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

Cultural Taboos :: essays research papers

Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The DO’s and TABOOS of Body Language Around the World. Jon Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1998 -- Rev. and expanded edition. Over the past decade the author has been presenting seminars, speeches and workshops around the United States on the subject of international behavior. This book is the result of accumulation of more than ten years of research on the subject and it includes research on his travels to England, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. All this reinforced a conviction that gestures are powerful communicators used by people all over the world. The purpose of this book is to let people know how powerful gestures can be when used correctly or incorrectly. He also wants you to know how a gesture can mean one thing here and another thing somewhere else, something as simple as a wave good bye, could get you into a lot of trouble in another country. This book was broken down into seven chapters: Chapter 1, illustrated with numerous examples, is that not only are gestures and body language powerful communicators, but different cultures use gestures and body language in dramatically different ways. Chapter 2 discusses the most popular gestures found around the world, beginning with how we greet each other. Shaking hand is not the universal greeting. In fact, there are at least a half-dozen other social greetings - even different ways of shaking hands. This chapter also deals with farewells, beckoning, insulting, touching and other types of gestures. Chapter 3 gets into the special types of gestures such as, American Sign Language, Tai Chi, flirting & kissing. Chapter 4 is designed to help you learn or trace a particular gesture, using scores of drawings. Chapter 5 describes what the author calls the ultimate gesture, which is simply the "smile". It is rarely misunderstood, scientist believe this particular gesture releases chemicals in the brain called endorphins into the system that create a mild feeling of euphoria. It also may help you slip out of the prickliest or difficult situation's world wide. Chapter 6 is an important list of gestures to keep in mind. It is compiled of 20 gestures that can help you separate right from rude, and rude from crude. Chapter 7 is a listing of country-by-country common gestures and body languages. They group the countries by major geographic region. The organization of the book was a combination of narrative and topical.

IT Control

IT control is â€Å"A policy that provides a reasonable assurance that the information technology used by an organization operates as expected, that the data is reliable and the organization is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.† It can be categorized into the management controls and application controls. Insufficient IT control means the organization fails to protect the information asset, which means the organization is more likely to suffer losses from the exploited threats. Log review is one of the IT control practice, it is the process of recording events that happened on the system, e.g. User login and Modification on files content. By monitoring system activity, it helps to detect any malicious activities that act against the system. For instance, if a company does not establish proper control: fail to create and review logs regularly, it fails to discover the malicious act of the staff: an IT staff tried to turn off / disable the system firewall without specific reason during business operating hours. This act allows all data packets to enter and exit the network unrestrictedly and put the system network at risk. Without the firewall protection, some malware includes computer viruses; worms and Trojan horses can easily spread across the network connection and infect all the computers that attached to the local area network. Therefore, data inside the system can be destroyed or stolen. Not only disrupting the business operation, the stolen data (include confidential information like customer banking account details) may also be released to an unauthorized party for conducting financial crimes – cause of data breach. The company may fine by the information commissioner's office as it violates the data protection rule and expose customer sensitive information. We can see that insufficient IT control makes organizations become more vulnerable to outsiders' attacks. Companies will find out that it is more difficult to retain customers due to their bad reputation and competitive disadvantages.

Life Experiences That Influenced My Academic Career

Running Header: LIFE EXPERIENCES 2 Life Experiences that Influenced My Academic Career My collegiate career began in August 1999, only a few months following my high school graduation. Most of my classmates had gone through the process of submitting college applications and applying for scholarships and financial aide, signing military contracts and receiving funds for school via those means, in fact, many had post graduation plans before we reached ninth grade. That was not my reality however. I had plans, but they had nothing to do with attending college, pursuing scholarships or financial aide, or even joining the military. My plans were on the total opposite end of the spectrum. My intentions were to relax for the next year and enjoy some perks of being â€Å"out of school.† The justification for this extreme slacker mentality was solidified by possessing my diploma. No one had graduated high school in my immediate family except my mother. Honestly speaking, no one besides my mom had attained success beyond 11th grade. There was no one who could contest my decision to suspend my educational endeavors until I decided to reengage. Prior to this place in life I had been provided a false sense of reality, in that, there was a notion that I could get by on talent alone. As a result of this ideology, instead of pursuing greatness, whether it was by way of great opportunity, or exercising the habits and practices of the great people around me, I would prefer to do what felt good,Show MoreRelatedWhy Is It Queer With Its Twists And Turns As Every One Of Us Sometimes Learn865 Words   |  4 PagesConsidering the Present â€Å"Life is queer with its twists and turns as every one of us sometimes learn† (Don’t Quit, 1881-1959). As I begin to reflect on events in my life that made me who I am today in my development, I would have to highlight receiving my high school diploma and passing the Praxis Para-Pro assessment. 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Teaching Of A Differentiated Classroom Essay - 977 Words

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pVI: Recollections br /br /br /br /br /br /br /br //ppiSometimes, I wished my parents never had so many kids. But at the same time, I guess it wasnt so bad. Megumi, the oldest child of the family. Miyuki, the silent one. Mei, the sullen and peevish one. Kuro, the black sheep of the family. And finally, me and Maru, though is real name was Masaru. /i/ppiAt that time, Mit wasnt brought into this cruel and unforgiving world yet. Despise what I just said about cruel, I was an ecstatic and untroubled child-unencumbered from the wanton nature of the world. /i/ppiMy parents never pampered me, but I was beyond spoiled. Megumi. She was a childs dream toy; except she wasnt actually a toy. Playmate, I guess†¦show more content†¦A reason why his wool was stained black was because of his name-it didnt start with M. He was cruel. But not like Mei. Mei just had issues with socialization and wasnt truly malicious. Kuro was truly spiteful. He was ceremonious and well-behaved, as described by adults, but in truth, he only did it for his honor. At school, he lets out strings of hatred and venom from his mouth at the ones he despised. He glared. He scowled. Mei was more of the physically malicious type, while Kuro aimed for the mind. Malevolent he was, but. . . he was like Megumi, a flawless brother and playmate, as I like to say./i/ppiWe all know about me, Megumareta. We know /iabouti Maru. Maru was...unstable. That is all I will say about him. Now, enough for the explanations and onto the story. Or stories./ibr //ppigt; gt; lt; gt; gt;/i/ppbiVI part I: Why?/i/bbr //ppiIt was ridiculous how Ive always been a social person, yet no one wanted to be my friend. What is wrong with me? Was it because of my eyes? My clothing? My style? My puffy hair? Is it because I talked too much? Why must they cast me into solitary? What was wrong with me!? /i/ppiMonster!/i/ppiBut what made me a monster? Im just like any other kids, perfectly normal. I did not have any abnormal powers, appea rance, disease, or disorder. Im a healthy child, yet they continued to hate on me. Why? Why

The Specific Effects of Globalization Throughout Fugitive Denim free essay sample

Globalization, which is best defined as the expansion of cultural, political, economical and ideological relationships regarding worldwide social exchange and interdependencies, is the underlying motif in Rachel Louise Snyder’s novel, Fugitive Denim (Conley 531). In this work, Snyder uses a theoretical pair of denim jeans to explore the workings of the global market, from the harvesting of the cotton used in making jeans to the fashion design behind the pants seen in stores around the world. Being the beneficiary of inexpensive goods, capitalist nations like the United States and much of the European Union neglect to realize their low-cost end products come about as a result of outsourcing to underdeveloped nations. While this outsourcing benefits the â€Å"overdeveloped† nations, it is often at the expense of the underdeveloped nations. In this process, Snyder explores a variety of interrelated social issues, specifically the relationships between inequality, corporations and gender and separately the issues of exploitation, capitalism and consumption. We will write a custom essay sample on The Specific Effects of Globalization Throughout Fugitive Denim or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Throughout Fugitive Denim, inequality is discussed as a broad concept that can be used to describe the global inequality, social structure and gender issues within a nation. On the worldwide scale, â€Å"there is no question that global inequality has been steadily rising over the last few centuries† (Conley 253). Geography is one aspect that played a role in industrializing nations and although it is not specifically addressed in the novel, geography can be seen as a reason for inequality. The particular climate of a region determined what crops could or could not be grown, which is a major factor in defining an industry. Azerbaijan is able to grow cotton, but the related industry only ever expanded enough to support harvesting cotton leaving out the other aspects involved with the production that crop. After talking with an Azeri cotton farmer, Snyder describes part of the market, The World Bank wanted Azerbaijan to sell only raw cotton and would subsidize this, but Vasif feels if the World Bank really wanted to help the country, it would give subsidies to start small factories to wave fabric or make finished garments. Ready-made fabric sells for nearly double cotton’s price on the world market (Snyder 63). Like most aspects of globalization, the different entities that make up a single nation are all interwoven. In this case, the geography defines the industry that ultimately designs the economy. The same subsidies that Vasif was describing in the quote above are a reason for major economic inequality globally. The following quote is just one specific example of how ineffective subsidies can be. In 2004, the US Government spent $264 million on cotton subsidies, and every single dollar was, according to the World Trade Organization, illegal. The vast majority of those subsidies, which were created to keep the family farm in business, went to agribusiness or corporate farms—80 percent. Tandy Ogburn of North Carolina, whom I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting, received $5. 00. Tandy’s neighbor, Ronald Olive, received $17. 00 (Snyder 64). The system of subsidized loans was created in the 1930’s and was designed to help support small farms and keep them functioning. However because subsidies are granted from capitalist nations that essentially run the World Trade Organization, they are the ones in control of what money goes where; Vasif was quoted saying, ‘The more finished a product the more it demands from the global market’ (Snyder 64). Because consumption-centered nations, like the United States, want to ensure a high profit margin they try to keep merchandise sale costs low. On the quest to produce such low priced goods however more developed countries outsource the production process to nations that are less developed and therefore willing to do the hard work with minimal monetary return. In Cambodia, Snyder describes the underpaid grueling schedule of a worker, â€Å"They worked six days a week and in the beginning, in 2004, overtime was daily. They worked from 7 am to 7 or 8 or 9 pm back then, Monday through Friday, and 7 am to 5 or 6 pm on Saturdays. † Outsourcing, apart from being harsh on the workers, also creates a large divide in the social stratification within the region. Marx would classify most of the regions discussed in the book as being divided between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, those who own the means of production and the labor force. Although the proletariat and bourgeoisie generally describe capitalized societies, these underdeveloped nations have a great number of poor working class citizens with a large gap between the few and wealthy citizens. Further continuing the social stratification could be the role of gender in most of the societies. Gender roles are more clearly defined and divided then those of more developed societies. In Azerbaijan â€Å"traditional† gender roles seem to be defined more by biological unctionalist practices where the women stay home to bear children and tend to the home as the men are off serving more as â€Å"bread-winners† for the family. Mehman, an Azeri cotton classer, describes a childhood memory of his mother telling him to clean his room, only to have his grandmother come in to yell at his mother saying, ‘This is a woman’s domain†¦ not the man’s. You will clean his room’ (Snyder 44). From this one situation Mehman learned his place in society and began to understand the divide between the roles of males and female. Women aren’t as domestic as when his grandmother was alive and they are allowed to work in Azerbaijan however women still have very specific roles. When Snyder was talking with Ganira, a field worker in Azerbaijan, she learned more about the role of women in society and came to understand, â€Å"Picking cotton is women’s work in Azerbaijan, as it is in many parts of the world† (Snyder 71). Because this is a general cultural practice in Azerbaijan it is not viewed as an inequality in their society but compared to more progressive societies it is almost as if all women in Azerbaijan have reached the â€Å"glass ceiling†. Throughout Fugitive Denim, however it was a common theme to see men being in charge of the major corporations and women being the workers under their reign. Regardless of sex though, work conditions in under developed nations around the world are sub bar. Most workers in factories worldwide are subject to long hour work days with little return; capitalist’s are exploiting the cheap labor of such nations to produce their own high profit margins. As described before, some workers spend between 12 and 20 hours a day at their job in less then health sanitary facilities. Snyder describes a factory in Azerbaijan where, â€Å"The ginning room is so tortuously loud that we cannot hear ourselves even if we scream† (Snyder 63). She then went on to describe how getting sick and dying from other conditions was not uncommon, â€Å"An occupational hazard known as byssinosis, or brown lung disease, is often associated with the cotton textile work. Caused by inhaling cotton dust- which contains pesticides, fungi, bacteria and soil†¦ gins probably employed any number of candidates of byssinosis† (Snyder 63). Chemicals and pesticides, which are a whole separate issue discussed largely in Fugitive Denim, can also be detrimental to those working with the products. Because no real sanitary precautions are taken for those in the industry, those forced to work with the chemicals could also be victims of the exploitation, â€Å"Ten percent of fatalities in the agricultural sectors of developing countries come from pesticide poisoning† (Snyder 73). Chemicals that were developed as toxic nerve agents for World War I are approved for use, â€Å"The average pair of jeans carries three quarters of a pound of chemicals† (Snyder 73). Capitalist nations however care more about getting a cheaper product then the safety of the individuals creating their products. Because these developed nations have the ability to outsource for production, the underdeveloped global economy is often trying to provide products at the lowest cost possible to appease the capitalist economies. This usually meant going through a variety of industries in order to get the cheapest product, Sometimes thread had to be purchased from a mill in the States, then sent to Turkey for weaving, or the cotton had to come from Turkey and be milled in Turkey, but the finishing had to take place in the States†¦ ‘Made in Peru’ might have cotton from Texas, weaving from North Carolina, cutting and sewing from Lima, washing and finishing from Mexico City, and distribution from Los Angeles (Snyder 21) Needless to say, companies would go to great lengths in order to achieve the lowest price. When Snyder visited Italy to learn about the textile technicians, or essentially the creators of the fades, washes, and textures of denim, the head designer Pascal talked a lot about the consumer market that he designed for. For him, Italy had always been viewed as a fashion capital responsible for the producing of one-of-a kind more high-end goods. With the search to find low cost manufacturing however, Italy’s textile industry was not looking at an upswing in profit, News that Arnani, Gucci, and Prada were moving their manufacturing to Asia had shaken the industry in Italy, Pascal said. The country’s high-end designer manufacturing has undergone such a profound change in recent years that it seems traumatized, enmeshed in a cultural state of disbelief at what is certainly its inevitable end (Snyder 94) Pascal described Americans and Britons as â€Å"clamoring for cheap Chinese-sourced goods† (Snyder 95). In the epilogue of Fugitive Denim Snyder talks about how it wasn’t that she hated companies like Wal-mart, she in fact believed we needed such corporations; what she believes, however, is that the individuals that can afford to buy one expensive quality pair of jeans, should buy that pair as opposed to buying five pairs of cheap mass produced jeans. Snyder said, â€Å"What concerns me more about the low-cost mega-chains is how they incite our overconsumption† (Snyder 314). Just as inequality, corporations and gender all became intertwined, exploitation, capitalism and consumption similarly express an entangled relationship that Snyder captures throughout Fugitive Denim as it reveals some of the inner workings of globalization. Rachel Louise Snyder is not a sociologist, so reading this novel that has sociological implications throughout it was interesting to me. I understand her main focus was to capture more of the atrocities of globalization, however, I personally was hoping Fugitive Denim had more of a focus on the individuals. While the content of this novel was shocking, I found myself disappointed in the way Snyder went about introducing relationships and how she tied in individuals. Because individuals were tied to specific issues and in specific regions I thought it made each person seem isolated and almost separate from the social. Because the topics of this book revolve around cultural, political and economic issues I was expecting there would be more of a discussion of the â€Å"social† throughout the work. I liked how Snyder gave a face to each of the issues in a way but it was hard to relate them to large scale. Through Mehman’s struggle of traditional values in a modern society I was able to get more of an understanding of his culture but it was still difficult to apply to a large scale social settings. Similarly, with field pickers of Azerbaijan and the worker in Cambodia, I was able to get a sense of community but all the while I was wondering how their working relationship fit into their world outside the fields and mills. In one sense I felt that they formed almost like a Gemeinschaft community, but because much of both nations were underdeveloped and poor I wondered if, like slaves in the history of global capitalization, much of the surrounding area felt unified by a single idea or if they merely felt like the proletariat and were too divided to ever rebel against the bourgeoisie. While this book has offered me perspective on the full-scale globalization, and I feel that I have a greater understanding of the details about it, I cant help but only have one main response feeling after this book and that is the feeling of guilt. When the amount we consume is put in perspective of how much others consume and how much physical labor goes into the process I only feel bad about what I have. Although, in all honesty, fter Fugitive Denim pointed out how truly difficult it was to come by organic products and that products that would be produced fairly and safely for all parties involved would be extremely expensive, I doubt there is much that I would change in what I purchase, except maybe the amount. I definitely liked this book as an overall work, however, I wish the sociological implications had been slightly more developed or at least more focused on the social aspects as opposed to the political implications behind globalization.