Finance Project of Smith and Caughey’s †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the Finance Project of Smith and Caugheys. Answer: Openings and dangers: Coming up next are the significant open doors that Smith and Caugheys could understanding through the acquisition of another structure for improving its business tasks: Continuation of interest in innovative work: As Smith and Caugheys is an innovation based firm in New Zealand, it needs to participate in constant development for supporting in the market. This would empower the association to improve its present innovations for offering something new to the current clients alongside pulling in new ones (Bocken et al., 2013). This would help in expanding the general income base and thus, net salary of the association. Be that as it may, the inward pace of return would be limited somewhat because of the ascent in introductory expense. Key acquisitions: With the assistance of this new undertaking, Smith and Caugheys could make impressive interest in key acquisitions for improving its general procedures (Hamilton Webster, 2015).In request to discover more prominent mechanical access alongside setting aside cash and time for building innovation, it could look to secure associations that could offer advantages to them. For this situation, no impact would fall on the gross pay of the association; be that as it may, the inner pace of return is required to rise. Coming up next are the significant dangers that Smith and Caugheys could understanding through the acquisition of another structure for improving its business tasks: Worldwide financial condition: It has been seen that there is positive vulnerability identified with the worldwide political and financial circumstances (Horkoff et al., 2014). With the instability in the costs of oil and gas, the political disturbance is innate in the worldwide business condition. This could have negative effect on the interest for the top drive units for Smith and Caugheys. Thus, this would lessen the gross pay and the net money inflows of the association, which would have unfavorable impact on IRR. For relieving this danger, it is vital for the association to build the bit of its held income so it could utilize the equivalent for running its every day activities in such circumstance. Occasional varieties: Smith and Caugheys is helpless to request varieties due to irregularity, as penetrating activities could be directed in explicit territories when they are solidified and in certain spots when there is summer (Kotler, Berger Bickhoff, 2016). Along these lines, occasional varieties could have impact on arranging and execution of the proposed venture, as IRR and gross pay may increment or decline dependent on the occasional changes. For relieving this hazard, new product offerings should be included so the association doesn't need to experience extreme defeat in deals income because of fall sought after. Working plans/techniques: So as to meet the money related projections, it is fundamental for Smith and Caugheys to embrace the accompanying arrangement of steps: The initial step is to spread out the figures in a valuable arrangement and it should be composed in a way for spending in every classification of consumption. The subsequent stage is balance the general uses with the complete pay for adjusting its undertaking spending plan. The third step is to guarantee that the assets are used as set out in the underlying spending plan, which could be made with the assistance of a spreadsheet. This is on the grounds that it would support Smith and Caugheys to know whether it has enough in every one of its use classifications. References: Bocken, N., Short, S., Rana, P., Evans, S. (2013). A worth mapping instrument for reasonable business modelling.Corporate Governance,13(5), 482-497. Hamilton, L., Webster, P. (2015).The universal business condition. Oxford University Press, USA. Horkoff, J., Barone, D., Jiang, L., Yu, E., Amyot, D., Borgida, A., Mylopoulos, J. (2014). Key business displaying: portrayal and reasoning.Software Systems Modeling,13(3), 1015-1041. Kotler, P., Berger, R., Bickhoff, N. (2016).The core of vital administration: What you truly need to know to get by in business. Springer.

Why School Uniform Should Not Be Abolished free essay sample

I restrict the movement that ‘School Uniform Should Be Abolished’. Understudies are in schools for instructive purposes and not to flaunt their outfits. Additionally school uniform ensures the privileges of the understudies, demonstrating that everybody is equivalent. It likewise consequently forestalls understudies for carrying out violations. This factor drives me to recommend that school uniform ought not be canceled. By wearing their own lean toward clothing standard, most understudies can be trust in themselves since they would feel extraordinary in what they decide to wear. Be that as it may, anyway this brings along some hurtful impacts to their friends around them. For instance, if a rich understudy gets the chance to wear his own incline toward apparel, he will in general pick a marked one which would cause companions around him who are more unfortunate to be jealousy of him. This will thusly make low confidence them. It will likewise fill in as an interruption in class as understudies may regularly take a gander at the attire wear by their companions rather than the whiteboard where the instructors compose and clarify the exercise on. We will compose a custom exposition test on Why School Uniform Should Not Be Abolished or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page What's more, influences the realizing of the understudies and prevent scholastic achievement. Along these lines I concur that school uniform ought not be abrogated The wearing of own inclines toward clothing standard gives understudies the opportunity to wear what they wish that cause them to feel one of a kind and upbeat. Anyway Singapore is a multi-ethnic nation loaded up with individuals originating from various nations and has various convictions. It is significant for us to be delicate to each other needs so as to keep up racial agreement. Consequently the wearing of school uniform can prevent racial mob and advance racial correspondence that is one of the most significant perspective in Singapore. This is on the grounds that when understudies are permitted to wear their decision of attire, they might need to wear the garments as per their races and religions. Understudies may inadvertently prodded some different races and in a roundabout way affront them. This makes misery emerge from them as they may feel separated. That is the motivation behind why I differ that school uniform ought to be annulled. Research had indicated that the wearing of school uniform by understudies can stop them for carrying out wrongdoings. Henceforth thusly decline the crime percentage in Singapore. Understudies may simply done awful carries on of fun loving nature. Also, wearing of school uniform can forestall them to do as such as understudies will in general be hesitant to carry out wrongdoing in their school garbs as they terrified to be perceived and rebuffed by their school thus making them reconsider before doing. In this manner the wearing of school uniform ought to keep up as it urges understudies to act appropriately even outside of school premises. This shows the wearing of school regalia has a greater number of advantages than disservices and subsequently it ought not be abrogated as it advance equity and secures the enthusiasm of various races and religion. It likewise debilitates understudies from perpetrate violations. Generally speaking it permits understudies to progress in the direction of scholastic achievement and ought to be nullified.

8 Great Diverse Book Club Picks for Summer Reading

8 Great Diverse Book Club Picks for Summer Reading Ive heard many book club leaders and participants  lament how  difficult it is to find diverse authors and books. And I get it. Sometimes, whats marketed as book club fiction can be pretty predictably white bread. Summer is a great time to branch out and try something new. These eight diverse book club picks for summer, from memoir to YA to fiction, will capture readers attention while slipping outside the comfort zone and into the experiences by diverse  authors. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body Roxanne Gay (Memoir) Somehow, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body  is the first work Ive read of  prolific essayist and writer Roxanne Gay. When I began this memoir about Gays struggle with eating and acceptance of her body,  I was worried it would be a trigger for me since I have struggled with an eating disorder most of my life. Instead, her incredibly intimate duel between battling and embracing food and weight was an inspiration. This excellent memoir is a great pick for book clubs because Gays reflections are so complex, ones that get at the heart of being a woman of weight in todays brutal body image culture. Readers will likely  find themselves in Gays memoir, leading to discussion about  our personal relationship to food. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Arundhati Roy (Fiction) Doubtless one of the most anticipated novels of the year,  The Ministry of Utmost Happiness lives up to the hype. From the author of the astonishing Man Booker Prize-winning  The God of Small Things, Roys first novel in twenty years is a  sweeping saga of India, rooted in characters so vividly drawn they seem real.  The Ministry of Utmost Happiness  delivers a soaring look at ambition, love, and activism, among other themes. Book clubs will appreciate a story so immersive in another part of the world while trying to tease out the universal threads of history, modernity, and change that are familiar  all around the globe. The Leavers Lisa Ko (Fiction) Debut novelist Lisa Ko wins over readers in her ballad of Deming Guo, the son of a formidable Chinese woman, Polly, who comes to America seeking to abort her unwanted son. Instead, Polly is grounded in the Bronx, eventually recalling her son to live with her and her boyfriend and his sister and son, Michael. When Polly vanishes without a trace, Deming is puzzled and heartbroken and soon adopted by an affluent couple to be raised in all-white Upstate New York. Years later, Michael reappears offering possible answers to Deming, now reborn as Daniel Wilkinson, about his mothers disappearance. This novel explores themes of social justice, the undocumented experience in America, and women who reject gender norms. Book discussion groups will be moved by this multi-layered saga and the hard questions it provokes about identity, responsibility, and reinvention. No One Is Coming to Save Us Stephanie Powell Watts (Fiction) If youre going to reinterpret F. Scott Fitzgeralds  The Great Gatsby, you better bring your A game to adapt one of the so-called Great American Novels. Debut author Stephanie Powell Watts situates her story in 21st century Pinewood, a North Carolina town devastated by the loss of factory jobs. Following a predominately African American family, Eva manages some economic stability with her steady job in a bank. When Evas old high school classmate and friend JJ (Jay) Ferguson returns to a self-made success, he hopes to fashion a mansion and woo Eva. But Pinewood has changed, and so has Eva. Jays tragic quest is both quixotic and tragic. Book clubs will want to draw parallels between the plots between  No One Is Coming to Save Us and  Gatsby, but Powell Watts novel stands aloneâ€"maybe even surpassesâ€"Fitzgeralds canonical work. Come for the premise, stay for the lush writing and sobering, astute landscape of contemporary America: the things that never change, the things that still coul d. Rich People Problems    Kevin Kwan (Fiction) In Rich People Problems,  Singaporean novelist Kevin Kwan concludes  his compulsively readable trilogy that  started with  Crazy Rich Asians (2013). Kwans acerbic, satirical look at wealth and excess in todays China, based on his own experiences, has won a cult-like readership. In this  final novel, the rich matriarch of the Tyersall Park, the richest estate in Singapore (think Downton Abbey), lies on her deathbed while family from around the world descend like flies to honey trying to inherit the 64-acre property. In a novel where the rich dont blink about spending tens of thousands of dollars on plastic surgery for fish (which Kwan insists is a real thing), expect over-the-top dysfunction and Kardashian-level drama. Readers will want to binge read  Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend  (2015) before starting on this outrageous tale and being prepped for the film adaptation of  Crazy Rich Asians  starring Constance Wu. With a billionaire in our White House,  Kwans trilogy lif ts the curtain back on the outrageous excess of todays rich and powerful. (PS: check out this A-Z list of terms within the gilded world of  Rich People Problems  from the Toronto Star.) Little Lion Brandy Colbert (Fiction YA) I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of Brandy Colberts Little Lion since I first heard Book Riot editor Kelly Jensen talk it up  earlier this year. In this novel by the author of  Pointe, Suzette returns to her family in L.A. on break from the boarding school she attends in New England. Immediately, Suzette is pushed back into the ongoing whirlwind of her twin brother Lionels struggle  with bipolar disorder.  Suzette finds herself unexpectedly attracted to the same girl her brother loves. When Lions illness  worsens, Suzette has to try to not get taken down, too. This novel  questions the strain of caregiving, the tragedy of illness, and love we cannot ignore. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas (Fiction YA) If you read one YA book this year, well, if you read one  any book this year, make it Angie Thomas debut,  The Hate U Give. This powerful novel  likely needs no introduction at this point, but just in case you missed it,  The Hate U Give follows one Black teen, Starr, caught between two worldsâ€"her predominately white suburban private school and the predominately Black urban neighborhood she goes home to each day. When Starr becomes the only witness to her close friends murder by a white cop during  a traffic stop, Star is pushed into the spotlight and forced to choose her allegiances with the stakes higher than ever. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement,  The Hate U Give  is a visceral look at the tensions that divide us and the continuing injustice in America. This provocative novel will demand readers confront their own response to a tragedy and guarantee a strong discussion. You Dont Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir Sherman Alexie (Memoir) From The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian  to Reservation Blues,  National Book Award-winning author Sherman Alexies  reputation for compelling characters  and unforgettable stories  is legendary. So it should come as no shock that his memoir,  You Dont Have to Say You Love Me, translates his fiction storytelling prowess to his own personal history. Alexies memoir examines his relationship with his mother growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. A formidable  woman whose alcoholism nearly tore his family apart, his mother held expectations  for her son that were complicated by her own imperfections but unrelenting belief in him. After her death, Alexie works through his memories of his mother and  childhood in this moving, intimate account of family, legacy, and love. What are your favorite diverse book club picks? To really get the conversation going at yours, check out 40 Great Book Club Discussion Questions.   Save

Creates The Narrative Of A Nineteenth Century - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 991 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Did you like this example? Mental illness will eat away at the core of who a person is, leaving just a monster behind. In The Yellow Wall-Paper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman creates the narrative of a nineteenth century woman locked away in the countryside after her husband refuses to see her mental suffering. As the narrators psychosis comes to light, she loses more of who she is and the life that she has built. Gilman develops the protagonist, the wife, in the story by subtly progressing her through the symptoms of postpartum depression and the suffering her husband causes, ultimately leading to her psychotic break. Postpartum depression, or rather mental illnesses, were unspoken in society back when this short story was written and even today our common knowledge is lacking. The clinical term for postpartum depression isa mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth. Mothers with postpartum depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult for them to complete daily care activities for themselves or for others. (NIMH). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Creates The Narrative Of A Nineteenth Century" essay for you Create order It is essential to our common knowledge for us to understand the science behind this mental illness to prevent misconceptions and open the door for communication, as exemplified through this short story. The narrators mental torment is apparent as soon as we start to learn more about her life. She has recently given birth to a baby boy that is now under the care of a nanny, due to the narrators difficulty to bond with the baby. Her inability to care for her child is not only one of the main symptoms of postpartum depression (NIMH), but it is also a trait that her husband could not fathom to possess. Her husband, John, is overprotective and overbearing, deciding to lock the narrator away in the countryside for 3 months, in disbelief that there is anything askew. It is revealed that John is a physician of high standing who not only cloaks his wifes feelings but also claims to others that she is just hysterical (Gilman). His words and actions force the narrator to feel like she is a child being scolded and locked away in their room as punishment. Johns overreaching opinion regulates her diet, medicine, exercise, work, and mind further making her feel like a child, powerless. His power over her mind adds to her suffering from the mental illness, because instead of actively using writing as her outlet for her mind, she has to hide it like a dirty secret. The main source of her active mind is the torn andsprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin (Gilman) yellow wallpaper that allows her to lose herself. Initially, she becomes just lost in trying to follow the pattern and make sense of it. But as time goes on, she exhibits insomnia, (watching) the moonlight on that undulating wallpaper till I felt creepy (Gilman) which leaves her at the mercy of her imagination running rampant. Irritability is a sign of postpartum depression that it is time to reach out and receive psychological help (NIMH), but instead, she keeps it locked away in her mind, unraveling gradually just like she unravels the wallpaper with her eyes. One might believe that the others around her feel as if something is askew, and it is true that (John) seems very queer sometimes, and even Jennie (Gilman) but instead of acknowledging that he is wrong, John slowly starts to remove himself from her daily life. As John is distancing himself, she distances even further from reality. Her hold on who she is as a person is slipping away even more so once she hides the enjoyment and release that the wallpaper provides for her. The focus is solely on unraveling the wallpapers design, as it moves and shakes from the woman trying to escape. This analogy is towards the narrators postpartum depression symptoms, hidden away underneath her true identity but ready to break free. As the woman behind shakes the cages, and the narrator strips the wallpaper off, her true identity is being stripped away to make room for the monster that is her illness. The postpartum depression symptoms come to a head when the narrator suffers her psychotic break. She is frantically trying to strip the wallpaper off, promising that she will catch this mystery woman. Even though she thinks about suicide, she herself know(s) well enough that a step like that is improper and might be misconstrued (Gilman) therefore she is becoming more of a danger to others than to herself. Suddenly, the voice of the narrator switches when she asks herself if everyone else was created from the wallpaper, and describes herself slinking around the room, like a monster. Creepily enough, the strange groove that was earlier described in the passage, is the perfect height and fit for this monster as it roams about. The chilling analogy foreshadows the final scene, when John enters the room to check in on his wife. Once opening the door, he fears for his life as he sees the darkness that has overcome his once beloved. As the monster slinks towards him, he dies and collapses right into the grooved pathway. Charlotte Perkins Gilman created the storyline of the narrator suffering with postpartum depression by guiding her through the different symptoms before she had her psychotic break. The psychotic break is an extreme analogy to what life-threatening situations can happen to those suffering from this illness if they do not receive the necessary help. The subtle development of this mental illness also highlights how unorthodox it was back then to acknowledge that a person could have something mentally askew. The Yellow Wall-Paper is an incredible piece of literature that converts flawlessly through time periods and societal development. Gilmans transformation of the narrator through the different symptoms of postpartum depression and foil of the husband ultimately lead to a psychotic break; not only concluding the narrative of the short stormy, but the narrative of the womens sane mind.

Assessment Process - 663 Words

The following table may be used to aid your completion of this unit. Alternatively, you may want to record your knowledge and understanding in an assignment type format. If you choose the assignment format, please make reference to the criteria numbers in the margins adjacent to relevant paragraphs. Record your responses in the spaces that follow each set of bullet points. The table will expand as you type. Although some questions may appear similar, there are subtle differences that need to be considered if you are sign-posting one answer to another. Criteria Number Assessment Criteria 1.1 Explain the functions of assessment: Why is assessment carried out? What is the purpose of assessment? What does assessment measure? What†¦show more content†¦Consider: Motivation Range of experience and understanding How to involve expert witnesses 4.2 Summarise the types of information that should be made available to learners and others involved in the assessment process e.g.: Documentation Policies Procedures Skills analysis outcomes Others 4.3 Explain how peer and self-assessment can be used effectively to promote learner involvement and personal responsibility in the assessment of learning? Consider: Development of analytical skills Understanding of specifications Self reflection of own performance 4.4 Explain how assessment arrangements can be adapted to meet the needs of individual learners e.g. Time consideration, work/shift patterns etc. Confidentiality issues Consideration of learning styles Variation of assessment methods 5.1 Explain how to judge whether evidence is: Sufficient – Are the requirements met and how do you know? Authentic – Is it the learner’s own work and how do you know? Current – Have the working practices around that activity changed since the evidence was produced? 5.2 Explain how to ensure that assessment decisions are: Made against specified criteria – Refer to your standards Valid – Accurately measured using a method that suits the situation Reliable – Ensuring the same results regardless of who is assessing Fair – That equalityShow MoreRelated7.0School Assessment Process. School Assessment Process1451 Words   |  6 Pages7.0 School Assessment process School assessment process differ in each school. It is important for all schools to follow the Assessment Principles. According to the personal communications with Bindi (2017) at the beginning of each school year the assessment results from the previous year are used to place students into appropriate learning groups and plan what to teach. Bindi also noted that she tries not to assess to regularly as she finds it difficult to get accurate results within her classroomRead MoreAssessment Process2463 Words   |  10 PagesQualification outline P. 3 The assessment process P.4 Types of assessment P.5-6 Concepts and principles of assessment P.7-9 Stages of assessment P.10 Understand how to plan assessment P.11-13 Holistic assessment P.14 Risks of assessment P.15-16 Understand how to make assessment decision P.17 Understand different types of assessment methods P. 18-20 The use of technology in assessment process P.21 Responsibilities of the assessorRead MoreThe Process Of Patient Assessment1258 Words   |  6 PagesDIABETES ASSESSMENT TOOLS The process of patient assessment is an integral part in the development of education and plans of care. Because diabetes is largely a self-managed disease, education is key to patient success. The process of providing diabetes self-management education (DSME) may be facilitated by a variety of healthcare professionals, including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, physicians, mental health professionals, optometrists, podiatrists, and exercise physiologists. Diabetes isRead MoreEvaluation Of An Assessment Process Paper925 Words   |  4 PagesAssessment Process Paper During my practicum, my supervisor and I have discussed the steps I will need to take in order to meet my requirements. We have discussed completing an assessment, with what student and when it will occur. The student she picked was due for a re-evaluation and I was required to give him the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 5th Edition (WISC-V). In order to prepare for the assessment, I used the assessment tools at Brinckerhoff Elementary School, and practiced givingRead MoreAssessment Is Vital For The Education Process1895 Words   |  8 PagesAssessment is vital to the education process, it determines if educators and students are meeting goals and requirements within the education standards (ref assessment learning). Traditionally summative assessment is used to determine where student sit either or a benchmarks or results table (mellon uni). These assessments are generally half way through the teaching period and/or at the end, consisting of test, quiz or exams. Summati ve allowed teachers to measure the student’s ability when theseRead MoreThe Assessment Process Of The Early Childhood Classroom942 Words   |  4 PagesModule 1 Assessments Explain the Assessment process as used in the early childhood classroom The assessment process in the classroom can be completed in several different ways, but they are effective in helping children. Some steps may include observations, testing, and evaluations. These assessments can help the caregivers provide the children with the best care possible and available for them. These observations and test may be completed from several sources and situations to ensure the test areRead MorePlanning, Teaching And Assessment Process994 Words   |  4 Pages To begin the planning, teaching and assessment process, it must start with discovering what children know and understand, this can be done through assessment and, therefore, is where to initiate the cycle according to Webster (2009). However, some practitioners start the cycle by planning for lessons based on the curriculum content of the previous year (Fisher, 2013). The practitioner may then start teaching according to the predicted lack or extended knowledge, and, therefore, confuse and failRead MoreThe Process Of Conducting Vulnerability Assessments And Modeling Threats1122 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The purpose of this report is to explain the process of conducting vulnerability assessments and modeling threats. Vulnerability assessments are conducted to keep organizations safe from device and network vulnerabilities. There is a process that should be followed in order to perform a proper vulnerability assessment, if it is followed properly the organization will eliminate most if not all vulnerabilities from their network. Modeling threats is also an important step in creating a safeRead MoreEvaluation And Explain The Four Stages Of The Assessment Process1486 Words   |  6 Pagesof the assessment process. Evaluations are a critical part of the learning process. Assessments not only evaluates the students’, but also the teacher since they are able to evaluate their own techniques and skills. The first thing addressed in the reading is an explanation of the difference between an â€Å"evaluation† and an â€Å"assessment†. Tenbrink (2015) describes the four stages of the evaluation process. The first step in the evaluation process is the initial preparation for the assessment. This isRead MoreAssessment Of Special Education Is A Problem Solving Process3163 Words   |  13 PagesThere are various methods of assessment used in special education, but before this paper delves into that the definition of assessment must be discussed. An assessment in special education is a process that involves collecting information about a student for the purpose of making decisions (Macy, 2007). When this definition is deconstructed, we have to ask the question, â€Å"What is a process?† A process is a series of actions that bring about a result. It is a step-by-step series of actions that bring

Essay on Routine Drug Testing For High School Athletes

Patricia Neal once said, â€Å"A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug† (Neal). However, many teenagers of this era, large part athletes, seem to think differently and they constantly use illegal drugs. To help fight this problem, many colleges have taken strong actions in trying to stop drug abuse by athletes. High schools throughout the country have considered taking these same actions for various reasons as well. Some people believe that high school athletes ought to be given a routine drug test because it will help prevent them from abusing illegal substances. Such actions will also help detect cheaters who use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to get an edge over their opponents. On the other hand,†¦show more content†¦If a drug testing system is set up for high school athletes, then those athletes who are tempted to use illegal substances will think twice before using them. Furthermore, those athletes that test positive for these substances will get suspended from their respective teams and this will create a healthier environment—at least in high school sports. A routine drug testing system in high school will help detect cheaters who use performance-enhancing drugs to get and edge over their opponents. In today’s world, with the competitiveness and popularity of steroids and other PEDs among professional athletes, it is not difficult to believe that many high school athletes are doing the same. A 2003 study examining steroid use among teens in the United States showed that 6.1 percent had illegally used steroids and 3.2 percent had injected an illegal drug one or more times during their lifetime (Teens and Drugs Fast Facts). Nevertheless, if a routine drug testing system is established, those who are caught cheating will most likely get suspended or even banned from high school sports thus making the competitive field more leveled. In addition, those who are tempted to use performan ce-enhancers will be less likely to in order to avoid the consequences. In 1996, while admitting to the use of anabolic steroids, Arnold Schwarzenegger stated, â€Å"It was what I had to do to compete. The danger with steroids is over-usage. I only did it before a difficult competition—for twoShow MoreRelatedWhat Are Androgenic Anabolic Steroids?1601 Words   |  7 Pagescharacteristics such as hair and beard growth, deepened voice, and increased strength. The anabolic effects cause protein synthesis and inhibit the breakdown of proteins. This leads to increased muscle size, strength, and quicker recovery with proper workout routines. The primary medical uses of these compounds are to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. How Do Steroids Work Different steroids may have different functions but theyRead MoreShould Steroids Be Legalized? Sports?2108 Words   |  9 PagesMany professional athletes in this era rely on performance-enhancing drugs, such as steroids, to take their athletic abilities to the next level. Over the years, steroid abuse in sports has only gotten worse. This is where the controversy occurs because some people think that the usage of steroids should be legalized in sports, while others do not like that idea. The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that, â€Å"Anabolic steroids are related to the male sex hormones such as testosterone. They promoteRead MoreAmerican Intercollegiate Sporting Has Come A Long Way Since The New York Times1615 Words   |  7 Pagescompetition between institutions. It has become a monopoly and oligopoly, in the same level as Bell Telephone (also known as ATT), like Standard Oil a century ago, like Luxottica, NCAA has become a an equally powered cartel in today s societ y. As athletes celebrate a title win, who is really the winner in this situation. Marc Edelman argues, that across the country, college sports generate over $11 billion in annual revenues. 50 institutions have reported to have an annual revenue that surpssesRead MoreEssay about Sports Effects on Child Development1390 Words   |  6 Pagesthe playing field to all aspects of life, whether it be in the classroom, at work, or in the community. The individual benefits of involving youth in sporting activities transcend into benefits for the community as a whole. Participants experience a high degree of interaction with other individuals within their community, which not only benefits the child, but such interactions also translate into the communitys social and economic development. Thus, in addition to the personal benefits for the childRead Moreâ€Å"an Idle Mind Is the Devil’s Workshop†1736 Words   |  7 PagesIdle Mind Is the Devil’s Workshop† -H.G. Bohns 1855 Today’s teenagers are faced with many temptations that can lead to a deal of trouble. Parents are always looking to find ways to better their teen’s chances of avoiding these temptations. After school activities are seen as a way to keep teens out of trouble by consuming their time. Sports are a great way to keep teens from indulging in activities that could be looked down on. Not only do sports teach many life lessons and reduce teen’s chancesRead MoreUse of Anabolic Steroids in the U.S.2897 Words   |  12 Pageshealth clubs and even high school sports. This secret is killing our youth and disrupting the sportsmanship of not only the United States, but also on an international level. What I am referring to is the use of anabolic steroids. This epidemic is spreading through our country like a wildfire. It is going unnoticed and misunderstood. Even our government has not found the money the man power or the time to deal with this killer. It can be bo ught wherever pleasure or illicit drugs can be found. Read MoreShould College Sports Be Legal?2185 Words   |  9 Pagesgrown to be larger than a genuine competition between Universities, it has become a trademark. Becoming an organization extremely large and powerful, creating an atmosphere parallel of that of Cartels and monopolies, in regards of the exploitation athletes. As the players celebrate a tittle win, or a win in general, who is truly the winner in that situation? Rules According to NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association, rule book, athlets are not able to receive any form of wage. This fallingRead MoreAnswer Key for Lewis and Clark Reloaded3735 Words   |  107 PagesANSWER KEY for â€Å"Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail† by Mary Rose Grant School for Professional Studies Saint Louis University Part I—The Adventure Begins †¦ and Comes to a Screaming Halt 1. What body systems are primarily affected and what physiological changes would you expect Joe and Frank to experience during such rigorous exercise? You may list, as students report out, the physiological changes to the respiratory, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and urinary systemsRead MoreEffects Of Marijuana On The Medical Side Of Marijuana1856 Words   |  8 Pagescancer treatment in addition to a cancer preventer option. It may decrease the size of tumors and relieve nausea, pain, lack of appetite and weakness. Investigation confirms that cannabis has anticancer properties, but sadly, The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not yet permitted cannabis as a cure or treatment for cancer related illnesses. Cannabis usage, for therapeutic purposes dates back approximately three thousand years (Conferring to U.S. National Library of Medicine). IntroducedRead MoreHello Essay8946 Words   |  36 PagesSenior High in Washington D.C gather together in the school gymnasium to hear a speech form Mayor Marion Barry. Mayor Barry is an African American man whom the teens as will as the citizens in the black community can connect with because he is just like them. The mayor was arrested after being caught in a hotel with some women and narcotics. When he was released the citizens voted him back into office. Ballou is one of the worst schools in Washington. Students are found dead in the school parking

Marketing Management in Australia

Questions: The final stage of the marketing audit is for you to evaluate how well the marketing mix of the organisation is performing for your chosen organisation. NB: as before, if you have a large range of product offerings, it is a good idea to focus on just one. Incorporating theoretical concepts into your discussion from chapters 7-14 and with the use of other theoretical sources and secondary research, please discuss the following: 1. Outline and describe the 8 marketing mix concepts theoretically and apply the components to one of your products offerings. As part of your application be sure to explain and evaluate all of the 8ps of marketing (product, prices, promotion, distribution, partnerships, people, processes and physical evidence). 2. Given your evaluation of your overall marketing strategies, the competition and broader contemporary issues facing marketers today, provide recommendations for your organisation. Your recommendations should focus on each of the 8ps and illustrate how contemporary issues may impact on your organisation and its marketing strategy. Answers: Introduction In Australia, Ford has more than 80 years of automotive manufacturing history in Australia. Their journey started when they the Ford vehicle was manufactured in the year of 1925. Among all other cars, Ford Falcon was continuously manufactured in Australia since its introduction in 1960 and became one of the leading cars of Australia (Ford.com.au2016). However, the scenario changed when Ford Territory won the Wheel Magazines car of the year of Australia and became the most popular SUV in the country. At that time, Ford was the leading car manufacturing organization in the country. However, according to Cavanaghand Freeman (2012), in the year of 2015, Ford lost its ground in the Australian vehicle industry as Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Toyota HiLux became the top three models of the country with 42,073, 38,644 and 35,161 selling sales records (Gmehlichand Jones2013). Only Ford vehicle that could make its presence in the top ten was Ford Ranger. However, as mentioned by Jrvinenet al. (201 2), Ford was considered as the biggest losers in the Australian vehicle industry after their sales went down to 11.6 percent in the year of 2016. However, the authority of the Ford is planning to gain their lost position with the help of Ranger as slowly, but steadily it is helping the organization to win back its popularity among the Australian consumers. This study will mainly focus on Ford Ranger and the marketing mix related to it. In spite of being the most modern Ford vehicle in Australia, the marketing mix strategies of the company still include some challenges and issues that is preventing the organization from defeating its rivals which are Isuzu, Lexus, Honda and Audi as per sales report and Toyota, Mazda, Holden and Hyundai as per overall popularity report (Gmehlichand Jones2013). 8ps of Marketing Mix of Ford Ranger Ford Ranger is the Ford's one of the most famous vehicles that fall under the light trucks category that helped the organization to gain a pre-tax profit of $US10.8billion from its global operations (Bopageand Sharma2014). However, in 2015, Ford Australia posted a loss of $191 million after sales plunged to a 48 years low (Crosbyet al. 2012). However, chief executive of Ford said that they are expecting to improve their sales based on Ford Ranger and its marketing mix strategies. Price Ford being one of the largest automakers in the world, has developed pricing strategy in a way that has played an important port in their objective of acquiring a superior position in the global vehicle industry. In order to make their organization hugely profitable company, Ford management decided to develop their pricing strategy based on the rival companys products that are in competition with Ford in the market. In Australia, under the Ford's competition pricing policy, it has taken sponsorship contracts without changing the selling prices of Ford Ranger (Ford.com.au2016). Average price of a Ford Ranger is $50,000; however, the cost entirely depends on the different models of the car as Ford Ranger XLS PX MkII has a price of $50,290, Ford Ranger XLT PX MkII has a price of $54,000, and Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider PX has a price of $36,000 (Abetz2014). However, the issue that is faced by Ford Ranger is the comparatively low price offered by Toyota Corolla that gained the top position in Australian car market in the year of 2015. The highest price of a Toyota Corolla is $31,000 (Toyota Corolla ZR ZRE172R) and the lowest price is $19,000 (Toyota Corolla Ascent ZRE182R)(Ford.com.au2016). Another rival of Ford that is Mazda also offers cars at a price, which is lower than any model of Ford Ranger. Therefore, it can be said that the pricing strategy of Ford is currently not helping the organization to better its market position. On the other hand, Ford Ranger on which the organization is depending had already faced controversies in Australia when after promising that the car will be available at a price of $50,000, the organization released the car at a driving price of $57,000 (Weiss2014). Therefore, it is important that Ford must make changes in their pricing strategy; however, they will have to keep the quality same. Product All the Ford products are localized and are developed with a concept to match the local conditions that depend on durability and less maintenance cost. In Australia, fuel prices are at record highs, which have increased the total amount that is, spend by the customers in the transportation system. Total expenditure rose 3.3 percent and it is expected that it will rise to 59 percent (Dyrud2016). That is the reason that consumers are Australia now prefers to select smaller vehicles rather than SUVs and light trucks. However, an interesting exception is noticed in the automotive industry of Australia which states that in spite of this increasing cost, the sales of luxury SUVs and light trucks were up by 62 percent (Weiss2014). Therefore, it can be said that the decision of Ford management to launch Ford Ranger in the country was a perfect decision as they are trying to gain their position in the Australian market. However, as a product, Ford has received several complaints against their Ford Ranger model. One of the major problems of Ford Ranger is its variable pressure on oil pump in the 3.2-turbo diesel engines (Zaheeruddin2015). Those engines are unable to re-prime themselves and distribute oil pressure if they are left to drain for more than 10 minutes during the time of oil change. This causes engine failure and the engineers of Ford still do not know how to solve this problem. On the other hand, the car also has problems of uneven braking, indigent traction and transmission problems (Wuet al. 2015). Place As an industry, Australian automotive industry is quite productive for can manufacturing organizations after internationals manufacturers opened their plants in the country since the 20th century (Emmons2015). However, recently some external factors are creating an impact on the competitiveness of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry of Australia. Some of those factors are mentioned below, A significant strength of Australian currency has led to a reduction of in the cost of imported vehicles. This has contributed to weakening in the relative cost of competitiveness of a locally developed vehicle of approximately $5000 versus an imported vehicle (CarAdvice.com.au2016). On the other hand, local manufacturers are also sustaining increased cost for purchases of their raw materials such as steel, aluminum and petrochemical based products because of the resources boom. Another major factor that is creating a negative impact on the automotive industry of Australia is the increase in oil prices over the past 18 months (Dowling2016). This has affected the consumer confidence and as a result, they are shifting away from larger size vehicle products of Australia, which might affect the sales of Ford Ranger. Australian vehicle industry is one of the most competitive markets in the world with more than 50 well-known brands that are offering over 350 models (Weiss2014). This is the reason that each brand can only claim a lower average volume regarding sales. The critical part for Ford is this situation will stay in the Australian vehicle industry, as new models and brands including some models from China are ready to enter the market. On the other hand, brands such as Tesla that manufacture environment-friendly electric cars is also planning to enter the Australian market, which would possess the biggest threat for Ford Ranger. Promotion In order to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals, Ford has implemented an aggressive marketing strategy with the objective to build a long-lasting relationship with its previous and loyal customers as well as new potential customers (Ford.com.au2016). Fords primary promotional strategy related to Ford Ranger entirely depends on the activity of the management, which is sponsoring various sporting events to highlight the brand (Weiss2014). This marketing strategy of Ford is however not new as they were seen to sponsor UEFA Champions League and soared its brand name and image high in the eyes of fans. In Australia, the organization is sponsoring the local league to exhibit their model Ranger in the country. This strategy of Ford has helped them to an extent as slowly but steadily the organization is improving their sales in the country. In spite of focusing on sponsorship strategies, Ford has never overlooked the advantages of visual media such as internet and television. The organization has successfully promoted their vehicle Ford Ranger on various social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Agents or sales personnel are used to persuade buyers at Ford dealership and other venues of Australia. In some cases, Ford also uses direct selling strategies to communicate with the corporate clients who lease vehicles from the firm. Distribution strategy A large network of Original Equipment (OE) supplies that includes more than 1000 suppliers across Australia supports Ford Australia. The organization is assumed to invest more than $545 million to purchase components, materials, and services from its local suppliers (Ford.com.au2016). A table is mentioned below to exhibit some key local component suppliers for Ford Ranger, Primary Suppliers for Ford Australia EGR Plastics External decoration of the vehicle Futuris Internal decoration of the vehicle Robert Bosch Braking system and chassis Walker Emission controller and exhaust Continental Panel of instruments Sumitomo Aust Electrical equipment and components Dana Chassis Table 1: Distributors of Ford in Australia (Sources: Dyrud2016) According to Dyrud (2016), the distribution of vehicles, replacement parts and technical and service equipment of Ford is done by a network of more than 200 independently owned dealerships that are located in 286 locations around Australia. More than 7,000 people are employed in those dealerships (Jainand Roy2016). The organization has also implemented web-based video communication methods to interact with employees regarding employee training sessions. Physical Evidence of Ford Australia The scientists once said that after the event of Armageddon, the only thing that will survive in the world would be cockroaches. However, according to Jainand Roy (2016), the chances are high that some of Ford Rangers would survive too. Especially in Australia, people are swapping their big sedans and wagons for SUVs and big 4x4 Utes (Deliaand Newstead2015). Dual can Utes are capable of serving as a workhorse during the week and a family freighter on the weekend. In this scenario, Toyota's Hilux has topped the sales charts several number of times; however, Ford's Ranger is slowly but steadily gained its position in the market. The interior design of the Ranger got four and a half star from the users because of its standard equipment, infotainment, and cargo volume. The vehicle includes cloth seat trim, radar cruise control, limiters regarding speed, parental lock system by MyKey, leather steering wheel and gear knob with a double reconfigurable 4.2-inch instrument cluster that makes the vehicle quite attractive for the customers (Zaheeruddin2015). In infotainment system, the vehicle includes 8.0-inch sync two touch screen that also has voice control, AM/FM/DAB radio, audio with six speakers, Aus and USB input and satellite navigation (Ford.com.au2016). Ford Ranger also got good ratings because of its on road performances because of its superior engine and transmission. The vehicle includes a 1467kW/470 Nm 3.2 liter five-cylinder turbo diesel. Six-speed automatic dual range 4x4 equipment handle its communication (Ford.com.au2016). Its suspension has double wishbone front with leaf spring rear. The steering system is assisted electrically with a turning circle of 12.7m (Dowling2016). Besides these facilities, Ranger has the biggest engine it its class. This engine also has more than four cylinders that make it one of the unique engines in its class. It provides 148kW at 3000 rpm and 480 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm (Emmons2015). However, it is already mentioned that some of the customers revealed some issues in its transmission and braking capabilities. It is said that the car is unable to stay under control while running on wet roads which are a risk for the customers. Partnership Recently, one of the leading internet radio services organization which is Pandora Internet Radio has developed a collaboration with Ford Australia. This step is described as a key milestone, which will help the vehicle organization to expand its business across the local automotive market of Australia. Right after the partnership, the system provided by Pandora is available in the models of Ford such as Fiesta, Focus, Ranger and Transit (Jrvinenet al. 2012). The Director of Business Development Rick Gleave said that by adding Pandora is Ford Ranger; the customers will be able to continue enjoying the services of Pandora no matter where they are traveling. Pandora is an application that will allow the drivers to use a voice-activated technology to connect with their favorite smartphone applicants while driving (Roosand O'Connor2015). The Pandora system will allow the drivers to reply entirely on voice, as the system will lock the phone automatically. Before this, Mazda had a partnership with Ford, who acquired a stake of 7% in the year of 1979. Until 1996, the organization claimed almost 34% of Mazda (Cavanaghand Freeman2012). Currently, Ford has 2.1% of Mazda's stock and severing most production as well as development ties (Wuet al. 2015). The reason behind this partnership is different for the two companies. For Mazda, they can access advanced technologies from Toyota and Ford has deep pockets, it will also help Mazda to fund its products. On the other hand, Ford has signed this partnership to access the team of Mazda engineers who are exceptionally talented and gave an underpowered car such Mazda 6 an excellent dynamics and surprising elegance. Process The process of Ford's customer care services mostly depends on its customersaskford.com. Therefore, they are planning to make the website more visible and user-friendly (Ford.com.au2016). Currently, the website offers a form to the visitors that the organization is planning to change. The authority of Ford is going to implement a click-to-call feature that will allow the visitors to click a button on the website, type in their phone number and receive a call from an agent within 30 seconds (Dowling2016). Through this method, the organization is also planning to educate the customers so that they can find information on the website on their own every time they visit it. The primary reason behind this is to reduce the number of incoming calls from the customers, which will reduce their call center costs. Recommendation Currently, Ford is offering quite high prices for its models in Australia. However, the price of Ranger is high as the vehicle is equipped with high quality accessories including an engine of four cylinders. The car has also equipped with Pandora, which allows the drivers to listen to anything they like by using voice-activated procedures. In spite of having these features, if the customers think that the car is over price then it is because of the faulty advertisement strategy of the company. Ford must advertise its vehicle in a way so that customers can understand that the organization gives value to their money and is selling something better than other vehicles, which is leading them to charge a high price. Some Chinese vehicles such as Cherry are planning to enter the Australian market with superior quality and low prices. On the other hand, Tesla is also planning to enter the Australian market with their fully electric vehicles. Therefore, it is recommended that Ford will have to either reduced the prices of their vehicles or will have to start manufacturing electric vehicles. However, it will not be easy for Ford to reduce the prices of its vehicles, especially for Ford Ranger it is nearly impossible to the cut the prices. The vehicle organization can only reduce the prices if they can reduce the number of distributors. Currently, Ford collects different parts from different organizations which are a cost effective process. If the organization can share hands with one organization that will provide more than one parts for the cars of Ford, it is expected that they will gain more discount from the organization which will help them to reduce the drive away price of their vehicles. According to the engineers at Ford, Ranger is one of the unique cars in its class and is manufactured to provide great driving performances. However, some of the customers are severely unsatisfied with the services of the vehicles as it contents transmission problems including braking issues and engine breakdown problems. In a competitive market of Australia, if Ford does not take proper steps to enhance their vehicle, the chances are high that they will lose more market share in 2016. The authority of Ford successfully implemented most of the advertising strategies in Australia in order to gain customer attention. However, they have neglected one of the most productive advertisement strategies which are celebrity endorsement. In recent years, celebrity endorsement has become very popular strategy as people have adopted a characteristic of following the lifestyles of the celebrities without even reviewing the capability of the products. Therefore, it is highly recommended that Ford can use famous movie launches and celebrity endorsement strategies to improve the brand image among the customers. The organization has implemented a customer service strategy which will help the customers to learn and to operate customer service website without seeking help from the support agents. This strategy is stated as a productive strategy as the company will be able to reduce their costs related to call center if the number of calls is kept to a minimum. However, none of the customers will be happy to operate a site on their own when they are here to discuss a problem they are facing in their vehicles. Therefore, the chances are medium that customers will be offended for this strategy. It is recommended that organization must help the customers by appointing an agent for them every time they ask for help. Conclusion Ford Australia was known as one of the most iconic and vintage vehicle organization in the country. However, it has lost its market position as companies like Toyota and Mazda has attracted more customers through their low pricing strategy. After describing the 8Ps of marketing of Ford, it is found that the management of Ford has successfully implemented most of the strategies in the market of Australia. Only the pricing strategy, distributor strategy and product quality strategies are causing problems for the vehicle organization. Therefore, the authority must focus on these factors immediately if they want to win back their lost market position the high time. References Abetz, P., 2014. Australian manufacturing: How Australia can rebuild its car industry.News Weekly, (2929), p.7. Acharya, V.V., Schaefer, S. and Zhang, Y., 2015. Liquidity risk and correlation risk: A clinical study of the General Motors and Ford downgrade of May 2005.Quarterly Journal of Finance,5(02), p.1550006. Bopage, L. and Sharma, K., 2014. An Analysis of Trade Performance of the Australian Passenger Motor Vehicle Industry: Trends, Patterns, and Determinants.Journal of Asia-Pacific Business,15(3), pp.197-210. Bopage, L. and Sharma, K., 2014. An Analysis of Trade Performance of the Australian Passenger Motor Vehicle Industry: Trends, Patterns, and Determinants.Journal of Asia-Pacific Business,15(3), pp.197-210. CarAdvice.com.au, 2016.Ford Australia apologises for $7000 Ranger pricing mix-up | CarAdvice. Cavanagh, A. and Freeman, S., 2012. The development of subsidiary roles in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry.International Business Review,21(4), pp.602-617. Crosby, L.A., Evans, K.R. and Cowles, D., 2012. Customer Relationship Initiatives at Ford.CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS AND CASES, p.23. Delia, A. and Newstead, S., 2015. Pedestrian injury outcome as a function of vehicle market group in Victoria, Australia.Traffic injury prevention,16(7), pp.709-714. Dowling, J. 2016.The future of the Australian car industry - once the factories close. [online] CarsGuide. Dyrud, M.A., 2016. The Case of Ford Motor Company.Journal of Engineering Technology,33(1), p.10. El Halabi, E. and Doolan, M., 2012. New insights into the Australian automotive recycling business. InSustainable Automotive Technologies 2012(pp. 325-329). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Emmons, C., 2015. Regaining Organizational Health and Vitality: Ford Motor Company's positive adaption to the challenges of the automotive industry crisis.People Strategy,38(1), pp.46-51. Ford.com.au, 2016.Ford Australia - New Cars, SUVs, Utes Commercial vehicles. Fraser, K., Watanabe, C. and Hvolby, H.H., 2013. Commitment to service quality in automotive dealerships: Results from an Australian pilot study.Journal of Services Research,13(1), p.7. Gmehlich, R. and Jones, C., 2013. Experience of Deployment in the Automotive Industry. InIndustrial Deployment of System Engineering Methods(pp. 13-26). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Gonzlez-Benito, J., Lannelongue, G. and Alfaro-Tanco, J.A., 2013. Study of supply-chain management in the automotive industry: a bibliometric analysis.International Journal of Production Research,51(13), pp.3849-3863. Jain, V. and Roy, S., 2016. Understanding meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements: a qualitative exploration.Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,19(3). Jrvinen, J., Orton, F. and Nelson, T., 2012. Electric vehicles in Australia's national electricity market: energy market and policy implications.The Electricity Journal,25(2), pp.63-87. Kannegiesser, M., Gnther, H.O. and Gylfason, ., 2014. Sustainable development of global supply chainspart 2: investigation of the European automotive industry.Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal,26(1-2), pp.48-68. Roos, G. and O'Connor, A., 2015. Government policy implications of intellectual capital: an Australian manufacturing case study.Journal of Intellectual Capital,16(2), pp.364-389. Weiss, R.P., 2014. Corporate Security at Ford Motor Company: From the Great War to the Cold War. InCorporate Security in the 21st Century(pp. 17-38). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Wiengarten, F., Humphreys, P., McKittrick, A. and Fynes, B., 2013. Investigating the impact of e-business applications on supply chain collaboration in the German automotive industry.International Journal of Operations Production Management,33(1), pp.25-48. Wu, Y., Stewart, M. and Liu, R., 2015. Social Networking Sites and Marketing Strategies.Handbook of Research on Integrating Social Media into Strategic Marketing, p.207. Zaheeruddin, M., 2015. Customer Retention Management and Strategies with Reference to Ford Motors.The International Journal of Business Management,3(1), p.67.

Claudius Hamlet Essays (2681 words) - Characters In Hamlet

Claudius Hamlet Claudius Hamlet, would the inhumane and sick character please step forth. Upon reading the sampling of "Hamlet" criticisms in John Jump's "Hamlet (Selections)" I disagreed with a few of the critics, but my analysis was the most different from Wilson Knight's interpretation. He labels Hamlet as "a sick, cynical, and inhumane prince" (Jump, 124) who vitiated a Denmark which was "one of healthy and robust life, good-nature, humor, romantic strength, and welfare." In his book, The Wheel of Fire, he continues this line of thought to conclude that Claudius is "a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet" (Jump, 125). Although Knight's views of Hamlet and Claudius are almost the extreme opposite of my interpretation, I understand how he developed this interpretation. Hamlet becomes sick and cynical after the death of his father, whom he greatly admired, and the hasty remarriage of his mother to his uncle. Hamlet thinks his father was an "excellent king," who loved his mother so much "that he may might not beteem the winds of heaven/ Visit her face to roughly" (I, ii, 140-141). However, his mother mourned for "a little month" and then she married a man who was "no more like [his] father/ Than [he] to Hercules" (I, ii, 153-152). These extraordinary events cause him to launch into a state of melancholy and depression in which he desires "that this too too solid flesh would melt" (I, ii, 129). In this melancholy, Hamlet loses becomes disenchanted with life, and to him the world seems "weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" (I, ii, 133). Later in the most famous of his soliloquy's, Hamlet contemplates committing suicide because he is troubled by "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (III, i, 58). His disinterest for life, and his wishes for death are a definite indications of Hamlet's sickness. Hamlet's sickness is also shown through his strong relationship, bordering on obsession, with his mother. Throughout the play he constantly worries about her, and becomes angry when thinking of her relationship with Claudius. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet becomes enraged when he thinks about her "incestuous sheet," and in frustration he makes the irrational generalization that, "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (I, ii, 146). In the closet scene, Hamlet treats his mother cruelly, and he accuses her of being involved in the plot to kill his father. Once again, he dwells on her "enseam'd bed/ Stew'd in corruption" (III, iv, 92-93). In his parting words to Gertrude, Hamlet instructs her to not "let the bloat king tempt you again to his bed." (III, iv, 182). He is overly concerned with his mother's relationship with Claudius, and this is just a part of his complex sickness. Wilson Knight also claims that Hamlet is"inhumane." This is clearly demonstrated through his relationship with the fair Ophelia. Hamlet originally professes his love for Ophelia during his visitations to her closet, and through the love letter which he writes to her. However, during the nunnery scene, when Ophelia tries to return Hamlet's gifts, he retorts "I never gave you aught," (III, i, 97) and he goes on to tell her, "I loved you not" (III, i, 119). Later in this scene he tells Ophelia that she should go to a nunnery. He viciously insults the women whom he said he loved, and this greatly disturbs her. During The Mousetrap, Hamlet once again has no regard for Ophelia's feelings, and he mocks her by putting his head in her lap and bantering with her. Hamlet is also responsible for the death of Ophelia's father, Polonius. In the closet scene, Hamlet mistook her father for the king, and he fatally stabbed him. Gertrude called this "a rash and bloody deed" (III, iii, 27). He later shows that he has no remorse for this inhumane actions when he tells Claudius that Polonius is "at supper...not where he eats, but where he is eaten" (IV, ii, 18-20).Hamlet's harsh and cruel treatment of Ophelia and his murder of her father lead to the madness which eventually overtook her. She became distraught by Hamlet's rejection and the death of her father. This madness caused her to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge. Therefore, Hamlet can be held responsible for her death. If he hadn't treated her in such a cruel manner, her life would not have ended so soon. Hamlet also reveals an inhumane and cynical side at the grave scene. When Laertes proclaims his love for Ophelia and his sorrow for

why smoking is hazordous essays

why smoking is hazordous essays In this report I will tell you the dangers of smoking. Smoking is one of the most preventable causes of death in our society. About one in five deaths in the US are results from using tobacco. More then half of all tobacco uses die much earlier then their normal life expectancy. Smokers could be losing an average of 20 to 25 years of their life. Smoking has numerous other effects as well. It leaves you reeking of smoke, yellows your teeth and hands, can give u respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and cause you to leave on the street due to the fact that your broke. Smoking is an expensive habit. The average cost of a pack is $3.00 and the average smoker smokes a pack a day. In one year thats wasting about $1095 or more a year! Thats a lot of money. The Tobacco industry makes billions of dollars each year off addicted smokers. The company adds nicotine, which is addictive to their cigarettes to try and prevent you from not buying their products. The nicotine can raise your blood pressure, heart rate, and the oxygen demand for muscles, mainly in the heart. This causes you to need deeper breaths after running or physical exercise and lessens your ability to perform well during sport activities. Second-hand smoke also affects others as well as you. Secondhand smoke comes from two places; smoke breathed out by the person who smokes, and smoke from the end of a burning cigarette. Secondhand smoke causes health effects, including cancer, breathing problems, and asthma. Secondhand smoke contains thousands of chemicals and majority of them are posions. Secondhand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 respiratory infections in infants and children under 18 months. Around the same number of adults occur similar problems each year. About 37,000 non-smokers die each year because of it. A person who doesnt smoke married to a smoker has a 30% greater chance of getting lung cancer than the wife/husband of ...

Dual Coding Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dual Coding Theory - Research Paper Example Dual Coding Theory Dual coding theory emphasizes that people should not ignore the aspect of non-verbal processing of information, and concentrate on verbal processing. Today, many people rely on resources from the web for their learning requirements, and it is imperative to distinguish web sites that can benefit students and those that cannot benefit students (Jairath & Mills, 2005). The assumption of the dual coding theory is that there exist two cognitive systems in the human mind. One system specializes in the processing and representation of nonverbal objects while the other system focuses on language (Jairath & Mills, 2005). This theory has been applied in many fields of learning, which include language, problem solving and concept learning. According to Clark & Paivio (1991), dual coding theory focuses on mental processes and mental and mental structures. The mental structures are networks that are associative of imaginable and verbal representations. On the other hand, mental processes focus on the activation and development of the mental structures, including the effect of the physical and the social context in learning. Dual coding theory asserts that mental representations relate to distinct nonverbal and verbal properties, and symbolic modes of events of concrete sensorimotor, which form the basis of this theory. Any learning program should consider the verbal system, which contains auditory, visual and verbal codes that are articulate. The development of a web-based program of learning should create a comprehensive approach that captures all the essential aspects of dual coding theory.... the designers of learning programs to develop the nonverbal representation like environmental sounds, actions, visceral or skeletal expressions that symbolize emotions and images that symbolize shape. Designers of learning programs recognize that the principal purpose of learning and education is to acquire knowledge (Clark & Paivio, 1991). Knowledge is transferred to many people through tutorial lessons or private study. Private study has played a significant role in promoting the utilization of web-based research. This has called for improvement of web sources of information so that they can meet the knowledge demands of learners. Dual coding theory proceeds to provide guidelines, which facilitate program designers to ensure that the psychological mechanisms of learning from texts and web pages are designed appropriately (Khan, 2001). Learning program designers follow the avenue that education relevant knowledge is verbally represented in notes and textbooks. Further, nonverbal ima ging of information triggers a student’s ease of comprehension of text meaning. The dual coding theory in practice emphasizes that human beings have several systems that process information. Therefore, several channels of communication should be used to convey information in teaching, and in designing learning programs (Jairath & Mills, 2005). The theory informs the designers that the learning of students is influenced in a positive way by presenting illustrations and texts together. Furthermore, animations by computers provide an influential means for presenting learners with visually based information. Learning program designers imitate the idea of dual coding theory since it fosters imagery with mental images that help learners to develop sharp remembering skills. Further, program

Investigate the impact e-commerce has on SMEs (Small and Medium Essay

Investigate the impact e-commerce has on SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and explore the perceived benefits gained by operating online - Essay Example There are four major categories of e-commerce, namely, Business-to-Business (B2B), Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Consumer-to-Business (C2B) (Rayport & Jaworski, 2003). In addition, there is also government involved in some instances, so that there are actually three parties in such cases. This makes the total number of categories equal to nine; however, it is often omitted due to rarity of such situations ever arising (Schniederjans & Cao, 2002). Quite clearly, electronic commerce enables a two-way communication between various ports involved in a financial transaction. The history of online business can be traced back to that of the invention of World Wide Web, although, it was the least important of all causes that operated behind the invention of the latter (Chan, Lee, Dillon & Chang, 2009). In fact, it was only when researchers were contemplating different areas where the new invention could prove to be beneficial, that the concept of introducing electronic commerce was paved (O’Regan, 2008). The Internet is a common platform for a large quantity of information. Not only has it helped to make communication faster and cheaper, but has also facilitated in building up of a large database including different hardware and software sourced in different networks. This was one of the primary features of Internet that attracted firms from all over the world to try their hand in e-commerce (Schniederjans & Cao, 2002). However, as its use became more and more popular among the firms and their customers, more benefits of using the technology started peeping out. Two of the key advantages of adopting electronic commerce in making financial transactions are – reduction in the cost of accomplishing transactions and enhancing productivity of the firms. Introduction to online technology has helped in lower recruitments and lower cost of maintenance indicating a reduced cost of

Vodka In An Absolut World

Vodka In An Absolut World Every bottle of Absolut Vodka is produced in Ahus, in southern Sweden where the wheat that gives Absolut Vodka its smooth grain character grows. Absolut Vodka is produced from winter wheat, a hardy wheat grain that centuries of experience have shown to produce superior vodka. Absolut Vodka uses a process called continuous distillation, introduced in Sweden in 1879 by The Vodka King Lars Olsson Smith (Pernod Ricard, 2009). The water it uses comes from our own deep well. Producing its vodka in one location using local raw materials gives VS Absolut Spirits complete control of all stages of production and ensures that every drop meets the companys high quality standard. Unlike other vodkas, the Absolut Vodka flavors are made by blending the vodka with only natural flavors and no sugar is added. In fact, Absolut is as pure as vodka can be. Still, that purity has a certain taste; rich, full-bodied and complex, yet smooth and mellow with a distinct character of grain, followed by a hint of dried fruit (2009). Absolut Vodka currently comprises its products within many flavors, such as vanilia, raspberri, apeach, ruby red, pears, and mango. All Absolut Vodka products can also be enjoyed neat or mixed in drinks. In addition, the shape of the Absolut Vodka bottle has made it one of the worlds most iconic products reinforces the brands strong design heritage. The bottle shape of the Absolut Vodka bottle has made it one of the worlds most iconic products reinforces the brands strong design heritage. It looked elegant, different, simple and very Swedish, and was decided that there should be no label not to hide the crystal clear liquid. Blue was decided upon as the most visible and elegant color for the Absolut Vodka logo. The flavor comes in a transparent bottle in order to show how pure and clear its vodka is. The brand values of Absolut are defined as Clarity, Simplicity and Perfection. All three are there, visible on the bottle. Absolut Vodka currently comprises the following products within the same quality framework: Year Product 1979 Absolut Vodka 1986 Absolut Pepper 1988 Absolut Citron 1992 Absolut Kurant 1999 Absolut Mandrin 2003 Absolut Vanilla 2004 Absolut Raspberri 2005 Absolut Apeach 2006 Absolut Ruby Red 2007 Absolut Pears, Absolut 100, Absolut Mango 2008 Absolut Los Angeles 2009 Absolut Boston 2010 Absolut Berri Acai, Absolut Brooklyn, 2011 Absolut Wild Tea, Absolut San Francisco Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolut_Vodka Creativity is what drives Absolut brand forward. That applies not only to the marketing and design, but also to the product development. When launching a flavour, the Absolut Company wants to make room for new cocktail experiences. 3. Brand Positioning Absolut Vodka is positioned as premium brand in the minds of the target consumers. The price of the product is high. Absolut is one of the expensive brands among the leading brands in the U.S. as illustrated in Exhibit 4. The company also tried to feature the product as a high end product. For example, Absolut had an identity campaign termed Smart, showy, sassy, sophisticated and stylish. By this kind of brand personality statement, the brand was associated with the fashion conscious, rich, desperate and dynamic lifestyle-namely the Absolut Lifestyle. Absolut entered Glamour world and tried to relate the brand with fashion world. In the Lifestyle magazines, the glimpse of a trendy tanned fashionable girl posing and wearing Absolut Vodka marked attire became widely visible. The brand personality of Absolut was communicated successfully with the help of a series of aesthetically designed advertisement campaigns both in print and in electronic media. The word Absolut was punned in conjunction with creative images of the bottle and with strong positive feeling awakening words or phrases. Absolut went for simple, but sophisticated ads a classy picture of the bottle accompanied by a witty caption (Facts Abusolut Ads, 2009). Those advertisements have not only broken advertising records year after year but also have captured the eyeball alongside the imagination of the general public. The advertisement campaigns were nice to look at, easy to understand yet had the spark of intelligence and smartness. The modes featuring in the advertisement had a tanned skin most of the times thus the brand tried to relate itself with a sense of sunny, urban and dynamic lifestyle. The brand was more inclined to lay emphasis on girls. Because vodka is an odorless drink and do esnt give any quirky sensation while drinking, this was assumed that girls would love this kind of product features. Absolut Vodka soon became news. The latest ads often started getting journalistic coverage in magazines and on TV. Everybody talked about Absolut campaigns be it the Absolut Manhattan ad portraying an aerial view of New Yorks Central Park in the shape of an Absolut Vodka bottle or 26 Russian painters creating their own most personal impressions of the bottle. Over the years Absolut has commissioned not only over 300 painters, but also leading artists in all fields like sculptors, glass designers, musicians and fashion designers. The main strategy of the brand was to avoid relating the product with only one particular lifestyle and the ads were to have a timeless but contemporary theme. Absolut Vodka can be proud of its ads in crossing the line between advertising and art using different medians such as paintings, limited edition bottles, shirts, and sculpture (Brand Spotlight: Absolut Vodka, 2010). Many famous artists worked for the company, including Andy Warhol and Keith Harris. TBWAs branding campaign for Absolut Vodka was listed as one of the top ten campaigns of the last century by Advertising Age and the campaign won many awards including an Effie and Kelly awards which are probably the most prestigious awards in the advertising industry (2010). Those highly accepted and widely popular advertisements campaigns could successfully del iver the main brand positioning ideas of Absolut Vodka, i.e. premium product, high quality and association with art and a good life. 4. Competitors and their Campaigns In addition to Absolut Vodka, there are over other 30 vodka brands in the U.S. market as shown in Exhibit 2. Those brands are original from nine countries such as Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia (Latvia and Estonia), and Sweden. Apart from American made brands existing in the market such as Popov, Gordon, etc. there was the emergence of new American made vodka brands in the past several year such as Skyy, a lovely San Francisco spirit, the newly arrived Teton Glacier, unique vodka made in Idaho, etc (Department of Liquor Control, 2009). In 2007, there were seven leading vodka brand in the U.S. market including Smirnoff, Absolut, Grey Goose, Skyy, Stolichnaya, Ketel One, and Svedka respectively as shown in Exhibit 3. These brands are made in different countries. However, the American made brand like Smirnoff was ranked the number one U.S. market share in 2007, followed by Absolut Vokda. A brief profile of five leading brands that were Absoluts competitors and their campaigns in 2007 will be discussed in next session. 4.1 Smirnoff Smirnoff is the #1 selling vodka in the U.S and the world. It had a 17.2% share in 2007. It is originally produced in Russia, the recipe found its way to America in the early 1900s. Smirnoff is one of alcohol brands of Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O), the worlds leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, JB, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. In November, 2006, Smirnoff renewed its alliance with James Bond in the film Casino Royale. The alliance involved a multi-million dollar media campaign, which was activated in the U.S. and around the world. The campaign included a broadcast advertising campaign; on- and off-premise promotions and sweepstakes; a global public relations campaign; and a fully interactive Casino Royale microsite (Zydel, 2006). Smirnoff had the close partnership with Bond in 1962à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s Dr. No. In a scene when the villain hands Sean Connery a Martini, shaken not stirred made with Smirnoff Vodka. This monumental moment in film made some impact on the way martini drinkers made their cocktails, shifting from the traditional gin to a vodka-based drink and popularizing the vodka martini the world over (2006). Exhibit 5 shows a cross-promotional ad for James Bond Casino Royale and Smirnoff Vodka and some scenes in James Bonds movie in 1962s. In August, 2007, Smirnoff launched its largest ever marketing campaign ( £5M) which was named Sea to promote the brand. It centers around a 60-second commercial created by JWT, which premiered on 17 August 2007 in showings of The Bourne Ultimatum at selected cinemas across the United Kingdom. There were various tie-ins launched, including the Smirnoff Purifier, an online game, point of sale Smirnoff purity kits, and a tour of a custom-built Smirnoff Purification Installation used to make drinkable samples of water taken from saline or otherwise undrinkable water at selected sites (Sea: Advertisement, 2010). 4.2 Grey Goose Grey Goose was imported to the United States by the Sidney Frank Importing Company which is located in New Rochelle New York. In 1997, the brand became national prominence when it was awarded substantially for its quality in the U.S. In 2004, Sidney Frank then sold the right of manufacturing to Bacardi. Grey Goose was the first prominent French vodka but has seen some competition from Nuage, Ciroc and Idol which are now on the market. Each of these vodka brands are premium brands sold in North America (Grey Goose Vodka, 2007). In 2007, it held a 6.3% share of the U.S. Market. In 2007, claiming itself to be the Worlds Best Tasting Vodka, Grey Goose launched its new Discerning Taste advertising campaign which was produced by New York-based @radical.media. The campaign was the brands first major advertising effort since its acquisition by Bacardi Limited in 2004. It consisted of four different print advertisements and three broadcast spots. Creative elements of the campaign capture particular moments, people, places, and events in the lives of Grey Goose consumers revealing their unyielding lifestyle of discerning taste. The theme of the advertising platform supports the brands commitment to represent more than just a spirit, but a luxurious lifestyle brand. The print composites reveals the back stories of Grey Goose drinkers by portraying images ranging from playing golf to a spontaneous late night dinner with friends. These snapshot moments suggest that a Grey Goose drinkers inherent eye for detail leads them to seek refined subtleties in more than just th eir vodka but in all aspects of life (Grey Goose Vodka 2007 Advertising Campaign, 2007). The advertising campaign commenced in conjunction with the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in which Grey Goose was the Proud Promotional Partner of the tournament. The advertisements surrounded broadcast coverage on the USA Network and appeared on target outlets such as the Golf Channel, ESPN, and HD Networks and in print outlets such as BlackBook, Departures, GQ, Golf Digest, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair and Wine Spectator (Grey Goose Vodka 2007 Advertising Campaign, 2007). 4.3 SKYY SKYY is one of the fastest growing spirits globally and the leading domestic super premium vodka in the United States (Baker Hearn, 2005). The brand was launched in 1992 by Skyy Spirits, LLC who is the US-based wholly owned subsidiary of Gruppo Campari (Milan: CPR.MI) and the definitive marketer and distributor of super-premium and luxury spirits brands in North America. It had 4.6% U.S. share. Skyy vodkas highest quality and ultimate smoothness are perceived by consumers due to the state-of-the-art process of quadruple distillation and triple filtration (2005). According to the good design of its distinctive cobalt blue bottle and award-winning marketing communications, SKYY is synonymous with quality, sophistication, and style (2005). SKYY Vodka let the worlds most accomplished and controversial photographers interpret the brands sexy image in bold and daring fashion (Press Release: Skyy Spirits Unveils Sexiest Ad Campaign in Skyy  ® Vodka History, 2010). In 2007, SKYY looked to acclaimed photographer and independent filmmaker David LaChapelle to shoot the powerful, tantalizing images that captured the essence of cocktail glamour and the jet set lifestyle which would constitute its third campaign. The national campaign was named Cocktail Moments and was available for national outdoor, print, and online. Exhibit 6 shows some ads for this campaign. The creative was launched outdoors beginning January 2007 in LA, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco (2010). Magazine insertions start in February of 2007 in men and womens entertainment and lifestyle publications, including ESPN, InStyle, US Weekly and People, as well as on www.SKYY.com. The ads also ran as banner ads on selected websites including ESPN.com, Evite.com, an d Gay.com, starting in mid-February. Due to its bold, sexy imagery, SKYYs ads have become collectible pieces of artwork (2010). 4.4 Stolichnaya Stolichnaya has its origins in the Moscow State Wine Warehouse No. 1 which was opened in 1901 by the authorities to ensure higher quality vodka production (Stolichnaya, 2010). It was the first vodka to be introduced and imported into the USA, in 1972. Stolichnaya was at this time a good choice to the USA-produced vodka brands as it tasted milder due to a more refined distilling process (2010). However, Stolichnayas popularity has been dependent on the political climate between the U.S. and the former USSR. In 2005, Stolichnaya was included in the Pernod Ricard portfolio. Pierre Pringuet, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard said We needed a major vodka to boost and balance our product range. Stolichnaya signalled our first step in the vodka market and we are proud of our achievements in developing this fine brand. But with ABSOLUT, we have now made a giant leap forward! (Pernod Ricard, 2008). Since 2005, sales of Stolichnaya grew up from 2.1 million to 3.4 million cases and it had a 4.2% share. In 2007, the brand received several awards including Best New Product in the U.S. and Best New Event in the UK. Additionally, its benchmark Ultra Premium Stolichnaya Elit also got the highest rating by the U.S. Beverage Tasting Institute (2008). While renovating the brand, Pernod Ricard launched a new advertising campaign for the Stoli family in order to remind consumers to Choose Authenticity on April 9, 2007 (Pernod Ricard USA, LLC., 2007). Exhibit 7 presents ads of this campaign. The campaign debuted in leading U.S. magazines as In Style, Rolling Stone, and GQ in May, 2007. The new campaign was in a visual style and based on a Russian artistic movement called constructivism, that celebrated the strong industrial structures of the early 20th century when there was the creation of Stolichnaya (2007). The campaign depicted positive Russian icons in a proud tone and humorous way. One of the first ad executions headlines was The Mother of all Vodkas, from the Motherland of Vodka. The new campaign was developed according to two findings of research that: first, that the remarkable history of Stoli hadnt been fully told; and second, that authenticity was a critical consideration in the purchasing decisions of sophisticated, young adult consumers at that time (2007). Patrick Piana, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Pernod Ricard USA said: Pernod Ricard has consistently demonstrated its ability to drive brands to achieve their potential, and we are confident that this new Stolichnaya campaign will resonate with the brands core consumers and build on our overall track record of success(2007). However, after the purchase of Absolut was completed, Pernod Ricard ended its agreement with Stoli. William Grant Sons USA signed an agreement to distribute Stolichnaya in the U.S. in 2009. 5. Consumer Behavior The comprehensive analysis of vodka by the Beverage Information Group and research by Simmons Market Research Bureau reveal consumer behavior of vodka as follows: Vodka is unlike any other spirit category. The proportion between male vodka consumers and female consumers are fairly equal. Furthermore, it is consumed by all adult age groups (Simmons Market Research Bureau, 2007). Due to universal appeal of vodka coupled with its versatility as a mixer and the cachet high end products, it has continued to attract adult consumers (Beverage Information Group, 2008). Females favor flavored vodkas while males take the lead among several brands-Absolut Kurant, Stoli Citros, Stoli Ohranj and Stoli Cranberi (Simmons Market Research Bureau, 2007). According to Simmons (2007), the older the brand the older the consumer. Stolichnaya drinkers tend to be older than Absolut drinkers. Also, Absolut drinkers tend to be slightly older than Grey Goose consumers. Belvedere scores highest in the 21-to-24 age group among unflavored vodkas. Younger adult consumers tend to be attracted by somewhat sweet flavors-vanilla and raspberry. Whereas older consumers prefer classic cocktails that are savory in nature (Beverage Information Group, 2008). All vodka consumers are moving toward a healthier lifestyle and a greener planet. (Beverage Information Group, 2008). It was found that several marketers are incorporating natural and green elements in their products. This is a trend that is expected to continue (Beverage Information Group, 2008).. Limited edition products that benefit local causes such as Absolut New Orleans and Absolut Los Angeles are another trend that is expected to gain a following (Beverage Information Group, 2008).. Overall, consumers are moving away from sweet cocktails into the savory area. This may not bode well for several flavored vodkas (Beverage Information Group, 2008). Review of publications about vodka brands uncovers that there are some significant factors that enhance customer decision making process when buying vodka as follows: Luxury: By definition, vodka is a clear, tasteless, odourless liquid-meaning that a basic level of quality distilling yields vodka on par with any other. Yet through clever ads and higher pricing, Absolut vodka became the premium vodka over Smirnoff in the 1980s. Then, i n the 1990s, Sidney Frank consciously decided to introduce Grey Goose vodka, which costs 50 percent more than Absolut, with reasoning that people would pay more for a brand they saw as more exclusive, just as they did with Absolut over Smirnoff. Since vodka is one of premium alcoholic drinks, it is considered a kind of luxury items (Rothbaum, 2009). Flavors: Several companies keep introducing more varieties for customers to choose from, this strategy has proven to be quite successful. Also, the U.S. is the worlds biggest market for flavored vodka and a new flavour can drive sales. For example, in the summer of 2007, Finlandia introduced grapefruit flavored vodka. The vodkas popularity has been so great that it has increased the brands overall sales of flavored vodkas by almost 10% (2009). Thus, there are still room for competition in the vodka category. Store shelves are now packed with new flavours and brand extensions from numerous well-established brands (2009). Price: Setting an inviting price to attract consumers seems to be successful for some brand vodkas like Smirnoff. For example, Smirnoff posted a 4.0% gain in 2008 and making it the top-selling spirit in the U.S., leveraging its rainbow of flavors as well as its inviting price (2009). This pricing strategy must be employed carefully for luxury goods like vodka, since consumers still perceive that Vodka should not be cheap. It is not a product of first necessity. Even though higher-priced brands are seeing slower growth, consumers are still spending a lot of money to purchase these prestigious brands. Reference Group: Vodka consumers use reference groups such as co-workers, friends, and family as a guide to select a brand, since vodka is a product that can be shared in social occasions and consumers tend to please all of those groups when they gather. Thus, group situations constitute their purchase decisions. Packaging: Packaging has always played an important role in developing brand image, and the vodka industry is not exceptional. According to Adam Rosen, the brand manager of Wyborowa Vodka, the vodka industry is much more image conscious than other liquors (Labbrand Consulting Co., Ltd., 2009). In addition to ingredients and taste, packing is another factor influencing vodka drinkers buying decision- the vodka they choose should make a statement to others. Thus, the bottle design should display sophistication and class. For example, Svedkas new bottle reflects their cheap chic positioning, allowing consumers to purchase a premium vodka at a competitive price (2009). This should appeal to hip night life lovers, but not older customers accustomed to having a casual drink at home. It was found that the older audience will appreciate a classic bottle design that looks nice in their alcohol cabinet (2009). As Svedka hasnt redesigned their bottle for over 10 years, the repeat customers like ly have a strong connection to the old brand image (2009). In short, packing can influence decisions made through constructive process at the time of purchase. 6. History of Brand Advertising Absolut Vodka has become famous mainly due to its advertising campaigns. The shape of the bottle of Absolut vodka is very unique and is emphasized in all their advertisements. For about 25 years, the focus on the product has been the main theme in advertisements for Absolut Vodka. They ran campaigns of humor featuring their unique bottle. It is the unique advertising campaigns that have made Absolut a popular brand going up to the heights of Coke and Nike. In 1981 they started the Absolut ________ campaign. Absolut Perfection which was created in 1981 was the first advertisement and it is still popular today. They had clever concepts like Absolut L.A. which showed a swimming pool shaped like a bottle or Absolut Warhol which showed the painting of a bottle by the artist. One of their popular ads is the Absolut London', which shows the door of 10 Downing Street resembling an Absolut bottle. In a 1988 feature of a playboy magazine they showed a bottle like a model and this ad was called Absolut Centerfold. Then there were issues Absolut Disco (2007) related to dance music in 2008 Absolut Masquerade under the theme Every night is a masquerade and in 2009 the Absolut Rock Edition as a tribute to rock and roll. They wanted to end this campaign in 1997 with the launch of an offbeat bottle campaign on April fools day and it was very popular. But it took 9 more years to come up with a different campaign due to its limited advertising budget. Th e Absolut ____ campaign enabled the brand to become the best-selling imported vodka in the United States as sales rose from 20,000 cases in 1981 to almost 5 million in 2007. In January 2006 they started a campaign called The Absolut Vodka which had a theme on the pun between the brand name and the word absolute. This multimedia campaign demonstrates the headship of Absolut Vodka as The Absolut Vodka and observes other classics that are absolutes in our culture. This campaign is an evolution of the brands iconic, 25-year-old advertising and one that underscores the brands marketing ingenuity and continuous creativity. This campaign was broadcasted on television in the United States. The campaign also featured online and print executions. The new execution was built on the brands existing campaigns. The broadcast depicts a collage of absolute moments and icons that bases modern culture. Pictures include The Absolut Morale Booster (Marilyn Monroe singing for U.S. troops) and The Absolut Road Trip (first manned trip to the moon). The print advertisement features an Absolut Vodka bottle levitating over a color-block table with copy that reads The Absolut Vodk a the image connotes an exclamation point. The print ad shows the genuinity of Absolut Vodka and conveys only one message that Absolut is The Absolut Vodka. The Absolut Vodka campaign targeted a new and increasing group of vodka drinkers in the United States. The broadcast is very interactive and is aimed at capturing in-the-know customers. The Absolut Vodka campaign was created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, the advertising agency of record for Absolut VODKA. 7. The In an Absolut World Campaign In 2007, Absolut Vodka began its In An Absolut World campaign in which the company posted various, often fanciful scenarios of what the target audience might think would constitute a perfect, or Absolut, reality. The campaign was handled by TBWA/Chiat/Day, part of the TBWA Worldwide division of the Omnicom Group. The In An Absolut World would elicit varying opinions and points of view of customers. It is designed to be an inspiring, humorous, and thought-provoking integrated campaign about what an Absolut World might look like and to initiate a discussion about both universal and everyday subjects, as well as to challenge consumers to express their own visions of the world. Its advertising campaign invites consumers to visualize a world that appeals to them one they feel may be more idealized or one that may be a bit fantastic. The campaign includes commercials and video clips as well as online ads, print ads, billboards and event marketing. Drinkers were invited to imbibe In An Absolut World, a fanciful, even surreal, place where common sense prevails and just deserts are always on the menu. For example, on planet Absolut, men can get pregnant, and lying leaders are exposed by their Pinocchio noses. In fact, Absolut was confronting the same problems as other market-leading brands in that everybody knows who they are, but what are they known for? Thus, The goal is to encourage a dialogue between customers and the brand. The ads proclaim, This is Absoluts view of the world; you respond, you react. Absolut ads aimed at minority consumers will also begin to feature the Absolut World theme. 7.1 Probable Marketing Objectives Since from 2003 to 2007 over 240 new brands of vodka came and many companies started focusing on the ultra-premium category, the marketing objectives of the In an Absolut World include robusting sales growth and re-establishing and re-cementing the Absoluts position in the vodka category in an extremely competitive environment. 7.2 Probable Communication/ Advertising Objectives The main communication of the In an Absolut World campaign is to provide the customers with an opportunity to interact, get involved and associated with the brand, since its customer survey found that the previous one never provided the opportunities for customers to interact and get involved with the brand. Furthermore, the campaign aimed at depicting that Absolut Vodka has a class of its own or a world of its own implicating that it is different and better than other brands. The idea is that Absolut Vodka is the quintessential vodka, the true vodka, and the standard by which you judge other things. 7.3 Target Market The target audience is 23 34 year urbanites. 7.4 Positioning Statement To inform urbanites that Absolut Vodka is the quintessential vodka, the true vodka, the standard by which consumers judge other Vodkas. 7.5 Creative Strategy The In an Absolut World advertising campaign requires that consumers imagine a world that appeals to them, something like a perfect world or a fantastic world, thus bringing about different opinions and points of view. Also it needs to these ads in countries worldwide with varying themes relevant to their region. 7.6 Creative Execution To achieve the creative strategy, they decided not only to show what an ABSOLUT WORLD looks like, but also to give consumers the chance to experience it in their daily lives. The idea was to publish the perfect newspaper and distribute it for free, with real editorial content that was entirely positive and interesting to read. Another idea was to perfect a taxi ride by supplying a fleet of free-of-charge Porsche taxis. The next idea was to make a unique experience at the nearest ATM cash machine by introducing the Happy Hour. 7.7 Media Strategy The campaign would be put in print ads, billboards, TV commercials, video clips as well as online ads (at absolut.com), and event marketing. Absolut turned its website into an online community where visitors can share and discuss their visions of an Absolut World, create and upload images, films, worlds, and sounds, create personal profiles; browse, comment, and develop the visions of others. 8. Evaluation of the In an Absolut World The campaign uses a combination of approaches in the major selling idea between creating a brand image, positioning and inherent drama. Absolut developed its strong, memorable identity through image advertising and positioned itself as the quintessential vodka in the consumers mind. The creative approach used in the campaign is appropriate for the target audience who is 25 34 year urbanites. The message can delivered to the target audience and executed in a combination of imagery and humor. For example, one of the ads shows an expectant couple and the husband is pregnant. Additionally, even though Absolut came up with many ads with different pictures, those ads were able to convey the message to the target audience effectively by using indirect headlines In an Absolut World as creative tactics for printing ads and TV commercials. Also, the message is short, clear, novel, and creative as well as provokes their thoughts. Most of the ads in the campaign use emotional appeal to attract the target audience while others create excitement and provoke thoughts. The ads and some TV commercials try to communicate with the target audience that people wish to see the world in a different manner according what an Absolut World means to them or their perceptions. For example, a TV commercial portrays a higher form of conflict resolution when protestors and police do a pillow war. In addition to creating the brand awareness, the campaign tried to break through the clutter by using both traditional and non-traditional advertising. The campaign has been put in a variety of media and on its Web site. The campaign also achieved one of the communication objectives of the brand is to provide the customers with an opportunity to interact, get involved and associated with the brand. By making the Web site more interactive for customers, Absolut creates a dialogue between the brand and customers and other visitors. Also, Absolut can get their data when those visitors and its customers create personal profile which can be used to develop marketing communications strategy in the future. Moreover, Absolut.com has become an online community where customers and visitors can disc