergy is slightly sour and coupled with the fizzy sensation, ensure of tickling taste. The energy derived from the drink helps to increase concentration especially for derivers on a long journey, students and busy professionals who require the additional boost in energy. Extra carbonated energy drink: A special carbonated energy drink formulated with Tongkat Ali, Caffeine, Taurine Vitamis B6 B12 that will give you the energy boost reduce fatigue. The great refreshing tast and fizzy sensation makes the drink more refreshing with the additional energy derived. It helps to increase concentration especially for drivers on a long journey, students and busy professionals who require the additional boost in energy. Extra honey tongkat ali: energy drink with Honey and Tongkat Ali extracts. Perl kacip fatimah: Energy drink with Kacip Fatimah extract exclusively for women. Ali cafe tongkat ali: coffee drink with Tongkat Ali extract. Gingseng tongkat ali: energy drink with Tongkat Ali and Gingseng extracts. Honey dates tongkat ali: Honey dates Energy drink with Tongkat Ali extract. Perl cafe cofee drink with kacip fatimah: Coffee drink with Kacip Fatimah extract. Competitor’s brand inventory Any brand has their own competitor’s if they are in the same market, as for Power root their competitors are other brands that produce energy drinks, gingseng and tongkat ali drinks. Jabar root Jabar root is owned by The Al-Jabbar Group, a Bumiputera-owned company that offers herbal based medications. The company aimed to market their product particularly in Brunei, Indonesia and West Asia. Jabar root packaging for their tin product for tongkat ali and kacip fatimah are almost similar with Power root. The only difference is the name of the product which is Puteri Serapat and Jabar root. The company selected Zamarul Hisham and Diana Rafar as their celebrity endorsement. The retail price of a can Jabar Root and Puteri Serapat is RM 2. 50. Nescafe Nescafe is actually official product owned by Nestle and it is a brand of instant coffee. Nescafe produce instant drink and can drink such as Nescafe classic, Nescafe original, Nescafe Gold Range, Nescafe Espresso, Nescafe Premium Range, Nescafe Decaff, Nescafe Cappuccino, Nescafe Frappe, Nescafe 3 in 1 Power root has become the competitor to Nescafe or vice versa. Long jack Long Jack Tongkat Ali is owned by Orang Kampung. Herbal Tea, Kacip Fatimah Capsule, TOngkat Ali Capsule, Resdong Pills, Longjack Capsule, Evergreen Tea, Penambat Pills, Gamat Oil, Liniment, Gamat Jelly, Slimmatee Capsule, Maajun Tongkat Ali, Extract Morinda and De5 are products that Orang Kampung produces. This company also produces can drinks such as Long Jack. CNI Tongkat Ali CNI Enterprise (M) Sdn. Bhd. introduces CNI Tongkat Ali gingseng coffee and CNI cafe in their sub brands. The Groups principal activities are marketing healthcare and consumer products. Other activities include manufacturing, trading and packaging consumer, health and personal care products, operation of food and beverage outlets and investment holding. The Group operates in Malaysia and Singapore. Super power Super launched a new range of ‘Super Power coffee variants with added Tongkat Ali, Gingseng and Misai Kuching in Malaysia on April 2007. Their pre-launch sales for ‘Super Power’ cofeemixes and energy drinks have exceeded expectations. The company will focus to expand their market in Southeast Asia countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam. Kopi RADIX Kopi RADIX originates from Indonesia and has a large following among the traditionalists and in a more rural setting. Its product comprises mainly of Tongkat Ali herbs with not much variation. Kopi Jantan Produced for the older generation and for those in a rural setting. This is also similar to Kopi RADIX in the sense that they focus more on the power or aphrodisiac part of the product. Strengths and Weaknesses Here in this part the analysis is largely centred on uncovering the brand’s strength and weaknesses. Strengths i. As mentioned, Power Root is getting more and more famous among Malaysian, this can be one of the strengths. It is a well known home grown Malaysian brand that specializing in coffee, cocoa and energy beverage products. The company has grown leaps and bounds since first established in 1999 and currently has 19 products under its wings. Although there are various brands of instant drink products in the market, Power Root with its entrepreneuring spirit, is committed to provide consumers with the ultimate choice of a high quality product. Concentrated efforts in research and development to develop new and improved products have also accelerated its success in the market. The founders started off with an herbal energy drink, while coffee-based products were only introduced in 2003. Power Root, the company that owns Ali Cafe, set up its business in 1999 and was quick to realize that consumer preferences and lifestyles were evolving. As such; the company was able to quickly establish a stable business foundation and thus, creates a very promising future for the company. ii. Besides that, Power Root and its range branded canned and premixed powder drinks has become one of the most successful and recognizable local brands within a short span of 7 years. Power Root’s brands include: Ali Cafe and Perl Cafe –canned coffee and premixed instant coffee powder infused with Tongkat Ali and Kacip Fatimah extracts respectively; Power Root – a range of flavored energy drinks with Tongkat Ali extract; Alitea – premixed instant tea powder with Tongkat Ali extract; Oligo Cafe – premixed instant coffee powder with Oligofructose; and Nnergy – a carbonated energy drink with added vitamins. Power Root’s commitment towards its brand promise is epitomized by its co-sponsorship of the 2006 World Cup live Malaysia telecast and on the local front, the hugely popular Jom Heboh! Since the brand is easily recognizable and most people would have no trouble recalling it from their mind either so it has a strong presence in consumers’ mind and is well positioned. The products generate positive reviews and the company invests heavily in marketing and branding iii. The key of Power Roots brand is the quality level which begins at the material procurement stage, ensuring best technology, while offering fortified nutritional and health benefits that meets the needs of the modern lifestyle consumers. Currently, the company has created three successful brands in the UAE and Middle Eastern markets which have their unique taste and appeal to tea and coffee loving populace here. No doubt therefore Power Roots is the first Malaysian beverage Company that made it big in the UAE  and Middle Eastern Market. In  2006 Power Root acquired, the prestigious GMP, and HACCP certification, giving consumers a better peace of mind. In the UAE, Power Root has aggressively promoted its brand in order to carve out a market share. A huge promotion outlay has also been provided at the ongoing Global Village, at Seef Road and the Night Souk where Power Root stalls are attracting good crowds. Weaknesses i. As we can see there are a lot of strengths for Power Root Company, but there are also some weaknesses that can be found in the company. As mentioned, Power Root, a truly Malaysian success story main target consumer is Malay majority market in this country. With the limitation of the Malay target market, it may cause Power Root lack of visibility among non-Malay market. As we know Malaysia is a country which comprised of Chinese, Malay and India citizens, if the company only limit the scope by only concentrates in Malay market however it will neglect the non-Malay consumers and lose a very good chances to increase their profits. ii. Although Power Root is a well-known company in Malaysia, the brand information is not that easy to find. It is very easy to find the brand’s products but it seems hard when consumers wish to search the information about the brand. Therefore, lack of information regarding brand is another weaknesses of Power Root. Brand Associations Brand Positioning Analysis Positioning refers to the place a brand has in the consumer’s mind. The consumer should be able to recall what the brand is associated with in a flash. The moment they see they should be able to think what Power Root stands for. Power Root’s main positioning strategy seems to focus a lot on the energy drink mantra. They have marketed and branded it so intensively by focusing on the energy giving aspect of their products. So much so that most consumers when asked today will immediately think of energy provider, health drink, stamina provider and some even regard it as a mild aphrodisiac. Summary of Competitor Analysis. In a nutshell, Power Root’s competitors have 1 thing in common, they all focus on the same thing that Power Root target but their approach seems to take a bit of sexual undertone. The competitor’s products are branded as an aphrodisiac for sexual prowess with the focus being centred on Tongkat Ali herb. Tongkat Ali is widely used and is used more than Kacip Fatimah in fact. Power Root’s competitors either become a follower by following the same business methodology and branding strategy or they start of on their own by launching it using their own strategy. The more upscale brands such as Super Power tend to have a more urban approach while the less known brands like Kopi RADIX have a more traditionalistic approach. SWOT analysis Listing of a company’s strengths and weaknesses are a normal part of any attempt at strategic planning for virtually all companies. To be sure the company is headed in the right direction, a competent, thoughtful review and updating of the company’s strengths and weaknesses is a fundamental element of a good strategic planning. Strengths Household name- Power Root is a true Malaysian success story, it has presence in several country and no other companies has such a hold especially in the Malay majority market in this country. International presence- Presence in international markets such as Indonesia, Singapore, Korea and UAE. Product success- Power Root’s products are currently making waves in the market such as Alicafe, Perl Cafe, Alitea and so on. Convenience- Each of these products is ready to drink convenient brand, one just has to add hot water and drink it. Strong distribution network- Power Root has access to most outlets and thus effec tively found the end-users due to a well-developed distribution network nationwide. They have a networking of key dealers, wholesalers, supermarkets, retailers and overseas distributors. Today, we can find the products almost everywhere in 7-Eleven stores, petrol stations, Giant, Tesco, Carrefour, Jusco, just to name a few. Weaknesses Lack of Information- Power Root has limited information on their product and have a weak online presence as well. Packaging sizes- No various choices in packaging of instant cafe. They should produce various size of packaging. For example, providing a smaller package for instant cafe. Over focus on beverage- Power Root focus more on beverage products only. They should expand and explore to another market such as capsule or food but they need to still maintain the product reputation. Lack of presence in non-Malay market- The overfocus on 1 segment means that Power Root may be losing out on opportunities from other market segments as well. No slogan for the brand- Power Root is yet to have a distinctive brand slogan. Opportunities Arrival of new technologies- With the upcoming technologies in the world today businesses can be done online. Power Root can promote their brand via internet as internet advertisement is becoming a more and more popular form of advertisement as it’s cheap yet accessible. Other technologies that can be used is online banners, television, satellite and such Free Trade Agreements (FTA) approvals- In the current issue today Malaysia is moving into efforts of getting the FTA approval. Achieving this approval Power Root can export products to countries like the U. S. Power Root has already made efforts in exporting to countries like Indonesia and Dubai. Having greater opportunities to export in other parts of the world is a plus for the brand and also the country. Unfulfilled customer needs- Power Root has ventured into a market that targets the use of Malaysian herbs into beverages. Not many quality brands out there provide this category of product. Therefore Power Root has the opportunity to intensively market their product to Malaysian consumers and also other neighbouring ASEAN countries who also share the same value of herbs as healthy drinks like Thailand, India and China. Threat Competitors- As mentioned and analyzed above, Power Root faces a lot of competitors in various forms and sizes. Oversaturation of market- The entry of many new players intend on capitalizing on the Tongkat Ali craze means that the market may become too overcrowded and in the process may hurt Power Root strategies. Brand Equity Evaluation â€Å"The differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand. â₠¬  Keller, 1993 That is the general definition of a what a brand equity is. Brand equity serves as a platform where companies with brands learn from the past and guide their future plans accordingly. The consumer’s brand knowledge is the most important thing when it comes to building brand equity. Power Root consumers have sufficient knowledge when it comes to the brand itself. They are able to form brand associations fast. When consumers are able to define what are the characteristics associated with Power Root such as the events they are involved in, their brand elements, and their sponsorships and so on it shows that the consumers are able to form fast connection in their mind about Power Root. It also proves that many consumers have been exposed to the brand many times before. Brand knowledge consists of 2 core, brand awareness and brand image. Power Root has a very strong brand awareness among the consumers especially their target market the Malay market. Even those not targeted are sometimes aware of the brand proving the awareness level for the brand. Second is brand image. Power Root has a very strong image in terms of its brand elements such as logo, packaging, colour and so on. Consumers are able to pinpoint which is Power Root fast as they have the correct description in their minds. However brand image needs to be something that is strong and favourable and it does seem like Power Root matches all the criteria of a brand with high brand knowledge among consumers. To evaluate customer based brand equity of Power Root, there are several dimensions to be looked into. Salience Depth of brand awareness- Customers are able to easily recall information and image about Power root Breadth of brand awareness- When it comes to purchasing and consuming Power Root, consumers don’t seem to mind or think twice before buying. They know what they are buying and don’t spend too much time analyzing before buying. Performance- Power Root has performed up to consumer’s expectation so far. What consumers want when they buy the drink is what they get or perhaps even better. It is a value buy for them relative to the price. Imagery- Power Root has portrayed the right image in terms of consumer profile, who they are, where the product should be located, association with strong personalities that best showcase the brand itself and so on. Judgement- In terms of brand quality, Power Root is the front runner. No one invests in R like Power Root in the industry and that explains the high quality since they emphasize a lot on quality. The brand is seen as credible and superior compared to other competitors. Feelings- Consumers love this product and they love how it is being branded. Resonance- This can be seen in how attached some customers become to the brand. They call it their comfort drink and form an attachment to it. They are many consumers who have made this drink as their daily staple proving their loyalty. And judging from the many support Power Root gets to its events and contests, it shows just how the brand has formed an alliance with consumers and resonate well with them. Strategic Brand Management Recommendations There are always room for improvement even if the brand is already very successful. Power Root despite its successes, still has room for improvement. There are 4 recommendations by how Power Root can be further improved. Target Introduce to Non-Malay markets Non-Malay market presents an opportunity for Power Root as their purchasing power is yet to be tapped into. Many are not aware of the product yet and most competitor are very focused on Malay market just like Power Root. Perhaps by diversifying their target, they can enhance their presence in the local market and tighten their stronghold as well. Increase Expand international presence Power Root currently has only expanded to 4 countries, namely Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and UAE. There are many countries where coffee drinking is a craze such as France and US and presents untapped opportunities. Create a slogan Power Root currently has a void to be filled and that is clear, catchy slogan. Being an important brand element, slogan can help improve brand awareness and brand recognition. Enhance online presence The website needs to be more interactive and should be enhanced with more information. Currently it lacks in terms of interactivity and access to interesting informations. Reference 1. www. thestar. com. my 2. www. nst. com. my 3. www. powerroot. com. my 4. www. google. com 5. Strategic Brand Management- Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, Kevin Lane Keller. [pic]

Why You Shouldnt Trust US News College Rankings

Why You Shouldn't Trust US News College Rankings SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips US News is probably the most popular source out there for college rankings. While US News rankings of colleges purport to be highly accurate, they can be misleading in certain important respects. If you make decisions based purely on the US News college rankings, you might end up being miserable. In this article, I’ll go over why you shouldn’t make judgments about colleges solely based on their rankings in US News. What Types of Rankings Does US News Provide? US News divides its college rankings into four different categories.The categories are based on the 2010 Basic Classification system developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.This system has 12 categories of schools, but US News condenses them into four.These include: National Universities These are schools that offer master's and doctoral degrees along with a full range of undergraduate majors.This category contains â€Å"research universities†, where there is a strong emphasis on research and government subsidies are often provided for research endeavors.There are 280 universities that fall into this category, including 173 public schools, 100 private schools, and 7 for-profit schools. National Liberal Arts Colleges These are colleges that emphasize undergraduate education and give out at least half of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines including languages and literature, biology and life sciences, philosophy, cultural studies, and psychology.There are 227 of these colleges, 221 private, 27 public, and one for profit. Regional Universities These colleges are similar to National Universities in that they offer both a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs.However, they offer limited or nonexistent doctoral programs.There are 620 Regional Universities, including 262 public, 346 private, and 12 for profit. Regional Colleges These are colleges that focus on undergraduate education but have less of a liberal arts emphasis (award less than half of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines).There are 364 regional colleges that include 94 public schools, 253 private schools, and 17 for-profit schools. It’s important to consider these categories because they should affect how you view the rankings.US News specifically states that you shouldn’t compare the rankings of two colleges across two different categories; the schools are so different that making a direct comparison is not logical.You can compare the actual statistics (such as admissions rate, student retention, and average class size), but in terms of rank itself, a school that’s ranked 40th in the National Universities category is not objectively â€Å"worse† than a school that’s ranked 32nd in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category. Very liberal art How Does US News Rank Colleges? There is a strong methodology behind the ranking system that US News uses for colleges, and it changes often to adapt to changing conditions in higher education.Many factors are considered, and percentage weights are given to each component of the assessment. A total weight of 30% is given to factors related to student retention and graduation rates (meaning this is the most highly considered single factor in the ranking process) Graduation and retention measures are given a weight of 22.5% A 7.5% weight is devoted to a measure of whether a school is over or underperforming based on the number of students that graduate (comparing the expected vs. actual graduation rate) US News gives a 22.5% percentage weight to a school’s academic reputation scores For National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges, this is based on a peer survey of academics (weighted 15%) and a survey of high school counselors (weighted 7.5%) For Regional Universities and Regional Colleges, it is based solely on a survey of the academic peer group for the full 22.5% The remaining weight of 47.5% is devoted to hard statistics about the school including measures of academic quality such as selectivity, faculty information, financial resources, and alumni giving. To create school scores, US News gathers statistics in 16 areas related to the academic quality of the school. Each is assigned a percentage based on US News’ â€Å"judgments about which measures of quality matter most†. US News publishes the numerical rank of the top 75% of schools in each of the four categories. Remaining schools are placed in the â€Å"second tier† of rankings where specific numerical ranking is not listed (they’re just put in alphabetical order). The gold star that US News gives to colleges in the second tier. What’s Not to Trust? When I say you shouldn’t trust the rankings, I don’t mean that US News is deliberately misleading students.What I mean is that you shouldn’t put ALL your trust in these rankings and disregard your other preferences about college.You should also be aware of some shortcomings that may cause the rankings to exclude certain schools or rank colleges lower than they would be ranked on a list of â€Å"Best Colleges for You, Student Reading This Article†.Here are some things you should know before consulting the US News rankings in your college search: Some schools won’t be ranked if they don't meet the criteria In fact, there are 148 colleges that are â€Å"unranked† within the four categories listed above.These schools may be unranked for a variety of reasons - these include: Lack of regional accreditation Fewer than 200 students enrolled Do not use the SAT or ACT in admissions decisions Not enough responses on the US News peer assessment survey US News lists unranked schools, but they are put in alphabetical order at the end of each college category without any value judgment.This means that if you’re interested in very small colleges or colleges that don’t use the SAT or ACT in admissions decisions, the rankings may not help you much. The most common reason for a school to be unranked is that it doesn’t use standardized tests.US News argues that there isn’t enough data to compare the school to other institutions in the category without test scores, so it has to remain unranked.This may be a valid point, but it means that schools that may otherwise have solid academics are excluded from rankings, leaving you with a slightly less complete picture of the college landscape. There is an emphasis on ultimate results and academic rigor over quality of student life On the website for US News, it states, â€Å"over time, the ranking model has put less emphasis on input measures of quality – which look at characteristics of the students, faculty and other resources going into the educational process – and more emphasis on output measures, which look at the results of the educational process, such as graduation and freshman retention rates.†There is no doubt that graduation rates are important, and they do say a lot about the quality of a college.However, they will tell you very little about whether a school is a nice place to spend four years, especially if the school is very academically rigorous and prestigious. Most students will graduate because they’re very driven, but that doesn't tell you whether or not they enjoyed their time there. The US News rankings are based on hard statistics and information gleaned from academic peer reviews about the quality of the school.While this is very useful in determining how favorably the school is viewed from the heights of the academic Ivory Tower, it isn’t always the best metric for conducting your search process.Even though focusing on outcome does make sense to a certain degree, it also fails to fully evaluate the quality of the student experience.This can contribute to a somewhat harmful â€Å"ends justify the means† mindset that leads students to spend years in places where they are outwardly successful but inwardly unhappy. The official motto of both US News and your one friend who won't shut up about CrossFit Prestige plays an important role For many students, prestige remains an important factor in deciding whether to attend a college.It’s hard to resist the allure of a school that will impress other people and potentially get you good jobs down the road based on its name recognition. This is the reason why prestige is considered so strongly by US News in its rankings (in the form of ratings from academic peer groups and guidance counselors).Of course, prestige correlates with selectivity in admissions and respect from the higher education community at large, so it does indicate some measure of academic quality. However, measuring schools based on prestige can have the unfortunate consequence of discounting some up and coming colleges or colleges that may have a unique focus and be less well-known.Make sure youuse other resources to research schools that have the criteria you’re looking for - even if they’re not ranked especially high, they may be a much better fit for your goals. Private schools always rank higher In the US News rankings, private schools are always more highly ranked than public schools.This can be misleading, and shouldn’t dissuade you from attending a public school!The reason this happens is because the ranking model US News uses is naturally kinder to private schools: they usually score higher on measures of selectivity, student retention rates, and small class sizes.Since public schools tend to be larger and less selective, they end up with lower rankings, but that means very little for high achieving students who choose to attend public schools. Though the statistics are often less impressive than those of private schools, the public college experience may allow many students to thrive.For students who are willing to seek out resources, public schools are often good choices because of the amount of different programs and high-level research facilities they offer.Rankings also don’t consider the diversity of social life at schools and the opportunities in the form ofextracurricular activities. Hi! I'm Chase, your new roommate. I like sailing and refusing to look at the world from anyone else's perspective. The rankings won’t help you to find an affordable school If you’re trying to avoid debt in college, you’ll need to look at other lists to figure out which schools are the most affordable.Rankings in US News have nothing to do with the cost of schools, so they won’t give you the perspective you’re looking for if cost is a major issue. I Feel So Adrift in the Sea of Colleges without My US News Ranking Water Wings - What Do I Do? You don’t have to ignore the US News rankings just because they’re not totally well-rounded in terms of their assessment metrics and inclusivity.What you should do is make sure that you are aware of what they can and can’t tell you about a college.It’s important that you supplement your views on schools with other resources that will give you a more complete picture of what student life is like and how you might fare at the college. To their credit, US News fully acknowledges this fact:â€Å"the editors of U.S. News believe rankings are only one of many criteria students should consider in choosing a college. Simply because a school is top in its category does not mean it is the top choice for everyone. The rankings should not be used as the sole basis to choose one school over another.†Academics are very important, but your life at college will be so much more than just the quality of your classes and how impressive your degree looks in a frame.You should make sure that you like the location of the school, the housing options, the food, the campus life, and the price tag before you make a decision. And in case you don't like the food, bring a bottle of sriracha. You could put sriracha on woodchips and I would probably eat them. Use the rankings as a rough guide to the quality of schools. The top five schools are the most reputable, then the next set of ten, then the next set of ten, and so on. A school that's in the top 20 is going to provide a more intellectual community and more opportunities in general than a school that's ranked in the 40s. However, within each group of ten there won't be much variability in terms of academic quality and reputation.This might help you to make a decision about where to apply after doing some outside research. However, even if you're trying to decide between two schools that are ranked very differently, you shouldn't just go by rankings. If the lower ranked school is a great fit for you, and the higher ranked school is a poor fit, you should choose the better fit regardless of ranking! As US News also says on its website: â€Å"A prospective student's academic and professional ambitions, personal preferences, financial resources and scholastic record, as well as a school's size, cost, programs, atmosphere and location, should play major roles in determining a college choice.†Once you’ve considered the other factors the are most important to you, you can move on to potentially comparing schools based on the academic rankings presented in US News. What's Next? When you apply to college, it's important to have both reach and safety schools so that you don't sell yourself short or end up without any options. Learn more about how to choose reach schools and safety schools. If you're planning on consulting the US News rankings, you should figure out whether you're more interested in public or private colleges first. Find out the differences between the two. Size and location are also very important factors to consider before looking at rankings. These articles will tell you about the pros and cons of going to college close to home and the main differences between large and small colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Discuss and evaluate effective management and leadership behaviors and Term Paper

Discuss and evaluate effective management and leadership behaviors and their - Term Paper Example It will also look into ethical and social implications of effective management and leadership in professional practice. Management behavior consists of managers’ actions or conducts in the course of management duties. It therefore includes judgments and actions that a manager directs to both subordinates and seniors. For a management behavior to be effective, it must be able to achieve management objectives. One of the effective management behaviors is motivation. Behaviors towards motivating employees have the potential of increasing the will and desire by employees to focus on achieving desired objectives of an organization. Such behaviors include empowering the subordinates, creating a friendly atmosphere, and building the confidence among the subordinates. Empowerment would for instance involve developing the inner potential of individual employees. With this respect, an effective manager would interact with the subordinates with the aim of learning their internal strengths and weaknesses. This would then be followed by initiatives to develop the identified strengths while helping the subo rdinate to work on and resolve the identified weaknesses. Motivation, as a management behavior, would therefore be aimed at catalyzing attainment of employees’ potentials. As a result, the management and the organization will benefit from improved productivity while the employee will develop a successful career that will be reflected in his or her social status at home. There will also be implied ethical aspects in the management (Buckingham and Coffman, 2005). Another effective management behavior involves exercising influence over employees. Though good policies may be formulated towards achieving objectives of a firm, success in implementation of such objectives can only be achieved if the employees are geared towards working for the goals. Aligning employees’ psychological potentials towards developing positive attitudes over the formulated policies are