China s Long Standing Battle Against Air Pollution

Smoggy sky: China’s long standing battle against air pollution Smog has been spreading rapidly in China since 2013 with an increased number of haze days, which seriously affected residents daily life. Smog as an environmental problem has become a major social concern and the government has promulgated a number of policies and governance strategies. In June 2013, the State Council carried on the ten air pollution control measures and strived to practice the code of conduct --- share breath and struggle. Subsequently, the State Council promulgated the Air Pollution Control Action Plan; the provinces and municipalities published the implementation details of air pollution control action plan and other documents. The introduction of these policies not only indicates that China urgently needs to solve the haze problem, but also shows Chinese government s determination of environmental pollution control. China increases efforts to solve the air pollution including haze problem, and there are some results. However, consecutive smoggy skies and continu ous spread across the country also show that for China air pollution governance will be a long battle. If we want to govern the smoggy sky, we need to know what the smog is at first. Smog is a type of air pollutant. The word smog was coined in the early 20th century as a portmanteau of the words smoke kind of fog to refer to smoky fog. A similar and severe environmental issue in London from the 1900s to mid-2000s which wasShow MoreRelatedChina s Long Standing Battle Against Water Pollution2689 Words   |  11 PagesBinan Lu(633790) Mark Wang China in Transition 9 June 2015 Topic: China s long standing battle against water pollution. Introduction Water pollution happens when excessive contamination in water body which is far beyond the ability for the natural ecosystem to accommodate the contaminant. 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Music satyasheel deshpande Essay Example For Students

Music satyasheel deshpande Essay Bandit satchel deckhands is an unconventional and widely loved Hindustan musician. He is a captivating performer and a brilliant composer of songs . He is also a noted researcher and an acclaimed author. Bandit satchel deckhands has been coming to flame since last two years. At the function Bandit stealthily is sitting right in the middle of the group which is performing on stage. There are two satirists sitting right besides bandit who were playing excellent sitar. E audience really loved their style of playing the sitar. Then there is one musician playing the harmonium who is sitting right next to the singer in between. The singer is a master in his skill and he thoroughly enjoys while singing any raga or song he sings. There is a man playing the table sitting right opposite to the person playing the harmonium. Thus the two satirists, the singer, the harmonium artist and the table artist together with bandit satchel deckhands formed the group of artists that day. The concert started with a person briefing the audience about Bandit satchel deckhands life . He also illuminated the audience that bandit had been a devoted singer to music since a very early age. Bandit has been visiting Flame since two years in succession. He had come with his wife and beloved son to grace the occasion. Bandit satchel deckhands had a uniqueness in him which set him apart from the other artists. Students from varied backgrounds had come to experience the concert at Flame. This shows the fan following of Bandit satchel deckhands. Bandit satchel deckhands started with a song by the name Bank Bilabial. It was a very interesting raga to start a concert and catch the attention of the mass audience. The raga being played was Chooms in tune and succession. There was a sense of inquisitiveness in Bandit satchel deckhands while singing the song. The audience started to love the performance as the concert progressed. The harmonium artist played harmonium fantastically in perfect rhythm ND tune. The song Bank Bilabial lasted for twenty minutes from the starting of the concert. Bandit was constantly trying to hint at something very significant, this was proved by his actions in the act. At the end of the twenty minute small act , Bandit mentioned something about Knish Kandahar. This proves that bandit used technical as well as standard notes on whatever he sang and emphasized. The next song sung by Bandit was one of his best acts in the the whole concert. He name of he song is Sugar ski as Hahn made ski chainman. Through this song he was trying to convey something to come down in a very different manner. His expressions were of sudden surprise and touching to the heart . People were completely engrossed during the concert . Bandit also mentioned something about the agrarians in particular emphasizing the whole song as a whole. This song sung by him was a ten minute cycle towards the end. This raga by bandit was highly appreciated by the audience.

Perceptual Mapping free essay sample

A detailed explanation of how perceptual mapping works, what it does, and what are its critical assumptions †¢An application of how perceptual mapping was used, i. e. , describing an application of the tool in detail, focusing on procedure, calculations, results, and interpretation. Background Branding; is defined by Charles W. Lamb, co-author of Marketing: sixth edition; as a name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof that identifies a seller’s product or service and differentiates them from competitors’ products. Perhaps, the successful of many businesses has been attributed to the positioning of a product or service associated to a brand that consumers would easily grasp and differentiate from other products within a category. Understanding how consumers store information in memory is essential in brand development, according to Dawn Iacobucci, editor of Kellogg on Marketing. A product or service â€Å"brand† might have three types of associations: attributes, people, and occasions. â€Å"Attributes are physical characteristics of a product such as its color, size, and flavor. We will write a custom essay sample on Perceptual Mapping or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page People and occasions together are regarded as image. Most brand positioning involves a combination of attributes and image. Perhaps, consumers typically do not make decisions on the basis of attributes or image alone. Rather they use a combination of both to infer some benefit, adds Iacobucci. A benefit is an abstract concept such as convenience, pleasure, or fun. The rationale for a benefit is the fact that it has some attributes or that certain people use it on particular occasions. An example is how the beer industry emphasize the taste benefit supported by specifying the brand’s choice by showing young adults enjoying it at social gatherings, sports, or at home with friends. Therefore, perceptual mapping has become essential in the development or repositioning of a product or service for any marketing manager. Since perceptual mapping, according to Dr. Zafar Iqbal PhD professor of marketing at DePaul University, is a special representation in which customer perceptions for competitors’ brands are represented in a Euclidean space. Consequently, the use of perceptual mapping as a marketing tool allows marketing managers to identify and visualize a map of the marketplace in which the brands are positioned against one another vying for the spot in which consumers desire the most. Perceptual Mapping In order to create a reliable visual representation of the market input from customers or the target market are key. Perhaps, perceptual mapping provides a visual representation of customer’s perceptions. Consequently, perceptual maps are useful for deciding product positioning or repositioning; comparison between companies’ views of product positioning with customers’ perceptions; or identifying a competitive set(s). To develop the map, at least four focus group needs to be conducted in order to identify which are the attributes of the products or services that are characteristics and relevant. The attributes and products would vary according to the objective of the study. Perhaps, the study could have a strategic positioning or tactical positioning objective. Subsequently, once all attributes are identified, the development and implementation of a survey is essential in order to obtain perception data. The survey would ask consumers using the attribute rating method (AR) and overall similarity method (OS). The AR method would ask consumers to rate a list of attributes for each product or service. Once the perception data is obtained through the survey. Using factor analysis, the data would be reduced without significant loss of information and find systematically underlying patterns and inter-relationships among variables (attributes). Moreover, the use of factor analysis would allow the individual(s) to use the input (brands x attributes) to create a matrix of standardized scores for each brand and attribute, as long as the rotation sums of squared loading of the total variance explained for the second component (attribute) together with the first is equal or above 60 per cent. Moreover, the through factor analysis would provide a rotated component matrix (VARIMAX) for each of the attributes assigning coordinates, allowing the individual to plot each of them into the perceptual map. Additionally, a component score matrix would be posted as two additional columns to the original data, providing coordinates for each of the brands. By plotting the coordinates for both brands and attributes in their respective quadrants, the perceptual map is, simultaneously, being drawn. Hence, other brands could be group by competitive clusters and positioning to which the brand at study could be compared in relation to other base on preference. Moreover, the map would provide good and bad gaps, and recommendations could be made as how to occupy good gaps and avoid to fall into bad gaps base on which attributes or perceptions to improve and/or communicate. Additionally, recommendations can also be made according to which positioning is desire, according to which exact quadrant to move into and exact location on the map. However, the recommendations and positioning strategy are based on a set of three assumptions. Since it is based on a snapshot of costumers’ current perceptions. Assumptions I. It pair-wise distances between product or service alternatives directly indicated by perceive similarities or differences between any pairs. Perhaps, the distance between brands is determined by the perception in the costumers’ mind and whether the products are similar or different from each other. For example, the costumers’ perception of American Eagle clothes is similar to Abercrombie Fitch. Therefore, both brands would be positioned closer than if it is compare with Tommy Hilfiger. II. The attributes, described as vectors on the map, indicate both magnitude and direction. Perhaps, the brands could fall under different points on the preference line. Nonetheless, the magnitude in which one brands is preferred over other cannot be measured nor can be estimated. Every decision would have to be taken by inference according to the map. III. The brands would be positioned according to the coordinates and the place in the axes of the maps would represent or suggest the underlying dimensions (or factors) that best characterize how costumers differentiate between alternatives. The manufacturers or engineers could perceive their product very different from others; however, customer’s perceptions could be very different and associate the product with another one. Case Study: United Color of Benetton United People Problem: United Color of Benetton wants to reposition themselves as the preferred clothing store for young professionals in the United States. Attributes:Quality, Trendy, Comfortable, Business-Casual, Bold Colors, Preference, Accessible, Low-cost (Price), attracts looks, wrinkle free The table above represent the averages of the responses obtain from the survey, which use a scale from one to seven, one being strongly disagreed and seven being strongly agree. Once the data is collected, based on the perception of individuals for each of the brands and attributes. The following step is, to perform a factor analysis to reduce the data without significantly loosing to much information and systematically find the inter-relationships among the different variables (attributes). The outcome of the factor analysis indicates that the total variance explained with two attributes have a rotation sums of square loading of 66. 78 per cent, which the standard by the industry must be above 60 per cent. The study positioned United Colors of Benetton (Benetton) in the complete opposite position in which Benetton wants to be (See Graph A). The brands that are leading the market that Benetton would like to enter are: Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic, and Hugo Boss – listed on order of preference according to the study. These brands have been clustered as the I’m a Young Professional group (See Graph B). Based on the desire of Benetton to reposition itself as the preferred clothing store for young professionals in the United States. Benetton would have to move into one of the three open spaces, in the consumers’ minds, that falls under the direction of preference and the desired position of Benetton. (See Graph C) Based on the desired repositioning of Benetton and its current position, I suggest that Benetton should develop their marketing strategies to position itself into Space A. Since moving into Space B or Space C, which are, at the moment, to far out of the current state that it would be to costly at the moment.

Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in World War II

Battle of Empress Augusta Bay in World War II Battle of Empress Augusta Bay- Conflict Date: The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay was fought November 1-2, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945).    Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Fleets Commanders: Allies Rear Admiral Aaron Tip MerrillCaptain Arleigh Burke4 light cruisers, 8 destroyers Japan Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 6 destroyers Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Background: In August 1942, having checked Japanese advances at the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, Allied forces moved to the offensive and initiated the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.   Engaged in a protracted struggle for the island, numerous naval actions, such as Savo Island, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, and Tassafaronga were fought as each side sought the upper hand.   Finally achieving victory in February 1943, Allied forces began moving up the Solomons towards the large Japanese base at Rabaul.   Situated on New Britain, Rabaul was the focus of a larger Allied strategy, dubbed Operation Cartwheel, which was designed to isolate and eliminate the threat posed by the base.   As part of Cartwheel, Allied forces landed at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville on November 1.   Though the Japanese had a large presence on Bougainville, the landings met little resistance as the garrison was centered elsewhere on the island.   It was the intention of the Allies to establish a beachhead and construct an airfield with which to threaten Rabaul.   Understanding the danger posed by the enemy landings,  Vice Admiral Baron Tomoshige Samejima, commanding the 8th Fleet at Rabaul, with the support of Admiral Mineichi Koga, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, ordered Rear Admiral Sentaro Omori to take a force south to attack the transports off Bougainville. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - The Japanese Sail: Departing Rabaul at 5:00 PM on November 1, Omori possessed the heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro, the light cruisers Agano and Sendai, and six destroyers.   As part of his mission, he was to rendezvous with and escort five transports carrying reinforcements to Bougainville.   Meeting at 8:30 PM, this combined force then was compelled to evade a submarine before being attacked by single American aircraft.   Believing that the transports were too slow and vulnerable, Omori ordered them back and accelerated with his warships towards Empress Augusta Bay.   To the south,  Rear Admiral Aaron Tip Merrills Task Force 39, consisting of Cruiser Division 12 (light cruisers USS  Montpelier, USS Cleveland, USS Columbia, and USS Denver) as well as Captain Arleigh Burkes Destroyer Divisions 45 (USS  Charles Ausburne, USS Dyson, USS Stanley, and USS Claxton) and 46 (USS Spence, USS Thatcher, USS Converse, and USS Foote) received word of the Japanese approach and departed their anchorage near Vella Lavella.   Reaching Empress Augusta Bay, Merrill found that the transports had already been withdrawn and began patrolling in anticipation of the Japanese attack. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Fighting Begins: Approaching from the northwest, Omoris ships moved in cruising formation with the heavy cruisers in the center and the light cruisers and destroyers on the flanks.   At 1:30 AM on November 2, Haguro sustained a bomb hit which reduced its speed.   Forced to slow to accommodate the damaged heavy cruiser, Omori continued his advance.   A short time later, a floatplane from Haguro inaccurately reported spotting one cruiser and three destroyers and then that the transports were still unloading at Empress Augusta Bay.   At 2:27 AM, Omoris ships appeared on Merrills radar and the American commander directed DesDiv 45 to make a torpedo attack.   Advancing, Burkes vessels fired their torpedoes.   At approximately the same time, the destroyer division led by Sendai also launched torpedoes. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Melee in the Dark: Maneuvering to avoid DesDiv 45s torpedoes, Sendai and the destroyers Shigure, Samidare, and Shiratsuyu turned towards Omoris heavy cruisers disrupting the Japanese formation.   Around this time, Merrill directed DesDiv 46 to strike.   In advancing, Foote became separated from the rest of the division.   Realizing that the torpedo attacks had failed, Merrill opened fire at 2:46 AM.   These early volleys severely damaged Sendai and caused Samidare and Shiratsuyu to collide.   Pressing the attack, DesDiv 45 moved against the northern end of Omoris force while DesDiv 46 struck the center.   Merrills cruisers spread their fire across the entirety of the enemy formation.   Attempting to steer between the cruisers, the destroyer Hatsukaze was rammed by Myoko and lost its bow.   The collision also caused damage to the cruiser which quickly came under American fire.    Hampered by ineffective radar systems, the Japanese returned fire and mounted additional torpedo attacks.   As Merrills ships maneuvered, Spence and Thatcher bumped but sustained little damage while Foote took a torpedo hit that blew off the destroyers stern.   Around 3:20 AM, having illuminated part of the American force with star shells and flares, Omoris ships began to score hits.   Denver sustained three 8 hits though all of the shells failed to explode.   Recognizing that the Japanese were having some success, Merrill laid a smoke screen which badly limited the enemys visibility.   Meanwhile,   DesDiv 46 focused their efforts on the stricken Sendai.    At 3:37 AM, Omori, wrongly believing that he had sunk an American heavy cruiser but that four more remained, elected to withdraw.   This decision was reinforced by concerns about being caught in daylight by Allied aircraft during the voyage back to Rabaul.   Firing a final salvo of torpedoes at 3:40 AM, his ships turned for home.   Finishing off Sendai, the American destroyers joined the cruisers in pursuing the enemy.   Around 5:10 AM, they engaged and sank the badly damaged Hatsukaze which was straggling behind Omoris force.   Breaking off the pursuit at dawn, Merrill returned to aid the damaged Foote before assuming a position off the landing beaches.    Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Aftermath: In the fighting at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, Omori lost a light cruiser and destroyer as well as had a heavy cruiser, light cruiser, and two destroyers damaged.   Casualties were estimated at 198 to 658 killed.   Merrills TF 39 sustained minor damage to Denver, Spence, and  Thatcher while Foote was crippled.   Later repaired, Foote returned to action in 1944.   American losses totaled 19 killed.   The victory at Empress Augusta Bay secured the landing beaches while a large-scale raid on Rabaul on November 5, which included the air groups from USS Saratoga (CV-3) and USS Princeton (CVL-23), greatly reduced the threat posed by Japanese naval forces.   Later in the month, the focus shifted northeast to the Gilbert Islands where American forces landed Tarawa and Makin. Selected Sources: World War II Database: Battle of Empress Augusta BayBattle of Empress Augusta Bay - Order of BattleHistory of War: Battle of Empress Augusta Bay

Finance Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finance Questions - Essay Example Enron established several limited liability special purpose entities which kept inflating its stock price untill the scandal was discovered. Similarly, Satyam, an Indian IT firm was found guilty of forging account books by creating fictitious assets in a sister company. 3. The concept of time value of money can be used to calculate the monthly installment to be paid for a mortgage for a given time period. Similarly, if a person can’t pay more than a certain amount per month, the number of years of payment of mortgage can be calculated using the time value of money. 4. The primary risk for investment in bonds in interest rates. Hence, in a rising interest rate scenario, bonds will give lower returns. Higher inflation also makes bonds less attractive. Other risks associated with bonds are default risk of the issuer, lack of liquidity in the market and provision of call back (Hofman, 2010). 5. Zero coupon bonds pay the entire interest at maturity unlike other bonds and generally give maximum yields. High net worth investors looking for long term investments generally invest in these bonds. Banks and big corporations are interested in these bonds. 6. Risk is incorporated in capital budgeting by either by using a higher discount rate or by requiring a higher annual return on the project. Systemic and unsystemic risks are included by using Beta and standard deviation of the returns. Hofman, Julian. 2010. Bond risks and rewards. Retrieved online 07 February, 2012 from

The Government System of the State of Nebraska Term Paper

The Government System of the State of Nebraska - Term Paper Example Politically, the agitation for statehood was largely by Republicans who were also behind the drafting of the constitution. Early amendments were undertaken such that the most formal definition of the Nebraska Constitution is the document written and approved in 1875, which makes it the 17th oldest state constitution (Miewald, Longo and Schultz, 2010). Â  A good number of changes have been made to the constitution of the state of Nebraska such that it is nearly unrecognizable from the 1966 draft as it has been amended 228 times (Gless, 2008). Throughout its timeline and amendments, perhaps, the most notable and significant moment is the conversion of the state's legislature to unicameral one in 1934. After 68 years of traditional bicameral-senate and house of representatives-legislature, the people of Nebraska voted in the unicameral legislature with the first session being held in 1937. The change took effect after observing on-goings in Queensland Australia, which had itself adopted the unicameral legislature ten years earlier. The proponents in Nebraska observed that the bicameral legislature was based on the British system where there is the presence of the House of Lords, which was deemed as undemocratic. To date, Nebraska remains the only state in the USA with a single-house legislature (Foran, 2002). Â  This consists of six officers, a number of departments, several governmental agencies and several state bodies (Heineman, 2010). The six executive officers are the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, treasurer and the attorney-general. The supreme executive power of the state is vested in the governor, with their duty being to ensure the constitution is protected, and the state is run efficiently.

Kodak Strategy Essay Example for Free

Kodak Strategy Essay The first Kodak camera led to the creation of their first slogan: â€Å"You press the button – we do the rest†. He named the brand of camera Kodak because it was short, it would not be mispronounced, and the name was unique in the business. (Gartrell, n. d. ) By the late 19th century and early 1900’s, advertising played a major role in Kodak’s marketing and promotion strategy. As a result, Kodak became a household word. Today, the Kodak name has become entrenched in home town America. It is known for being very American since its photo spots can be seen at iconic patriotic hot spots like Disneyland. In addition â€Å"Kodak Moments† help make it a household name for photography and imaging. (Wikinvest, 2007) Kodak has always dominated the â€Å"holy trinity of film†; film, paper and chemicals. (Upbin, 2000, para #8) Kodak’s big concern is to remain competitive in the market place. The Eastman Kodak company had to take on some strong competition, such as Polaroid, who is famous for instant photography. Kodak began to sell their version of the instant camera in June 1976 to expand its market. The camera was called the Pronto which spit out a picture card which formed into a picture before the photographers eyes. The idea was successful and although Kodak’s ten picture pack of film was more expensive than Polaroid’s, several Japanese companies made cameras that used the new Kodak Film. (Time Magazine, 1976) Soon after, the disposable camera became popular. According to statistics, U. S. sales of disposable cameras grew 30% a year. Kodak sells more than anyone else, allowing Kodak to have sufficient cash flow to invest in a digital future. In the mid 1990’s Kodak’s innovators began to dabble with digital photography. In fact, they invented the first digital camera and realized that digital technology would transform their business. By the year 2000, Kodak had sunk more than $5 billion into digital investments during the 1990s, but received only $20 million in digital earnings in 1999 to show for it. Daniel Carp, the latest Chief Executive at Eastman Kodak stated that â€Å"digital can generate half of revenue and quarter of profits by 2005†. (Upbin, 2000, para. #3) So why wasn’t Kodak getting a return on their investment? One of the main issues that plagued the Eastman Kodak Company was not their innovation, but their timing in their marketing strategy and their assessment of the adaptability of its consumers. Kodak missed out on several holiday seasons where digital camera growth was high and failed to get a leg up on the competition back in 1996. The company was unable to â€Å"wean itself† from traditional film business. They have three major customer bases. The first is the Photofinishing Group which makes up almost 1/3 of sales. This group is made up of Kodak’s traditional film products and services that the average customer uses, plus products used by the film industry to reproduce and distribute motion pictures. The second group, not formed until 2003, is the Graphic Communications Group (GCG). It’s Kodak’s largest division which includes document imaging and digital printing services for businesses. The third group relates to healthcare services and is called the Health Group. This group specializes in healthcare imaging products such as x-ray devices and specialized films. To catch up to their competition, Kodak created a fourth group, the Consumer Digital Group, to change their main product line from traditional film to digital products. They turned their focus to digital cameras and printers, photo kiosks (like at CVS and Wal-Mart) and online photo sharing. Wikinvest, 2007) The problem was they did not react to the market until almost 2 years after their fierce competitors, such as Hewlett Packard, Canon, and Sony began to overtake the business. The irony is that although Kodak created many digital products that were ahead of their time, such as the Photo CD and high-end digital cameras, Kodak continued to focus their marketing strategy on the investor rat her than the customer. It is unfortunate because many of the digital imaging products that Kodak introduced, and that we still use today, did not get the commitment they deserved from their creators. Because of their own corporate reluctance to replace their main base of income (traditional film), many investors questioned whether it was too late for Kodak to join the digital age. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #2) Timing was not the only problem. Kodak had digital competition from the evolution of the internet, the Sony Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Canon, to name a few. Despite the invention of the digital camera, Kodak fell behind in efficiency profit margins and sheer sales. The company failed to market other media devices leaving Hewlett Packard and Lexmark to dominate the printer industry. Kodak is now trying to catch up in that area. Kodak needed to make several adjustments in their marketing strategy, develop their product line, promote their product, rethink their distribution efforts and develop a pricing strategy to steal market shares from industry leaders. With a new management philosophy and marketing strategy, Kodak realized the need to adjust its consumables. Most of Kodak’s traditional photography was based on their services, their paper and ink. With the addition of digital imagery, that had to change. Chemicals, to produce the photos were no longer needed for digital photography. How could Kodak compensate for the changing technology? Putting their innovators to the test, Kodak came up with the EasyShare family of cameras. It became one of Kodak’s biggest successes. Even today, it is still the â€Å"simplest way to get started in digital† photography. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #7) Kodak developed this type of camera by studying how camera users take and print pictures and how it fits into their daily lives. Their research paid off. Kodak focused on low-priced, easy-to-use cameras that would appeal to women, who take the majority of snapshots. In 2004 the competition with Sony, the largest digital camera maker, paid off with a rise from a 5% market share in 2000 to a 19% share in 2004. (Hansell, 2004) In addition to the EasyShare system, category expansion has increased Kodak’s consumer base. One of the ways they accomplished this is by developing effective partnerships. To compete with some of the industry leaders, Kodak developed the â€Å"Kodak Gallery† an online photo sharing site which allows consumers to upload their photos and share them with friends and family. This competes with sites like Shutterfly and Photobucket. It recently partnered with Martha Stewart, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. com. (Wikinvest, 2007) Kodak has also planned investment in Lucky Film, Co. Ltd which will strengthen its position in Asia, and has increased its interest in medical markets. They have acquired PracticeWorks, a leader in digital dental imaging, and have improved their economic performance with Kodak Directview PACS System 5 for radiologists. (Eastman Kodak Company, 2004) To promote their products, Kodak has used the traditional advertising as well as some creative promotion techniques. Kodak wants to develop the customers of traditional cameras into future consumers of digital products. One of the ways they are doing this is donating 5,000 traditional cameras to those provinces in China that are not familiar with photography. As China’s rural areas become more economically independent, Kodak hopes to capture the market. This allows Kodak to continue its traditional (bread and butter) line of products to third world nations while focusing the digital sales to the United States, Canada and some European countries. (China Daily, 2004) One way to focus those sales in the U. S. is Kodak’s distribution to direct marketers who want to customize their flyers or retail changes that need variable posters. Digital technology makes it possible to economically print custom copies of anything and at almost any volume. They want to â€Å"elevate print and other visual communications for creativity and commerce†. (Sherburne, 2007, para. #3) Kodak is introducing the MarketMover Network, designed to focus on small business in a similar fashion that the Kodak Creative Network does, where the consumers create the photo books, calendars and flyers. Finally, Kodak’s pricing strategies had to be dramatic. One of the best things we hear about Kodak is the â€Å"quality of their service†. The problem is the competition is rapidly meeting Kodak’s quality standards. In 2007, Kodak developed KOS, the Kodak Operating System to streamline the production system and incorporate that into all aspects of Kodak’s operations. It changed their management philosophy. This had some effect on not only their marketing strategies, but their pricing strategies. In the past, companies were willing to sacrifice profits on the â€Å"durable† portion of their product – the printer, to make money on the â€Å"consumable† portion – printer cartridges. In February of that year, Kodak announced a new pricing strategy. It was a long term competitive dynamic disruption strategy. The strategy was aimed at reducing the cost of printing photos for the average consumer. Consumers will have to change their behavior to focus on printing costs instead of hardware costs. (Neff, 2007) In addition, the new printers will not have as many features as Hewlett-Packard printers currently have. This could corner an aging market that has not wanted to purchase â€Å"fancy† printers due to the challenge of technology. However, there is a growing share of private label recycled ink cartridges. Kodak will need to maintain their focus not only on the pricing of their ink cartridges, but they should reinforce the â€Å"quality† aspect of their product. During the past two decades, the Eastman Kodak has struggled with the advent of digital photography. What sets Kodak apart? Kodak is not a computer company, nor is Kodak a company which dabbles in several industries. They are focused on print products and photography.