Example Of A Grant Process - 871 Words

The Application Process Each of these nonprofit organizations has put in an application in a yearly process (now a biannual one as of 2017). The organizations are either nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, private organizations, or governmental agencies, all within the city limits of Wilmington. When the applications arrive in the city manager’s office, the staff determines which grant the project qualifies for. For example, the city only uses HOME funds to fund new construction projects while non-housing related funds come from the General fund or the CDBG. This process benefits the nonprofits because the city employees seek to match funds with a worthwhile project aligned with the needs and desires of the†¦show more content†¦The City Council may have approved of the organization and wanted to support it. However, the way the mayor bypassed the usual procedure caused the problem. Similarly, other nonprofit organizations felt angry, and rightfully so, because One Love received special treatment and did not have to play by the rules that the rest of the nonprofits had to abide by. That being said, however, smaller nonprofits can struggle to produce the documentation needed for grants. As a result, funding could certainly be skewed towards larger and more established nonprofits. Community Involvement The City of Wilmington invites the citizens to comment on the priorities for the budget. If a citizen cannot attend the public hearings in person, the public access channel broadcasts them and the city puts the video and documentation online afterward. Furthermore, the city manager’s office invites public comment via a bi-annual survey to selected members of the community. In this way the public can give feedback to the city government and elected officials about what works and what does not work when legislation andShow MoreRelatedWhat Are The Leading Of Implementation Of Collaborative Goals?747 Words   |  3 PagesMy experienced regarding the leading of implementation of collaborative goals have been in the area of the development of a Substance Abuse Treatment Center for adolescents of Cameron County. For example, I was the Lead Counselor/Supervisor of this new program that was developed to provide outpatient services to adolescents from a low social-economic level. The s trategies that were implemented by our team and myself were the success collaboration with other entities that could benefit from our servicesRead MoreI Am Satisfied With No Fan Fare1049 Words   |  5 Pagescourse was writing a grant. Grant writing is the process that refers to completing an application for funding provide by an organization. A government department, public or private provides the funding organization. This process is referred to grant as a proposal or submission. This process involves understanding the grant proposal submission. Completing a grant proposal and understanding the principles and the fundamentals is time consuming. However, the course requirement for grant writing was a teamRead MoreFederal State And State Government890 Words   |  4 PagesRules or in some states Dillon Laws, are the principle’s that local governments have only the authority provided them by state government. The other process that grants decision making power at the local l evel is called â€Å"Home Rule†, which is set in the state legislature of some states. One example is the State of Virginia has a Dillon Rule process of government. The interactions between the federal and state governments is outlined in the US Constitution and also outlining the relationship betweenRead MoreSummary of Grant Writing for Dummies Overview Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesPart I Setting the Stage with Grant Basics Chapter one helped clarify grant terminology that I may run into while conducting grant research and filling out grant applications. I found this useful because I now have a better understanding of what certain grants are looking for and the grant language that is needed. This chapter also helped me learn how to set up a plan for keeping track of the grants I am working on and helped set up the process. The second chapter goes over how to create andRead MoreRisk Management Within The Homeland Security1115 Words   |  5 Pagesmanagement to provide a structured method to distribute, use information, and lastly breakdown efforts. This system like any other system has success and failures; in this essay, I will explain the purpose of the risk equation, various programs, grant allocations, and potential hazards. . Homeland Security plays a serious role in leading a combined effort in managing a mixed and difficult set of risks in the US. DHS uses a risk management to provide structured methods to distribute,Read MoreGovernmental Budgeting Process Essay1032 Words   |  5 PagesGovernmental Budgeting Process Budgeting in the public sector is typically performed with the culmination of many departments. It combines planning and budgeting to assist individual departments in developing their budget to be consistent with specific objectives as well as strategic goals. Revenues can be particularly challenging to forecast due to unknowns such as enrollment and state funding. â€Å"Black Hawk College relies on three primary sources of revenue: tuition and fees, property taxesRead MoreGrant Data Resources Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesA grant is a sum of money given by an organization for a specific purpose that does not have to be repaid. The purpose of this report is to describe two of the grant data resources. The federal grant reservoir provides a listing of available federal grant money and the qualifications that must be met. Federal grants exist to provide funding for projects that provide public services and stimulate economic growth. Grants are one of the many forms of federal financial assistance and are used toRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Don t Like The Candidates?955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the newspaper The New York Times, an article was recently published pertaining to the upcoming 2016 election titled, â€Å"Don’t Like the Candidates? Vote Anyway.† The author, Adam Grant, forged this persuasive-argumentative selection to convince readers to vote, despite both candidates lacking in several areas(3). Grant makes good use of all three of Aristotle’s ideas to construe a well thought out and convincing message to his audience. His ideas are executed in an excellent manner. Furthermore,Read MoreAnalysis of Vivian from a Lesson Before Dying922 Words   |  4 Pageswants and isn’t afraid to express her feelings. Although the majority of the novel’s attention is directed to Grant and Jefferson, Vivian as well deserves attention because she is a complex and well—developed character. Yes, Grant and Jefferson ha ve their issues that need attention, but everyone has their problems and needs someone to lean on at least once in their life. For example, Grant says, â€Å"Let’s go somewhere and spend the night. Baton Rouge, New Orleans—anywhere,† only thinking of himself.Read MoreUnited States Constitution and Block Grant867 Words   |  4 Pagesis a block grant? †¢ Block grant: one type of federal grants-in-aid for some particular but broadly defined area of public policy. †¢ Health care, social services, or welfare B. How do block grants reflect cooperative federalism? †¢ State and local governments have much greater freedom in deciding just how and on what to spend block grant dollars. 4. In what ways do the States aid the National Government? †¢ The States help out the National Government by taking on more work. †¢ For example, those who

Bus Appendix Free Essays

If I was to open a business I would open a banquet hall. Where I live they are really famous and threes a lot of them. I would love to do this business because everybody has parties all the time and It would benefit myself and family members from It. We will write a custom essay sample on Bus Appendix or any similar topic only for you Order Now Entrepreneurs As the entrepreneur I would have to come up with enough money to locate a place to buy I wouldn’t want to rent because it would be more profit having my own space, Plus I have to buy tables and chairs as well. I would have to contract people that know how to cook and find places I can buy the food at a cheaper price. I would also have to find a place I can rent or buy my own linen for the tables and chair covers. Music is a must also or the own customer can provide that. Managers I would hire a manager that can help me stay in the banquet hall while I gather all of the above things. She would be booking parties and explaining prices and what Is Included In the package Employees The employees can help me set up tables as well as the linens and at the party they will also serve as waiters. The cooks will have all the food ready for the event, and I burglary. What behaviors and attitudes should be cultivated in your organization? I know that behaviors and attitudes will appear in the workplace especially when the event is happening. Hopefully my cooks will finish the food for like 250 people so I know they will be stressed out. My waiters will have to serve fast enough in order for everyone to eat so I know they will be frustrated that customers will be asking for this or that. I know that I will be nervous and stress out that everything comes out right. How to cite Bus Appendix, Papers

Foundations in Sustainable Strategic Management

Question: Discuss about the Foundations in Sustainable Strategic Management. Answer: Introduction Postal services have one of the pivotal services in the history of humankind. Throughout the world this service has given people the opportunity to stay in contact. Australia Post was founded in the year 1809 on 25 April. Ever since, this government owned corporation has been in the service of sending parcels and mails. With the advent of technology, the corporation also started various other facilities like transferring money, travel and ID related issues and business solutions. The basic products and services of the organisation include letters, postal service, postage rate, basic domestic, large letters and associated services (Auspost.com.au, 2017). This industry has been growing after the services were opened in the initial years. However, in the last few years with the improvement of online contacts and applications the industry has suffered some rift. The present paper would analyze the competitor analysis and the macro analysis of the industry. Five Forces analysis Bargaining power of buyers- In case of the bargaining power, the buyers in case of Australia Post do not have much of upper hand. The prime reason being the rates of the services are fixed as decided by the government. As, the service is opted by large number of people across the country the power of bargaining is not strong. The limitation in the bargaining helps the corporation to extract fair and minimum profit from the customers. In case of Australia Post, the best part is the customers get standardized service (Hill, Jones and Schilling, 2014). Bargaining power of suppliers- the bargaining power of the suppliers is not in favour. The reason being competition and the attachment with the government project itself acts negatively for the suppliers (Slack, 2015). The level of competition reduces the prices, which is important for Australia Post. It acts as the opportunity for Australia Post to have the strength of changing suppliers. The low chance of switching supplier is another key idea for the organization. The competitive rivalry The competition of the Australia Post is not direct. Apart from the Australia Post, the competition is in the local courier. However, with the range of operations, Australia Post hardly received and thereat. On the contrary, with respect to growing technology the organisation has to bring out services that are not limited to letters or mails. The market share of the organisation is huge. The threat of substitute products- The threat lies in the technological advancements is giving the opportunity to people get connected to any part of the worlds within fraction of seconds. Apart from this, the threat is also the different courier companies (Eden and Ackermann, 2013). However, Australia Post wins over courier services because of the brand value that it has created over the years. Threat of new competitors- the importance of the Australia Post lies in the large distribution network it has over the years. This has given customers the faith in the organisation. The geographical location and the reach to every nook and corner might be not possible for the new entrants (Rothaermel, 2015). Macro Analysis Political- the political issues related to Australia Post is very limited. The major reason being it is government run enterprise. It is commercially run with all the necessary political stability. It is noticed that the efficient board of directors of the company are the sole support for the organisation to not hamper by any form of political instability (Grant, 2016). Economic- The issues in the economic factor lies in the reduction of the main features of the company. The number of letters and the delivery number have fallen to a huge rate. The revenue generated from the business has not been a steady graph. There has been deviations. The issue of inflation has also hit the money transfer services of the company. The faith of the customer has been hampered with the delay in the services while paying premium amount. Apart from this, the organization has faced issues relating to competition (Crew and Kleindorfer, 2013). The courier companies and easy online transaction of money has affected the economic condition of the expertise to considerable extent. The regular follow up system of the private companies has been another issue with respect to Australia Post. Social- Most of the international ecommerce companies are trying to have a tie up with competitive private companies for the delivery of the products. The changing lifestyle of the consumers is one of the pivotal reasons for the same. The overseas retail product delivery of Australia is most likely taken by, companies like DHL and FedEx. Hence, the opportunity that was there for Australia Post id reducing. The customer value and satisfaction that is offered by these private companies is much more than government owned organizations. Hence, retail giants are looking for such dedicated companies for customer retention (Frynas and Mellahi, 2015). Technological- The development of the new technologies have led to easy transaction and taxation process. In such cases, the advancement of Australia Post is still lacking. The communication system of the company had to be improved. This has been done by the enterprise with the help of strategic partnerships (Austin and Pinkleton, 2015). The mailbox system started by the Australia Post has been one of the pivotal factors to pay bills and store the same securely. The only positive change that has been brought about by the company in the recent days has been MyPost Digital Mailbox. However, the strength of the other companies is the utilization of these service for quite some time. Legal- The Trade Practices Act of the country is the legal factor that is to be followed by the company. Along with this being a government owned enterprise the organization follows rules and abide by the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989. It might be said in the above regard that the company works under the laws of the legal system. They abide by the rules and take the system under control with effective means (Van Dooren, Bouckaert and Halligan, 2015). However, the financial profit margin of the company is hampered with the opening of more than 4000 post offices and outlets. In order to serve the best in the industry and with the tag of governmental organization, the company is still trying to keep all the outlets open. This is strictly according to rules. Environmental- The idea of preserving paper has been crucial step all around the world. This is one of the causes, that other than technological advancement people are trying cell phones or email to contact each other. This has resulted in damaging the sorting and delivering process of the company (Stead and Stead, 2013). Most of the valuable citizens of the country try not to use papers for the environmental cause. Company corporate strategy The executive team rightfully shoulders the corporate strategy of Australia Post. The board of directors of the company is one of the most effective teams that the organization is having. In order to reach the target audience few outlet of the post offices are open on public holidays. However, the retail trading of the company is hampered on the holidays. In such cases, the advantages that can be grabbed by private companies include better and fast services even on holidays. Apart from the loopholes that are mentioned, it might be referred that the complaints procedure of the company is effective (Harrison and John, 2013). After getting the required proof and the support from the consumers, Australia Post only takes, 10 working days to resolve the corporate issues. The ombudsman is efficient is dealing with different types of cases. The concept of CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility is included in the idea of Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday. The transformation of the organization f or more than 200 years has been through four potential outcomes. They include people, community, customers and environment. Australia Post has taken the necessary step of including the wellbeing of the Australian by connecting digitally and physically. The creation of the shared values in the organization is the most important along with the engagement of the stakeholders. Hence, the corporate strategy of the company is one of the most important factors to deal with the sustainable development of the business prospects (Frynas and Mellahi, 2015). The corporate strategy of the company is to ensure that most of the issues of the customers are resolved timely. Apart from this, the issue of the stakeholders and suppliers are also taken into consideration. The prime aspects of the corporate strategy of Australia Post include value creation, social procurement, sustainable growth and importance of corporate governance (Eden and Ackermann, 2013). Company business strategy The business strategy of the company is to grow smarter. This is the basic reason for which the company is formulating updated culture. The introduction of the smart mailroom by the company across Australia is one of the biggest steps taken. In addition, with this the organization has implemented the inclusion of the technological front that is to retrieve data (Brunner and Bard, 2013). The necessary data collected is also restored in the internet based archive. Along with this Australia Post also included banking services. The payment of bill has been made easier with the help of the phone or online means. The total cash received in the year 2014 has been considerably height as compared to 2013. In this regard, it is important to note the fact that the company has introduced new strategies, tried new structure at the organizational level. The company has changed the usual perception of the customers drastically. This is through the improvement in the services. In delivery, process has been updated. The tracking system for the customers is one of the pivotal steps that assures customer of confirmed delivery. The logistics of the AP has been effective with the necessary inspiration from the companies like FedEx. The logistics sector of the company has been improved to considerable rate. The current position of the company has been improvement in identity services, deliveries, communications and identity services. The stakeholders of the organization include the employees, customers and the community. However, the necessary step that is to be taken by the company includes increasing the price of the services. The cost of sending a letter in Australia is only A$1 whereas in other countries the rate in much more. Here the chances of financial improvement for the company are limited. The coverage of the geographical area of the company is one of the best opportunities for the enterprise (Crew and Kleindorfer, 2013). Hence, as per the present positioning the globally organized network must be used efficiently by AP. The positioning of the company is on the low price however, the service has been good. The major aspect that is to be assessed in the present area requires better products. This is to ensure that not even private countries can take, the opportunity that they have in the industry. Conclusion Australia Post is one of the companies that have been effective being part of the government. Part from this the infrastructure of the company has been changed over the years. This is to ensure that customers are satisfied with the services. However, as per the pestle analysis and five forces analysis there are few issues persisting in the company. However, the company has taken major step to curb issues regarding complainants and technological backwardness. The result is the improvement in the financial situation of the company. The initiation of ideas such as banking, insurance, bill payments and cards has been effective and remarkable. The miscellaneous service that has been started by the company is to improve the finance and revenue generation of the enterprise. Reference list Auspost.com.au. (2017).Home. [online] Available at: https://auspost.com.au/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2017]. Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015.Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Brunner, J.O. and Bard, J.F., 2013. Flexible weekly tour scheduling for postal service workers using a branch and price.Journal of Scheduling,16(1), pp.129-149. Crew, M.A. and Kleindorfer, P.R. eds., 2013.Emerging competition in postal and delivery services(Vol. 31). Springer Science Business Media. Crew, M.A. and Kleindorfer, P.R. eds., 2013.Postal and Delivery Services: pricing, productivity, regulation and strategy(Vol. 41). Springer Science Business Media. Eden, C. and Ackermann, F., 2013.Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. Sage. Eden, C. and Ackermann, F., 2013.Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. Sage. Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015.Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015.Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Harrison, J.S. and John, C.H.S., 2013.Foundations in strategic management. Cengage Learning. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Slack, N., 2015.Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Stead, J.G. and Stead, W.E., 2013.Sustainable strategic management. ME Sharpe. Van Dooren, W., Bouckaert, G. and Halligan, J., 2015.Performance management in the public sector. Routledge.

Masculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop free essay sample

Tomography Never cry or show any emotion, when things happen take it like man, do not get mad, get even. These along with many other rules are makeup the Guy Code believed to shape what masculinity in American society. Brows before Hoes: The Guy Code by Michael Kismet discusses a set of epigrams and analyzes American masculinity. These ideals of what is takes to be a man are often portrayed by hip-hop artists in todays mainstream music industry.Kismet attended many different workshops and high school assemblies asking unsung men in every state What does it take to be a man? and generated what he calls the Real Guys Top Ten List. The answers were predictable. Never show any emotion and remain as though everything is in control at all times, losing is not an option when youre in competition with other men, and kindness will get you nowhere. We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Real Boys a book by psychologist William Pollack covers these same ideas.To be a man they cannot be a sissy, or appear to be weak or gay. Masculinity Is measured by your wealth, power, and status. A man remains a rock and he Is dependable during crisis. Give the impression that you are daring and aggressive. In Hip-Hop, the lyrics and the rappers usually echo these Ideals. Masculinity is money, power, and respect. Most rappers give off an Image of being strong and never showing emotion. Guns and violence is the way to show other men that you are a man that you are powerful and are to be respected.Rappers boast about their jewelry, their homes, and nice cars and believe that having more money and material objects, and women, than the next man makes you a winner. These Ideas are found in the lyrics of rappers such as Ill Wayne and 50 Cent, who are the Ideal stereotypical Image of masculinity In Hip-Hop. Boys are taught to be a man from birth and many of the Ideas of masculinity are instilled in them by their fathers or other male figures In their lives. According to Kismet, homophobia Is the fear of being misperceived as being gay and Is the fear that animates American mens masculinity (614). They are taught to be tough and eave a manly front cover In everything that they do. If you ask most fathers they would not appreciate their son wearing pink and playing with dolls because Its gay and not masculine. Any sort of display of stereotypical effeminate behavior, dressing nicely, sensitivity, and being emotionally expressive, Is perceived as being gay. If a guy walks, talks, and acts In a manner that Is different from someone who Is gay he will be a man.In Hip-Hop, the worst thing one can do Is take away someones manhood or associate him with anything to do with being feminine or gay by referring to them as a fagged or pitch Amiga, not only disrespecting the homosexual community but women also. Mine often use the word fagged In his when he Is battling someone. It doesnt necessarily mean gay, Its Just taking away his opponents manhood (612) Hip-Hop artists often portray Images that are hyper contribute to being mistaken for being gay. Instead, they attempt to be thugs and gangsters.Misogyny exists not only in Hip-Hop but also in American society as a whole. Objectified female bodies are everywhere: in advertising, on magazine covers, and television and movie screens. In Hip-Hop women are exploited and viewed as objects. In raps they are often called bitched and hoes, and place them in music videos half-naked furthering the exploitation. A good example of this exploitation is Knells Tip Drill video which showcases and half-naked women parading around dancing explicitly and also features a man sliding a credit card between a womans butt cheeks.As a child, a boy is bombarded with these images and whatever his father caches him about women. How does he learn to respect woman from this? The constant reinforcement of masculinity at from a young age increases bad behavior in young men. The problem with views of masculinity in American society and Hip-Hop is that men spend more time attempting to impress other men, instead of focusing on living their lives for themselves, loving themselves, and using the l dont care mentality taught in masculinity properly. The pressure to be a man causes them to become homophobic, misogynistic Jerks.

How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free Template

How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free Template So your boss has come to you and said you need to do a competitive analysis. Maybe youve never done one before, or maybe its been a while and you need to brush up on your skills before you conduct another one. Either way, weve got your back. By the end of this post, you’re going to Learn what a competitive analysis is (and why you should care) Easily be able to conduct your own competitive analysis (because I’m breaking it down into three easy steps) Get an example of what one looks like (for easy reference later) AND be able to download your very own competitor analysis template down below. Let’s get to it. Learn How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free TemplateWhat Is A Competitive Analysis? If you've never done a competitive analysis before, this is a good place to start. Every business that I know of has competitors. (This isn't just for the Nike's of the world, because the smaller you are, the more vulnerable you are to the competition.) The smaller you are, the more vulnerable you are to competition, so get to that competitive...Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your competition is important to the success of your business. Besides better understanding the environment your business operates in, conducting regular competitive analyses also helps you: Understand how you can improve your own promotional tactics†¦ Forecast the future of the market (especially related to the economic climate)... Better target current customers†¦ AND helps you read new audiences. Said another way - conducting a competitor analysis is crucial to how you decide to operate your entire  business. Recommended Reading: How to Complete a Social Media Audit in 9 Steps (Free Template) Competitive Analysis Definition According to Entrepreneur, the competitive analysis definition is this: â€Å"Identifying your competitors and evaluating their strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses relative to those of your own product or service.† Competitor analyses are more complex than just figuring out what your competitors are (or are not doing). They're about taking what you learn and improving your own business. After all, data that doesn't drive change is just a number. Data that doesn't drive change is just a number. Here's how to do a competitive analysis right.So without further ado†¦ Let’s jump into how to do a competitor analysis! How To Do A Competitive Analysis Performing a competitive analysis might seem like just  another task on your ever-increasing to-do list. And, while it might seem daunting at first, they're not that complicated and they are really beneficial. And to prove it - I’ve broken down how to do a competitive analysis in THREE (yes, just three) easy steps. Step 1: Identify Your Competitors This is an obvious first step. To start, perform a Google search of the products/services YOUR business offers, and take note of the results. For example, if you sell camping materials, you would type â€Å"camping tents, lantern, camping equipment, etc.† into the search engine, and then review the results, and compile a list of companies who also sell camping materials. It's important to be realistic about who your actual competitors are. Here are a couple of examples: If you’re a small business owner with a local brick-and-mortar women's clothing boutique, your competition is not the men’s retail store across the street (even though they are also selling clothing). The competition you should really focus on would be another women’s clothing store who is selling the exact same product as you. They are the ones who will have the largest impact on your success. OR If you’re a marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, your direct competition is other similar-sized marketing agencies in the area - not Ogilvy (a major advertising agency) in New York City. And once you feel confident about your pool of competitors, it’s on to the next step! Recommended Reading: 90 of the Best Marketing Quotes to Prove Every Point Step 2: Research Your Competitors After you’ve identified who your direct competitors are, it’s time to research them! This step is often the most time-consuming of the three, but it's also is the MOST important step. The data you collect here will directly impact the outcome of your analysis. The first phase of the research should be focused on the business of your competitors. Things you should look for include: Pricing strategies. Sales format. I.e. online or physical location? Product offering Next - you need to figure out why a customer would choose to purchase from your business and not one of your competitors. The best way to do this is to survey new /current customers. Recommended Reading: The Best Free Marketing Proposal Template That Will Get a Yes Here are a few questions you could ask new/current customers: What other business were you considering before you picked us? What do we have that our competitors did not have? Is there anything you wished we did have that our competitors do have? This honest feedback is one of the best ways to figure out how you stack up against your competitors in the eyes of your customers. Finally, you need to dig into their marketing materials and comb nearly every aspect of their website, social media and email communication. Here are the major things you need to consider: What are they doing with their marketing content? What are there overall strategies when it comes to demand generation, PR / social media, and product marketing? Who is their target audience? (I.e. Young professionals? College students? Professional marketers?) How many followers do they have on all the social networks? How are they positioning themselves in the market? (I.e. Are they the highest / lowest $$$ option?) Recommended Reading: The 30 Best Content Research Tips That Will Make You More Influential Step 3: Compare Your Business The last step is to compare yourself with your competitors. The best way to do this is by performing a SWOT analysis for each competitor, which helps you identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and in turn, identify your future opportunities and threats (this is where the term SWOT comes from). Once you’re done, you will have a clear picture of how you stack up against your competitors, and have all the information you need to decide what changes need to be made to optimize your business.

Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay Divine command theory is an ethical view based on theism or the belief that God exists. Followers of the theory accept that all moral judgment is derived from an understanding of God’s character or his direct commandments. In other words, â€Å"what is in accordance with God’s command is moral and what is contrary to that command is immoral† (Farnell, 2005). The holy books of each religion (e.g. The Bible, Koran, and Torah) contain God’s directions. Therefore, they can be used as guides to distinguish between morally good and bad actions. The idea that ethics and religion are connected is far-reaching, and it leads us to examine religion’s role in our society. Advantages Although divine command theory has been rejected as a working ethical theory, there are a few ways in which it does provide an advantage as an ethical framework. First, God’s commands set forth universal moral rules. The rules can be applied to anyone, at all times and place s. The belief that God is eternal and never changes means that his commands are as relevant today as when they were first recorded. Second, God’s commands don’t depend on what others think are right or wrong. His commands are completely objective. For example, one of God’s commandments is not to commit murder (Exodus 21:13). Even if your friends believe that murder is acceptable (for instance, capital punishment), they are still wrong because their beliefs oppose God’s will. Under this theory, morality exists outside of human reasoning because God is the ultimate authority. Third, if you disobey God, you will be punished. If you follow his commands, you’ll be rewarded. God is both omnipotent and omnipresent. If you choose to disobey, your punishment is inescapable. If you obey, God will bless you with eternal life and a place in heaven. Those who believe have a strong incentive to follow his commands. Finally, traditional religions are centuries ol d and have recorded many of God’s commands. Religious texts allow us to know and understand the character of God, and they make it easier to know how to act morally. For Christian believers, the Word of God is in The Bible and they are secure in the concrete, moral teachings written in its pages. Critiques There are several reasons why divine command theory falls short as a working ethical viewpoint. One objection focuses on the sheer number of world religions and their different interpretations of the nature of God (or their gods). How does a divine command theorist know that their God’s commands are the right ones to follow? It is impossible to prove that the insights of Allah overrule the laws of Yahweh. Even within Christianity, a schism has existed between Catholic and Protestant believers since The Reformation in 1517. Under divine command theory only one religion can be correct and the followers of that God are the only ones leading moral lives (Austin, 2006). T his leads into the next objection. God’s commands can be easily misconstrued. That is, how do we determine the correct interpretation of the sacred texts? When God states that we should not commit murder, does that mean murder is always immoral, or should we take into account the specific context in which God gave this command? During this process of interpretation, we are actually exercising our own sense of morality. We must rely on our own understanding of God’s goodness and act on moral laws we deem consistent with God’s commands (Adams, 1999). We cannot take ourselves completely out of the picture when determining God’s position on ethical issues.

The reason why celebrities famous 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The reason why celebrities famous 2 - Essay Example Those who have it and know it rises to the top and those without or rather haven’t known it yet are always left behind. This is evident in youtube where celebrities are unveiled on a daily basis (Hirsen, para 3). Actually, this is the basic premise behind all the success stories one can see in youtube. All individuals in Hollywood have enough claim to be labeled the title â€Å"celebrities." After all the reason, one knows they exist is because they are who they are and by that they have become successful from their performances in Hollywood. This does not take into consideration at all the people who have as much talent as them or even more. These talented people showcase their expertise via the internet. With the high usage of technology, young people have taken being a celebrity into their own hands by downloading videos into youtube so that they can share with the world, making them overnight celebrities. The audience in return enjoys the performance given by the youtube stars as they are original as compared to Hollywood stars (Hirsen, para 9). All in all, the article written by Hirsen clearly shows that the trending celebrities are youtube stars. They are mostly teenagers. These stars employ the aspect of talent into amusing individuals. Clearly, this shows that success and talent are facets that are not worlds apart, rather

Unit9englassignm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Unit9englassignm - Essay Example Initially not intended to house non-violent criminal offenders, current trends indicate that youths convicted of crimes, even very minor offenses, are being increasingly committed to detention centers in preference to the implementation of less stringent methods of punishment and rehabilitation (Foley, 2001). However, the large-scale use of detention centers as the sole method of deterring youth crime is insufficient to the purpose as it increases the familiarity and acceptance of criminal attitudes and behaviors, has a negative impact on the mental condition of detainees, and hinders both education and the healthy development of acceptable social behaviors. The detention of minors who have exhibited criminal tendencies and/or engaged in illegal activities within this type of large, secure holding facility does not result in a direct, significant level of discouragement to future crime. On the contrary, communal youth housing practices used in such detention facilities has been proven to create an atmosphere which aggravates the rate of recidivism among minors. Studies based on information compiled from multiple states suggest that as many as 60 percent of young offenders sentenced to time in a juvenile detention center have later been required to return, often to the same facility, following the commission of new criminal offense(s) (Sander, Sharkey, Tanigawa, and Mauseth, 2010). Such an excessively high rate of recidivism does little to support the notion of rehabilitation through detention. Though many factors have been blamed for the high rate of recidivist practices among delinquent youths, one influential element of this recurring criminality is the reinforcement of negative behaviors and attitudes within detention facilities themselves. Statistics concerning a seeming reduction in youth crime rates fail to consider this

Make It Mine - Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay Example for Free

Make It Mine Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay 1 â€Å"The things at Prada today are not well made, the fabrics are not as good, everything was much better in my time† Miuccia Prada I. Purpose of Research The changing landscape of the luxury industry challenges brands to find a new approach to reach out to their core costumers. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Burberry are about to jeopardize their true customers and their image by overexposing themselves to a mass luxury clientele. Thus, a new approach must be found to bring back the feeling of true luxury, personal attention and to create a bond to their core customers. This paper’s purpose is to examine how luxury brands can adapt mass customization techniques in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and bring back the notion of true luxury. Furthermore, it will be questioned if customization can harm a luxury brands image and status, taking into consideration the â€Å"anti-laws† of marketing, which propose to not pander to the customer’s wishes and to dominate the luxury client (Kapferer, Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). The goal is to come up with a conclusion that provides luxury brands with a direction of how customization could be implemented and what benefits or challenges may come with it. II. From Class to Mass Looking at today’s luxury fashion market one does not have to be an expert like Miuccia Prada to see things have changed. While almost every established luxury brand started out as a small business with a tradition of unique craftsmanship, utmost quality, best service and limited quantities, those attributes are not necessarily true for many of today’s still existing luxury brands. Luxury brands have gone mass. This is often referred to as â€Å"the democratization of luxury†, which means 2 that luxury brands have opened themselves for a mass market. While back in the day luxury brands were the domain of the rich only available in selected stores or brand owned boutiques, brands today want to reach a wider customer range. According to Thomas, aggressive growth was not a priority until the eighties (Thomas, 2007, 238). However, growth quickly became the main objective and store expansions have experienced a boom in Japan, as well as the USA. The middle market customer was born. By expanding their assortment lines in department stores with lower-priced items, such as perfumes, small leather goods and cold-weather items, luxury brands became attainable. No longer were people intimidated to walk into a luxury boutique, they often became tourist attractions in capital cities. Luxury brands were intrigued by the sudden success. It just took a few logo-covered products, which were the middle class’s favorite item and sales and profits grew steadily. However, the rapid expansion also created one of the luxury brands biggest problems today. As banking analysts conclude, the greatest problem that luxury brands have created for themselves by going mass is financial instability. â€Å"Before its global expansion to the middle market, luxury was immune to economic cycles. The companies were small and catered to a limited old-money clientele [†¦] who shopped consistently and bought well. Luxury was a successful niche business. But when luxury changed its target audience to the cost-conscious middle market that shops when flush but stops cold when times get tough, it made itself dangerously vulnerable to recessions† (Thomas, 2007, 264). Another disadvantage from overexposing themselves is the loss of the traditional old money clientele, since their logos could be seen everywhere. Many brands jeopardized their exclusivity status along with their â€Å"well-crafted† message along the chase for higher profits, in order to keep the shareholders happy. The dilution of the luxury status peaked with the 3 introduction of e-commerce and outlet stores. In the first case it is very hard for a brand to create a luxury shopping experience, since the Internet is a generic and impersonal sales channel. In the case of outlet stores, brands are trying to sell their overstock, which has highly increased due to mass production. Not only is merchandise that was once available at a high-end boutique sold for a discount price, moreover some brands are producing some items solely for outlets (Edouard, 2006, 11). Assessing the six main facets of a luxury brand, which have been identified in a broad empirical study by Dubois/Laurent/Czellar and are considered to be global and most accurate, one can review the situation of the luxury market today. The six main facets are (Dubois/Laurent/Czellar, 2001, 8 ff. ): †¢ Very High Price (according to the absolute price (inter-categorical) as well as the price relative to other brands of the same category (intracategorical)). Excellent Quality (according to the processed materials as well as the assumed diligence of the manufacturing-process). Scarcity Uniqueness (expressed by a difficult accessibility and rarity). Aesthetics Polysensuality (creating through design, colors etc. a value experience that touches all senses). Ancestral Heritage Personal History (continuous branding in design, communications etc. ). Superfluousness (dominant perception of symbolic attributes †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ compared to technical-functional ones). It is evident that at least two of the six facets, namely Excellent Quality and Scarcity and Uniqueness, are not fulfilled in many cases anymore. Industry experts suggest that the last true luxury brands that are living up to all the standards are Hermes and 4 Chanel (Thomas, 2007, 323). Hermes is the epitomization of luxury, which is highly due to the fact that the house is still making all its products by hand, sourcing the finest materials and using special design and production techniques that have been invented from the house’s founder over 150 years ago. However, there is another reason why Hermes is on top of other luxury brands: Customization. Unlike in most luxury boutiques, Hermes only receives a few handbags each season to sell them directly. However, this is the exception. The rule is that those handbags are just a display of options. The customer can choose the material (canvas, cowhide, reptile or ostrich), the color and the hardware and in case of the Kelly bag the seams (Thomas, 2007, 172). And then you wait for a product that is specifically tailored to your taste and needs. Obviously this is an experience that real customers highly value. The next chapter provides a brief overview about the luxury consumers today and examines the need to offer separate services for each customer type. III. The Luxury customer today â€Å"Today’s luxury consumer is different from the wealthy consumer of the past. † (Okonkwo, 2007, 65) As mentioned above, many luxury brands opened themselves for the middle-class customer. Silverstein and Fiske have extensively described the evolution and habits of these consumers in their book â€Å"Trading up† (2005). Amongst those â€Å"mass wealthy† consumers, the spending on luxury goods has increased tremendously due to a rise in real household income by 30 percent since 1970. Looking at the figures, four million American households had a net worth of more than $1 million by 2005 and the average spending increased up to 70% (Thomas, 2007, 239). Parallel to this the credit card debt reached its peak. What happened to all that money? Consumers 5 traded up and luxury brands catered to their new audience. While the old-money consumer had a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship, the new luxury consumer wanted to buy into the dream and show that they could. Logos came in fashion, and soon â€Å"It† bags with the brand’s logo plastered on them could be seen everywhere and on everyone. Interesting enough brands and designers seem to embrace this trend, as Marc Jacobs states: â€Å"When you look at Louis Vuitton, you see it is mass-produced luxury. Vuitton is a status symbol. It’s not about hiding the logo. It’s being about a bit of a show-off† (Thomas, 2007, 18). Although welcomed by the brands themselves, this is a development that does not please a lot of the old luxury consumers and luxury brands are about to jeopardize their core clientele. Besides the love for the logo there are other characteristics that come along with the new luxury consumers. These are a need for a quick trend turnaround, a disposable attitude and the experimenting and mixing of luxury brands with premium and fast fashion (Okonkwo, 2007, 66). Thus, these consumers are not loyal to one single brand but shop across the entire brand hierarchy, from Gucci to HM. And they are not recession proof. While in the past luxury catered to a limited old money clientele enough money whose spending habits have not been deeply affected by economic cycles, short-term stock market drops or the dependency of credit available, the new luxury customer is very sensitive to all those factors. The luxury market as we experience it today is an amalgam of mass production1, flashy branding, highly varying quality and heavy advertising. While this might work for the middle class market, educated, real luxury consumers cannot be captioned by such techniques. 1 E. g. all Gucci leather products are designed on a computer, by 2004 the entire Gucci group produced 3,5 million leather goods a year, with a production time of two to three hours for a basic bag. Louis Vuitton’s handbags are produced in an assembly line setting in China, where it takes two minutes to glue handles on two bags. As a comparison, an average size Birkin or Kelly bag takes up to sixteen hours, while a bigger one takes up to thirty hours (Thomas, 2007) (Purseleague, 2010). 6 This paper acknowledges the importance of these new customers for luxury brands in order to keep the shareholders satisfied and the need for luxury brands to grow and make profits. If brands would stop cater to this clientele, the losses would be tremendous, since the brands made themselves dependent on high volume sales. However, it must also be considered that such practices can and will jeopardize the old luxury consumers, the ones who support the brand even in tough economic times. Thus, this paper suggests an approach to return to older notions of luxury, namely superb quality, classic design, premium service and customization. In short, the ultimate luxury experience. IV. Back to the roots â€Å"Luxury fashion brands today are too available, everything is too uniform, and customer business is too pedestrian. † Tom Ford Looking back in the history of luxury, customization has been the starting point for many brands and has always played a vital role in the brand’s identity. Hermes started out as custom-made harness shop, catering only to the aristocracy. Likewise Gucci, which started as a saddlery shop in Florence and later specialized in small custom made leather goods and luggage, while Louis Vuitton started as a Malletier for French Royals. All had in common that made-to-order items were the focus of their businesses and they offered only a small product range. Another big part of the customization history of luxury and probably the embodiment of the ultimate luxury item is the haute couture dress. Fittings were done by the couturiers themselves and the garment was constructed for one’s own shape, height and comfort. When American society ladies could not make it to Paris, the Couture houses would sell their patterns to stores like Saks or I. Magnin and fittings were done in beautiful 7 private fitting rooms to convey the Paris atmosphere. Shopping in those department stores was an experience, an event, a pleasure and sales assistants were experts, advisors and friends. Customers chose their favorites, either at in-house fashion shows or during personal viewings, and an in-house seamstress would alter everything to make the customer happy and fit the garment perfectly. This was a long time ago. As Thomas, points out, luxury clothing shopping today is more an exercise of patience, with only a few pieces in the smallest sizes on the sales floor, mediocre service and long waiting times (Thomas, 2007, 5). Buying an $8000 dress directly from the rack is a relatively new phenomenon, evolving with the availability and democratization of luxury. Reviewing the history of customization in the luxury industry, the following points can be identified that cater to a true luxury experience: Craftsmanship, high quality material, luxury service and customization. Based on these findings, the following part of the paper will develop a framework of customization for luxury brands today. It should be emphasized that the approach of customization is not catering to the luxury mass clientele, but rather to the true luxury customer, to create brand loyalty and recreate the luxury experience in the current market setting. V. Customization in Today’s Luxury Market One’s striving for uniqueness and expressing their individuality has without a doubt reached a peak in the current society. Some businesses have recognized this development and reacted accordingly, such as Dell, Apple, Levis, BMW or even Ralph Lauren. Especially luxury consumers always had the need to feel the exclusivity attribute of a service or a product and require personal attention. Luxury customers today do not want to follow a dictate by a brand, they are independent in 8 their choices and want to be involved in the creative process. As one author correctly stated, the days of uniformity and sameness are over (Okonkwo, 2007, 249). While Okonkwo is advocating a â€Å"mass customization† approach, which means that customization for luxury brands is done in bulk and offered to everyone, this paper suggests an exclusive approach of customization. Although economies of scale still play a role with the exclusive approach, it is not promoted to produce customized products en masse. This again would take way from the notion of rarity and exclusivity and would not help luxury brands to recreate a luxury experience, which is the purpose of this paper. It must be mentioned that a few luxury brands currently offer customization as they call it, however this is not customization to a degree that satisfies a true luxury customer. Louis Vuitton for example offers a â€Å"customization/personalization† service on its website, where customers can choose different colors for stripes and their initials to be drawn on a brown canvas bag. The whole process is done online, which delivers no luxury atmosphere at all and the aesthetics are not living up to a luxury brand and neither the leather, nor the hardware or lining can be altered. â€Å"Real customization† is only available for travel pieces. According to Gilmore and Pine, two customization experts, there are four different approaches for customization and managers should evaluate each to offer best service to their customers. In some cases not every approach is possible. The following part of the paper examines each approach and the possibilities for a luxury brand to utilize it (Gilmore/Pine, 2000, 116). 9 1. Collaborative Customization In this approach a company is conducting a dialogue with customers, so that they can articulate their preferences and needs. The goal is to identify a precise offering in order to satisfy these needs and offer a tailored product. 2 2. Adaptive customization In this case a standard product is offered, that the customers can customize themselves after the purchase. An example would be a watch where one can change the wristbands, such as the Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch†. Fig. 1 Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch† 3. Cosmetic Customization 2 [†¦] on an Air France flight from Paris to London Jane Birkin pulled her Hermes datebook out of her bag and all her papers fell out. She groused about how the book needed a pocket. Besides her sat Jean-Louis Damas. He took her datebook and she got it back a few weeks later with a pocket stitched inside, which is still there today (Thomas, 2007, 189). 10 Cosmetic Customization is not about the product itself but more about the packaging, the advertisement of different attributes or benefits of the product. Thus, a standard product is packaged and presented differently for certain markets. This can become especially important a retail environment where customized packaging plays a big role. Personalization, like adding the customer’s name would be an example for a cosmetic customization. 4. Transparent Customization This approach is used when customers do not directly communicate their needs, but they are easily predictable or can be easily deduced. Customers are provided with goods or services tailored for them, without letting them know that they have been customized for them. This type of customization requires constant monitoring and a deep understanding of the customers needs. It challenges brands to come up with innovative methods of data collecting. Fig. 2 The Four Approaches to Customization 11 Besides the different approaches of customization it must be mentioned that customization can be applied throughout the value chain, but it implies a company open for innovative approaches and careful management. Customized? Development? Customized? Production? Customized? Retailing? Customized? Delivery? Fig. 3 Possible Value Chain of a Luxury Brand Since it would exceed the scope of this paper to discuss every possible customization process that could be applied by a luxury brand, the following part outlines a scenario of customizing a luxury handbag for exclusive customers, taking every step in the value chain into account. In the development stage of the product, the customer would make an appointment in a luxury boutique, or be offered to have a designated expert of the brand come by a place of the customer’s choice. It must be mentioned that customization should only take place in selected brand-owned boutiques, such as flagship stores and never on the internet or a non luxury shopping mall (e. g. Lenox). In the case of an instore appointment, there should be a private room or section that is solely reserved for customization customers, including catering of exquisite snacks and drinks to enhance the luxury atmosphere. Unlike customization that is offered online, the customer should actually have all the materials that she can choose from in front of her, so she can feel and smell the different kinds of leather, fabrics, linings, hardware etc. As mentioned above, polysensuality is an integral part of a luxury brand, thus all senses should be addressed. The brand should provide multiple options to choose from of materials, shapes and sizes. However, if a customer has a special wish, e. g. 12 a color that is not available in the presented selection or a special lining wish, the brand should be able to provide it. On top of that personalization should be offered. Customers should be able to have their name, a quote, writing etc. on the bag at every place they want it. Anya Hindmarch for example offers customers the opportunity to write a personal message in their own handwriting that is discreetly embossed on the handbag in silver or gold, prices range from $1300 $9. 500 (Okonkwo, 2007, 262). Unfortunately, this service is only offered online, thus customers can’t feel the materials and have definitely no luxury experience. When the customization process is finished, the brand should have special software to show the customer on a big screen a model of what the creation will look like, so that last changes can be made. The design must be sent to an atelier, preferably in the country of the brand’s origin, where skilled craftsman are working on the items. Each bag must be identified with a number, the craftsman who worked on it and the material it was made from. Naturally a customized piece has a longer delivery time, for a handbag approximately 6-16 weeks, depending on availability of materials etc. However, since a customized item is considered an investment piece, customers are willing to have a longer waiting time. After the item has arrived in the store, cosmetic customization can be made at the point of retail by the sales assistant. In case of a bag or travel item e. g. the brand could attach a charm or a customized name nametag in the bag’s color to surprise the customer and show special attention. The packaging of the customized item can also be tailored towards the taste of the customer (the in-store customization expert should be aware of customer’s preferences or be able to find out during the design process, referred to as transparent customization). Along with the customized item the customer should 13 receive a letter from the store manager, which addresses the customer directly and shows the brand’s appreciation. Having a personal delivery service that brings the item directly to the customer can customize the last part of the value chain. To create the ultimate luxury experience the brand could additionally send flowers, truffles or wine to show appreciation for the customer. The process of customization outlined above is not limited to bags and can be applied to almost every item, shoes, jewelry, travel items etc. Obviously customization is a laborious process, thus the question arises which advantages does it have for brand have and is all the effort worth it? The basic question â€Å"Do customized products bring additional value to the customer† was widely discussed in academic literature. The findings of the latest study by Franke, Keinz and Steger suggest that the higher the customer involvement with a product is, the more value customization adds (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 2009, 115). Assuming that a luxury product already requires a high consumer involvement, due to its high price and the â€Å"dream value†, it can be concluded that customized luxury goods are adding value to the customer’s purchase. Amongst all advantages the most important one is the closer contact and relationship to your core customers, and a personal identification with the brand. The customer serves as a co-designer and in-house consultant during the customization process. The brand can learn about their customers’ taste and tap into their intellectual property, which results in higher potential of future design success. Empowerment of the customer leads to a higher customer satisfaction, which results in repeated purchases, less comparative shopping and overall brand loyalty (Okonkwo, 2007, 252). Especially in a globalized luxury landscape brands can satisfy customers in different parts of the world and react to cultural taste differences. As a conclusion it can be said, that â€Å"benefits of 14 customization are contingent on characteristics of the customer, namely his or her level of insight into own preferences, ability to express those preferences, and product involvement† (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 116). Although the advantages overweigh, it must be noted that customization also imposes challenges on a brand, such as the integration of the customization process into already existing internal processes and the value chain. Operations must be changed, functional units for customization must be established and the brand must invest in human capital, in order to have experts on both the retail and manufacturing side. Many companies will have difficulties overcoming current practices, since most luxury brands are now owned by big conglomerates, where they face a wall of bureaucracy. Besides that the collection of personal data from customers is a highly sensitive area of customization. First, data collection and analysis are not a core competence of luxury brands and many companies just started to use special software. Thus, problems could arise organizing and interpreting the gathered information. Second, although it can help a lot with future shopping assistance and marketing, luxury brands should never store personal data without the explicit permission of the customers. VI. Marketing in an Age of Diversity It is a given that an exclusive offer like customization needs an exclusive marketing approach. Therefore, all common marketing practices, such as fashion magazine advertisement, blogs, online marketing etc. are not an option. Since this customization is a costly service, the right clientele must be targeted. Thus, this paper suggests three marketing approaches to reach the luxury core customer. The 15 first strategy is to approach luxury magazines that are not directly fashion related. The selected magazines would include, but are not limited to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ FT- How to spend it Town and Country Palm Beach Illustrated3 Architectural Digest Robb Report Unique Homes Luxury Living Dolce Vita Elite Traveler Prestige Instead of placing bold ads in these magazines, the marketing strategy should focus on creating interest by subtle advertisement. This could include product placement in an editorial spread that has nothing to do with fashion, e. g. a bag could be placed on a designer table in Architectural Digest. Placing the product in a special section like â€Å"most exclusive picks of the month† would be another form of subtle advertisement. If the relations to a magazine are very good, the brand could have the magazine featuring a story about most exclusive luxury items and place the customization service in there. It is crucial that prices or places where the customization service is offered will not be communicated. The magazine should only provide a phone number that connects the customer to the customization department of the brand, where all information will be available. Furthermore â€Å"price upon request† is an effective tool to create interest and the notion that a product is in a top price range and only available for a few clients. 3 Palm Beach Illustrated Magazine is an award-winning regional luxury lifestyle magazine, appealing to the worlds most sophisticated and ultra-affluent audience. The magazines content reflects the many facets of sophistication that set the Palm Beach market apart and gives the community its unique brand of panache. Focusing on cutting-edge fashion, the social and philanthropic scenes, the celebrities and fascinating personalities, the exquisite estates and interiors, as well as the luxurious retail and travel opportunities available in this unique region. 16 The second marketing strategy would be an exclusive catalogue, in which the brand introduces its new service to selected clients. That this service is not available to the broad public must be clearly communicated. Naturally the catalogue must be printed on high quality paper and must feature only very creative pictures from one of the world’s best fashion photographer, such as Andrea Klarin, Raya or Steven Meisel. The catalogue should inform the customers about the customization process, as well as provide examples of customized bags. Since luxury customers today have strong values and principles, the catalogue should include where products such as leather and silk are sourced as well as the place of production. The catalogues would be sent to already existing top customers, whose addresses the luxury brand should have in their data storage. Magazines such as Prestige, which only have subscribers over a certain net worth (starting at $2 Mio. ) could provide additional addresses of future customers. The catalogue must convey a luxury feeling through materials and aesthetics, so it does become a decorative book more than a disposable item. The last part of the marketing strategy would be an invitation only event that can be held in the best hotels of strategically important cities. With approximately 150-200 guests, the brand would exclusively introduce the customization service to their most important clients and high-society people of the city in a glamorous atmosphere. The brand could show a video about their history and heritage, leading the consumer back in the days when customization was the starting point of the brand. Exquisite catering and entertainment must be a part of the event, as well as a small fashion show that shows the brand’s latest collection with some of the customized items. The brand should have a customization expert on site, so if guests have questions about the service there is a person helping them directly. 17 VII. Financial Analysis The attached excel sheet outline a one-year cash flow plan for setting up the customization service in a first tier city flagship store. The $500. 000 start capital are sponsored by corporate. Travel expenses include travels to other flagship stores, the manufacturing site or to customers, who are out of town. As mentioned before, customized products do not impose any inventory costs on the stores. It is assumed that corporate takes over most advertising costs, however stores must support local advertisement, which can be seen in the expenses. Income taxes are assumed to be 25 percent of the sales, based on the information that in the US income taxes range from 10-35 percent. The sales figures are derived from the following price points of merchandise: Between $9. 000 and $85. 000 for a customized bag, $800 $5000 for customized shoes and $15. 000 100. 000 for customized travel items. Prices depend on leather, hardware, other materials such as lining and complexity of production. The high price points are set deliberately, to keep away non-enthusiast and protect the exclusivity of the service. The predicted sales figures are more conservative at the introduction phase of the customization service but pick up by the end of the 12 months, leaving the store with a profit of $648,700. 000 at the end of the year. December is supposed to have the highest sales figures, due to holiday business. VIII. Conclusion: Does Customization Take Away a Brand’s Authority? One reason why many brands are reluctant to change their current practices when it comes to customization is their fear of losing brand authority. As Okonkwo put it correctly, it is argued that if brands provide their customers with the tools to customize their products, they might lose their superiority appeal (Okonkwo, 2007, 248). Marketing guru Kapferer advises luxury brands to â€Å"Not pander to their 18 customers’ wishes† and to â€Å"Dominate the client† (Kapferere/Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). However, looking at the roots of most luxury brands, with customization as their starting point, this advice seems to be outdated and ignorant to the trends in current society. Due to the latest development in the luxury markets, which have extensively explained above in chapter II- IV, denying customization to the customer seems to be narrow-minded and can seriously damage the brand on the long run. Since customization as discussed in this paper is not a means to please the masses, but to gain back the true luxury consumer who seeks an exclusive experience, the argument that the brand loses its superiority status is not applicable. The purpose of research was to examine if luxury brands could use customization in order to win back core customers and regain a luxury status. It can be concluded that with the right marketing approaches as well as with a management that is open for innovation, customization can be a great tool to optimize customer satisfaction and add value at every part of the value chain. If customization is executed correctly, it can change the luxury landscape to a situation where not only Hermes, but other brands with a long tradition of craftsmanship can be considered true luxury again. 19 References M. Edouard (2006), Revamping Luxury: Mass Customization Applied to the Luxury Goods Market. MBA Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. N. Franke, P. Keinz, C. J. Steger (2009), Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer Products Tailored to Their Preferences? , Journal of Marketing Vol. 73 (Sept. 2009),103-121. J. Holusha (1996), Making the Shoe Fit, Perfectly; Companies Use Technology to Sell to a Market of One, The New York Times. J. N. Kapferer, V. Bastien (2009), The Luxury Strategy – Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands. London: Kogan Page. P. Zipkin (2001), The Limits of Mass Customization, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring2001, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p81, 7p.

Orientalism :: essays papers

Orientalism "Two great themes dominate his remarks here and in what will follow: Knowledge and power, the Baconian theme. As Blafour justifies the necessity for British occupation of Egypt, supremacy in his mind is associated with "our" knowledge of Egypt and not principally with military or economic power." He describes the desire for knowledge about the orient as being spawned from the desire to colonialise effectively not to decipher the complex nature of a society which is inherently different, thus bound to do things a little differently. By comprehending the Orient, the West justified a position of ownership. The Orient became the subject, the seen, the observed, the studied; Orientalist philosophers were the apprentices, the overseers, the observers. The Orient was quiescent; the West was dynamic. This is a rather unfortunate position both for the West and the 'Orient'. The students used their position of perceived understanding to further compel 'Oriental' people into subservience while simultaneously justifying their actions. They protected their conscience by convincing themselves that the 'Orient' was incapable of running itself, thus their territory must be administered for them. "It dose not occur to Balfour to let the Egyptian speak for himself, since presumably any Egyptian who would speak out is more likely to be the "agitator [who] wishes to raise difficulties" Said makes some vivid, passionate and striking points however, he seems to be lacking of a little objectivity. The general tone of his book "Orientalism" depicts western Orientalists as persistently reinventing the near and Middle East in self-serving, eurocentric terms; as seen through Western eyes, "the Orient" emerges as a passive, backward world, monolithic in nature and exotic in its alienism, a realm ideally created to sustain the West's daydream of supremacy. Said brutally charges Western scholars for perpetuating the notion that the Orient should not be taken seriously but rather be seen as a subject of study. It is in this line that Said builds his argument. Totally oblivious to the fact that the sheer passion in his discourse may be equated to favouritism by readers. He makes many hard hitting and vivid points, but the repetitive hammering on the same point posses the ability to transform a great piece of work into an opus which skates around a diluted form of reverse racism. As progress is made through "Orientalism" several instances are depicted which provoke negative attitudes from the reader: "The European is a close reasoner; his statements of fact are devoid of any ambiguity; he is a natural logician, albeit he may not have studied logic; he is by nature very sceptical and requires proof before he can accept any proposition.

Nostradamus and his Quatrains

Michel Nostradamus was a 16th century French physician and astrologer who had the figure of a prophet as perceived by his disciples. However, Nostradamus’ predictions were usually muddled and obscure before so-called predicted event but crystal-clear after the event had occurred. He wrote four-line verses that were particularly meaningless until an event had occurred; hence, the verse of prediction was considered as â€Å"shoehorned† into a prophecy, which can be sometimes classified as retroprophecy of his quatrains or four verses predictions. Hence, within this study, the discussion aims to link the concepts of quatrains with Nostradamus’ predictions. Michel de Nostredame, born in December 14, 1503 and died in July 2, 1566, had been considered as one of the mythical seers of prophetic fields. Nostradamus had been his popular name throughout ages, and with this, the subject of prophecies links with his name. The French so-called â€Å"prophet† by his disciples was significantly known for his poetic quatrains that depict some sort of indirect and unclear predictions. However, the magic of his statement only occurs right after its occurrence. Most of his prophecies revolved in world state issues but try to conceal their meanings with the literary way in Nostradamus writings. Discussion Overview on the Concept of Quatrains From the historical perspective, Nostradamus’ quatrains had been published in 1555, which he entitled Centuries. His book contained his visions and all his predictions about the future of the world. Nostradamus was able to conceptualize 10 chapters of the book with 100 quatrains present each except for chapter 7, which only contained 42 quatrains. In addition, the quatrains of Nostradamus did not indicate any signs of time or date; hence, the actual interpretations of these predictions became vague and somehow literary severed. The quatrains in his book had this jumbled characters and the arrangements of its meaning took a long time before being organized. Most evidently, Nostradamus used the literary poetic style of four-lines in a verse or known as Quatrains. The most evident characteristic of his statements was the absolute use of figure of speech that made it hard for the reader to interpret the predictions initially; however, these statements somehow magically revealed their meaning right after the event had passed. The quatrains of Nostradamus, according to the book of Cannon (1992), contained obscure and foreign words wherein beneath possessed severely unexplainable interpretations (4). Although some can be interpreted, most of Nostradamus quatrains had used the vague identities of the statements in order to conceal their true meaning for a while. Cannon (1992) added that most of Nostradamus’ statements had not been interpreted in satisfactory manner so far (4). Nostradamus’ quatrains were so vague that they could have applied to many possible events, or symbolisms that could be convoluted with many possible interpretations. Nostradamus was able to cleverly disguise the meaning behind his quatrains in order to confuse those attempting to interpret the prophecies before their fulfillment. As supported by Oliver (2004), Nostradamus’ quatrains were hand-written in Old French, which could be very difficult to translate (11). Through these clever literary disguises, Nostradamus was able to veil the predictions prior to its occurrence; hence, saving the world from preparing prior to tragic events or future world disasters. Out of more than 900 prophecies of Nostradamus, none of them comprised of date, which further complicated the interpretations of these quatrains. However, despite of the vague identities and thoughts of Nostradamus’ quatrains, he had used some patterns that could be used as guides in understanding his quatrains. Although, most of the modern observers and readers did not considered the applications of Nostradamus’ predictions towards the globally occurring events.   As for the explorers of Nostradamus’ predictions, they had considered the quatrains of Nostradamus’ as predictions of the future; however, from the term itself, a prediction should fist be relayed and interpreted prior to the occurrence of the events. With the proposed argument of Diamond (2004), after the President Kennedy was shot, everyone jumped on the Nostradamus quatrain bandwagon and said that through his quatrain, he had clearly predicted the Kennedy shooting. However, this is not predicting since predicting means successfully calling a circumstance prior to its occurrence rather than using post-hoc reasoning to explain something (161). From his supporting statement, the predictions of Nostradamus and the vagueness of his quatrains had somehow initiated the concept of retroprophecy or the revealing of truth to his prophecy only after its occurrence. Despite of diverse critics on Nostradamus’ quatrains and predictions it conceived, some of these were extraordinarily and undeniably accurate. According to Goldberg (1999), the style of predictions made by Nostradamus may or may not be intentionally being veiled for future assumptions of interpreters (218). The retrograde characteristics of Nostradamus’ prophecy cannot be entirely considered as due to his intention of hiding it to the readers, since he had conceptualized this during his time and possibly without the knowledge of the changing French language. However, arguments would rise from this reason, since Nostradamus did not only use Old French language to veil his prophecy but also his figurative way of expressing his predictions. Arguments on whether or not to consider the validity of Nostradamus’ predictions aroused because of the retrograde characteristics of his predictions. On the other hand, the mystery of these quatrains was more understood in relation with American society and, as against to the early translations, the European society. As the twentieth century entered in, some of the predictions of Nostradamus regained its clarity and application not with the European society, but most often to the United States (e.g. September 11, 2001 bombing, etc.). As supported by McClaine (2000), Nostradamus had mentioned the birth of different personages who were born after his death and the rise of nations that were unknown or unthinkably despicably in his day (20). Nostradamus’ predictions may even faced this character of revealing itself right after the scenario occurred; however, his quatrains had somehow considerably predicted most of the events occurring within the global context, most especially with the American society; hence, the quatrains of Nostradamus did provide significant means of hiding its meaning and further exposing it right after fulfillment. Nostradamus and his Predictions Many of Nostradamus’ readers had long attempted to translate the prophecies in his statements. Unfortunately, even the original translations were not as accurate as it seems, and so far, no significant changes in the translations had been made. Adding into the complexities of Nostradamus’ quatrains, the Old French meanings had been modified by time for the last 400 years; hence, most of the words can no longer be applied to the translations of modern French.   Two points were common to his predictions, which were the presence of allegory and deep literary disguise. According to Ned (1999), the predictions of Nostradamus utilized codes, patterns and oracles that had been camouflaged in references to the past and molded in to rhyme of verses (8). Nostradamus simply wrote down the prophesies that arrived to his thinking; however, he was able to document it properly without further giving patterns via place, time, or events. From the complex meaning and diverse possible interpretations from Nostradamus’ predictions, it should have been easier if Nostradamus’ indicated the dates of his predictions; however, as supported by Halley (1999), Nostradamus himself did not consider placing it for good reasons (8). Overall, the vocabularies that Nostradamus used within his predictions were approximately 8,000 words; however, some of these, despite of similar means, were used in differently in a poetical form. As supported by Thurston (2004), some of the predictions in his quatrains seem unarguable accurate, and particularly fulfilled in his own society and time (39). However, only few of Nostradamus quatrains would possess significant linkage to historical events. The sense of ambiguity and enigma still governed the multiplicity of meanings in his predicting quatrains. Some of the skeptics would consider the predictions of Nostradamus by either problematic or significantly true. In the sense of being problematic, Thurston (2004) argued that some of the articles in Nostradamus’ predictions were impossible to have been conceptualized or even grasped (e.g. aircraft vessels, guns, sky-scrape buildings, etc.) four hundred years before its actual occurrence (39). On the other hand, the same reason could be applied to justify Nostradamus’ realistic predictions since there were no possible means to grasp these ideas except for truthfully seeing them through predictions (Desrosiers 46). For the sake of interpretations, some critiques in this study would defend the presence of pattern in Nostradamus’ predictions; however, Welch (2000), argued that Nostradamus’ punctuations were wildly erratic, apparently following no particular rule or pattern (7). There were no patterns employed in any of Nostradamus predictions in order to facilitate the revealing of his quatrains message only after the occurrence of the incident. In some perspective, Popkin (1992) provided the statement that even Nostradamus claimed that his capacity to predict came as a divine providence from God, which allowed him to predict the coming future (182). According to his argument, Nostradamus had to ensure that the revelations of his quatrains will only occur after the events had already pass in order to avoid the change of predictions and the future. If human civilization can to obtain control over these predictions, the chances of its failed occurrence will be likely since humans will eventually prepare prior to the event’s occurrence (Frank 204). Somehow, Nostradamus had to ensure the retrograde character of his quatrains in order to protect predictions stored with it, and further prevent warnings from ever arriving to human thinking. An Analysis to Nostradamus Four-Line Verses The disguises of Nostradamus’ quatrains involved various confusing parts because of some sort of punch lines that he had incorporated, which, if interpreted correctly, could provide a new picture of interpretation. In one example, Nostradamus’ Quatrain 87 from Chapter 1 says (cited in Oliver 12): Great symbols on fire in the center of the mainland Will cause trembling in the towers of New York City Two great skyscrapers will be continuously attacked, This is when Arethuse turn-around to a new course. This has been one of the famous quatrains from Nostradamus’ prediction, which gained its popularity during the bombing of 1993. Civilians and believers of Nostradamus’ predictions had thought that this was the fulfillment of his statements; however, things went clearer during the September 11, 2001 attack in the World Trade Center twin towers. According to Oliver (2004), quatrain 87 refers to the World Trade Center as the French Old English suggest, â€Å"Enno-sigee†, which connoted enno as great one and sigee as standing silent; hence, depicting the great ensigns of the New York skyline (12). After the event had occurred, the statements from media repeatedly reported the downfall or incident of the symbols of American capitalism or in translation, the great ensigns or symbolisms (Ward 117). Lastly, the Arethuse in the last statements of Nostradamus’ prophecy did not actually appeared in the modern context of French language, but rather considered to be the Old French language. From etymological analysis, Arethus could be translated to Aerthuse and if interpreted right, â€Å"Are† should mean air, while â€Å"thuse† should mean tubes. If these words were translated, it could somehow mean â€Å"air-tubes† or â€Å"air-vessels†, which if interpreted with the statements, â€Å"this is when Arethuse turn-around to a new course†, could mean the aircraft that changed its course to hit the twin towers during the September 11, 2001 disaster  Ã‚   (Oliver 12-13). Hence, as for the thesis of this study and with this statement analysis, the predictions of Nostradamus could be composed of vague and unclear statements; however, upon the fulfillment of events, these prophecies revealed their meaning to the readers with correct interpretations. This was only one of the many prophecies of Nostradamus that provided a significant character of being â€Å"retroprophecy† or revealing of predictions after its fulfillment. Ironically, Nostradamus distributed his Centuries of 1955 in order for men to possess basis that these significant global events were destined and already plotted, but clearly not to warn or save humanity from the impending disasters and conflicts that future had in store for human civilization. Conclusion In response to the thesis of the study, Nostradamus had indeed utilized a retrograde feature for his quatrains or four-line verses in order to hide the predictions from humans preventing them to possess warnings and prepare for the upcoming future. Evidently, Nostradamus purposively disguised and used Old French in order to conceal the meanings, provide multiple interpretations, and hide the actual predictions of his quatrains. However, after the fulfillment of the given statement had been fulfilled, the events were being revealed to human minds. Scholars had suggested possible patterns in his quatrains that may hold access to deciphering his predictions; however, so far, little portions of success had been made due to the complexities his quatrains. Works Cited Cannon, Dolores. Conversations with Nostradamus: His Prophecies Explained. Ozark Mountain Publishing, 1992. Desrosiers, Gilbert. An Introduction to Revelation: A Pathway to Interpretation. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000. Diamond, Leonard. Alien Conscious: Sixty Years of Abduction Experiences. Gate Way Publishers, 2004. Frank, Joseph. The Atlantis Encyclopedia. Career Press, 2005. Goldberg, Bruce. Astral Voyages: Mastering the Art of Soul Travel. Llewellyn Worldwide, 1999. Halley, Ned. Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. Wordsworth Editions, 1999. McClaine, Lee. Across Centuries: Nostradamus, Apocalypse, Destiny and the Great Millennium. Universal Publishers, 2000. Oliver, Edward. Trail Of Prophecy. Virtualbookworm Publisher, 2004. Popkin, Richard. The Third Force in Seventeenth-century Thought. BRILL, 1992. Thurston, Mark. Edgar Cayce's Predictions for the 21st Century. Star Enterprises International Inc., 2004. Ward, Charles A. Oracles of Nostradamus. NuVision Publications, 2007. Welch, R W. Comet of Nostradamus: August 2004-Impact!. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2000.   

Law Reform on Native Title Essay

Indigenous people as defined by the Cobo report (1987) are â€Å"a group having a historical continuity in pre-colonisation societies with a distinct culture now a minority in society today†. Throughout history and times of colonization change has been seen in a plethora of ways. Importantly for Australia has been the take over of land by the British under the doctrine of Terra Nullius, which means meant that if land was populated by â€Å"backward peoples†, as in it was â€Å"unoccupied† it was considered as if it were unpopulated, as there was no formal organised system of living or Government. The common law term for this is acquisition of settlement. There are many cases in our history that have been both effective and ineffective: The Gove Land Rights Case, Mabo I & II and the Native Title & Amendment Acts, which have had the purpose of creating justice, and just outcomes through law reform, with a particular focus on Native Title. The Bark Petition and Gove Land rights case sought to have land rights recognised by the Australian Government (1971). The argument provided was that the yolngu people had a complex social and legal system, a Government of laws, not of men. Justice Blackburn rejected the argument, as Australia had been settled and established by the British, so the Doctrine of Reception existed. With no case of this type in Australia’s history, it was a huge step forward in creating justice, but also meant there was nothing comparable to it. Consequently, it was a big step forward as it was the first time a Legal Fiction of Terra Nullius, which overturned many previous assertions and provided a way forward and a path for the Mabo cases. This was the first step in a long law reform process, none the less providing a developing just and effective outcome for Aboriginal people. Restriction on movement for Aboriginal people provided many problems, including loss of connection to land, spirituality and ancestors. In the eyes of Eddie Mabo, this was an infringement of his basic human rights. In 1982, Fr. David Passi, James Rice and Eddie Mabo began an action, which saw a case before the High Court of Australia in Mabo v. Queensland (No.2). Mabo v. Queensland (No.1) saw the 3 men declare that: the Meriam people were entitled to the Murray Islands and that the State of Queensland had no right to extinguish the Meriam people’s title to the Murray Islands, and that a  system of Native Title had been established, against the Queensland Coast Islands Declatory Act (1985), which attempted to extinguish Native Titles. The final decision in Case1 did not address the issue of whether native title existed, but found Queensland was trying to restrict the land rights because of their race. Mabo v. Queensland (No.2) required the court to consider that: if Australia was truly terra nullius at the time of settlement, then the Islanders had no case, on the other hand, if the English had ‘invaded’, then the original inhabitants would be recognised. The ruling showed a majority of six to one, and the High Court ruled that the Murray Islanders had the right to the possession, occupation and enjoyment of traditional lands. This was based on two key points: firstly that the declaration of Terra Nullius was not valid, so native title could not exist, and secondly that native  title existed wherever Indigenous people had occupied the land prior to European settlement. This was a major step forward in Australia’s history as well as in creating and effectively achieving justice in regard to native title. As apart of a broader picture and a law reform process, it showed a big step toward the future as it meant that Terra Nullius was overturned which meant furt her reform could take place, setting precedent for the overall goal of achieving justice as well as the broader society in terms of recognition. Following Mabo v. Queensland (No.2), the Commonwealth Government passed the Native Title Act (1993), which saw the official recognition of native title. Native Title is defined in Section 61 of the Act as the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders observed under traditional custom and recognised by the common law of Australia. This important step in changing Australian law and achieving justice for Aboriginal people was followed by the Native Title Amendment Act (1998), which saw changes to The Native Title Act after a push by the Howard Government in regards to the response to the Wik case and meant it harder to make registration of a claim and to increase interests of miners and pastoralists. This was met with much criticism, including the United Nations committee, on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination that found they breached the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. This is an example of law reform once again,  to fir with changing attitudes, values and behaviours, as well as to reinforce and clarify parts of the act such as pastoral lease’s. It shows elements of positive and negative reform, as on one hand it shows a continuing, effective process, and on the other hand shows a change in the original intention. The effectiveness of law reform process in achieving just outcomes in regard to native title has shown to be effective through a constant law reform process. This process has seen the development of new ways, beliefs and values, as well as the abolishment of the doctrine of terra nullius, creating justice for Indigenous Australians then, now and into the future.

A comparison of two television adverts Essay Example

A comparison of two television adverts Essay Example A comparison of two television adverts Essay A comparison of two television adverts Essay Television is the most important medium for advertising, and advertising is a vital component of traditional TV business models. It has always been difficult to assess the benefits of TV advertising as advertisers have traditionally had only a vague idea of who may have seen a particular advert and the actual impact on them. However, they can try and target an audience specifically e. g. time, channel of advert, etc. Most channels gain over 50% of their revenue from TV advertising firms. Without TV adverts, we probably wouldnt buy half the products that are on show in shops. TV advertising also generates millions of pounds for TV channels, and this keeps the channel running. In fact, the main source of income is through advertising. Television is also the most reached audience, more than newspapers, the internet, the radio and even magazines. On the other hand, television advertising is the most expensive type of advertising to use. A 30 second clip on a national channel can cost up to i 20,000. I will compare two adverts promoting similar products, and see the differences in advertising methods and measure the successful effects on its target audience. The advert for the Vauxhall Corsa is 40 seconds long, consisting of 26 scenes. The car can be seen many times during this short advert. This instantly attracts the viewers attention. At one point 11 cars can be seen at once. This advert was found on ITV at a prime-time slot where Vauxhall believed it would attract the most number of people. The advert starts off with one vehicle and a voice over say, 1, 2, 3, as the car parks into a car park. This is a close-up shot of the car. The next scene is the original vehicle being surrounded by 10 other cars of the same model. Repetition is a good device to use for adverts as it creates a lasting memory effect in the viewers mind. The vehicles are all of bright colours e. g. red, white and blue. Bright colours are also useful as they can commonly create a positive link with the viewers perception. Once the voice-over has counted to 3, then the other vehicles start to drive off in different directions. As this happens, music is introduced into the advertisement. This is touch sensitivity by the fall. This song is happy and joyful. It has a guitar melody playing alongside with the cars movements. We see the cars doing various manoeuvres and trying to hide as the vehicles are playing hide and seek. This game between the vehicles creates a fast paced advert; another device commonly used by companies which can either create a good or bad effect depending on other various factors such as music, background colour and product. The first impression is effective because it instantly has the attention of the viewer. The catchy music plays a big role, but also with a lot of cars moving around fast and close together it is easy for viewers to remember. The cars are seen hiding in various places such as a lift, a supermarket and a rubbish skip. By using common places of public interest, the viewers can easily identify themselves with the product. The way the vehicles manoeuvre into and hide in such places, show the small size and practicality of the car to its target audience which would probably be people who are looking to buy a small, economical car. During the advert there is a good varied use of close, middle and long-distance shots. The close-ups are mainly when there is only 1 vehicle in sight. Long distance shots are used when there are a multiple number of cars. All the way through the advert there are many sound effects including the original vehicle being driven on gravel. Also, there is a vehicle jumping into a rubbish skip which is full of rubbish, causing a sound. There is also the sound of a bell in a lift when the doors open revealing the car, once again creating familiarity with the audience. This emphasizes the small size of the car to its target audience. As the original car has counted up to 100 in the game and starts to travel to find the others, another car is revealed from just behind a metal sheet off a building site. This leaves a comedic, lasting effect on the audience that helps them remember the advert after its gone. As the advert finishes off with the word Corsa and Vauxhall the logo and website address are also displayed. The advert for the Volvo 850 T-5 is 39 seconds and is very different to the first advert. It uses different devices to promote the product as it has a different target audience and because it is a different vehicle. The advert begins with a very short half second close up of a man, the viewer can instantly tell the fear on his face and in his eyes even in such a short scene. The next scene is a long distance scene of cloud and lightening going to the floor. So we already know that this is a very different advert from the Corsa advert. This has a completely different tone and mood. The viewer already sees that this advert is using a different method to promote its advert and the image created is dissimilar to the first advert. Whereas the first advert is a very happy and joyful advert with music that matches it. On the other hand this is a tense, serious advert. We see the vehicle being driven through the twister pathway and there is a lot of rubbish flying around, this shows the vehicle in an unrealistic environment. A deep south talking American man is used as the voice-over. There is also a camera shot of a woman screaming out loud whilst stuck in the tornado. Most British viewers will not be able to familiarize themselves with this particular advert as there are hardly any tornadoes in the U. K. and we dont talk with an American accent. On the other hand, the Corsa used public places of interest that many people use so it was far more of a friendlier advert in terms of association. We also see large debris such as the oil rig and the house being torn apart from the tornado. The voice-over used in the Corsa advert was only used to count random numbers up to 100; unlike the Volvo advert where the voice-over is used to describe the tornado. He explains where and what a tornado is, whilst the viewer is able to see the Volvo dodging objects around a desert like area. Manoeuvrability is very important, the man says, as the car is frantically moving out of the way of flying debris. Here, the advert is trying to create a link between the tornado and the car, which is emphasizing the cars force. The music in the background is quite sombre but builds up with a crescendo of tension as the advert progresses. Again, this creates high levels of tension which makes the viewer aware of what is going on.