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Sticky stuff
Fat cats have their say
Age before beauty
L'Oreal's innovative recruitment game
Track trade promotions on-line
Innovation
Sticky stuff
Velcro made from carbon hooks a
millionth of a metre across could bind tiny objects as tightly as a strong
glue, say US researchers reported by Nature magazine.
David Tománek and colleagues at
Michigan State University reckon nano-Velcro could be some 30 times
stronger than conventional epoxy adhesives. Most bound items would
disintegrate before the bond broke. It appears that the hooks are elastic
enough to be pulled apart if yanked hard, but link up again when pushed
back together.
“The energy stored as the hooks
bend while separating heats them to around 1000°C when they spring back
into place. But nanotubes are robust enough to withstand this without
breaking, and are very good at conducting heat away from their ends,”
Nature reports. But the technology to grow such carbon hooks to order
routinely still eludes researchers.
Obesity
Fat cats have their say
Innovation and better understanding
of nutrition are the keys to better health, US food industry
representatives told the US Food and Drug Administration's Obesity Task
Force yesterday.
“Innovation in developing new
nutritious foods and beverages would be critical in helping consumers
reach their health goals,” said Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA)
director of scientific and nutrition policy Alison Kretser.
Speaking for the National Food
Processors Association (NFPA), Dr Rhona Applebaum, executive vice
president and chief science officer said “The NFPA believes that the
food industry, government, educators, academia and the public health
community need to refocus their efforts on helping consumers better
understand the role of diet and physical activity in attaining and
maintaining healthy weight.”
The food industry has been widely
criticised for promoting over-consumption and for using ingredients that
taste good but make people fat unless they take regular and heavy
exercise.
“This complex, multi-faceted
issue requires a multi-disciplined approach utilising the expertise of all
stakeholders,” Applebaum said. She
and Kretser suggested the FDA re-examine the nutrition label, daily
values, the Food Pyramid and associated issues, and do more to educate
consumers about healthy diet and exercise.
Kretser said the GMA plans to
submit a citizen's petition in early 2004 to FDA to define what
constitutes a "low-carb" food, and to establish clear guidelines
for the use of this nutrient content claim. It also plans to commission
consumer research to determine how consumers use the food label for
calorie information, how to communicate the amount of calories in single
serving packages more effectively, and how consumers use reduced-calorie
foods as part of their total diet.
It also wants the Children's
Advertising Review Unit (CARU) to publish a white paper explaining its
principles, guidelines and decisions applicable to food advertising in
order to raise public awareness of its work and mission. It will ask the
National Advertising Review Council to expand its monitoring of food and
beverage advertising through the National Advertising Division and CARU.
Cosmetics
Age before beauty
Demand for anti-ageing products in
the US will grow 11.1% a year through to 2007, driven by a stream of new
and improved products that offer health and cosmetic benefits. Already a
market worth $17bn a year, the fastest gains are projected for memory
improvement and sexual dysfunction/impotence products, while botulinum
toxin and pharmaceutical active ingredients lead gains by chemical.
The $3800 study presents historical
data for 1992, 1997 and 2002 and forecasts to 2007 and 2012 by type - bone
and joint care, menopause, sexual dysfunction/impotence, memory
improvement, vision care, prostate care, aging skin care, hair loss); and
by chemical - pharmaceutical active ingredients, hormones, vitamins and
antioxidants, herbal extracts, glucosamine, botulinum toxin, minerals,
proteins. It also profiles industry competitors and presents market share
data.
Recruitment
L'Oreal's innovative recruitment
game
It may be only a game, but the
pay-off is big money. French cosmetics firm L'Oreal has just kicked off
its fourth annual e-Strat Challenge. The 14 shortlisted three-person teams
from 1000 worldwide get to “sell” their business cases to L’Oreal
executives in Paris, and the two winners get an all-expenses paid trip to
anywhere they like, plus the chance of a job offer with the world’s
biggest cosmetics firm.
MBA
and undergraduate business students assume the role of general manager of
a global cosmetics company. Over five weeks they will be tested on running
a cosmetic business. This includes pricing, research and development,
advertising and brand positioning. Four virtual companies will challenge
and respond to each move.
L'Oreal’s staff boss Francoise
Vachey said "Recruiting the best talent worldwide is the life-blood
of our company. We are already reaping the benefits of this game."
Jenna Sheldon, US director of the programme, added "It has helped
L'Oreal identify talented employees and interns."
Booking is now open and the finals
are in April 2004. Go to www.e-strat.loreal.com
for more details. Selections will be completed by 15 December and the
competition begins on 12 January.
Software
Track trade promotions on-line
Having trouble tracking your trade
sales promotions? Here’s some software that might give you a better
handle on them.
Software house Syspro has brought
out its Trade Promotion Management System, which automates supplier
initiated trade promotions.
The system covers trade promotion
management, deduction management, complex pricing and multi-tier credit
checking. It is aimed at small and medium manufacturers and distributors
who sell to retail outlets. It also links into other Syspro systems that
cover supply chain activities and communications. It enables suppliers to
plan and execute promotions while maintaining tight monetary controls. It
automates, manages and controls all forms of vendor allowances, including
the handling of documentation and the approval of deals. By automating the
research, validation, and settlement of deductions as well as charge backs
and claims, suppliers can make big savings and improve cash flow by
limiting unearned deductions.
Companies can establish intelligent
credit limits at the highest tier and have lower tier transactions rolled
up into the highest tier for checking credit limits. The system also
automatically checks credit limits for incoming EDI orders.
Users set common and practical
promotion rules, establish pricing based on individual products, product
classes or groups and extend promotions to a select class of customers or
geographic areas. They can easily identify qualified promotions and select
them at order entry. Because pricing groups cover multiple line items in
order entry, users can easily recalculate prices at any time.
Additionally, the system enables product groups to be designated by
specific prices or percentage discounts.
Off-invoice promotions can be price
changes, line promotions or order promotions. The system tracks accrued
promotions, matching them with specific deduction codes and even
automatically applies applicable pricing for qualified promotions for
incoming EDI orders. A deduction review facility allows credit managers to
authorise or reject and reinstate deductions.
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