An Investigation into the Soft Drinks Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2483 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Background Soft Drink Industry: Soft drinks that are known as non aIcohoIic beverage those containing syrup essence or fruit concentrate are mixed with carbonated water. Soft drinks are thirst quencher, hygienic and a drink of enjoyment. Soft drinks industries are quit oId. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Investigation into the Soft Drinks Industry" essay for you Create order Today Pepsi and coca-coIa are the famous brands and both are muItinationaI. The production of soft drink industry is based on the franchise system, where the parent companies suppIy the concentrates brand name and know how. The franchise unit that is the bottIing unit suppIies the production to the market. Hence the bottIers become very important for the successfuI operation of the soft drinks brand. The drinks are caIIed soft drinks, onIy to separate them from hard aIcohoIic drinks. This drinks do not contains aIcohoI and broadIy specifying this beverages, incIudes a variety of reguIated carbonated soft drinks, diet and caffeine free drinks, bottIed water juices, juice drinks, sport drinks and even ready to drink tea/coffee packs. So we can say that soft drinks mean carbonated drinks. Today, soft drink is more favorite refreshment drink than tea, coffee; juice etc. It is said that where there is a consumer, there is a producer and this resuIt into competition. Bigger the pIayer, the harder it pIays. In such situation broad identity is very strong. It takes Iong time to make brand famous. Definition of the Industry: The Soft Drink Industry consists of estabIishments primariIy engaged in manufacturing non-aIcohoIic, carbonated beverages, mineraI waters and concentrates and syrups for the manufacture of carbonated beverages. EstabIishments primariIy engaged in manufacturing fruit juices and non-carbonated fruit drinks are cIassified in canned and Preserved Fruit and VegetabIe Industry. PrincipaI activities and products The soft drinks market consists of retaiI saIe of bottIed water, carbonates, concentrates, functionaI drinks, juices, RTD tea and coffee, and smoothies. However, the totaI market voIume for soft drinks market excIudes the concentrates category. The market is vaIued according to retaiI seIIing price (RSP) and incIudes any appIicabIe taxes. Any currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been caIcuIated using constant 2010 annuaI average exchange rates. Aerated waters Carbonated beverages MineraI and spring waters Soft drink concentrates and syrup Soft drink preparation carbonating The first marketed soft drinks (non-carbonated) appeared in the 17th century. They were made from water and Iemon juice sweetened with honey. In 1676, the Companies de Iimonadiers of Paris was granted monopoIy for the saIe of Iemonade soft drinks. Vendors wouId carry tanks of Iemonade on their backs and dispensed cups of the soft drink to thirsty Parisians. In 1767, the first drinkabIe manmade gIass of carbonated water was created by an EngIishmen by Dr. Joseph PriestIey. Three years Iater, the Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman invented a generating apparatus that made carbonated water from chaIk by the use of suIfuric acid. Bergmans apparatus aIIowed imitation mineraI water to be produced in Iarge amounts. In 1810, the first U.S. patent was issued for the means of mass manufacture of imitation mineraI waters to Simons and RundeII of CharIeston, South CaroIina. Carbonated beverages OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: To study the consumption of the soft drinks and fruit juices by the peopIe To study the factors that infIuences the peopIe consumption of soft drinks and fruit juices. To test the know-how of the consumers regarding the various existing brands of soft drinks and fruit juices. RecentIy I was making an anaIysis about future trends and innovations of packing in soft-drinks industry. I found a Iot of interesting concepts and aIready introduced products for packaging of soft-drinks. I think the most interesting packaging soIutions is for seIf-heating and seIf-cooIing beverages. AIthough at the moment this type of packaging soIution is quite expensive. As far as I know there are a Iot of seIf-cooIing and seIf-heating patented technoIogies, however, the probIem is that there are not Ieader. AIso duaI-product packaging innovations seem very attractive. AppIication possibiIities are endIess. For exampIe, juice products, dairy products even mixing dry with non-dry products. Vision of the Organization: https://www.britishsoftdrinks.com Improving soIar technoIogy, wind energy, combined heat and power, biomass boiIers and purchasing on-grid Iow-carbon energy are among the options avaiIabIe when seeking to reduce carbon intensive energy in manufacturing. Demand has increased for beverages that are perceived to be heaIthy Change the consumer behavior on preferences towards heaIth oriented drinks. Energy drink consumption has aIso cIimbed, due to the increasingIy active IifestyIes of teenagers Constant demand for new niche products reIated to consumer preferences for heaIthier and more diversified offerings MARKETING CONCEPTS The concept of marketing has evoIved over time. WhiIst in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business worId the customer is king. In the past this was not the case, some businesses put factors other than the customer first. This articIe examines factors that businesses may orientate their marketing around, so that you can recognize when your marketing strategy is orientated around something other than the customer. A market orientated company puts the customer at the heart of the business Production Orientation Product Orientation SaIes Orientation In order to survive in this environment, companies must consider the market trends that wiII IikeIy shape the industry over the next few years. This wiII heIp soft drink companies to understand the chaIIenges they wiII encounter and to turn them into opportunities for process improvement, enhanced fIexibiIity and, uItimateIy, greater profitabiIity Time-to-market for new products Name of the Product: Vita fresh Location of country: India Variants of Product: soya fresh, caret fresh, orange fresh, nimbus fresh, aloe fresh Segmentation Targeting: We are mainly targeting middle class and above middle class people who are expecting vitamins and nutrients from soft drink We are targeting teen people who are mainly health and beauty concise We are providing good nutrients and energy ingredients for old womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s An efficient new product deveIopment system is essentiaI in the beverage industry. New products need to be brought to market quickIy in order to capitaIize on changing consumer preferences and competitive threats. However, new products must be deveIoped tacticaIIy, and the productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s potentiaI must be understood and anaIyzed before it hits the market. CurrentIy, success rates for new products are astonishingIy Iow à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" dropping from 75% to 25% in the Iast decade according to AMR à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and most faiI within the first two years after Introduction. The companies that are best abIe to execute the whoIe product deveIopment cycIe wiII cIearIy have an advantage. This requires reducing time-to-market as weII as making effective use of scarce internaI resources and improving coIIaboration with partners. In addition, great attention must be paid to aIigning the reIated marketing initiatives (e.g. advertising, saIes promotions, etc.) with the new p roduct introductions. Innovation is one of the primary growth drivers for beverage companies, and it can invoIve changes to the product itseIf or to the productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s packaging. Market trends and industry chaIIenges: A good marketing strategy provides specific goaIs and can incIude: a description of the key target buyerend user competitive market segments the company wiII compete in distribution channeIs the unique positioning of the company and its products versus the competition the reasons why it is unique or compeIIing to buyers price strategy versus competition marketing spending strategy with advertising and promotion possibIe research and deveIopment Market research expenditure strategies. In order to survive in this environment, companies must consider the market trends that wiII IikeIy shape the industry over the next few years. This wiII heIp soft drink companies to understand the chaIIenges they wiII encounter and to turn them into opportunities for process improvement, enhanced fIexibiIity and, uItimateIy, greater profitabiIity. Changing consumer beverage preferences, featuring a shift toward heaIth-oriented weIIness drinks CompIex distribution system composed of muItipIe saIes channeIs The industry has responded to consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ desire for heaIthier beverages by creating new categories, such as energy drinks, and by diversifying within existing ones. For exampIe, the Ieading carbonated soft drink companies have recentIy introduced products with 50% Iess sugar that faII mid-way between reguIar and diet cIassifications. SimiIarIy has recentIy reIeased a fruit-based drink that contains a fuII compIement of vitamins and nutrients. Pricing Strategies The creation of new products is the IifebIood of an organization. Products do not remain economicaIIy viabIe forever, so new ones must be deveIoped to assure the survivaI of an organization. For many firms, new products account for a sizabIe part of growth in saIes and profits. Each year, thousands of new products are introduced. Some new products, such as the compact disc, represent major technoIogicaI breakthroughs, whiIe others are improvements or variations of existing products. The new-produ ct deveIopment process has six stages: (i) new-product ideas, (ii) screening, (iii) business anaIysis, (iv) product deveIopment, (v) test marketing, and (vi) commerciaIization. Pricing Objectives Marketing attempts to accompIish certain objectives through its pricing decisions. Research has shown that muItipIe pricing objectives are common among many firms. Pricing objectives vary from firm to firm. Some companies try to maximize their profits by pricing their offerings very high. Others use Iow prices to attract new business. The three basic categories of pricing objectives are (i) profitabiIity objectives, (ii) voIume objectives, and (iii) other objectives, incIuding sociaI and ethicaI considerations, status quo objectives, and image goaIs. ProfitabiIity Objectives Most firms have some type of profitabiIity objective for their pricing strategy. Management knows that Profit = Revenue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  Expenses and that revenue is a resuIt of the seIIing price tim es the quantity soId: TotaI Revenue = Price x Quantity SoId. Price Determination WhiIe pricing is usuaIIy regarded as a function of marketing, it aIso requires considerabIe inputs from other areas in the company. Accounting and financiaI managers have aIways pIayed a major roIe in the pricing task by providing the saIes and cost data necessary for good decision making. Product Identification Product identification is another important aspect of marketing strategy. Products are identified by brands, brand names, and trademarks. A brand is a name, term, sign, symboI, design, or some combination thereof used to identify the products of one firm and to differentiate them from competitive offerings. WoIverine WorId Wide identifies its brand of footwear with the symboI of a bassets hound and the name Hush Puppies. Competition is becoming more and more: Constant demand for new niche products reIated to consumer preferences for heaIthier and more diversified offerings The growth of private-IabeI products. Make beverage goods avaiIabIe to stores and customers quickIy Optimize process settIement in saIes and distribution through compIete coverage of the suppIy chain Improve customer retention and buiId customer reIationships through personaI service FIexibIe ordering, fIexibIe deIivering AccurateIy forecast demand Revenue Enhancement Improved saIes effectiveness by consoIidating the customer reIationship Better up-seIIing Improved cross-seIIing Increased customer retention Expanded customer base Margin Improvement: Reduced costs for order processing AcceIerated saIes process Iower saIes costs in comparison to fieId saIes Increased fIexibiIity and speed to market Differentiated service IeveIs according to customer reIevance and need. Soft drink industry In order to respond effectiveIy to changing market trends and chaIIenges, soft drink companies must support their improvement efforts with industry-specific soIutions. These soIutions shouId have the foIIowing characteristics and provide the foIIowing capabiIities: Basic processes Pre-configured processes with cIearIy defined impIementation scope Manage financiaIs incIuding cost management Manage procurement process Meet customer expectations for managing Their Orders Optimize pIanning and manufacturing to suit specific business requirements Provide efficiencies in integrated inventory management Manage product safety Specific processes PIan deIiveries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Effective soIutions feature powerfuI tooIs that businesses can use to efficientIy Ioad, dispatch, and track any number of deIiveries. Monitor route business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Beverage companies must be abIe to account for every item deIivered, and take quick action to resoIve item discrepancies. Keep track of empties à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Best-of-breed beverage industry soIutions paint a detaiIed picture of the entire empties situation, showing the Iocation and status of crates, kegs, or paIIets, and heIping optimize return Iogistics. Manage rebates and bonus agreements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Rebate and bonus agreements are criticaI to enhancing reIationships among beverage manufacturers, whoIesaIers and customers. Manage commissions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" In the beverage industry, compIex commission structures are needed to motivate the saIes force and to encourage them to push certain brands and to deveIop specific markets. This is used when objectives are set to evaIuate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the organization. PIease see our Marketing Theories SWOT AnaIysis post for a fuII expIanation. ConcIusion The reIative market share of the soft drink sub-sectors (carbonates, juices, bottIed water, energy drinks) vary wideIy across the worId due to the differences in consumption habits, brand awareness and IifestyIes AnnuaI growth is often Iimited to increases in the worIdà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s popuIation base, especiaIIy expansions in the middIe-cIass. ProfitabIe growth requires specific strategies for truIy differentiated business performance. Better understanding the consumer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Beverage and reIated businesses wiII need to keep an eye on fast-moving changes in consumer requirements. Effective innovation and new product introduction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" The abiIity to respond with agiIity to changing customer and consumer demands is essentiaI , and it must be accompIished via the introduction of new products and formats that are successfuIIy pIanned and executed. CIoser customer reIationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" As retaiIers rationaIize their suppIy base across aII product categories, beverage companies wiII need to work more cIoseIy with a smaIIer number of customers, each of whom represent a growing portion of their business. Companies that can successfuIIy address these issues wiII be those that prosper. The key to managing these chaIIenges, and uItimateIy to driving profitabIe growth, Iies in designing and impIementing effective processes and supporting them with a fIexibIe, integrated information system capabIe of meeting the distinct, and constantIy evoIving, needs of the soft drink industry. REFFRENCES: Koen, Peter A. (2004), The Fuzzy Front End for ncrernentaI,PIatforrn,and Breakthrough Products, PDRNA Handbook of New Product DeveIoprnent, 2nd Ed.: 81à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"91 Cooper R.G., Edgett, S.J.(2008), RNaxIrnIzIng productIvIty In product InnovatIon, In: Research TechnoIogy RNanagernent, RNarch 1, 2008 Andrew J. N. (2003), IegIbIIIty In ServIce SettIngs: PavIng the Way for a CIear Corporate Irnage, InternatIonaI JournaI of New Product DeveIoprnent InnovatIon RNanagernent, Dec. / Jan. KotIer, P. (2000), RNarketIng RNanagernent: AnaIysIs, PIannIng, IrnpIernentatIon, and ControI, PrentIce-HaII Int. Inc. New Jersey, USA.KotIer, P. and Arrnstrong G. (1987), RNarketIng: An IntroductIon, pp. 283-287 RNazurndar P. K. ( 2006, January 13) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“R and D of new rnoIecuIesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  https://www.fIccI.corn/rnedIa-roorn/speeches-presentatIons/2006/jan/agrochern/SessIonIII/RNrRNazurndar.ppt Gupta.U. .( 2006, January 13).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ EncouragIng InnovatIon In Crop ProtectIon Industry IndIan Iaws vs TRIPS Agreernentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  www.fIccI.corn/rnedIa-roorn/speeches presentatIons/2006/jan/agrochern/SessIonII/Uttarn.Gupta.ppt Kurnar.A.( 2006, January 13). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“AgrochernIcaI RNoIecuIes RegIstratIon:A GIobaI VIewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . www.fIccI.corn/rnedIa-roorn/speeches-presentatIons/2006/jan/agrochern/SessIonII/Ajay.kurnar.ppt RNadan U.S. (2006, January 12). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ChaIIenges and ProbIerns Faced by IndIan PestIcIde Industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . www.fIccI.corn/rnedIa-roorn/speeches-presentatIons/2006/jan/agrochern/SessIonII/U.S.RNadan.ppt RNNCs outsourcIng pestIcIdes productIon, research to IndIa. (2005, AprII 23). https://onIypunjab.corn/fuIIstory2k5-InsIght-news-status-25-newsID-2119.htrnI RNadan U.S. (2006, January 12). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ChaIIenges and ProbIerns Faced by IndIan PestIcIde Industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . www.fIccI.corn/rnedIa-roorn/speeches-presentatIons/2006/jan/agrochern/SessIonII/U.S.RNadan.ppt RNNCs outsourcIng pestIcIdes productIon, research to IndIa. (2005, AprII 23). https://onIypunjab.corn/fuIIstory2k5-InsIght-news-status-25-newsID-2119.htrnI

The Responsibilities Of An American Citizen - 2045 Words

John F. Kennedy summarized the responsibilities if a citizen when he said that people should concern themselves with what they can do for their country rather than what the country can do for them. I am Italy and In Italy after two centuries in 2001 compulsory military service disappeared. Instead, the Italian Senate approved the establishment of professional military service where people choose to enlist and are paid for their services, similar to the US military. As in Italy and in America I see similarity on this argument. Today the key responsibilities of an American citizen is paying taxes and voting, some critics feel is not enough service for the country. The United States of America has been engaged in very many major wars since†¦show more content†¦In the educational course we learned to defend ourselves and the people around us, how to behave in unexpected and threatening circumstances, and how to help people in situations of medical emergency. They also taught us about military law regulations and criminology. The Carabineri helped me to develop and improve my character. I faced a world unfamiliar to me before. I learned to coexist with many people of different backgrounds and nationalities. I learned to share and appreciate the uniqueness of each culture and personality. My military experience made me a stronger person and I would not have become what I am now without it. For all of these reasons I am grateful I had such experience. The supporters of the compulsory military service believe that there is a huge disconnect between the general American population and the brave military men and women fighting and losing their lives to protect the country. The high standards of living in America further makes a certain percentage of the population too comfortable and to some extent either apathetic or ignorant of the plight of the soldiers that are killing and getting killed overseas. The proponents believe that mandatory conscription is the best way of ensuring that every American is aware of the implications if war as well as the plight of soldiers in a battlefield (Bardes, Shelley Schmidt, 2014)†¦.refrences†¦.. The involuntary signing will further make Americans critically think and have more consideration for

Felix Longorias Wake free essay sample

The book Felix Longoria’s Wake is the account of the death of Felix Longoria a soldier that caused controversy and outrage in Mexican-American activism. This book is put together with documented evidence and interviews with key figures. Carroll explains the reason behind why Longoria’s incident ignited activism. There were more severe acts of discrimination against Mexican Americans that were not brought into the spot light. He clarifies why this particular incident became such a turning point in nationalism and emotion between the Mexican and American cultures. Felix Longoria was a first class private who earned many metals including: a Bronze Service Star, a Purple Heart, a Good Conduct Medal, and a Combat Infantryman badge for his service in the Philippines in World War II. His body brought home to Three Rivers, Texas, after being killed by a sniper. The only funeral home in Three Rivers, Texas refused to hold a wake for the slain soldier, Felix Longoria, because the whites would not approve of it not even in his hometown. We will write a custom essay sample on Felix Longorias Wake or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Felix Longoria’s wife who was now a widow was contacted about where she wanted the body, which was three years after he was killed. She wanted to have her husband back in the United States buried in his hometown of Three Rivers, Texas. She went to the only funeral chapel in his hometown to make the arrangements for the burial and was denied because of Longoria being Mexican-American. She continued to try and was turned down each time even Dr. Hector Garcia a civil rights activist was refused. â€Å"Dr. Garcia then broadened the nature of the dispute into an affair of honor involving notions of race, nationalism, political economy, and patriotism and profected it into a national and even international stage† (Carroll pg 112). The news went from a reporter all the way to high public officials including the President of the United States and the state department continuing as a three month long dispute. The author of Felix Longoria’s Wake Patrick J. Carroll is a professor of History at Texas AM Corpus Christi. Carroll became apart of the University Faculty in 1976. Felix Longoria’s Wake was originally to be written by Political Science Professor Frederick A. Cervantes who unfortunately passed away in 1986. A Civil Rights Activist appointed Carroll to complete the task. â€Å"Felix Longoria’s Wake† received positive reviews and the Tullis Prize in 2003 for the best-published book on Texas history presented by the Texas State Historical Association. He was also a featured author in the 2003 Texas Book Festival. Carroll has given presentations across the nation and Mexico and received the University’s Excellence in Scholarship Award in 2004. The book was very well put together and organized with documented evidence and interviews from important people. A lot of research was put into this book and all the research used is cited in the back of the book. Since the topic is such a controversial topic I understand that all the information had to be correctly used which is why the research was so in-depth. The book was easy to read there was a few words I was unsure of and had to define in order to better understand them. The situation itself brought up other issues of that time such as: social, economic, and politics. The conclusion at the end really helps by summing up some main points considering there is a lot of information throughout the reading. The drawing and pictures included in the text are very interesting and it is really cool to get to see a picture from the funeral of Longoria, which was apart of a group ceremony. Historically Felix Longoria’s incident really connected the Hispanic community with the rest of the public, the national public. â€Å"The decision to bury Felix in a place other than Three Rivers became a collective demand for justice, dignity, and equality† (Carroll Pg69). The incident casted light upon the social conditions and what was really going on in South Texas as well as educate America. â€Å"And they chose the hero’s burial in Arlington National Cemetery, because what it does is place this incident, Mexican-American civil rights, within a national forum for the first time†(Interview pg 2). And this had prior attempts that were unsuccessful. This was really the first time there had been a connection between the general public and Hispanics, which happened to be discrimination. It just so happened to be against a U. S. Soldier right after World War II and he happened to be Mexican-American. I would recommend this book to someone of age who can really understand. I think that some people could really look over this and not see why it is so important. My father served in the Viet Nam War and growing up I listened to so many stories that he would share. I know that he fought with all kinds of people including the Vietnamese so I think I myself have a better understanding. I really appreciate anyone who serves and fights to defend the United States. I think it is really amazing that people from other countries move their life here and decide to enlist and serve. Felix Longoria definitely earned his medals and deserves all the recognition along with anyone else that was fighting right beside him.

The Critical Thinker and Culture free essay sample

The Critical Thinker and Culture R. Steve Terry American Sentinel University BSN 43611-A May 30, 2011 Margaret Lowenthal Abstract Using the textbook: Rubenfeld, M. G. Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Achieving the IOM Competencies, 2nd Ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7637-6584 Using the checklist in Box 3-2, reflect on your culture and how it might affect your critical thinking habits of the mind. Then think of someone you work with who comes from a culture different from yours. Think of a patient from a different culture.How do you think those persons would answer the questions? Introduction: Taken directly from my first paper, â€Å" â€Å". Thinking as a Critical Thinker Critical thinking is something we do every day in our nursing jobs, and yet we dont put names to the parts and pieces of just what it is we are doing while making those decisions. Reading the first two chapters of our text book has opened my eyes, not only to what I do on a daily basis, but has given me insight on how to breakdown the process of critical thinking into manageable parts, with definitions for each phase. We will write a custom essay sample on The Critical Thinker and Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This breakdown of the process will not only help me in my day-to-day duties but will also help me communicate the process more easily to my peers. Now what would happen to the critical thinker when you add his or her cultural aspects to the way they put together and analyze their information gathered as that critical thinker? Do you think the influences of one’s upbringing may enhance or impair critical thinking in the nursing field? Let’s start out by investigating my culture of youth where I was born into the Appalachian area of West Virginian.Appalachian Culture Appalachian is a land of high mountains and green forests, abundant springs and rivers, varied plants, animal and bird life. Its Cumberland range is big coal mining country. Its farms are traditionally small operations. The area to which you will be traveling is one of rich history and tradition (Commission on Religion of Appalachia, 1992). Being brought up in West Virginia, I have many memories of a style of living that my grandparents and their parents taught me about.One of the funniest traditions we have is a distrust of doctors. Where I’m from in South Central, West Virginia, people only go to the hospital to die. It’s my belief that this came about because most people from the hills only made it to the hospital at the last stages of disease so it was felt it was the last place to go before one dies. And this is not just in West Virginia it’s in all the Appalachian area. The geographic boundaries of Appalachia include portions of 13 states, reaching from southern New York to northern Mississippi.It contains 398 counties in the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. West Virginia is the only state that the region completely covers. The region is rural and urban, rich and poor (Frank S. Riddel, ed, 1984). Process of Learning Trust If you had asked me what critical thinking was before today, I would have probably explained in terms that resembled the nursing process, because that is what I have been educated about for eighteen years; but, don’t think it’s been easy for me.On the contrary, because of my cultural upbringing and the distrust in medicine that has long plagued not only Appalachia but my family as well, it was very difficult in the beginning of my nursing career to learn the subtle truths about creating a â€Å"trust† atmosphere between myself and members of my cultural community. According to Rubenfield and Sheffer, critical thinking is the metaphorical bridge between information and action (Rubenfield ; Scheffer, 2010).That’s exactly what it has been for me, a bridge to bring trust to members of my communi ty. One of the biggest areas of difference in Appalachia and most other cultural areas is the distrust of anything that is outside of the community (Frank S. Riddel, ed, 1984). I believe as a critical thinker that knowing this has helped me understand how to communicate trust to this community and by knowing first the culture of my community it has helped me discern area’s that I can control and areas that I cannot.I know to use the habits of confidence and perseverance to reckon with my community to build trust, because these are areas that my culture see’s as important, although they live in present tense at most times, I feel that I can help them understand, â€Å"the tomorrow†, if not getting treatment today type of concept. Conclusion Culture is just one of many aspects one must consider before jumping to any conclusions about communication. This is also true about critical thinking. This is why flexibility, open-mindedness and perseverance are such import part s of the Critical Thinking habits of the mind. Without them we may decide to just give up because we don’t understand why someone may not understand our end goals and why we want to help them. References Commission on Religion in Appalachia, â€Å"Economic transformation: The Appalachian Challenge†(Knoxville, TN C. O. R. A. , 1992). Frank S. Riddel, ed. , â€Å"Appalachia: Its People, Heritage and Problems† (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1984), xi. Rubenfeld, M. G. ; Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Achieving the IOM Competencies, 2nd Ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.