Market Entry Timing Strategy Essay

Empirical study (Robinson and Fornell, 1985) shows that first mover 20%, early followers 17%, and late entrants 13% market share. Robinson (1988) believes that the order of entry alone explain 8.9% of the variation in market shares. It has been shown that the longer the elapsed time between entry of the first mover and that of later entrants, the more opportunities becomes available to the first mover to achieve cost and differentiation advantages. A longer response time provides the first mover to promote awareness and trial that contribute to category learning and for consumers to integrate into their memory additional information through media and WoM. Lieberman and Montgomery (1988) believe that first-mover advantages arise from three primary sources: Technological leadership, pre-emption of assets, and buyer switching costs. Technological leadership provides a learning curve, where unit production fall with cumulative output, which generates a sustainable cost advantage for the early entrant if learning can be kept proprietary and the firm can maintain leadership in market share. If the first-mover has superior information, it may be able to purchase assets at market prices below those that will prevail later in the evolution of the market, such as natural resources and retailing or manufacturing locations. Where there is room for only a limited number of profitable firms, the first-mover can often select the most attractive niches and may be able to take strategic actions that limit the amount of space available for subsequent entrants. With switching costs, late entrants must invest extra resources to attract customers away from the first-mover firm. Buyer may rationally stick with the first brand they encounter that performs the job satisfactorily. Brand loyalty of this sort may be particularly strong for low-cost convenience goods. Thus, late entrants must have a truly superior product, or else advertise more frequently or more creatively. Schnaars (1986) implies that the early bird normally catches and retains the worm. ‘Me-too’ products introduced by later entrants were much more likely to fail. Second entrants obtain on the average only about three-quarters of the market share of the pioneer, and later entrants are able to capture progressively smaller shares. Consumers tend to know and favour the pioneering product, they have no reason to experiment with subsequent entries. These cost advantages put later entrants at a competitive disadvantage, and pioneers may be able to erect entry barriers that lock out subsequent entrants. Late entrants can also find that the field is crowded and the market offers little opportunity. However, a well-conceived ‘second-but-better’ entry, backed by aggressive advertising, may be able to surpass the pioneer’s entry. Later entrants must be better in terms of performance or price, or both, if they are to have any chance of success. Many firms with str ong market orientation seem to embrace later entry. No one entry strategy proved best in all situations. Primary benefit for the pioneer is to build an unassailable position before later entrants recognize the promise of the market or are willing to take the risks of an early entry. It is most appropriate when image and reputation are important to the customer, experience effects are important and not easily copied, brand loyalty accrues to the pioneer, and cost advantages can be obtained by early commitment to suppliers and channels. It carriers many risks, because almost every aspect of an emerging market is unknown. Many pioneers end up pursuing false leads that later entrants are able to avoid. Thus it must be willing to commit a great deal of money – for R&D and educate customers’. The chances of a pioneer getting the product right for the first time are almost nil. One study found that it takes seven to eight years on the average before a firm that enters a new line of business actually turns a profit. Golder and Tellis (1993) state that for pioneers, consumer-based advantage relate to the benefits that can be delivered from the way consumers first choose and then repurchase the product. The pioneer may become the standard for the product category, and a pioneer can lock-in some customers in categories that have high switching costs. Seventy percent of market leaders are pioneers, and almost half of all pioneers are market leaders. Second firm to enter the market would obtain only 71% as much market share as the pioneer, and third firm to enter would obtain only 58% as much. On the other hand, they believe that if later entrants can leapfrog pioneers with superior technology, positioning, or brand names, firms could better off entering late. Evidence shows that the advantages of being first-in are almost equally balanced by the many pitfalls and disadvantages. Kerin, Vradarajan, and Peterson (1992) state that one can achieve first-mover status by producing a new product, use a new process, and/or enter a new market. They distinguish between two perspectives: the economic-analytical and the behavioural. The former indicates that the pioneer creates barriers to entry so it becomes costly for others to follow, this in turn lengthens the lead time, thus enabling the first mover to benefit initially from no competition, and being more experienced once new entrants emerge. From the behavioural view, the first mover communication is more effective and it obtains reputational advantage. Through purchase and trial, customers can become more reluctant to switch. Similarly, there are economic and behavioural views on market contingencies. From the former perspective, the uncertainty of product demands can lower resource commitments and reduce cost advantage due to scale, but small scale operations are more efficient. A first mover can influence how attributes are valued, define the ideal attribute combination, and ultimately influence consumer’s preferences to its benefit over later entrants. The industry relies heavily on advertising and marketing, thus early consumer exposures to advertising is even more beneficial. The technology changes quickly, so the legal protection and experience advantage decreases. From the behavioural perspective, products can be easily evaluated before purchase, so the purchase and trial benefits decrease. The cost of evaluating a product and making a purchase mistake is lower, hence switching costs decreases. But when consumers need to invest in special, related assets, the switching costs increase. However, following firms may benefit from the ability to free-ride on first-mover investments, resolution of technological and market uncertainty, technological discontinuities that provide ‘gate-ways’ for new entry, and various types of incumbent inertia. They can achieve a CA by influencing consumers’ preferences rather than responding to them, such by moving away from the pioneer and develop a more desirable position. Early entrants’ main benefit is to learn from the pioneer’s experience, and avoid many of the onerous costs, along with being able to assess the market’s reaction to the pioneer’s entry. Many early entrants have relied on some combination of marketing clout, product enhancement and low-cost production. Later entries can benefit from the passage of time. If the product form is changing rapidly and standardization has not been achieved, the later entrant may be able to leapfrog earlier entrants by introducing a superior product, backed by market clout. The later entrant can gain a sizable share of proven growth marketing by capitalizing on the low-cost production of me-too products. Many foreign companies pursue this strategy. Late entrant is risky when earlier entrants are able to erect entry barriers, or the market is already flooded with products that leave no room for enhancement. Level Brother’s Persil entered the tablet detergent market as a pioneer, whereby P&G’s Ariel entered as a follower. The former achieved satisfying customers that stuck to the brand, despite low switching costs. It built a brand image that indicated it was the best, it was innovative and technological advanced. It increased customer choice, which could lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Persil soon enjoyed large or monopoly market-share in the category, and had potentially highest share after followers enter. Moreover, entering early allowed it to learn from experiences, with more time for trial and error. By entering first, it could create barriers for entry in the retail through shelf-space, and have patent on technology. Persil also set rules for competition on features, benefits and added services. It could also set the price value based or cost based, thus deciding the market. Ariel, on the hand, had the opportunity to assess the market profitability upon entrance, and needed less knowledge to educate the market. It could learn from Persil’s mistakes in terms of pricing, and had less risk to brand equity. Ariel also enjoyed lower R&D costs and could free-ride on Persil’s effort, in addition to develop a better product. The saved time can be used for optimal positioning. The two competitors were competing heavily on the price per wash, higher and lowering accordingly to each other, starting at 22.0p and 28.0p respectively in 1999, both finishing at 20.0p in 2004, but Ariel did better in the end through learning. In conclusion, one can say that faster entry into the industry does not necessary guarantee absolute competitive advantage. The magnitude of first-mover advantage depends on the degree of fit between the environmental opportunity and the first-mover’s skills and resources. Market pioneering is not a strategy that is appropriate for all firms. In organizational reality, firms are more often a later entrant than a pioneer.

Community Health Practice Essay

Community Description and Data Interpretation Pueblo, Colorado, also known as â€Å"The Home of the Heroes†, was given this proclamation in 1993 by the United States Congress, due to Pueblo having as many as four recipients of the â€Å"Medal of Honor† living here in the community. Pueblo dates back as far as 1842, and was known as â€Å"Fort Pueblo† (History of Pueblo). Over the years, Pueblo became the â€Å"backbone† of Southern Colorado due to the ore mines and is also the largest steel producing city in the United States, thus also being referred to as the â€Å"Steel City†. Pueblo has had a long and colorful history and has had five different countries and territories that â€Å"held dominion† over the area. These five areas are as follows: France, Mexico, Texas, Spain, and of course, the United States of America. (History of Pueblo) Pueblo County is 2,398 square mile area and is located approximately 112 miles south of the state capital of Denver, Colorado and approximately 100 miles north of the New Mexico border. Pueblo is geographically located at the intersection of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek and is approximately 4600 feet above sea level. Although surrounded by lots of mountains such as the Wet Mountains, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Green Horn Mountains and Pikes Peak Mountain, Pueblo is very much desert land with annual precipitation being only approximately 12 inches. (Pueblo, Colorado, 2014). Pueblo County has a land area of 2389 square feet and 9.0 square miles of water. (City-Data Pueblo County, CO , 2012) Population/Economic Assesssment Pueblo’s population according to 2012’s census is 159,063 which is a growth rate of 3.56% since 2000, and which rank it 246th for the most populated city in the nation. Pueblo is comprised of a very diverse mix of people with the majority being white non-Hispanics at 56.2% and the Hispanics or â€Å"Latinos† comprising 39.2% of the population. The remaining population is comprised of African Americans 2.4%, Native Americans 2.9%, Asian 1% and the remaining 2.4% of the population are those that are of two or more races  (American Fact Finder). The average age of Pueblo’s population is approximately 39 years old. The total population percentages of those 18 years and younger is 24.5% and with those 65 years and older comprising 15.3%. (United Stated Census Bureau, 2010) `As mentioned before, Pueblo is one of the nation’s top leaders in steel production, but the huge â€Å"steel-market† crash of 1982 left Pueblo with a fairly weak economy sinc e that time. According to the 2010 census, the average annual household income in Pueblo is approximately $38,780, which has Pueblo County’s income ranking far below Colorado’s average income of $47,510. With such a difference in the average annual income, Pueblo has a high percentage of the population that is living below the Federal Poverty Level, making Pueblo’s overall poverty rate is the 2nd highest in the state of Colorado. The average household size is 2.47 people. According to statistics from the American Fact Finder, Pueblo County has 18.1% total population below the Federal Poverty Level. Of that population, there are 26.3% that are children 18 years and younger, those 18 years to 64 years old is 17% and those over the age of 65 are 9.6% below the Federal Poverty Level (America Fact Finder, 2012). With almost 20% of Pueblo County’s population being below the Federal Poverty Level, it would stand to reason the increase in the number of people in Pueblo that qualify for food stamps and other public assistance. According to the 2012 American Community Survey, there were an estimated total of 11,976 households in Pueblo County that received food stamps. Of the households that received food stamps 45.7% of them had children 18 years or younger and 23.4% had at least one person in the household that was 60 years or older. (United Stated Census Bureau, 2010) The unemployment rate in Pueblo County is 9.6% approximately 1% higher than the U.S. average; however, there has been a recent job growth of 1.38% in Pueblo. Even with the more than average unemployment rate and high population below the Federal Poverty Level, Pueblo County has a very low cost of living compared to the rest of the nation. The cost of living in Pueblo, CO is approximately 15.3% lower than the U.S. average with the median housing cost of $96,700. Even with the lower cost of living in Pueblo County, there are still about 175 individuals that are homeless that are living on the streets. With large international companies such as  Vestas pewag, and Rocla Concrete Tie choosing Pueblo, Colorado as new sites for their companies, unemployment rates will lower and this can only boost the economy and increase the population. (Community Health Status Report, 2011) Before the inception of the current Affordable Care Act, Pueblo County had approximately 30,312 individuals that were on Medicaid. This number has drastically increased since January 1, 2014 since Colorado was a state that chose â€Å"Medicaid Expansion† to assist with aiding the health care costs and compliance of the Affordable Health Care Act. According to Colorado Health Institute, Pueblo County has done an amazing job getting the â€Å"uninsured† children in public insurance programs. Pueblo County recorded that 95.7% of children eligible for Medicaid/CHP+ is enrolled. Access to health care is largely affected by available and affordable health insurance. Pueblo County was noted to have a total of 13.6% of the population in 2010 that were uninsured. The amount of money that Pueblo County spent per capita on public health funding took a significant drop in 3 years from 2009 to 2011 of over $2.00 per person. Pueblo County also has a large percentage (18.8%) of individuals that not only are on Medicaid but are dually covered by Medicare. Dual coverage is based on income, health and disability; these individuals are usually in very poor health with chronic, complicated health problems and/or mental issues. Even with the public health funding, Pueblo County still has 17% of the population that have unmet health needs because of financial limitations. Hopefully with the new law of the Affordable Care Act the percentage of â€Å"unmet† health needs will completely diminish or at least significantly decrease. Cultural Assessment Pueblo, Colorado is a multi-cultural community with the majority of the population of Hispanics, Italians and Slovenians that have occupied Pueblo for generations. The Hispanic culture is the most prominent in Pueblo, which can be seen in the architecture, art, festivals and museums which pays great tribute to their Hispanic heritage. One of the largest pieces of the Hispanic culture that is enjoyed by all in Pueblo is the food. Pueblo holds annual festivals and celebrations that display the unique cuisines of the Hispanic culture, the most prominent cuisine being the â€Å"Pueblo Green Chili†. Food of the Hispanic culture and the health risks may contribute to the high number of adults that are overweight or obese. According to findings in the Pueblo Community Health Status Report of 2011, 23% adults over the age of 18 are overweight. With such a large Hispanic population comes a high percentage of the population that have genetic disposition for Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. (County Health Rankings and Road Maps, 2013) A large family unit which includes generations of â€Å"extended† family is a huge part of the Hispanic culture in Pueblo. The Hispanic population in Pueblo really holds the matriarchs and/or patriarchs to a high respect. Although not nearly as prominent in Pueblo, the Italian culture is a large part of Pueblo’s culture as well. Italian culture is seen predominantly in the culinary influences that paved the way for the unique â€Å"Pueboloan† dishes, such as the Italian Sausage sandwich that you can find at one of Pueblo’s oldest tra ditions, Pass Key Restaurant. (Pueblo, Colorado, 2013). The Slovenian culture is another influential part of Pueblo’s culture. The Slovenians migrated to Pueblo and settled here working in the steel industry. They introduced cultural and culinary traditions that are still very highly practiced and part of Pueblo’s culture even today. For example, Potica is one of the most popular culinary treats that is extremely popular around the holiday season, but can be found and enjoyed all year around. The Slovenian folk music and theatre can also be seen throughout Pueblo. (History of Pueblo) Catholicism is the predominant religion in Pueblo and is a huge part of the culture. Approximately 68% of Pueblo proclaims they are Catholic. In Pueblo’s culture, women are the largest majority of this population, although â€Å"Holy Orders† are the role of the men. (Pueblo, Colorado, 2014) Genogram Interpretation From my observation of data, statistics and information gathered for Pueblo County’s Community assessment, I have found that Pueblo County overall is a fairly healthy community. The community is predominately white, non-Hispanic population with an increase of the Hispanic population in the past two years. The Median household income is $38,780 and 16.9% household at or below poverty level. The unemployment rate at 9.6% which is 1% higher that the U.S. average. With such financial difficulties there were approximately 13,760 individuals that receive food assistance, Pueblo is a multi-Cultural community consisting of Hispanic, Italian & Slovinian. All cultures brought together with food served at festivals and at restaurants. Pueblo is predominately Catholic religion at 68% with women playing a large part in Catholic & Hispanic Culture. Large Hispanic population diagnosed with diabetes type II and obesity. The crime rate is higher than the national average. In 2006, Pueblo County had approximately 2.4 liquor stores per 10,000 people. Underage rates of drinking increased with age. Methamphetamine use in youth (less than 10 percent), but showed signs of increase between 2005 and 2007. The health factors and morbidity and mortality rates of Pueblo County are higher than the national benchmarks. Pueblo has 95% of days with good air quality and drinking water safety at 1%. Pueblo County has a disaster/ emergency management preparedness plan as well as a chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program for the Pueblo Chemical Depot. Pueblo operates in an all-hazards disaster plan with Pueblo Health Department being the lead in the Emergency support function of Public Health. Pueblo County, Colorado is overall a healthy community. Nevertheless, the areas where improvements need to be made are determining a way to attend to each individual’s reaction to negative life events. These events are causing a rise in binge drinking and the use of methamphetamine abuse. Creating and implementing a plan to decrease the poverty level and being able to inform and address access and functional needs. Neighborhood/Community Safety Assessment As sad as it is to say, violence in Pueblo County is a huge â€Å"health† problem. Pueblo’s overall crime index as reported in 2006 was 6945 crimes which was higher than the national average and encompasses â€Å"violent† and â€Å"property† crimes. Violent crimes consist of murder, rape and aggravated assaults. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, theft , motor vehicle theft , arson, and vandalism. In 2006, Pueblo had a reported total of 628 violent crimes with breakdown as follows: Murders – 6; Rapes 49; Robberies – 170; Aggravated assaults – 403. Pueblo’s reported â€Å"property crimes are as  follows: Burglary – 6317; Larceny/Thefts – 4409; Motor Vehicle Thefts – 455 and Arsen – 55. (Pueblo Colorado Crime statistics and Data Resources, 2014) . Along with the high crime rates that fill Pueblo’s neighborhoods that have an effect on the safety and health of the county are the large nu mber of liquor stores that fill them. In 2006, Pueblo County had approximately 2.4 liquor stores per 10,000 people. (Community Health Status Report, 2011) With such a high density of liquor stores and access to alcohol, it can also contribute or be a large relation to the economic and social crumbling of the community and overall rate of crime. There are studies that report that the â€Å"over-concentration of liquor stores increases the perceived lack of safety and limits walkability in the community†. (Community Health Status Report, 2011). The excessive consumption of alcohol also leads to major health problems, such as, cirrhosis of the liver, cardiovascular disease, cancer, anemia as well as the effects due to injuries sustained in car accidents secondary to driving under the influence. Substance abuse, including alcohol, is another public health concern in the Pueblo community. One of the biggest concerns of alcohol abuse is that of â€Å"binge† drinking among individuals. Binge drinking is a major indicator of substance abuse and is defined as â€Å"Consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in one occasion in the pa st month†. From 2007-2009, there were 14.5% of adults in Pueblo that reported binge drinking, a rate that was well below the Healthy People 2020 objective. (Community Health Status Report, 2011). According to the website, Teen Drug Abuse, 90% of alcohol consumption by those that are underage is in the form of â€Å"binge† drinking. (Teens and Addiction, 2014). In Pueblo County, underage rates of drinking increased with age, indicating that teenagers are more likely to experiment or try alcohol around the ages of 16 or 17. (Community Health Status Report, 2011). In Pueblo County, methamphetamine use in youth ages 15-18 years was low (less than 10 percent), but showed signs of increase between 2005 and 2007 for the â€Å"15 or younger† category. Following national trends, results from 2009 indicate decreasing methamphetamine usage across the board for all age groups. This may be in part to successful prevention interventions, education campaigns about methamphetamine use, or inconsistent self-reporting (Community Health Status Report, 2011) Housing, water quality, and air quality are factors that can be classified as the environmental quality/safety of Pueblo,  County. â€Å"Homes† represent to most a place of safety, security and shelter and because these factors are so important they have the potential to help or harm the h ealth of the community. The United Way Pueblo County evaluation in 2009 reported that Pueblo County had a large shortage of â€Å"low income† rental housing. The estimated rental housing in Pueblo County reported in 2009 was 32% and home ownership was reported at 68%. (America Fact Finder, 2012). Sewage is another factor that can potentially be a huge source of water contamination. Waste water treatment plants in higher populated areas of Pueblo County are used to treat sewage before being released back into the environment; however, not all areas of Pueblo County are served by a treatment plant. Pueblo County has approximately 16,000 homes that have septic systems and are not serviced by a waste water treatment plant. Water wells can become contaminated due to improper septic system treatment. In Pueblo County, the majority of its population the drinking water comes from surface water. In some cases, the drinking water may come from shallow surface sources or underground wells. (Community Health Sta tus Report, 2011). The air quality in Pueblo is for the very good with the particle matter (PM2.5) being very low. Particle matter is defined by the EPA as the tiny particles directly emitted into the air and particles formed in the air by chemical transformation of gaseous pollutants. (United Stated Census Bureau, 2010). According to the Pueblo City-County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division, there were over 830 complaints in 2010 with the majority of complaints which were 41% of the total complaints were about the housing. (City-Data Pueblo County, CO , 2012). All in all the environmental Quality of Pueblo County is above average. The health factors and morbidity and mortality rates of Pueblo County are in lot of cases higher than the national benchmarks. Premature infant deaths in Pueblo County in 2009 were 8,767. Malignant neoplasms rank first in Pueblo County for the leading casue of death with heart disease being second leading cause of death in Pueblo County. (Community Health Status Report, 2011) Morbidity reporting of poor or fair health was 17% Health factors in Pueblo County such as smoking was 23% compared to the National benchmark of 13%, teen birth rate was 63% compared to National benchmark of 21%, sexually transmitted diseases reported in Pueblo County was approximately 352 with the national benchmark of 92. (County Health Rankings and Road  Maps, 2013). Disaster Assessment Pueblo has a Disaster Management Program which includes several support functions based on the emergency which includes the following: transportation, fires, wildfires, victim care, search and rescue, long-term recovery, hazmat, damage assessment, floods, mass fatality, terrorism, tornadoes and winter storms. The program’s goal is to prevent or decrease the impact of natural or human caused disasters. There are also additional support systems such as behavioral health response and an animal health response plan. The department staff and fire fighters are specially trained and ready to respond to any major disasters that may occur. The command staff members assist in the coordination of the disaster and emergency management training exercises in the local region. There are monthly meetings with the members and the Pueblo County Emergency Response Team (PERT) and with other local emergency reponse and support agencies. (Pueblo, Colorado, 2014). Pueblo also operates and â€Å"All Hazards† disaster plan that is designed to address the needs of the Pueblo Fire Department and the people of Pueblo in and efficient and effective manner if a disaster occurs. It is also serves as a supplement to the Pueblo County Emergency Operations Plan. (Pueblo, Colorado, 2014). The Pueblo Chemical Depot, a chemical weapons storage site is located in Pueblo County. Mustard agents HD and HT are stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. The chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program is the federally funded program administered by the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The program was placed to prepare the local authorities for a possible chemical weapons incident. If such an incident occurs, Pueblo Chemical Depot will notify the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Communication Center in accordance between the agreement between Pueblo County and Pueblo Chemical Depot. (Emergency Services Bureau, 2013) Due to the hot dry summers, a fire or wildfire frequently occurs and there is an emergency support system that is in place. The following agencies included are the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services Bureau, Public Works, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado State Forest Service, US Forest Service, Colorado State Parks, American Medical Response, both local hospitals –  Parkview Medical Center and St Mary Corwin Hospital. The Emergency Support Function and Wildland Fire Incident Annex is there to guarantee a correct response from the numerous agencies involved for containing and extinguishing fires. This is an effective system that was established to manage the various resources and agencies involved to fight structural and wild land fires in Pueblo County. (Emergency Services Bureau, 2013). The Pueblo Activation Sequence establishes procedures for the activation and operation of the Pueblo County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is activated to an anticipated or actual response that involves more than one area or jurisdiction and/or multiple response agencies. This includes agencies that respond to HazMat accidents, severe weather, flooding, earthquakes, civil disturbances or terrorism. (Emergency Services Bureau, 2013) The Pueblo County Health Department leads the emergency support functions for Public Health and Medical Services. Their supporting agencies are as follows: Local Hospitals, EMS, Behavioral Health Services, Emergency Service Bureau, Coroner, Agriculture, Education, Human Services, Law Enforcement Agencies, Military and Veteran Affairs, Public Safety, Regulatory Agencies, Transportation, Pueblo Community Health Center, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and COVOAD. This program provides a response and recovery action related to the lifesaving tra nsport, evacuation, treatment of the injured, controlling of the spread contamination, prevention of contamination of water and food supplies and the disposition of any dead. (Emergency Services Bureau, 2013) As you can see, Pueblo County is very well prepared with any type of natural, chemical, or human caused disaster. Summary From my observation of data, statistics and information gathered for Pueblo County’s Community assessment, I have found that Pueblo County overall is a fairly healthy community. The community is predominately white, non-Hispanic population with an increase of the Hispanic population in the past two years. The air pollution in Pueblo County is below the national average with 95% of days with good air quality and only 5% with moderate air quality. An area that could use improvement would be to find a way to attend to the individuals that make negative responses to traumatic or  negative life events. These responses and events may play a huge factor in the rise of homicides that are taking place in Pueblo County. The education of the public community about the emergency and disaster preparedness programs through community outreach will help to inform and develop functional needs for Pueblo. Works Cited (2013). Retrieved February 07, 2014, from Pueblo, Colorado: http://pueblo.org/history America Fact Finder. (2012). Retrieved 02 08, 2014, from U.S. Census Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0862000.html City-Data Pueblo County, CO . (2012). Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.city.data.com/county/Pueblo_County-CO.html Community Health Status Report. (2011). Retrieved February 2, 2014, from Pueblo.org: http://county.pueblo.org/sites/default/files/documents/Status%20Report%202011%20Final.pdf County Health Rankings and Road Maps. (2013). Retrieved February 8, 2014, from http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/aIntpp/#/colorado/2013/pueblo/county/outcomes/overall/additional/by-rank Emergency Services Bureau. (2013). Retrieved February 9, 2014, from Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office: http://www.sheriff.co.pueblo.co.us/esb/oem.html History of Pueblo. (n.d.). Retrieved 02 08, 2014, from Pueblo, CO – Official Website : http://www.pueblo.us/index.aspx?nid=119 Pa rticle Matter. (2013, March 18). Retrieved February 5, 2014, from EPA United Stated Environment Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/pm/ Pueblo Colorado Crime statistics and Data Resources. (2014). Retrieved February 2, 2014, from Area Connect: http://pueblo.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm Pueblo, Colorado. (2014, January 31). Retrieved February 08, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo,_Colorado Teens and Addiction. (2014, February). Retrieved February 9, 2014, from Teen Driug Abuse: http://www.teen-drug-abuse.org/ United Stated Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved February 2, 2014, from Current Population Survey: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables.htm

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 24

Once I'd assured Evan I wasn't calling him a son of a bitch, I got off the phone and turned to Roman. â€Å"The vessel's not anywhere around here. It's up in BC.† Roman's eyes had followed my finger to White Rock on the map. â€Å"Okay, you get points for the compelling name, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.† â€Å"Yes! It means everything. The Army's been a distraction from the beginning, when the seal was created, when Ephraim talked to Cedric†¦and when Jerome was summoned. They staged their event on the Space Needle- here , but they didn't actually do anything until Jerome was taken. As soon as he was, they acted out to draw Cedric's attention here, away from his own territory.† Realization lit Roman's features. Sociopath or not, he'd always been smart. â€Å"Because Grace then hid the vessel in Cedric's territory.† I nodded. â€Å"That's where it's at. She needed Cedric gone, in case he noticed its presence before it was hidden. I think he's down here for the thing with Ephraim, but if I call now and tell him-â€Å" â€Å"No,† said Roman quickly. â€Å"We can't tell anyone.† â€Å"What is up with you?† I exclaimed, standing up. â€Å"The clock's ticking. We may not have time for a leisurely drive before the stasis ends.† â€Å"Chance we've gotta take, love.† He rose as well. â€Å"Grab your keys. Let's go.† I started heading toward my bedroom, then hesitated. â€Å"Damn. I told Seth I'd consider taking him with me. Too late now.† Roman considered. â€Å"No, do it.† â€Å"Why?† I asked in surprise. â€Å"I'll go invisibly. I don't know if anyone'll notice you leaving, but if they're tracking you, better they think you're on a romantic getaway. Even masked, I don't want anyone in power seeing my face yet.† That put me in a weird situation. Roman's entire reasoning throughout all of this was increasingly bizarre. There was also the debate I'd had last night, about whether I should let the balcony date shine on us as my last beautiful moment with Seth or if I should eke out a few more seconds. Letting it end at last night would have been the poetic thing to do†¦but I was made of baser stuff. I called him as soon as I was on the road and picked him up shortly thereafter. He rode in the front with me while Roman lounged invisibly in the back, which was creepy, to say the least. Fortunately, none of my talk with Seth was sappy or romantic. He sensed the urgency crackling around me and asked questions about my reasoning for the trip. I answered as thoroughly as I could, all the while trying to drive the speed limit. I couldn't risk the delay of a ticket-or count on supernatural charms to get me off. It took a little less than two hours to get there. We'd accidentally left the atlas at home but had all but memorized the directions anyway, which were straightforward. When we'd almost reach the park where the aforementioned rock was, I had the sense to call Peter and tell him not to go outside. â€Å"You think I'm stupid?† he asked. â€Å"I know as well as you the stasis is about to end.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"But it might not end like you're thinking.† We disconnected. â€Å"This is it, isn't it?† asked Seth. A sign directed us to the beach's parking lot, and I turned toward it. â€Å"Yeah, I think so.† I could feel myself starting to panic. â€Å"God, I'm afraid†¦I don't know what'll happen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Seth reached over and patted my shoulder. â€Å"Easy, Thetis. This'll end the way it's supposed to. Do what you have to do, and we'll manage the best we can.† I parked the car and looked over at him. So much burned between us, it was a wonder it didn't suffocate Roman. Seth was right. This was the end, and we would face it and do what needed to be done, no matter how hard. That was one of the wonderful things about Seth. He knew what the right thing was. We got out of the car. Seth and I headed off down the beach, hand in hand. It was low tide, and the receding waters had revealed a landscape that had almost as much gravel as sand. Once you moved farther inland, though, the terrain turned green and grassy-probably the result of park maintenance crews. Semiahmoo Bay itself stretched off into a dark, choppy vastness that would have probably been blue and beautiful on a nicer day. Heavy gray clouds obscured most of the land surrounding the far sides of the bay, and I thought I heard a rumble of thunder, something that wasn't so common in the mild Pacific Northwest. I hoped we'd find what we needed soon because it looked like a storm was about to break out. Ah, metaphor. Seth interrupted my ponderings. â€Å"That,† he said, â€Å"is a white rock.† I came to a halt, turning my attention from the larger panorama to the path in front of me. There, about eighty feed ahead of us, was a white rock-a huge, white rock. And from the looks of it, Evan hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said it was about five hundred tons. â€Å"I kind of feel stupid wasting my time with scraps of white gravel,† I mused, brushing hair out of my eyes. The wind promptly whipped it back. â€Å"It was so obvious†¦and yet not. Shall we?† I nodded, and we approached the rock, our steps filled with both eagerness and apprehension. After all this time and all the failed efforts, it didn't seem possible that we'd really done it. Something was going to happen. Something had to happen. â€Å"Whoa,† I breathed, staring up at the rock's top when we reached it. It was so massive that it covered us in shadows. â€Å"I can see why people thought this came from the gods.† Seth was looking down. â€Å"Unfortunately, we've got to direct our attention to less lofty places. How are we supposed to find this? Just dig at random?† If Seth and I were alone, that would have been the method. Now, I was hoping Roman would reveal some insight about where the vessel was-if it was even here. A small part of me panicked that us ending up here might have been the biggest misdirection of all. I scanned the ground around the rock, but there was nothing indicative of a recent digging. On a beach like this, all of the ground was uneven. â€Å"Something like that,† I said, needing Roman to pick up on his cue. Seth had let go of my hand when we reached the rock, but now he caught hold of it again and pulled me to him. â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I dragged my eyes from the ground and met his. My adrenaline was up, ready for the conclusion to this adventure†¦and yet, my heart was heavy, knowing what the consequences of this would be. I squeezed Seth's hands and stepped closer, resting my head against his chest. His heart beat heavy within. No doubt his emotions were tangled up as well. â€Å"I know,† I said softly. â€Å"I feel the same way.† He held me tight and kissed my forehead. â€Å"When we find Jerome†¦when you free him†¦it'll go quickly, won't it?† â€Å"Yeah. I don't know how long it'll take, but†¦well, I think it'll be pretty fast. That's how it was when he was taken.† â€Å"And that's it.† â€Å"I guess.† We stood there, both of us hurting and confused. I didn't think anything could be worse than when Seth had forcibly ended things back in December. I understood now that he'd done it because he thought it would be for the greater good, but it still smarted. And this†¦this was a pain of a different type. When Seth and I first kissed back at my apartment, I thought this could all be a vacation for me, just as it was for the vampires. Seth would be my sunshine, something I could have a brief fling with before returning to my dreary immortality. I could take the memories with me, and that would be enough. Only now, standing with him, I realized it wouldn't be enough. It would only hurt more now, knowing exactly what I could never have again. I would never make love with Seth again, never have these intimate moments of comfort and rapport. He wasn't mine anymore. He never could be again. â€Å"I don't know what to do,† Seth said, kissing my forehead. â€Å"What do you mean? We don't have a choice.† â€Å"We always have a choice, Thetis. After this, even when you're a succubus again†¦I don't know. I wanted so badly to protect you from all the world's hurts. I still do. But after being with you this last week, I'm starting to wonder if-â€Å" â€Å"You have got to be fucking kidding me.† Seth and I looked up in surprise. I would have expected Roman to come bust up our romantic interlude or maybe even Grace, in defense of her prize. What I was not expecting, however, was Dante. I didn't know where he'd come from. He stepped around the side of the rock like he'd been lurking behind it, but I suspected he'd just walked up to us unnoticed in our moment of lovers' angst. Anger radiated off him, and his eyes were as dark and stormy as the sea beyond us. And as soon as I saw him, I needed no drawn-out questioning, no build-up to a revelation. I didn't need to ask what he was doing there because I suddenly knew. â€Å"You're the summoner,† I said. â€Å"Of course.† There was a dismissive tone to his voice as he said that, like it was an insult that anyone else could have played that role. â€Å"Who else? I wasn't kidding when I told you I was the best in the area. I can't honestly believe you never even considered me. No, scratch that. Of course I can believe that. No matter how jaded or sorrowful you get, there's still that Pollyanna piece of you that wants to believe the best in those you care about.† â€Å"You say that like it's a bad thing,† I said, feeling my own anger grow. Being played this whole time was bad enough. But being played by my own boyfriend? Unacceptable. And yet†¦he was right. It had been stupid of me not to consider him, yet I couldn't believe he would have subjected me to all this torment. â€Å"It is a bad thing. I was hoping I could break you of it, but I guess not.† His eyes flicked to Seth's face and then back to mine. â€Å"Of course, I can't really talk about naà ¯vet? ¦ since you were screwing me over this whole time. Or, well, screwing him.† There wasn't really anything I could respond with. I could hardly say, â€Å"It's not what you think,† because†¦well, it was exactly what he thought. Regardless of his role in Jerome's summoning, the fact remained that I had cheated on Dante, and I'd been caught. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said lamely, my hand still clutching Seth's tightly. He'd taken a step forward. He wasn't blocking me from Dante, but there was definitely a protective stance going on. â€Å"Yes, yes, I know.† Dante gave an exasperated sigh. â€Å"Damn it, Georgina. What does it take with you? I never gave you shit about your job. I was trying to make a good life for us. And yet†¦you still went back to him . As soon as you could fuck him without hurting him, you jumped right on it.† â€Å"Trying to make a good life†¦is that why you did all this?† I remembered Greg's comments about how anyone assisting a demon in this affair would be getting paid in concubines and TVs. In Dante's case, it had been much more basic. He'd simply been paid in money, enough to buy me jewelry and flowers and start talking about sharing a home with me. â€Å"Succubus, what else was I supposed to do?† He was still speaking to me in a mocking tone, but I could see the raw anguish on his features. It tore at my heart. â€Å"You can enslave kings and rock stars. There was no way you were going to stick with me forever, not where I was going. The palms barely pay the bills, and the window for when my spells could really pay off has passed.† â€Å"None of that mattered,† I said resolutely. â€Å"I would have stayed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yet, even as I spoke, I recognized the contradiction. So did Dante, as he gestured at a thus-far silent Seth. Seth seemed very intent on something. Dante rolled his eyes. â€Å"Yes. Clearly.† â€Å"I never wanted this†¦never wanted you to literally make deals with the devil.† â€Å"What did you expect from me? You know what I am. You got involved with me because you wanted to walk on the dark side. This deal was my biggest chance-the biggest payoff I was going to get for my power. She needed the best, and she could pay for my services.† â€Å"She†¦Grace.† Dante gave me a twisted smile. â€Å"I should have known you'd figured that part out too and had been sitting on it. Even when you trusted me†¦you still didn't really trust me. Maybe you aren't as oblivious as I thought. And when I got to your place and saw the atlas-well, that's when I knew I'd underestimated you. You're lucky Grace just sent me up here and didn't come herself. We might get you out of here alive after all.† Seth and I still stood close, close enough that when he spoke into my ear, he barely had to raise his voice at all. â€Å"The watch,† he breathed. â€Å"It's in the watch.† I had no time to process that further because suddenly, Seth broke from me and advanced on Dante. â€Å"Look, just leave her alone, okay? You caught her. She caught you. Call it even, and let us go.† I stared. It was uncharacteristically aggressive for him. â€Å"Even?† exclaimed Dante. â€Å"It is not even. I did what I did because I love her.† Seth's voice was level yet hard. â€Å"Love her? You got her caught up in that cult mess. You nearly got her killed by a demon.† Dante glowered and took a step toward Seth. â€Å"That wasn't supposed to happen. Jerome came up with the Canada thing on the fly. She wasn't supposed to be caught in the middle of this. The plan was for her to wait out the stasis like everyone else, and then return to normal once Grace was in power. Grace messed up when she told Nanette about her meddling, but then Grace made sure Nanette wouldn't fuck with her again. I worked to keep Georgina safe.† Cedric had told the truth. He really hadn't told Nanette about my theories; Grace had. â€Å"Yeah, you did a great job.† â€Å"It's not my fault!† yelled Dante. â€Å"Say what you want about me, my reasons were noble. Whereas hers†-he pointed at me-â€Å"were in keeping with the selfish little whore she's been her entire life.† And then†¦the unexpected truly happened. Seth sprang forward and punched Dante. I didn't know what was more surprising, that Seth would be so aggressive or that he could throw such a clean punch. He'd thrown himself at a mugger once, and while it had been wonderfully brave, it hadn't been nearly as precise or coordinated. I had no idea where he'd learned that. Dante appeared as startled as me. He staggered back from the blow and took a moment to recover. Then, with a snarl, he leapt toward Seth. Seth only partially dodged the blow-on purpose, it seemed-and fell back with the impact, causing both men to collapse to the ground. They grappled around a bit, trying to get leverage and blows in, and for a moment, I was too stunned by it all to react. Then, finally, Seth's words hit me. The watch . I hurried over to them, careful not to get hit by a flailing limb. Seth caught a glimpse of me and did his best to grab a hold of Dante's wrist and thrust it toward me. Dante kept squirming, however-I had a feeling he'd been in a few more fights in his life than Seth had-and increased his struggles once he realized what was happening. The watch. It made sense, really. Grace wore her part of the seal around her neck. Dante would want to keep his safe as well, and why not hidden in the only accessory that he-by his own admission-ever wore? At last, Seth managed to immobilize Dante's wrist just long enough for me to get my fingers under the watch's straps. I gave a hard jerk, using more strength than I thought possible, and the strap broke. The watch came away in my hand, and I scurried back as Dante yelled in rage. Seth eased up on restraining Dante, now that our goal was achieved. As soon as he was free, however, Dante came after me, and Seth shot up to catch a hold of him. I continued backing up, the watch clutched in my hand, until I hit something-or rather, someone. I turned and found myself staring into Grace's cold, hard eyes. Whereas Dante had seemed to appear out of nowhere, I knew Grace actually had. I froze, and behind me, the sounds of fighting stopped. I think the guys were just as surprised as me to see her-or maybe not. Dante had all but said he'd told Grace we were here. â€Å"Georgina,† she said. â€Å"You are such a good employee†¦and yet, you're also a bad one.† Her voice was as flat and emotionless as ever, except unlike in the past, I had a feeling she was actually planning to kill me now. â€Å"Why?† I asked, playing for time. â€Å"You had a good job under Jerome.† â€Å"Under being the operative word. I wasn't going to spend the rest of my existence as someone's second-in-command and certainly not their co-second-in-command.† â€Å"She has the seal,† I heard Dante say behind me. â€Å"I know she does,† Grace replied. â€Å"You gave it to her.† â€Å"Hey, I-â€Å" She raised her hand, and Dante screamed. Jerking my head around, I saw him writhing in pain, like he was suspended by strings that she controlled. After enduring Nanette's wrath, I knew how truly excruciating demonic torture was, and I couldn't stand to see anyone else go through that. Seth looked from me to Dante, clearly unsure what to do. Fistfights might be out of his comfort zone, though they were something he could do. But this? Totally different. â€Å"Let him go!† I said. As stupid as it was, I reached out and tried to shake her, but I would have had as much luck budging the huge glacial rock beside her. â€Å"I should never have relied on someone who was close to-â€Å" Her words were cut off when she suddenly went flying through the air, slamming into the rock. The impact seemed to surprise more than it hurt her, and mercifully, her torture of Dante stopped. She looked around, eyes wide and confused. â€Å"What the-â€Å" Roman materialized out of the air and strode toward her, fierce and frightening. Finally, I thought. Without my immortal senses, I couldn't feel his aura or signature, but something told me he was wielding a considerable chunk of his power as he advanced. Doing so was risky. It would make his identity known to any greater immortals nearby, though with all the drama in Seattle, there probably weren't any in the area to sense him. Cedric certainly wasn't around. Grace gave a sharp intake of breath. â€Å"You†¦I remember your signature.† That was all the warning she gave before fire streaked from her hands toward Roman. He didn't move or bat an eyelid, but the fire hit an invisible wall. It arced around him, leaving him unscathed. â€Å"Georgina,† he said, not taking his eyes off Grace. â€Å"The vessel's over by the north side of the stone's base.† I wasted no time in hurrying over to the spot he'd indicated. I heard Grace's outrage and caught her moving toward me in my periphery. But then, her anger turned to pain. Roman had blasted her with something, and her attention returned to him. My own attention was on the rocky ground as I began digging with my bare hands. In my zeal, I'd once again forgotten a spade. Seth was by my side in an instant, clawing at the sandy surface with me. Large, fat drops of rain began falling on us, but I didn't have time to care. â€Å"Who's stronger?† he asked as the sounds of fighting raged behind us. If Roman's appearance startled him, he was ignoring it for now. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. The ground was getting harder to dig in. It was damp and caked together from a recent rain, and I could feel it building up under my nails. â€Å"Roman can theoretically be as strong as Jerome, and I'm guessing she's less powerful than Jerome. I don't know for sure, and he might be holding back. The more power he uses, the more he alerts others that he's here.† My fingers hit something hard, and Seth and I both worked to pry it out. It was a wooden box, an old cigar case from the looks of it. I managed a good hold on it, and it began lifting out. â€Å"Here,† I said, pausing. I tossed him my purse and then immediately returned to my digging. â€Å"Get my phone. Look in the numbers, and you'll find Mei. Call her. Tell her where we're at.† The cigar box came up out of the earth. â€Å"You want me to call a demon?† he asked in shock. â€Å"We need her. Tell her where we're at. Then get away from here. Get in my car and go.† â€Å"Georgina-â€Å" â€Å"Go!† I shouted. Seth hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then got up and ran with my purse, keeping well away from the combatants. I didn't know if Mei would react to a call from a mortal. I didn't even know if she'd answer, nor did I know if she could be trusted. I was relying on instinct-and that na;ve hope about everyone's good side-that she and Grace weren't collaborating. Roman's scream caused me to look up sharply. He was on his back, Grace advancing. What looked like lightning crackled toward him, though just with the fire, it split away. Only, it got a lot closer to him than before. He was weakening. Frantically, I scraped sand off the cigar box. It looked deceptively easy to open, but when I attempted to pry the lid up, nothing happened. It wouldn't budge, and I knew no efforts of mine would make it happen. Turning to the watch I'd taken from Dante, I peered at it. The face was a pale brown marbleized pattern-one that easily blended in with the seal. It was an ingenious hiding spot. I smashed the watch against the cigar case, and on the third try, the glass cracked. I plucked away the pieces and tried to pull up the face. It was embedded firmly. Taking a small shard of the watch's surface, I slipped it under the seal's edge, and after a few moment's pressure, everything fell apart, and†¦there was no seal. I stared. Gears, watch hands, pieces of glass, and the face†¦but no seal. Seth had been certain. I had been certain. Dante had no other place on him that he would keep it. Carter had said it was possible that the summoner might hide the seal elsewhere, and if Dante had done that, we were screwed. â€Å"Fuc-â€Å" I cut my own profanity off and stared at my wrist, at the glittering watch winking up at me. No. Surely it wasn't this obvious. Dante had given me the watch before Jerome had been summoned, and then I'd lost it right around the time of the summoning. I'd blamed it on myself, but was it possible that Dante had actually briefly taken it back†¦? Jerking the watch off my wrist, I didn't hesitate to give it the same treatment as Dante's watch. It killed me to shatter that beautiful gold-and-glass piece of work, but when the filigree face popped out, I found a piece of smoky quartz that complemented Grace's. Dante needed more credit. He'd kept the seal close to him and hidden it where no one who was looking for it-i.e., me-would ever think to search. The seal was useless, though, without the other half. Looking up, I saw that Grace had her hand around Roman's neck and was lifting him off the ground. He was completely limp. I didn't quite understand, but something told me he'd completely shut off all his power. Why? It was suicide. I wanted to scream, to run over and save him, but there was nothing I could do. Her back was to me, but I could imagine the gleam in her eyes. â€Å"When I kill you,† she hissed, â€Å"my position will be secured.† Suddenly, she jerked her head back toward me. For a moment, I thought I'd attracted her attention, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking beside me, having sensed what I no longer could: the signature of another greater immortal. Mei stood there, hard and grim. I'd always considered her stone-faced, but the look she wore was truly terrifying, and I cringed. She and Grace locked gazes, and then a few seconds later, Grace flung Roman away. He landed with a hard thud and lay still for a moment. Then, he lifted his head and slowly began crawling across the sand toward me, every movement seeming to cause him agony. â€Å"You have seriously screwed things up,† said Mei. â€Å"I have improved my situation,† said Grace evenly. â€Å"And I can improve yours.† â€Å"I don't need your help-especially when I reveal that you were behind all this. The others will reward me. Jerome will reward me.† â€Å"You're an idiot! Do you want to spend the rest of eternity working for someone else?† â€Å"My time will come,† Mei returned smoothly. â€Å"And I'd rather work for him than you.† And without any more banter, they lunged at each other. It was a bizarre fight. Half of it seemed very human, complete with physical blows and grappling. At the same time, there was definitely a supernatural element to it, as they wielded the same kind of elements and invisible blows Grace and Roman had. The rain was pouring down, drenching both of them. With their abilities, they could have remained impervious, but they were too distracted by each other. Roman was still crawling toward me. Holding onto the seal and the box, I hesitantly moved to meet him half-way. â€Å"Can you open it?† I asked, handing him the box. His breathing was heavy and pained, but he gripped the box like I had and tried to pry the lid open. His fingers clenched the wood, and I saw exertion on his face, both of a physical and magical level. At last, he grimaced. â€Å"No. Not a greater immortal power I inherited.† I looked up at the demonesses. There was a slight shimmer around both of them. As the battle intensified, they were in danger of shifting to their true immortal forms, which would be bad for me to see. â€Å"Who's stronger?† I asked. â€Å"They're evenly matched,† said Roman, following my gaze. â€Å"Grace is a little worn down, though.† I hoped it would be enough. Hugging the box to my chest, I watched them fight, ready to look away if they totally shifted form. I'd always thought they had a hard sort of beauty, but now, it was all hardness and no beauty, and it wasn't difficult to see that under their human facades, they were truly demons of hell. I could also see what Roman meant about them being evenly matched. Each time one gained an advantage, the other took it back. Until, just when it seemed Grace might be getting the better of Mei, Mei suddenly came on full force with an attack of unseen blasts that caught Grace off-guard and made her stumble back. With inhuman speed, Mei reached forward and ripped the choker from Grace's neck. Equally fast, she threw it toward me and then turned back to block Grace, who seemed to realize the end was near. I grabbed hold of the necklace with trembling fingers and pulled off the crescent-shaped piece of the seal. I placed it next to Dante's half, unsure what to do, but as soon as they were close enough, they merged together into one whole disc. â€Å"Put it on the box,† said Roman. â€Å"Hurry.† I pressed the seal onto the box's top, and again, it seemed to know what to do, embedding itself in the wood's surface, almost like it melted. And with that, there seemed to be no other option. I opened the lid. The power that blasted out of it knocked both Roman and me backward, and at the same time, I felt a different sort of power snap into my body. The strings that bound my soul to Hell reattached. My immortal essence coursed through me, and with it, I felt all the other abilities Hell had granted me return. I felt strong. Charged. Invincible. My senses tuned back in to the unseen world, and the blast of powerful immortal auras filled the air. And there, in the rain, light and color slowly coalesced out of the box and into a man-shaped form. A few minutes later, it took on a completely human appearance. One that looked like John Cusack. Grace and Mei halted their attack, both staring. Carefully, hesitantly, Mei then took a few steps back. Jerome paid her no attention. He was focused on Grace. â€Å"Oh man,† I said softly. â€Å"You are so fucked.†

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Entrepreneurial and Small Business Management Assignment

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Management - Assignment Example This study will also highlight on the business planning process as well as the various risks attached to it. The feasibility study In this study, interviews were seen to be so important in the process. They present various opinions regarding the market as well as people’s attitudes towards utilization of advertisements on the social media. Interview in hotels The interview began with hotels, which we thought were our greatest targets. We interviewed thirty hotels across the region and we were keen to observe their advertisement techniques. One manager Mr. Rahul from the Auris plaza hotel informed us that they have often depended on the internet to perform their advertisement and marketing. He welcomed the idea and informed to get back after one week to allow for sufficient consultation. Another thing that Mr. Rahul informed us about was that the number of customers they received was not sufficient and they needed more improved means of attracting customers to their hotel. Othe r hotels that we visited for interviews like the Golden sands hotel apartments, the Grosvenor house and Ramada Reira among others all welcomed the idea of magazine advertisements and they expressed their willingness to adopt the idea. Most of these hotels complained of poor attendance my the locals and claimed that most of their customers came from abroad, the locals need to be aware of the services available in this hotels so as to offer them equal chances and remove the perception of these hotels being so expensive. Also on our survey and interview list were large businesses and companies. These included local supermarkets and other manufacturing concerns. Most of them welcomed the idea and accepted to invest in this marketing plan. Most companies according to our interviews did not utilize the advertisement tool effectively since they majored on exporting to already established markets. However, some companies expressed their dissatisfaction, for instance the horticultural compan ies expressed their great worries over the seasonal markets that existed in the industry. They said that the time they export most is when demand for their products arises, and this is mostly during functions like valentines and Ramadan and Chrismas celebrations when people buy and present one another with gifts. The idea of publishing their products on a local newspaper and advertising them to citizens locally was a good idea and could largely boost their market. Of all the companies, we interviewed, only three were adamant about using our advertisement means, and this was majorly due to security reasons that they could not expose so much of their company profile. The others accepted. One thing however, that most of these companies wanted was advertising for them at low cost and then later on increasing the rates when the project is picking at a high pace. The last group that we visited was the single businesspersons. Most of these were not ready to adopt the magazine advertisement system since they saw it as an extra expense on their side. Of the 20 businesses that we visited, only 8 welcomed the idea of using magazine to advertise their products. From the feasibility tests performed in the hotels, industries and the businesses, hotels are observed to be readily available to adopt this strategy despite a few others still not courageous enough to take the step. Companies too also

Astronomy and astrological studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Astronomy and astrological studies - Essay Example . Many were valuing an unknown future over facts of the past, and becoming more and more questioning. This curiosity led to wanting to understand the heavens and the stars more, which is why they developed astronomers. The first theory developed was the Ptolemaic Universe. This describes a motionless earth surrounded by nine spherical containers of a sort. The seven closest ones were seen as different heavenly bodies which were observable to humans. The eighth was thought to be filled with stars and the ninth was the one with the ability to produce and keep the rotation around earth. Beyond these spheres, separate from the universe or otherworldly, were the heavens. They believed the heavens were made out of matter that couldn’t be found on earth. This matter did not follow the rules of physics on earth and the other planets below the moon, which were not yet recognized for what they are. This theory was eventually rejected because it didn’t make sense because the other planets were clearly not making revolutions around the earth. They would appear to stop, slow down, or even change their course and go in the opposite direction. Religious astronomers fought to think of reasons for these movements, and their last conclusion was that each sphere was rotating around a fixed point which was rotating around earth.

LAN and WAN Hardware Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LAN and WAN Hardware Technology - Essay Example These two classifications are based on the distance that a network is designed to support for it various services. LANs are typically designed to share information and computer resources among equipments placed in closed vicinity, in a building or a particular premises whereas WAN is considered a network of multiple LANs that may be situated at long distances. These LANs and WANs employ different hardware technologies to ensure an efficient, robust and secure networking environment. This report will introduce hardware technologies used in each network environment. However, for the most part it will talk about Ethernet and Wireless hardware technologies. 2. LAN Hardware Technologies Local Area Networks typically connects devices placed in a building using Ethernet technologies. Ethernet network can have broadcast point-to-point or a mix of these transmission technologies. In point-to-point technology, devices commonly use Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cables to connect to a nearest sw itch or hub. a) UTP cables UTP cables consist of four pairs of twisted cables insulated with a thin plastic sheet. UTP cables are categorized as CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT6a (IEEE 802.3 2006) etc. standards of cables. CAT6a cables can support up to 10-gigabit data transfer rate in a LAN environment. UTP cables can transmit data up to a distance of 100 meters. A repeater, hub or switch can be used to enhance this maximum distance of UTP cables. A RJ-45 data connector at each end of a UTP cable connects it to various devices with a RJ-45 jack. All new building structures usually have special layouts of UTP cables running from each room to a central point known as Main Distribution Facility (MDF). (David, 507). b) Repeaters and Hubs There are three basic devices used to interconnect devices in an Ethernet network. Repeaters strengthen the transmission signal in order to carry it to a distance more than 100 meters. A hub connects devices in a network. It broadcast received signals to all devices connected to it. A hub also serves as a repeater. Repeaters and hubs are physical layer devices; physical layer is the first layer in OSI Reference model. (Null & Julia, 675). c) Switches Switch is an intelligent device used for point-to-point data transmissions. Switches operate at Data Link (layer-II) of OSI Reference Model. It can recognize distinctly various connect devices and can sends messages to only specific devices. There are switches that can operate at Network (Layer-III) of OSI Reference model. Layer-III switches can perform routing functions, which is not possible in a layer two switch. (Null & Julia, 675). d) Routers Routers are the most important hardware technology deployed in modern day networks. Router routes network traffic among various segments of a LAN or it may also be deployed in a WAN environment to route traffic among various LANs. A router is a layer-III device that can connect two different networks, which is not possible in case of a layer-II s witch. (Beasley, 194). e) Firewalls The growing and wide spread use of network technologies have instigated the need of more secure networks. Security of information means a security from internal and external threats of communication. Today, organizations have shared networks resources inside and outside of their own network and for obvious reasons want to

Physical Activity and Energy Pathways Coursework

Physical Activity and Energy Pathways - Coursework Example When I make healthy everyday exercise choices, I tend to make better food choices. Fruits and vegetables replace candy bars and chips in my diet when I am making better food choices. In my mind, I feel exercise should not be sabotaged by poor food choices. This affects my social activities as well. Instead of going to the movie with friends and family, I chose to do more physical activities. For example, I will go bowling or skating. I like to be more active. This is all due to my effort to walk a couple of miles a day. The three fitness activities in which I have been involved and in which I will describe Energy Pathways will be running, swimming, and tennis. The three Energy Pathways are ATP-CP, LA, and O2. ATP-CP can be defined as Adenosine Triphosphate which is a chemical compound formed with the energy released from food and stored in all cells, particularly muscles. The energy released by the breakdown of this compound can make the cells perform work. The breakdown of ATP produces energy and ADP. CP or Creatine Phosphate is a compound stored in the muscle, which when broken down aids in the manufacture of ATP. The combination of ADP and CP results in ATP. LA or Lactic Acid is a fatiguing metabolite of the lactic acid system caused by the incomplete breakdown of glucose. O2 is when in aerobic running ATP is produced from food mainly fat and sugar. This system produces ATP in abundance and is the prime energy source during endurance activities. When endurance running the Energy Pathways used are 10% ATP-CP and LA, which occurs in the first 1-45 seconds. The LA-O2 Energy Pathways are used 20% in the 45-120 seconds. The O2 is used 70% for the rest of the activity. During swimming the Energy Pathways used are 10% ATP-CP and LA, which occurs in the first 1-45 seconds. The LA-O2 Energy Pathways are used 20% in the 45-120 seconds.

Nursing practice and health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Nursing practice and health care - Essay Example Hospitals stays are becoming shorter with the average patient staying 6.1 days in the late 1990s for acute admittance, as compared to 11.3 days in the early 1970s (Department of Health, 2003a). The practices for the most ideal outcomes which enhance independent living are constantly evaluated as to their appropriateness to modern day living. The issue of discharge and its effects on patients is critical to discuss as most patients want to return to life as it was previous to their admission. Also, it is the post-modern aim of the NHS that service delivery focus on acute care which is unable to be provided efficiently by other health care service organizations. This paper will review the positive and negative impacts of hospital discharge on patients, their relatives, carers and health professionals. Secondly, local practices as experienced at placement at the Lewisham Hospital will be detailed. And the alignment of local practices with National Strategies will be identified. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesise the main points of the paper and demonstrate that decreasing in-hospital stays can have a positive effect on patients. The adult patient has many developmental tasks to meet, whatever their lifespan stage; young adult, middle adult or older adult. The health of the adult client occurs along a health-illness continuum. Many factors will affect adult health; genetic makeup, cognitive abilities and education level; ethnicity and cultural background; age, gender and developmental stage; lifestyle and environment; socio-economic background; geographic area; and their health promotion and maintenance (Brooker & Nichols, 2003; Hinchcliff, 2003). Obvious benefits to patients of shorter hospital stays include their savings as consumers of health care treatments and care, and that shorter stays are much preferred by patients in general. Clearly public and private savings on health care costs will occur due to shorter stays. Social costs for conditions such as Alzheimer's can be 4 times as expensive in nursing homes as compared to home care service provision (Henderson, 2002). With informal care, as experience d with family or carers, the monthly costs per patient in 1996 were almost $1, 549. In contrast, the more formal or professional setting of a nursing home incurred costs of approximately $3, 130. Also the formal costs in community settings averaged $ 683 as most of community costs are informal, being met by relatives and caregivers. So that 98% of formal costs were actually billed and payable. Figures were established by multiplying the hours of care by the hourly wage rate for home health aids and personal care attendants.A Swedish study, as reported in Henderson (2002), made comparisons between costs per patient per day for elderly patients according to 1995 values and exchange rates, across different health delivery settings (hospital, nursing home and in-home care). The costs ranged from 627 for hospitalization to 164 in nursing homes, to 0 within their own home with a carer or relative. The results of the Swedish study are echoed by the National Services Framework (DH, 2001a). It is important that the patient's need are met, that they be provided support to maximize their independence, and

Social Media and Banking Essay Example for Free

Social Media and Banking Essay Introduction Social media and banking do not seem to have a strong relation at the first look on the topic, but are indeed complexly related in today’s world with the continuous evolution of the banking sector and the huge impact of social media on the masses. While today many international banks are using social media as a connectivity and marketing tool with its customers, Indian banks are also not far behind. ICICI, one of Indias biggest banks, already boasts a Facebook app allowing clients to view their account details, check statements and upgrade their debit card, among other activities, but still maintains a cautious attitude to social media strategy. While there is no doubt that social media is all the rage amongst retail and advertisings sectors, it is yet to make major inroads in the financial services and banking sectors. A new report from Ovum, the technology arm of market analyst firm Datamonitor reveals that a majority of banks worldwide aren’t yet ready to embrace social media. Privacy and Data Security are two of the biggest hindrances to mass-scale social media adoption in the banking sector. Moreover, many banks do not think social media gives them an edge to engage customers. In fact, they believe that it’s a dangerous proposition which may compromise sensitive financial data .Startling as it may seem, the recent Ovum research indicates that 60 per cent of the world’s retail banks have no plans to use social media in the future. There are noticeable exceptions though – UK’s First Direct, Australia’s NAB, Wells Fargo in the US and Rabobank in the Netherlands have adopted social media as a communication channel. While American banks mostly rely on Twitter, Australia’s NAB used YouTube and Twitter to pacify disgruntled customers  after its online banking system fell over. And going by the encouraging response received so far, the move appears to be fetching the desired results. 14 per cent banks currently use social media as a marketing tool, with a further 12 per cent planning to use it to promote their business by the end of 2012. Some challenges which the sectors might face are as follows: The banking sector relies on sensitive financial data all the time. Though Facebook has made several changes to its privacy norms over the last couple of years, a lot more needs to be done in order to simplify who gets to see what information. Perhaps, a different set of privacy controls for banks and financial institutions would help. Given the current situation, it’s unsurprising that most banks prefer Twitter over Facebook as the former has virtually no privacy vulnerabilities. The Ovum report indicates that social media offers a massive untapped opportunity for financial institutions. Consumer confidence in the banking sector has hit an all-time low and a personal touch of social media would serve as a perfect shot in the arm to lift the struggling global financial industry. Before we plunge into this fast deepening relation between social media and banking, let us first understand some basic concepts about banking and social media separately. Banking Under the Central Government Act, Section 5(b) in The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (b) Banking means the accepting, for the purpose of lending or investment, of deposits of money from the public, repayable on demand or otherwise, and withdrawable by cheque, draft, order or otherwise; In general, a bank is a financial institution and a financial intermediary that accepts deposits and channels those deposits into lending activities, either directly by loaning or indirectly through capital markets. A bank connects customers who have capital deficits to customers with capital surpluses. Due to their influence within a financial system and an economy, banks are generally highly regulated in most countries. Most banks operate under a system known as fractional reserve banking where they hold only a small  reserve of the funds deposited and lend out the rest for profit. They are generally subject to minimum capital requirements which are based on an international set of capital standards, known as the Basel Accords. Standard activities Banks act as payment agents by conducting checking or current accounts for customers, paying checks drawn by customers on the bank, and collecting checks deposited to customers current accounts. Banks also enable customer payments via other payment methods such as Automated Clearing House (ACH), Wire transfers or telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, and automated teller machine (ATM). Banks borrow money by accepting funds deposited on current accounts, by accepting term deposits, and by issuing debt securities such as banknotes and bonds. Banks lend money by making advances to customers on current accounts, by making installment loans, and by investing in marketable debt securities and other forms of money lending. Banks provide different payment services, and a bank account is considered indispensable by most businesses and individuals. Non-banks that provide payment services such as remittance companies are normally not considered as an adequate substitute for a bank account. Products Retail banking * Checking account * Savings account * Money market account * Certificate of deposit (CD) * Individual retirement account (IRA) * Credit card * Debit card * Mortgage * Home equity loan * Mutual fund * Personal loan * Time deposits * ATM card * Current Accounts Business (or commercial/investment) banking * Business loan * Capital raising (Equity / Debt / Hybrids) * Mezzanine finance * Project finance * Revolving credit * Risk management (FX, interest rates, commodities, derivatives) * Term loan * Cash Management Services (Lock box, Remote Deposit Capture, Merchant Processing) Economic functions The economic functions of banks include: * Issue of money, in the form of banknotes and current accounts subject to check or payment at the customers order. These claims on banks can act as money because they are negotiable or repayable on demand, and hence valued at par. They are effectively transferable by mere delivery, in the case of banknotes, or by drawing a check that the payee may bank or cash. * Netting and settlement of payments – banks act as both collection and paying agents for customers, participating in interbank clearing and settlement systems to collect, present, be presented with, and pay payment instruments. This enables banks to economize on reserves held for settlement of payments, since inward and outward payments offset each other. It also enables the offsetting of payment flows between geographical areas, reducing the cost of settlement between them. * Credit intermediation – banks borrow and lend back-to-back on their own account as middle men. * Credit quality improvement – banks lend money to ordinary commercial and personal borrowers (ordinary credit quality), but are high quality borrowers. The improvement comes from diversification of the banks assets and capital  which provides a buffer to absorb losses without defaulting on its obligations. However, banknotes and deposits are generally unsecured; if the bank gets into difficulty and pledges assets as security, to raise the funding it needs to continue to operate, this puts the note holders and depositors in an economically subordinated position. * Asset liability mismatch/Maturity transformation – banks borrow more on demand debt and short term debt, but provide more long term loans. In other words, they borrow short and lend long. With a stronger credit quality than most other borrowers, banks can do this by aggregating issues (e.g. accepting deposits and issuing banknotes) and redemptions (e.g. withdrawals and redemption of banknotes), maintaining reserves of cash, investing in marketable securities that can be readily converted to cash if needed, and raising replacement funding as needed from various sources (e.g. wholesale cash markets and securities markets). * Money creation – whenever a bank gives out a loan in a fractional-reserve banking system, a new sum of virtual money is created. Laws Related To Banking In India 1.1.Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 1.2.Banking Regulation Act, 1949 1.3.Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881 1.4.Consumer Protection Act, 1986 1.5.Limitation Act, 1963 Social Media Social media employ web- and mobile-based technologies to support interactive dialogue and â€Å"introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities, and individuals.† Social media are social software which mediate human communication. When the technologies are in place, social media is ubiquitously accessible, and enabled by scalable communication techniques. In the year 2012, social media became one of the most powerful sources for news updates through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Classification of social media Social media technologies take on many different forms including magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. By applying a set of theories in the field of media research (social presence, media richness) and social processes (self-presentation, self-disclosure) Kaplan and Haenlein created a classification scheme in their Business Horizons (2010) article, with six different types of social media: collaborative projects (for example, Wikipedia), blogs and microblogs (for example, Twitter), content communities (for example, YouTube), social networking sites (for example, Facebook), virtual game worlds (e.g., World of Warcraft), and virtual social worlds (e.g. Second Life). Technologies include: blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing and voice over IP, to name a few. Many of these social media services can be integrated via social network aggregation platforms. Social media network websites include sites like Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and MySpace. Mobile social media Social media applications used on mobile devices are called mobile social media. In comparison to traditional social media running on computers, mobile social media display a higher location- and time-sensitivity. One can differentiate between four types of mobile social media applications, depending on whether the message takes account of the specific location of the user (location-sensitivity) and whether it is received and processed by the user instantaneously or with a time delay (time-sensitivity). * Space-timers (location and time sensitive): Exchange of messages with relevance for one specific location at one specific point-in time (e.g., Facebook Places; Foursquare) * Space-locators (only location sensitive): Exchange of messages, with relevance for one specific location, which are tagged to a certain place and read later by others (e.g., Yelp; Qype) * Quick-timers (only time sensitive): Transfer of traditional social media applications to mobile devices to increase immediacy (e.g., posting Twitter messages or Facebook status updates) * Slow-timers (neither location, nor time sensitive): Transfer of traditional social media applications to  mobile devices (for example, watching a YouTube video or reading a Wikipedia entry) Mobile social media can also be used on the go when one is not near a personal computer, lap-topetc. With all the new devices that are arriving at our finger tips, gadgets such as tablets, iPods, phones, and many other new products, there is no use for sitting at home using ones PC; mobile social media has made other sources of internet browsing obsolete, and allows users to write, respond, and browse in real-time. New media of social networking such as Instagram allows the world to interconnect and makes space and time much smaller. Instagram allows individuals to snap a photo wherever they may be and share it with the rest of the world instantly, delivering a social media site full of foreign accomplishments and strange scenarios. This feature was introduced by Facebook and other existing social media sites, Instagram is a recent addition to the social media scene, and has made picture sharing much easier. Mobile social media is a relatively new platform since it is contingent on m obile devices ability to access the Internet. There are various statistics that account for social media usage and effectiveness for individuals worldwide. Some of the most recent statistics are as follows: * Social networking now accounts for 22% of all time spent online in the US. * A total of 234 million people age 13 and older in the U.S. used mobile devices in December 2009. * Twitter processed more than one billion tweets in December 2009 and averages almost 40 million tweets per day. * Over 25% of U.S. Internet page views occurred at one of the top social networking sites in December 2009, up from 13.8% a year before. * Australia has some of the highest social media usage in the world. In usage of Facebook, Australia ranks highest, with over nine million users spending almost nine hours per month on the site. * The number of social media users age 65 and older grew 100 percent throughout 2010, so that one in four people in that age group are now part of a social networking site. * As of May 2012 Facebook has 901 million users. * Social media has overtaken pornography as the No. 1 activity on the web. * In June 2011, it was reported that iPhone applications hit one billion in nine months, and Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months. * If Facebook were a country it would be the worlds third largest in terms of population, larger even than the US. * In June 2011, it was also reported that U.S. Department of Education study revealed that online students out-performed those receiving face-to-face instruction. * YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. * In four minutes and 26 seconds 100+ hours of video will be uploaded to YouTube. * One in six higher education students are enrolled in an online curriculum. * In November 2011, it was reported Indians spend more time on social media than on any other activity on the Internet. A brief overview of Indian banks-Pictorial statistics Facebook Twitter The Why and How of Social Media w.r.t Banking Why Social media matters to Banks? Whether a bank’s ultimate goal is enhancing its brand, reducing costs, increasing customer satisfaction, boosting innovation ,or driving revenue ,social media can be a valuable pursuit. Enhancing the brand Social media can play an important role in differentiating brands and making them more relevant to consumers. Much of its power in this regard derives from the fact that in a consumer’s mind, the most credible spokesperson a company can have is a â€Å"person like me.† In fact, research shows that the number of people who trust such a hypothetical person more than they trust brands or organizations increases around the world each year. How can banks take advantage of â€Å"people like me?† American Express, for one, created OPEN Forum, an online community dedicated to connecting businesses with each other and providing valuable content to customers with which the company wants to have relationships. Today, OPEN Forum has more than 10,000  businesses involved, monthly traffic has reached as high as 1.5 million visits,5 and the majority of content is produced by the community. The result is a new touch point that drives brand affinity, provides American Express w ith an immense opportunity to create brand impressions, and gives the company a chance to be at the center of important conversations among its customers. Reducing Costs Social media can be a major contributor to banks’ ongoing cost reduction efforts, especially as they pertain to service, sales, and marketing. For instance, banks can use social media as a low-cost channel to distribute messages, host conversations, provide customer service, identify dissatisfied customers, and increase the impact and reach of traditional media efforts. Consider Bank of America, which was the first and largest bank in the world to use Twitter for customer service. The bank uses a dedicated Twitter page on which a wide variety of real people—with their actual photos— help customers solve their issues. User feedback reveals the sentiment among customers that receiving help through this page is easier and faster than traditional customer service. In addition to driving customer service costs down, the page creates brand impressions across consumers’ social graphs, thereby allowing other consumers to see the value of the channel for a variety of goals. The channel also can enhance the impact of marketing. Consider, for example, how Discover Bank recently created a Facebook identity for â€Å"Peggy,† a character from its popular series of TV ads. Today, that character is â€Å"liked† by nearly 9,000 consumers, and interacts with them several times a day. Such campaigns create millions of additional brand impressions inside of Facebook, as well as new opportunities for brands to interact with their customers in a low-cost format. Creating and improving innovation : Banks can use the channel to create better, more innovative products and services that reflect real-time consumer demand. Chase, for example, created an online community of mass-affluent consumers and tasked the group with designing a credit card purpose-built to their specific wants and needs. The result: its highly successful Chase Priority Club Rewards card. Chase also created a Community Giving program that allows consumers to direct the  bank’s donations to specific charities. As of this writing, that community had directed more than $5 million to 100 local charities. Through this initiative, Chase’s philanthropic entity is opening up its decision-making to crowds and involving millions of people in the process Increasing revenue While the use of social media to drive revenue within banks is still in its infancy, results from other industries further along the growth curve are encouraging. Avis, for example, has been able to use a variety of coordinated social me dia efforts to boost its sales by 9 percent—in a competitive, commoditized industry with flat or declining revenues. As an example of a more specific and successful effort, USAA, a financial services provider for members of the US armed forces, allows site visitors to rate products like auto insurance or home equity lines of credit and add a written review. In fact, USAA customers have added thousands of reviews to products, and consumers have responded strongly: In the first year of adding product reviews to the site, USAA claims incremental sales of over 15,000 products. This tactic clearly shows a direct impact on growth and demonstrates the value of â€Å"people like me.† In both cases, using social media to unlock increased revenue requires firms to focus on fundamentals. Providing service that customers want to talk about and delivering products that are worth recommending. Once those conditions exist, the chance of successfully using social media to drive revenue goes up exponentially. A uniquely challenging industry For many banks, all of the examples in the world are not enough to get off the starting blocks. Typical challenges include: †¢ External communications are strictly governed by a host of rules and regulations that limit what they can and cannot say. †¢ Banks must observe strict rules regarding consumers’ personal information and data security. †¢ Sanctioned employees, whether from customer service, marketing, or another functional group, must be knowledgeable about products, services, rules, and how to get things done within the bank—and they must be mature enough to make decisions and craft responses to difficult questions. Plus, all this must be done within the strict legal and regulatory framework that banks inhabit and occur within real time in order to be effective. For many banks, technology itself is a major concern when it comes to implementing a social  media strategy. Banks must identify and implement the tools they will need to be active in social networks, from simple listening platforms to sophisticated tools that enable the integration of social media with legacy CRM systems, customer service tools and workflows, reporting and record keeping requirements, and overall marketing analytics. Finally, some banks will need to overcome a lack of organizational structures and in-house talent to derive full business value from social media. More specifically, many banks may find they have to close talent gaps and bridge internal divisions between product-oriented teams, all while gaining senior leadership support for a company-wide approach to social media. This is no small task, especially given the fact that most senior leaders are not well-versed in social media. A path toward social media mastery While the preceding paints a picture of industry-wide challenges, there is a path that banks can use to begin their social media journey. It starts with gathering critical knowledge that will guide the development of their strategy and assure positive outcomes. To begin, banks must strive to understand what their customers, prospects, and competitors are discussing online, as well as the social technologies that seem most relevant. This includes developing profiles of how various customer segments actually use social technology and understanding the practical implications of those uses. For example, strategies for student loan customers may vary widely from those designed for private wealth management clients in areas of execution, content, and technology. Banks also must assess their current social media capabilities and activities: All too often there are separate, potentially conflicting social media initiatives under way, as well as underutilized technology, insights, and experie nce. Banks must begin to consider their collective presence versus that of individual lines of business. Consumers don’t make those distinctions, and neither should banks. It is critical for banks to get a firm grasp on what competitors are doing in the social media space, and where â€Å"white space† exists. Bank of America, American Express, and Chase all have done this with their respective social media efforts, but that does not mean no space is left to establish a presence. To find this space, banks have to ask two questions of themselves : What can we deliver to our customers that we don’t offer today, and how  will it provide them with value? Social media sponsors must critically review risk. Specifically, they must identify specific social media concerns, assess their likeliness, and establish processes to handle adverse events. Prior to involving senior management, it is necessary to have answers to these questions, examples of how others have navigated similar waters, and concrete ideas on the trade-offs between risk and reward. And as mentioned earlier, banks must establish clear business objectives and map them to specific areas in which social media can generate value. All of the above becomes a moot point if efforts are not driven by real business goals. By addressing each of the preceding areas, social media teams can build senior leadership support for and sponsorship of overall social media efforts. In Accenture’s experience, successful initiatives typically involve one or more executives with deep passion for and experience with technology and social media. It is crucial to find and engage these people and use their influence to open the eyes of the broader C-suite. Crafting a Social Media Strategy All of this work will prepare banks for the successful development and implementation of a comprehensive social media strategy. To be effective , such a strategy must encompass the following areas: Crafting the Vision: With an overarching framework in place, social media can be designed from the ground up , versus as a collection of disparate tactics .It also can focus on a specific segments and experiences, as well as on the necessary internal ‘piping’ to implement social media connections across channels. Indeed, every good customer experience is carefully designed and good social media experiences must follow suit. Defining and Measuring Success : A Bank’s Social media strategy must encompass well-defined metrics that reflect progress toward the bank’s business goals ( as defined in the vision). However, first and foremost , they must align with the same type of metrics that drive business today . For Example, a social media strategy focused on sales as an outcome should look at driving traffic from social media, converting that traffic into leads, and successfully cross-selling  and up-selling customers that are interacting across social media channels. In effect, viewing the efforts through the same eyes that traditional channels evaluate success. Governance: A social media strategy should include clear governance and effective organizational structures, whether that means establishing a dedicated social media center of excellence or appointing social media champions across the bank’s functional groups and/or product lines. Regardless of the specific measures or structures in place , the bank’s goal should be to support efficient , effective engagement in social media with the right skills, staff, and controls . this Structure must be nimble, include processes for iteration ,and have senior leadership included. Technology: Perhaps counter-intuitively, it is only when the vision, metrics , and organizational structures have been defined that the bank should start thinking about technologies and the tactics they dictate. Banks Should start with basic learning and listening platforms that allow them to â€Å"test the waters† and identify areas of potential engagement, and then progressively integrate that platform with existing CRM tools to achieve a single view of customers. Banks must also consider what technologies are appropriate for record keeping and adherence to the policy. Recognizing that not all starting points are the same: The level of Social Media experience that a bank has plays an important role while crafting a social media strategy. The scope of the social media strategy depends on the relative social media maturity of the bank. The strategy used by a bank that has significant experience in social media will differ in some aspects from the strategy used by a bank which is new to social media. Banks with less experience in Social Media: The social media strategy used by the banks with no or relatively less experience in social media should address the following questions: * They should pay attention to the scope in terms of the functional areas covered by the strategy, important business goals, and the business processes used to achieve those goals. * They should also focus on building engagement among key stakeholders and assessing their willingness to participate in the  initiative This is as much about creating an initial â€Å"coalition of the willing† as it is about telling a compelling story on how social media can positively impact business results. * They should also learn from lean on agency partners and others that have been through the fire before. Banks with significant experience in Social Media: The social media strategy used by the banks with significant experience in social media should address the following questions: * The Social media champions within these banks must know when it is time to seek help from inside and outside the firm. This is needed because the expanding range of social media analysis and reporting will begin to overwhelm marketing staff and merits the involvement of dedicated analytical and technical staff. * As these banks begin to expand the use of social media across product lines, they have to design governance models that can keep pace, as well as focus on integrating social media technologies with CRM systems to achieve a truly holistic view of cross-channel, multi-product customers. Successful Integration of Social Media into the Operations: Banks that have been successful in integrating social media into their operations often have grass-roots efforts to thank. These banks have passionate leaders who have led social media efforts for individual product or service lines. The key to moving beyond grass roots and getting the entire organization pulling in the same direction is actively engaging senior leadership. Only then will the full brand-building power of social media truly be realized. How banks use social media According to the survey conducted by MHP Communications amongst the heads of communications and public relations specialists at more than 35 global banks to gain an understanding into social media habits across the banking industry. In broad terms, use of social media is high with the majority of respondents (53%), using social media both in a private and a business capacity. 30% use social media outside of a work context and 3% for business purposes only. 15% of all respondents do not use social media at all, which is a high percentage given that social media generally sits under the communications department’s remit. Whilst social media has become a mainstream activity, it is notable that more respondents use social media  for personal means than in a business context. When looking at the purpose of social media, it is widely seen as a good source of information on what is happening in the media (75% of respondents). Interestingly it is less seen as a direct route to the customer, but more to communicate broadly and advertise products and solutions: More than two thirds say they use social media for communications and public relations purposes, whereas 42% use it for marketing and sales activities. Customer service is a key purpose for 25% only. In the retail banking sector social media has a more established footprint than in the investment banking world. This follows the logical conclusion that for customer service and customer engagement purposes the mass consumer market is appreciative of being able to communicate with banks through these new, yet very much established platforms. And banks are increasingly keen to appear more customer-friendly whilst tackling the image the sector has as consisting of traditional and staid organizations. In the investment banking world social media takes on a different purpose, and has even become a platform to be feared and avoided. It is also not seen as a traditional direct route to clients. This is changing however, and one senior PR manager commented that the bank’s trading desk recently received a client request for traders to be given access to Twitter to monitor and engage with client comments throughout the trading day. The use of social media within the internal communications function is relevant for around one third of respondents (36%) – which represents a vast untapped potential given the range of opportunities to share knowledge and information internally that social media creates. Free tools such as Yammer, Twitter with protected tweets or Google+ with individual circles make information available only to a selection of people, so they can be used to streamline internal communication processes. However, and this is a key problem for a heavily regulated industry such as the banking sector, social media platforms are provided by external third parties. Any shared data which is of a sensitive or confidential nature will in many cases be stored on the provider’s servers which may not provide sufficient protection or peace of mind for the banking sector. Most providers are based in the US where legislation may, under certain circumstances, require them to reveal their clients’ identities or other data. Also, social media platform providers are commercial operations and there is the risk that data is misused, misplaced  or falsely allocated. Many banks feel that sensitive data should only be stored and transmitted on their own infrastructure to ensure full compliance. At the same time, regulatory bodies such as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the UK aim to make social media more widely user-friendly for banks by publishing guidelines and recommendations. As a consequence there is a high level of insecurity as to what can and cannot be done. Despite these issues, social media is now seen as forming a strategic part of a communications program rather than representing solely a tactical activity, with 84% of banks now having a specific social media strategy. Nearly one third has started to execute a strategy, and 15% have a fully developed strategy in place. More than 40% are currently in the process of creating a strategy, and only 16% have not started thinking about or have decided not to have a social media strategy in place. A number of banks do have a social media strategy, but no defined goals for the strategy: 27% responded that they have not established specific goals for their social media strategy. Measuring the success of a social media program is perceived to be more complicated than for traditional PR which may explain why metrics and, in effect, goals remain vague.