From product brand to corporate brand : a case study of the food enterprise Paul och Thom’s rebranding

Omprofilering kan förklaras som ett sätt att modifiera eller bygga upp nya varumärkesdelar som syftar till att skapa en ny image eller en differentierad position i intressenternas medvetande. Det är ett sätt att skapa fördelar och en identitet som sticker ut gentemot företags konkurrenter. Globaliseringen av handeln har resulterat i en ny era där fokus på produktvarumärkning har flyttats till företagsvarumärkning. Flera författare har visat att befintlig varumärkeslitteratur näst intill uteslutande baserats på stora företag, hänsyn har inte tagits till små- och medelstora företag som har helt andra förutsättningar. Mindre företag skiljer sig bland annat från större företag genom företagarens delaktighet i det dagliga arbetet. Syftet med denna fallstudie är att undersöka varför och hur ett mindre företag har genomfört en omprofilering. Forskningsfrågorna används till att undersöka vilka anledningar som funnits till omprofileringen samt hur företaget Paul och Thom har arbetat fram till lanseringen. För att kunna besvara dessa frågor genomfördes studien med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, där fem personer från företaget intervjuades. Det var fyra personer från ledningen, som varit mest involverade i omprofileringsprocessen och en medarbetare från marknadsföringsavdelningen. Resultatet från intervjuerna visar att Paul och Thom befinner sig i ett slags mellanläge. Det är inte ett mindre företag, som lättare kan genomföra en omprofilering samtidigt som det heller inte kan klassas som ett stort företag. Det praktiska bidraget består i att ge underlag för mindre företag hur de kan gå tillväga vid en omprofilering. Det teoretiska i sin tur utgörs av att företag kan befinna sig i ett mellanläge och att det är svårt att klassa vissa saker efter företagets storlek. Paul och Thom tillhandahåller förutsättningar som både ett större företag och ett mindre företag. Anledningar till omprofilering och hur företaget har gått tillväga överensstämmer med tidigare studier kring detta. Det som skiljer sig är att Paul och Thom som ett mindre företag valde att anlita ett konsultbolag, vilket anses mer typiskt för större företag. Företagarens roll i ett mindre företag, som tagits upp i uppsatsens litteraturgenomgång stämde väl överens med hur organisationen ser ut hos Paul och Thom. Slutligen resulterar det i slutsatsen att det är svårt att kategorisera ett företags agerande efter storlek. Alla företag har olika förutsättningar och agerar utifrån dessa.Re-branding can be defined as a way of modifying parts of a brand with a purpose of creating a new image or a different position in the stakeholders subconscious. This should result in an identity that stands out from the competition. The globalization of the world trade has led to a new era of business where product branding has changed to corporate branding. Many authors in the branding literature points at the almost exclusive focus on big corporations that it is based on. The small- and medium sized enterprises have been overseen even though they have other conditions than the large enterprises. For example, the entrepreneur plays a much bigger role in the daily work in a smaller enterprise than in a bigger one. The purpose of this case study is to investigate why and how an enterprise has carried out a re-branding process. The research questions are used to investigate what the reasons for a re-branding is and how the case study enterprise, Paul och Thom, have worked up until the launch. The investigation was done with semi-structured interviews with a qualitative perspective. Five people were interviewed for this case study. The interviews show that Paul och Thom has sort of a intermediate position. It’s not a small enterprise that would be able to do a rebranding fairly easy but at the same time it is not a big enterprise. Paul och Thom has some conditions like a big enterprise and some of a smaller enterprise which is the theoretical contribution of this case study. The reasons for a re-branding and how Paul och Thom have proceeded correspond with previous studies. Paul and Thom differed since they hired a consultant event though they are a small enterprise. Hiring consultants is usually something bigger enterprises do. The role of the entrepreneur in a smaller enterprise that was raised in the reports literature review corresponded with the organizational structure at Paul och Thom. The final conclusion is that it can be difficult to categorize an enterprise’s behavior according to its size. All enterprises have different conditions that they act upon

From product brand to corporate brand : a case study of the food enterprise Paul och Thom’s rebranding

Omprofilering kan förklaras som ett sätt att modifiera eller bygga upp nya varumärkesdelar som syftar till att skapa en ny image eller en differentierad position i intressenternas medvetande. Det är ett sätt att skapa fördelar och en identitet som sticker ut gentemot företags konkurrenter. Globaliseringen av handeln har resulterat i en ny era där fokus på produktvarumärkning har flyttats till företagsvarumärkning. Flera författare har visat att befintlig varumärkeslitteratur näst intill uteslutande baserats på stora företag, hänsyn har inte tagits till små- och medelstora företag som har helt andra förutsättningar. Mindre företag skiljer sig bland annat från större företag genom företagarens delaktighet i det dagliga arbetet. Syftet med denna fallstudie är att undersöka varför och hur ett mindre företag har genomfört en omprofilering. Forskningsfrågorna används till att undersöka vilka anledningar som funnits till omprofileringen samt hur företaget Paul och Thom har arbetat fram till lanseringen. För att kunna besvara dessa frågor genomfördes studien med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, där fem personer från företaget intervjuades. Det var fyra personer från ledningen, som varit mest involverade i omprofileringsprocessen och en medarbetare från marknadsföringsavdelningen. Resultatet från intervjuerna visar att Paul och Thom befinner sig i ett slags mellanläge. Det är inte ett mindre företag, som lättare kan genomföra en omprofilering samtidigt som det heller inte kan klassas som ett stort företag. Det praktiska bidraget består i att ge underlag för mindre företag hur de kan gå tillväga vid en omprofilering. Det teoretiska i sin tur utgörs av att företag kan befinna sig i ett mellanläge och att det är svårt att klassa vissa saker efter företagets storlek. Paul och Thom tillhandahåller förutsättningar som både ett större företag och ett mindre företag. Anledningar till omprofilering och hur företaget har gått tillväga överensstämmer med tidigare studier kring detta. Det som skiljer sig är att Paul och Thom som ett mindre företag valde att anlita ett konsultbolag, vilket anses mer typiskt för större företag. Företagarens roll i ett mindre företag, som tagits upp i uppsatsens litteraturgenomgång stämde väl överens med hur organisationen ser ut hos Paul och Thom. Slutligen resulterar det i slutsatsen att det är svårt att kategorisera ett företags agerande efter storlek. Alla företag har olika förutsättningar och agerar utifrån dessa.Re-branding can be defined as a way of modifying parts of a brand with a purpose of creating a new image or a different position in the stakeholders subconscious. This should result in an identity that stands out from the competition. The globalization of the world trade has led to a new era of business where product branding has changed to corporate branding. Many authors in the branding literature points at the almost exclusive focus on big corporations that it is based on. The small- and medium sized enterprises have been overseen even though they have other conditions than the large enterprises. For example, the entrepreneur plays a much bigger role in the daily work in a smaller enterprise than in a bigger one. The purpose of this case study is to investigate why and how an enterprise has carried out a re-branding process. The research questions are used to investigate what the reasons for a re-branding is and how the case study enterprise, Paul och Thom, have worked up until the launch. The investigation was done with semi-structured interviews with a qualitative perspective. Five people were interviewed for this case study. The interviews show that Paul och Thom has sort of a intermediate position. It’s not a small enterprise that would be able to do a rebranding fairly easy but at the same time it is not a big enterprise. Paul och Thom has some conditions like a big enterprise and some of a smaller enterprise which is the theoretical contribution of this case study. The reasons for a re-branding and how Paul och Thom have proceeded correspond with previous studies. Paul and Thom differed since they hired a consultant event though they are a small enterprise. Hiring consultants is usually something bigger enterprises do. The role of the entrepreneur in a smaller enterprise that was raised in the reports literature review corresponded with the organizational structure at Paul och Thom. The final conclusion is that it can be difficult to categorize an enterprise’s behavior according to its size. All enterprises have different conditions that they act upon

A Prospective Evaluation of Opioid Utilization After Upper-Extremity Surgical Procedures: Identifying Consumption Patterns and Determining Prescribing Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Although adequate management of postoperative pain with oral analgesics is an important aspect of surgical procedures, inadvertent overprescribing can lead to excess availability of opioids in the community for potential diversion. The purpose of our study was to prospectively evaluate opioid consumption following outpatient upper-extremity surgical procedures to determine opioid utilization patterns and to develop prescribing guidelines. METHODS: All patients undergoing outpatient upper-extremity surgical procedures over a consecutive 6-month period had the following prospective data collected: patient demographic characteristics, surgical details, anesthesia type, and opioid prescription and consumption patterns. Analysis of variance and post hoc comparisons were performed using t tests, with the p value for multiple pairwise tests adjusted by the Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: A total of 1,416 patients with a mean age of 56 years (range, 18 to 93 years) were included in the study. Surgeons prescribed a mean total of 24 pills, and patients reported consuming a mean total of 8.1 pills, resulting in a utilization rate of 34%. Patients undergoing soft-tissue procedures reported requiring fewer opioids (5.1 pills for 2.2 days) compared with fracture surgical procedures (13.0 pills for 4.5 days) or joint procedures (14.5 pills for 5.0 days) (p \u3c 0.001). Patients who underwent wrist surgical procedures required a mean number of 7.5 pills for 3.1 days and those who underwent hand surgical procedures required a mean number of 7.7 pills for 2.9 days, compared with patients who underwent forearm or elbow surgical procedures (11.1 pills) and those who underwent upper arm or shoulder surgical procedures (22.0 pills) (p \u3c 0.01). Procedure type, anatomic location, anesthesia type, age, and type of insurance were also all significantly associated with reported opioid consumption (p \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, prospective evaluation of postoperative opioid consumption, we found that patients are being prescribed approximately 3 times greater opioid medications than needed following upper-extremity surgical procedures. We have provided general prescribing guidelines, and we recommend that surgeons carefully examine their patients\u27 opioid utilization and consider customizing their opioid prescriptions on the basis of anatomic location and procedure type to prescribe the optimal amount of opioids while avoiding dissemination of excess opioids

Determining Potentially Avoidable Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transports: A Population Level Study Using Linked Administrative Data in Alberta Health Services (AHS)

Introduction Traditionally Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transports patients to Emergency Departments (EDs). However, some patients might be appropriately managed in alternative settings outside the ED. A number of non-traditional EMS programs have evolved in Alberta, in an attempt to provide quality care through a community-based care model. Objectives and Approach The project aimed to identify and quantify potentially avoidable EMS transports to EDs in Alberta. We identified 911 responses by ground ambulance in Alberta between September 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017. Patients 18 years and over transported to EDs were linked to Alberta Provincial Registry for more accurate demographic Information, and linked to Long Term Care (LTC) and ED data to capture patient characteristics and frequency of potentially avoidable EMS transports to EDs, defined as the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) Level IV and Level V in EDs not requiring inpatient admission. Results We identified 72,182 transports to EDs, of which 1 in 4 patients were rural residents. After excluding individuals<18 years and non-Alberta residents, we were able to match 58,137 of the 60,020 EMS transports to EDs (96.8%). Overall, 7,697 (13%) were triaged as less urgent with no hospital admission. Patients 65 years and over accounted for almost half (49%) of the transports in this cohort, 6% of which were for LTC clients. Percentage of potentially avoidable transports in LTC clients were similar to seniors living in the community (12%). Geographic visualization at the provincial level indicated variation across the province. In general, rural residents were more likely than urban residents to be transported to EDs with less urgent conditions (18% vs 12%). Conclusion/Implications This is the first analysis exploring potentially avoidable EMS transports to EDs in Alberta, Canada, where a comprehensive, single source of EMS system data is currently available. The project suggests opportunities for future EMS research and policies focusing on enhancing community–based care

Surface ocean-lower atmosphere study: Scientific synthesis and contribution to Earth system science

The domain of the surface ocean and lower atmosphere is a complex, highly dynamic component of the Earth system. Better understanding of the physics and biogeochemistry of the air-sea interface and the processes that control the exchange of mass and energy across that boundary define the scope of the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) project. The scientific questions driving SOLAS research, as laid out in the SOLAS Science Plan and Implementation Strategy for the period 2004-2014, are highly challenging, inherently multidisciplinary and broad. During that decade, SOLAS has significantly advanced our knowledge. Discoveries related to the physics of exchange, global trace gas budgets and atmospheric chemistry, the CLAW hypothesis (named after its authors, Charlson, Lovelock, Andreae and Warren), and the influence of nutrients and ocean productivity on important biogeochemical cycles, have substantially changed our views of how the Earth system works and revealed knowledge gaps in our understanding. As such SOLAS has been instrumental in contributing to the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) mission of identification and assessment of risks posed to society and ecosystems by major changes in the Earth́s biological, chemical and physical cycles and processes during the Anthropocene epoch. SOLAS is a bottom-up organization, whose scientific priorities evolve in response to scientific developments and community needs, which has led to the launch of a new 10-year phase. SOLAS (2015–2025) will focus on five core science themes that will provide a scientific basis for understanding and projecting future environmental change and for developing tools to inform societal decision-making

Dynamic shifts in the composition of resident and recruited macrophages influence tissue remodeling in NASH

Macrophage-mediated inflammation is critical in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Here, we describe that, with high-fat, high-sucrose-diet feeding, mature TIM

Trigger Finger Release Performed Wide Awake: Prospective Comparison of Local Anesthetics

Introduction: Trigger fi­nger (TF) is one of the most common conditions treated by hand surgeons with a lifetime risk up to 10% in patients with diabetes. If conservative management fails, surgical treatment is undertaken, with or without sedation and a tourniquet, via a small incision to release the A1 pulley. A number of local anesthetics are readily available including Lidocaine, Ropivacaine and Marcaine as well as encapsulated formulations thereof such as Exparel. Since it’s approval in 2011, there have been numerous reports of successfully achieving prolonged pain relief with locally injected Exparel after various procedures, but to the best of our knowledge there have been no reports of its use in ambulatory hand surgery. In this study we prospectively evaluated the efficacy of Lidocaine, Marcaine, or bupivacaine with post-operative Exparel in controlling pain, opioid usage, and adverse reactions following TF surgery

Determination of Safe Contrast Media Dosage to Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Ratios to Avoid Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background and Objectives: To avoid the risk of developing contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), it has been suggested that patients be subjected to a minimal necessary dose of contrast medium (CM-dose). However, often it is not easy to determine such a dose. This study assessed the usefulness of the ratio of CM-dose to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in predicting the risks of CIN and sought to determine the safe level of CM-dose/eGFR in patients undergoing non-emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Subjects and Methods: We enrolled a total of 226 patients and calculated the ratio of CM-dose using grams of iodine (g-I) to eGFR, thus expressing it as g-I/eGFR. Among the CIN patients, those with nephropathy requiring dialysis (NRD) were also evaluated. Results: Overall, there were 16 cases (7.1%) of CIN. On univariate and multivariate regression analysis, g-I/eGFR alone was found to be an independent predictor for CIN (hazard ratio=10.73, p&lt;0.001). In an receiver operating characteristic analysis, fair discrimination for CIN was found at a g-I/eGFR level of 1.42 (C statics=0.867), and at this value, the sensitivity and specificity were 81.3 % and 80%, respectively. Of patients (n=51) with g-I/ eGFR ≥1.42, 23.6 % (13/51) and 7.8 % (4/51) developed, while those with g-I/eGFR &lt;1.42 (n=171) had a lower incidences of CIN (1.8%, 2/171, p&lt;0.001) and NRD (0%, 0/171, p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that a g-I/eGFR &lt;1.42 is a simple, useful indicator for determining the safe CM-dose based on the pre-PCI eGFR values. Furthermore, g-I/eGFR might hav

Comparison of Renal Damage by Iodinated Contrast or Gadolinium in an Acute Renal Failure Rat Model Based on Serum Creatinine Levels and Apoptosis Degree

This study was undertaken to compare renal damage, as determined by serum creatinine and degree of apoptosis, caused by iodinated contrast or gadolinium in an acute renal failure (ARF) rat model. Rats were divided into three groups; controls (n=3), a CT contrast medium group (n=9), and an MR contrast medium group (n=9). The CT and MR groups were further subdivided into three groups, namely, low, standard, and high dose subgroups. Renal function was evaluated by determining serum creatinine levels; before ARF, and 48 hr after ARF and contrast administration. Apoptosis was assayed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). No significant creatinine level differences were observed between the CT and MR groups (p=0.116). Degrees of apoptosis in the renal cortex and medulla were more severe in the CT contrast medium group than in the control or MR contrast medium group (p<0.05). The study shows that CT contrast medium did not aggravate renal function more so than MR contrast medium in this ARF rat model. However, apoptosis examination in the renal cortex and medulla indicated that CT contrast medium induced more severe apoptosis than MR contrast medium (p<0.05). We conclude that CT contrast medium can be used for renal imaging studies when subjects are well hydrated and preventive medication is administered