Essay on Pepsi’s 2003 Advertising Campaign - 1085 Words

Pepsi’s 2003 Advertising Campaign Nowadays PepsiCo Inc. is among the most successful consumer product companies in the world. It divides into two major domestic and international businesses, beverages and snack foods. In order to attract the broadest number of customers, advertising plays a significant role. In this essay, the advertising campaign of Pepsi in 2003, which was unveiled not only on TV, but outdoor advertising as well, will be analyzed. The aim for this campaign is about combine consumption of food and Pepsi. A general picture of this advertising campaign will be given at first. After that, more details will be given by how that campaign has been presented, what the main message†¦show more content†¦A young woman dressed in a hot dog costume is passing out leaflets for the grand opening of Wiener World and she becomes distraught when the passers-by ignore her. However, she finds a friend, a young man, dressed as a Pepsi outside a nearby store. Then, they walk off holding hands. In â€Å"Vacuumà ¢â‚¬ , comedian Dave Chappelle drinks a Pepsi while waiting for his date. When an electronic, roving vacuum tries to get at his can of Pepsi, he refuses to give it up. The vacuum sucks up his pants instead. Besides these two ads, a commercial called â€Å"Tailgating† is a tribute to NFL Films and features a group of men preparing for a Sunday showdown (Pepsi 2003). In the outdoor ads, Pepsi plan to post signs in delicatessens and stores with lines such as â€Å"That pastrami and rye would taste even better with a Pepsi† with an arrow pointing to the product nearby which indicates the placement of advertising is also important as well. However, in several of its new advertisements, particularly billboards, Pepsi has paired its cola prominently with burgers, pizza and fries. Clearly, the main message of this advertising campaign is to bring Pepsi Cola to a whole new place by emphasizing food, fun and energy. It is showing the relation between food and its product, Cola. From the first TV advertisement, the different costumes of two people are theShow MoreRelatedBudget and Budgeting Techniques1153 Words   |  5 Pageswith Britannia Industries India Ltd. Disadvantages Rigid Rules and Regulations. Buying of bottling plants leads to 49% disinvestment. Local demand of carbonated drinks is as very low. Harder to establish themselves. Pepsi’s Pros Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market: Pepsi’s Pros Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market Benefits Own set up green filled bottling plants. Advantage of coming before Coca Cola. Government policies favored the company. Joint venture with Volta s and PunjabRead MoreOperation Strategies for Coca-Cola vs Pepsi Companies to Attract Their Customers10701 Words   |  43 Pagesentire consumer population and as a result, generalization is not obtained. Finally, we have concentrated on age segmentation, and thus other demographic variables are not observed. Keywords: Advertising, Operation strategy, Age segmentation, customer attraction, 1. INTRODUCTION In the first place, advertising is still the number one communication tool for businesses, immense changes within, for instance, technology has required companies to implement other promotional strategies other than traditionalRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The World Of Today s World2976 Words à ‚  |  12 Pagesfor Now† campaign of 2012-present as a case study for the dependency theory, specifically the focus of public engagement as a means through which cultural imperialism becomes evident. It will achieve this goal by first offering a framework from which we can judge whether a campaign or movement is culturally imperialistic, including the inclusion of public engagement, the mass marketing of well-known cultural elements, and the connection of a product or service to a need for those the campaign targetsRead MoreCola Wars Summary Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesBottlers then add sugar or high fructose corn syrup themselves. * This process required little capital investment, machinery, overhead or labor. * Main costs arose from advertising, marketing, market research and bottler support. They invested in trademarks as well. * They implemented and financed marketing campaigns with the bottlers however they usually took the lead. They also developed CDA with retailers such as wal mart so they would finance marketing in exchange for shelf space. Read MoreCompetitors Analysis - Soft Drink Industry5000 Words   |  20 Pagesbeginning to bring the total consumptions rates for CSDs down from their 25 year high. In 2004, 10.24 billion cases were sold, while 2005 showed a 0.6% decrease translating to 10.18 billion cases. This 2005 decline came after a small growth in both 2003 and 2004. Coca-Cola lost some market share, Pepsi gained some, and diet drinks seems to be what is fueling the overall category growth. Dr. Pepper, Cadbury Schweppes only US sold CSD, was the only beverage to have growth in the US in 2005. This wasRead MoreCoke and Pepsi Learn to Compete in India1564 Words   |  7 Pagesobtained anywhere else within the country, imports of similar items were forbidden. This made Indian consumers had a little choice of products or brands and no guarantees of quality or reliability. - Indian Laws, the government mandated that Pepsi’s products be promoted under the â€Å"Lehar Pepsi† name. For Coca-Cola, they attempted to enter into Indian market by joining with Parle and became â€Å"Coca-Cola India† Some of these effects may have been anticipated, especially foreseeing the corruptionRead MoreCoke and Pepsi Learn to Compete in India1558 Words   |  7 Pagesobtained anywhere else within the country, imports of similar items were forbidden. This made Indian consumers had a little choice of products or brands and no guarantees of quality or reliability. - Indian Laws, the government mandated that Pepsi’s products be promoted under the â€Å"Lehar Pepsi† name. For Coca-Cola, they attempted to enter into Indian market by joining with Parle and became â€Å"Coca-Cola India† Some of these effects may have been anticipated, especially foreseeing the corruptionRead MoreBrand and Pepsi3309 Words   |  14 Pagessix-ounce bottles, and sales increased to 19,848 gallons. In 1909, automobile race pioneer Barney Oldfield was the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi-Cola, describing it as A bully drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race. The advertising theme Delicious and Healthful was then used over the next two decades. In 1926, Pepsi received its first logo redesign since the original design of 1905. In 1929, the logo was changed again. But how has this iconic brand become a legend? MoreRead MoreCase Coke and Pepsi Learn to Compete in India1002 Words   |  5 Pagesuse famous people in India to promote their products and their target market was young people. | Pepsi started out with an aggressive pricing policy to try to get immediate market share from Indian competitors. Coca-Cola cut its prices by 15-25% in 2003. They both implement ed bottles with less ml to increase the frequency of purchase. | At the beginning they focused on major cities but then wanted to explore rural areas of the country. Coca-cola products also were distributed in the â€Å"Red Lounge† -gt;Read MorePepsico Case8696 Words   |  35 Pagesover a million dollars and was on its way to making history. Building a Brand Guth had many challenges to overcome in order to save the struggling brand. Through the Great Depression, Pepsi carefully positioned itself as a low cost leader and made advertising history when it released the nation’s first jingle â€Å"nickel, nickel,† which was heard across the nation. With financially-strapped customers reluctant to pay a nickel for a drink, Guth began offering twice the amount of Pepsi for the same price,

The Family Of A Single Parent Family - 2262 Words

In the United States, two-parent families were considered the norm. Historically, the myth of the perfect family unit consisted of a two-parent heterosexual home. The family unit has evolved though, and it is far more complex, diverse, dimensional and varies in ethnicity and family members than the status quo. Today, families are made up of same sex parents, adopted children,extended families, children raised by their grandparents, and a growing percentage of women, choosing to be single mothers, and single-mothers chosen by circumstances of life. With more than half of all marriages in the USA ending in divorce, every year millions of children enter a new family structure: the single-parent family. By the year 2000, just over 30% of all children in the USA lived in single-parent homes. Undeniably, there is a distinction between a single-parent and a two-parent home. With these new statistics, our goal is to understand how the academic outcomes of Latino children raised by single m others can be improved. The findings and sources available to help children academically succeed are discussed. Most researchers agree that children fare better in a two-parent home. In the United States, the living arrangements of children in single- parent families vary greatly by ethnicity. However, in all ethnicities, more children live in single-mother than single-father families.In the book, Middle Childhood Development, A Contextual Approach, authors Mary Jo Zembar and Libby BalterShow MoreRelatedParent Families And The Single Parent Family1738 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, one of the most remarkable changes in family structure has been the increase in the number of single-parent families. In this type of family, one parent in the household is raising the children due to the high divorce rates and adults choosing not to marry. This is â€Å"currently the fastest growing family type in North America†. According to a research, â€Å"88 percent of these families are headed by women currently.†9 Children living in single parent households often have to contend with negativeRead MoreSingle Parent Families2553 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"A single parent family is a family living together in a home atmosphere where only one parent is present with one or more children. This is in opposition to a family with two parents living in the home. A married couple can also live in a single family setting for extended periods of time if one of the spouses travels for long periods of time or is imprisoned for instance. In brief, it is any family with one or more children where one of the parents has to serve a double parental role of motherRead MoreSingle Parent Family Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pages Family life is vastly different today from what it used to be. Quite a long while back moms would remain at home with their youngsters while the father went to work to help his family, yet it is not at all like that today in American families. Today it is common for children to be raised by only one of their folks, and those kids are frequently hindered in a few ways. The most reliable finding from investigations of family structure demonstrates that solitary guardians apply weaker controlsRead MoreEssay on Single-Parent Families820 Words   |  4 PagesThe journal article is talking about the difficulties which the single-parent families facing, such as emotional problems, housing stress and financial stress. It generated different viewpoints from different literature, and suggested an approach to meet the needs of single-parents. There is no doubt that both children and parents from single-parent families would more or less with some emotional, personality and interpersonal problems. This reflective paper that not aim to go further to exploreRead MoreFamily Structure Of A Single Parent938 Words   |  4 PagesFamily structure has significantly changed from the 1940’s. The norm was that 70% of children lived with both biological parents. In the 1990’s it dropped to 60.2 % (Gennetian, 2005). In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey provided that only 45% of children were raised within an intact family (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2008). Society and culture is changing, and what wasn’t â€Å"acceptable† by many cultures such as divorce, blended families, interracial marriage, and same-sexRead MoreQuestions On Single Parent Family1260 Words   |  6 Pages2017 Single Parent For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today s society, many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful, whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versusRead MoreTraditional Families Vs Single Parent Families1615 Words   |  7 PagesTraditional families versus single parent families. A traditional family household is a household with two parents, mother and father. A single parent family household is a one parent household a mother, or father. This household is usually occurs when a parent dies, parents divorce, or the parents was never married and separated after having a child together. The question at hand is would a child be more successful and mentally stable in life growing up in a traditional family household, or single parentingRead MorePoverty : A Single Parent Family859 Words   |  4 Pagescondition of being poor. Any family living in poverty may have many obstacles and trials to overcome, but can the issue of poverty be even more detrimental for a single parent family. What kinds of problems occur, what can single parent families do for help and finally can children from single parent families be successful. Over the last 20 years there has been a rise in single parent families living in the United States. These families may have become a single parent family for many different reasonsRead MoreTransitioning The Single Parent Families1225 Words   |  5 PagesSabatelli, 2011). Usually from the child is born, the parents have to make numerous changes in their lives as well as their schedule in order to assure that their child necessary needs are always met. However, single parent families can arise due to never married parenthood, divorce or death. Single parent families are any family that has either parent living with their children. Single parent families as seem to have become a new and rapid form of family. However, separation, desertion, divorce, deathRead MoreAdopting A Single Parent Family978 Words   |  4 Pagesare many children whose parents have died or cannot raise them as well as abandoned infants. In order to solve this inevitable situation, some couples and a single man or woman who have the ability to raise the kids will apply for the qualifications to adopt them. However, some people pose a question that should single people be able to adopt children as easily as couples. With a lot of attention, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. Nowadays, having two parents is not any more the essential

Business Analysis and Valuation Exam Notes Free Essays

Topic 7: NOA1=NOA0+OIt – (C1-I1) NFO1=NFO0+NFE1 – (C1-I1)+d1 NFA1=NFA0+NFI1 – (C1-I1)-d1 CSE1=CSE0+OI1 – NFE1 – d1 NI1=OI1 – NFE1 (C1-I1) = d1+F1 d1=div+ share buyback – share issues F=net purchases of FAs – interest on FAs – net issue of debt + Interest on debt d=C-I+NFI-NFA d=C-I-NFE+NFO FCF=OI-NOA (Method 1) FCF=NFA-NFI+d (Method 2) FCF=NFO+NFE+d CSE=NOA+NFA/(-NFO) CSE1=CSE0+Earnt-dt Net Operating Accruals = OI1 – C1 or NOA – I1 If C-I-i d: lend or buy down debt. If C-I-i d: borrow or reduce lending. The rate of return from investing in a firms’ stock is its holding period return. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Analysis and Valuation Exam Notes or any similar topic only for you Order Now [(div+P1)/P0]. Topic 8: Reformulated CSE Statement CSE0 +Net transactions with s/holders +Share issues – Share buy backs – Dividends +Comprehensive Income +NI reported +/- securities avail. For sale +/- currency translations +/- hedging +/- prior earnings restatements CSE1 Table 8. 1 of Dirty Surplus Items: OI Items Changes in accting for contingencies Additional minimum pension liability Tax benefits of loss carry-forwards acquires Tax benefits of dividends paid to ESOPs Unrealized gains and losses on equity securities avail. For sale Some adjustments of deferred tax valuation allowances funding status of pension plans Financing inc (or exp) items Preferred dividends Unrealized gains on losses on debt securities avail. For sale Operating or Financing inc items F. C. translation gains (losses) Gains(losses) on derivative instruments for hedging purposes Restatement of prior years’ income due to accting principles. Bal/sheet items to be reclassified Credits to s/holders’ equity for stock compensation exp. Dividends payable. Topic 9: Effective tax rate for operations Tax on OIOI before tax ReOI1=OI1 – ( – 1) NOA0 Operating PM from sales OI from Sales (after tax)Sales Net CI Margin = CI/Sales RNOA = OI/Ave. NOA NBC = NFE/Ave. NFO RNFA = NFI/Ave. NFA ROCE = Earn (CI)/Ave. CSE OLLEV = OL/NOA Capitalization Ratio = NOA/CSE FLEV = NFO/CSE SPREAD = RNOA – NBC Reformulated Bal/sheet FAs: Cash equivalents S/T investments S/T notes receivable* L/T debt investments FLs: S/T borrowings Current maturities on L/T debt S/T note payable* L/T borrowings Lease obligations Preferred stock OAs OLs: All else Minority Interest CSE *notes are FA/Ls if they bear the mkt rate of interest. L/T equity investments are usually OAs if they are a 20% holding, recorded at mkt value if avail. for sale or, at cost if held to maturity. S/T equity/marketable investments are OAs if part of a trading portfolio. If used mop up excess cash = FA. Minority interest is a separate line item. And NOA – NFO = CSE + Minority Int. Reformulated Income Statement Net sales -Expenses to generate sales =OI from sales (before tax) -Tax on OI from sales +Tax as reported +Tax benefit from NFE – Tax allocated to other OI =OI from sales (after tax) Other OI (exp) requiring tax alloc. Restructuring charges and asset impair. Merger exps Gains/Losses on asset sales Gains/Losses on security transactions -Tax on other OI After-tax operating items Equity share in subsidiary income Operating items in extraordinary inc Dirty surplus op. items in Table 8. Hidden dirty surplus op. items OI (after tax) -NFE (after tax) +Interest exp -Interest inc. Realized gains/losses on FAs =NFE before tax -Tax benefit from NFE =NFE after tax Gains/loss on debt retirement +unrealized holding loss D-S items in Table 8. 1 (incl. Pref. dividends) Hidden d-s financing items -Minority Interest =Comp. Income to common Topic 10: Reformulated CF Statement CF from operations +Reported cash from op. Net cash interest payments after tax – CF from investing +Reported cash from inv. +Liquidation of assets +Sale of assets +Maturities of assets – Purchases of Assets Working Cash =FCF from op. ctivities Net Dividends +Dividends +Share buy back – Share issue +Net Debt Financing Cash and Cash Equivalents + net payments to d/holders and issuers =Cash paid for financing activities Topic 11: ROCE = RNOA+[FLEV(RNOA-NBC)] Implicit int. on OL= S/T borrowing rate (after tax) OL ROOA=OI+Implicit Int. (aft. tax)OA RNOA=ROOA+(OLLEVOLSPREAD)OLSPREAD = ROOA – S/T borrowing rate (after tax) ROA=NI+Int Exp (aft. tax)Ave Total Assets Minority interest is added to numerator if any. 2 Drivers of RNOA: RNOA = PM ATO PM = OI (aft. Tax)/Sales ATO = Sales/NOA (usually expressed as 1/ATO) PM Drivers: PM = Sales PM + other items PM Sales PM=Gross margin ratio – Exp ratios =GMsales-Admin. expsales-Sell. expsales-RDsales-Operating taxessales Other Op. items PM=subsidiary incsales+other equity incsales+Special itemssales+other gains and lossessales Drivers of ATO (1/ATO) can be broken down into ratios for the individual assets and liabilities. Drivers of NBC is calculated from the weighted average of the costs for different sources of net financing. NBC=FONFO? aft. tax int. on FOFO-FANFO? aft. tax on FAFA-FANFO? Unrealized gains on FAFA+Pref. stockNFO? Pref. DivPref. stock+†¦ Topic 12: OI = Core OI from sales + Core Other OI + Unusual Items RNOA=Core OI from SalesNOA+Core other OINOA+UINOA Core OI from salesNOA=Core sales PM? ATO=Core OI from salesSales? SalesATO NBC=Core NFENFO+UFENFO RNOA1=(core sales PM1ATO0) +(ATO1Core Sales PM1) +(core other OI/NOA)+ (UI/NOA) Changes in core sales PM are driven by variable and fixed costs. Sales PM = (Sales – VC – FC)/Sales Contribution Margin Ratio = 1 – (VC/Sales) OLEV=CM ratio/PM %Core OI=OLEV%Core sales CSE1=(sales11/ATO0) +[(1/ATO1)Sales1] – NFO1 Reformulated OI Core OI Core Sales Rev. Core CoS = Core GM Core Op. Exp. = Core OI from sales bef. Tax Tax on core OI from sales +Tax as reported +Tax benefit from NFE Tax alloc To core other OI Tax alloc to UI = Core OI from sales + Core other OI + Equity income in subsidiaries + Earnings on pension assets + Other continuing inc not from sales Tax on core other OI = Core OI Unusual Items Special charges Special liability accruals Nonrecurring items Asset write-downs estimates Start-up costs expensed P/L from asset sales Restructuring charges P/L from discon operations Extraordinary op items Accounting charges Unrealized g/l on equity investments Gains from share issues Currency gains and losses Derivative g/l (operations) Tax allocated to unusual items = Comprehensive OI Topic 13: Earnings component: i) Operating income (ii) Net financial expense (iii) Earnings Book value component: (i) NOA (ii) NFO (iii) CSE Residual Earnings measure: (i) ReOI1 = OI1 – (F – 1) NOA0 (ii) ReNFE1 = NFE1 – (D – 1) NFO0 (iii) RE1 = Earn1 – (E – 1) CSE0 Value of NFO: V0NFO=NFO+ReNFET? D+CVT? DT Value of NOA: V0NOA=NOA0+ReOIT? F +CVT? FT Value of Equity: V0E=CSE0+ReOIT? F+CVT? FT NFO is usually measured at market value. Therefore forecasted ReNFE are zero. Usually: VoE=V0NOA-V0NFO But with ReNFE = 0, VE = VNOA Drivers of RE: RE1 = [ROCE1 – (E – 1)] CSE0 (1) amount of s/holders’ investment (2) rate of return on investment relative to E. Drivers of ReOI: ReOI1 = [RNOA1 – (F – 1)] NOA0 (1) amount of NOA put in place (2) profitability of assets relative to F. Drivers of ReNFE: ReNFE1 = [NBC1 – (D – 1)] NFO0 (1) amount of net financial debt (2) NBC relative to D. AEG Measure (i) AOIG=[OI1 + (F – 1)FCF0] – FOI0 (ii) ANFEG=[NFE1+(D – 1)F0] – DNFE0 (iii) AEG=[Earn1+(E-1)d0] – EEarn0 V0NOA=1? F-1OI1+AOIGT? F Cost of capital: ?E=? F+VoDV0E? F-? D P/B Ratio: V0ECSE0=V0NOANOA0+NFO0CSE0V0NOANOA0-1 Forward P/E ratio: V0EEarn1=V0NOAOI1+ELEV1V0NOAOI1-1NBC1 ELEV = NFE/Earnings Trailing P/E ratio: V0E+d0Earn0=V0NOA+FCF0OI0 +ELEV0V0NOA+FCF0OI0-1NBC0-1 How to cite Business Analysis and Valuation Exam Notes, Essay examples

Personal Reflection and Personal Development Plan free essay sample

Creating a personal development plan involves more than simply contemplating what you want from your life and how to go about achieving it. If you want to create a personal development plan that helps you to achieve your goals, preparation is the key. To prepare, one must have a great deal of self-awareness. This includes clear understanding of personal values and ethics, analyzing personality characteristics, evaluation of learning styles and identifying strengths, weaknesses, motivators, opportunities and threats. Preparing for this personal development plan has been a thought-provoking study encouraging self-evaluation, reflection and realization within the context of self-improvement in career education and relationships. I have analyzed my personality traits to understand how each correlates with my strengths, weaknesses and tendencies. I have learned that my own perceptions and actions may be motivated by feelings that influence me instinctively. Although many traits stem from my personality, that doesn’t mean I can’t develop and improve. I can learn how to use my strengths in better ways and turn weaknesses into strong suits. I have learned through the Jungian Typology that my personality tendencies are moderately introverted, sensing and feeling, and distinctive judging (ISFJ). I have studied the key traits of this personality type and contemplated how it defines me in relationships, parenthood, career and the workplace. I am highly altruistic, supportive and traditional. I am motivated intrinsically and have excellent people-sensing skills. Consequently, my personality type is moderately introverted lending me to repress feelings and create more stress for myself. I am moderately bashful; networking is not a natural for the purpose of advancing my career. Finally, I often overload myself with other people’s work or problems. Another key point of self awareness is the knowledge acquired about myself being a moderate internal locus of control. This will help me with personal development planning in terms understanding my natural tendencies and adapting to situations within and outside of my control. Other self assessments have enabled me to understand my learning style, become more aware of my productivity and stress levels, and how to recognize if I am experiencing burnout. Awareness in all of these topics is crucial and each needs to be considered when staging an effective development plan. Becoming more self-aware and embracing my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are the first steps to enhancing the quality of my life. Overall, I have potential I have not been using optimally and opportunities for development I have essentially been ignoring. I would like my personal development plan to be a compass; provide direction and help me stay focused on the developmental opportunities. I would also like this plan to be a gauge; a means to track progress and keep me motivated. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses †¢I have excellent interpersonal skills and foster good relationships. †¢I positively influence others. †¢I am a patient, effective and creative in instructional design and training. †¢I have very strong values and work ethic. †¢I am caring, compassionate and sensitive to others. †¢I am altruistic, traditional and supportive. †¢I have excellent people-sensing skills. †¢I have exceptional communication skills. †¢I consistently give people respect, trust, compassion, stability and hope. †¢I Have not completed my college education. †¢Sometimes distressed situations of others tend to make me be more lenient in my expectations. †¢My personality type is moderately introverted so I often repress feelings causing more stress. †¢I am moderately bashful; networking is not a natural for the purpose of advancing my career. †¢I often overload myself with other people’s work or problems. OpportunitiesThreats †¢I can complete my college degree with a high GPA. †¢I can better manage stress and be diligent in conveying my feelings. †¢I can learn and implement networking strategies. †¢I can be a positive influence and good role model for others. †¢I can educate children or adults. †¢I can council children or adults. †¢ I can use my strength of relationship building to create or lead groups/teams. †¢I can positively influence others, promote ideas and establish visions that can positively impact individuals, teams and work environment. †¢I can mediate conflict resolution, helping others work through problem situations. †¢I can model organizational values and coach others by leading by example. †¢I am more limited in many career developmental opportunities because I have not completed my college degree. †¢I am at higher risk for stress because I repress feelings and do not manage stress well. †¢I am higher risk for burnout and productivity lulls because I overload myself by taking on the burden of other people’s work or problems. †¢I socialize well, but I do not network extensively to help me achieve my goals or advance my career. Completing the SWOT Analysis exercise helped me see a realistic picture of myself. The SWOT analysis has been very helpful for creating a personal development plan because it is based on self-actualization and brings focus to strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. I find it interesting to realize that performing a SWOT analysis for a career role of interest can help me identify if it is a good fit and how my strengths align with key strengths needed for a role. Further, pinpointing areas of development I would need to accomplish to be successful in roles of interest can help me design a career path to get where I desire to go within an organization. Another interesting observation from my SWOT analysis is that in some situations strength could be perceived as a weakness or a weakness as strength. For example, I listed I am altruistic, traditional and supportive in my strengths. This may be perceived as a weakness in some situational leadership roles, yet significant strengths in other roles, for example, counseling or education. Pest Analysis FactorOpportunityThreat Political1. New and modified environmental regulations will continue to impact Caterpillar products and business. 2. Caterpillar has been approached by several other states with attractive incentives to change locations. 3. Caterpillar has been under fire by many environmental groups because products include earth stripping and moving machines, underground mining equipment, and diesel engines. 1. Caterpillar can be EPA compliant in all countries as well as a leader in reduced gas emission from engines, machines and greenhouse gas emissions of the their factories. 2. Cat can continue to partake in social responsibilities and promote them in the media. For example, disaster relief, rescue missions and sustainable energy efforts such as building dams. 1. Strict government regulations increase cost of production. 2. If Caterpillar does not keep up to date on regulations globally, it could result in hefty penalties. Economic1. Significant revenue loss in the Mining Division. 2. Product Sales have flattened or decreased. Significant infrastructure development in other countries such as Asia and India brings great growth opportunities for Caterpillar. 1. Establish and grow business in countries heavily immersed in infrastructure development. 2. Focus on growth of rental business will offset lost sales. 1. A stifled economy and lost revenue limits enablement for Caterpillar to invest in research and development. 2. Economic crisis with limited government spending on infrastructure in many countries. 3. Higher interest rates causing Caterpillar to lower company investment in capital. Socio-Cultural1. Caterpillar is a world-wide organization; therefore the availability and cost labor is always a key factor in business strategy. 2. Development of infrastructure can bring prosperity to inaccessible regions. 3. Growing world population requires infrastructure changes and sustainability. 1. Having a strong global footprint allows Caterpillar to analyze labor and cost more effectively and utilize existing assets for strategic planning. 2. Caterpillar can establish strong relationships with partnering businesses in development of other countries, leading to strong partnerships and new business adventures. 1. In already established regions with infrastructure in place, completion is stronger and could threaten growth and revenue for Caterpillar. Technological1. Caterpillar is focused on sustainability and green technologies. 2. There are large pushes for automated machinery to reduce operating costs and increase productivity. 3. Customer Push for fuel efficiency. 4. World-wide Business collaboration and Transformation platform using SAP for Finance, Sales to Delivery and Supply Chain. 1. Once SAP and processes are implemented globally, Caterpillar will realize significant operational improvements, cost reductions, and efficiencies. Caterpillar has a successful recruiting team and fluent pipeline of talented engineers to lead the industry in innovation. 1. Technological efforts increase in production costs. 2. If Caterpillar does not embrace and lead in new technology that supports sustainability such as e-mobility, bio fuel, other power alternatives, it will lose the competitive edge dominance in its industry. Caterpillar has vast opportunities and threats politically, economically, socio-culturally and technologically around the world. The PEST Analysis has helped me realize the opportunities Caterpillar embraces and the threats it faces, not just in the USA, but globally. I find it highly interesting that Caterpillar is a leading manufacturer of equipment and machines that are used in business operations that are heavily scrutinized by environmentalists. Caterpillar’s business growth depends on industries such as mining, forestry and fracking, yet still maintains a high socially responsible profile. To do this, Caterpillar has invested in new ventures such as solar power turbines, e-mobility and hybrid engines. The organization has a rich history of infrastructure contributions in the USA and abroad, attesting to its vested interest in building a safe society and sustainable world. Lastly, Caterpillar equipment and volunteers have been monumental in disaster relief and recovery around the world. Recently, Caterpillar has gone through significant reorganization, downsizing and cost cutting efforts in reaction to the economy and significant revenue loss in mining division with a staggering decreased profit of $15 billion last year. This has displaced everyone in my department and threatens job security for employees on all levels of the  organization. Additionally, new technology and automation of processes eliminate jobs every day and increase the demand for unique skill sets and deep expertise in technology and business acumen. In order to be valuable contributors and assets in the organization, teams, groups and individuals need to evolve with the business through continuous growth and d evelopment in a variety of skill sets including communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving, decision making, leadership and management skills. Caterpillar has been an evolving business for 85 years strong and shall continue to be for years to come. This PEST Analysis has helped me understanding that Caterpillar is making strategic decisions everyday based on this analysis. I need to do the same. Personal Develop Plan GoalsAction StepsPotential ObstaclesPlan to Overcome Implement actions to reduce stress. 1. Join the YMCA and exercise 4 times a week. 2. Join Yoga classes one time a week. 3. At home, delegate tasks to others. 4. Implement schedules to keep organized and manage time better. Review with family for ongoing support. 1. Taking on too much to help others in the family, 2. Making sure I allocate time to manage my stress will be difficult with long hours at work as well as school and family obligations. 3. Limited time with my toddler twins creates burden and regrets and can also contribute to stress and burnout. 1. Say no more often to family requests to do things for them. Often times these requests can be done themselves or by someone else. 2. Develop and maintain an exercise schedule and stick to it. Ensure than family also knows this routine and supports my plan. 3. Routinely allocate time with children each evening. Do homework after bedtime. Plan weekend activities with them. Improve Networking skills. 1. Schedule informational interviews with managers and recruiters within my organization. 2. Schedule information interviews with resources outside my organization, with focus on areas of interest, such as education. 3. Join and participate in at least one social club available through work. 1. Bashful tendencies and personality traits that make it difficult to network for personal gain. 2. Lack of time to participate in social activities. 1. Identify the information I would like to gain from sessions. Develop a conversation guide with talking points and questions. Preparation may ease anxieties. 2. Join a social club with people of similar interests and participate in lunch time activities more than the activities that occur outside of work. Improve self-confidence 1. Document achievements. 2. Focus on personal SWOT analysis. 3. Set and achieve small goals, followed by more challenging ones. 4. Incorporate useful tools. Purchase the Life Plan Workbook from Mind tools, a proven method to gain self confidence. 5. Continuously build the knowledge needed to succeed, including completing my undergraduate degree. 1. Negative self talk. 2. Surfacing doubts. 3. Giving up. Seems too difficult or unattainable. 4. Worries about ability to accomplish educational goals. 1. Practice rational positive thinking, imagery and meditations to redirect negative self talk. 2. Journal doubts. Analyze if they due to genuine threats. If so, set or modify goals to manage. In not, redirect with positive thinking techniques. 3. Use the Life Plan Workbook and other tools. Focus on small goals and achievements. Practice positive thinking and remind self this goal is a journey and takes significant time and commitment. 4. Be cognizant of learning style and practice techniques proven to enhance learning. I have many development opportunities that should help me personally, professionally and academically. However, the SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis were vital in prioritizing the top three goals used for this personal development plan. My priorities are based on current circumstances, threats, and areas of development that may result in the most significant positive impacts in my life. Moreover, when considering action steps, potential obstacles and plans to overcome them, I gave careful thought to my learning style, personality traits, internal locus of control and other factors that may aid or impede accomplishing the goals. Self improvement is important to me, but more than that, this plan is valuable because it can transform every aspect of my life. Managing stress is important for my physical and emotional health and will also improve relationships, focus and stamina. Taking steps to improve networking skills is an immediate need given my current circumstances. In light of a major reorganization eliminating my entire department, networking with managers, other business units and recruiters is crucial in order to identify opportunities to stay within the organization long before positions are posted on job boards. Finally, improving self-confidence is going to be the most challenging goal of all. I was reluctant to add this goal because of the very reason for its existence; lack of self confidence. After all, it is documented as one of the most difficult goals to achieve. However, gaining self confidence is fundamental in improving in many other areas I have identified when preparing for developing this plan. Self confidence will help me manage stress better and improve essential workplace skills such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, decision making, networking, leadership and management skills. Stress management and networking skills are goals I can achieve because they are ones I can prepare for more and realize immediate results. With immediate results, comes motivation and confidence to master and maintain those skills. I am not as sure about making big strides improving self-confidence. Perhaps this is because no precise step by step plan exists; it is a journey with many winding paths and no clear direction. However, many tools and resources are available to help stay focused on goals, realize achievements and keep me motivated with each confident step.