A Comedy Without Substance by William Shakespeare Essay

Old and new comedy both appear during the play, they are only produced for entertainment purposes.Old comedy usually sees a plot with a problem to overcome. This is attempted with a absurd plan, often leading to satire and buffoonery.These key features of old comedy are shown when Hero has to fake her death in order for Claudio to marry her and dogberry and verges court case to gain respect and honour.New Comedy is also visible in the play, it ischaracterised by young man chasing a young woman, the protagonist has to overcome social difficulties in order to succeed in pursuit and eventually ends with restoration.Claudio and Hero are clear examples of old comedy, however Benidick and Beatrice don’t fit into this typical mold but are key romantics. The defective Exchange is a conversation which breeches usual rules of conversation (Grice’s Maxims) which are:1.Be truthful 2. Be concise. 3. be clear. 4. be relevant. In Much Ado About Nothing, this is reflected through those who are out of step or disagree with society.Dogberry and his companions of the middle-class are key characters of this. The use of breeching Grice’s Maxims in Much ado about nothing cause the play to become a comedy without substance.Dogberry breaks the maxims by not being relevant as he says â€Å"Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this†Shakespeare’s character Dogberry says â€Å"redemption† instead of â€Å"damnation†, this is a malapropism.The fact that he means precisely the opposite of what he so passionately exclaims makes this a comical use of irony.This technique specifically used here potrays this play to be a comedy without substance as this does not at all having any meaning behind it. However Grice Maxims are also broken by Benidick and Beatrice, â€Å"Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher† â€Å"A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours† â€Å"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i’ God’s name; I have done.† â€Å"You always end with a ja de’s trick: I know you of old†. Shakespeare uses Bendick and Beatrices merry war for the audience to percieve the characters true feelings for one another, despite the characters not knowing so creating dramatic comedy. They are breaking the Grice Maxim of be truthful. Shakespeare covers these characters true feelings and mixes between good and bad roles of characters. Therefore this shows Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as Shakespeare explores the geography of human soul. Shakespeare uses comic pairing to create comedy from their dialogue and interaction. Much ado about nothing therefore here is represented as only for entertainment so is a comedy without substance.Dogberry and his companions enter the play at a moment of high drama. â€Å"Come hither, neighbour Seacoal. God hath bless’d you with a good name. To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, butto write and read comes by nature† â€Å"Both which, Master Constable– â€Å"You have. I knew it would be your answer. Well, for yourfavour, sir, why, give God thanks and make no boast of it; andfor your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of such vanity† Dogberry messes h is words throughout all of his lines.He mistakes writing and reading as a sign of vanity which allows the audience to get a glimpse of exactly how Dogberry views the world. To him, being a learned man is a good way to show off how refined you are. He attempts to use a wide range of speech to convince everyone that’s he’s a gentleman, even though he doesn’t really have a grasp of the vocabulary he employs, he is trying to decieve those of upper class. This is purely for laughs and entertainment without any kind of meaning behind it, therefore proving the play is a comedy without substance. However the Beatrice and Benidck are comically paired by Shakespeare to create comedy, however this shows Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as there is a key message behind this pairing.â€Å"Why, then your uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio Have been deceived; for they swore you did† â€Å"Do not you love me?† â€Å"Troth, no; no more than reason. â€Å"Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula.Are much deceiv’d; for they did swear you did†Ã¢â‚¬Å"They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me† Shakespeare potrays Benedick and Beatrice as having a view that everyone aroun d them is deceived about their love for each other, but they’re only fooling themselves.Here Shakespeare expresses that despite Bendick and Beatrices clear intelligence and wit, they themselves are unable to show their true feelings. This shows the play is a comedy with substance. Their clever wit is used to decive eachother, however this produces dramatic irony as the audience know this is not the case.â€Å"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good acontinuer. But keep your way, a God’s name! I have done† â€Å"You always end with a jade’s trick. I know you of old†.Shakespeare uses the two characters language as weapons, but they never seem to be able to end or resolve their fights. Benedick backs out first, this creates a comedy with substance as women in the Victorian times were supposed to be seen and not heard. Shakespeare uses characters so the audience to laughing with and laughing at them.The audience laughs openly at Dogberry and the townsmen whereas they do not laugh outright at the people of the court, except in the case of Beatrice and Benedick and the way they are deceived and deceive themselves which suggests more respect is given for the higher class. This shows it is a comedy with substance as it is shown here the difference in which classes are taken as.Dogberry, a watchman is comical relief for the comedy itself. He is memorable in that he constantly uses malapropisms, or incorrect uses of words, in his dialogue. â€Å"Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter-an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt.† Shakespeare uses malapropism here, instead of sharp he says blunt, this creates dramatic comedy as we are laughing at Dogberrys dialogue mistakes. This is only seen in the lower class characters. Despite Dogberry sussing out Don John he is still considered to be the almost clown of the play.Another low class character is Margret,, in contrast with Dogberry she is not trying to gain higher respect, she has no respect for herself..â€Å"Of what, lady? of speaking honorably?† Whilst talking to Hero while she is having doubts she mentions the word ‘honourable’ this creates dramatic irony sin ce the plot is about to turn into a question of honourbaility due to Margrets actions.This part of the play is purely for entertainment for the build up to the plot so therefore Much Ado about nothing is a comedy without substance. Shakespeare uses the upper class to allow the audience to laugh with them. These characters are better educated and have more wit. Beatrice is one of these characters â€Å"I had rather hear my dog bark0` at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.† This creates dramatic comedy as men usually have that attitude towards love and women. Shakespeare uses Beatrice to portray a dominant,powerful woman who can fight her own battles compared to the steretypical woman role.This is purely just for entertainment to create comedy.However Bendick despite his higher education reads into things too much and is tricked into thinking Beatrice likes him which causes collusion â€Å"Ha! ‘Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.’There’s a double meaning in that. ‘I took no more pains for thosethanks than you took pains to thank me.’ That’s as much as to say, ‘Any pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks.’ If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture† Benedick convinces himself that there’s underlying romantic meaning in Beatrice’s words, even when that’s obviously not the case. Love has the power to make us see what we want in conversation. Exclusion is taking place here as Shakespeare shows even higher classes are fooled and mistaken therefore,substance is clear as it shows there is not much difference between the two classes. Shakespeare uses trickery to make Much Ado about Nothing a comedy. Comedy has a substance here as it shows it does not expose evil just a lack of awareness.Hero tricked by Don Pedro as he is wooing Hero for Claudio.’Tis once, thou lovest,And I will fit thee with the remedy.I know we shall have revelling to-night.I will assume thy part in some disguise and tell fair Hero I am Claudio,And in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heartAnd take her hearing prisoner with the forceAnd strong encounter of my amorous tale†.Don Pedro here manipulates gullible and innocent Hero into falling in love with Claudio. It’s shady that Don Pedro will get Hero to fall in love with his words, thinking they’re Claudio’s words . Claudio and Don Pedro don’t care if they manipulate Hero under falseness,as they’ve only got their eyes on the prize of winning her even if she is deceived into being won by a guy she doesn’t know and has never spoken to. Trickery creates substance as it potrays Shakspeares as evil being seen as a lack of awareness. Beatrice and Bendick are also tricked into loving eachother.Shakespeare creates this for the audience to laugh at their naivety and foolishness despite their typical wit.Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as the message behind this specific plot is anyone can be decieved and fooled since the wittiest and intelligent of characters get fooled. Don Pedro expresses this.â€Å"Benedick that, in despite of his quick wit and his queasy stomach, he shall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this,Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are†Don Pedro and Claudio create deception, but rather than tricking him into loving Beatrice, they are manipulating Benedick into making his own decision. Don Pedro also refers to them as being cupid despite lies and deciet taking place. This play is a comedy with substance as Shakespeare shows even the higher archery of society lie and deciet. Shakespeare critises marriage during the play through using the characters, yet the plot finishes its destination at the moment of resoultion where all is solved by marriage. This shows Much Ado about nothing is a play made purely for entertainment purposes with no substance.

Individualism as an American Culture Essay

Question: How do the examples involving the child who has fallen, the way food is served and eaten, and the newspaper route provide the author with significant insights into American cultural value? Do you agree with her interpretations? Poranee like many other immigrants are faced with various changes/challenges when they leave their homeland to start a new life in another country. Some of these changes are obvious, while others are not so blatant. Poranee first realized these changes with the simple question â€Å"how are you?† While somethings are consider normal and acceptable in one country, it may be consider rude or inappropriate in another. Poranee was raised in culture that emphasis service and togetherness, which is why she felt comfortable enough to help the fallen child. Without being told, she wouldn’t have known that letting the child get up himself will teach him to be independent from an early age. Just like the fallen child, eating off someone else plate or reaching across the table isn’t consider inappropriate since the Thais focuses more on forming a community than individualism. The American way of eating is consider inappropriate to the Thais because it is seen as selfish and inconsiderate to have so much food on your plate. I agree with the author on her interpretation of the examples except for the example about the newspaper route. I don’t think that the couple who own the BMW’s were materialistic because they were well off but still made their children work. I think that by making their son sell newspapers and their daughter babysit, they were teaching them the value of hard work Working teaches them that just because their parents have money, doesn’t mean they can sit around and do nothing.

A Worn Path Short Story Research Paper Essay Example for Free

A Worn Path Short Story Research Paper Essay ? Many obstacles can be taken when one desired the most is at risk. Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who has the right intentions, but meets many conflicts on the way. In the short story, â€Å"A Worn Path†, Eudora Welty predicts that one never knows where a path will end up leading them through conflict and symbolism. Phoenix Jackson warns that one never knows where a path will end up leading to. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, Phoenix Jackson goes through many obstacles on the path to find medicine for her â€Å"grandson† (Welty). Phoenix is on a mission to retrieve treatment for her grandson. She is willing to face anything that gets in the way of her path leading to her destination. As Phoenix faces her journey she will reach conflicts beyond the way. While on the path to complete her mission phoenix stumbles upon many conflicts. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, Phoenix comes encounter with intimidation of a â€Å"young hunter† in the woods (Heller). The hunter tests the old lady of weakness as he boasts of himself throughout the scavenged woods. Although the hunter has a gun with any possible chance to use it on Phoenix, she resembles courage upon the conflict for going about her business and continuing about her quest. In the short story â€Å"a Worn Path†, old woman Phoenix struggled up a hill â€Å"extricate[ed] herself from a thorn bush†, and crossed a log over a creek (Piwinski). As the woman struggles to get out of the bush she chooses to not give up and continue forward her path. The woods may have brought conflict and obstacles to Phoenix, but that won’t stop her from reaching the end of her journey. A Worn Path Short Story Research Paper. (2018, Oct 26).

The Epic Of Gilgamesh as Translated by Andrew George Essay

The Epic Of Gilgamesh as Translated by Andrew George - Essay Example ace in the world’s literature, wrote Nancy Sandars (1972), not only because it precedes the Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but also because of the quality and character of the story that they tell - a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. (p. 7) According to Kenneth Rexroth (1986), the Epic of Gilgamesh is a highly developed fictional narrative, stressing that: It is not a myth. Even to call it an epic requires a stretching of the definition. It is more like a novel of modern, individualistic hero than it is like Homer’s Iliad. It is spiritual adventure, a story of self-realization, the discovery of meaning of the personality, of a type that would never change down the four-thousand-year-long history of human imagination†¦ It is modern because it is like a dream of a modern man. (1) This paper will examine this highly significant work and determine how it reflects the society in which it was created and in how it reveals the economic, political, cultural, religious and social structures that defined the Mesopotamian society. There are several variations to the Epic of Gilgamesh particularly in the literature of the Hittite, Hurrian, Canaanite, Sumerian and Assyrian. One could even find a hint of Gilgamesh’s repute in the Islamic Koran. The most complete chronicle of the epic was found in Assurbanipal’s library, formed just before the destruction of Nineveh in the seventh century B.C. The story is divided into several chapters or episodes: a meeting of friends, then the forest journey, the flouting of a fickle goddess, the death of Enkidu and the quest for an ancient wisdom and immortality. These episodes demonstrate a single theme that reflects the permeation of pessimism in the Mesopotamian thought, which, according to Sandars, lay partly in the precariousness of life in the city-states. (p. 22) The city-states which are dependent on the vagaries of flood and drought as well as turbulent neighbors; then on

Company Review Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Company Review - Case Study Example Change management process content is drawn from sociology, psychology, business administration, systems engineering, economics, industrial engineering and study of human and organisational behaviour. The changing process is called "unfreezing, changing and defreezing" based on http://home.att.net/nickols/change.htm Oticon has employed models like 'Problem solving and problem finding' depending on the principle that change management, always mirrors the managing mindset and in this case, it was the mindset of only one person, Kolind. He has drawn from all skills, including political, analytical, people, business and system skills. There are four basic Change Management strategies (given below) regularly employed in a situation like Oticon, and it shows the capability of Kolind that he could use all of them with complete success: 4. Environmental - adaptive and this reiterates that people are environmentally adaptive to new situations, however distasteful they might look at first glance, people would go to a great extent to adapt themselves to new situations, which brings us to memories of evolution theory, where Darwin said adaptation to new situation is the key of human existence on earth and it all goes to prove the immense adaptation power inherent in humans. Kolind adapted Professor Albert Mehrabian's Communication Model that argues for face-to-face conversation. According to this Model, there is no better way of getting substantial change introduced into a company other than actually talking and discussing, valuing, assessing the situation with the employees and superiors or managers. Kolind has reduced all paper work, introduced stand coffee bars where staff could any time assemble and discuss matters and on the whole, encouraged discussions and more discussions in Oticon. Looking at the results, it is definite that this model has paid off by creating immense profit, 100% turnover and as many as fifteen discoveries and innovations. Another model that has inspired the revolution in Oticon is Ken Blanchard's Gung Ho model. Gung Ho mainly talks about inspiring and motivating employees at all levels and taking them with the fast evolving organisation. Kolind had not left a single employee behind. He has cajoled them, lulled, encouraged and even threatened them to fall into line with him in broadening the horizons of the company and obviously he had been

Ethylene Oxide is a Carcinogen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ethylene Oxide is a Carcinogen - Essay Example 4.2 Technical Adequacy Analysis 15-16 4.3 Data Collection Process 16 4.4 Research Design 16-17 5. Conclusion 17 7. References 18-20 Introduction: Ethylene oxide is a sterilant gas, an important industrial chemical.(14) It is used as an intermediate in the production of ethylene oxide and is toxic, when inhaled. There are reports of large health implications including respiratory disorders, dizziness, headache, and increase in exposure may also lead to convulsions, seizure and coma. It is rapidly taken up via lungs and can also be absorbed through the skin from the gas phase or from the aqueous solutions and is uniformly distributed in to the body as it is soluble in blood. Based on studies in occupationally exposed populations, ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic via inhalation route of exposure. Ethylene oxide causes leukemia, lymphoma, brain, hematopoietic and breast cancer. It is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.(14) Extensive research have been done to determine the toxicity of ethylene oxide through epidemiological studies, by exposing a cohort group of animals to ethylene oxide or on group of workers who have been...Ethylene oxide causes leukemia, lymphoma, brain, hematopoietic and breast cancer. It is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.(14) Extensive research have been done to determine the toxicity of ethylene oxide through epidemiological studies, by exposing a cohort group of animals to ethylene oxide or on group of workers who have been working in environment containing ethylene oxide.(REF) This gas releases in to the atmosphere while handing, storage and transportation. The present contribution discusses the health hazards of EtO in humans and environment. The physical and the chemical properties are also discussed. The potential exposures of this toxic gas in the environment (air, earth and water) and the occupational exposure and the routes of exposure (inhalation, skin and eye exposure and ingestion) are also discussed. The research methodologies pertaining to the occurrence of EtO is also described. Ethylene Oxide (C2H4O, EtO) is used as a sterilant in the pharmaceuticals and food industry(4). It is used as a sterilant since its biocidal, both bactericidal and fungicidal.

The growth of anti-capitalism in the world Research Paper

The growth of anti-capitalism in the world - Research Paper Example nti-capitalism are differentiated in countries worldwide, as explained below, it is necessary for the relevant plans to be appropriately aligned with the local culture and rules. 2. Anti-capitalism in the international community 2.1 The context of anti-capitalism Anti-capitalism is a movement trying to confront the development of capitalism, as the specific concept was described by theorists and economists worldwide. In this way, in order to identify the elements of anti-capitalism, it would be necessary to understand the characteristics and the role of capitalism. In accordance with Fabra (1993) capitalism can be defined as ‘the system enabling man to regain the full value of the product of his labor’ (Fabra 1993, 139); the above explanation is based on the terms that capital is considered as ‘the accumulated product of labor’ (Fabra 1993, 140). As explained above, capitalism leads to a series of practices for accumulating the wealth – the one spent for acquiring the product. However, the practical implications of this process are many. For this reason, capitalism has been negatively criticized, as of its involvement in the development of social inequalities. This fact is made clear in the theory of Marx, who supported that as capitalism grows, the purchasing power of laborers is reduced (Fabra 1993, 23); the increase of unemployment is, in accordance with Marx, another implication of capitalism which, in any case, is considered as quite difficult to be controlled. Currently, it seems that the above efforts towards the limitation of capitalism have been fully justified. The high increase of the power of multinational corporations has led to their independency towards the governments; in this way, the rules of trade internationally have been negatively...Anti-capitalism is a movement trying to confront the development of capitalism, as the specific concept was described by theorists and economists worldwide. In this way, in orde r to identify the elements of anti-capitalism, it would be necessary to understand the characteristics and the role of capitalism. In accordance with Fabra (1993) capitalism can be defined as ‘the system enabling man to regain the full value of the product of his labor’ (Fabra 1993, 139); the above explanation is based on the terms that capital is considered as ‘the accumulated product of labor’ (Fabra 1993, 140). As explained above, capitalism leads to a series of practices for accumulating the wealth – the one spent for acquiring the product. However, the practical implications of this process are many. For this reason, capitalism has been negatively criticized, as of its involvement in the development of social inequalities. This fact is made clear in the theory of Marx, who supported that as capitalism grows, the purchasing power of laborers is reduced (Fabra 1993, 23); the increase of unemployment is, in accordance with Marx, another implication of capitalism which, in any case, is considered as quite difficult to be controlled. Currently, it seems that the above efforts towards the limitation of capitalism have been fully justified. The high increase of the power of multinational corporations has led to their independency towards the governments; in this way, the rules of trade internationally have been negatively affected and competition, inevitably, has been harmed.

Training and Development in Small Businesses Research Paper - 1

Training and Development in Small Businesses - Research Paper Example The entrepreneur should know the all the key sections within the technology supply chain. After understanding this, the entrepreneur should determine the appropriate equipment or services to expand the energy business. As an entrepreneur, you should determine the following Product and service; do you aim at providing products only, services related to your products or both? What will be the uses of the products and services you will provide? Will you provide a wider range of products or related services that will enable the sustainability of your business? For instance, providing repair and maintenance services, supplying complimentary products, providing training for use and maintenance of your products and giving credits to your consumers. It is also important to establish a good and working supply chain (Sahlin A). As an entrepreneur you should know how and where to obtain products and provide them to your consumers. For the company to flourish well in the competitive market there is need to understand the markets. The company should identify potential segments that will provide a ready market for the products. The company must understand the ability of consumers to pay for the services and products (Sahlin A). The company needs to have a better understanding of the end user of their products, the levels of spending on energy needs of the product in the target market and the socio-economic strata of the society. Human labor is so important in any enterprise, each and every employee should be treated in the best way possible, and employees should undergo a comprehensive orientation program to familiarize them with the new trends in the markets. Orientation will ensure that new employees familiarize themselves with the structure of the business and will help them cooperate with the existing staff members (Goldstein, 1989). It is important and efficient for employees to receive information concerning the company’s

Discuss the influence of historical designers on current contemporary Assignment

Discuss the influence of historical designers on current contemporary interior design - Assignment Example The more interior designers became recognized as professionals, they began to rely on history and its concepts to create great results. This was seen in the decorating of some of the historic London mansions. History began to reflect in the designs as a way of preserving the past but yet looking toward the future. The Ancient Romans brought an influence of interiors when they demanded comfort, luxury and wealth. These are the basic elements that influence designers all over the world today. Tapestries, stonework, and lavish decorations remain popular today in other parts of the world as well as London. The ancient Romans loved quality textiles and expensive fabrics. The earliest designers emerged from the Roman Empire, however, were not given the label professional designers during that historical period. After Rome’s’ collapse, the church assumed power and many of the most creative designers were discouraged from change. Many lavish interiors were changed to quiet and simple oak panels with dark lines and more defined edges. This influence was seen all over Europe – from London to Italy. The Renaissance period emerged with many professional French inspired designers. Just as the Renaissance period brought many modern artists to the forefront, so did the profession of interior design. ... The actual profession of Interior Designers did not become known until later when it emerged from its domestic connections through education, standard setting, codes of conduct and granting of degrees. Trade and professional organizations began to form, which brought related publications such as textbooks and trade journals. Some of the earlier influences began with simple forms and visible construction as seen in many of the designs. They emphasized the quality of construction of the materials. The British influences started with floral or fauna prints and used the domestic scenes of the British countryside. Much of this is seen in the earlier wallpapers. Some earlier designers had workshops in rural areas, and used older quality workmanship techniques. The Gothic Period was a definite influence in the 1800s with the use of bold colors and bold forms. The Gothic Revival claimed a belief in the â€Å"moral purpose of art.† As a part of the Gothic Revival, designers remained tr ue to material, structure, and function of their designs. The style known as the Arts and Crafts came about partly as a reaction against the style of many items shown in the Great Exhibition of 1851. These items were very ornate, artificial, and ignored the quality of the materials used. The art historian Nikolaus Pevsner said that this exhibition showed â€Å"ignorance of the basic need in creating patterns, the integrity of the surface,† and â€Å"vulgarity in detail.† This exhibition brought about design reform from the organizers of the exhibition itself. Some of the organizers were Henry Cole, Owen Jones, Matthew Digby Wyatt and Richard Redgrave. They began to set standards for designs in order to preserve the workmanship

Optimizing the condition of the PCR detecting of PTEN gene in DNA Research Paper - 1

Optimizing the condition of the PCR detecting of PTEN gene in DNA derived from human cell lines, associated with ageing and senescence - Research Paper Example Traditional PCR is used for amplifying DNA for sequencing, genotyping and cloning. However, this has a number of shortcomings namely; poor precision, low sensitivity, short, dynamic range of less than 2 logs, low resolution, is non-automated, based on discriminatory size only, results cannot be expressed as numbers, the staining agent ethdium bromide is not efficient at quantification and finally, post-PCR processing is required. This paper looks at the analysis of PTEN using traditional PCR method. The process was not successful despite the necessary steps being undertaken. PTEN primer, when used on a Hacat cell line, showed annealing at approximately 62 degrees. However, the use of PTEN with similar parameters that were later altered for optimization yielded no results. The methodology has been discussed, and the gel results showing synthesized images have been included in this report. The discussion that covers the PCR process and its effectiveness has also been included. The fidelity of the PCR process has been discussed to extrapolate on the possible reasons for the failure of this analysis. Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog gene commonly referred to as PTEN gene provides the necessary instructions for the synthesis of a protein that is present in almost all body tissues (Sulis, 2003). The protein is significant in its function as a tumor suppressor and aids in the regulation of cell division by inhibiting cells from diving and growing too fast or uncontrollably. PTEN is a phosphotase which modifies other fats and proteins through the removal of phosphate groups comprising of one phosphorus atom and three oxygen atoms (Cohen 1990). There are a number of medical conditions that are linked to PTEN gene mutation including : Cowden Syndrome and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome(Weary et al, 1972; Cohen 1990) which are often termed together as the PTEN hematoma tumor syndrome. The gene mutations that are responsible for these conditions are found in body

Development Plan Reflection Essay Example for Free

Development Plan Reflection Essay Whilst reading various sources on the importance of reflecting after an experience I came across some wise words, that of Aitchison and Graham cited in Stoobants et al (2007:30) that say, â€Å"We do not learn from experience. Experience has to be arrested, examined, analysed, considered and negotiated in order to shift it to knowledge†. With these words in mind I began to see why it is important to reflect on my first MBA assignment. I see the MBA course as a learning journey, it is through reflecting on my past experiences that I will easily identify my strengths and weaknesses and thus easily identify areas that I should concentrate on developing during my MBA journey. In this assignment you will read about an experience that happened during the early stages of my career as a manager. I will analyse and discuss how this experience has led to where I am today and how it has affected my plans going forward in both my personal and working life. This was in year 2010. I was asked to act in the role of Management Accountant as my manager at that time resigned. I was then already hungry for more challenges and so I gladly accepted without hesitation as I was determined to prove that I am ready for it. Later that day it suddenly dawned on me that it was going to be challenging with the many vacancies in the team (Refer to Appendix 1 for the team structure). With this challenge in mind, I rearranged the team in order for it to work better. We embarked n the annual budget process later that year which did not go well as we did not complete the budget presentation within the stipulated timelines, did not get to analyse the critic all the numbers thoroughly and as a result the region was not ready for presenting the annual budget on time to Head Office. Post the experience below are the key things that I took out of that experience that I thought would enable me to manage teams better going forward: * Ensure that adequate training on the system is provided and requesting the business to provide more IT support people even outside of business hours during the budget process. Learn to lead and delegate and know that I cannot juggle my role and others as I can only achieve so such myself as I was doing most of the work that needed to be done by the Financial Planner: Benrose. * Seek advice from manager and not be afraid to ask for coaching. * Plan better around the timelines to take into account inexperience of some of my team members e. g. Plan a trial run presentation * Be more assertive as I realised that as a manager I could have negotiating additional resources since our headcount was lean so as not to compromise our deliverables. After having been through my first workshop at Henley, I liked Belbin (1981)’s team role model that was presented and in his book where he goes on to look at why management teams succeed or fail which I ironically discovered lying in my parents study and till now never bothered to even look at. He identifies 9 team roles in 3 categories. The action orientated people (Shapers, Implementers and Complete finishers). The thought orientated people (Co-ordinators, Teamworkers and Resource investigators). The last group are the people orientated (Specialists, Monitor evaluators (MEs) and plants). Had I applied his model to understand my team dynamics prior to starting the budget process, I would have seen that I had gaps in key roles that prevented us from completing the task on time. Please note the below roles assigned to my team members are just based on my own perception based on how I know them not based on the questionnaire that is normally completed. AFP – Implementer and Resource Investigator (She was the organiser for the team and was good at providing new knowledge or something new discovered whilst working on the new system and she would share it with the rest of the team) * FP Midrand – Plant and Resource Investigator (He was creative and generally looked at issues, he was cheerful and enthusiastic individual but was easily distracted and would want to start looking at new things without completing a task) * Me – Specialist and Monitor Evaluator. These were my top 2 roles from the results of the questionnaire I completed for my first workshop at Henley. I was a specialist in the team because I had more knowledge of the business and finance than my team. In retrospect, I would have been able to easily match the correct people with the rights tasks. I also could have put plans in place to ensure the following: * I had no shaper in the team. Belbin describes a shaper as generally someone able to drive a team and give direction – not having this I think contributed to us missing the deadline. So in requesting additional resources (e. . a temp person the business would have allowed) I could have ensured that I selected someone who is a shaper or developed more of shaper qualities in myself. * As we did not get to critically analyse the numbers prior our submission, if we had someone strong on being a completer finisher in the group chances of us submitting quality information would have been high as this role is effectively used at the end of a task, to â€Å"polish† and scrutinise the work for errors. I would definitely use this to my advantage going forward in my team tasks going forward.

Nike Promotions Essay Example for Free

Nike Promotions Essay After looking at Nike’s marketing strategy with respect to product, price, place and promotion, the outstanding success of the brand name calls for more attention to Nike’s promotional strategies. Nike’s promotions and advertisements have been deemed the best in the retail industry. The â€Å"Just Do It† slogan is supposedly one of the most famous and easily recognized slogans in advertising history. It would be safe to claim that brand management is easily one of Nike’s core capabilities. With the company’s advertising budget today reaching $2.4 billion, it is worth looking into Nike’s advertising strategies and how these strategies helped strengthen the brand image. 1980-1988: Early Advertising Before television advertisements, Nike released several successful print ads. One of its earliest print ad campaigns was the â€Å"There is no finish line† campaign by John Brown and Partners. The posters were an instant hit, since, it did not focus on the running shoe product, but instead on the person wearing the shoes. At this early stage, Nike saw the lucrative value in sports sponsorships. The company began sponsoring track and field athletes like Carl Lewis. With lucky breaks, Nike signed some bigger names in the athletic world like Wayne Gretzy and, probably the most important sponsorship signing in Nike history, Michael Jordan. 1988: The JUST DO IT Campaign This campaign was probably Nike’s most known and successful. In 1988, Nike worked with ad agency Wieden and Kennedy to create the slogan Just Do It. The company used this campaign to cash in on the jogging/fitness craze of the 80s. Top competitor Reebok was sweeping the aerobics race so Nike responded with Just Do It ads that practically shamed people into exercising, and more importantly, to exercise in Nikes. The Just Do It ads truly embodied the philosophy of grit, determination and passion to encourage consumers to embrace the culture of fitness rather than focus on the product. The Just Do It campaigns were also successful because of their celebrity features including Bo Jackson, John McEnroe, and Michael Jordan. These famous athletes reassured the quality of the Nike product and gave Nike a â€Å"hip† brand image. These ads were basically turning sweaty, pain-ridden exercise into something sexy and exciting. And lastly, the Just Do It ads were usually humorous, thus connecting to consumers on a level that made them comfortable and feeling positive about the brand. 2000-2005 Using its cooperations with various ad agencies, Nike released several popular and well-received TV commercials. In fact, the company received two Emmy awards for best commercial twice. The first was for â€Å"The Morning After,† which featured a runner on his morning jog on January 1, 2000, facing the chaos of the Y2K predictions. The commercial really connected to consumer emotions, as speculations of the new millennium were the conversation buzz around that time. The second Emmy was for a Nike commercial called â€Å"Move† that featured many famous and regular athletes performing a serious of athletic pursuits in a creative â€Å"pass it on† way. Starting in 2005, Nike released another successful ad campaign that were targeted at athletic woman. The ad focused on women’s Thunder Thighs and Big Butts, encouraging them to embrace their athletic body parts and shapes. This was yet another successful way Nike connected to the consumer on a personal level, as we all know that women tend to care about their self images. 2005 to Present Having built up an empire of a brand, Nike continued to focus on celebrity endorsements. Nike took famous athletes in a variety of sports to feature them in ads. LeBron James from basketball, Tom Brady from football, Ronaldhino from soccer, Roger Federer from tennis and Tiger Woods from golf, just to name a few. Using the A-list, top-notch names in the athletic world really helped tip Nike over into the â€Å"elite† brand division. At this point, Nike is reaching its peak in sales and in brand image. Having reached this peak, Nike is now changing up the promotion game and branching out to the digital world. With a 40% decrease in print and TV advertising, Nike is now trying to stray away from superstars. Now that Nike as perfected the art of branding, it is moving on to a world where consumers want to be told less. In 2010, Nike launched its new marketing division called Nike Digital Sport. This digital focus on sports conceived the Nike+ platform, which is a marriage of Apple and Nike technologies that allows people to track their athletic performance. It is also a platform that allows Nike to virtually have personal conversations with its consumers and, subtly study its consumer’s behavioural patterns. Overall, it seems like Nike is always in tune with consumer preferences and addresses them through strategic and well-executed advertising tactics. It is no surprise that the Nike brand is one of the most well recognized in the world.

Analysis of Sports Bar Businesses in India for Opportunities

Analysis of Sports Bar Businesses in India for Opportunities Sports Bar Business in India from a Cultural and Branding Perspective INTRODUCTION Post liberalization the Indian economy has grown exponentially. The fall out of this is the increase in disposable income of the consumers, emergence of credit card culture and the decreasing size of households. The change in the economic status is the catalyst to the change in the social and cultural trends that have caused the change in the way a consumer views everyday food and beverages. The consumer today has very different preferences. Consumers today are more aware about different things in the world due to extensive travel and foreign media. These are some of the social and economic reasons behind the consumer moving towards fine dining, imported spirits and wine as opposed to conventional beverages. Due to this paradigm shift coffee shops, restaurants, fast food joints and bars have become successful. India is relatively new to the concept of a bar. In India bars are located mostly in the metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc. Sports bars in particular are very new to our country and are growing at a very rapid rate. The advent of IPL and the increase in craze for club football and F1 has only boosted its prospects. LITERATURE REVIEW The Indian economy is booming and the living standards and the lifestyles in the urban areas are fast changing. Entertainment as an industry is growing exponentially over the past decade. From the turn of the 21st century more and more avenues of entertainment have opened up in our country. Eating out as a form of entertainment has been catching up over the last decade. More and more families are going out for dinner or lunch on a regular basis and this is a form of entertainment for them. Changing Indian Economy Consumer Preferences: As of 2007 the median age of India is 24. Due to the abundant job opportunities and the surge in the economy the amount spent by a consumer on alcohol has increased significantly. The number of women working has increased by a large percentage and due to this the double income households have more disposable income. They can afford give their children more pocket money and they are spending a far greater amount socializing in restaurants and bars. The expenditure of consumers on alcohol drinks has increased by 650% from 1995-2007. (Consumer Lifestyles india, 2008) The rise in income is leading to overall growth in consumption by an average Indian. Eating out on a regular basis has now come to become a cool habit. Eating outside is becoming more and more popular. According to a research conducted by Federation Of Hotel and restaurant Association of India (www.fhari.com 2005) there are 10 million households in India with an average income of Rs 46,000/month and 2 million households with average income of 115,000/month. Due to the change in their economic strata, eating out has become a trend within these elite groups. There are 100 million 17-21 year old in India, and six out of 10 households have a child that was born in the post liberalization and has been brought up with no guilt of consumption. It is estimated that as of 2005 there are 5,00,000 restaurants in the organised sector and this will only increase in the future. According to a survey conducted by The Economic Times, 1.7 percent of Indians dine out more than once a week, 2.5 percent do so once a week and around 2.1 percent dine outside once a fortnight. About 5.5 percent eat out of home once a month on an average and 5.4 percent eat out once every 2-3 months. Around 8 percent say eating out is relegated only to festivals. For 69.6 percent eating out is a rather rare occasion. (Ref: The Economic Times, 21 May,2005). The consumers in the urban areas are more aware of the international brands due to their exposure from offshore travel and media and do not hesitate to pay for premium goods. According to National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) there are five classes of consumer households and the greatest growth is in the upper strata. Upper strata are defined as households with income in excess of Rs 215,000. More than 80% of the top earning households in India are located in the top seven cities of our country. Due to this most of the disposable income in the country is located in these areas. This is the reason behind the growth rate of restaurants, coffee shops, fast food joints and bars in these cities. Another major factor influencing the growth in the food and beverage industry in India is the fact that more than 70% of the countrys population is under the age of 40. This explains the rise of expenditure on leisure products and entertainment. (Sarin, 2005) Indian Theme Restaurants: However, eating out as a concept is also fast changing. People want to break away from the monotony of eating in the same food joints and are looking for more experiential and new avenues to hang out and spend time with their family and friends. Themed restaurants and bars are the flavour of the season. More and more themed bars and restaurants are mushrooming in various metros like across India. A number of theme restaurants have been successful in India. Some of the successful and well know theme restaurants are Mercurries in Delhi Theme, Solar system Orient Express at the Taj Palace New Delhi Theme, Railway carriage of yore Village in Mumbai Theme, Indian village Gufaa Ohris in Hyderabad Theme, Dungeon etc. Serengeti Ohris in Hyderabad Theme, Jungle (Roy, 2008) Each of these theme based restaurants has been successful as the people are looking for a lot more than just eating at the food joints. The time they spend at the restaurant is made more enjoyable interactive and memorable because of the different concepts of these restaurants. This theme based format has been inspired from the success stories of the west. Indian Theme Bars/Sports Bars: Another popular retail format which is just picking up in the Indian market is the bars. Bars in India have mostly mushroomed around metros and other urban areas. There are very few bars in other parts of the country. Traditionally consumers bought the liquor at wine shops and consumed them at home. However, now with the advent of Restaurant/Bars, Bars and clubs, the consumption habits are changing. Bars in India are of various types. Some are social bars where people get together to socialise drink, eat and have fun. Some of these bars are theme based like the Hard Rock Cafe and TGIF. Then there are the shady bars where only men go. Bars with a big enough dance floor are termed as nightclubs. Sports bars are another kind of bars which have just made their way into the Indian market. Sports bars are bars where sports fans find an authentic sporting ambience with large LCD screens for watching live feeds of important international matches, pool tables, basketball courts and video games. Today there are close to 30 sports bars in India across various metros. The biggest player in the Indian market currently is Future Groups subsidiary Galaxy Entertainment Corporation Ltd. It has two brands under it, â€Å"The Sports Bar† and â€Å"Sports Express.† Sports Express offers a wide variety of entertainment activities ranging from Television Programmes, Cricket, Soccer, Pool, Basket-Ball area, Darts and certain places also have a Cricket Pitch. They also serve various Indian and imported brands of liquor along with pan Indian cuisine. It has seven outlets in various cities and another four outlets in the pipeline. â€Å"The Sports Bar† another brand of Galaxy Entertainment Corporation Ltd is located in Mumbai. It is a complete sports bar complimented with an unrivalled ambience. It has a giant screen, multiple LCD TVs, basketball court, pool tables, punching bags and dart boards. It is a favourite destination for many professionals who just wish to unwind after a hard days work. Xtreme Sports Bar is another chain of sports bars; it has seven outlets across Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon. They also have similar offerings as the other sports bars. However, they are looking to expand further and are looking for suitable people to take up the franchise. Other popular sports bars in India are, Champions, Delhi Starstruck, Kolkata Super stars, Kolkata (Roy, 2008) Other theme bars in India are, Hard Rock Cafe one of the biggest retail brands in the world has opened its shops in various locations like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. TGIF (Thank God Its Friday) is another example of an international retail format opening up in India and doing well. 21 Fahrenheit Condom bar Chandigarh There are a number of factors due to which these theme based bars and restaurants are successful. One important factor which is attractive to people to come to these places is the authenticity they have in decor and food. All these theme based food retail outlets are true to their name and provide a unique experience in line with their theme. The moment you step into these places you are transformed to a fantasy world and the food they serve is very authentic and apt to their name. Even in the case of sports the whole ambience created in the place is so electrifying during any international sporting event. The decor and the buzz in a sports bar are beyond words. With the flags hung in every corner of the place and the giant screen to watch the watch on with a drink in your hand is an experience a lot of the consumers have come to love. Some have argued that the concept of having theme bars and restaurants are just a fad, but it has been proved otherwise. Knowledge Gap Most of the academic articles that I came across were written in the global perspective. There is little literature or data available about bars in the Indian context. In particular when it comes to Sports Bars in India the only information available is about some of the sports bars in India in brief and about the themed restaurants in India. There is no clear information available about the consumer profile of the people who frequent the Sports Bars in India. Also, there is no information available about the consumption pattern of Sports Bar as entertainment/leisure in the Indian context. The articles I have found have no information what so ever on the branding opportunities Sports Bars have. The Socio-Cultural changes that have impacted the average consumers outlook towards a bar are also an important factor that is missing in the literature available. The reasons behind the bar being perceived as a socially acceptable and sophisticated socializing place today is also not covered in the information Available. Problem Definition Research problem To study the sports bar business in India and identify the opportunities these bars have as a business in India. Also to understand the changing customer behaviour towards sports bars. Research Objectives To study the evolution of sports bars in India and understand their system of operation To study the growth of sports bars in India and also understand the consumer behaviour related to sports bars RESEARCH DESIGN Exploratory research in 3 areas: Study the evolution of the sports bars in India Attitude of consumers towards sports bars Patterns and reason for visiting sports bars RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data Collection Method: PHASE I: Secondary Research Studying the different retail formats of bars in India and their evolution by gathering information from different articles and journals published both globally and locally. PHASE II: Primary Research Primary research involved mostly qualitative research. 1. 5-6 In-depth interviews with industry stake holders like bar owners and bar managers; Ravi K Malpuri owner Hall Of Fame Sports Bar, jubilee hills, Hyderabad Eddie Richards manager Hall of Fame Sports Bar, jubilee hills, Hyderabad Arjun Yelluri owner of Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Santosh Nath bar manager, Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Pramod Reddy owner Live Sports Bar, Nubilee Hills, Hyderabad 2. In-depth interviews with consumers (10-15) 3 Male (21-30 age group), 3 Male (31-45 age group) 3 Female (21-30 age group), 3 Female (31-45 age group) The findings of these interviews will be used to generate a questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire is to validate the findings from the In-Depth interviews. 3. Type of research: Qualitative/Quantitative Number of respondents 150 Age group 21-45 Questionnaire administered to consumers and non consumers of bars/sports bars. The In-depth interviews with the industry stake holders will give me a better idea about the target audience and their profiles. The questionnaire was designed from the inputs gathered after the In-depth interviews with industry stake holders and consumers. The questionnaire was administered online due to the absence of bars in the state of Gujarat. The questionnaire is attached in the appendix. The information and data collected through the In-depth Interviews and Questionnaire would be analyzed to come up with research findings for the Sports Bar Industry. Sampling Universe: Anybody living in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, within the age group of 21-45. The person could either have visited or not visited sports bars. Sampling Technique: Random Sampling SCOPE: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore Evolution of Sports Bars Introduction Bars have been around in India for decades. Mostly they were dance bars and some bar upscale bars in the metros. Since the beginning of the 21st century more and more upscale bars and theme bars have been proliferating in India starting with the major metros like Delhi and Mumbai to now cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon etc. As the income levels of an average Indian in the cities is increasing, they are looking for different avenues to spend their leisure time and hang out with friends and colleagues. Western Influence The Indian businessmen have always looked to the west for success stories to start their endeavours in India. The bars/restaurants is an example of that. Serving alcohol in a restaurant was a thing of the star hotels only initially. Today hundreds of restaurants have a bar and serve a variety of foreign/Indian liquor and a wide range of cocktails and mocktails. Then came the concept of having gaming areas like pool and bowling. This business model did not take off in India as the Indian government did not give permission to this kind of gaming zones to serve liquor and they retired to becoming just gaming zones and entertained youth and families. After this during the late 90s and early 2000s theme restaurants started opening in India. These restaurants charged a premium for the experience they provide to their customers. The decoration in these restaurants was exquisite. Places like the Oriental Express and The Village restaurant are examples of this. Evolving Indian Market Consumer The Indian customer is ever evolving and adapts to the western trends very easily. The cumulative impact of increasing disposable income, foreign exposure and western media has changed the requirements and consumption habits of young Indians. Hanging out in bars has become a casual thing and a way to unwind for us. Thanks to these upscale bars and clubs, it is not a taboo anymore to go and have a drink in a bar in India. As the consumption of bars has increased also came in a number of clubs starting in major cities like Mumbai Delhi and Bangalore. Initially only hotels had in-house clubs, but over the years a lot of independent clubs have emerged. Sports Bars are popular hang outs in Europe and America. The first ever sports bar was opened way back in 1894. â€Å"Nuf Ced† McGreevy opened his â€Å"3rd Base Saloon† in Boston. The number of local tournaments that happen in these countries is much larger. Due to this a large number of local fans flock to these sports bar to form a community of sorts to support their teams. Apart from these general sports bars there are a large number of bars which promote and support a particular sports club. Most of these bars are in collaboration with the sporting club itself. The telecast all live matches of the club, sell merchandize and have fan interactions at a regular basis at these bars. There was little or no real differentiating factor between bars in India. The need to differentiate gave way to different theme bars and restaurants across India. The first sports bar in India was opened in Goa. It was the perfect place to open the first sports bar as it has a rich culture of football and has a number of spectacular local football clubs like Salgaocar, Dempo, Churchill Brothers, Vasco Sports Club. The fans here have been known to travel to different venues to support their teams. Today there are a number of clubs and bars in all major cities in India. Due to this there is not much differentiation between these places. Sports Bars have always been very popular in the western countries where it has become a culture of a sort where friends go to a particular sports bar to watch every local teams match. This popular successful and well tested format of bar was introduced in India only a few years back. Today there are more than 40 sports bars in India. Impact OF IPL The recent surge in the number of sports bars in India can be attributed to the success of IPL (Indian Premier League). Cricket has always been like a religion in India. The only problem was it was not short like a football match. Now with the advent of 20-20 cricket it has become easier for the audience to consume this sport. Due to the fast nature of this format of cricket IPL has become a huge success and this has helped sports bars in India flourish in leaps and bounds. As most of the major cities have their own IPL teams it has increased the local audiences involvement in the sport. This has been the major factor which has influenced the proliferation of sports bars in the recent years across cities in India. Sports bars are filled to capacity on a match day. The most popular sports in Indian sports bars apart from cricket are football and F1. Some sports bars have tie-ups with local sporting teams and sell their merchandize and promote those teams. Branding Opportunity For example, Xtreme sports bar in Hyderabad has a tie-up with Deccan Chargers which is the cities cricket team in the IPL. They have different offers and promotional events during the IPL season and in particular during a Deccan Chargers match. Deccan chargers in turn use this bar as a platform to promote and interact with the local fans. The team players make appearances during the IPL season and interact with the fans, also, they have other promotional activities like having the official team cheerleaders come and perform at the bar. Recently Manchester United Food Beverage (Asia) Pte Ltd and Billionaire Sports Pvt Ltd in collaboration have announced that they will open the first ever offshore club sports bar in India in the city of Delhi. The first ever Manchester United Restaurant and Bar will set the precedence for other clubs to setup their sports in the country where the love and fan following for English Football is rapidly increasing. Local clubs like the Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals have announced their intentions to launch their own sports bar to promote their clubs and entertain their loyal fan base. This would give them an avenue to brand their sporting clubs and also sell their wide variety of merchandize. Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Manufacturers of sports equipment could use sports bars as a platform to indulge the customers through subliminal branding. The branding at the bars can be done very subtly. As there is already a lot of player merchandize available, sports manufacturers like Nike can promote their brands by hanging only Nike sponsored player jerseys and memorabilia. Apart from this the manufacturers merchandize can be sold at these bars. For ex: Puma the official sponsor of Deccan Chargers can choose to sell their merchandize in these bars where the involvement of the customer is very high as most of the customers are sports fans. Xtreme Sports Bar, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad SuryaRay Elixirs Pvt. Ltd.the parent company Xtreme Sports Bar has the largest chain of sports bars in India. The annual revenue of this chain is already in excess of Rs. 25cr within just 2 years of launching. They have 7 outlets across India in cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon. They plan to expand further in the next couple of years and target revenue of Rs. 160 in a couple of years. Apart from the large number of high definition TVs and a few large projection screens Xtreme Sports bar also offers Foos Ball, Golf Simulators, Dart Board Games, Console Gaming, Lan Gaming and Pool tables for the entertainment of their customers during non match days. Live Sports Bar, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad Hall of Fame is the new sports bar that has opened in Hyderabad located in Jubilee hills. This bar boasts of eighteen 42 inch televisions and two large projection screens to provide the ultimate match viewing experience to their customers. Licence of sports like NBA etc have been taken by the bar to telecast uninterrupted matches over broadband. The menu itself consists of 12 different types of chicken wings which are the most popular among the match watching crowd apart from other continental dishes. The raw materials for the food are directly imported from the US in order to provide the highest quality of food to their customers. They call themselves a sports grill and not just a sports bar as they give a lot of importance to their expertise in the food services they provide. Hall of Fame plans to expand its branches into cities like Mumbai and Bangalore later this year. Focus On High-End Decor Quality Of Service: In order to compete in the clustered bars and restaurants segment sports bars have carved a niche for themselves. The food service industry is very competitive and in order to compete in them sports bars are redefining this segment and investing a lot in high end decorations and facilities. These bars have a large number of high resolution plasma TVs, and large projection screens and comfortable seating arrangements equipped with class bean bags, sofas and comfortable booths as opposed to the normal seating arrangements available in other bars and restaurants. To keep up the upscale image most of these bars serve a variety of cuisines and employ well trained chefs. The menus are exquisite and offer a large variety. Both Indian and foreign liquors are served in these bars ranging from beer, wine, whisky, scotch, cocktails, mocktails and other in-house specialities. The menu is quite often named after the local club players and sports stars to increase the involvement of the customers. To add to the ambience and the experience player jerseys and flags of different players and sports teams are displayed in the bar. Autographed photos of players, jerseys and other sports memorabilia are hung on the walls. These bars partner with sports teams and liquor companies. As most people come here to watch live matches and have a drink while doing so, the menu focus is mostly on starters and appetizers as people would like to have something to munch on while drinking and watching the matches. One of the unique attractions of these bars is the private cabins they offer. A customer can call and book the private cabins which have a seating capacity of 8-12 people and are equipped with comfortable sofas and bean bags along with a plasma TV. Customers can enjoy the match, sports bar ambience whilst having their privacy. Regular customers are given preference for the cabin and also these bars offer a variety of offers when a local teams match is being telecast. This encourages more customers to come in to watch the local teams matches. These bars try to focus more on the experience and not merely on telecasting the matches. As not all customers who come into these bars are sports oriented, they give equal importance to the level of service and offering they have apart from the viewing experience itself. The key elements of a sports bar Sports based themes—the sports bar should focus on themes that have mass appeal in India. So the focus should be primarily on cricket and other popular sports like football and F1. Distinctive design features and decor— Every bar should have its own characteristic and the main attraction is the visual appeal of the design and layout of these bars. The large collection of sports memorabilia that is displayed at the bars is a big attraction and adds great value to the place. The more authentic the memorabilia the better. Even Hard Rock Cafe does the same with musicians memorabilia displayed all around the place. The location of the sports itself is very important. The bar should be located at a high profile location. The bar should be located at a location which is close to both high profile residential area and also offices. It is also important to take into account the traffic conditions in this area and the income levels of residential areas near to the intended location of the bar. Getting in celebrities and sportsmen into the bars is an important promotional activity. A sports bar get into a tie-up with celebs and athletes as these events would give them enough media coverage during their appearances at these bars. The waiters and bartenders uniform is also designed to fit the mood and decor of these bars. They all wear uniform which look like sports jerseys with the company logo their number and name written at the back ala sportsmen. Some of these bars sell merchandize of the sporting clubs they are involved with. Some stores which have garnered a fan following of sorts can also sell their own bars merchandize to their loyal customers. Apart from providing liquor and telecasting live matches on high resolution televisions and screens, a sports bar also has to focus on providing a wide variety of cuisines The pricing should be reasonable and affordable and each bar should have its own signature dish In order to improve the experience of the customers all sports bars should maintain a high ratio of personnel to customers. This would mean that the customers are tended to quickly. Also the training given to the service personnel and the bartenders should be of the highest order to keep up the high class image of these bars. Having private cabins in your offering is beneficial. Though a large number of people come to sports bars to get immersed in the match along with a large crowd and get a live match feeling, a certain group of customers still would like to have their privacy. This where the private cabins come in handy. Changing Indian Consumption Habits Among Indians eating out is a popular activity. Every year Indians spend over INR 350 billion on eating out in restaurants, fast food joints, bars etc. Eating out is a very popular activity while attending other functions. It is estimated that Indians spend INR 350 billion eating out annually. Of this organized establishments account for only INR 20 billion. International fast food chains such as Subway, McDonalds and Pizza Hut are found in shopping malls and near cinema theatres. The well-off† in urban areas are increasingly eating out in coffee shops, malls or retail stores. Lounge bars are the latest trend in urban areas and are frequented by young professionals, successful executives and single women in their late 20s. This trend began in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata and will no doubt spread to other urban areas. Among the affluent, clubs are becoming popular. In addition to many recreational Facilities they are upgrading their food facilities and can compete with s ome of the finest restaurants or hotels of India. The new in thing are the sports bars which are mushrooming in different corners of the country. People who are interested in sports or like to be associated with sports go to these places. These bars are frequented by students, young professionals and executives most often. Table 1 Number of On-trade Establishments by Type 2004-2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Bars/pubs 22,411 23,942 25,100 26,211 27,154 Source: Trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates MARKET INDICATORS Table 13 RetailConsumerExpenditure on Alcoholic Drinks 2004-2009 Rs bn 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total 125.4 137.5 149.7 167.9 185.8 183.7 Source: Euromonitor InternationalNote: 2009 data is forecast Sports Bars Target Segment: The customers who visit sports bars are segments into five different groups, Students Young Professionals Successful executives Sports Enthusiast/Fan Families Young Adults Men and women between the age of 21-25 who are either studying or unemployed fall under this segment. This segment of customers come to a sports bar just to hang out with their friends, enjoy the ambience and enjoy the food and liquor services provided by the bar. This customer comes into sports bars with a group of friends both male and female, and all within the same age group. These people get pocket money from their parents and hence are not spendthrifts. However, portions of this group come from very affluent families, and have no limit on their expenditure. This target segments are very trendy and are very seldom loyal. They are attracted to special offers and discounts and look for these offers availability before going to a place. Offers like happy hours of buy one get one free attract this segment of people. They are generally seen before the peak hours as discounted prices are available at this time. Working Professionals These people are in the age group of 24-30. They have a decent amount of disposable income and like to indulge in activities which help them distress after work. They often come in after work to unwind. They come in either with their colleagues or other friends. These groups can have people from different age groups. They come in to watch the matches as well as to just sit and chat with their friends or colleagues. Successful Executives The people in this segment generally fall under the age group of 30-45. They have already arrived in life and belong to a high income segment. These people often come in just for a drink to catch-up with their friends over a few drinks or with their colleagues to discuss business offline. These people often consume foreign liquor and generally have time to watch only important matches. Sports Enthusiasts This target group accounts for a third of the revenue generated by the sports bars. They are big sports fans and follow their favourite sports passionately. They belong to different age groups and can be students, young professionals or successful executives. This group of sports enthusiast t Analysis of Sports Bar Businesses in India for Opportunities Analysis of Sports Bar Businesses in India for Opportunities Sports Bar Business in India from a Cultural and Branding Perspective INTRODUCTION Post liberalization the Indian economy has grown exponentially. The fall out of this is the increase in disposable income of the consumers, emergence of credit card culture and the decreasing size of households. The change in the economic status is the catalyst to the change in the social and cultural trends that have caused the change in the way a consumer views everyday food and beverages. The consumer today has very different preferences. Consumers today are more aware about different things in the world due to extensive travel and foreign media. These are some of the social and economic reasons behind the consumer moving towards fine dining, imported spirits and wine as opposed to conventional beverages. Due to this paradigm shift coffee shops, restaurants, fast food joints and bars have become successful. India is relatively new to the concept of a bar. In India bars are located mostly in the metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc. Sports bars in particular are very new to our country and are growing at a very rapid rate. The advent of IPL and the increase in craze for club football and F1 has only boosted its prospects. LITERATURE REVIEW The Indian economy is booming and the living standards and the lifestyles in the urban areas are fast changing. Entertainment as an industry is growing exponentially over the past decade. From the turn of the 21st century more and more avenues of entertainment have opened up in our country. Eating out as a form of entertainment has been catching up over the last decade. More and more families are going out for dinner or lunch on a regular basis and this is a form of entertainment for them. Changing Indian Economy Consumer Preferences: As of 2007 the median age of India is 24. Due to the abundant job opportunities and the surge in the economy the amount spent by a consumer on alcohol has increased significantly. The number of women working has increased by a large percentage and due to this the double income households have more disposable income. They can afford give their children more pocket money and they are spending a far greater amount socializing in restaurants and bars. The expenditure of consumers on alcohol drinks has increased by 650% from 1995-2007. (Consumer Lifestyles india, 2008) The rise in income is leading to overall growth in consumption by an average Indian. Eating out on a regular basis has now come to become a cool habit. Eating outside is becoming more and more popular. According to a research conducted by Federation Of Hotel and restaurant Association of India (www.fhari.com 2005) there are 10 million households in India with an average income of Rs 46,000/month and 2 million households with average income of 115,000/month. Due to the change in their economic strata, eating out has become a trend within these elite groups. There are 100 million 17-21 year old in India, and six out of 10 households have a child that was born in the post liberalization and has been brought up with no guilt of consumption. It is estimated that as of 2005 there are 5,00,000 restaurants in the organised sector and this will only increase in the future. According to a survey conducted by The Economic Times, 1.7 percent of Indians dine out more than once a week, 2.5 percent do so once a week and around 2.1 percent dine outside once a fortnight. About 5.5 percent eat out of home once a month on an average and 5.4 percent eat out once every 2-3 months. Around 8 percent say eating out is relegated only to festivals. For 69.6 percent eating out is a rather rare occasion. (Ref: The Economic Times, 21 May,2005). The consumers in the urban areas are more aware of the international brands due to their exposure from offshore travel and media and do not hesitate to pay for premium goods. According to National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) there are five classes of consumer households and the greatest growth is in the upper strata. Upper strata are defined as households with income in excess of Rs 215,000. More than 80% of the top earning households in India are located in the top seven cities of our country. Due to this most of the disposable income in the country is located in these areas. This is the reason behind the growth rate of restaurants, coffee shops, fast food joints and bars in these cities. Another major factor influencing the growth in the food and beverage industry in India is the fact that more than 70% of the countrys population is under the age of 40. This explains the rise of expenditure on leisure products and entertainment. (Sarin, 2005) Indian Theme Restaurants: However, eating out as a concept is also fast changing. People want to break away from the monotony of eating in the same food joints and are looking for more experiential and new avenues to hang out and spend time with their family and friends. Themed restaurants and bars are the flavour of the season. More and more themed bars and restaurants are mushrooming in various metros like across India. A number of theme restaurants have been successful in India. Some of the successful and well know theme restaurants are Mercurries in Delhi Theme, Solar system Orient Express at the Taj Palace New Delhi Theme, Railway carriage of yore Village in Mumbai Theme, Indian village Gufaa Ohris in Hyderabad Theme, Dungeon etc. Serengeti Ohris in Hyderabad Theme, Jungle (Roy, 2008) Each of these theme based restaurants has been successful as the people are looking for a lot more than just eating at the food joints. The time they spend at the restaurant is made more enjoyable interactive and memorable because of the different concepts of these restaurants. This theme based format has been inspired from the success stories of the west. Indian Theme Bars/Sports Bars: Another popular retail format which is just picking up in the Indian market is the bars. Bars in India have mostly mushroomed around metros and other urban areas. There are very few bars in other parts of the country. Traditionally consumers bought the liquor at wine shops and consumed them at home. However, now with the advent of Restaurant/Bars, Bars and clubs, the consumption habits are changing. Bars in India are of various types. Some are social bars where people get together to socialise drink, eat and have fun. Some of these bars are theme based like the Hard Rock Cafe and TGIF. Then there are the shady bars where only men go. Bars with a big enough dance floor are termed as nightclubs. Sports bars are another kind of bars which have just made their way into the Indian market. Sports bars are bars where sports fans find an authentic sporting ambience with large LCD screens for watching live feeds of important international matches, pool tables, basketball courts and video games. Today there are close to 30 sports bars in India across various metros. The biggest player in the Indian market currently is Future Groups subsidiary Galaxy Entertainment Corporation Ltd. It has two brands under it, â€Å"The Sports Bar† and â€Å"Sports Express.† Sports Express offers a wide variety of entertainment activities ranging from Television Programmes, Cricket, Soccer, Pool, Basket-Ball area, Darts and certain places also have a Cricket Pitch. They also serve various Indian and imported brands of liquor along with pan Indian cuisine. It has seven outlets in various cities and another four outlets in the pipeline. â€Å"The Sports Bar† another brand of Galaxy Entertainment Corporation Ltd is located in Mumbai. It is a complete sports bar complimented with an unrivalled ambience. It has a giant screen, multiple LCD TVs, basketball court, pool tables, punching bags and dart boards. It is a favourite destination for many professionals who just wish to unwind after a hard days work. Xtreme Sports Bar is another chain of sports bars; it has seven outlets across Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon. They also have similar offerings as the other sports bars. However, they are looking to expand further and are looking for suitable people to take up the franchise. Other popular sports bars in India are, Champions, Delhi Starstruck, Kolkata Super stars, Kolkata (Roy, 2008) Other theme bars in India are, Hard Rock Cafe one of the biggest retail brands in the world has opened its shops in various locations like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. TGIF (Thank God Its Friday) is another example of an international retail format opening up in India and doing well. 21 Fahrenheit Condom bar Chandigarh There are a number of factors due to which these theme based bars and restaurants are successful. One important factor which is attractive to people to come to these places is the authenticity they have in decor and food. All these theme based food retail outlets are true to their name and provide a unique experience in line with their theme. The moment you step into these places you are transformed to a fantasy world and the food they serve is very authentic and apt to their name. Even in the case of sports the whole ambience created in the place is so electrifying during any international sporting event. The decor and the buzz in a sports bar are beyond words. With the flags hung in every corner of the place and the giant screen to watch the watch on with a drink in your hand is an experience a lot of the consumers have come to love. Some have argued that the concept of having theme bars and restaurants are just a fad, but it has been proved otherwise. Knowledge Gap Most of the academic articles that I came across were written in the global perspective. There is little literature or data available about bars in the Indian context. In particular when it comes to Sports Bars in India the only information available is about some of the sports bars in India in brief and about the themed restaurants in India. There is no clear information available about the consumer profile of the people who frequent the Sports Bars in India. Also, there is no information available about the consumption pattern of Sports Bar as entertainment/leisure in the Indian context. The articles I have found have no information what so ever on the branding opportunities Sports Bars have. The Socio-Cultural changes that have impacted the average consumers outlook towards a bar are also an important factor that is missing in the literature available. The reasons behind the bar being perceived as a socially acceptable and sophisticated socializing place today is also not covered in the information Available. Problem Definition Research problem To study the sports bar business in India and identify the opportunities these bars have as a business in India. Also to understand the changing customer behaviour towards sports bars. Research Objectives To study the evolution of sports bars in India and understand their system of operation To study the growth of sports bars in India and also understand the consumer behaviour related to sports bars RESEARCH DESIGN Exploratory research in 3 areas: Study the evolution of the sports bars in India Attitude of consumers towards sports bars Patterns and reason for visiting sports bars RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data Collection Method: PHASE I: Secondary Research Studying the different retail formats of bars in India and their evolution by gathering information from different articles and journals published both globally and locally. PHASE II: Primary Research Primary research involved mostly qualitative research. 1. 5-6 In-depth interviews with industry stake holders like bar owners and bar managers; Ravi K Malpuri owner Hall Of Fame Sports Bar, jubilee hills, Hyderabad Eddie Richards manager Hall of Fame Sports Bar, jubilee hills, Hyderabad Arjun Yelluri owner of Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Santosh Nath bar manager, Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Pramod Reddy owner Live Sports Bar, Nubilee Hills, Hyderabad 2. In-depth interviews with consumers (10-15) 3 Male (21-30 age group), 3 Male (31-45 age group) 3 Female (21-30 age group), 3 Female (31-45 age group) The findings of these interviews will be used to generate a questionnaire. The purpose of the questionnaire is to validate the findings from the In-Depth interviews. 3. Type of research: Qualitative/Quantitative Number of respondents 150 Age group 21-45 Questionnaire administered to consumers and non consumers of bars/sports bars. The In-depth interviews with the industry stake holders will give me a better idea about the target audience and their profiles. The questionnaire was designed from the inputs gathered after the In-depth interviews with industry stake holders and consumers. The questionnaire was administered online due to the absence of bars in the state of Gujarat. The questionnaire is attached in the appendix. The information and data collected through the In-depth Interviews and Questionnaire would be analyzed to come up with research findings for the Sports Bar Industry. Sampling Universe: Anybody living in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, within the age group of 21-45. The person could either have visited or not visited sports bars. Sampling Technique: Random Sampling SCOPE: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore Evolution of Sports Bars Introduction Bars have been around in India for decades. Mostly they were dance bars and some bar upscale bars in the metros. Since the beginning of the 21st century more and more upscale bars and theme bars have been proliferating in India starting with the major metros like Delhi and Mumbai to now cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon etc. As the income levels of an average Indian in the cities is increasing, they are looking for different avenues to spend their leisure time and hang out with friends and colleagues. Western Influence The Indian businessmen have always looked to the west for success stories to start their endeavours in India. The bars/restaurants is an example of that. Serving alcohol in a restaurant was a thing of the star hotels only initially. Today hundreds of restaurants have a bar and serve a variety of foreign/Indian liquor and a wide range of cocktails and mocktails. Then came the concept of having gaming areas like pool and bowling. This business model did not take off in India as the Indian government did not give permission to this kind of gaming zones to serve liquor and they retired to becoming just gaming zones and entertained youth and families. After this during the late 90s and early 2000s theme restaurants started opening in India. These restaurants charged a premium for the experience they provide to their customers. The decoration in these restaurants was exquisite. Places like the Oriental Express and The Village restaurant are examples of this. Evolving Indian Market Consumer The Indian customer is ever evolving and adapts to the western trends very easily. The cumulative impact of increasing disposable income, foreign exposure and western media has changed the requirements and consumption habits of young Indians. Hanging out in bars has become a casual thing and a way to unwind for us. Thanks to these upscale bars and clubs, it is not a taboo anymore to go and have a drink in a bar in India. As the consumption of bars has increased also came in a number of clubs starting in major cities like Mumbai Delhi and Bangalore. Initially only hotels had in-house clubs, but over the years a lot of independent clubs have emerged. Sports Bars are popular hang outs in Europe and America. The first ever sports bar was opened way back in 1894. â€Å"Nuf Ced† McGreevy opened his â€Å"3rd Base Saloon† in Boston. The number of local tournaments that happen in these countries is much larger. Due to this a large number of local fans flock to these sports bar to form a community of sorts to support their teams. Apart from these general sports bars there are a large number of bars which promote and support a particular sports club. Most of these bars are in collaboration with the sporting club itself. The telecast all live matches of the club, sell merchandize and have fan interactions at a regular basis at these bars. There was little or no real differentiating factor between bars in India. The need to differentiate gave way to different theme bars and restaurants across India. The first sports bar in India was opened in Goa. It was the perfect place to open the first sports bar as it has a rich culture of football and has a number of spectacular local football clubs like Salgaocar, Dempo, Churchill Brothers, Vasco Sports Club. The fans here have been known to travel to different venues to support their teams. Today there are a number of clubs and bars in all major cities in India. Due to this there is not much differentiation between these places. Sports Bars have always been very popular in the western countries where it has become a culture of a sort where friends go to a particular sports bar to watch every local teams match. This popular successful and well tested format of bar was introduced in India only a few years back. Today there are more than 40 sports bars in India. Impact OF IPL The recent surge in the number of sports bars in India can be attributed to the success of IPL (Indian Premier League). Cricket has always been like a religion in India. The only problem was it was not short like a football match. Now with the advent of 20-20 cricket it has become easier for the audience to consume this sport. Due to the fast nature of this format of cricket IPL has become a huge success and this has helped sports bars in India flourish in leaps and bounds. As most of the major cities have their own IPL teams it has increased the local audiences involvement in the sport. This has been the major factor which has influenced the proliferation of sports bars in the recent years across cities in India. Sports bars are filled to capacity on a match day. The most popular sports in Indian sports bars apart from cricket are football and F1. Some sports bars have tie-ups with local sporting teams and sell their merchandize and promote those teams. Branding Opportunity For example, Xtreme sports bar in Hyderabad has a tie-up with Deccan Chargers which is the cities cricket team in the IPL. They have different offers and promotional events during the IPL season and in particular during a Deccan Chargers match. Deccan chargers in turn use this bar as a platform to promote and interact with the local fans. The team players make appearances during the IPL season and interact with the fans, also, they have other promotional activities like having the official team cheerleaders come and perform at the bar. Recently Manchester United Food Beverage (Asia) Pte Ltd and Billionaire Sports Pvt Ltd in collaboration have announced that they will open the first ever offshore club sports bar in India in the city of Delhi. The first ever Manchester United Restaurant and Bar will set the precedence for other clubs to setup their sports in the country where the love and fan following for English Football is rapidly increasing. Local clubs like the Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals have announced their intentions to launch their own sports bar to promote their clubs and entertain their loyal fan base. This would give them an avenue to brand their sporting clubs and also sell their wide variety of merchandize. Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Manufacturers of sports equipment could use sports bars as a platform to indulge the customers through subliminal branding. The branding at the bars can be done very subtly. As there is already a lot of player merchandize available, sports manufacturers like Nike can promote their brands by hanging only Nike sponsored player jerseys and memorabilia. Apart from this the manufacturers merchandize can be sold at these bars. For ex: Puma the official sponsor of Deccan Chargers can choose to sell their merchandize in these bars where the involvement of the customer is very high as most of the customers are sports fans. Xtreme Sports Bar, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad SuryaRay Elixirs Pvt. Ltd.the parent company Xtreme Sports Bar has the largest chain of sports bars in India. The annual revenue of this chain is already in excess of Rs. 25cr within just 2 years of launching. They have 7 outlets across India in cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon. They plan to expand further in the next couple of years and target revenue of Rs. 160 in a couple of years. Apart from the large number of high definition TVs and a few large projection screens Xtreme Sports bar also offers Foos Ball, Golf Simulators, Dart Board Games, Console Gaming, Lan Gaming and Pool tables for the entertainment of their customers during non match days. Live Sports Bar, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad Hall of Fame is the new sports bar that has opened in Hyderabad located in Jubilee hills. This bar boasts of eighteen 42 inch televisions and two large projection screens to provide the ultimate match viewing experience to their customers. Licence of sports like NBA etc have been taken by the bar to telecast uninterrupted matches over broadband. The menu itself consists of 12 different types of chicken wings which are the most popular among the match watching crowd apart from other continental dishes. The raw materials for the food are directly imported from the US in order to provide the highest quality of food to their customers. They call themselves a sports grill and not just a sports bar as they give a lot of importance to their expertise in the food services they provide. Hall of Fame plans to expand its branches into cities like Mumbai and Bangalore later this year. Focus On High-End Decor Quality Of Service: In order to compete in the clustered bars and restaurants segment sports bars have carved a niche for themselves. The food service industry is very competitive and in order to compete in them sports bars are redefining this segment and investing a lot in high end decorations and facilities. These bars have a large number of high resolution plasma TVs, and large projection screens and comfortable seating arrangements equipped with class bean bags, sofas and comfortable booths as opposed to the normal seating arrangements available in other bars and restaurants. To keep up the upscale image most of these bars serve a variety of cuisines and employ well trained chefs. The menus are exquisite and offer a large variety. Both Indian and foreign liquors are served in these bars ranging from beer, wine, whisky, scotch, cocktails, mocktails and other in-house specialities. The menu is quite often named after the local club players and sports stars to increase the involvement of the customers. To add to the ambience and the experience player jerseys and flags of different players and sports teams are displayed in the bar. Autographed photos of players, jerseys and other sports memorabilia are hung on the walls. These bars partner with sports teams and liquor companies. As most people come here to watch live matches and have a drink while doing so, the menu focus is mostly on starters and appetizers as people would like to have something to munch on while drinking and watching the matches. One of the unique attractions of these bars is the private cabins they offer. A customer can call and book the private cabins which have a seating capacity of 8-12 people and are equipped with comfortable sofas and bean bags along with a plasma TV. Customers can enjoy the match, sports bar ambience whilst having their privacy. Regular customers are given preference for the cabin and also these bars offer a variety of offers when a local teams match is being telecast. This encourages more customers to come in to watch the local teams matches. These bars try to focus more on the experience and not merely on telecasting the matches. As not all customers who come into these bars are sports oriented, they give equal importance to the level of service and offering they have apart from the viewing experience itself. The key elements of a sports bar Sports based themes—the sports bar should focus on themes that have mass appeal in India. So the focus should be primarily on cricket and other popular sports like football and F1. Distinctive design features and decor— Every bar should have its own characteristic and the main attraction is the visual appeal of the design and layout of these bars. The large collection of sports memorabilia that is displayed at the bars is a big attraction and adds great value to the place. The more authentic the memorabilia the better. Even Hard Rock Cafe does the same with musicians memorabilia displayed all around the place. The location of the sports itself is very important. The bar should be located at a high profile location. The bar should be located at a location which is close to both high profile residential area and also offices. It is also important to take into account the traffic conditions in this area and the income levels of residential areas near to the intended location of the bar. Getting in celebrities and sportsmen into the bars is an important promotional activity. A sports bar get into a tie-up with celebs and athletes as these events would give them enough media coverage during their appearances at these bars. The waiters and bartenders uniform is also designed to fit the mood and decor of these bars. They all wear uniform which look like sports jerseys with the company logo their number and name written at the back ala sportsmen. Some of these bars sell merchandize of the sporting clubs they are involved with. Some stores which have garnered a fan following of sorts can also sell their own bars merchandize to their loyal customers. Apart from providing liquor and telecasting live matches on high resolution televisions and screens, a sports bar also has to focus on providing a wide variety of cuisines The pricing should be reasonable and affordable and each bar should have its own signature dish In order to improve the experience of the customers all sports bars should maintain a high ratio of personnel to customers. This would mean that the customers are tended to quickly. Also the training given to the service personnel and the bartenders should be of the highest order to keep up the high class image of these bars. Having private cabins in your offering is beneficial. Though a large number of people come to sports bars to get immersed in the match along with a large crowd and get a live match feeling, a certain group of customers still would like to have their privacy. This where the private cabins come in handy. Changing Indian Consumption Habits Among Indians eating out is a popular activity. Every year Indians spend over INR 350 billion on eating out in restaurants, fast food joints, bars etc. Eating out is a very popular activity while attending other functions. It is estimated that Indians spend INR 350 billion eating out annually. Of this organized establishments account for only INR 20 billion. International fast food chains such as Subway, McDonalds and Pizza Hut are found in shopping malls and near cinema theatres. The well-off† in urban areas are increasingly eating out in coffee shops, malls or retail stores. Lounge bars are the latest trend in urban areas and are frequented by young professionals, successful executives and single women in their late 20s. This trend began in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata and will no doubt spread to other urban areas. Among the affluent, clubs are becoming popular. In addition to many recreational Facilities they are upgrading their food facilities and can compete with s ome of the finest restaurants or hotels of India. The new in thing are the sports bars which are mushrooming in different corners of the country. People who are interested in sports or like to be associated with sports go to these places. These bars are frequented by students, young professionals and executives most often. Table 1 Number of On-trade Establishments by Type 2004-2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Bars/pubs 22,411 23,942 25,100 26,211 27,154 Source: Trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates MARKET INDICATORS Table 13 RetailConsumerExpenditure on Alcoholic Drinks 2004-2009 Rs bn 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total 125.4 137.5 149.7 167.9 185.8 183.7 Source: Euromonitor InternationalNote: 2009 data is forecast Sports Bars Target Segment: The customers who visit sports bars are segments into five different groups, Students Young Professionals Successful executives Sports Enthusiast/Fan Families Young Adults Men and women between the age of 21-25 who are either studying or unemployed fall under this segment. This segment of customers come to a sports bar just to hang out with their friends, enjoy the ambience and enjoy the food and liquor services provided by the bar. This customer comes into sports bars with a group of friends both male and female, and all within the same age group. These people get pocket money from their parents and hence are not spendthrifts. However, portions of this group come from very affluent families, and have no limit on their expenditure. This target segments are very trendy and are very seldom loyal. They are attracted to special offers and discounts and look for these offers availability before going to a place. Offers like happy hours of buy one get one free attract this segment of people. They are generally seen before the peak hours as discounted prices are available at this time. Working Professionals These people are in the age group of 24-30. They have a decent amount of disposable income and like to indulge in activities which help them distress after work. They often come in after work to unwind. They come in either with their colleagues or other friends. These groups can have people from different age groups. They come in to watch the matches as well as to just sit and chat with their friends or colleagues. Successful Executives The people in this segment generally fall under the age group of 30-45. They have already arrived in life and belong to a high income segment. These people often come in just for a drink to catch-up with their friends over a few drinks or with their colleagues to discuss business offline. These people often consume foreign liquor and generally have time to watch only important matches. Sports Enthusiasts This target group accounts for a third of the revenue generated by the sports bars. They are big sports fans and follow their favourite sports passionately. They belong to different age groups and can be students, young professionals or successful executives. This group of sports enthusiast t