The document outlines a business analysis assignment that includes selecting a scholarly article on a debatable claim, followed by a detailed essay addressing various aspects of the topic, including introduction, thesis, rhetorical appeals, counterarguments, and personal evaluation. It then discusses a separate business plan for a new non-alcoholic energy drink targeted towards health-conscious young adults in Savannah, Georgia, emphasizing its differentiation in a competitive market and community engagement strategies. Key marketing strategies include social media promotion and local exhibitions to build brand awareness and support sustainable growth.

1. Over the next several weeks, you will be developing an analysis
of a case study of your choice. The first step is to analyze a
debatable claim. You will select a scholarly article from a
reliable source that relays a strong position on a debatable
topic. Be sure to record the full APA data, including title,
author, and publication information.
Remember, although you are investigating an opinionated piece,
your selected article should still come for a reputable
publishing source and be well-researched.
In a four- to five-page analysis, address the following in a well-
developed and structured essay.
· Provide a clear and detailed introduction.
· What is the topic and why is it important?
· What are the multiple sides of the debate?
· What is your thesis or point of view on the topic?
· Summarize the topic/angle/purpose.
· What is the topic of the article?
· What is the angle or argument that the writer presents?
· What is the purpose of the article? What does the writer want
the audience to do with the information they are presented with?
· Analyze rhetorical appeals.
· How does the author use appeals to reason (logos)?
· How does the author use appeals to emotion (pathos)?
· How does the author use appeals to credibility (ethos)?
· What appeals are used most effectively? What is the impact on
the argument?
· Provide a counterargument.
· What are the opposing arguments to the argument?
· What are some reasons why the argument is incomplete or
illogical?
· What are some examples or forms of evidence that show why
or how the counterargument is incomplete or illogical?
· What are the reasons why the original argument is stronger?
· Explain your position.

2. · What is your evaluation of the issue?
· How does utilizing a counterargument make your analysi s
stronger?
Remember, you must include detailed examples and analysis to
help support your claims. Select your topic wisely and be sure
to address each part of the prompt as this assignment will be
used for your Week 7 Persuasive Presentation.
Grading Rubric
Item
Description
Value
Topic/Angle/ Purpose Summary
Topic, angle, and purpose are summarized to help build a
foundation for understanding the argument.
20
Rhetorical Appeals Analysis
There is a clear evaluation of the use of rhetorical conventions
including rhetorical appeals, audience, and context.
30
Counterargument Development
A clear and detailed counterargument is explored that considers
rhetorical conventions and audience awareness.
50
Position Explanation and Analysis
Attention is paid to style conventions utilized. Value judgments
are conveyed concerning the effectiveness of the argument.
30
Mechanics
Standard language conventions are used for appropriate
academic and professional communication. Attention is paid to
grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation. Citations are in
APA format.
20
TOTAL
150

3. This assignment is due at the end of Week 6.
YUMMY CUP 1
YUMMY CUP 6
Yummy Cup
Latesha Habersham
Strayer University
Business 599
Dr. Andrea Banto and Dr. Cynthia Parmenter
February 9, 2020
Yummy Cup
The business under consideration specializes in selling non-
alcoholic drinks in a local community, where the business is
located. In particular, it is an area of 25 miles around the place
where the business operates. Since the non-alcoholic beverages
is a highly competitive market (for example, PepsiCo and the
Coca-Cola Company are the major players in this segment), it is
important for a new business to find its niche on the market.
The first way is to successfully differentiate a product from
other competitors. The second way is to choose some local
market. In this case, the business’ performance will be limited
by the borders of the local community. The next step of
business development will be to expand it to other areas of the
country.

4. The product that will be proposed by the business is a non-
alcoholic energy drink. For this reason, PepsiCo and the Coca-
Cola Company will not be direct competitors for the
organization. Also, such companies as Red Bull are not also in
the area of competition for the company since the firm will
present and place its product as a healthy energy drink, which is
produced from fresh water and natural ingredients. This energy
drink may be used by people for recovery from sport and
physical exercises.
The target market of the company is young people from the
local community at the age from 18 to 30 years old. These
people tend to follow the latest fashion trends and be active.
Also, nowadays such young people tend to lead a healthy life.
They prefer sports and the different physical exercises.
Therefore, the drink proposed can meet their expectations
successfully, since it offers them an opportunity to refresh the
stocks of minerals and vitamins in their bodies.
The target audience does not include some differentiations,
according to some ethnic groups. However, the target audience
includes young people with an appropriate level of education.
Such people understand importance of their health, value their
time, and know what vitamins are needed to recover energy. In
terms of an income level, the target audience is people with
moderate income. The energy drink is not designed to be
expensive, however, usually people with middle income really
take care of their health. For this reason, the target audience
includes young people with middle income, who think about
their health.
The business under consideration will be located in Savannah,
Georgia. The number of total population there is 37,207 people.
In turn, the number of target audience is about 6,800 persons.
The median age in this community is 16 years and over. It is the
most suitable option for the business. Such a population is
appropriate for the business. It is a starting point to develop the
business, test innovations, and prepare for entrance.
The market competition in the chosen particular niche is not as

5. tough as in the whole non-alcoholic beverage market in general.
Energy drinks have been never considered as totally healthy
products. Therefore, healthy energy drinks may be perceived as
a quite innovative idea in the industry. Generally, the healthy
energy drinks are represented by the following products: B
vitamins, kvass, coconut water, Kombucha, Acai Berry,
Eleuthero and Ginseng, the Green Monster Juice Drink, Berry,
Beet and Wheatgrass Smoothie, etc (Lawrence, n.d.). These
energy drinks have a range of advantages. First, they promote a
human’s organism and provide them with sufficient energy.
Second, they achieve such objectives without a negative
influence on the organism of a person, which is intrinsic to
popular energy drinks such as Red Bull. Moreover, they provide
a human’s organism with a required doze of vitamins and
minerals.
The most famous healthy energy drinks are the following: Just
Chill Beverages, Tea Riot, V8+Energy, Clean Cause Sparkling
Energy Water, Celsius Naturals, Bai Bubbles Sparkling
Antioxidant Infusion, MatchaBar Hustle Unsweetened, RUNA
Energy Drinks, Hiball Sparkling Energy Water and Zevia
Energy, etc. (Ayuda, 2019). These brands can be direct
competitors in the chosen niche. Therefore, the degree of
competition can be considered as quite high in the industry.
Thus, the firm should clearly differentiate it from the
competitors.
The first factor of differentiation will be location of the
company and its distribution channels. Most of the mentioned
brands are sold in large grocery stores. It will be difficult for a
new company to reach such stores and compete there with the
mentioned brands. Therefore, the company should turn this
drawback into competitive advantage. The drink will be sold in
the company’s own little stores, located in the target
community. At the very beginning of the business, the drink
will be sold to members of this community.
Due to the selected location and distribution channels,
advertisement of the product will be made via social media

6. (local groups in Facebook) and special exhibition panels. Such
panels will be located in the firm’s own store. Also, they will be
located in large malls and other public places. People wi ll be
able to consume the product and decide whether to buy it in the
future. Such a marketing placement campaign is the most
appropriate for the chosen community due to additional
possibilities for members’ engagement.
One of the ways of differentiation is the company’s message to
its potential clients. This message should be developed using
the Five F’s, which include focus on goals and objectives,
flavor, foresight, flexibility to change, and fun (Wong 2014).
Taking into account the mentioned factors, the company’s
message may be to remain healthy and active without harmful
stimulators like caffeine and nicotine. It should stress that
energy drinks are not always harmful. They can be even
beneficial for a person’s health. A person can work and remain
active while drinking the product, proposed by the firm.
Generally, the company’s main marketing message should be
realized in its slogan/tagline. The slogan may sounds something
like ‘remain active, be healthy, stay cool’. This slogan digests
the firm’s message, mentioned in the previous passage. It
emphasizes a healthy and stimulating character of the drink.
Therefore, a person can receive the desired energetic impulse
without any harm for their health.
The company’s message and slogan should be delivered to the
target audience via the so-called marketing vehicles. These
marketing vehicles may be promotion in social media, special
exhibitions, online advertisement, TV commercials, direct
marketing, etc. It has been already mentioned that the company
will rely on social media promotion and special exhibitions.
Special exhibition panels may be placed on a constant basis in
certain places, for example, own store of the firm. Also, the
company may participate in different trade shows on a local
basis. Such trade shows create a great opportunity to promote
own products and also invite potential partners and investors to
the business. The company can even offer some franchise to

7. other communities and areas. It does not require significant
financial resources, but it is a great marketing vehicle as well.
When planning to expand to other regions, the company should
attend the same trade shows in the other places of the country.
In conclusion, the company under consideration may conquer a
niche of healthy energy drinks in the segment of non-alcoholic
beverages. Since the business is new and the degree of
competition is quite high, the business may focus on the local
community, where the own store of the firm will be placed. It
can become the main distribution channel for the company. The
most actively used marketing vehicle will be social media and
special exhibitions. Reaching some stable level of growth and
development in the local area, the company may further expand
to other regions of the country. In this way, a solid basis for its
sustainable business growth can be established.
References
Ayuda, T. (2019). The best energy drinks in 2019 (and which to
Avoid). Retrieved from https://www.eatthis.com/healthy-
energy-drinks/
Lawrence, A. (n.d.). 8 healthy energy drinks that can give you a
boost without caffeine. Retrieved from
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/8-healthy-energy-
drinks-that-can-give-you-boost-without-caffeine.html
Wong, J. (2014). The “5 Fs” of a fantastic marketing campaign.
Retrieved from
https://www.business2community.com/marketing/5-fs-fantastic-
marketing-campaign-0959512
What Period Should Your Plan Cover? Most plans should
project three to five years into the future, or until you have
reached your anticipated exit strategy, whichever is earlier.

8. However, you need only include monthly financials for the first
year or two, depending on development time. For the second
and third years, quarterly financials are usually adequate;
annual projections suffice for the fourth and fifth years. Simila r
time guidelines apply to how much detail you should include
when describing your business operations. Quite thorough
information should be provided for the first year or two; for
subsequent years, a more general Operations description is
acceptable. “I don’t like a plan that’s too long. To avoid that,
put detailed plans in the appendices so that people can refer to
them only if they want to. A well-written plan should be no
more than 25 pages, 100 pages total or less with appendices. If
an investor is interested, they’ll ask for more details.” Eugene
Kleiner Venture Capitalist Plans for existing businesses and in-
house corporate use should include historical performance
information for the past five years, or the duration of your
business, if less than five years. If your business is
longstanding, you may want to examine trends over the life of
the business, or the last 10 years; this gives you insight into
cyclical patterns and helps you anticipate events that are likely
to recur. Use Language to Convey Success The language you
use in your plan can give the impression you are thoughtful,
knowledgeable, and prudent, or, conversely, it can make you
seem naive and inexperienced. Your fundamental goal is to
convey realistic optimism and businesslike enthusiasm about
your prospects. Use a straightforward, even understated, tone.
Let the information you convey, rather than your language,
inescapably lead to the conclusion that your business will
succeed. Avoid formal, stilted language. Instead be natural, as if
you were speaking to the reader in person; however, avoid slang
and don’t be chatty. Always be professional. Listed below are
some other pointers to keep in mind when writing your business
plan. Be Careful with Superlatives Readers are naturally
skeptical of overreaching self-promotion. Avoid using words
such as “best,” “terrific,” “wonderful,” or even “unmatched.”
They reduce credibility. Rather, use factual descriptions and

9. specific information to make positive impressions. “The
important thing about a business plan is believability. I want to
see a simple logic to the whole plan. The more a plan relies on
leaps of faith, the less believable it is.” Robert Mahoney
Corporate Banker Instead of saying, “Our widget will be the
best on the market, clearly superior to all others,” say, “Our
widget will not only handle all the functions of existing
widgets, but will also add features x, y, and z, and sell for $3
less than our closest competitor’s widget. No competitor of ours
offers these features at any price.” When trying to get additional
financing for your restaurant, don’t tell the reader that the food
and atmosphere are “terrific.” Instead provide specific
information that proves you are doing something right: “Due to
the restaurant’s popularity, there is an average 45-minute wait
for a table on Friday and Saturday nights, and a wait of 15 to 30
minutes on other evenings.” The only exception to this rule is
when you use superlatives as part of your goal in a Statement of
Mission. Then it is appropriate to state, “We intend to make a
dog food unmatched in quality by any national brand.” Even
then, however, it is important to include the specifics of what
you mean by such a goal. Use Positive Comments from Third-
Party Sources Everyone expects you to think your product or
service is outstanding; thus, your own glowing comments about
your company are meaningless in your plan. Instead, as you do
your research, look for statements by outside sources to give
readers confidence in your business. For instance, a reader of
your plan is likely to tune out when encountering a comment
such as: “Adeena’s fashions are equal to those by top
designers,” or “Our restaurant serves the best food in the city.”
However, the same comment, when made by an authority,
becomes quite powerful: “Women’s Wear Daily states that
Adeena’s fashions are equal to those of the top designers,” or
“The newspaper’s annual survey rated our restaurant among the
top 10 in its price category.” You don’t even have to quote a
well-known authority; anyone with credible, related experience
will do, as this example shows: “The breeder of the winner of

10. last year’s Tri-County Dog Show tested our dog food and
concluded, ‘This will be the best dog food on the market,
superior to any national brand.’” Use Business Terms Although
it is certainly not necessary to be a business school graduate to
develop a business plan, you should know and use appropriate
basic business terms. You don’t want to be discredited or
misunderstood by using words improperly. If business is new to
you, familiarize yourself with the Business Terms Glossary at
the back of this book. Become familiar also with the terms of
your specific industry and use those words when appropriate in
your plan. If you don’t know these already, you should be able
to pick many of them up while doing background work for the
Industry Analysis section of your plan. However, do not fill
your plan with a lot of technical jargon in the hope of sounding
impressive; there is a good chance that someone unfamiliar with
your industry will be reading it, especially if you are seeking
outside funding. Certain terms and trends are more popular at
one time than another. You may find it helpful to include these
“buzzwords” in your plan. As you do your research, keep track
of the terms and practices that are currently “hot” with investors
or industry leaders. Look to see what they are talking and
reading about. Even if you do not include these buzzwords in
your plan, you may be asked about them in a meeting with
potential funders. Points of Style In addition to using the most
beneficial and appropriate language in your plan, you should
pay attention to the elements of style discussed below. Use
Numbers for Impact People tend to put great faith in numbers,
and using numbers to support your plan can add significant
credibility. If the figures come from a reputable source, they
have even more power. One particularly good technique for
making your plan stronger is to state, “Our ________ is
supported by…,” followed by specific figures relating to
demographics, growth of market, information from other
businesses, or market research. For example: “Our foot-traffic
projections are supported by figures that show neighboring
stores average 22 customers an hour on weekdays and 43

11. customers an hour on Saturdays,” or, “Our choice of the young
adult market is supported by U.S. Census Bureau figures
projecting a growth of 32% in that age category over the next
five years.” “Style shows thoroughness. Use lots of white space,
so I can make notes in the margins. Use a binder that keeps the
document together, preferably one that keeps the plan open to
the page I‘m on. Use bullet points. Use a block style rather than
indented paragraphs. Don’t misspell my name, and don’t
address me as ‘Mr.’ Imagine that you have to hand your plan to
a customer. So if you don’t know how to make a document look
good, get some help.” Ann Winblad Venture Capitalist It is vital
to bring data from your Financials into the text of your plan to
indicate specifically why you will be able to achieve certain
goals. For instance, state: “Our new production method will
reduce each unit cost by 43% (currently projected savings:
$1.57 per unit), thus allowing us to offer additional features at a
competitive price while still maintaining our profit margin.” Do
not expect the reader to pick out these kinds of specifics simply
from looking at your Financials; the information must be
incorporated into the text. Use Bullet Points Bullets are symbols
that precede information offset from the text (such as the small
boxes before the three sentences below). Bullets: ■ Draw
attention to specific information. ■ Make long material more
inviting to read. ■ Eliminate the need to write whole sentences.
Bullet points are an excellent way to convey information, and
they make writing your plan somewhat easier. Because they are
read faster than text and quickly get the reader’s attention, use
bullet points only with information you particularly want the
reader to notice. Be careful not to clutter a plan with too many
bullets; use them selectively. Bullets seem to work better with
short items than with long ones. Also, each list of bulleted
items must be presented in a consistent manner, such as starting
with a verb or being a complete sentence. Keep in mind that
lists can be as few as one item or as many as 10, though a long
list weakens effectiveness. Your bulleted items also become
excellent candidates for slides in an electronic presentation,

12. such as a PowerPoint presentation, that you may later put
together for meetings with potential investors, department
heads, or other readers of your plan. “The physical appearance
of a plan (layout, binder, etc.) isn’t significant in making the
investment decision. But it sets your mind in a certain frame if
it is well done. And it is certainly a negative if it’s done wrong
or poorly.” Eugene Kleiner Venture Capitalist Know How and
When to Be Redundant Writing a business plan gives you the
rarely granted right to repeat yourself. People do not read a plan
from start to finish; they turn first to the sections that most
interest them and then skip around. For this reason, it may be
beneficial to refer in one section to conclusions you have
reached in another. For instance, when addressing the issue of
staff training in your Operations section, you can refer to the
importance of high-quality service to your target market, and
underscore the wisdom of choosing this market by restating
information provided earlier in your plan: “Surveys indicate
high-quality service is demanded by our target market —
women ages 35 to 49 — who, as shown in the market analysis,
spend the most per capita on our product.” Two cautions about
repetition, however: 1) only repeat information that is important
and impressive; and 2) don’t repeat information within the same
section. “Quantity is not a virtue in a plan. Quantity of thought
is important in an entrepreneur. But in some cases, there’s an
inverse correlation between the size of the plan and the quality
of the plan.” Andrew Anker Venture Capitalist Using Visuals in
Your Plan In the case of your business plan, a picture may be
worth more than a thousand words. A thousand words, after all,
most likely will not be read, but a picture will definitely be
looked at. Graphs, charts, and illustrations also are vi sually
appealing; they catch the reader’s attention, forcefully explain
concepts, and break up the monotony of the text. Examples of
Charts to Use in Your Business Plans Here are some different
types of charts you can use to help convey specific informatio n.
As you do your research and prepare your plan, look for items
that can have a strong impact if presented in a more visual form,

13. such as positive statistics on the growth or size of market. You
may also want to include some of these in any electronic
presentation you later put together. An electronic presentation
will make your plan more compelling. For detailed instructions
on what to include in such a presentation, see Chapter 18.
Photographs and Illustrations Photographs can be extremely
effective in your plan, especially if your company is producing
a product that is unusual or difficult to understand. You can
include pictures of your location, specialized equipment, or
packaging but not of yourself or individual members of your
management team. Photographs should be placed in the
Appendix only. Illustrations help present information about
products or marketing materials still in development. While
generally placed in the Appendix, a small illustration can be
inserted directly into the text. If an illustration is not of good
quality, don’t use it; a business plan is not the place for
exhibiting amateur art. Graphs and Charts Graphs and charts are
excellent tools for communicating important or impressive
information, so you should find ways of including them in your
plan. Place charts, particularly of half-page size or less, in the
text rather than in the Appendix; this will engage the reader
with your plan, as many readers pay minimal attention to the
Appendix. A number of inexpensive computer software
programs are available for generating graphs and charts (the
Excel-based Business Plan Financials package available as a
supplement to this book will automatically generate
professional charts based on your financial projections. Visit
www.planningshop.com). Do not draw charts and graphs by
hand. The four examples on page 48 help you identify various
types of charts and judge when each would most appropriately
be used in your business plan. For even more impact, produce
and reproduce some or all of your charts and graphs in color.
Chapter Summary When researching and preparing your plan,
look for information and statistics that will enable you to make
the most positive impression on a reader quickly — you only
have five crucial minutes to do so. Find items that will be

14. visually interesting and attractive; use photographs and images,
charts and graphs to bring attention to your most impressive
information. Attention-grabbing bullet points turn long passages
into more readable snippets. Use numbers to support your
conclusions. Keep your language believable, and use supportive
comments from credible and authoritative sources. In every
case, be accurate and do not make mistakes of fact.
.