Saturday, August 31, 2019

Lord of the Flies: Human Nature

Lord of the Flies Human Nature In the novel, Lord of the Flies, Golding has young and innocent children on a remote island to test how human nature works. Golding uses objects such as the conch and the Beast to reflect our society politically and psychologically. The novel shows human’s own illness and human nature. Human nature is unavoidable and can be a source of evil. It is one’s nature to do whatever it takes in order to survive. By trying to survive one’s evil creeps out. Jack and his hunters showed the most evil. The first pig being killed was the first sign of evil. They celebrated the killings and became blood thirsty for hunting. It was human nature for the hunters and the little boys to follow Jack and to try to survive on the island. Evil is an inborn trait that lives inside every one. It is our parents’ job to teach good morals and values when we are young, but evil can not be fully covered up. The children enjoyed the freedom away from rules and adults. As time passes on the island their freedom soon turns into a nightmare and in the end some died. Civilization is not so far from savagery and everyone has some kind of evil lurking about. Even the little innocent British boys have a certain amount of evil in themselves. The kids are used to rules, but they soon realize that rules do not matter anymore. They can not be punished for throwing rocks or pushing a boulder and killing someone. Roger can not get into trouble by adults anymore, so his human nature kicks in and he reveals his evilness. He was able to kill without getting into trouble. The Beast is messing with the kids’ minds and they become crazed little boys. The fear makes them turn into savages and kill to survive. The Beast is like a phobia for the littluns. Beast from the Air arrives and stirs up some more trouble. It confuses them because they realize there are more things to be cautious of. The conch was supposed to be good, but the power of it changes the kids. Jack and Ralph fight about who has the conch and who is the leader. It is human nature for Jack to desire the conch and what is not his. Human nature has a big role in Lord of the Flies and many of the kids can not handle it. Once human nature was revealed many turned into little killers. It was human nature to try to survive and many did live at the end, but at the cost of lives.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Change over Time Man’s Impact on the Environment Essay

Mankind had many impacts throughout history economically and socially. One significant impact that arose because of changing economic and social pleasures was the effect mankind had on the environment. Mankind’s impact on the environment changes from the Agricultural Revolution through the 19th century in that man destroys more of the environment as industrialization progresses. Industrialization of the environment started out small with One of the first changes is the improvement of roads throughout the lands. European businesses worked to facilitate manufacturing goods so new road designs were built and old ones were extended. The impact was that transportation of raw materials was made easier to get into the factories where they would be used to create products. This change occurred because the increased profits that would come from a faster production. Canals were also built in places where the land was able to be dug through to make a new body of water. The canals would make transportation of materials to other locations easier without having to unload cargo from ships to cross a land barrier. The impact was the ships could pass through land barriers thanks to the canals and transport their cargo in less time. This change occurred because of the need to transport important cargo from ships in less time. Another change to the environment was from the smoke that polluted the air that came from factories. Smoke would rise into the air funneled out from the factories that would produce fumes as byproducts from manufacturing. The impact it had on society was that people near factories or workers had to breathe in lesser quality air. This change occurred because of the manufacturing boom that led to the creation of factories and their large amounts of toxic byproducts. Chemicals also had a role in affecting the environment in their own way. Chemical byproducts from factories would be dumped into nearby bodies of water to serve as an easy way to dispose of waste. The impact was that water quality decreased in places where chemicals were dumped and dangerous in some cases. This change occurred because of the factories’ profit minded owners who were worried about money rather than how dumping would affect water. The farming of coffee and cotton plants for monetary gain eroded the soil. Farmers would constantly plant these crops in patches of farmland to quickly grow the crops for money without giving the land time to recover which would slowly erode the soil. The impact was that in many cases some farmland was made infertile for many years before things  could be grown again. This change occurred because of the high demand for both coffee and cotton. The beginning of the construction of the Panama Canal in 1903 saw an enormous effort to move giant quantities of Earth. Thousands of workers worked to dig their way through the earth to cut a can through to one side of Panama to the other in order to allow ships to pass through without having to circle around South America to reach east coast North America. This change occurred because the time that would be saved from being able to cut through directly from the Pacific to the Atlantic. A continuity that remained with the environment was farming the land in many places. People would always need to farm to grow food and different types of crops. Mankind would work the land and plant seeds to grow the ingredients for foods that are needed for survival. This continuity remained because people need food and food starts with ingredients from grown crops. Through the process of industrialization mankind has made much progress but at the expense of the environment. The environment is more of an obstacle that needs to be moved in order to continue the progression of mankind. Mankind’s impact on the environment changes from the Agricultural Revolution through the 19th century in that man destroys more of the environment as industrialization progresses.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Network Hardware Essay

Choice of good network hardware will depend on a number of factors. First it has to be planned properly to allow growth without adversely affecting future business. The design of the network should ensure sufficient performance, availability and security. All this aims at providing enough information and processing of transactions for all its users. A list of users who will access the net has to be generated so as t determines the capacity the hardware will be able to support. A list of severs that need network connection should also be developed. Mid and high end servers should be selected. Server consolidation should be prioritized as a means of minimizing costs. The company will save much on power and floor space. It will also reduce administrative and maintenance costs. The various host machines that need to be supported by the network should also be determined and assigned specific names and IP addresses. The type of host will determine the design of the network. The network media has to be compatible with the available servers and host machines to be supported by the network. In this case I would recommend Ethernet cables because they are of its lower cost and easy manageability. There is also need to plan for bridges, hubs, routers, or switches. These devices come into use during connection of various subnets on a network. Routers for instance when connecting different domains within a network, offer better administrative control over network traffic. A good network topology should also be created so as to provide sufficient network resources for all applications. A hierarchical network is preferred with the trunk at the top and the hosts at the bottom.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

DreamWorks Animation SKG and Business Structure Assignment - 1

DreamWorks Animation SKG and Business Structure - Assignment Example The decision of conducting management analysis of this specific incorporation was undertaken after reviewing its market performance during the past few years (generated revenue of $650 million in 2008). The objective of this paper is to evaluate the managerial decision-making traits of the company and find the loopholes if any so that recommendations can be provided for the betterment of its performance (Shreshtha, 2010). The process of analyzing the management decision process of the company will be inclusive of clear and concise evaluation of the structure of the company which will be evaluated with the help of certain relevant theoretical models such as Mintzberg’s model of the internal system and Porter’s generic model. The business structure of the company is widespread and concrete operable in two dimensions namely films and non-feature films business. The company produces and develops featured films all over the world market with a huge prospect of growth both in the short term as well as long-term. The company follows well managed and structured business prospect for the future in this segment and expects to remain popular in the future too as it is now. The structure of its business is also organized in the segment of non-feature films as well. This segment is specialized in producing objects for family entertainment and is inclusive of series of television (generally half an hour), live performances and online virtual segment. Apart from the widespread business scope of the company, it also concentrates heavily upon the process of producing top quality films and distributing the productions. The following structure depicts the entire process stages of the company for producing a comprehensive featured film which is the essential trait of its decision making. This is because, on the basis of evaluation results of each of the following stages, management decisions are undertaken.  The stages are composed of four basic elements: development, pre-production, production and post-production.  

Creating a Single Market for Banking Institutions in EU Coursework - 1

Creating a Single Market for Banking Institutions in EU - Coursework Example Theories promote the use of market in achieving economic and monetary union. It is assumed that the stages of the union eliminate achievement of previous stages and that gradual achievement of the new stages adds common elements. The monetary policy is centralized by the ECB (European central bank) the European Union has attempted different approaches to economic integration in the banking institutions. The approaches leave the fiscal policy instruments to the disposal of the governments of European Union member states. The decision that resulted from discrepancies in economic development made it possible for policy makers to react to changes in the economic trend within various stages of the business cycle. The aim of minimizing the discrepancies in economic development is one purpose for the EU and a condition to deepen integration processes (Bradley 2014). The EuropeanCommissionn presented a proposal of methods that member states of the EU could use to support the real economy while enhancing confidence. The methods support the economic and social integration. The aim was to ensure that the banking institution attain smart growth throughthe development of knowledge based on innovations and sustainable growth that supports initiatives for low emission economy. The aim was also to attain inclusive growth that facilitates social inclusion and support of the economy. Inclusive growth is characterized by high employment levels and the economic, social, and territorial cohesion is ensured (Quaglia 2013). The economic crisis madethe preparation of new regulatory frameworks a necessity to increase stability within the financial sector. The EU took a step in restructuring the banking sector so that its long-term profitability could be restored to ensurethe functioning of credit activities.  

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Plagiarism and Online Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plagiarism and Online Education - Research Paper Example Thus in reviewing some of the scholarly materials on plagiarism, this research paper does not merely review but, also offers my perspectives, and gives possible directions on the essential issues which future scholars might need to address. Plagiarism can be considered as the use of someone’s work without proper referencing the source. Although there are different forms of plagiarism in different institutions ,its definition is founded from the basis of the above words. Online education is the learning without necessarily being in the commonly known classroom environment. Bill Marsh presents an interesting and a new approach on plagiarism through the incorporation of the various theoretical outlooks; starting with Vitruvius then Montaigne then George Herbert Mead up to Bakhtin. Marsh tackles many things, but then critically evaluates Turnitin.com which is a policy program of detecting plagiarism, and concludes that it presumes a genuine single creator. Considering the fact that Turnitin is quite popular among many users even those outside the philosophy writing bracket and writing instructions which are extensively distributed amongst compositionists; this approach by Marsh is quite bold (Marsh, 2007). His analysis on previous debates on plagiarism takes cultural viewpoints, (considering the assumption that text is a commodity and has to be managed like a business entity) which stand out from the debates. Marsh also evaluates how handbooks help in promoting best practices in writing in order to avoid plagiarism. It is a common practice for past scholars, including those who use a cultural approach to plagiarism to wind up with a number of pedagogical solutions. At the end of Marsh book, he wisely defines pedagogy tradition and decides to point out the challenges he thinks faces studies on plagiarism. In concluding his work Marsh leaves a challenging question for future scholars to deduce its answer: Does Internet

Monday, August 26, 2019

Country's economy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Country's economy - Case Study Example The Figure below shows the economic growth in eight major countries from 1870 to 1996. In 1870, Australia was the richest economy whereas Japan was the poorest economy of the sixteen major economies of that time. In the same year, Australia’s real GDP per capita was almost five times that of Japan. Over the following 126 years, Australia’s economy grew by 1.3% which allowed real GDP per capita to increase by 5 times. However, during the same time, Japan’s economy grew by 2.7% which allowed its real GDP per capita to advance by 28 times. Likewise, Figure 11 also shows the progress made by United States from 1870 to 1996. The long-run rate of economic growth of the American economy was 1.7% which allowed it to raise its living standards by 8 times in 126 years. Therefore, the long-run rate of economic growth is an important measure of the nation’s wealth. (Bernanke, 2003) Figure 1: Economic Growth in Eight Major Countries The output of the economy depends up on the quality and quantity of labor and capital and on their productivity. If the inputs are constant, there is no economic growth in the country. Therefore, one of the inputs has to change along with the productivity for a healthier growth rate. The relationship between inputs and outputs of the economy are reflected in the following equation; which also shows the important factors that affect the long-run rate of economic growth. (Bernanke, 2003) Y= AF (K, N) Where: Y = Output of the economy A = Productivity N = Labor K = Capital Requirements Labor Labor refers to the working force of the nation-be it skilled, semi skilled or unskilled. Labor is one of the most important inputs into the economy. A skilled, educated labor force makes a strong contribution to the other factors of the economy. Along with them, the economy also requires semi-skilled and unskilled labor. However, the most important thing is their constant supply to the market. Similarly, the skills acquire must match the demand of the economy. (Bernanke, 2003) Technological Progress Technological progress refers to the ability of the nation to adapt to update infrastructure and equipments. No country can expect to progress without the necessary infrastructure for specific technology. In our globalized world, the economy needs to incorporate up-to-date technology replacing the obsolete machines to match the increasing demands. The smooth flow with the technological progress allows making the necessary progress. (Bernanke, 2003) Investment Investment refers to the capital requirements of the growing economy. The country needs consistent investment to make remarkable progress and achieve long-run rate of economic growth. Therefore, the nation needs to establish an environment that allows the continuous flow of foreign direct investment into the country and a credit history that allows it to raise the debt when needed. However, there needs to be sustainable amount of debt so that it does not hamper the growth in the long run. (Bernanke, 2003) Productivity It is another important factor for consistent long-run growth rate. This component refers to increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the same labor and capital inputs. Therefore, if the productivity of the nation increases keeping the labor and capital same, the economy will growth by a certain factor. (Bernanke, 2003) Answer 2 Gross Domestic Output (GDP) is defined as market value of all the goods and services produced by a particular nation within the domestic boundaries. (Amadea, 2011) There are four components of the GDP as shown in the following equation: Y = C + I + G + X Where Y = Total output C = Personal consumption expenditures I = Investment G = Government spending X =

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Investing For Retirement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investing For Retirement - Research Paper Example Investing For Retirement In the Family Finance section of Financial Post, there is an article entitled "Retirement Transition All About Expectations." This article is about a couple, Julius ,60, and Emma, 58, in Alberta, Canada who are both retirees, who's been worrying about how they can protect themselves financially if ever there would be a sudden change in the economy. According to Julius, "it might be difficult to make the transition from employment to retirement". Exposure to inflation is their main threat being a retiree. Don Forbes, head of Associates/Armstrong & Quaile gave them an advice on how they are going to utilize their financial plans to protect themselves against any threats. Forbes gave the couple a five year plan scenario on the pension plan they availed, stating what they should do, and explains its corresponding effects in the long run.. This article has been on the news because there are more other Julius and Emma who have been worrying the same thing once they are about to retire. Starting January 1, 2011, the Baby Boomers turned 65. These Baby Boomers are those generations in American history who were born between January 1, 1946 and December 31, 1964. This has been an issue for so many years and now it’s 2011, the Baby Boomers have reached their retirement age. People, especially in the U.S., were already in panic that for the next 19 years these Baby Boomers will push the national government into bankruptcy. This generation has been on a wrong timing since the economy until now is still on the verge of losing everything. (â€Å"In 2011 the baby boomers,† 2010). I chose this article because Canada is not an exception in this crisis. It is significant for the Canadian families because just like Julius and Emma, most of the retirees now are having lots of questions about the reliability of the government and other company pension plans to fund their necessary needs and other expenses in the future. 2. SCOPE OF CANADA PENSION PLAN Canada Pension Plan (CCP) is one of the retirement income systems in Canada that has been mentioned in the article. The CPP is a national pension plan that was established by the government in 1966. This program is a monthly national defined benefit pension plan that is paid to contributors who are at least 65 years old or between 60 and 64 years old who met the earnings and contributions requirements (Monk & Sass, 2009). It is an independent financial institution wherein no political strings attached; its obligations are not government obligations as well as with its a ssets. The governance structure of this pension plan lies in the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act. It has a disclosure policy in which all quarterly and annual financial statements report and its public portfolio holdings must be disclosed to the public in the CPPIB website. Furthermore, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is an organization established to monitor and invest the funds held by the CPP. Independent from the government, the CPPIB was incorporated in 1997 as a federal Crown corporation by an Act of Parliament. In 1999, it made its first investment whose purpose is to maximize returns without undue risk of loss. Usually, the risks associated in applying a defined-benefit pension type of plan are funding risk and insolvency risk. In the first risk, members are concerned whether the employers can fulfill their promised benefits by assuring them adequate assets in the pension fund. On the report of Financial Services Commission of Ontario 2010, there had been a n increase of underfunded plans by 79% in 2009 from 76% in 2008 out of 1,539 defined-benefit plans (cited in Davis, 2011, p. 6). The concern related on the latter risk goes on the employer's insolvency, in which the business assets of the employer would serve as the ultimate guarantee of the pension promises (Davis, 2011, p. 7). Sponsoring employers should avoid being insolvent as possibly as they

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Explain the conservatism of the New Right - what did it strive to Essay

Explain the conservatism of the New Right - what did it strive to conserve and what did it fail to conserve - Essay Example The concept of conservatism emerged out of the strong protest to socialism and communism. Capitalism and conservatism have always gone hand in hand. The concept conservatism is basically associated with history of the nation which includes a different political attitude in different eras. In American contest the conservatism is marked by tensions and absolute contradictions between anti-communists and anti-statists, but between traditionalist and individualists who declared publicly the primacy of religion, politics, or economics. The central idea, upon which the foundation of American conservatism is based on, is ordered liberty. It comprises of both individual freedom as well as individual responsibility. It also deals with limited government and unlimited market. It means the non interference of government in economy. The conservative attitude was associated with carrying on the past and an established thoughts, rules and conducts. According to the conservative thoughts the change s will affect the society rather than any positive sequel. The conservatives were involved in preventing the growing influence of socialism and communism. From mid 1930 to the 1960s the traditionalists in America gathered with the objective to fight the liberals’ â€Å"New Deal. The modern conservatism in America was influenced by the ideas of Russell Kirk. He affirmed his ideas through â€Å"Conservative minds.† Thus modern conservatism became the main political force in 1964. Russell Kirk was known as the father of modern conservative thought. In the United States the term New Rights refers to historical different conservative political movements. The New Rights were trying to conserve the old things but for their efforts they had to accept the changes. It was not affordable for them to be rigid with their opinion. The first New Right (1955 to 1964) adopted the â€Å"fusionism,† i.e. classical liberal economics, traditional social values, and an ardent anti-c ommunism. The second New Right in America was formed during Goldwater Campaign. The Second New Right became more popular than the first one. The Second New Right helped Ronald Reagan to win the White House in 1980. On the background of conservatism the attempt has been done to take review of two books, one is â€Å"Suburban Warriors,† and second is â€Å"Republican Ascendency.† The two books are basically written on the same background. â€Å"Suburban Warriors,† is one of the books during the rise of the New Rights. In the book the author Lisa McGirr focuses on the conservative monopoly of Orange Country to know the economic as well as social causes for its fanatical embrace of Goldwater- Reagan republicanism. Lisa McGirr here depicts that their movement was not one of unimportant people suffering from status anxiety. On the other hand this movement was established by successful people living a modern life and yearning for bright future. Lisa McGirr explains the importance of Orange Country that it was a â€Å"real centre and symbol of American Conservatism.†(P.4) In the end Lisa McGirr opines that they have become successful they have engaged in preserving things with its new form. They want the original values but at the same time they are aware of the fact that changes are inevitable and so they accept everything with adaptation. While telling that the conservatives have not just adopted the old rules, she says â€Å"

Friday, August 23, 2019

Assignment 15(675) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 15(675) - Case Study Example For ensuring objectivity, I would insist on having a researcher on behalf of the school as a checker for all scripts prepared. Nothing must be aired before the researcher confirms for all facts/artifice found in the ‘news’. The false statements must be edited out and the draft be sent to a senior authority in the school faculty. After their approval, a final check must be made by an independent authority so as to eliminate any bias that may be running within the school through the private corporation. i. Since charter schools are formed by teachers, parents and/or community members, it should be ensured that student performance results are free from bias. Such schools are free from most state laws and regulations apart from a certain performance criteria that is to be met. [2] iii. Since these schools have minimal rules and state authority scrutiny attached, the education level provided may lose worth. An independent, unbiased party must revise the curriculum and methods used in the school on a yearly basis to make certain that quality education is being provided to students. [1] 2. What advantages might charter schools bring for students in your attendance area? Using the secondary school as a model, try to envision positive changes that might occur as the charter school movement

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Greenwashing Case Essay Example for Free

Greenwashing Case Essay â…  .Introduction An appreciation for environmental protection has matured steadily in recent decades. With increasing concerns over the environment comes an increasing popularity of greenwashing. Consequently, companies whose actions do not match their environmentally-friendly promotions may mislead consumers in terms of the environmental benefits of a product or service. This essay explores possible reasons of the visible boom in greenwashing and claims that Nike, a sportswear and equipment supplier, deserves the accusation of greenwashing. â… ¡.Reasons for Greenwashing Clearly, the widespread popularity of greenwashing arises in the pursuance of reputation and sales. A recent survey conducted by Advertising Age indicates that 78% of customers prefer eco-friendly corporations to companies that are reckless with the environmental issue (Berkeley Media Studies Group 2008, p.2). The result of this survey serves as an incentive for companies to greenwash. Moreover, greenwashing definitely yields fruitful results for these companies. In a survey conducted by Landor Associates, BP, a corporation being accused of greenwashing, is considered to be more environmentally friendly than its counterparts, with its voters surpassing that of Shell by 6 per cent (Solman 2008, p.24). Most importantly, greenwashing helps BP promote sales from 2004($192 billion) to 2006($266 billion) (Solman 2008, p.24). With such a prime example of greenwashing, no wonder other companies follow in BPs footsteps. â… ¢.Nike’s official claims Nike claims that it regards environmental protection and humane management as part of their corporate responsibility. Primarily, several claims are made regarding environmental content of its products. Nike claims that T-shirts it sells in the US contain 3 per cent organic cotton and 90 per cent of its shoes are free from toxic glues, cleaners and solvents (Beder 2002, p.25). On top of that, it asserts that it eliminates the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its shoes (Beder 2002, p.27). Furthermore, it also advertises regarding good working conditions and happy workers in a Vietnamese factory (Beder 2002, p.25). â… £.Analysis of Claims It is doubtful whether Nike really produces clothes with 3 per cent organic cotton and 90 per cent of shoes are without toxic glues, cleaners and solvents. Rather than manufacturing its own products, Nike is only responsible for designing and marketing them and there is no supervision of the manufacturing process (Beder 2002, p.27). Furthermore, in order to promote credibility, Nike has the claim endorsed by United Nations. However, it turns out that United Nations do no monitoring of the claim made by Nike, either (Beder 2002, p.26). Consequently, Nike has no certification for this claim it makes. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the official claim regarding the environmental-friendly content in sportswear will be more than empty rhetoric. Due to the lack of valid evidence and certification, Nike’s claim considering the sportswear’s content commits the â€Å"sin of no proof† (TerraChoice 2007, p.8). Nike’s claim regarding PVC-free shoes may not be a true reflection of the fact. In a press conference, Soon after Nike’s repeated assurance regarding the PVC-free shoes, Greenpeace (a reliable organization against PVC) has claimed that Nike’s search for an alternative substitute for PVC have barely begun (Beder 2002, p.27). Given the fact that research has not lasted long, it is very unlikely that Nike is manufacturing shoes that are free from PVC, which makes this claim turn out to be a false claim. Nike commits the â€Å"sin of fibbing† (TerraChoice 2007, p.9) . Inconsistent with its advertisement, workers may not be so happy and contented in the Nike’s factory since Nike is definitely unkind to them. Nike is deceptive regarding comfortable working conditions. Specifically, in Vietnamese Nike plants, workers are exposed to carcinogens at 177 times safe levels and paid $10 for a 65-hour work per week (Beder 2002, p.27). Such differences between Nike’s claims and its behaviors are called bluewashing, which is categorized as one kind of greenwashing. Bluewashing refers to corporations that wrap themselves in the flag of human rights and labor rights, while their actions are quite otherwise (Corpwatch 2001, p.2). Furthermore, there is no uniform definition of happiness. Not only does the company misuse workers, it also makes a vague commitment because happiness is a feeling that varies from person to person. Such ambiguity proves that Nike commits the â€Å"sin of vagueness† (TerraChoice 2007, p.9). â… ¤.Counter-Arguments While Nike fails to realize certain official claims, it improves the environment and sustainability. Specifically, Nike claims that materials used in shoeboxes are 100% recycled and these shoeboxes weigh 10% less than those made up of non-recyclable paper (Stoner 2006, p.4). Nike helps alleviate deforestation by using recycled materials, thereby contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection. On the other hand, while Nike spends $1.13 billion on advertising and promoting the reputation of its products in 2003, it only donates $100,000 since 1998 to education programs for Nike workers. Compared with charity, it seems that much more funds are invested in advertising. The endeavor to greenwash far outweighs the effort to assume social responsibility. Hence, Nike is still greenwashing. â… ¥.Conclusion Overall, this paper reports that there are some reasons for companies to greenwash and even though Nike makes some effort to protect the environment, it has every reason to be accused of greenwashing. The reasons for most companies whose actions do not conform to their environmentally-friendly claims are simple: the pursuits of profits and goodwill. Despite Nike’s contribution towards environmental conservation and sustainability, several official claims regarding working conditions of employees and raw materials of products lack of evidence and clarity. Owing to the proliferation of greenwashing, customers should consider the environmental impact rather than advertising and packaging when shopping. â… ¦.References Beder S, 2002, ‘Putting the Boot In’, The Ecologist, April, pp. 24-28. Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2008, ‘Food Marketers Greenwash Junk Food’, Adweek, March, pp.1-3 CorpWatch, 2001, ‘Greenwash Fact Sheet’, CorpWatch, pp.1-2 Solman G, 2008, ‘Coloring Public Opinion?’, Adweek. January.14, pp22-24 Stoner C, 2006, ‘Corporate Greenings: Nike’, Peakinsight, pp. 1-13 TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. 2007, ‘The Six Sins of Greenwashing’, November, pp.1-12

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Identify the Diffenent Reasons People Communicate Essay Example for Free

Identify the Diffenent Reasons People Communicate Essay We need to communicate with others in order to be able to successfully carry out daily activities, especially in the work place. This can be done in many different forms and have positive and negative effects. Being aware of these forms and implementing them is vital when working with young children and adults. People communicate in both personal and professional capacitites for a variety of different reasons. In a work setting people may communicate to: build relationships; maintain relationships; gain and share information; gain reassurance and acknowledgement; to express needs and feelings and to share thoughts and ideas. Building relationships can be a simple form of communication such as a smile/wave/ ‘hello’ when we first meet a new parent/child. Each time we do this we are maintaining a relationship with the parent/child, although this may not be strictly for a professional ‘reason’, for example; asking what they are doing tonight? By building and maintaining relationships via communication we are gaining information, which by sharing will help in the way we work, for example; with children, parents and other professionals. We can also provide trust, reassurance and acknowledgement by praising, physical reassurance by providing eye contact or by taking an interest in what they are doing. People also communicate in order to express their needs and/or feelings. As humans most of us need to do this and we should respect and allow a child’s need to as well, if they don’t have the opportunity to do this they can become very frustrated. The same applies to being creative by sharing their ideas and thoughts as children and young people will need to share these with others. Read more:  Describe the different ways that people communicate  essay L.O 1.2: Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting Communication is vital in the work setting as it helps to establish good relationships with young people, children, their families and colleagues, and these are essential in order to be able to work effectively with them. Relationships and communication skills compliment each other, therefore carers who have good communication skills are more likely to have good relationships with children, parents and other adults. We communicate via body language and facial expressions and relationships are influenced by this. Relationships and communication is pivotal in the early year’s sector. By sharing and gaining information, for example, on a child’s feelings, routine and/or long term health we can help establish different needs and/or the need for intervention. We can also help the child settle in more easily, as when they feel comfortable with us so will their parents and vice versa, this also helps the child feel more relaxed which in turn helps them play and learn more effectively and benefit from it. As pointed out on www.helpguide.org it can also â€Å"†¦improve relationships at home, work and in social situations by deepening your connections to others, and improving team work, decision making, caring and problem solving.† By working together as a team via communicating, job satisfaction can be gained as can easier transitions if the child is moved from one setting to another. Communication is something that we do in our everyday life in every type of setting. We can build and maintain relationships from this with a variety of people. This in turn can have positive or negative effects on the things we do. By communicating via facial expressions, body language or verbally we are establishing and maintaining relationships with their practitioner as it can help identify needs, spot things that occur repeatedly and help the child develop holistically, therefore it is essential that we all communicate effectively.

SABMiller Company Analysis

SABMiller Company Analysis Contents (Jump to) Mission and Philosophy of SABMiller Market Analysis of SABMiller SWOT Analysis of SABMiller SABMiller Ansoff Matrix Marketing Entry Strategy of SABMiller SABMiller Foreign Direct Investment Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Ventures Introduction SABMiller the globally active company is world second largest brewery company in the world. SABMiller hab been built through a bold yet focused programme of international development .The company head quarter is in London although it was formed in south Africa in 1895. Its brands include grolsch, miller genuine draft, peroni nastro azzurro and pilsner urquell. Today SABMiller holds 98 percent share of its beer market. It operates seven brewery in Africa with 14 brands of beer. The company maintain the measure presence in south Africa soft drink market through a 74 interest in Amalgamated beverages industries ltd, largest distributor for coca-cola products it also own 30 percent of the stake of distell group ltd the leading distributors of wine and sprits of south Africa. In 1994 as joint venture of government of Tanzania SAB invited to revatilized the government industry in Tanzania which was one of the first foreign investments. Expansion continued to Africa and other continent china, Romania, Poland, slovakia, Russia , the Czech republic , Indian and central America(2001) Mission, philosophy: SABMiller mission is to expand its market all over the world by nurturing local and international beer brand that are the first choice of the customer and become the number one brewery company in the world: To work and win in a group To create a balanced attractive global spread business Developing relevant strong brand portfolios. Raising the profitability of local business sustainably. Market characteristics: SABMiller distributes its brewery in over 60 countries across 6 continents which includes the international brands beer such as pilsner urquell , peroni nastro azzuro , miller lite , snow and tyskie. These are in the worlds top 50 brands in beer . As it is a biggest franchise bottler distributor of coca cola product including fanta , sprite. Appletiser and minute maid . it operates 41 bottling plants which is responsible for producing 5 billion litres of soft drinks per annum. SABMiller has grown from its origin south African base into global company with operation in developed market and in emergining economies such as eastern Europe china and india. In southafrica SAB ltd is the country largest producer of product coca cola company with its brand castle lager, grolsch, castle milk stout . hansa marzen gold, hansa pilsener, carling black level , castle lite, redds, skelters, brutal fruit, blakes and doyle and sarita. Company brewery operations in Africa span 31 countries. The group national brand in china , snow, is produce in partnership with china resources enterprise ltd. SABMiller has a joint venture in Vietnam and Australia and it is the second largest brewery company in India. It has the foster brand in India and Vietnamese market. In 1995 SABMiller entered into the Europe market with the acquisition of Dreher in Hungary. SABMiller was the first internation brewery to enter central America with the acquisition of Cerveceria Hondurena in Honduras. Si nce then it has extended its latin American operation in other six countries including Colombia, Peru, EI Salvador and panama. Performance: Between 1855 and 1888 the company annual productivity increased from 300 barrels to 80,000 barrels of beer. This growth continued to the present day. Its true home country south Africa where south African breweries limited was founded today holds 98 percent impressive share of its beer market. Although the underlying skills are same SABMiller intend to win activity differ from market to market. International marketing planning: Marketing planning is recognized to play a central role in an  enterprise. The rapid growth and dynamics changes in international business over the past numerous years have made international marketing of unprecedented. SABMiller has an incredible assortment of over 200 brands , including both globally recognised premium beers. By extending the potential of local brands, developing innovative new brands and by introducing international brands into new markets company ensure that their brands are the first choice for consumers worldwide. SABMiller offers marketing carriers across a wide series of opportunities at every level, including brand management, advance, brand communications, market development, consumer insights, market research, trade and group marketing. Their marketing seeks to support their brands to consumer it does not promotes the consumption of alcohol . alcohol marketing is the most regulated form of advertising in the world . Internal and external analysis With a leading market in central Europe, Asia , Africa, north and central America, Africa and south Africa its is known as major global player in beverage industry. Internal and external analysis can identify the company strength and weakness. Swot analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats involve in project or in business. The aim of any swot analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors. We use swot analysis tools to recognize a distinct strength and diversification of company. These are the areas where the company excels in comparison to other company or competitors. An internal weakness for miller breweing company is the worsening image of two of its major labels miller high life and millers lite beer. The company has recently instituted the new ad campaign targeted at consumer of its lite beer which can help lessen this threat. . According to a press release from the companys web page, dated May 2, 2003, We are committed to helping prevent drunk driving and share a commitment with local law enforcement and our festival partners to help keep our community safer, said Bob Bailey, General Manager of the local Miller distributor, in Atlanta Georgia. (http://www.millerbrewing.com/pressRoom/newReleasesDetails.asp?ideanumber=74) (S) Company resources, name recognition and diversification is one of the distinctive strength of the company. (W) strong competition is a weakness (O) the company can make opportunities by emerging market, by increasing the presenceon internet, by focusing on ethnic target markets and by increasing its advertise. (T) changing consumer trends, increased advertise from competitors, government taxation, lower priced imports these are the main threats of company. SWOT Analysis of SABMiller (S)trengths Strong image of brand Compete in volume compared to Coors Lite Beer taste International existence Combine services with government rules and policy Environmentally conscious Strong marketing efforts for Lite Beer. Increased occurrence on the internet (O)pportunities Growing markets in Europe Emerging markets in Central Asia Rising market in U.S. with ethnic groups Capability to purchase smaller breweries Overseas investment Increased advertising funds (W)eaknesses Weak brand qualities over time lack of advertising spotlight and regularity Not seen as high quality want for dark beer line Taste known as inferior to Budweiser Seen as a group producer Not connected with famous people Products not much differentiate from main competitors Small advertising budget compared to Anheuser-Busch Loss of brand consistency with Miller High-Life label Undifferentiated products, as compared to close opponent (T)hreats Government taxation increases Government rules and regulations added Growth by nearby contestants Lower priced introduce and local products Increase in rivalry from other beverages (e.g. water, fruit juices, etc) Changing buyer favourite Price wars from contestants Goals and objectives SABMiller is second largest brewery company in the world. As it is the second largest company and operates in many part of the world including asia, Africa Europe latin America and central America. But still it have to extend its market in some other countries . I want to pursue similar operating strategies that have succeded in other country Marketing Strategy (ANSOFF) ANSOFF product market is a marketing tool created by Igore Ansoff matrix provide four different growth strategies market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Market penetration : the company entering with its current product to increase its market share is a market penetration. By advertising or by convincing current consumer or clients to use more of the products or service is the way to achieve this and it can be least risky for company to grow its market. Product development: The new product is marketed out to their existing customer by developing and innovating new products offering to replace existing ones . As product is new it can carry more risk than simply attempting to increase market share. Market development: If the company or the firms is expanding its product to different customers to earn more revenue for the firms this is marketing development. The best example for this is lucozated which was first marketed for sick children but later rebranded to target athletics. Diversification: it requires both product and market development and can be outside the core competency hence it is the most risky of the growth strategy. Market analysis The world is divided into 100 of sovereign nations and each nation have a potential market for products of international firms. Marketing analysis concerns with two different task considering the size of existing markets and forecasting the size of future markets. Before entering into a new market we should study the several factors like customs, tastes, the trade restriction, collecton of national statistics. Taking SABMiller to a new market involves the marketing analysis of the particular place or the chosen country. SABMiller has operated its product in some asian market including china, India, Vietnam Australia. As an international marketing manager I would like to expand my company in some asian countries. Among asian countries Im going to focus on four Asian countries, among these Im going to choose one for the future venture of my company: Nepal India Pakistan Korea 1) Nepal: Nepal is a small developing country situated between two leading countries china and india with an area 147181 sq. km and it has 30 million population. Pest analysis for Nepal Political(p): until 1990 Nepal was running under monarchy. Since from last two decades it has several political changes. The political stability of Nepal is not strong so it keeps on changing in every short period of time . due to which it has its direct impact on country GDP and other part. Economic(E): Nepal is an agriculture country 80% people depends on agriculture . economic development in social service has not made dramatic progress. young and educate people migrate to other countries in search of jobs and employment. it is a Hindu country. About 80% of the people follow Hinduism . According to Hindu religion people they dont drink alcohol. According to social belief and behaviours people they dont drink and allow alcohol in their social life. Technological: IT a poor developing countries due to political instability and lack of skilled man power country lacks technology. 2) India: SABMiller enter in Indian market in july 2000 with acquisition of jv . and it has occupied 1/3 indian market share of beer . its already in india so I want to take my company to other part of the asia. 3) Pakistan: the estimated population of Pakistan is 170.6 million. Pakistan GDP is us$167 billions. Because of the unhappy consumer credit market, slow movement of civic sector programmes, security risk Pakistan economic growth faced a serious set back in 2009. shortage of energy and power do not let the boom entered into the industrial sector. Government is unable to make different and identify the developed and non developed budget. And the major problem of the Pakistan is security .so I cant extend my market over there for this reason. 4) South Korea South Korea has a republic government with power shared between president legislation and court. South korea has a good relation with many international foroms . the republic of korea maintains diplomatic relations with more thn 170 countries and broad a network of trading relationship .Is in 15th position in the world GDP rate. It is known as asian tiger. Since from 1960 south korea had one of the world fastest growing economies . its GDP rate is expanded by more than 8% in. from US$ 2.7 billion in 1962 to us$ 230 billion in 1989. Marketing Entry Strategy Marketing entry strategy is known as a plan method of delivering gods or services. It refers to establishing and managing contracts exporting and importing services. One can choose any country that you want to go into so that u can perform identification to undertake a general overview of potential new market. Business can be achieve by entering into a new market . Now there is a several method of entering into a new market . the decision of how u going to enter a foreign market can have a significant impact on results. Expansion into foreign market can be achieved by following 4 way Exporting : the word export comes from conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the country port.It is known as traditional way of reaching our goods to foreign market. This is a direct sales of domestic product goods in another country . direct export is frequently used to enter into a new market. It is made with an agreement with distributor or trading house for the purpose of selling the product into target market. Licensing: licensing permits a company in the target country to use the property of licensor which are usually intangible such as trademark, productions technique etc. for the rights to use the intangible property and possible for technical assistance one have to pay a fee in exchange . it allows the licenser to use make and sell products. Joint venture : it is similar to business partnership with two differences first with partnership generally involves ongoing long term business relationship where an equity based joint venture which compromise a single business activity and second partner have to agree to dissolve the partnership before it comes to an end. Joint venture can be form inside own country with different firms or it can also be formed between international firms. The reason for doing joint venture is to combine the strength or to by pass legal restriction. Foreign Direct Investment: foreign direct investment is known as long term participation by one country into another country, means which function outside the domestic territory of investor. It requires a business relationship and it also helps to give rise to multinational corporations. FDI can be classified into two different types outward FDI and inward FDI. An outward FDIs is subject to tax incentives disincentives of various forms. Different economic factors like loan, tax break, subsides are inwards FDIs factors. 3.1) country profile (introduction) By analysing the situation of above 4 country that I mention. I came to the conclusion that to extend my company brand in south korea. In the past several decades the republic of korea has received notable high economic growth . the geological area of korea is 98,480 sq. km with total population 48,636,068. Korean population is one of the most ethnically and inquistically homogenous in the world language . Since from the partition in 1948 korea has developed into Asias prosperous country. Government sponsored schemes encouraged the growth of family owned industrial . the current economy of the south korea is the third largest in Asia. South korea industrial and manufacturer base include computers and computer peripheral, auto mobiles , steel production etc. 3.2) alternative entry method As it is the world second largest brewery company measured by income. I am going to enter into a Korean market by its famous brand miller Lite. About miller lite its early production was 12.8 million barrels which which quickly increased to 24.2 millions barrel by 1977. in 1991 lite beer became the biggest domestic beer in America. Under miller lite brand the company is going to produce three craft beers an amber, ablonde ale and a wheat. It contains glycol alginate, water , barley malt, corn, syrup, chemically modified hops extracts, yeast, amyloglucosidase, carbondioxide, papain enzyme, liquid sugar, potassium, metabisulfile and emka malta. Method to enter : joint venture I m going to enter into the Korean beer market by joint venture . with the help of one of the local firm I m gong to enter with my miller lite brand. This makes me easier to enter into the new market with low risk in my business. It helps to access me to local borrowing power and resources through participation of national partner. Advantages of Joint Ventures Offers opportunities to the company to get new abilities Helps to enter into a new geological market and helps to achieve new technological information Joint venture also makes low risk by sharing by sharing the economic risk with co venture In order to grow into the new market we need resources in the form of method technology and approach, it open the enue for such needs. Offers a creative way for company to exit from non core corporation Disadvantages of Joint Ventures It can take a long time or attempt to built a relationship or partnering a right partner Different culture and management way can bring poor result Co venture or partners dont offer enough leadership Can be imbalance in levels of expertise Have to agree in lot of things and these can cause this venture fall apart The profit made by you will be shared Task 4: Implementation (4Ps of marketing) The marketing decision is generally controlled by 4 categories: product, price, place, promotion. Product: if u going to do business you have to produce a product that the people going to buy. People in korea are fond of different drinks. I m going to take by brand miller lite in korea market. It has won the best world beer cup gold medal for best American style light lager in 1996, 1998, 2002 and in 2006. Price: the price must be high enough to cover the cost but it doesnt mean that it should be really high. The price of this product will be in favour to all category people so that they can enjoy its taste . Place: it will be the first market entry in Korean brewery . I want to place my product in every public place where they can enjoy and have a fun like restaurant, bar , local shops, store etc. so that I can take focus from the customer. Promotions: customer have to be made aware of the product. So I m going to advertise my product in television, papers, internet, leaflets etc so that i can make more space in he market share. Conclusion: people in the society wants different product with new taste . People of the todays world are more conscious about product brand this shows that people are conscious about their choice , health and money. All this observation shows that SABMiller extending in new market is very profitable and helps to know its products brand world wide.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Story From America :: essays research papers

A Story From America August 14th 1960, I was working late at the office that night. It was like one of those nights that gives you shiver, when you think about them. The cold air was tickling me in the neck, when it slowly blowed into the room from the open window. The lights from the street made me so annoyed that I hartly could find and read the papers I was looking for. Finally I found them, they were hiding in my personal archive of cases connected with murder. My attention suddenly breaks when my secretary, a young talented woman with many unusual skills, approaches the office. She always talks, normaly I just pretend to listen, but this time I could feel something was different. She had an idea, maybe she had found a clue, in the case which had gone on my nerves for the last three weeks. “Cooper !';, she manages to pronounce before she throws some papers on my desk. “Do you remember, when we were investigating Mrs Alpher’s apartment ?';. “Yes, what is it ?'; I say, trying to find out what’s on her mind. “You see, until now we haven’t found anyone that possibly could have gone into Mrs Alpher’s apartment, without anyone noticing him or her';. “You’ve got a point there';, I responded, what was on her mind ? That blue dress certainly showed her fine curves, actually I coundn’t get her of my mind most of the time. “Well, her apartment lies on the corner of Main Street and Baker Street, there’re three windows, one on Baker St. and one Main St. plus one in the middle. That night Mrs Alpher was shot, it was very warm, and if she then had a window open. A person could have shot her in hers apartment, from his or hers own window';, she looked satisfied after finishing her composing. “So what you’re trying to say, is that we maybe could find the murder in one of the apartments opposite Mrs Alpher’s windows';. The idea wasn’t bad at all I thoungt, she opened the new cupboard to get some files. “OK. we’ll go over to her apartment right away';. It was quite strange to enter the apartment, it had an unusual structure, but also it had a certain charm with it’s three windows in the end of the living room. I tryed to picture what had been going on that evening Mrs Alpher was shot. A Story From America :: essays research papers A Story From America August 14th 1960, I was working late at the office that night. It was like one of those nights that gives you shiver, when you think about them. The cold air was tickling me in the neck, when it slowly blowed into the room from the open window. The lights from the street made me so annoyed that I hartly could find and read the papers I was looking for. Finally I found them, they were hiding in my personal archive of cases connected with murder. My attention suddenly breaks when my secretary, a young talented woman with many unusual skills, approaches the office. She always talks, normaly I just pretend to listen, but this time I could feel something was different. She had an idea, maybe she had found a clue, in the case which had gone on my nerves for the last three weeks. “Cooper !';, she manages to pronounce before she throws some papers on my desk. “Do you remember, when we were investigating Mrs Alpher’s apartment ?';. “Yes, what is it ?'; I say, trying to find out what’s on her mind. “You see, until now we haven’t found anyone that possibly could have gone into Mrs Alpher’s apartment, without anyone noticing him or her';. “You’ve got a point there';, I responded, what was on her mind ? That blue dress certainly showed her fine curves, actually I coundn’t get her of my mind most of the time. “Well, her apartment lies on the corner of Main Street and Baker Street, there’re three windows, one on Baker St. and one Main St. plus one in the middle. That night Mrs Alpher was shot, it was very warm, and if she then had a window open. A person could have shot her in hers apartment, from his or hers own window';, she looked satisfied after finishing her composing. “So what you’re trying to say, is that we maybe could find the murder in one of the apartments opposite Mrs Alpher’s windows';. The idea wasn’t bad at all I thoungt, she opened the new cupboard to get some files. “OK. we’ll go over to her apartment right away';. It was quite strange to enter the apartment, it had an unusual structure, but also it had a certain charm with it’s three windows in the end of the living room. I tryed to picture what had been going on that evening Mrs Alpher was shot.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Motherly Figures in The Secret Life of Bees :: essays research papers

Lily has a lot of mother figures in her life. In ?The Secret Life of Bees? two mother figures that she has are Rosaleen and August. A mother cares for her young and guides them trough life. She comforts and soothes them when they need it. Lily?s Mothers are Rosaleen and August. Both act as mothers for Lily in different ways. Rosaleen is the disciplinary figure in Lily?s life. She is tough and sometimes mean but really she loves Lily. Lily knew that ?despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved her beyond reason?. Rosaleen also shows her love for Lily when she avoids telling Lily that her mother left her. She knew this would break Lily?s heart. Another motherly figure in Lily?s life is August. She encourages Lily to open her heart and reveal the truth to them. August is very patient and would make a great mother. Even though she knew that Lily was lying to her, she gave Lily a chance to settle down. In doing this she was wise. If she had confronted Lily, Lily probably would have left the house. Unlike June even though Lily was white she still treated her regularly. August was more of a friend to Lily. They shared many interests. One of these interests was to mix cola with peanuts. Another interest that they shared was that they loved beekeeping. Rosaleen did not have as much in common as Lily did. She was more of a caretaker to Lily than a friend. When they lived with T. Ray she would cook dinner and dress Lily up. Even though Lily does not have much in common with her she still loves her. August was correct when she said that Lily must be her own mother. Lily will not always have someone to care for her. If this happens she must learn to care for herself. Lily was also relying too much on the statue of Mary. When the statue of Mary was chained up Lily could not go to her for help. Motherly Figures in The Secret Life of Bees :: essays research papers Lily has a lot of mother figures in her life. In ?The Secret Life of Bees? two mother figures that she has are Rosaleen and August. A mother cares for her young and guides them trough life. She comforts and soothes them when they need it. Lily?s Mothers are Rosaleen and August. Both act as mothers for Lily in different ways. Rosaleen is the disciplinary figure in Lily?s life. She is tough and sometimes mean but really she loves Lily. Lily knew that ?despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved her beyond reason?. Rosaleen also shows her love for Lily when she avoids telling Lily that her mother left her. She knew this would break Lily?s heart. Another motherly figure in Lily?s life is August. She encourages Lily to open her heart and reveal the truth to them. August is very patient and would make a great mother. Even though she knew that Lily was lying to her, she gave Lily a chance to settle down. In doing this she was wise. If she had confronted Lily, Lily probably would have left the house. Unlike June even though Lily was white she still treated her regularly. August was more of a friend to Lily. They shared many interests. One of these interests was to mix cola with peanuts. Another interest that they shared was that they loved beekeeping. Rosaleen did not have as much in common as Lily did. She was more of a caretaker to Lily than a friend. When they lived with T. Ray she would cook dinner and dress Lily up. Even though Lily does not have much in common with her she still loves her. August was correct when she said that Lily must be her own mother. Lily will not always have someone to care for her. If this happens she must learn to care for herself. Lily was also relying too much on the statue of Mary. When the statue of Mary was chained up Lily could not go to her for help.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

HIV / AIDS among Kenyan Youth :: HIV in Africa

In 2001, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest number of deaths from HIV/AIDS, with 29.4 million people living with AIDS; 10 million young people and 3 million children. Among these, 12.2 million were women and 10.1 million men. In 2002, 3.5 million new infections were reported. From this backdrop, Kenyans were interviewed on their perceptions of sex and condom use within heterosexual relationships revealing that denial and silence played a major role in the escalation of the pandemic while gender differences, culture and power were perceived as negatively impacting negotiation of sex and condom use within Kenyan communities. Kagutui ka mucie gatihakagwo ageni. (The secrets of one’s home are not to be revealed to strangers) - Gikuyu proverb AIDS was a disease that shines in hush and thrives on secrecy. It was prospering because people were choosing not to talk about it. It was this realization that provoked me to go wider, beyond my personal circle, beyond the people I worked with. The quieter we keep it the more people it will affect and stigmatize, especially while people believe that AIDS affects some people and not others (Kaleeba 29). This article is based on semi structured interviews with four Kenyan men and women on how they perceive, and negotiate sex and condom use within heterosexual relationships. It focuses on gender, culture and power, and how these dynamics are projected, if at all, in participants’ negotiation of sexual relationships within the Kenyan community. The purpose of the study is to understand the relationship between gender, power and HIV/AIDS prevention. Sub-Saharan Africa has recently recorded the highest incidences of death from HIV/AIDS with a total of 29.4 million people living with the disease. Among these, ten million are young people aged fifteen to twenty four while three million are children under the age of fifteen. In the year 2002, 3.5 million new infections were reported (UNAIDS 2). One reason for this seemingly recent rise in the number of infections is the result of years of denial and silence about the existence of HIV/AIDS. Recent statistics indicate that Botswana’s adult prevalence Sex, HIV/AIDS and Silence 45 rate for example, has peaked to 38.8 %, Lesotho 31%, Swaziland 33.4% and Zimbabwe 33.7%. In total, Africa experiences 6,000 AIDS related deaths per day and Kenya, 18 deaths per hour (UNAIDS 3). Researchers, educators and governments now suggest the need [for] culturally sensitive knowledge of sexual beliefs and practices as a way forward to understanding and evaluating patterns of HIV/AIDS transmission in different communities, in view of designing effective intervention programs (Lansky 3). This paper focuses on a study of culture and HIV/AIDS, and what effects gender differences and power might be having on HIV/AIDS

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Android Technology Essay

Android technology is a type of OSS (open source software), which is a type of software readily available with a source code that isn’t held exclusive by copyright laws. Android is made specially for mobile devices and includes: software that provides common services for computer applications, middleware, which lets multiple applications run at the same time or connect, and many other key applications like social networking, games, and business modules. Android is modeled after Linux kernel, the first operating system of free and open-source software. However, Android is moving to increase the number of people with web access via mobile devices (cell phones). In August of 2005, Google purchased the original software developer of Android. Android technology includes the hardware devices, operating systems, and computer-programming languages used by the Android phone. Android developers write in java language, which is why the majority of the open-source software stack consists of Java applications on a Java-based framework that is object-oriented. Some of the most popular android products are HTC-EVO 4G and Droid X, 2, and Pro smart phones as well as one of it’s latest developments, the Motorola XOOM, an Android tablet. Android continues to progress in its production of newer software, smart phones, etc. To date, there are over two hundred thousand applications offered for Android. Lastly, Android technology has improved mobile technology by forming the Open Handset Alliance, a group of handset manufacturers, service providers, and chip producers whose goal is to form the ecosystem for Android operating systems. Android technology hosts a number of potential benefits to possible consumers. Android is powered by open-source software stack, which means it is free to obtain and can be accessed from the Internet. In fact, Google has out sourced codes of Android technology on the web to be trialed. It safe to say that Google sees an importance in the customers familiarizing themselves with the product before purchasing say a smart phone, tablet, etc. that comes equip with Android technology. In saying this, it would be incorrect to say that Android manufacturers don’t believe in customer service. Another, benefit of Android is its push to increase the number of people with mobile web access. A benefit of mobile access to the web relieves the hassle of trying to find a desktop or waiting until one gets home to check emails, Google groups, social networking sites that hold important information, etc. Android Technology is provided in a wide array of products, such as the Motorola Droid X. More specifically, benefits of Droid X are perks like: its 4. 3 inch vivid display allowing for pocket-sized home theater quality, the ability to control your home’s Frontpoint security system, an advanced 8 mega-pixel camera with dual flash that captures pictures and records HD videos, and an HDMI output that is capable of connecting to your home HD television to view your HD videos. Ultimately, each product carrying Android technology has it’s own little perks whether that’s software, elongated battery life, etc. The potential benefits of this kind of technology outweigh any potential pitfalls. According to Marguerite Reardon in her CNET news article Living with Technology: Google Android and the Wireless Future, â€Å"much of the software’s success will be determined by what others in the ecosystem choose to do with it† (Reardon 1). This means benefits can be endless, because with android technology you get what you put in, as cliche as that sounds, the more applications you add to your device the more sufficient you and your mobile device will be. Like all other advancements in technology, Android technology is a modification of what came before it (Linux kernel). Due to nature of it being a new and exciting type of technology, people have begun to voice perspective on legal, social, ethical, and security conditions of products including the software. First, to clear up any confusion Google only has rights to the software or operating system; it is not there job to supply the build or make devices. Rights to manufacture phones/smart phones and other devices using Android operating systems powered by Google are companies like LG, HTC, Samsung, and Motorola. Also, service providers like Verizon and T-Mobile only provide cell phone service; they don’t manufacture the phones or write the software that is put into them. This is something that catches people off guard when they see these devices being sold at local Verizon and T-Mobile stores. The main determinant of social perspectives is feedback whether that’s in the form of a review or letter. Mobile technology specialist Ian Fogg had this to say, â€Å"Android offers some key advantages. Handset manufacturers can get a leg up, a quicker start, because they’re using Android as a base, they can still differentiate with software, and they get the advantage of having compatibility with all the applications out in the Android marketplace. † The idea of taking something like a cellular phone and inserting Android technology exponential improves the user’s capability to interact with others based on a number of different applications and simply by mobilizing web access. Opinions of Ethical standards in terms of Android technology go hand in hand with opinions of its security policies. First, in order to activate the software you must purchase a data plan, which is billed monthly in addition to the total cost of the device itself. This rules out the obsoleteness of the software, because although it is freely obtainable it is not in free and workable condition without a data plan. This is a feature of Android technology that society rewards; being able to main exclusivity underlines the importance, safety, and integrity of the company. Also, in terms of perspectives on ethics and security, phones have in put GPS devices that signal where the phone is, if it is ever to lost or stolen. Lastly, ethics are built on societal needs and coming through with them. One of the many pre-installed application that comes with an Android device is an application called â€Å"places†. This application allows people to locate necessary â€Å"places†: gas stations, ATM’s, and dining facilities in their vicinity with just the touch of a button. One of the biggest obstacles that caused a minor setback for Google’s Android during the beginning of its expansion was its absence of Bluetooth API (application programming interface). Ken Dulaney, a Gartner analyst, pointed out that although there was no Bluetooth API, â€Å"Android’s partial support for headsets would alleviate some concernsâ€Å" (Ruffolo 1). However, it didn’t take away all potential problems. Dulaney continued by saying, â€Å"one of the major side effects of the missing Bluetooth API – and of the open source platform in general – is that the Android-based handhelds will suffer from serious fragmentation across the various vendors using the platform, [ultimately] complicat[ing] the development process† (Ruffolo 1). Yet, these weren’t obstacles that couldn’t have been overcome. The author talks about how even Apple had problems with the iPhone in its manufacturing stages; all that was needed was time for developers to grow and their product to further mature. Android technology is a open-source software that has created numerous possibilities with its many potential benefits such as: applications, mobile web access, and growing popularity/dependability. It has received positive feedback from the public in terms of applications and software that apply to legal, social, ethical, and security perspectives. Lastly, although it is apparent that minor set backs have occurred in the developing of products with Android technology, time will allow them to grow and improve from stages of experimentation.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Mother To Son Essay

The author, Langston Husthes, vividly showed how the African-Americans struggled and managed to live. The efforts they made to change and how much they changed their appearances were very evident in the three poems, â€Å"I am too†, â€Å"Mother to Son†, and â€Å"Negro†. The writer started the poem using a conversational tone, which easily showed its viewers that he was talking to somebody. In his poem, â€Å"Mother To Son†, the author told the story of how the African-Americans struggled to survive the harsh realities of living in a society dominated by the white people. The text included: â€Å"Life for me aint been no crystal stair. Its had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor — Bare. † This specific part of the poem showed how much the African-Americans suffered from living in a society dominated by white people. The author used a lot of metaphors in the poem to illustrate his points. The â€Å"crystal stair† mentioned in the poem, contained several meanings. The crystal may be considered to be attractive, but very fragile. The use of the crystal in the poem was somehow successful in connecting a creative story with that of reality-that the crystal stair may be used as a symbol for the way of living white people had. The poem was also told from a mother’s point of view. From the text, it can be perceived that the mother was a slave at the white house, serving white people. The reader is given contrasting images of how the African-Americans suffered, while the white and rich Americans ruled over society. Throughout the entire poem, the mother tried to show the readers the uneven treatment given to both races. Words, such as â€Å"and† were repeatedly used to emphasize the hardships endured during that time. The line, â€Å"And places with no carpet on the floor –Bare,† was also used to demonstrate how the white people unfairly treated the black people.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Edgar Allan Poe was evil genius for his time and a great literary forerunner of today. He created the mind set for current writers such as Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Robin Cook by creating the horror story. Poe invites the reader to enter the mind of the narrator by using our senses as a way to provoke terror, suspense, and awe. His writing was influenced by many tragic losses in his life, and this would explain why Poe was a writer of such morbid short stories and poems. Poe’s experiences in life definitely influenced the remarkable literary work he produced. In his early life he had to deal with the death of both his parents, a difficult experience, but Poe accepted it as time went on. Later on in his life Poe’s stepfather disowned him. Young Edgar’s life was changed due to abandonment, alcoholism, and depression. In 1832 Poe moved in with his aunt and his 11 year old cousin in Baltimore. Poe then married his younger cousin in 1836. However, Poe did not know that he would suffer yet another terrible loss, the loss of his love, his wife. Poe’s ability to write literature was the window for him to express his feelings. All of Poe’s tragic losses affected the way he wrote. Poe used his life experiences to make his writing a lot more interesting. Poe’s writing is remarkably interesting. The poem â€Å"The Raven† showed how Poe erected a crazed state of mind, as the poem shows how the loss or a loved one drove a person crazy. This poem was possibly created for his wife that he had lost. While reading the poem it seems as if the stresses of the life of Poe, and his thoughts and feelings were all put into this poem. Throughout Poe’s life, many factors have contributed and influenced his writing style. He lived a difficult life, because he was raised in a dysfunctional household. But the final product of Poe’s mind is printed in his short stories and poems. Poe’s stories all have similar motifs and composition that would suggest suppressed emotions from life experiences are being discharged through his writings. The most prominent feature of Poe’s writing is his obsession with death. Poe’s writing does more than entertain the reader. It can be an insight into the dark and somber world of Edgar Allan Poe. One does not understand the meaning of Poe if one reads at the superficial level. One has to read into Poe, and understand the hardships of his life and how he maintained them that way. He knew that death was an inevitable part of life, it is the price of life, but he tried to fight it as if it was an unnatural part of life. He was an extremely intriguing man from all viewpoints, and he was and is, the dark side of all of us. It is difficult not to link Poe’s fictional stories with his real life. Evidence shows that Poe had a heart condition during his later years in life. Could â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† be his own fear of the disease? Who knows? Could Poe have been expressing his fears that his alcoholic rages may cause him to hurt the one’s he loved most in his tale â€Å"The Black Cat†? Finally, was â€Å"the Pit and the Pendulum† an allegory of his life? Did he find himself caught â€Å"between the pendulum of financial adversity and the pit of degradation of death†? Poe made the reader feel as if the reader were there, in the story, struggling with the same terrors of the characters. All his famous mystery thriller works give the reader a sense of nervousness, a sense of fear, and a sense of evil, by making our five senses awaken by reading every word. Critics say that Poe did not merely imitate the Gothic tales, but he also â€Å"enriched them by preserving a central action while adding philosophical speculations and lore that deepened the impressions of the tales†. As a result of the traumas he endured, Poe was â€Å"unafraid of taking his readers for a walk on the dark side, where lines between life and death were sometimes blurred†. His ability to tap into humankind’s deepest fears and his consistency in portraying such intriguing and captivating themes is what has kept the work of Poe timeless. In short, Edgar Allan Poe has created many great stories for us. He liked to illustrate the dissolution of an individual’s mind and body, as he had suffered it himself for quite a long time. He thought death is unavoidable, because he experienced keenly deaths all around him and its threat on his own life. He was obsessed by the loss of love of ideal women, for he had the same experience in life. Now, we can understand why Poe had a tendency of choosing such themes. Poe is an author of the inner world and his writings are his psychological autobiography to some extent. In this respect, Poe pioneered a new field in literature. He is the first one who focused on man’s mental and spiritual activities, and his writings have deep influence on many of later writers.    WORKS CITED Poe, Edgar Allan. Introductory Notes and Editor’s preface by Phillip van Doren Stern. In Selected Tales and Poems. The Viking Portal Library, Penguin Books, 1993. Moore, R. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: Discussion.† 2002.Online. Internet. 11 November 2002. Available WWW: http://www.allpoe.com Murphy, Sally. â€Å"Poe’s Poetry.† 2002.Online. Internet. 12 November 2002. Available WWW: http://www.allpoe.com Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe His Life and Legacy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992. Peters, James. â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe.† April 1, 2002.http://www.island-of-freedom.com/POE.HTM Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: A Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991. Death of Edgar Allan Poe. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1998

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Daylight saving time Essay

Daylight savings time, it happens two times a year, causing a multitude of occurrence, some of these being good, while some are not so good. However, it has been a hot topic for debate recently. To keep daylight savings time, or to kick it to the curb is the question many congressmen are asking themselves. Keeping daylight savings time allows the people of the United States to continue with years of tradition implemented during war time that has been a part of their daily lives ever since which is irrelevant to today’s standards. Being first put into action by President Roosevelt during the Second World War to save energy that the war effort needed, some of the states decided to keep a version of this, but only during the summer (Source A). Thinking this movement would save the American population not only the artificial lighting energy, but also it would save them money. However, nowadays the average savings per household during daylight savings time is about four dollars (video) and the â€Å"corresponding national savings of forty to fifty megawatt hours per day† (Source D). These numbers seem to be miniscule compared to how it could affect their lives. If it only saves an average of four dollars per year, DST is really useless. Considering it was added during a war time and its original purpose was to save energy and get people outside more, there is no need for it now with the more efficient light bulbs we now have and the heating and cooling machines that are saving more money than DST ever could. Daylight savings time affects the natural rhythm of sleep that humans have, not only causing them to be less productive on the job but also it’s a health problem. As O’Connor said people tend to sleep on standard time, not DST. Now daylight savings time is affecting our sleep along with our health. The video which was viewed in class went into greater detail stating that the Monday after DST there is a higher percent of heart attacks and suicides. From personal account, Mondays are no fun but with more suicides†¦that’s a little extreme. So, DST is a very serious issue if there are more heart attacks and suicides. And as stated above the body sleeps on standard time, so DST causes sleep deprivation. This in turn causes there to be less productivity on the job, the week after daylight savings time happens there is an estimated $480,000,000 lost businesses (Video). Daylight savings time just seems like one problem after another when looking at the big picture and how everything affects the other. Not only are people more tired, there are serious health risks associated with it, and the lack of productivity might just be the wakeup call big businesses and the government are look for. It’s essentially screaming that DST needs to be ended. Daylight savings time is something that is outdated, and was used for a war ear. As a country there is no need for it anymore. It is costing the country more than it’s saving it, along with causing more stress put on business leaders. Really, there is no use for it, and this shouldn’t even be a debate. The answer is clear, DST is a thing of the past and that is where it should stay.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Brand Repositioning

WHAT IS RE-POSITIONING? A company or product is new and people already formed judgments about it. In other word, the company or product already has an image either good or bad or in between. Many companies are not aware of their exact image but it is important if that image can be identified. If a company does not know where it is now, then that product or company unlikely to get to where it wants to go. RE-POSITIONING BRANDS As markets and customer needs evolve; brands can lose customers to new competitors.In addition, brands can become diluted as product or service offerings become commodities. When a brand loses meaning and relevance to target customer, a new brand promise should be defined so the brand can be repositioned. TYPES OF BRAND RE-POSITIONING Brand Re-positioning Brand re-positioning is changing the positioning of a brand. A particular positioning statement may not work with a brand. Brand re-positioning is undertaken in order to increase a brand competitive position an d therefore increase sales volume by seizing market share from rival products.When re-positioning companies can change aspects of the product, change the brand’s target market or both. There are four types of re-positioning options for develop a new product in market. I. Image Re-positioning This option takes when both the product and the target market remain unchanged. The aim is to change the image of the product in its current target market. For example product Adidas were seen as reliable but dull in early 1990s. The company created an image of ‘street credibility’ in an attempt to reposition the brand to appeal to the customer in the sports shoe market.During the 1990s, Tango the Britvic soft drink has been transformed from a minor UK brand into a brand showing dynamic growth. This has been achieved by creating an anarchic image for the products through a major promotional re launch that was aimed to appeal to consumers in the critical 16-24 age of group. II . Market Re-positioning The product remains unchanged but the product repositioned to appeal to a new market segment. For example, Lucozade is a brand of carbonated glucose drink was originally targeted as a product for individuals suffering from illness, particularly children.Now it has been repositioned as an isotonic drink aimed at young adults undertaking sporting activities. III. Product Re-positioning Product re-positioning is materially changed but is still aimed to appeal to the existing target market. Product positioning is closely related to market segment focus. Product positioning involves creating a unique, consistent, and recognized customer perception about a firm’s offering and image. A product or service may be positioned on the basis of an attitude or benefit, use or application, user, class, price, or level of quality.It targets a product for specific market segments and product needs at specific prices. The same product can be positioned in many different ways. IV. Total Re-positioning This option involves both a change of target market and accompanying product modifications. For example, Skoda has managed under Volkswagen’s ownership to reposition itself totally. The product quality and design has changed significantly and the brand now has credibility with new, more affluent consumers. This has also allowed the brand to expand its sales outside its Eastern European heartland.REASONS TO CONSIDER BRAND RE-POSITIONING 1. The brand has a negative image This can easily happen and often is not the company’s fault. Damage can be done by maverick individuals as in the notorious cases of poisoning of the products such as Tylenol and Perrier. It can also be an effect of government policy. For example, if a company builds a highway and forecasts year ahead the toll charges for the government, the public may know nothing about any intended road price increases until the government announces them at a much later date.This announce ment may be handled badly by the government, perhaps being made during recessionary times when disposable income is reduced. Although it is not within the control of the company collecting the toll, it still reflects badly on the company. Public relation is usually the fire-fighting answer, but forward looking companies use advertising and public relation strategically to think ahead about potential problems. This is sometimes scenario planning or issues management. The company looks ahead for a certain length of time.It can be months with fast moving consumer goods or a couple of decades with conglomerates. An example of how a company thought about its brand image in this way is seen in Telekom Malaysia’s sponsorship of the 1998 Malaysian Everest climb. Many things could have happened including the injury and death of the climbers. But a comprehensive set of guidelines was prepared for staff covering responses to possible questions the company would be asked in both positive and negative scenarios. On the other hand Coca-Cola did not seem to react quickly enough when the European scare surfaced in mid-1999.They suggesting that it might not have planned what to say in such unlikely circumstances and now it has a major re-positioning job to do. 2. The brand has a blurred or fuzzy image When this happen, people do not feel strongly about image one way or the other way or have mixed perceptions about it. This is quite likely to happen when a brand has not been positioned properly. Perceptual mapping would probably reveal that the brand is very close to other brands in terms of customer preferences and has little to differentiate it.A re-positioning exercise would need to be carried out to get the brand into a space away from the other brands. This may involve changes to product or packaging. 3. Competition has moved close or taken over brand position This is constant threat facing any successful brand because everyone wants to emulate success. It sometimes takes companies by surprise as Japan brand Lexus did to BMW in the U. Ss this is a constant hazard in the consumer goods category. Companies have to be prepared to constantly innovate with existing products and bring out new products to surround the category space.FedEx, one of the world’s leading courier companies upon finding out that all other Asian courier companies had positioned themselves around the benefit of speed as it had done moved away with a very large advertising campaign and suggesting that whatever the adverse circumstances, FedEx would deliver. It has not lost the speed benefit because this product related. It has instead added a dimension of corporate personality to strengthen overall company image hence differentiating it from the rest of the crowd. 4. The company embarks on new strategic directionWhen a company embarks on a new strategic direction move into a new industry or introduces a brand that is remote from the core business, brands with an already powerful image faces less of a problem this might bring. However, weak brands will find it essential to reposition it to convince the target audience of its credibility. For example, Coca-Cola feels confident enough to bring out its own brand of clothing. There are limits to brand extensions. If the brand name is not too elastic, a totally new brand name may be necessary. 5. The company introduces new brand personalityWhen a company introduces new brand values or personality characteristics it needs to undertake re-positioning. Privatization and deregulation have forced many government institutions to change their practices, values and their cultures. This is a significant challenge as consumer perceptions are deeply entrenched and re-positioning requires considerable persistence repetition backed up by a totally different brand culture and customer experience. Similarly, re-packaging a brand requires re-positioning. 6. The company addresses a new target audienceMoving to a new mar ket segment in addition to the existing ones is always tempting for the brand development. The danger lies in alienating the brand’s existing customer base. Example presented by Toyota, which said it is considering joining the Formula One racing by 2003. It is trying to revitalize its image to appeal more to the youth, a segment that tends to buy more innovative products such as those produced by Honda. By joining Formula One it hopes to send a message to young people about the fun of driving and position Toyota as technically up to date. 7. The sales are declining.This is the basic reason why Marlboro considered re-positioning in the 1950’s. If the absolute sales start to drop, you need to take a step back and figure out the cause. If you think that you are offering your service or goods at its best, but it still does not continue to attract customers, it could be that your brand needs to be refreshed, if not represented differently. 8. New competitors have a better v alue proposition. In that case, rest assured that your initial position will be destabilized. If customers see that other brands offer better than yours, they tend to shift.Hence, company option is to either step up or get left behind. 9. Customers think that your brand is outdated and not established. Being an older brand does not necessarily put you at a higher position. Customers may see your brand as outdated or irrelevant. What you need to work on is how you can really ‘establish’ your brand. You know your brand is established when customers trust and go back to it again and again. In other words, established brand produces loyal customers. 10. Your products and services have evolved drastically. Over time, companies change and expand.You may have added new products, refined old ones, or expanded the line. This would help you stay relevant and fresh. However, if you have changed your products or offerings over a long stretch of time, chances are, the branding strat egy that you started with does not reflect the brand anymore. It might be out of sync already. You may need to change it to mirror what the brand stand for now. HOW TO REPOSITION BRAND FOR HIGHER MEANING? To be successful at re-positioning your brand, you have to create higher meaning and aim higher. Aiming higher requires outward thinking and learning from the marketplace.Some companies have been engaged with a variety of consumer products brands whose managers are seeking new opportunities to grow their brand’s value. In all these engagements, I have noticed a common thread among all of them which was consumers no longer care about them because they have lost their compelling meaning in the consumer’s mind. Once a consumer’s mind is made up about a brand, it’s next to impossible to change it. The decisions facing brand managers and marketing executives regarding how they deal with our ever-evolving market landscape usually comes down to three options: i . ontinue to invest in the existing brand meaning ii. create a sub-brand iii. invent a completely new brand All of these options have advantages and disadvantages, more so if the brand is also facing dramatic challenges in distribution. The driver underpinning all these options is change. Brands are dynamic. They have their cycles and they run their course. What is hard for managers to grasp is when to move on. This is particularly true if the brand was once a leader. Market success always creates size, power and a false sense of security.Over time, this creates an unrealistic view of the external reality, and a lack of urgency to correct course in maintaining relevancy among consumers. Brand managers naturally become inwardly focused and they tend to miss seeing new opportunities or competitive threats. Complacency becomes the norm and the brand’s compelling meaning in the minds of consumers gets blurred and sales drop. If the companies are faced with reinventing brand, the problem that they faced most likely is obvious. Somehow many people believe a good idea has to be clever, mysterious or layered in complexity. The best ideas for re-positioning brands are simple.If the core idea behind the brand’s meaning is not simple and obvious, it would not stand a chance in the over-crowded slush pile of a marketplace in which the brand must reside. Simple ideas are self-evident, which is why they work so well. Positioning is the art of sacrifice. A brand can only stand for one compelling, radical differentiating selling idea. The trouble with simple ideas is they have no appeal to the imagination and are easily over-looked. We are naturally drawn to the more clever and ingenious ideas. Resist this temptation. The company needs to aim higher thinking toward the simple, obvious differentiating idea hat elevates the brand to a new meaning people really care about. RE-POSITIONING STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE It is high time we re-examine the way re-positioning of brand is done in this ever changing market place. Uncertainty and trends have placed companies in a race against time. Gone are the days when work for every segment of consumers like a charm. The life and soul of the market place today is focusing and engaging specific target market. Major paradigm of strategic re-positioning is now introduction of small scale change with budget.Value based system is the money spinner that competitors have been using to bring companies down. Strategic re-positioning and exploitation of brand advantage is the only cash cow that can be used to counter them. The re-positioning strategy below will keep the company aware from the failure. 1. Reposition brand internally. Internal brand building is an emerging trend in marketing that is used to solidify the position of a brand in an organization. Brand based internal communication will communicate new strategic position of a brand to employees of an organization.Major home improvement companies like Home Depot, and Lowes are example of companies with strong internal communication. Engagement will foster strategic intent of re-positioning in to the training experience and job activities of employee. Organization alliance with brand re-positioning activities will enable company to achieve increased customer referral expanded sale portfolio, and customer service efficiency. 2. Carry out consumer analysis The essence of carrying out consumer analysis is to identify prospects, customers and target group in order to position brand correctly.Success will go an extra mile if new product development can focus consumer’s need and wants. New brand profile should correlate with consumer behavior and value. New product development manager have to make sure that they meet and exceed consumer expectation in order to make them loyal to brand. And lastly company should engage brand in the mind of consumers consistently in order to create a lasting emotional affinity. 3. C ompetitive analysis Competitive analysis is the assessment of the strength and weakness of your rival. Company does not underestimate the power of their competitors.Emergence of technologies has made it easy for them to gain insight in to the future before anyone does. New product development should create an uncontested market space by making sure their marketing mix is innovative in nature. They can differentiate the position of their brand by instilling a distinct feature in price, promotion, distribution and the product itself. 4. Fine tune to advertising strategy Companies like Verizon, gap, apple, Microsoft and MacDonald have fine-tuned their advertising strategy to â€Å"consumer needs† tactics. Appealing message will create brand awareness and increased sales to them.By using a medium that will clearly communicate new brand position and features to existing customers and prospects. They have to employ message that has specific objective in order to add value, success, quality, excitement, substance, and equity to the positioning of their brand. Besides that, advertising objectives should be derived assessment of market situation, price position, competition, and channel of distribution. 5. Create good relationship with trade partner and channel members Trade partner and channel members are people that ensures product or brand gets to the hands of final consumers.Intermediaries have very strong ties to brands. Good strategic partnership and relationship with channel members are very important in ensuring that new brand position is communicated to consumers. They can also supply sales force and marketing communications necessary persuade consumers to go beyond buying a product. Companies like Dell Computer, FedEx, and Charles Schwab have a very great system that have enabled them achieve a very powerful competitive advantage. 6. Reassess It is always good to carry out assessment of brand position continuously to ensure relevance in the market.This strategy will eliminate risk and problem from piling up. It is done by carrying out internal and external analysis of brand rating within employees, customers and prospect. The result of the analysis will enable them to know the strength and weakness of brand position. Furthermore, data collected will enable you map out informed strategy to reposition their brand all over again. PROFITABLE WAYS TO REPOSITION A BRAND The reason is because brand re-positioning strategy is applicable to wide range of real business problems and marketing issues.Brand re-positioning is the only effective strategy that can generate feasible solution to problems based on current needs of the market. Therefore, it is imperative organizations understand specific ways to reposition a brand. Below are illustrations of ways to reposition a product or services. i. To make brand relevant One way to reposition a product or service in the mind of target market is to make it relevance. Brand relevance can be define d as the alignment of brand’s identity, attribute and personality with the needs of target group.The reason behind making brand relevant constantly is because of changing needs of the society and profusion of alternatives. Brand relevance entails keeping brand current and significant in the mind of target group. It also encompass ensuring that brand resonate and connect to consumers emotionally. ii. To enhance brand identity Another way to reposition a brand is to enhance its identity in the market place. Brand identity is the visible element of a brand such as colors, logo, design, symbol and name that distinguishes a product or services in the mind of consumer.Identity enhancement is done especially if there is no consistency between brand interfaces and consumers. Redefinition of identity is also done when two or more company is merging together. Brand identity is strategic or substance oriented in nature. Brand identity begins with analysis of marketing environment and en ds with using research data to create relevant brand portfolio. iii. To enhance brand personality Organizations reposition brand personality especially when they need to solidify customer loyalty and engagement.According to David Aaker, author of the book â€Å"Building strong brand† â€Å"brand personality can also be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a given brand†. It is also the personification of intangible and tangible traits of a brand. Brand personality projects beliefs and core value of product or services. It is a framework that creates passion and affinity for consumers. Types of brand personalities include trustworthiness, sincerity, strong, reliable, consistency, sophistication, and emotional. iv. To enhance brand experienceAnother way to reposition a brand is to enhance consumers experience in order to gain long term competitive advantage. Brand experience encompasses aligning product or services to end-user mood, needs, desires, and behavior. It also involves using stimuli to invoke feelings, sensation and responses. A memorable and unforgettable experience is created by being insightful, remarkable, valuable, dynamic, relevance and accessible enough to unravel gaps and deliver satisfaction incessantly. Customer’s physical & emotional expectations are enhanced by creating great experience at all faucet of interaction. . To enhance brand essence Periodically, organizations enhance the essence of their brand by associating brand with meaningful and relevant substance. Brand essence is a pathway for adding value and equity to a product or services continuously. The concept of brand essences is also defined as a phrase or statement that contains emotional connection or impression about product or services experience. It is the DNA or core characteristic that distinguishes a brand from other alternatives. Illustrations of traits associated with brand essence include unique, relevance, scalable, and susta inable. i. To enhance brand image/reputation Another Way to reposition the image of a brand is through its appeal, fame, and value. Business dictionary defines brand image as the â€Å"impression in the consumer’s mind of a brand total personality†. Brand image can be also defined as what a brand stand for or set of specific belief about brand in the mind of consumers. It deals with readjusting the perception of consumers on brand. It is tactical or appearance oriented in nature. Various ways to enhance brand image is through advertising, promotion, word of mouth, customer service and other touch points. ii. To adjust brand association Re-positioning of brand association is done by organizations to increase product or service appeal to core target group. Business dictionary defined brand association as the â€Å"extent to which a particular brand calls to mind the attribute of a general product category†. It can also be defined as the meaning, attributes, image associated with a brand in the mind of consumers. Associating brand with enchanting features can solidify loyalty and turn consumers to evangelist or advocates.Various brand association include customers contact, advertisements, character, word of mouth, celebrity, category, geography, end-users, slogan, intangibles, products, extensions, and displays. viii. To emphasize on brand attribute Sporadically, factors like unstable market, short product life cycle, technological advancement, and alternative can make the attribute of a product or services irrelevant. Re-positioning of brand attribute is done by emphasizing on attribute that matter most to consumers or target group. Brand Attributes is defined as the properties or characteristics of a product or services.It can also be defined as the emotional as well as functional association consumers confer to a brand. Types of attribute include cost, friendly, authentic, innovative, prestige, and reliability. ix. Brand differentiation Or ganization indulges in differentiation strategy when they need to establish a strong identity in the mind of consumers. Business dictionary defined brand differentiation as the â€Å"result of effort to make a product or service stand out as a provider of unique value to customers in comparisons with its competitors†.Chosen point of differentiation need to be significant to target market, not used by competitors and supported by organizational resources. Types of differentiation include components, performance, experience, market leader, convenient, innovation, pioneer, essential, expertise, and responsiveness. WHY BRAND RE-POSITIONING COULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION THROUGH WEBSITE? When you have been working on a brand for a long time, it can be depressing to find out that it is not having the positive effect that you hoped.Examining the brand equity for the website can sometimes reveal that there is virtually no difference between marketing your company with the brand, and prom oting it without. This usually means that your current brand is missing the mark, and you are just not connecting with your customers. In order to create a better equity, and retain more customers while bringing in new traffic, you should seriously consider brand re-positioning for your website. Re-positioning a brand means changing the angle or design of your current brand marketing campaign, or even simply discarding your brand and starting again.On a website, which needs to be constantly changing in order to keep up with modern trends, it can actually be a good idea to reposition your brand every so often. This keeps the website fresh for your clients, and can also attract and retain customers who would not be otherwise connected, while also allowing you to fine-tweak the Brand Promise or other elements which affect the levels of brand equity. There are a number of reasons why you should consider brand re-positioning for your website. If you are just not attracting the sales that you had at the beginning, then changing the brand can bring back former customers.You would also need to focus upon promoting different elements of your products or services to keep the interest, but this can be a positive side effect of brand re-positioning. Another reason may be that brand you have chosen does not really match your website, and you are therefore losing customers. For example if you are promoting a brand of shoes with puppies and kittens on, then you would not want a brand image that more resembles a heavy metal poster. Your customers base their opinions of your values upon your branding, so the item and the brand need to be a close, if not completely perfect, match.A brand which clashes with your website or the item or service offered for sale simply has to go, and changing the logo, colors and appearance of your brand can be the incentive that some websites need to completely overhaul the way that they operate which was by leading to new initiatives that generat e more income for the owners. Brand re-positioning can also be a step designed to help the owner of the website with brand management, keeping the brand to a set design, and making it clearly different from other types of brand which are very similar to your own.If a rival company has put out a product with a virtually identical brand to your own, then you can cut down their stealing of your clients by changing the appearance of your brand. This type of brand re-positioning can also ensure that you keep up-to-date with your opposition, and don’t become the traditional website, as this can put off some buyers. There are also several different types of effects which can result from brand re-positioning. For example, you may find that changing the look and feel of your brand can make your company more relevant to the customer.If you offer a service, then you may find that your regular customers increase their levels of use, because re-positioning the brand has opened up potentia l uses that the customer had not previously thought of. It may also serve to make the customer take your product more seriously. Sometimes when a website has been used for a long while, clients can feel a bit bored about your site, and re-positioning can make them think again about your products. Re-positioning can also ensure that your brand keeps up with changing market conditions that would otherwise have resulted in a drop in sales.By constantly re-positioning the brand in the market, websites can keep themselves one step ahead of the competition, and keep up with current trends. Making sure that you don’t fall behind ensures that you retain customers and keep bringing in new ones. In the more modern era of the social network site, companies also rebrand in response to changing customer demands. Some websites may need re-positioning in order to keep the interest of ‘followers’, because it gives them something to notify their fans about, and so keep the compan y in the user’s memory.Others may hear direct complaints about their current brand, and this can lead them to reposition their brand in the market, hoping to ease customer dissatisfaction with a particular part of the brand’s products. Although you may not have experienced any opposition as yet, re-positioning is a good idea even for a very small company with social networking contacts, and in order to ensure that effective branding is installed, working with a company such as www. expertsbranding. com can ensure that you keep your brand contemporary and consistent even after it has been repositioned.SUCCESSFUL BRAND RE-POSITIONING There are three key factors in successfully planning for and delivering on brand positioning. There are of course many examples of this not going to plan and in fact companies having to back-track on their new promise to a more pragmatic place. The three components to success or consideration on this topic to be: i. Planning new positioning so that it fits within the existing reference points of the target market. Some company much like the creation of social media personas and communities and not trying to create a new identity or personality or place for the brand.That is too far away from the existing perception of that brand in its category and market position. ii. Ensuring that the audience will grant you permission to re-position. This stage essentially encourages the brand to again consider current customer sentiment. The question is they looking for the brand to evolve and change, or are they comfortable with where it is or not even aware of the current positioning. Essentially efforts are wasted if the audience are not likely or be receptive. iii.Finally, and I think critically, the last component is ensuring the organization delivers on the new brand promise. This seems logical, but the best examples of brand re-positioning are where brands start transforming internally and fundamentally – brand of cou rse needs to behave like it wants to be seen. No one likes a big talker with no follow through. EXAMPLES OF RE-POSITIONING BRAND SUNKIST In this digital age where music and the virtual world dominate most of the younger generation's daily lives, marketers have to change and adapt their strategies to reach their target market.Recently, the American soda brand Sunkist has initiated a brand re-positioning. They are now aimed at trend savvy teens and young adults. Sunkist's brand manager said that they just can't rely on traditional marketing. The brand's mother company, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, is now utilizing YouTube, MySpace and Facebook platforms to promote their products. The company has also partnered with MySpace to promote its project. Sunkist has also created four new videos featuring young break dancers out at night.Many brands and companies are now using digital communication mediums and social media tools for a more relevant communication strategy that is in line with t heir target markets’ interests and ways of life such as LG, Unilever, and Nutella. In an era when people are switching from television to computers and mobile phones, companies cannot only use traditional advertisement channels and must find new ways to reach their customers. Today, the proliferation of online platforms seems to be a great opportunity for marketers to enter this new age of communication.There is no doubt that Sunkist’s new strategy will help the brand increase its global awareness and successfully reach their consumers. Today, the young generation is more health conscious and probably less willing to buy drinks containing huge amounts of sugar. Sunkist did their market research before launching the new campaign to ensure their brand re-positioning is a success. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON Liquid petroleum is low-value, mass-produced and has a wide variety of uses; there is huge potential for mass marketing.The market name for this substance has been long known as Mineral Oil, used primarily for health and medical uses. But US pharmaceutical and fast-moving-consumer-goods manufacturer Johnson and Johnson bridged the gap between the initial R&D and the market-ready innovation by defining a baby-care niche: Johnson’s Baby Oil was born. This extended their ‘baby’ product range, which later also included ‘No more tears shampoo’. These products demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of a ‘Focus’ strategy as the consequential brand re-positioning shows, operating in a niche has its limitations.The branding of their baby oil and shampoo has highly effective in defining their niche: happy babies in above-the-line advertising, pink packaging and a trusted producer sends out all the right connotations; mothers know that these products will never harm their babies. As a result of this, Johnson and Johnson can differentiate themselves from the competition by which is the essence of what a brand should aim to do that seduces a female-orientated target market to ignore generic competitors. This may have been key to uccess as Micheal Porter’s Five Forces demonstrates, Johnson and Johnson has less power than their customers, the supermarkets, who are also trying to sell their own-brand alternatives. Hence, branding to create a niche is a competition-driven objective. However, while it was a competitive strategy, nowadays the products are marketed to a wider, mass market and the ‘baby’ niche, which limited sales, has been ditched to pursue a new sales growth aim. This is essentially re-positioning a brand.The baby oil and shampoo, it is argued, if soft and gentle enough even for babies, then surely new consumers can be attracted to use the product, which mirrors a form of market development. Predictably, more customers equates to more sales and therefore greater revenue; also, by increasing demand Johnson and Johnson can benefit from internal economies of scale to red uce average unit costs, which boosts profit margins. But this is easier said than done: very good marketing was needed to successful reposition their products.Ironically, therefore, the secret behind successful brand re-positioning is not to change the branding to match the new consumer, but change the consumer’s perceived ‘needs’ to match the brand. REFFERENCES Brandsource. (2009, June 8). Retrieved 4 3, 2012, from Sunkist Brand Re-positioning: http://www. labbrand. com/brand-source/sunkist-brand-re-positioning Johnson and Johnson – Brand Re-positioning. (2010, August 4). Retrieved April 3, 2012, from Johnson and Johnson – Brand Re-positioning: http://manifestedmarketing. com/tag/johnson-and-johnson/ Derrick, E. (2011, September 9). The Blake Project.Retrieved April 3, 2012, from Branding Strategy: http://www. brandingstrategyinsider. com/2011/09/how-to-reposition-your-brand-for-higher-meaning. html Levey, C. (n. d. ). Re-positioning:Marketing Stra tegies. I. T . Partners. Lyle, S. (2011, June 13). The Academy of Business Strategy. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://theacademyofbusinessstrategy-brandre-positioning. com/ McKinsey & Company. (2001). Successful Brand Re-positioning. Marketing Practice. Norlander, T. , & Unander-Scharin, M. (2007). Re-positioning- A Brand Personality. Bachelor Thesis, 139. Ryken, C. (2011,