Was Brutus A Tragic Hero - 772 Words

Do you believe that brutus was just a backstabbing friend, or really a tragic hero? Marcus Brutus from William Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, was a tragic hero in my opinion. I am going to try and convince you that he was and why he was a tragic hero in this essay. Brutus meets all of the criteria of a tragic hero. He is arguably the protagonist of the play; he has a fatal flaw that leads to his downfall, which he cannot recover from. He had good qualities like patriotism, and he was honorable. His tragic flaw was also one of his good qualities, he was honorable. He killed someone he loved for the good of his country. Brutus also killed himself for honor. In the following paragraphs I will be explaining all of this. My first point in this†¦show more content†¦Brutus was an honorable man. He died for his honor, and as I mentioned before, he killed Julius Caesar whom he loved for Rome. I believe that is very honorable. Brutus killed Julius Caesar. It was a selfless deed . He had no personal issues with Caesar. Brutus killed Caesar purely for the wellbeing of others. He even states that he doesn’t have a problem with caesar, â€Å"I would not, Cassius. Yet I love him well.†(Act 1. Scene 2), here he is responding to Cassius’s question, â€Å"Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so.†(Act 1. Scene 2). Cassius is asking if Brutus wants Caesar to be king, brutus does not think he is a good king but likes him as a person. Brutus killed himself for his honor. In the beginning he states, â€Å"For let the gods so speed me as I love The name of honor more than I fear death.† (Act 1. Scene 2). Brutus is saying that he would rather die than to have no honor. In the end of the play Brutus does kill himself. He does this so no one else can say that they killed him. He wants to keep his honor even in death. He asked a few of his friends to help but they wouldn’t. When he finally got someone to help him he said, â€Å"Farewell, good Strato. (runs on his sword) Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will. (dies)†(Act 5. Scene 5). He is saying that it is easier to kill himself than it was to kill Caesar. He knows he is going to get caught and killed anyway so he decides to kill himself. No one else can take credit forShow MoreRelatedDoes Brutus â€Å"Qualify† as a Tragic Hero?873 Words   |  4 PagesDoes Brutus â€Å"qualify† as a tragic hero? Marcus Brutus does qualify as the tragic hero in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. A tragic hero is a good or even great man and thus wins our sympathy causing catharsis. A tragic hero displays hamartia— the hero makes a mistake causing the downfall of his fortune. A tragic hero usually brings suffering and death to other characters, even a whole country. Finally, a tragic hero goes into a situation in which there is no gettingRead MoreJulius Caesar: Who is the Better Tragic Hero, Caesar or Brutus?1446 Words   |  6 PagesThe Search for the Perfect Hero In the world today people consider a hero to be someone like Superman or Spider-Man. In the dictionary a hero is considered or defined as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. Though a hero is thought to be free of mistakes they all have tragic flaws like everyone else. A tragic flaw is explained by Aristotle’s definition, which says that: a tragic hero as a character of great reputation and prosperity whoseRead More Marcus Brutus as Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essays735 Words   |  3 PagesMarcus Brutus as Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar      Ã‚   In many stories there is a tragic hero. The hero finds out about himself and the people around him in the story. In Shakespeares play, Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero. The play Julius Caesar is about politics and betrayal in ancient Rome. Brutus is part of the senate, which is below Caesar, who is soon to be crowned. The senate wants to overthrow Caesar to save Rome. To do this the senate has to get BrutusRead MoreEssay about Brutus: Tragic Hero in Julius Caesar815 Words   |  4 PagesB.C. Brutus, along with seven other conspirators, assassinate Caesar to prevent him from becoming king. The Romans then wage war with these conspirators, and all eight are either murdered, or commit suicide. At this point in the play, the audience realizes who the tragic hero is. A tragic hero is a character in a high social standing who causes his/her own downfall. The hero becomes enlightened of his/her mistakes, which causes the reader to feel sympathy for this person . Therefore, Brutus can beRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar919 Words   |  4 PagesWickingson HELA10, Hour 7 Mrs. Beren 8 December 2014 A hero has many attributes and characteristics that can both positively and negatively affect them. A hero can then be considered a tragic hero through the choices that eventually bring about their demise. At first glance, Caesar may appear to be the tragic hero, when the real tragedy actually lies in Brutus’s story in William Shakespeare s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. One tray a tragic hero must posses is that they are relatable. The play mayRead MoreMarcus Brutus as a Tragic Hero Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pages A tragic hero in Shakespearean literature is understood as a noble and heroic character who makes a series of bad decisions based on his bad judgment that leads to his downfall and eventually death. In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, the tragic hero is Marcus Brutus, a powerful Roman senator who joins a conspiracy to assassinate the Roman ruler, Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is a tragic hero because of his noble reputation, his moral personality, the cathartic experience that the audienceRead MoreMarcus Brutus as the Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar1267 Words   |  6 PagesBrutus as the Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Because of Shakespeares popularity among scholars and literary critics, his plays have been studied time after time. In the four hundred or so years since they were written, Shakespeares plays and other literary masterpieces have been categorized. Many of them, including Shakespeares portrayal of Julius Caesars murder and the resulting events for Rome and for Caesars conspirators, have been put into the tragedies category. AccordingRead MoreJulius Caesar and Other Shakespearian Tragedies810 Words   |  3 Pagesusually have a well-defined tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, a tragic hero is a character of high rank and nobility, exhibits a tragic flaw, and recognizes how his actions led to his eventual downfall. William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar incited a century old argument over who really deserves the title of â€Å"The Tragic Hero.† Many argue that Caesar is the tragic hero. However, I believe that Brutus should hold the title of tragic hero because he is a noble andRead MoreMarcus Brutus: The Tragic Hero Of Julius Ceasar972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.†(Aristotle). It should be noted that the Heroes downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free will, At times his death is seen as a waste of human potential. His death usually is not a pure loss, because it results in greater knowledge and awareness. In Julius Ceasar, William Shakespeare develops Marcus Brutus as the Tragic Hero whose ambition and naivety in his blind confidence in the nobility of man sparked guidanceRead More Brutus is the Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesBrutus is the Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeares play Julius Caesar is a tragic play, where the renowned Julius Caesar is on the brink of achieving total control and power by becoming emperor of the Roman Empire. Ironically enough, when he thinks he is one step away from pulling it off, his friends (most from the senate) decide to overthrow him, with Caesars most trusted friend, Marcus Brutus, acting as leader of the conspirators. Though the fall of Caesar from the most

Accounting Standards in China and Australia Free Essays

Until recently, China has used a set of accounting standards that were quite unique in their records.   These standards were the legacy of a socialist period in Chinese history and rather than keeping records of loss and profit for a corporation operating in China, they mainly concerned themselves with keeping track of all of the assets available to the corporation. By not keeping close tabs on the debts that a corporation owes, the accounting standards in China have long been considered lax by the outside world and have hindered international companies who wish to have headquarters in China. We will write a custom essay sample on Accounting Standards in China and Australia or any similar topic only for you Order Now For instance, a corporation in China with holdings internationally, such as in the United States, must create end of the year accounting reports using the Chinese Accounting Standards, another set using the International Accounting Standards, and a third using the North American Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, creating an overload of work and an extreme cost to the corporation. Recently the Finance Department of Chinese Government has begun a process which will translate the current Chinese accounting methods from their archaic status to where they will more closely mirror the International Accounting Standards which incorporate the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Previous to this decision to reform the way that Chinese corporations report their accounts, the Chinese system involved simply classification of ownership, industry, and government, giving companies an extreme amount of leeway in the ways in which they conducted business.   Now the Chinese government has instituted that each corporation must keep track of all debits and credits, report manufacturing costs as well as capital maintenance, and provide yearly financial statements. The first true accounting standards in China were implemented in 1997 and changes continue to be made to bring the country’s financial practices up to date.   Currently this transformation is still in progress, so any foreign company with a subsidiary in China must still comply with not only their country’s accounting practices but also with the Chinese straight line accounting practices which allow for a much slower depreciation of capitalized assets. For those wishing to not use the straight line method, the only way to use an accelerated accounting method with regards to Chinese holdings is to receive explicit permission from the Ministry of Finance.   Another difference in Chinese accounting methods is the difference in tax deductibility. For instance, China charges significant tax charges on intercompany transactions and treats transfer pricing of the upmost importance in order to receive a large cut of international taxes.   Incorrect interpretation of Chinese tax laws can lead to severe fines for corporations. In Australia, the corporate accounting practices previously used have also come under fire in previous years for being widely different from internationally accepted accounting standards.   In response, Australia began to work the internationally accepted accounting principles into their current system, effective January 1, 2000, and have also developed the Financial Reporting Council which is responsible for overseeing the accounting practices of both   public and private corporations operating in Australia. The previously lax Australian reporting standards which did not require corporations to conform to one specific type of accounting practices nor give stringent guidelines in so far as what reports were required by the government are being phased out by the International accounting standards which allow Australia to develop along with the global economy. Australia has also instituted an Australian Accounting Standards Boards to periodically re-evaluate corporate accounting practices in Australia as well as enforce the new standards being phased in.   Australia is working to harmonize their standards with those of the International Accounting Standards Committee and is also a part of the G4+1 global group which monitors the setting of international accounting standards. Works Cited Australian Government. (2009, May 5). Australian Accounting Standards Board. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from Australian Accounting Standards Board: http://www.aasb.com.au/Home.aspx China Accounting Standards. (2007, February 15). Retrieved May 5, 2009, from China Orbit: http://www.chinaorbit.com/china-economy/chinese-accounting-standards.html Lehman Brown. (2009, February 12). Chinese Accounting FAQ. Retrieved 5 May, 2009, from Lehman Brown: http://www.lehmanbrown.com/FAQ-Acc.htm Queensland University of Technology. (2008, June 15). Accounting Standards. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from Queensland University of Technology Library: http://www.library.qut.edu.au/learn/type/accountingstandards.jsp    How to cite Accounting Standards in China and Australia, Papers

Oil Industry Essay Example For Students

Oil Industry Essay The oil industry can not be discussed without mentioning the name John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller changed the business of oil distribution. In the 19th century Rockefeller began his humble beginnings with a small investment, along with two other partners, in the oil refining business. Eventually Rockefeller upset at the direction of the company bought out his partners. He was now buying into refining and developing kerosene and other petroleum-based products. He later named this company The Standard Oil Company which by 1872 nearly owned all the oil refineries in Cleveland. In 1882, Rockefeller took all his holdings and merged them into the Standard Oil Trust. Through smart business practices and some deception, Rockefeller was able to control three-fourths of the petroleum industry by the 1900’s. After his retirement the company faced problems. (Rockefeller archive) The U.S. government believed that the Standard Oil Trust was a monopoly and ordered its breakup much like the process that is taking place today with Microsoft. With the government eventually breaking up the trust into thirty-eight companies, the world of petroleum products was about to change. Few companies could survive. They lacked focus and sustainability, basically they needed a strategic plan. When first broken up the companies needed to sever from their Standard ties while remaining a brand name that people recognized. With so much competition one company had to find an edge over the other. They needed to be the low-cost leader in the industry. Out of this struggle is where three of the biggest oil companies emerged. They are Exxon, Mobil and Chevron. With the breakup of the Standard Oil Trust also came a great opportunity for a foreign company to compete. Though Europe was battling some of the same problems that Standard Oil had, a few companies were able to break into the U.S market. Though it took many years to get in British Petroleum was able to start with a selective group of stations and build from there. BP, Chevron, and Exxon Mobile today make up three of the biggest in the oil industry. (Chevron Official Website)These three companies have all been created by many purchases and mergers over the last hundred years and must be described to have a better understanding. It was the demand for low oil prices, convenience, and superior quality that led to the companies tremendous growth in the last century. Out of the Standard Oil Trust breakup came two companies named Standard Oil of New Jersey and Standard Oil of New York otherwise known as Sonoco. Since they were not allowed to use the Standard name in territories given to the other breakup companies they had to change the name of their brand. They would market their gas under the name Esso and Mobilgas with the Standard label still displayed on their signs. With this increased competition Jersey Standard and Socony were forced to focus on quality and a low cost. To achieve this low cost they purchased interests in overseas oil mostly in the Middle East. Both these companies also were able to compete in overseas markets in Europe and Asia. With the take off of the car, the gasoline industry was booming. Both suffered from fierce competition. However Jersey and Socony had a greater ability to build up their resources. They used their interests in the Middle East to become a low cost producer as well as increase production with pipelin es and expansion. (ExxonMobil Official Website) Jersey Standard realized early on to stay in this industry it was going to have to be competitive in every market. They built the company up through mergers and large acquisitions. They bought over fifty percent interests in a competitor named Humble Oil, a Texas company. This increased their contacts with suppliers because Humble had a series of pipelines and was a huge transporter of oil. They also had many oil refineries in Texas. Socony was able to merge with an original Standard Oil Trust company named Vacuum. This helped their brand because it was able to not only merge with a competitor but lessen the number of companies using the Standard name. They marketed their Mobilgas in Vacuum properties and the brand symbol became the red wing horse. Both companies struggled in distribution. They both had plenty of interests in oil fields outside the U.S. but very few markets there. Jersey and Sucony decided on a fifty- fifty joint venture in about fifty countries. This marked the first time these companies worked together since the days of the Standard Oil Trust. By 1935 though expansion abroad was decreasing with the rise of WWII. The companies were forced to focus on supplying the Allied war effort. Jersey Standard focused on differentiating itself with their new technology of boosting fuel octane. With the ability to test such technologies in the military the Jersey Company was able to grow at a rapid rate. These technologies were introduced to the market at a tremendous success. This increased the revenues at Jersey, which also increased their reputation as being a quality brand. They were selling their gas at a lower cost then any other competitor with their new technologies. Jersey started advertising on TV for the first t ime. They developed a mascot that was to been seen at every Jersey/Esso station around the world. This mascot was a tiger. People were able to identify the Jersey/Esso name by the tiger for the first time. They achieved brand recognition. Socony achieved technological success too as well. They created new synthetic lubricants. These technologies help them increase their product line. They now had something other competitors didn’t have. Socony focused on their new products to achieve a cost advantage. They had achieved product differences from their competitor while discovering brand identity. Sucony started using their mascot on more advertisements. The red winged horse soon would identify them. After the war the companies focused on their foreign markets more. In addition, they started finding new ways to use oil and oil BI-products. Both companies developed chemicals with new technologies. Socony created a chemical company called Mobil Chemical Company in 1963. With this new company Sucony became the first to produce such products. This gave them low costs to establishing the brand since they were first. Jersey was not far behind with their chemical company in 1965, the Exxon Chemical Company. Both chemical companies dealt with such products as olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and process fluids. They both had manufacturing locations in several countries, which increased their buyer power, and they were able to be closer to some of their suppliers. In 1966 the Socony-Vaccum Company changed its name to Mobil Oil Co. and Mobil Oil become its wholly owned subsidiary. Jersey followed suit with the change of their name in 1972 to Exxon in the U.S. and foreign markets to Esso. W ith the change of their name both companies where able to tie all the mergers and acquisitions under one name. This in turn would help their brand identity. (ExxonMobil Official Website)In the 1970’s came the oil embargo of Iran. This rocked Exxon and Mobil with rocketed prices and disruption in the companies’ suppliers. Also the companies were not free to develop new products to maintain their competitive advantage. Mobil and Exxon were forced to look for other oil opportunities around the world. They found new oil developments in the Gulf of Mexico as well as Africa and Asia. At the end of the embargo and the decade oil was in surplus. Both companies competed with very low costs to the consumer. They both would continue to compete against each other with very low prices. Competitiveness was worldwide now and new costs were arising with expansion. Exxon and Mobil used their new profits to continue to market new products and extend into high growth areas. Today the oil industry has changed rapidly to only a few companies. To compete in the markets Exxon and Mobil decided to merge with each other and become the number one oil company in 1998. Both companies’ had massive supplies of oil interests around the world along with its hundreds of markets across the world. They became the number one low cost producers in the world today. ExxonMobil accomplished this by having the most suppliers, the ability to save cost by merging their similar departments together, faster delivery time, and the focus on providing the customer with quality, efficient, low price products. Overall ExxonMobil has shown to have powerful strategies and commands the lead in market share in the oil industry. With the new merger ExxonMobil revenue is over 35 billion dollars more then its closest competitor. ExxonMobil has a net income of almost 8 billion dollars in 1999. Though they have had a decrease from a year ago in income they have determined it has come from the rise in crude oil prices. This has little affect on the future, as more then likely crude oil will eventually fall. (ExxonMobil Official Website)The Chevron Co. also is a company broken off of the Standard Oil Company. Chevron started out as the Standard Oil Company of California or Socal. Socal was the first oil refining company to have a gas station. They made it so customers no longer had to service their car with buckets of gasoline from a dry goods store. Socal developed large tanks of gas with a garden hose to fill your tank. They were also the first to use a rain-blocking canopy, which was the first example of customer amenity. (Chevron Official Website) With increased business, profits took off. More stations where built across the U.S. Today there stands over 200,000 stations in the U.S. alone. In 1926 Socal merged with Pacific Oil Company to increase market growth. With the merger Socal increased its competitiveness with other companies. Socal used the new capital from the mer ger to establish Bahrain Petroleum Company where they struck oil in 1932. They also invested in oil discoveries in Saudi Arabia. By 1936 Socal was ready to invest in other parts of the world. But they needed help from a competitor. They ventured into a partnership with Texaco, which brought in new markets in Asia, Africa and Europe. Still looking to stay competitive in the oil industry they continued expansion in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea after WWII. Through mergers Socal reached across the U.S. and established new markets competing against former Standard Oil Trust companies including Socony and Jersey. Socal marketed with the Standard name in its territories but used Chevron name in new acquisitions. (Chevron Official Website) Along the way Socal started to distinguish itself from the rest of the competition. They started adding gardens or fruit markets to attract more customers. They added vending machines to keep the customers occupied while filling up. It took over 8 minutes to fill a tank back then. They also provided customers content by washing their windows, checking their oil and maybe even cranking their engine. Eventually their competition caught on and started to duplicate the Socal ideasWith new technologies Socal increased its brand identity and lowered its costs in many markets. Socal later was concerned of not having many markets on northeast side of the U.S. coast. So in 1984 Socal bought Gulf Corp. and restructured. Out of the restructuring Socal decided to change all their markets to the Chevron name. Markets where Chevron and Gulf competed where sold to BP. Most of these markets are in the southeast. (Chevron Official Website) With the new name and increased market growth Chevron lowered their costs. They gained new suppliers through the acquisitions and have been able to have a competitive advantage with their focus in the northeast. Chevron over the years has moved into over twenty-five countries. Many of these countries are w here they have their suppliers. They have used these suppliers to supply them with low cost oil, which in turn has provided them the ability to offer their customers low prices. However, Chevron was late in getting into the international market place and does not have as many markets as leader ExxonMobil. Chevron has struggled over the years to compete with Exxon and Mobil and with their merger they faced trouble. Chevron knew in order to survive, they were going to have to find away to stay competitive. In 1999 they started talks with rival Texaco about plans for a merger. Today they have come to an agreement to merge and are on their way to a post merger company. This merger could be right in time. Chevron though not failing is clearly suffering in the last few years. It is unable to gain market share on ExxonMobil. They have been out sold the last two years buy over 60 billion each year. Their profits are still high but they have been unable to compete with the giant ExxonMobil. Until this merger is complete we have little fact that shows Chevron will ever be able to compete with ExxonMobil. They are by all means stuck in the middle. They lack the focus or the market share to compete in today’s oil industry. If they plan at making a run at ExxonMobil they will need this merger with Texaco to give it some life. British Petroleum or BP, based out of Britain, is one of the leading oil and petrochemical companies in the world. A guy named William Knox D’Arcy who had invested in oil interests in Iran at the turn of the century created BP. With little skilled workers and working in a country with out a strong government he was faced with many difficulties. It took D’Arcy over 8 years to eventually find oil in Iran. (BP Official Website) This was the beginning of oil exploration in the Middle East. By 1917 D’Arcy was retired and replaced by Charles Greenway as head of the company. Under Greenway BP avoided falling under the dominance of the Royal Dutch-Shell Co. But to stay competitive Greenway needed to find new capital and new markets to distribute its oil. Their first big customer was the Royal Navy. The government injected much needed capital into the company. The increase was huge, as the British government would enter WWI and later WWII. Between the two wars BP was able to grow with huge success. They marketed by new methods, which included roadside gas stations instead of cans of gas. They also entered into supplying gasoline for airplanes and massive ships. (BP Official Website) BP ended up exploring Canada, Africa and Europe looking for new oil and building new refineries. When Greenway retired in 1923 he released his main strategic goal. He wanted to establish BP as the worlds largest Oil Company but not only in gasoline and oil but also with presence in every phase of oil production. (BP Corp. Annual Report, 1999) From this, new products were developed and new chemicals were made. After the war the companies sales and profits had risen tremendously as well as employment and capital expenditure. They also had the largest oil refinery in the world and Iran was the leading oil producing Middle East country. Animal Cruelty leads to Human EssayToday when you go to the service station you can get your windows washed, pick up a drink or snack, or play the lottery. They have made it a one-stop shop. Exxon has expanded its TigerMarkets worldwide. They offer services no other company does. They have also marketed their stations at a better pace then their competitors. One other plus that Exxon has had in the past few years is negotiate with the Walt Disney Company to be the one and only gas station on Disney property. With the amount of people and cars that Disney parks see it is know wonder ExxonMobil has become the number one service station in the world. Technology has been the competitive advantage for ExxonMobil. They have come up with more technologies then any of their competitors. They offered their customers more choices at a regular basis then Chevron or BP. Exxon was the first into lubricants, and to test higher octane fuels. They also were the first to enter the market in petroch emicals. They have beaten their competitors at every turn. The reason that ExxonMobil is number one is because they never stopped competing. ExxonMobil has gone out to find the best suppliers. They have invented skyscraper-drilling platforms for the ocean looking for every competitive advantage. BP and Chevron took years before they were able to catch up in ocean drilling. Exxon was also tested and completed almost zero-emissions in lubricants and fuels. New technology is ExxonMobils competitive advantage. (ExxonMobil Official Website) ExxonMobil’s strategy is to be the leader in new technologies now and in the future. The U.S. has recently seen record growth in the last decade and has improved the oil industry tremendously. In the nineties oil prices reached lower prices then we have seen in a long time thanks to the drop in price in crude oil. People were able to travel more often because of the cheapness of the gas prices. Now it was the job of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP to get them to choose their gas. When you go to get gas you usually find gas stations on more then one corner. More then likely is the price is the same as the competitor. So to differentiate themselves from the other the companies they needed to try new things. Discussed earlier are the company’s strategic plans to draw customers. ExxonMobil established this plan the best. What also helped them was their market share. ExxonMobil market share is more then double their nearest competitor. They have more service stations per area then the rest. In 1999 ExxonMobil had net income of 8.1 billion dollars compared to Chevronâ⠂¬â„¢s 2 billion and BP’s 5 billion dollars. With Chevron’s acquisition of Texaco it clearly showing that it needed to find away to gain the market share that ExxonMobil has. The merger has not cleared yet but it should soon be and make Chevron move up from the fourth largest oil company in the world. Without this merger Chevron will never be able to compete with the giants ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell. (Chevron Official Website)ExxonMobil is clearly the giant when it comes to marketing their product. They have adopted a mascot to identify their company. The Tiger mascot first started appearing in the early 1900’s and it is known all around the world today. The ExxonMobil tiger ranks up there with Ronald McDonald, and Mickey Mouse. As the oil industry becomes more competitive with recent mergers the need for an effective marketing strategy increases. Exxon has increased there spending on marketing in the last few years to acknowledge the merger with Mobil. They mus t let the customers know that Exxon and Mobil are one now and they will deliver the same great quality. BP has a similar situation with the merge with Amoco. They have had trouble though marketing an American product. They do not have any catchy slogans or a mascot. In fact until very recently BP never had a definite symbol to represent its interests in the U.S. They have used the names NOCO, ARCO and Amoco until recently going to BPAmoco. Under one name they should be able to establish an identity. They must increase awareness to their customers by a full marketing campaign, which they have not done. Chevron is recognizable around the world for its bars underneath their name. They are the old Standard symbols. Chevron now has to work on a new marketing scheme to emphasis its merger with Texaco. They will be entering into new markets and must establish a name. They will have the advantage of the popularity of Texaco as a convenient service station. Texaco’s stations are some of the fastest stations to get out of. They have the newest state of the art technologies to pump the customer’s gas quicker and check them out faster. Chevron must hold on to Texaco’s loyal customers who hold Texaco spending cards. (Chevron Official Website)What all the oil companies have done has released smart cards to encourage customer loyalty. This card is kind of like a lot of the grocery stores new bonus cards. Each service station will offer you a card that can be used to pay your gas bill but also you may be allowed to purchase food and merchandise in the quickmart. They also offer the chance to receive rewards for using their cards. ExxonMobil has developed the best card and seems to be the most popular today. One reason for this is wherever you go around the country you will find an ExxonMobil. This helps the customer because they believe their card will be valid everywhere and it will. ExxonMobil also has come up with many promotions to get customers into their stations. They have given away basketballs and t-shirts along with other stuff. While most gas stations also do this they do not have the marketing exposure that ExxonMobil has. ExxonMobil clearly has the marketing advantage over its rivals. Chevron has a chance to gain share when the final merge with Texaco takes place. (Chevron annual report, 1999) As far as BP goes with only being in the U.S. market for 12 years they have a long way to go. If they ever want to compete in the U.S. and overtake ExxonMobil they must market better. In this highly competitive industry sustainability is a difficult task. Chevron saw that it was losing the battle so they orchestrated a merge. If they did not initiate this in all likely hood they would be bought out or dismantled. ExxonMobil has proved to be the low cost provider with its new technologies and new suppliers from around the world. ExxonMobil has seen its revenues go up some 25% in the last year. While Chevron has seen 52% and BP has seen 77%. It might seem that Exxon is falling behind but really the other companies are making a strong push to be competitive for the first time. BP has gone through major restructuring and has made productivity improvements. While Chevron has seen there products help boost them up and some decreased operating expenses. Every company was helped by the increasing price of crude oil. ExxonMobil has seen the rise in competition in the last years and has developed a strategy to continue success. They include:1.)Maximize profitability of existing oil and gas productions2.)Identify and pursue all attractive exploration opportunities3.)Invest in projects that deliver superior returns4.)Capitalize on growing natural gas markets.(ExxonMobil annual report, 1999)Chevron has been focusing on their recent merger with Texaco, which has still not been approved. Once the companies do merge they will establish a strategic plan. They continue to work through this business deal ready to challenge its competitors. BP has recently used a strong trading environment to gain a market advantage. They also have concentrated on their natural gas and chemical industries. To gain market share in the U.S though they are going to have to start investing more into the recently purchased Amoco. They have still not realized the full potential of the U.S market. BP clearly needs direction to over take ExxonMobil. There is little growth in the oil industry today. The oil industry has come down to four major companies competing against each other. Foreign markets determine today’s growths in the industry. Not only in finding new customers but also finding new suppliers. With oil production in the Middle East controlled by OPEC the oil industry is suffering from high oil prices, which is driving the economy down. The companies need to start to find a greater production out of none OPEC countries. (The Street.com)ExxonMobil has started using it strategic plan to go out and invest, secure, and explore new oil deposits. They have more interest today towards the natural gas solutions. They are going to start competing highly against BP. If BP is as easy as a push over in the gasoline industry ExxonMobil will have little trouble to become number one in natural gas. Chevron has made little effort to get into the natural gas market but they do have a competitive advantage in marine technology. T hey may in the future concentrate on that to gain advantages. These companies will all sustain in the markets of the future. There will always be competition in the oil industry. ExxonMobil has shown that they will continue to be number one through their strategic plan of technology. They plan to beat the other companies to next newest thing. With the merger of Chevron and Texaco, Chevron has pushed itself to the elite. Now they must put together a strategic plan to overtake the giant ExxonMobil. BP is slowly organizing itself for a major push to be number one. The future of the oil industry is clearly wide open. With all the new mergers all one company has to do is develop their strategic plan and use competitive advantages over their competitors. ExxonMobil has shown to have down that are showing the results with the largest profits ever recorded this year with 17.72 billion. (ExxonMobil annual report, 1999)Exxon has decided to look ahead into long-term benefits associated with improved capital efficiency. They will be the best business with the best opportunities around the globe. They believe they have the right explorations under way and the best portfolio in the industry. Exxon also has the most profitable petrochemical business in the world now with the merger. Chevron will now be looking for a new identity. They will have to make wise decisions in where they want to go. Do they want to compete head on with the giant ExxonMobil? Or are they content on being stuck in the middle. They have to develop a new strategic plan and differentiate themselves from other oil companies. BP has been able to gain solid ground on ExxonMobil in the last few years due to international markets. To stay competitive they must continue exploration around the world for new suppliers. However, their main concern should be identifying their U.S. strategy. They also better be on the look out for the new merger of Chevron-Texaco. If they are not careful they could be left on the side fighting for market share. Today the world is entering a period of economic adjustment and the oil industry is contributing to that. Oil prices are higher today then they have been in a long time. It has been said in the past that oil prices are tied to the economy. Does that mean that the three companies ExxonMobil, BP, and Chevron are in trouble? No they will all continue to survive. This adjustment occurs all the time and the oil industry will go on its business. In fact this will help the oil industry grow with their search around the world for new markets and new supplies. ExxonMobil has put itself in the best place to grow and prosper in the years to come. You must remember that this merger is only two years old and yet they are growing at an outstanding rate. The world has never seen the numbers that they have achieved. They have developed some of the most useful technologies and are clearly showing no sign of backing down. Today companies copy ExxonMobil’s strategic plan the time. ExxonMobil has the best market share, the biggest revenue and by far the most profits. They clearly are the standard of the oil industry. BP on the other hand has got to start developing a new strategic plan to stay competitive. They have not shown the know how to beat ExxonMobil. If they do not change they will become stuck in the middle. Chevron is opening up a whole New World right now. Nobody knows where Chevron could go. They are entering a phase that ExxonMobil was in a few years ago. They too could end up pulling off the same success as ExxonMobil. But if they come out of this new merger with out a strategy to become the best then they will surely be left at the bottom as they are now. In conclusion, of the three, ExxonMobil is the dominant company but must look out for, the growing company, Chevron. Bibliography:BIBLIOGRAPHYBP’s Corp., Official Home Page: www.bp.com. BP’s Corp. 1999 Annual Report, BP Corporation, 1999. Chevron’s Corp., Official Home Page: www.chevron.com. Chevron’s Corp. 1999 Annual Report, Chevron Corporation, 1999. ExxonMobil’s Corp., Official Home Page: www.exxon.mobil.com. ExxonMobil’s Corp. 1999 Annual Report, ExxonMobil Corporation, 1999. Haddadin, Haitham. â€Å" Stock Crash Reminds Pros of 1973-74 bear market† U.S. Market News, March 1, 2001. Park, Christopher. â€Å" S. Korea, Russia agree to strengthen oil, gas cooperation† U.S. Market News, Feb. 27,2001. Yahoo: www.rockefeller.edu/archive.ctr/jdrsrbro.html(3-1-01)Yahoo: www.leegallery.com/perjune.html (3-1-01)