The overcoat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The overcoat - Essay Example In reply to their witty statements, Akaky calmly retorts, â€Å"Leave me alone! Why do you insult me?† (Gogol, 2006, p. 5). Akaky maintains a very intimate relationship with his work as a civil servant. He keeps immersed in work all the time. He remains so busy in copying all the time, that everything else is non-existent for him in his life. He lives an empty life and cares only for work. He does not even take care of his personal hygiene. Prior to obtaining the overcoat, Akaky maintains an introverted image. He is essentially a person with no hope for materialistic success or socialization. Soon after he obtains the overcoat, his colleagues take notice of that and make compliments on the overcoat. This raises the self esteem of Akaky manifolds and changes his social life drastically. The overcoat lends Akaky a new identity that he can proudly carry in the social circle. This improves his relationship with peers and he becomes optimistic about his career and future. Therefore , buying a new overcoat turned out to be an extremely fateful decision for Akaky. Upon having his overcoat lost, Akaky approach a Very Important Person upon the advice of a fellow clerk that works in his department. In the story, The Most Important Person represents the people in power. Accordingly, his attitude is the portrayal of the way a common man is treated by those in power in the society.

Competition in Energy Drinks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competition in Energy Drinks - Case Study Example More consumers have developed preference for drinks other than carbonated drinks. The demand for alternative beverages in the US in 2009 contributed to the global demand considerably, with close to half of the demand for beverages coming from the US. Sales in the US made up 42.3% of the $40.2 billion in sales in 2009. The alternative beverage section changed the status-quo in the beverage industry, since it was, at the beginning, a unique product that offered better nutritional quality. The alternative beverage section of the beverage industry has unique economic characteristics too. To begin with, the growth of the segment depends on the purchasing power of the consumer. As more consumers become more economically empowered and their desire to have healthier lifestyles increases, they tend to switch from the carbonated drinks to the alternative beverages. Secondly, the alternative beverage section appeals to all age groups in the society (Christou & Vettas, 2003). Carbonated drinks are more associated with adults than school-going children because of the chemical components. Analysts in the industry project a decline in the sales figures for carbonated soft drinks and an increase in sales of sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea, energy drinks, bottled water, fruit juices, and vitamin-enhanced beverages among other types of alternative beverages, setting the ground for competition among companies producing alternative beverages. Competition in the beverage industry is considerably intense, with the established companies such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola facing stiff competition from other companies such as Redbull (Gerber, 2010). Other companies other than PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Redbull, with a 55% market share, dominate the larger share of the global market. In the United States, PepsiCo had the larger share at 47.8%, while the other companies had 31.5% of the total market share. Both