Breadman TR444 Review

Breadman TR444
March 2, 2006

          The Breadman TR444 is a very useful small appliance for a family who likes bread or has special needs.  The Breadman TR444 is currently online available for sale online, since it is an older model.  This machine was bought for $74.99 in the 2001-2002 school years.  Currently bread makers sell for between $30 and $200.  This appliance does have some safety features; however, it is easy to get a burn just by touching it while it is making bread.  It will not allow itself to start up if the machine is too hot; however, the outside of it gets extremely hot.  There also is no latch or switch to keep the cover closed during baking.  The TR444 has a one-year limited warranty.  Obviously, the warranty is now expired since it was bought in 2001.  However, the warranty may have always been void since the Registration Card was never sent in to Breadman.  This appliance also has several nice features.  A Deluxe Rapid baking method is designed to bake bread in 60-minutes and is nice if you need bread quick.  There are also many different crust types available to allow for more consumer variety.  A nut and fruit cycle will notify the user when to add nuts or fruit into the dough, for optimum performance.  Easy controls and a LED display help the user in the selection process.  Bread machines take up a lot of room in storage; therefore, many users who use them frequently will just store it on a kitchen counter.  Cleaning on most bread makers is simply.  As the pan can be easily washed out and the inside of the appliance can be wiped down.  You cannot soak the pan in water for long periods, as it will erode the coating.  However, in this specific appliance, I had serious trouble with the pan.  It appears as if the pans non-stick surface has worn down, making it difficult to remove the bread.  In addition, the paddle in the pan is supposed to easily slide out inside the bread, but in this pan it is stuck, which also makes it tough to remove the bread.  The advantages of owning a bread maker are that the consumer can easily bake custom bread to their needs.  My aunt owns a bread maker and uses it every couple of days, because my uncle cannot eat anything with gluten in it.  The disadvantages of a bread machine are that they are loud during the kneading process.  I personally would not buy a bread maker, only because I am not that big of a fan of specialty breads.  I would however recommend a bread maker to those who enjoy different variety’s of bread.

Lays STAX Analysis

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS:

ECONOMY:

            The economy of the United States, or whatever country Stax are being sold in, does not contribute greatly to the sales of the product.  If the economy is good and people have more spending money, they most likely will not go out and buy more Stax.  However, they may buy two cans of different flavors instead of just one since they have a few extra dollars in their pockets.  If the economy is on a downward trend people may slowly start to purchase other, cheaper brands of potato chips instead of Stax, but this would only be in extremely downward trends.  Therefore, the economy does not greatly affect the chip industry since most American’s enjoy eating potato chips.

COMPETITION:

            The competition in the chip industry is very fierce.  Food company’s often are coming out with new flavors and styles of chips every year.  Frito-Lay is an example of this, as they saw Proctor & Gamble had virtually no competition, so they developed Stax.  The market of stackable chips is relatively new to Frito-Lay, as they debuted Stax several years ago into a new market.  Pringles are the only major competitor with Stax, as there are no other stackable chips on the market.  Torengos are also in competition with Stax and Pringles, as they are stacked chips but are not potato chips.  Torengos are tortilla chips, which are usually dipped, unlike the potato chips of Pringles and Stax.  Go Snacks are also a less popular canned chip.  Go Snacks consist of bite sized popular chips, such as Doritos.

MARKETING GOALS/EXPECTED OUTCOMES

            The marketing goal or expected outcome for the Frito-Lay, Lays Stax, product would be for their customers to chose their chips over anything else in that isle. Everyone knows how many choices of chips and junk food there are down that one isle, and Frito-Lay wants to be the choice you make. Lays Stax will offer its customers with a high quality distinct taste that everyone will enjoy. The main goal for the company is just to get people to buy their new product.

TARGET MARKET DESCRIPTION 

            The target market for the Frito-Lay company who sells Lays Stax would be a younger, on-the-go person. Possibly a college student who has the unique need of staying up late to study or do homework and chips are all he can afford. The company is not marketing to older people because not many older people even eat chips, hence the “young, on-the-go” Also the company markets to adults who cook, especially on their website, where the Frito-Lay company gives recipes and other ideas to use the chips. Because the Stax container is said to be crush resistant, portable, and re sealable it markets to the on-the-go person who is always late or just carry’s food with them, possible in the car. These people need something that will not fly open or roll away when they drive, and the Stax container does it. The main target market for the Lays Stax department is the young, on-the-go person who loves chips.

MARKETING MIX DESCRIPTION

Product:

            Lay’s Stax offers a new dimension to Frito-Lay’s already comprehensive product line.  Stax are available in six different flavors; BBQ, Cheddar, Monterey Pepper Jack, Original, Salt and Vinegar, and Sour Cream & Onion.  Each potato crisp is the same shape, which are curved downward on the ends.  This shape is also similar to Pringle’s chips, which is a main competitor.  Flavor on the chips is on the bottom of every chip which ensures each person who eats it tastes more flavor as it goes directly on the tongue.  Flashy portable containers which are re-sealable and crush-resistant contain the new salty treat.  The blue container with a yellow cap attracts consumers in the aisle ways of many stores, which influences impulse buying for the product. 

DISTRIBUTION:

            Unlike other chip brands, Stax can be found all over the United States.  All Frito-Lay products are distributed through PepsiCo, which puts its products all over the place.  Many organizations and businesses purchase products from either the Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo which provide much of the snack food products for their clients; such as schools, amusement parks, sports venues, and restaurants.  All of PepsiCo’s products, including Frito-Lay, can be found in monopolized markets where there is no competition.  This monopoly makes their products stand out and gives Stax a unique opportunity to overcome competitors.  Stax are also distributed throughout many stores in which monopolies are impossible.  However, Frito-Lay is allowing the consumer to find the closest store by providing a search on their website, www.fritolay.com.  This feature on the website lets a user enter their zip code, which then results the nearest stores that sell Lay’s Stax.  Included with each store are an address, telephone number, and the other products that store sells.  Frito-Lay knows that Stax can be found throughout the country; therefore they provide this search on their website in order to focus consumers on their products.

PRICING:

Making potato chips does not an expensive venture.  Lays Stax can be considered a more expensive potato chip because of its unique design and container.  The plastic container costs more to produce than a standard bag most chips are found in, plus the containers hold fewer chips it is cause for a higher price.  For one can of Stax of any flavor, it usually is around $1.50, while the main competitors, Pringles, are usually around or below $1.00.

PROMOTION:

          The Frito lay company has a vast number of promotion methods for their Lays Stax chips. The Stax from lays have been available for some time now and have produced many television commercials. Some of them feature celebrity appearances to help them attract attention. Other products of the company had their commercials aired during the widely viewed super bowl helped to promote the Frito lay name in the end it got their name out. This may have got people into the brand name and tried Stax due to brand loyalty. Lays also has a promotional game for the Stax that offers discounts to customers. The game requires you to go to their website and spin a roulette wheel with various prices on it. Whatever the ball lands on that is the discount you get then you can print out a receipt for the discount. There are a series of regulations that comply with the game. For example you need to be at least thirteen and a legal United States citizen. The website is a good promotional source for Stax as well. They offer information about the chip and the various flavors. It also talks about how the container is advertised to help the chips to stay whole and not break into a bunch of crumbs. The container is also advertised as a way to keep the chips fresh. 

Positioning Statement:

            Lays Stax provide a unique kind of chip and container to appeal to the “on-the-go” consumer.  Unlike chips in a regular bag, Stax are stacked in a tall container, which keep the chips from taking up a lot of space.  Stax also are portable to be ensure that family’s and friends will be able to enjoy good, quality chips wherever they may be, whether traveling, on a picnic, or sports games, Stax can be taken virtually anywhere without a bulky bag.

Action Plans:

          I. Activity: Although the Frito-Lay website is very user-friendly, it does not provide much actually information about the company. It does give a long, in depth history of the company, but no information on how it is doing now. We would change the website, so it would include more detailed company information instead of news and articles.

            Responsibility: The marketing and advertising directors/department would be in charge of rearranging the website to make it more informational. They would have to contact other informational departments to gather the information, such as the financial or accounting departments.

            Schedule: The directors of the marketing, accounting, and financial departments would have to meet to come up with some sort of schedule to work on the information for the new section of the website. Then they would have to work around a designers schedule to actually make the website outline.

            Budget: In order to have a useful and enjoyable website without spending too much money the company should spend no more than $9,000. This way they could update the information, add new information, a new section for the company information, and new graphics. This money should be spent for the production of the website only.

            Evaluation Procedures: We believe this new and updated website would help the company a significant amount. With more information, their customers will be able to understand and get to know the company better. There can be surveys or tests run to see how many people like this website better or how many more people check it out.

II. Activity: The Frito-Lay company has come up with an excellent container for the chips by its use of plastic instead of cardboard, but it is not big enough. Some people can barely get their hand in the container because is not wide enough. If the Frito-Lay company would widen the packaging of the Stax they would make their customers happier. 

Responsibility: The employees that work at the factory where the container production takes place would be responsibly for making the width on the containers bigger. The designers of the container would first give the factory workers new measurements, but then the responsibility would be with the employees who actually work in the factory.

Schedule: After the designers of the container produce the new measurements for the packaging, they would be sent to the factory to be put into action. Although this would have to follow the hours in which the factory employees were working. The schedule of this action plan would have to work around when the employees were there.

Evaluation Procedures: I believe if the containers of the Stax were made wider, the sales would go up and the Frito-Lay company would overall make more money. Especially if the company were to advertise the “wider container” on the label customers would more likely buy it to see how different it was. The company could also put out a survey on their newly remade website to see if customers felt the difference and how they liked it. This way the company can know if it needs to be bigger still or if they made it right.

III. Activity: As of right now the price to purchase one package of Lays Stax at a local grocery store is $1.59. A package of their competitors, Pringles, is about $1.00. The Frito-Lay company should lower the price of their product a bit to appeal to more customers.

Responsibility: The accounting and finance department would be charge of gathering the information to see how much the company can actually lower their price. These departments would then be responsible for making the price and contacting everyone who is a part of changing the prices at the stores.

Schedule: The departments of finance and accounting would have to gather the information necessary before they can make a new price, so they would have to work around when the information can be taken. After the price change is set they need to contact the stores and other so the departments would have to work around the schedules of anyone store or gas station etc. that they needed to in order to get their price change known.

Budget:

Evaluation Procedures: The company may lose money at first and then they lower their prices, but in the end we believe this would be better for the Frito-Lay company because right now customers are looking at the price of Pringles and the price of Stax and realizing how much cheaper it is for the Pringles. Before the company actually changes the price, they can take a survey of customers who purchase Pringles or Stax to see what they think it should cost. After the price change occurs, another survey can be taken to see how much more Stax are selling because of the price change.

 All Info from http://www.petroretail.net/npn/2004/0411_npn/0411ccss.asp

Sexual Predators in Condominiums

 Sexual Predators in Condominiums

 October 28, 2005

Sexual predators are a danger to society.  Over the years, laws have been passed to give communities more information on sexual offenders and predators to protect the communities in which they will reside.  This information is made available via websites that provide the location of sexual offenders.  County sheriff’s are also now required to notify those living within a close proximity to sexual predators.

            Condominium associations are groups of individually owned units in which the owner must also provide finances for common area upkeep.  Condominiums are governed by a set of rules known as deed restrictions, which consist of bylaws and amendments.  These rules are set forth to protect the association from decreased monetary values and to keep the association running smoothly. Although sexual predators have constitutional rights, some believe that they should not be allowed to live in condominiums in order to protect those already living within the association.  The law significantly changed after Megan Kanka was killed by a sexual predator.

Megan Kanka was a 7 year old child living in Hamilton Township, New Jersey.  Her parents, Richard and Maureen, were law abiding citizens who thought their children were safe in the community.  On July 29, 1994, Richard and Maureen realized their community was not as safe as they thought, as their daughter Megan disappeared.  Immediately local authorities were notified of her disappearance and quickly they learned an unnerving truth, three sex offenders lived across the street, in which authorities believed were somehow involved.  No one, not even Richard and Maureen Kanka, knew they lived just 30 yards from their front door.  Local authorities uncovered the past of Jesse Timmendequas, one of the sexual offenders living in the house.  Timmendequas was previously convicted of attempted sexual assault on a 5 year old girl and after release from jail was arrested again for attempted sexual assault and attempting to cause serious bodily injury to a 7 year old girl.  After his six year sentence at the Adult Treatment and Diagnostic Center, he moved across the street from Megan Kanka.  Twenty-four hours after Megan’s disappearance, Jesse confessed and started telling his story.  He lured Megan into his house by telling her he had a new puppy, but that it was too young to come outside yet.  Jesse took Megan into his bedroom and brutally raped and murdered her (McGraw).

Jesse Timmendequas was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.  Months after Megan’s death, the State of New Jersey adopted Megan’s Law, which required communities to be notified when high risk offenders were living near-by.  Several years later on May 17, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed Megan’s Law, which requires notification in all 50 states.  In Ohio, all sexual offenders are listed in an online database accessible to the public.  Only criminals labeled as sexual predators or habitual sexual offenders are required by law to register.  According to KlassKids Foundation for Children, the State of Ohio defines sexual predator as a sexually violent offense and habitual sexual offender as a person committing a sexually oriented offense more than once.  Condominiums can prevent sexual predators from living within the association.

The State of Ohio requires that all condominiums file a drawing with the county to define the land that will be a part of the condominium.  All land within the condominium has deed restrictions on the homes.  On each deed there are certain restrictions upon the owner; things that the owner can and can not do.  These deed restrictions allow the condominium to require owners to follow the rules.  As an example, condominiums require owners to pay a monthly maintenance fee that keeps the condominium looking nice and everything in working order.  If an owner decides not to pay a maintenance fee, then the condominium can evict the owner because of the deed restrictions in place.  These deed restrictions are designed to keep the condominium looking nice physically and protect the best interest of the community, not of the individual.  Individual rights give way to the best interest of the community in condominiums.

Deed restrictions can also prohibit owners from renting out their units, meaning people who rent their unit are not allowed.  As an example, a high school teacher tries to move into a condominium and rent a unit, the condominium could stop him, even though that person did nothing legally wrong.  Children can also be prohibited from condominiums, as some communities may not want to deal with the wear and tear that children put on facilities.  One such condominium is Avonbury Lakes in Avon Lake, right next to Costco.

Sexual predators move into condominiums for the easy access to children.  Many condominiums have common areas, such as a centrally located playground or pool.  Especially in high rise condominiums, a sexual predator can look out his window at a playground or pool looking for a child alone.  Many condominiums do not want this to happen, so they take precautionary measures by not allowing sexual predators in.  A 75% vote in a condominium can change the deed restrictions, which, if desired, can prevent a sexual predator from living within the community.

In the State of Ohio, when a homeowner is selling his house, he must complete a Real Property Disclosure Form, which is given to the buyer.  This form obtains information on all of the negative aspects of a property.  The seller must include information on any sexual predators living nearby.  The fear is that a sexual predator living nearby would lower the property value of a house.  Condominiums would like to keep property values as high as possible, which is another reason they do not want sexual predators living within the community.  Even condominiums with rules prohibiting children are also banning sexual predators in order to prevent property values from falling. 

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in 2003 that home values were not affected after a sexual predator moved into a neighborhood.  Even though property values did not decline over a five year period, residents were still not completely comfortable with the fact a sexual predator was living nearby.  The authorities placed a sexual predator in a residential area in Milwaukee.  After the placement, residents started to petition local officials to have the sexual predator removed.  Even the authorities who placed the sexual predator believe it would save everyone a lot of hassle of the city would change zoning laws allowing them to place criminals in commercial and industrial zones (Derus).  No matter where sexual predators will live, people will always be upset with their presence.

Condominiums argue that the whole goal of the community is to promote the best interest of the community, not of an individual.  This issue has been taken to court only once.  In 1998, Mulligan v. Panther Valley Property Owners Association was brought fourth to the New Jersey Superior Court.  The Panther Valley Property Owners Association passed an amendment which excluded sexual predators from living within the association.  Elinor Mulligan, the Plaintiff in the case, believed that this rule infringed on her right to freely transfer her property and would make it difficult to sell her home.  The court ruled with the Panther Valley Property Owners Association as the court believe her argument was not valid because New Jersey only had 80 sexual predators living within the state at the time and 8.6 million residents (Brennan 20-26).

The discrimination in housing on the basis of physical or mental disability is prohibited under the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988.  FHAA does not apply to people who would present a threat to the health or safety of others.  Since sexual predators are the most dangerous, as they are the most likely to re-offend, they would be a direct threat to the safety of children in a community (Brennan 20-26).

            Sexual predators have yet to take a stand against restrictions put in place for them and more restrictions are being put in place.  In North Canton, Ohio, City Council recently passed a law which prohibits sexual predators from living with 2,500 feet of select places.  These places are locations in which children frequent and include: schools, public parks or pools, library, and day-care centers ("North Canton Law Would Push Predators Even Farther Away").  Even though North Canton only has one sexual predator living within its city, it is one of the strictest laws of its kind in the country. 

Working Works Cited

Brennan, Molly. "Unclear and Present Danger." Common Ground Sept.-Oct. 2005: 20-26.

Derus, Michele, and Tom Held. "Home Values Not Hurt By Predators." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 7 June 2003. 14 Sept. 2005 <http://www.jsonline.com/homes/buy/jun03/146681.asp>.

McGraw, Seamus. "Suffer The Children: The Story of Megan's Law." Court TV's Crime Library. Court TV. 28 Sept. 2005 <http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/kanka/1.html?sect=2>.

KlassKids Foundation for Children. 28 Sept. 2005 <http://www.klaaskids.org/pg-legmeg.htm>.

"North Canton Law Would Push Predators Even Farther Away." The Plain Delaer 12 Oct. 2005. 12 Oct. 2005 <http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/iscri/1129113114243710.xml?iscri&coll=2>.

1. What is a condominium and how does one operate?

            A condominium is a form of property ownership.  Historically, owning property was about owning land and the home or other type of building was considered an improvement on the land.  A condominium, which is created under a specific section of the Ohio Revised Code (R.C. §5311), permits people to own a home, or unit, while sharing ownership of the land, or common elements.  The unit is typically defined as the interior space and the common elements are typically defined as the exterior structure of the unit including the foundation, roof, and siding, and all the land and any common recreational facilities, such as a pool or club house.

            A developer declares certain property to be a condominium by filing a “Declaration of Condominium Ownership.”  The developer also creates an association to operate the property.  By law, the developer must turn over control of the association to the owners after selling a certain percentage of units.  The owners elect representatives from amongst themselves to serve as a Board of Directors.

            The Board has the authority to operate the association in accordance with the Declaration, Bylaws, and R.C. §5311.   Generally, the Board is responsible for maintaining the common elements and enforcing the restrictions as established by the Declaration and Bylaws.  The Board has the authority to make most decisions without a vote of the owners, particularly with respect to maintaining the property and setting the budget for the common expenses.  The Board must get owner approval for certain actions, such as amending the Declaration and Bylaws.

            The owners are responsible for maintaining their units, paying their share of the common expenses and complying with the restrictions.  If an owner fails to pay the fees or violates a restriction, the Board may take legal action to protect the Association’s interests.

   

2. What are the current laws pertaining to sexual predators?

            Ohio, like many other states, adopted a version of New Jersey’s “Megan’s Law,” which was enacted in response to the rape and murder of a seven-year-old, Megan Kanka.  Ohio’s Law, Ohio Revised Code Section 2950, does not distinguish between sexual offenses against children or adults, but provides for notice to the community any time a sexual predator resides nearby.

            R.C. §2950 defines three classes of sex offenders:  sexual predators, habitual sex offenders, and sexually oriented offenders.  The most severe designation of “sexual predator” is prescribed when a defendant is convicted of or has pled guilty to committing a sexually oriented offense and is “likely to engage in the future in one or more sexual offenses.”  As a result, once released from jail, the convict must still register his/her residence with the county sheriff’s department.  In turn, the sheriff is required to notify neighbors within a prescribed area of the sexual predator’s residence.  Under certain circumstances, a court may also require the sheriff to notify neighbors of a habitual sex offender’s residence.

3. What can a condominium do to prevent sexual predators from moving

into their community?

            When the developer creates the condominium and files the Declaration of Condominium Ownership, he creates certain restrictions as to how the property may be used.  For example, some associations restrict the number or type of pets or prohibit them entirely.  The association, with the approval of owners representing at least 75% of the association, has the ability to amend the Declaration to add, delete, or modify the restrictions.  With the ability to establish restrictions on the property, the condominium association may amend its Declaration to prohibit sexual predators from moving into the condominium property.

            Because the law is so new, this type of restriction has not been tested in Ohio courts.  Similar restrictions have been upheld in other states, however, for the reason that an association’s interests in protecting resident safety and preserving home values outweigh the minimal impact the restriction would have on an owner’s ability to sell or lease his/her unit.  Furthermore, sexual predators are not a protected class (like race, creed, or color) under federal fair housing laws, so this type of restriction is not considered discrimination.

4. What can a condominium do if they discover a sexual predator is

already living in their community?

            A condominium association could still try to pass an amendment prohibiting sexual predators and then try to enforce the restriction retroactively.  Again, since sexual predators are not a protected class, there is a chance that the association would be successful, but a court will ultimately decide.

5. Do sexual predators affect the property value in a condominium if one

is living there?

            Yes.  Even if an owner does not disclose to a prospective buyer that a sexual predator is living within the community, the information is readily available through the sheriff’s online website.  Often, prospective buyers will search the website and avoid communities where sexual predators have listed their residences.  Current owners complain that their property values have fallen as a result.