Word: firmness
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Citigroup, in an effort to improve its bottom line and repay the government, has put a "For Sale" sign on numerous pieces of its business, downsizing what once was the nation's largest bank. Citi's executives are taking a decidedly different tack in trying to rescue their firm than their competitors, and some analysts question whether the downsizing alone will be enough to turn around the bank...
...campaign. His commitment to protecting national parks has come under fire from conservationists. Worse, they say, he recently lifted a ban on open-pit mining. The move is likely to result in the largest such gold mine in Central America, Las Crucitas, to be operated by a Canadian-owned firm, Infinito, and will require clearing 125 acres (50 hectares) of forest land. It also has environmentalists in Costa Rica and Nicaragua warning of a cross-border eco-catastrophe in the event of cyanide leaks into the San Juan River. (Cyanide is used in recovering gold...
...same time the firm must keep hold of its core fan base while opening up new product lines. Millions still love the standard resin shoes but plenty of people despise them, too. Duerden says he receives hate mail from nonplussed members of the public; others use the website ihatecrocs.com to vent. But Crocs is confident there's a deep pool of demand for its shoes. Despite the slowdown, the firm has sold around 120 million pairs so far this year, largely to the core demographic of suburban families, across more than 100 countries...
...while keeping its followers in clogs will be vital, broadening Crocs' appeal through a range of different styles is no less important. Take Swatch. The Swiss firm made its name flogging bold, plastic wristwatches in the 1980s. "Like Crocs, Swatch was very faddish, slightly gaudy, plastic and cheap," says Rita Clifton, chairman of global brand consultancy Interbrand in London. When fashions changed, Swatch faced a similar challenge: How could it build on that early success and appeal to a wider market? It now offers a range of metal, plastic and even Tiffany watches. "They've meta-morphed their brand over...
...hazy, those in the other areas are far from uniform either. Notes Philippe Valode, a French historian and author of a book on France's six Nobel winners in various categories; "Criteria for the scientific award are fairly clear and consistent, while those for economics are mostly firm - but open to subjectivity when social considerations factor in," Valode says. "Literature must have broad messages and allure to world-wide readers, But - being about art - a lot of creativity goes into the selection process, too. When it comes to peace, the potential for artful innovation is greatest...