The benefits and risks of Outsourcing

The benefits and risks of Outsourcing In this chapter, an introduction of research background is given and the objectives and scope of the research are described. In addition, a general overview of research methodology will be introduced. Finally, a brief overview of the dissertation structure is given in order to present an overall picture of the research undertaken. Background of research: Outsourcing is one of the fast growing aspects with a spending of US$ 3.7 trillion worldwide in 2001 (Clott, 2004). The latest survey conducted by Cap Gemini, Georgia institute of technology, SAP and DHL, it is clear that the usage of third party logistics (3pl) services continues to grow in Latin America, North America, Western Europe and Asia-pacific (Cap Gemini, 2006). Due to globalisation and rapid growth in information technology organisations are eager to develop competitiveness and responsiveness to customers (Matteo, 2003). Lieb and Randall (1996) defined 3pl to a more detailed extent; in particular, the term third-party has been explained more clearly. The third party logistics is defined here as: A company which supplies/coordinates logistics functions across multiple links in the logistics supply chain. The company thus acts as a third-party facilitator between the seller/manufacturer (the first-party) and the buyer/user (the second-party)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The functions the functions performed by the third-party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities with in that process. (p.51). Today many international logistics providers, including freight forwarders, customhouse brokers, ocean and air carriers, promoting themselves as third party logistics providers as they can provide more services for the movement of international freight. Liebs survey clearly tells that one third of large manufacturing companies in us use third party logistics services and over 60 percent of these firms used these services for above five years (Lieb, 2007). The close relationship between shippers and carriers could be a benefit for third party providers. One thing is confirmed that, nearly all large multinational companies make use of third party logistics providers (Maltz, 2004). Research problem: From many researchers point of view (Lee, 2004), Indian 3pl providers are still in an undeveloped state. So it might be difficult for them to survive in the Indian market competing with the foreign players. This research will review the traditional Indian distribution system and analyze the contemporary situations of both Indian and foreign companies like Pantaloons, Reliance, Subhiksha and Wal-Mart. In 2005, India was forecasted as the greatest consumer market opportunity, receiving highest foreign direct investment (FDI) (Mitra, 2005). The third party logistics in India accounts nearly a quarter of its transportation industry and expected to grow over $ 125 billion by 2015 (Srinath, 2006). Currently India sits atop the global retail opportunity. Indias retail industry, the 9th largest globally and valued at $ 330 billion (Kilgore et al. 2007). Reliance, a $ 12 billion giant enterprise run by Mukesh Ambani, plans to open an additional 4000 stores and hypermarkets with a target of $ 22.3 billion in sales by 2012. Wal-mart currently sources goods of worth over $ 1.5billion from India, yet to gain access to sell those products in India. So Wal-Marts joint ventures with Bharti will open doors for multi brand hypermarkets and shopping villages. One of the best approaches to gain competitiveness and improve customer service levels is the firms logistical capability. To be competitive, the companies have to deliver the products quickly and for lower cost. Logistics service providers gain momentum after the successful and efficient distribution network of Wal-Mart (Maltz, 2004). On the other hand, pantaloon is currently Indias largest retailer with more than 140 stores. Its also planning to spend $ 1 billion to open 100 big bazaar stores country wide. The Tata group, which runs lifestyle stores and star India bazaar, also opened an electronic goods shop in Mumbai last year. Tata group is planning to open 30 stores by the next year (Sahey and Mohan, 2006). Behind this growth, logistics infrastructure is the main backdrop of the countrys growth. Logistics costs in India are 13 percent of GDP compared with 8 percent in the U.S. Indian logistics is combination of road transport companies, railways, air freight companies, ports and shipping companies, as well as 3pl companies. 3pl market in India is least developed and its growth is about 20% per annum. If the logistics costs can be reduced from 13% of GDP to 8% of GDP, then the savings would be approximately $ 20 billion. This change will reduces the prices of Indian goods by 4.3% making them more competitive globally. The 3pl revenue and cargo handling volume registered growth rates of 18.25% and 20.33% respectively in 2003-2004 (Mitra, 2005). Retail opportunity opens the doors to reach Indian customers more effectively. Hindustan lever, a subsidiary of Unilever and the coca cola company are extremely successful penetrating in India. The rural population in India is almost 60%. Deliverin g products to those rural people is most difficult task due to the poor transportation and infrastructure facilities. In this situation both the companies above mentioned are successful with their distribution system through logistics service providers to reach each and every part of the country. So all the issues related to transportation infrastructure have badly affected the logistics network in India specifically in terms of lead time and costs. Anyway, a host of policy changes underway is expected to bring some positive revolution in the Indian transportation environment. In the past few years Indian government focussed on the infrastructure development. The main initiative under this project is the national high way development programme. It will connect all the metros and act as east-west and north-south corridor. So this will boost road transportation in India and good news for the logistics services providers in the country and also for the organisations to reduce costs by using 3pl providers (Mitra, 2005). Aim and objectives: The purpose of the research is to understand how third party logistics service providers can develop competitive advantage and improves the service levels of supply chains in Indian retail industry. The objectives of the study can be summarized as: To understand the current situations of Indian domestic 3pl providers To develop the competitive strategies pursued by the Indian 3pl providers To find out the impact of the use of the 3pl services on costs, customer satisfaction. On the other hand, the following research questions are designed for the achievement of the above research objectives. What kind of distribution systems do the Indian 3pl providers have? What kinds of logistics services are Indian 3pl providers providing? What competitive situation are the Indian 3pl providers facing? What kinds of competitive strategies are the Indian 3pl providers pursuing to achieve competitive advantages? Literature review: The supply chain: The process which integrates coordinates and controls the movement of goods, materials and information from a supplier to the end customer through a series of intermediate customers is called the supply chain. It bridges the gap between core business aspects of supply and demand. So the supply chain management is the management of buying/sourcing, making, moving and selling activities in a timely manner. Supply chains today are very slow, costly and do not deliver particularly good value to the end customer. Todays markets are much more demanding and information driven with small product cycles, more choice for customers and consumers and increased competition. Costs need to be cut down out of the supply chain and efficiencies increased, as business relationships within the chain shift and competitive advantage becomes harder to come by. The process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information flow from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements. Third party logistics (TPL): The growth of high competition and complex business conditions force organizations to pursue competitive advantages and re-engine their business constantly. Outsourcing logistics to a 3pl provider has been considered as an effective strategy for companies to high service performance and lower operating cost. Lieb and Randall (1996) defined 3pl to a more detailed extent; in particular, the term third-party has been explained more clearly. The third party logistics is defined here as: A company which supplies/coordinates logistics functions across multiple links in the logistics supply chain. The company thus acts as a third-party facilitator between the seller/manufacturer (the first-party) and the buyer/user (the second-party)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The functions the functions performed by the third-party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities with in that process. (p.51). The basic characteristics of 3pls are to provide customised services and to handle multiple activities, which involve warehousing, distribution, transportation, inventory control, material handling, packaging and inspection (Bolumole, 2001). Here are some of the services offered by 3pls in the present market, according to Sowinski (2005): Dedicated contract transportation and transportation procurement. Inventory management Logistics management and consulting Freight audit and consulting Shipment tracking and tracing Reverse logistics and value added services TPL providers are nothing but supportive supply chain members. Lambert (1998) defined these supportive members as companies that simply provide resources, knowledge, utilities or assets for the primary members of the supply chain. The new level of usage of 3pl has been defined as logistics alliances. Bagchi and Virum (1998) define logistics alliances as: A long-term formal or informal relationship between shippers and logistics providers to render all or a considerable number of logistics activities for the shipper. (p.193). Under this alliance, 3pl users and providers treat each other as long-term partners. By identifying the characteristics of 3pl providers in various stages, Berglund et al. (1999) suggest that there have been three phases of development of the 3pl participants. The first phase started from 1980s, with the presence of traditional logistics providers, with the activities involved only transportation or warehousing. The second phase started from 1990s, when a number of network players such as DHL, TNT and FedEx started their logistics services. The third phase started from late 1990s, when a number of players from other areas like information technology, started working with the original logistics providers. In recent years with the dynamic changing and development of supply chain management 3pl providers have moved their focus to strategy development (Hertz Alfredson, 2003). 3pl providers have started to support logistics operations through value-added services and supply chain solution service, which creates abundant opportunities for companies to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction (Knemeyer et al., 2003; Lieb, 2005). In addition to the services mentioned above, other services offered by 3pl providers, are known as value-added services. These are the services that add a lot of additional value to the products being distributed (Rushton et al. 2000). The major value added services has been summarized by the authors as follows. Specialist or niche service, where the operation is specifically designed for a particular products. Time reliable services, which are setup to support the just-in-time (JIT) operations of major manufacturers. Assembly, which is fulfilled by third-party distributor. Repacking, this is another area of value-added development, like a torch together with battery. Refurbishment: in the light if current environmental legislation many manufacturers have endeavoured to re-engineer their products so that parts from some used products can be reused in new products. Packaging return: collect packaging for reuses or disposal. (p.62). A research conducted recently by Hertz and Alfredson presented the strategic development of 3pl providers (Hertz Alfredson, 2003). According to Lai (2004): There are four types of 3pl providers from the resource based view of the firm. Each type of provider exhibiting different service capabilities and service performance. Also different types of logistics service providers adopt different service strategies to respond to different market segments Logistics outsourcing is simply a make-or-buy decision based on cost efficiency by increasing competitiveness and complexity (Christopher, 2005). A company may pursue logistics outsourcing for the following reasons, Own lack of logistics experience Desire to focus on core competency Difficulty in maintaining communication and information technology up to date Sahay and Mohan (2006). Outsourcing can give a company proper access to resources, equipment and management expertise which may count a worth of billion dollars (Clott, 2004). Outsourcing not only allows an organisation to achieve goals like cutting delivery times and ensuring accurate shipments, but also promotes competition among service providers and motivating them to continue renewing their services. Currently a growing interest on outsourcing has been mentioned by massive writings in scholarly journals and popular magazines. The terms outsourcing, third party logistics and contract logistics sounds the same. Traditional logistics activities such as transportation, distribution, warehousing, inventory management, order processing and material handling have been given less importance (Mitra, 2005). There is a need to develop competitive advantage and providing better customer service effectively and efficiently. This can be possible only through contract logistics (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998, updated reference). Third party logistics and customer service: Sadler (2007) defined logistics customer service as: the process of providing goods, information and services to customers in a way that both creates customer satisfaction and is cost-effective to the shipper (p.71). Customer service has been treated as essential factor in marketing strategy and it creates added value for both their companies and customers (Christopher, 2005). Customer service is a key way to gain competitive advantage. To compete in this corporate world, companies must provide high levels of logistics services to their customers. Based on a survey conducted by Bolumole (2001) identifies the nine most important aspects of customer service as follows. On-time delivery Order accuracy Price No product damage Ease of order placement Customer enquiry handling Quality Availability Order status information Regarding the high levels of customer service, Sadler (2007) suggest that: the economic aim point of customer service level is a little below 100%, beyond this level, the extra benefit to customers is vastly outweighed by the huge extra cost of inventory, hours of opening, staff training and salary, etc (p.72). Gaining competitive advantage through 3pl: Third party logistics (3pl) can be an effective way helping companies to achieve competitive advantages. The main objective of logistics management is to drive the companies in achieving sustainable competitive advantages through improved customer service and lower costs. Overall 3pl providers can provide a major source of competitive advantages. In other words, a position of gaining superiority over competitors (Christopher, 2005, p.6). Rushton et al. (2000) proposed that companies can achieve competitive advantages through 3pl providers. First, companies may compete as a service leader, which means to gain an advantage over their competitors by providing a number of key logistics service elements to differentiate itself. Meanwhile, the companies may compete as a cost leader where it is trying to utilize its logistics resources to offer the service or product at lowest possible price. Some logistics leverages for pursuing the two competitive advantages have been summarized as follows. To achieve value/differential advantage To achieve cost/productivity advantage The logistics leverage Tailored service Distribution channel strategy Reliability Responsiveness Information Flexibility The logistics leverage Capacity utilization Asset turn Co-makership/schedule integration Low inventory Low waste Table: The two different approaches to gain competitive advantages. Source: Rushton et al. (2000, p.33). Christopher (2005) summarizes that: The source of competitive advantages is found firstly in the ability of the organization to differentiate itself, in the eye of the customer, from its competition and secondly by operating at lowest cost (p.6). Competition is always at the core of the success and failure of the firm. A companys competitiveness can be derived from achieving either a cost advantage or a value advantage, or both of them. The relationship of cost and value between a company, its competitor and its customers, named the Three Cs relationship is illustrated below. Customers Assets and utilization Cost differentials Assets and utilization Value Needs seeking benefits at acceptable prices Value Company Competitor Figure: competitive advantage and the Three Cs Source: Christopher (2005, p.6). However, a most successful company would seek a competitive position depending on attaining both costs and differentiation advantages. Christopher emphasizes the last step that how to take the company to the top right of the matrix can be the biggest challenge to logistics providers. The occupation of the position of cost and service leader means the company has achieved both service and cost advantages. Service leader Cost and service leader High Commodity market Cost leader Value advantage Low Low High Cost advantage Figure: logistics and competitive advantage Source: Christopher (2005, p.10). The three possible ways for companies to accomplish their competitive strategies are internal activities, acquisitions and strategic alliances. On the other hand through mergers and acquisitions of other possible business may meet their competitive strategy requirements. The major participants in the logistics alliances are manufacturers, retailers and logistics service providers or third party logistics providers. A strategic alliance allows a company to take advantage of what it does well and enables it to seek partners who have strengths in other areas (Bagchi Virum, 1998). Supply chain integration with third party logistics providers: The present trend of most of the modern companies is to outsource their logistics activities to third party providers. This is a type of alliance, many of the firms implementing to achieve competitive advantage in the market place (Ratten, 2004). In the recent years just-in-time (JIT) process has gained momentum, which promoted outsourcing. The term integration refers to the degree to which individual parties work together in a cooperative manner to achieve acceptable outcomes (Ratten, 2004). Approaching the third party logistics providers comes under the wider arc integration. 3pl providers encompass a wide range of supply chain services including firms outsourcing, material management and distribution responsibilities (Frohlich and Westbrook, 2001). Nowadays 3pl companies are playing more number of roles in extended supply chains such as after-sales support, customer service and reverse logistics (Srinath, 2006). 3pl providers have transformed the roles of distribution centres from storage facilities to channel assemblies by taking care of some repair jobs that do not have sent back to manufacturers (Maltz, 2004). Relationships among TPL providers and members of supply chains: Nowadays the relationship between supply chain management and third party logistics service providers has gained some momentum. Here its necessary to discuss how to fill the gaps in understanding of how third party logistics providers should offer their services more effectively to their assigned supply chains. The supply chain is, The network of organisations that are involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate customers. -Christopher (2005). The supply chain is a chain consists of networked companies from raw material producers for the consumption of end users. According to Jarzemskis (2006), a TPL provider is An agent middleman in the logistics channel who enters into a temporary or longer term relationship with some other entity in the logistics channel Most of the logistics services are purchased on a contract basis (Maltz, 2004). Based on the research by Bhatnagar and Viswanathan (2000), successful partnerships in logistics can be achieved by triadic relationships. Order lead time of grocery retailers in the Indian markets: in a survey of Indian retail industries, Chandra and Sastry (2004) found that 98% of the firms dispatch their goods through a contract with trucking companies, while 11% of them only have their own fleet of trucks and 36% of these firms use third party logistics(3pl) service providers for transportation. The economy is expected to grow at 10% over the next 10 years in the sectors like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textile, retail and fast moving consumer goods. The Indian retail giants Reliance and Bharti announced large retail projects in collaboration with Wal-Mart. Also Reliance considering establishing large warehouses in Thailand to take advantage of low cost sourcing from Southeast Asia. On the other hand food and grocery retail players like Subhiksha established more than 600 new retail stores in India (Chandra Jain, 2009) Logistics is an important process that minimises costs and improves customer satisfaction (Christopher, 2005). The Indian retail industry is worlds fifth largest one. All retail sectors in India are not purely organised. Especially the retail sector is growing very fastly at a pace of 25-30% annually. This sector is projected to grow from Rs. 35,000 crore in 2004-05 to Rs. 109,000 crore by the end of 2010 (Mitra,2005). Here the author is going to examine the retail operational efficiency at the secondary distribution level by measuring the performance of Indian food retailers logistics operations in terms of order lead time. Order lead time is the time between the customers placing an order and receiving the goods (Srinath, 2006). Here both the suppliers and logistics service providers need to understand two certain types of lead times. The first one, inbound lead time is the time between the orders placed by the depot and the delivery of goods by the suppliers. On the other hand out bound lead time refers to the time depot and the company stores (Maltz, 2004). According to smith and sparks (2004), logistics has been facing many major changes in the Indian food retail sector including increase in the average size of stores, introduction of new retail store formats (petrol station shops) and the increase in the range of own brand food products 3pl operations in India: The greater utilization of third party logistics (3pl) in Indian companies is expected to rule the retail markets in the future years. Its predicted to rise from US $ 1.5 billion in 2008 to US $ 4 billion in 2012. Strategic analysis of 3pl markets in Indian retail sector shows that the market earned US $ 28.1 million in 2005 and predicted to be US 89.8 in 2012 (Kaur, 2009). The Indian economic growth has recorded significant development during the past several years. According to the survey conducted by Lieb in 2007, six of the CEOs were asked to identify the best suitable industries which will offer good results for the future of 3pl services usage in India. Four of them suggested automotive industry and three of them rated high technology. On the other hand retailing and pharmaceutical industry were preferred by two of them. According to Lieb: Long trip times for relatively short transportation distances make a turnaround of vehicles impossible and increases the cost of domestic transportation. Congestion, toll road blocks and local tax make proper planning and timing, and central distribution structures impossible. Inwarding process: This process is to ensure smooth movement of stock and merchandise from warehouse, vendors and any other location to shop floor, updating the inventory and subsequently be available for sale. Goods are received according to the Stock Transfer Note (STN) issued by the warehouse. Every morning the Warehouse Incharge prints the mail from SCM support, which gives the details of the merchandise which is scheduled to reach the store (e.g. Goods in transit report). Based on the information the Warehouse incharge to allocate space for the in transit merchandise do all follow ups for goods in transit. Inform the respective Department Managers about the merchandise scheduled, so that floor space for the same can be created, if required. Delivery vehicle arrives at the store warehouse. Security personnel to receive the supporting documents and handover the same to the warehouse personnel undertaking the Inwarding. Document set is checked by warehouse personnel to ensure it contains a Stock Tra nsfer Note (STN) in duplicate and an outward gate pass issued by the dispatching warehouse. An authorised LR copy incase the goods delivery vehicle is a private transporter. Security at stores will sign the gate pass and write manual IRN (Inward Register Number) on gate pass. Security personnel to check the vehicle to ensure the seal on the cargo area are intact and secure. If any of the above documents are missing the staff should inform the Warehouse Manager, and the same should be entered in the discrepancy register. Warehouse Manager to inform the dispatching warehouse in charge and try to resolve the issue, and receive the missing documents by the next day. Under NO circumstances, the merchandise should be inwarded, in variance to the above. Outwarding: This process is to ensure smooth movement of stock and merchandise stores to warehouse, vendors and any other location and updating the inventory. This process starts when Front End Category / Category / store logistics creates a STO for the transfer of merchandise. This process ends when the Store receives goods receipts details from the receiving site. This process is triggered when the Front end Category/Store Logistic Person/Retail Category identifies products to be sent back to CDC or Vendor. Any returns from the Store should be process oriented. There may be various reasons for returns like Defects sent back to the warehouse, due to excess inventory, non- moving stocks, Interstore transfer, back to vendor, Products replaced completely for the customers having same defects or products partly replaced for the Customers, excess material in the Store received as Backup Stocks in Original Packing Condition and Materials might be received directly by the Warehouse from the Customers as replacement where the Warehouse should ensure that it is duly packed and bar coded in proper conditions. Returns to Vendors to be made as per the terms and conditions agreed with the Vendor. If delivery is going from the Store, the product needs to be properly packed in corrugated cartons, after doing a Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) at Store level one day in advance and be certified by the DM/Warehouse Incharge. Any outwarding to be done only after the permission is given from the FEC and store manager and the supply chain team to be kept in the loop. (Vaidyanathan, 2005). Drivers for 3pl usage in India: Even though the reasons for outsourcing and the activities involved may vary from one company to another, the basic driving factors are the same. In India, Sahay and Mohan (2006) classify the reasons that drive Indian organizations to outsource logistics into three categories. The primary factor is the concern regarding cost that focuses on logistics cost reduction. The second one is focus on core competencies, access to unfamiliar markets and corporate restructuring. The third issue is associated with improving supply chain efficiency, which will cover improving customer services, increasing inventory, driving productivity improvements, achieving flexibility in operations and improving return on assets. The primary drivers in the beginning were to reduce costs and release capital. But nowadays its to increase market coverage, improve the customer service level or increase the flexibility towards the changing customer expectations (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Facilitate Re-engineering Strategic flexibility Outsourcing Concentrate on core business Reduce cost Figure: driving factors of outsourcing. Source: Taglisapietra et al (1999) p.4 It is one of the top reasons for outsourcing researched by the outsourcing institute (2000). According to Lankford Parsa (1999): Reengineering is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed. (p.23). Outsourcing not only allows enterprises to grab the benefits of structural changes, but also allows them to take advantage of reengineered world-class providers. Elements for successful 3pl relationships: A successful partnership is like a successful marriage, which requires hard work from both the parties involved. Both the parties must understand each others needs and should be compatible with the values. Bagchi Virum (1998) identifies that information sharing is crucial for successful relationship between providers and users. The main elements of long-term successful relationships are compatibility, understanding of partners business needs, open communications, commitment, fairness, flexibility and trust. Based on case studies, Bagchi Virum (1998), identify six factors to the successful third-party relationships. Customer satisfaction is the key point of the relationship in all efforts. Customers need to clearly point out their needs and wants. Then its the turn for providers to understand these needs and acquire the capabilities. People are the important assets in an alliance. Also they should be well trained and motivated individuals

Explain why it is important for marketers to understand the concept of branding Essay

Introduction. It is imperative for marketers to understand the concept of branding as it is the process which will identify and differentiate a company’s product or service from the competition (Jobber, 2010). In our developed economy the competition and the offer is so intense that it is fundamental to build a close relationship with both consumers and customers. That is what a brand does. Jobber (2010) defines a brand as â€Å"a distinctive product offering created by the use of a name, symbol, design, packaging, or some combination of these intended to differentiate it from the competitors†. Brands affect consumer’s perceptions and preferences, a brand is a quality certification and it creates trust and loyalty. Trough this essay we will explore why brand is important for marketers but also why it is important for consumers, we will then take in consideration the components of a strong brand and how to assess it. Finally we will have a look at the brand stretching strategy and its benefits and disadvantages . This essay will draw upon example from the soda market. Content. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as †name, team, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of seller and to differentiate them from the other sellers†. Firstly, brands are now recognised as a key asset for a company and having a strong brand will ultimately add value to it by giving a platform on which to build a reputation. For example, the stock market value of the Coca-Cola company was around $136 billion in the beginning of 2008 and by the end of the year, in spite of the global financial crisis, it remained close to 140 billion while the net asset value of the business was only $11,8 billion (Brands and Branding). A brand in addition, will help the company to attract more investors because the high value means the company is successful and reliable. Secondly, marketers should also try to understand consumer behaviour and therefore how a strong brand will affect consumer perceptions and preferences and ultimately the customer’s purchasing decision. To highlight this concept. The following consumer testing example is referenced: Two matched samples of consumers were asked to taste Diet Coke, the market leader in diet soda drinks, and Diet pepsi. The first group tasted the drinks blindfolded and were asked to state a preference. The procedure was repeated for the second group, except that the test was with the recognisable brand. (Jobber,2010). The findings from the test made for interesting results: Of the 100 or so test subjects who were blindfolded, 51 of them preferred the Diet Pepsi and 44 the Diet Coke ( 5 person did not find any difference) but for the group where the brand were identifiable, only 23 test subjects preferred the Diet Pepsi and 65 Diet Cola. This findings clearly demonstrated the level of influence a strong brand name could have on customer perception of a product and therefore the final purchasing decision. In order to succeed, marketers need to understand the concept of branding to face the competition (Marketing Theory). New entrants in a market such as the cola soda market would have to compete with the most famous red can in the world and the founder of the Cola drink, Coca-Cola. Besides, this is what happened to Virgin Coke who failed to break Coca-Cola’s domination (Jobber,2010),for the reason that Coca-Cola inspires trust and let the customer shop with confidence because he knows that a can of Coke will satisfy his desires. In addition, it will embraced the competition by making the distribution easier for the brand and more difficult for the entrants. Marketers have to recognise that a strong brand will directly and beneficially affect company profit, hence a heavy investment is often made into the branding process. A strong brand will achieve, distribution more readily and will realise economies of scale, decreasing the costs of production and distribution (Jobber,2010). In addition, a brand will generate customer loyalty to a product with customers returning to a brand they trust (Brands and Branding) and customers who trust a brand will be less price sensitive because of a faith that a particular brand offers an expected level of quality and results, in short a premium brand can charge at a premium price . Finally a strong brand not only lends to customer loyalty but it also lends as a platform for brand extension (Jobber,2010). A brand extension is a brand strategy that consist of using the established brand name to launch a new product (Journal of Marketing). Strong brands enjoyed having impact on customers perceptions and an extended product will benefit from it. For example, the Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Cherry coke have all stemmed from the strong Coca-Cola umbrella brand and all have successfully been launched in the soda drink marke as a result. Consequently branding is important for marketers because it will make easier for a company to introduce a new product on the back of an established one therefore securing and growing company profit in terms of strong sales forged through customer familiarity and trust. Thus, for the reason stated so far we have come to understand why it is imperative for marketers to understand the concept of branding but what are the components of a strong brand? How can we assess a brand? The Brand equity and brand positioning must be taken in consideration as well. It is important to know that branding is not only about attracting new customers, thanks to a recognisable logo or a great advertising campaign but it is also about being known as the ‘only and legitimate choice’. In the energy drink market for example, with a plethora of product on offer such as Monster, Relentless, Rockstars ,etc. Red Bull is seen as the only one that ‘give wings’, the starp-line is globaly recognised and Red Bull has been seen for years as the only vodka mixer for european teenagers (marketingmagazine. co. uk). Hence branding is important for a company because an established brand and the products that fall within it, will have enjoy a sustainable market extended product life cycle. The Coca-Cola soft drink has been sold since 1895 for example. (thecoca-colacompany. com) Brands needs customers but customers needs brands as well. In developed economies consumers, have a massive range of choice. Therefore, a good brand should in reality represents a cutting edge in design or technology, a high standard of quality which will be what consumers loyalty influenced by (Brands and Branding). The brand, with its recognisable name or packaging, is making a promise that consumer’s expectations will be satisfied (Brand and Branding) so it allows the consumer to shop with confidence and it acts as a guide through a intense variety of choice. Another facet to this, is consumer identity – consumers look to certain brands as a way of projecting a certain image to others in society and brands play an important role in this. Using brands in this way, consumers carve out an identity for themselves which differentiates them in some way to others around them. This behaviour is strongly recognised for example by the luxury goods market. This industry serves to satisfy a consumer desire to project a certain sense of taste, wealth or fashion savy. For example, people who want to identify themselves to a certain economical class may choose to purchase a car from a premium brand like Mercedes, Audi, BMW, etc. ) or perhaps consumers who wish to portray a certain environmental awareness may choose to purchase an hybrid car. Branding positioning is about creating a unique and distinctive niche in the market place (Jobber, 2010). For an existing brand, the brand position will be defined by the brands strengths and weaknesses from a customer perspective vis a vis the competition (Holmereport. com) but for a brand building it will be the process by which you will enter in peoples mind (brandstrategyinsider. com). In order to succeed in positioning, brands needs to show clarity, consistency, competitiveness and credibility. Rita Clifton argues in Brands and Branding (2009) that â€Å" in an over communicated world, lack of clarity will substantially reduce effectiveness and efficiency†. During the last decade Red bull suffered from a lack of clarity. ‘Red Bull give you wings’ certainly but is it good for me? Why? When should I drink it? (marketingmagazine. co. uk). Nevertheless, even if the beverage must have faced some serious criticises about the ingredients contained that have been followed sometimes by the radiation of the can in some countries ( France finally capitulated in 2008, Lexpansion. com) , Red Bull has successfully engendered credibility through different strategies such as stretching. The three times victory of Red Bull Racing in F1 and the more recent Red bull Stratos stunt has built a consequent reputation and credibility. We can assess the position of a brand trough six elements: the brand domain, the brand heritage, the brand values, the brand assets, the brand personality and the brand reflection (Jobber,2010). The examination of those six elements will ultimately help increase the brand performance. By examining the brand domain you will know if the brand is efficient in the market in which it competes . For example, Red bull has three strong position. The Energy drink for extreme sports people, the energy drink and the drink as a spirit mixer (marketingmagazine. co. uk). Then the Brand heritage and the following four element are about creating clear advantages for the target consumers (Jobber,2010). So brand heritage is about the historical background of a brand. a brand which has been aroun for a while shows sustainability, reliability and a guarantee quality. This can be used in advertisement (Jobber,2010) or on the packaging. On the other hand, brand values is what represent and characterise your brand. â€Å"Red bull give you wings†. It gives you wings because you will be awake all night and you won’t feel tired at all, giving you confidence to achieve what you have never done before. In analysing your brand asset you will notice what differentiate you from the competition. This can be a logo, a design, a symbol, an image, a philosophy or an event†¦ (Jobber,2010). At the moment someone speak about a can of Red Bull you will automatically think about two bulls on a silver and blue can or you will think about your previous party or at a man skydiving from the space. Red bull exceeded the competition by consolidating its image of a confident dynamic and innovative brand. An other element of the framework is the brand personality. If the brand Red bull was a person who would it be? Surely a dynamic and adventurous indivudual who wants to discover the world. Finally, the brand reflection is †how the brand relates to self identity† (jobber, 2010). As we have seen earlier some people would purchase a Toyota Prius to identify themselves as ecologically aware. By assessing your brand with those six elements, the brand manager will have an overlook of the situation and it will give him clues to face some issues or to repositioned the brand. The brand equity is the value of the brand from customers perceptions of it. There are two kind of brand equity: The customer-based brand equity and the proprietary-based brand equity. The first kind is entirely about the customers perception of the brand; and the brand awareness and the brand image are two effectors of it. Jobber ( 2010) assumes that awareness is a pre-condition of evaluating a brand. By raising this awareness customers will go shopping in favour of a brand, they won’t go shopping to get a denim pants but to purchase a Levi’s pants for example. Brand awareness is also useful for low-involvement purchasing situations – purchases becoming habitual after a first satisfied experience with no research of information about the product because a relationship is already established. By increasing brand image through the marketing mix (Jobber,2010) you will consolidate your customer-based brand equity. The most common way to do this is by advertisement. A great advert from a brand will stay in customer’s mind by touching him emotionally or by delivering a clear message. Ultimately an association is created between the brand and the customers that will affect the purchasing. Lets remember the test with Diet Pepsi and Diet Cola. We could say that Diet Cola (Coca Cola) profit of a better brand equity than Diet Pepsi (Pepsi) because when the brand was known a preference was made toward a particular brand. On the other hand, proprietary-based brand equity is more about the attributes of a company to deliver value to the brand (Jobber,2010). It can be by its aptitude to distribute the brand, for exemple Mc Donalds which is the fourth most powerful brand in the world (wallstcheatsheet. com) sell ‘official’ drinks from the Coca-Cola brand product line ( Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, Diet Coke, Coke). It can also be by the patents of a company. For example new technology (Dyson), new pharmaceutical products all have a strong proprietary based equity resulting from an original patent. Tom Blacket in Brand and Branding wrote: â€Å"Brands with strong equity embed themselves deeply in the hearts and mind of consumers†. Consequently, a strong customer-based brand equity or a strong proprietary-based brand equity will increase the brand equity so it will help the brand to keep its position in the market and new entrants will struggle to defeat it. Moreover, the value of the brand will attracting more investors,consumers and solicitations. To conclude this essay we could have a look at a brand strategy such as brand stretching. A brand stretching occurs when a brand is used on a unrelated market (Jobber,2010). In terms of brand stretching, the Red Bull company is probably one of the best in this strategy. From the energy drinks to Formule 1 with the acquisition of Jaguar racing in 2005 recalled Red Bull Racing, passing by the football world with the purchase of the New York MetroStars in 2006 (renamed New York Red Bull) and the SV Austria Salzburg in 2005 (FC Red Bull Salzburg) or with the creation of Red Bull Records in 2007. We will focused on the most recent and very successful stretching of the brand: Red Bull Stratos. If you have an internet connection and if you are living in our contemporary world you must have heard or seen it ( 8 million live views on Youtube). In rare interview that Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull, has accorded he stated : â€Å"We don’t bring the product to the people, we bring people to the product. We make it available and those who love our style come to us†(thedrum. co. uk). With Stratos, Red Bull has demonstrated the brand’s famous link with extreme sport and innovation but it has more importantly created â€Å"the† buzz of the last decade and revolutionized the purpose of a brand and the relation between it and the customers. Red Bull Stratos has become an †I was there moment†(campaignlive. com). With all those stretching strategies Red Bull could have lost in credibility, make itself a bad publicity or got cannibalized but its all the contrary that occurred. Its reputation has been consolidated and it has promoted its cans very well. It has also improved the trust toward the brand. Summary. A closed trusted relationship will be created only if there is quality. This relationship will consolidate customers perceptions about the brand increasing loyalty and then the revenues. It is imperative to position your brand efficiently in order to successfully reach your target market . Therefore you will need to deliver a clear and consistent message, be competitive and have credibility. You can assess the strength or weakness of your brand by analysing its domain, its heritage, its values, its assets, its personality and its reflection. In improving it you will raise some brand equity that can be customer-based or proprietary based. By increasing your brand equity you will stay in people’s mind for long time and be able to face efficiently the competition. Conclusion. The success of branding resides in the importance that you have for consumers and in the process of creating and managing a brand. Having a strong brand will help you to face the competition, to introduce new product and to make profit. A brand also help the customers to choice between a wide range of offers and to identify themselves. In order to success you must conquer consumers mind to gain their loyalty by promising that their desires will be satisfied. Branding is all about trust. Last but not least, companies need to understand that a brand should be taken such as an investment and not a cost. Red Bull spend 30 to 40% of its revenue in marketing (marketing magazine).

Spirit Bound Chapter Thirteen

â€Å"THE HELL YOU CAN,† I said aloud to no one. â€Å"No, you can't,† said Lissa, with an expression that matched my own incredulity. â€Å"I know you've been learning to fight with fire, but you haven't done any staking.† Christian's face was adamant. â€Å"I have–a little. And I can learn more. Mia's got some guardian friends here that have been teaching her physical combat, and I've learned some of it.† The mention of him and Mia working together didn't do much to improve Lissa's opinion. â€Å"You've barely been here a week! You make it sound like you've been training for years with some master.† â€Å"It's better than nothing,† he said. â€Å"And where else are you going to learn? Rose?† Lissa's outrage and disbelief dimmed a little. â€Å"No,† she admitted. â€Å"Never. In fact, Rose would drag me away if she caught me doing it.† Damn straight I would. In fact, despite the obstacles and staff that kept blocking me, I was tempted to march over there right now. â€Å"Then this is your chance,† he said. His voice turned wry. â€Å"Look, I know things aren't†¦ great with us, but that's irrelevant if you're going to learn this. Tell Tatiana you want to bring me to Lehigh. She won't like it, but she'll let you. I'll show you what I know in our free time. Then, when we get back, I'll take you to Mia and her friends.† Lissa frowned. â€Å"If Rose knew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's why we'll start when you're away from Court. She'll be too far away from you to do anything.† Oh, for the love of God. I would give them some lessons about fighting–starting with a punch to Christian's face. â€Å"And when we get back?† asked Lissa. â€Å"She'll find out. It's inevitable with the bond.† He shrugged. â€Å"If she's still on landscape duty, we'll be able to get away with it. I mean, she'll know, but she won't be able to interfere. Much.† â€Å"It may not be enough,† Lissa said with a sigh. â€Å"Rose was right about that–I can't expect to learn in a few weeks what it took her years to do.† Weeks? That was her timeline on this? â€Å"You have to try,† he said, almost gentle. Almost. â€Å"Why are you so interested in this?† Lissa asked suspiciously. â€Å"Why do you care so much about bringing Dimitri back? I mean, I know you liked him, but you don't quite have the same motivation here that Rose does.† â€Å"He was a good guy,† said Christian. â€Å"And if there was a way to turn him back to a dhampir? Yeah, that'd be amazing. But it's more than that†¦ more than just him. If there was a way to save all Strigoi, that would change our world. I mean, not that setting them on fire isn't cool after they've gone on killing sprees, but if we could stop those killing sprees in the first place? That's the key to saving us. All of us.† Lissa was speechless for a moment. Christian had spoken passionately, and there was a hope radiating off of him that she just hadn't expected. It was†¦ moving. He took advantage of her silence. â€Å"Besides, there's no telling what you'd do without any guidance. And I'd like to reduce the odds of you getting yourself killed, because even if Rose wants to deny it, I know you're going to keep pushing this.† Lissa stayed quiet yet again, pondering the situation. I listened to her thoughts, not liking at all where they were going. â€Å"We're leaving at six,† she said at last. â€Å"Can you meet me downstairs at five thirty?† Tatiana wouldn't be thrilled when she heard about the new guest choice, but Lissa was pretty sure she could do some fast talking in the morning. He nodded. â€Å"I'll be there.† Back in my room, I was totally aghast. Lissa was going to attempt to learn to stake a Strigoi–behind my back–and she was going to get Christian to help her. Those two had been snarling at each other since the breakup. I should have felt flattered that sneaking around me was bringing them together, but I wasn't. I was pissed off. I considered my options. The buildings Lissa and I were staying in didn't have the kind of front-desk curfew security that our school dorms had had, but the staff here had been instructed to tip off someone in the guardians' office if I got too social. Hans had also told me to stay away from Lissa until further notice. I pondered it all for a moment, thinking it might be worth Hans dragging me from Lissa's room, and then finally thought of an alternate plan. It was late but not too late, and I left my room for the one next door to mine. Knocking on the door, I hoped my neighbor was still awake. She was a dhampir my age, a recent graduate from a different school. I didn't own a cell phone, but I'd seen her talking on one earlier today. She answered the door a few moments later and fortunately didn't appear to have been in bed. â€Å"Hey,† she said, understandably surprised. â€Å"Hey, can I send a text from your phone?† I didn't want to commandeer her phone with a conversation, and besides, Lissa might just hang up on me. My neighbor shrugged, stepped into the room, and returned with the phone. I had Lissa's number memorized and sent her the following note: I know what you're going to do, and it is a BAD idea. I'm going to kick both your asses when I find you. I handed the phone back to its owner. â€Å"Thanks. If anyone texts back, can you let me know?† She told me she would, but I didn't expect any return texts. I got my message another way. When I returned to the room and Lissa's mind, I got to be there when her phone chimed. Christian had left, and she read my text with a rueful smile. My answer came through the link. She knew I was watching. Sorry, Rose. It's a risk I'll have to take. I'm doing this. I tossed and turned that night, still angry at what Lissa and Christian were trying to do. I didn't think I'd ever fall asleep, but when Adrian came to me in a dream, it became clear that my body's exhaustion had defeated my mind's agitation. â€Å"Las Vegas?† I asked. Adrian's dreams always occurred in different places of his choosing. Tonight, we stood on the Strip, very near where Eddie and I had rendezvoused with Lissa and him at the MGM Grand. The bright lights and neon of the hotels and restaurants gleamed in the blackness, but the whole setting was eerily silent compared to the reality. Adrian had not brought the cars or people of the real Las Vegas here. It was like a ghost town. He smiled, leaning against a pole covered in paper ads for concerts and escort services. â€Å"Well, we didn't really get a chance to enjoy it while we were there.† â€Å"True.† I stood a few feet away, arms crossed over my chest. I had on jeans and a T-shirt, along with my nazar. Adrian had apparently decided not to dress me tonight, for which I was grateful. I could have ended up like one of those Moroi showgirls, in feathers and sequins. â€Å"I thought you were avoiding me.† I still wasn't entirely sure where our relationship stood, despite his flippant attitude back at the Witching Hour. He snorted. â€Å"It's not by my choice, little dhampir. Those guardians are doing their best to keep you in solitary. Well, kind of.† â€Å"Christian managed to sneak in and talk to me earlier,† I said, hoping to avoid the issue that had to be on Adrian's mind: that I'd risked lives to save my ex-boyfriend. â€Å"He's going to try to teach Lissa to stake a Strigoi.† I waited for Adrian to join in my outrage, but he appeared as lax and sardonic as usual. â€Å"Not surprised she's gonna try. What surprises me is that he'd actually be interested in helping with some crazy theory.† â€Å"Well, it's crazy enough to appeal to him†¦ and can apparently overpower them hating each other lately.† Adrian tilted his head, making some of the hair fall over his eyes. A building with blue neon palm trees cast an eerie glow upon his face as he gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Come on, we both know why he's doing it.† â€Å"Because he thinks his after-school group with Jill and Mia qualifies him to teach that stuff?† â€Å"Because it gives him an excuse to be around her–without making it look like he gave in first. That way, he can still seem manly.† I shifted slightly so that the lights of a giant sign advertising slot machines didn't shine in my eyes. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† Especially the part about Christian being manly. â€Å"Guys do ridiculous things for love.† Adrian reached into his pocket and held up a pack of cigarettes. â€Å"Do you know how badly I want one of these right now? Yet I suffer, Rose. All for you.† â€Å"Don't turn romantic on me,† I warned, trying to hide my smile. â€Å"We don't have time for that, not when my best friend wants to go monster hunting.† â€Å"Yeah, but how is she actually going to find him? That's kind of a problem.† Adrian didn't need to elaborate on the â€Å"him.† â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"And she hasn't been able to charm the stake yet anyway, so until she does, all the kung-fu skills in the world won't matter.† â€Å"Guardians don't do kung-fu. And how did you know about the stake?† â€Å"She's asked for my help a couple of times,† he explained. â€Å"Huh. I didn't know that.† â€Å"Well, you've been kind of busy. Not that you've even spared a thought for your poor pining boyfriend.† With all my chores, I hadn't spent a huge amount of time in Lissa's head–just enough to check in with her. â€Å"Hey, I would have taken you over filing any day.† I'd been so afraid that Adrian would be furious with me after Vegas, yet here he was, light and playful. A little too light. I wanted him to focus on the problem at hand. â€Å"What's your take on Lissa and the charms? Is she close to doing it?† Adrian absentmindedly played with the cigarettes, and I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and have one. This was his dream, after all. â€Å"Unclear. I haven't taken to charms the way she has. It's weird having the other elements in there†¦ makes it hard to manipulate spirit.† â€Å"Are you helping her anyway?† I asked suspiciously. He shook his head in amusement. â€Å"What do you think?† I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. You help her with most spirit things, but helping her with this would mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ Helping Dimitri?† I nodded, not trusting myself to elaborate. â€Å"No,† Adrian said at last. â€Å"I'm not helping her, simply because I don't know how.† I exhaled with relief. â€Å"I really am sorry,† I told him. â€Å"For everything†¦ for lying about where I was and what I was doing. It was wrong. And I don't understand†¦ well, I don't get why you're being so nice to me.† â€Å"Should I be mean?† He winked. â€Å"Is that the kind of thing you're into?† â€Å"No! Of course not. But, I mean, you were so mad when you came to Vegas and found out what was going on. I just thought†¦ I don't know. I thought you hated me.† The amusement faded from his features. He came over to me and rested his hands on my shoulders, his dark green eyes dead serious. â€Å"Rose, nothing in this world could make me hate you.† â€Å"Not even trying to bring my ex-boyfriend back from the dead?† Adrian held onto me, and even in a dream, I could smell his skin and cologne. â€Å"Yeah, I'll be honest. If Belikov were walking around right now, alive like he used to be? There would be some problems. I don't want to think what would happen with us if†¦ well, it's not worth wasting time on. He's not here.† â€Å"I still†¦ I still want us to work,† I said meekly. â€Å"I would still try, even if he were back. I just have a hard time letting someone I care about go.† â€Å"I know. You did what you did out of love. I can't be mad at you over that. It was stupid, but that's how love is. Do you have any idea what I'd do for you? To keep you safe?† â€Å"Adrian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't meet his eyes. I suddenly felt unworthy. He was so easy to underestimate. The only thing I could do was lean my head against his chest and let him wrap his arms around me. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Be sorry you lied,† he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Don't be sorry you loved him. That's part of you, part you have to let go, yeah, but still something that's made you who you are.† Part you have to let go†¦ Adrian was right, and that was a damned scary thing to admit. I'd had my shot. I'd made my gamble to save Dimitri, and it had failed. Lissa wouldn't get anywhere with the stake, meaning I really did have to treat Dimitri the way everyone else did: He was dead. I had to move on. â€Å"Damn it,† I muttered. â€Å"What?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I hate it when you're the sane one. That's my job.† â€Å"Rose,† he said, forcibly trying to keep a serious tone, â€Å"I can think of many words to describe you, sexy and hot being at the top of the list. You know what's not on the list? Sane.† I laughed. â€Å"Okay, well, then my job is to be the less crazy one.† He considered. â€Å"That I can accept.† I brought my lips up to his, and even if there were still some shaky things in our relationship, there was no uncertainty in how we kissed. Kissing in a dream felt exactly like real life. Heat blossomed between us, and I felt a thrill run through my whole body. He released my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing us closer. I realized that it was time to start believing what I kept saying. Life did go on. Dimitri might be gone, but I could have something with Adrian–at least until my job took me away. That was, of course, assuming I got one. Hell, if Hans kept me on desk duty here and Adrian continued his slothful ways, we could be together forever. Adrian and I kissed for a long time, pressing closer and closer. At last I broke things off. If you had sex in a dream, did that mean you'd really done it? I didn't know, and I certainly wasn't going to find out. I wasn't ready for that yet. I stepped back, and Adrian took the hint. â€Å"Find me when you get some freedom.† â€Å"Hopefully soon,† I said. â€Å"The guardians can't punish me forever.† Adrian looked skeptical, but he let the dream dissolve without further comment. I returned to my own bed and my own dreams. The only thing that stopped me from intercepting Lissa and Christian when they met up early in her lobby the next day was that Hans summoned me to work even earlier. He put me on paperwork duty–in the vaults, ironically enough–leaving me to file and stew over Lissa and Christian as I watched them through my bond. I took it as a sign of my multitasking skills that I was able to alphabetize and spy at the same time. Yet my observations were interrupted when a voice said, â€Å"Didn't expect to find you here again.† I blinked out of Lissa's head and looked up from my paperwork. Mikhail stood before me. In light of the complications that had ensued with the Victor incident, I'd nearly forgotten Mikhail's involvement in our â€Å"escape.† I set the files down and gave him a small smile. â€Å"Yeah, weird how fate works, huh? They actually want me here now.† â€Å"Indeed. You're in a fair amount of trouble, I hear.† My smile turned into a grimace. â€Å"Tell me about it.† I glanced around, even though I knew we were alone. â€Å"You didn't get in any trouble, did you?† He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows what I did.† â€Å"Good.† At least one person had escaped this debacle unscathed. My guilt couldn't have handled him getting caught too. Mikhail knelt so that he was eye level with me, resting his arms on the table I sat at. â€Å"Were you successful? Was it worth it?† â€Å"That's a hard question to answer.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"There were some†¦ not so successful things that happened. But we did find out what we wanted to know–or, well, we think we did.† His breath caught. â€Å"How to restore a Strigoi?† â€Å"I think so. If our informant was telling the truth, then yeah. Except, even if he was†¦ well, it's not that easy to do. It's nearly impossible, really.† â€Å"What is it?† I hesitated. Mikhail had helped us, but he wasn't in my circle of confidants. Yet even now, I saw that haunted look in his eyes, the one I'd seen before. The pain of losing his beloved still tormented him. It likely always would. Would I be doing more harm than good by telling him what I'd learned? Would this fleeting hope only hurt him more? I finally decided to tell him. Even if he told others–and I didn't think he would–most would laugh it off anyway. There would be no damage there. The real trouble would come if he told anyone about Victor and Robert–but I didn't actually have to mention their involvement to him. Unlike Christian, it had apparently not occurred to Mikhail that the prison break so big in Moroi news had been pulled off by the teens he helped smuggle out. Mikhail probably couldn't spare a thought for anything that didn't involve saving his Sonya. â€Å"It takes a spirit user,† I explained. â€Å"One with a spirit-charmed stake, and then he†¦ or she†¦ has to stake the Strigoi.† â€Å"Spirit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That element was still foreign to most Moroi and dhampirs–but not to him. â€Å"Like Sonya. I know spirit's supposed to make them more alluring†¦ but I swear, she never needed it. She was beautiful on her own.† As always, Mikhail's face took on that same sad look it did whenever Ms. Karp was mentioned. I'd never really seen him truly happy since meeting him and thought he'd be pretty good-looking if he ever genuinely smiled. He suddenly seemed embarrassed at his romantic lapse and returned to business. â€Å"What spirit user could do a staking?† â€Å"None,† I said flatly. â€Å"Lissa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov are the only two spirit users I even know–well, aside from Avery Lazar.† I was leaving Oksana and Robert out of this. â€Å"Neither of them has the skill to do it–you know that as well as I do. And Adrian has no interest in it anyway.† Mikhail was sharp, picking up on what I didn't say. â€Å"But Lissa does?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"But it would take her years to learn to do it. If not longer. And she's the last of her line. She can't be risked like that.† The truth of my words hit him, and I couldn't help but share his pain and disappointment. Like me, he'd put a lot of faith into this last-ditch effort to be reunited with his lost love. I had just affirmed that it was possible†¦ yet impossible. I think it would have been easier on both of us to learn it had all been a hoax. He sighed and stood up. â€Å"Well†¦ I appreciate you going after this. Sorry your punishment is for nothing.† I shrugged. â€Å"It's okay. It was worth it.† â€Å"I hope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His face turned hesitant. â€Å"I hope it ends soon and doesn't affect anything.† â€Å"Affect what?† I asked sharply, catching the edge in his voice. â€Å"Just†¦ well, guardians who disobey orders sometimes face long punishments.† â€Å"Oh. This.† He was referring to my constant fear of being stuck with a desk job. I tried to play flippant and not to show how much that possibility scared me. â€Å"I'm sure Hans was bluffing. I mean, would he really make me do this forever just because I ran away and–â€Å" I stopped, my mouth hanging open when a knowing glint flashed in Mikhail's eyes. I'd heard long ago how he'd tried to track down Ms. Karp, but the logistics had never really hit me until now. No one would have condoned his search. He would have had to leave on his own, breaking protocol, and come skulking back when he finally gave up on locating her. He would have been in just as much trouble as me for going MIA. â€Å"Is that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed. â€Å"Is that why you†¦ why you work down here in the vaults now?† Mikhail didn't answer my question. Instead, he glanced down with a small smile and pointed at my stacks of paper. â€Å"F comes before L,† he said before turning and leaving. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered, looking down. He was right. Apparently I couldn't alphabetize so well while watching Lissa. Still, once I was alone, that didn't stop me from tuning back into her mind. I wanted to know what she was doing†¦ and I didn't want to think about how what I'd done would probably be considered worse than Mikhail's deeds in the eyes of the guardians. Or that a similar–or worse–punishment might be in store for me. Lissa and Christian were at a hotel near Lehigh's campus. The middle of the vampiric day meant evening for the human university. Lissa's tour wouldn't start until their morning the next day, which meant she had to bide her time at the hotel now and try to adjust to a human schedule. Lissa's â€Å"new† guardians, Serena and Grant, were with her, along with three extras that the queen had sent as well. Tatiana had allowed Christian to come along and hadn't been nearly as opposed as Lissa had feared–which again made me question if the queen really was as awful as I'd always believed. Priscilla Voda, a close advisor of the queen that both Lissa and I liked, was also accompanying Lissa as she looked around the school. Two of the additional guardians stayed with Priscilla; the third stayed with Christian. They ate dinner as a group and then retired to their rooms. Serena was actually staying with Lissa in hers while Grant stood guard outside the door. Watching all this triggered a pang in me. Pair guarding–it was what I'd been trained for. What I'd been expecting my whole life to do for Lissa. Serena was a picture-perfect example of guardian aloofness, being there but not there as Lissa hung up some of her clothes. A knock at the door immediately shot Serena into action. Her stake was in hand, and she strode to the door, looking out through its peephole. I couldn't help but admire her reaction time, though part of me would never believe anyone could guard Lissa as well as I could. â€Å"Get back,† Serena said to Lissa. A moment later, the tension in Serena faded a tiny bit, and she opened the door. Grant stood there with Christian beside him. â€Å"He's here to see you,† Grant said, like it wasn't obvious. Lissa nodded. â€Å"Um, yeah. Come on in.† Christian stepped inside when Grant backed away. Christian gave Lissa a meaningful look as he did, making a small head nod toward Serena. â€Å"Hey, um, would you mind giving us some privacy?† As soon as the words were out of Lissa's mouth, she turned bright pink. â€Å"I mean†¦ we just†¦ we just need to talk about some things, that's all.† Serena kept her face almost neutral, but it was clear she thought they were going to do more than talk. Average teen dating wasn't usually hot gossip in the Moroi world, but Lissa, with her notoriety, attracted a bit more attention with her romantic affairs. Serena would have known Christian and Lissa had gone out and broken up. For all she knew, they were back together now. Lissa inviting him on this trip certainly suggested it. Serena glanced around warily. The balance of protection and privacy was always difficult with Moroi and guardians, and hotel rooms like this made it even harder. If they were on a vampiric schedule, with everyone sleeping during daylight hours, I didn't doubt Serena would have stepped into the hall with Grant. But it was dark outside, and even a fifth-floor window could be a Strigoi liability. Serena wasn't keen on leaving her new charge alone. Lissa's hotel suite had an expansive living room and work area, with an adjacent bedroom accessible through frosted-glass French doors. Serena nodded toward them. â€Å"How about I just go in there?† A smart idea. Provided privacy but kept her close by. Then, Serena realized the implications, and she blushed. â€Å"I mean†¦ unless you guys want to go in there and I'll–â€Å" â€Å"No,† exclaimed Lissa, growing more and more embarrassed. â€Å"This is fine. We'll stay in here. We're just talking.† I wasn't sure whose benefit that was for, Serena's or Christian's. Serena nodded and disappeared into the bedroom with a book, which reminded me eerily of Dimitri. She shut the door. Lissa wasn't sure how well noise traveled, so she turned the TV on. â€Å"God, that was miserable,† she groaned. Christian seemed totally at ease as he leaned against the wall. He wasn't the formal type by any means, but he'd put on dress clothes for dinner earlier and still wore them. They looked good on him, no matter how much he always complained. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because she thinks we're–she thinks we're–well, you know.† â€Å"So? What's the big deal?† Lissa rolled her eyes. â€Å"You're a guy. Of course it doesn't matter to you.† â€Å"Hey, it's not like we haven't. Besides, better for her to think that than to know the truth.† The reference to their past sex life inspired a mix of emotions–embarrassment, anger, and longing–but she refused to let that show. â€Å"Fine. Let's just get this over with. We've got a big day, and our sleep's going to be all screwy as it is. Where do we start? Do you want me to get the stake?† â€Å"No need yet. We should just practice some basic defensive moves.† He straightened up and moved toward the center of the room, dragging a table out of the way. I swear, if not for the context, watching the two of them attempt combat training on their own would have been hilarious. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"So you already know how to punch.† â€Å"What? I do not!† He frowned. â€Å"You knocked out Reed Lazar. Rose mentioned it, like, a hundred times. I've never heard her so proud about something.† â€Å"I punched one person once in my life,† she pointed out. â€Å"And Rose was coaching me. I don't know if I could do it again.† Christian nodded, looking disappointed–not in her skills but because he had an impatient nature and wanted to jump right into the really hard-core fighting stuff. Nonetheless, he proved a surprisingly patient teacher as he went over the fine art of punching and hitting. A lot of his moves were actually things he'd picked up from me. He'd been a decent student. Was he at guardian levels? No. Not by a long shot. And Lissa? She was smart and competent, but she wasn't wired for combat, no matter how badly she wanted to help with this. Punching Reed Lazar had been a beautiful thing, but it didn't appear to be anything that would ever become natural for her. Fortunately, Christian started with simple dodging and watching one's opponent. Lissa was just a beginner at it but showed a lot of promise. Christian seemed to chalk it up to his instructive skills, but I'd always thought spirit users had a kind of preternatural instinct about what others might do next. I doubted it would work on Strigoi, though. After a little of that, Christian finally returned to offense, and that's when things went bad. Lissa's gentle, healing nature didn't mesh with that, and she refused to really strike out with her full force, for fear of hurting him. When he realized what was happening, his snarky temper started to rise. â€Å"Come on! Don't hold back.† â€Å"I'm not,† she protested, delivering a punch to his chest that didn't come close to budging him. He raked a hand irritably through his hair. â€Å"You are too! I've seen you knock on a door harder than you're hitting me.† â€Å"That's a ridiculous metaphor.† â€Å"And,† he added, â€Å"you aren't aiming for my face.† â€Å"I don't want to leave a mark!† â€Å"Well, at the rate we're going, there's no danger of that,† he muttered. â€Å"Besides, you can heal it away.† I was amused at their bickering but didn't like his casual encouragement of spirit use. I still hadn't shaken my guilt over the long-term damage that the prison break could have caused. Reaching forward, Christian grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her toward him. He balled her fingers with his other hand and then slowly demonstrated how to swing a punch upward by pulling her fist toward his face. He was more interested in showing the technique and motion, so it only brushed against him. â€Å"See? Arc upward. Make the impact right there. Don't worry about hurting me.† â€Å"It's not that simple†¦.† Her protest died off, and suddenly, they both seemed to notice the situation they were in. There was barely any space between them, and his fingers were still wrapped around her wrist. They felt warm against Lissa's skin and were sending electricity through the rest of her body. The air between them seemed thick and heavy, like it might just wrap them up and pull them together. From the widening of Christian's eyes and sudden intake of breath, I was willing to bet he was having a similar reaction at being so close to her body. Coming to himself, he abruptly released her hand and stepped back. â€Å"Well,† he said roughly, though still clearly unnerved by the proximity, â€Å"I guess you aren't really serious about helping Rose.† That did it. Sexual tension notwithstanding, anger kindled up in Lissa at the comment. She balled her fist and totally caught Christian off guard when she swung out and socked him in the face. It didn't have the grace of her Reed punch, but it took Christian hard. Unfortunately, she lost her balance in the maneuver and stumbled forward into him. The two of them went down together, hitting the floor and knocking over a small table and lamp nearby. The lamp caught the table's corner and broke. Meanwhile, Lissa had landed on Christian. His arms instinctively went out around her, and if the space between them before had been small, it was nonexistent now. They stared into each other's eyes, and Lissa's heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. That tantalizing electric feeling crackled around them again, and all the world for her seemed to focus on his lips. Both she and I wondered later if they might have kissed, but just then, Serena came bursting out of the bedroom. She was on guardian high alert, body tense and ready to face an army of Strigoi with her stake in hand. She came screeching to a halt when she saw the scene before her: what appeared to be a romantic interlude. Admittedly, it was an odd one, what with the broken lamp and swelling red mark on Christian's face. It was pretty awkward for everyone, and Serena's attack mode faded to one of confusion. â€Å"Oh,† she said uncertainly. â€Å"Sorry.† Embarrassment flooded Lissa, as well as self-resentment at being affected so much by Christian. She was furious at him, after all. Hastily, she pulled away and sat up, and in her flustered state, she felt the need to make it clear that there was nothing romantic whatsoever going on. â€Å"It†¦ it's not what you think,† she stuttered, looking anywhere except at Christian, who was getting to his feet and seemed just as mortified as Lissa. â€Å"We were fighting. I mean, practicing fighting. I want to learn to defend against Strigoi. And attack them. And stake them. So Christian was kind of helping me, that's all.† There was something cute about her rambling, and it reminded me charmingly of Jill. Serena visibly relaxed, and while she'd mastered that blank face all guardians excelled at, it was clear she was amused. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"it doesn't look like you're doing a very good job.† Christian turned indignant as he stroked his injured cheek. â€Å"Hey! We are too. I taught her this.† Serena still thought it was all funny, but a serious, considering glint was starting to form in her eyes. â€Å"That seems like it was more lucky than anything else.† She hesitated, like she was on the verge of a big decision. At last she said, â€Å"Look, if you guys are serious about this, then you need to learn to do it the right way. I'll show you how.† No. Way. I was seriously on the verge of escaping the Court and hitchhiking to Lehigh to really show them how to throw a punch–with Serena as my example–when something jolted me away from Lissa and back into my own reality. Hans. I had a sarcastic greeting on my lips, but he didn't give me a chance. â€Å"Forget the filing and follow me. You've been summoned.† â€Å"I–what?† Highly unexpected. â€Å"Summoned where?† His face was grim. â€Å"To see the queen.†

Transportation and Air Pollution in the United States Essay

Air pollution has become a significant problem in the US as well as the world over years. It’s the result of variety of sources like industrial, agriculture, mechanical and transportation. Sadly, transportation which releases a great amount of carbon dioxides, nitrogen oxides and other toxicity is proven the leading cause of air pollution. There are several transportation factors that contribute to air pollution in the US. The first factor is the excessive use of SUVs and cars. Vehicle has played an important role in the US because of its use of connecting people to anyplace. As â€Å"Americas population of automobiles drivers are increasing† (Davis), it’s true that every households has the average of 2 or 3 cars in their garage. It means†¦show more content†¦One aspect of this factor is the â€Å"persistence of old and outdated technology† in the SUVs and cars’ fleet (Gorham). In a family, higher-income members tend to get a new cars and leave it for lower-income ones. Therefore, the old cars are still on our road until its usefulness has expired. So it’s a problem that people have recognized since older cars pollute more than new ones do. As the same size and model, older vehicles are more likely inefficient than new ones as they use the obsolete technology which wastes a lot of gas and produces carbon dioxide (Car Heaven). Commonly vehicle’ age is 10 years-old or higher (Gorham). As their ages are getting higher, they are more losing their efficiency. For example, â€Å"A 14 year old vehicle produces 19 times more smog-forming emissions than a 2004 or newer model (Car Heaven)†. The second factor is the permissive regulation on truck emissions. Sean, a senior editor at American city County’s sister publication, said that diesel trucks have been a pollution emitter over years. â€Å"While they make up only 2 percent of vehicles in the nation, diesel trucks produce exhaust that is responsible for more than 60 percent of all particulates and nearly half of all nitrogen oxides, according to EPA (Sean)†. In fact, the number of diesel trucks is less than private vehicles, and most of these trucks are using to do â€Å"commercial† task, thus the US government considers it’s not an issue ofShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Air Pollution On Our Health And Sustainability1408 Words   |  6 Pageshealth. Air pollution is a large problem that exists in the United States and affects all of us. However, the challenge that we as American’s face is the inescapable necessities of modern life (driving to work, cooking food, etc.). These techn ologies are directly linked to air pollution and therefore affect our health and sustainability. 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