Marketing: video game console and shoppers stop Essay

Ask the company top brass what ‘almost there’ means. The answer: a premier Indian retail company that has come to be known as a specialty chain of apparel and accessories. With 52 product categories under one roof, Shoppers’ Stop has a line-up of 350 brands. Set up and headed by former Corona employee, B. S. Nagesh, Shoppers’ Stop is India’s answer to Selfridges and Printemps. As it proudly announces, ‘We don’t sell, we help you buy. ’ Back in 1991, there was the question of what to retail. Should it be a supermarket or a departmental store? Even an electronics store was considered. Finally, common senseand understanding won out. The safest bet, for the all-male team was to retail men’s wear. They knew the male psyche and felt that they had discerning taste in men’s clothing. The concept would be that of a lifestyle store in a luxurious space, which would make for a great shopping experience. The first Shoppers’ Stop store took shape in Andheri, Mumbai, in October 1991, with an investment of nearly Rs. 20 lakh. The original concept that formed the basis of a successful marketing campaign for seven years is here to stay. And the result is an annual turnover of Rs. 160 crores and five stores, nine years later. Everything went right from the beginning, except for one strange happening. More than 60 per cent of the customers who walked into Shoppers’ Stop in Mumbai were women. This gave rise to ideas. Soon, the store set up its women’s section. Later, it expanded to include children’s wear and then, household accessories. The second store in Bangalore came in 1995. The store at Hyderabad followed in 1998 with the largest area of 60,000 sq. ft. The New Delhi and Jaipur stores were inaugurated in 1999. All this while, the product range kept increasing to suit customer needs. The most recent experiment was home furnishings. Secure in the knowledge that organised retailing in global brands was still in its infancy in India, Shoppers’ Stop laid the ground rules which the competition followed. The biggest advantage for Shoppers’ Stop is that it knows how the Indian consumer thinks and feels while shopping. Yes, feeling – for in India, shopping remains an outing. And how does it compare itself to foreign stores? While it is not modeled on any one foreign retailer, the ‘basic construct’ is taken from the experience of a number of successfully managed retail companies. It has leveraged expertise for a critical component like technology from all over the world, going as far as hiring expatriates from Littlewoods and using state-of-the-art ERP models. Shoppers’ Stop went a step further by even integrating its financial system with the ERP model. Expertise was imported wherever it felt that expertise available in-house was inadequate. But the store felt there was one acute problem. A shortage of the most important resource of them all was trained humans . Since Indian business institutes did not have professional courses in retail management, people were hired from different walks of life and the training programme was internalized. By 1994, the senior executives at Shoppers’ Stop were taking lectures at management institutes in Mumbai. The Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) even restructured its course to include retail management as a subject. Getting the company access to the latest global retail trends and exchange of information with business greats was an exclusive membership to the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS). It allows membership by invitation to one company from a country and Shoppers’ Stop rubs shoulders with 29 of the hottest names in retailing – Selfridges from the UK, C. K. Tang from Singapore, Lamcy Plaza from Dubai and the like. With logistics I in place, the accent moved to the customer. Shoppers’ Stop conducted surveys with ORG-MARG and Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) and undertook in-house wardrobe audits. The studies confirmed what it already knew. The Indian customer is still evolving and is very different from, say, a European customer, who knows exactly what he wants to purchase, walks up to a shelf, picks up the merchandise, pays and walks out. In India, customers like to touch and feel the merchandise, and scout for options. Also, the majority of Indian shoppers still prefer to pay in cash. So, transactions must be in cash as against plastic money used the world over. Additionally, the Indian customer likes being served – whether it is food, or otherwise. The company’s customer profile includes people who want the same salesperson each time they came to the store to walk them through the shop floors and assist in the purchase. Others came with families, kids and maids in tow and expected to be suitably attended to. Still others wanted someone to carry the bags. So, the shops have self-help counters with an assistant at hand for queries or help. The in-house wardrobe audit also helped with another facet of the business. It enabled Shoppers’ Stop to work out which brands to stock, based on customer preferences. In fact, the USP of Shoppers’ Stop lies in judiciously selected global brands, displayed alongside an in-house range of affordable designer wear. The line-up includes Levi’s, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Walt Disney, Ray Ban and Reebok, besides in-house labels STOP and I. Brand selection is the same across the five locations, though the product mix may be somewhat city-based to accommodate cuts and styles in women’s wear, as well as allowing for seasonal variations (winter in Delhi, for instance, is a case in point). Stocking of brands is based on popular demand – recently, Provogue, MTV Style, and Benetton have been added. In-house labels are available at competitive prices and target the value-formoney customer and make up around 12 per cent of Shoppers’ Stop’s business. Sometimes in-house brands plug the price gap in certain product categories. To cash in on this, the company has big plans for its in-house brands: from re-branding to repositioning, to homing in on product categories where existing brands are not strong. Competition between brands is not an issue, because being a trading house, all brands get equal emphasis. The in-house brand shopper is one who places immense trust in the company and the quality of its goods and returns for repeat buys. And the company reposed its faith in regular customers by including them in a concept called the First Citizen’s Club (FCC). With 60,000 odd members, FCC customers account for 10 per cent of entries and for 34 per cent of the turnover. It was the sheer appeal of the experience that kept pulling these people back. Not one to let such an opportunity pass, the company ran a successful ad campaign (that talks about just this factor) in print for more than eight years. The theme is still the same. In 1999, a TV spot, which liked the shopping experience to the slowing down of one’s internal clock and the beauty of the whole experience, was aired. More recently, ads that spell out the store’s benefits (in a highly oblique manner) are being aired. The campaign is based on entries entered in the Visitors’ Book. None of the ads has a visual or text – or any heavy handedly direct reference to the store or the merchandise. The ads only show shoppers having the time of their lives in calm and serene locales, or elements that make shopping at the store a pleasure – quite the perfect getaway for a cosmopolitan shopper aged between 25 and 45. The brief to the agency, Contract, ensured that brand recall came in terms of the shopping experience, not the product. And it has worked wonders. Value-addition at each store also comes in the form of special care with car parks, power backup, customer paging, alteration service and gift-wrapping. To top it all, cafes and coffee bars make sure that the customer does not step out of the store. In Hyderabad, it has even created a Food Court. Although the food counter was not planned, it came about as there was extra space of 67,000 sq. ft. Carrying the perfect experience to the shop floor is an attempt to stack goods in vast open spaces neatly. Every store has a generic structure, though regional customer variances are accounted for. Each store is on lease, and this is clearly Shoppers’ Stop’s most expensive resource proposition – renting huge spaces in prime properties across metros, so far totaling 210,000 sq. ft of retail space. Getting that space was easy enough for Shoppers’ Stop, since its promoter is the Mumbai-based Raheja Group, which also owns 62 per cent of the share capital. Questions 1. What are the significant factors that have led to the success of Shoppers’ Stop? 2. Draw the typical profile(s) of Shoppers’ Stop customer segments. 3. How are Indian customers visiting Shoppers’ Stop any different from customers of developed western countries? 4. How should Shoppers’ Stop develop its demand forecasts? Case let 2 The rise of personal computers in the mid 1980s spurred interest in computer games. This caused a crash in home Video game market. Interest in Video games was rekindled when a number of different companies developed hardware consoles that provided graphics superior to the capabilities of computer games. By 1990, the Nintendo Entertainment System dominated the product category. Sega surpassed Nintendo when it introduced its Genesis System. By 1993, Sega commanded almost 60 per cent of Video game market and was one of the most recognized brand names among the children. Sega’s success was short lived. In 1995, Saturn (a division of General Motors) launched a new 32-bit system. The product was a miserable failure for a number of reasons. Sega was the primary software developer for Saturn and it did not support efforts by outside game developers to design compatible games. In addition, Sega’s games were often delivered quite late to retailers. Finally, the price of the Saturn system was greater than other comparable game consoles. This situation of Saturn’s misstep benefited Nintendo and Sony greatly. Sony’s Play Station was unveiled in 1994 and was available in 70 million homes worldwide by the end of 1999. Its â€Å"Open design† encouraged the efforts of outside developers, resulting in almost 3,000 different games that were compatible with the PlayStation. It too featured 32-bit graphics that appealed to older audience. As a result, at one time, more than 30 per cent of PlayStation owners were over 30 years old. Nintendo 64 was introduced in 1996 and had eye-popping 64-bit graphics and entered in more than 28 million homes by 1999. Its primary users were between the age of 6 and 13 as a result of Nintendo’s efforts to limit the amount of violent and adult-oriented material featured on games that can be played on its systems. Because the company exercised considerable control over software development, Nintendo 64 had only one-tenth the number of compatible games as Sony’s PlayStation did. By 1999, Sony had captured 56 per cent of the video game market, followed by Nintendo with 42 per cent. Sega’s share had fallen to a low of 1%. Hence, Sega had two options, either to concede defeat or introduce an innovative video machine that would bring in huge sales. And Sega had to do so before either Nintendo or Sony could bring their next-generation console to market. The Sega Dreamcast arrived in stores in September 1999 with an initial price tag of $199. Anxious gamers placed 300,000 advance orders, and initial sales were quite encouraging. A total of 1. 5 million Dreamcast machines were bought within the first four months, and initial reviews were positive. The 128-bit system was capable of generating 3-D visuals, and 40 different games were available within three months of Dream cast’s introduction. By the end of the year, Sega had captured a market share to 15 per cent. But the Dreamcast could not sustain its momentum. Although its game capabilities were impressive, the system did not deliver all the functionality Sega had promised. A 56K modem (which used a home phone line) and a Web browser were meant to allow access to the Internet so that gamers could play each other online, surf the Web, and visit the Dreamcast Network for product information and playing tips. Unfortunately, these features either were not immediately available or were disappointing in their execution. Sega was not the only one in having the strategy of adding functionality beyond games. Sony and Nintendo followed the same approach for their machines introduced in 1999. Both Nintendo’s Neptune and Sony’s PlayStation 2 (PS2) were built on a DVD platform and featured a 128-bit processor. Analysts applauded the move to DVD because it is less expensive to produce and allows more storage than CDs. It also gives buyers the ability to use the machine as CD music player and DVD movie player. As Sony marketing director commented, â€Å"The full entertainment offering from Play Station 2 definitely appeals to a much broader audience. I have friends in their 30s who bought it not only because it’s a gaming system for their kids , but also a DVD for them. † In addition, PlayStation 2 is able to play games developed for its earlier model that was CD-based. This gives the PS2 an enormous advantage in the number of compatible game titles that were immediately available to gamers. Further enhancing the PS2’s appeal is its high-speed modem and allows the user’s easy access to the Internet through digital cable as well as over telephone lines. This gives Sony the ability to distribute movies, music, and games directly to PS2 consoles. â€Å"We are positioning this as an all-round entertainment player,† commented Ken Kutaragi, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment. However, some prospective customers were put off by the console’s initial price of $360. Shortly after the introduction of Neptune, Nintendo changed its strategies and announced the impending release of its newest game console, The GameCube. However, unlike the Neptune, the GameCube would not run on a DVD platform and also would not initially offer any online capabilities. It would be more attractively priced at $199. A marketing vice president for Nintendo explained the company’s change in direction, â€Å"We are the only competitor whose business is video games. We want to create the best gaming system. † Nintendo also made the GameCube friendly for outside developers and started adding games that included sports titles to attract an older audience. Best known for its extra ordinary successes with games aimed at the younger set, such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros, and Pokemon, Nintendo sought to attract older users, especially because the average video game player is 28. Youthful Nintendo users were particularly pleased to hear that they could use their handheld Game Boy Advance systems as controllers for the GameCube. Nintendo scrambled to ensure there would be an adequate supply of Game Cubes on the date in November 2001, when they were scheduled to be available to customers. It also budgeted $450 million to market its new product, as it anticipated stiff competition during the holiday shopping season. With more than 20 million PlayStation 2 sold worldwide, the GameCube as a new entry in the video game market would make the battle for market share even more intense. For almost a decade, the video game industry had only Sega, Nintendo, and Sony; just three players. Because of strong brand loyalty and high product development costs, newcomers faced a daunting task in entering this race and being competitive. In November 2001, Microsoft began selling its new Xbox, just three days before the GameCube made its debut. Some observers felt the Xbox was aimed to rival PlayStation 2, which has similar functions that rival Microsoft’s Web TV system and even some lower level PCs. Like the Sony’s PlayStation 2, Xbox was also built using a DVD platform, but it used anIntel processor in its construction. This open design allowed Microsoft to develop the Xbox in just twoyears, and gave developers the option of using standard PC tool for creating compatible games. In addition, Microsoft also sought the advice of successful game developers and even incorporated some of their feedback into the design of the console and its controllers. As a result of developers’ efforts, Microsoft had about 20 games ready when the Xbox became available. By contrast, the GameCube had only eight games available. Microsoft online strategy was another feature that differentiated of the Xbox from the GameCube. Whereas Nintendo had no immediate plans for Web-based play, the Xbox came equipped with an Ethernet port for broadband access to Internet. Microsoft also announced its own Web-based network on which gamers can come together for online head-to head play and for organised online matches and tournaments. Subscribers to this service were to pay a small monthly fee and must have high-speed access to the Internet. This is a potential drawback considering that a very low percentage of households world over currently have broadband connections. By contrast Sony promoted an open network, which allows software developers to manage their own games, including associated fees charged to users. However, interested players must purchase a network adapter for an additional $39. 99. Although game companies are not keen on the prospect of submitting to the control of a Microsoft-controlled network, it would require a significant investment for them to manage their own service on the Sony based network. Initially the price of Microsoft’s Xbox was $299. Prior to the introduction of Xbox, in a competitive move Sony dropped the price of the PlayStation 2 to $299. Nintendo’s GameCube already enjoyed a significant price advantage, as it was selling for $100 less than either Microsoft or Sony products. Gamers eagerly snapped up the new consoles and made 2001 the best year ever for video game sales. For the first time, consumers spent $9. 4 billion on video game equipment, which was more than they did at the box office. By the end of 2001 holiday season, 6. 6 million PlayStation 2 consoles had been sold in North America alone, followed by 1. 5 million Xbox units and 1. 2 million Game Cubes. What ensued was an all out price war. This started when Sony decided to put even more pressure on the Microsoft’s Xbox by cutting the PlayStation 2 price to $199. Microsoft quickly matched that price. Wanting to maintain its low-price status, Nintendo in turn responded by reducing the price of its the GameCube by $50, to $149. By mid 2002, Microsoft Xbox had sold between 3. 5 and 4 million units worldwide. However, Nintendo had surpassed Xbox sales by selling 4. 5 million Game Cubes. Sony had the benefit of healthy head start, and had shipped 32 million PlayStation 2s. However, seven years after the introduction of original PlayStation, it was being sold in retail outlets for a mere $49. It had a significant lead in terms of numbers of units in homes around the world with a 43 per cent share. Nintendo 64 was second with 30 per cent, followed by Sony PlayStation 2 with 14 per cent The Xbox and GameCube each claimed about 3 per cent of the market, with Sega Dreamcast comprising the last and least market share of 4. 7 per cent. Sega, once an industry leader, announced in 2001 that it had decided to stop producing the Dreamcast and other video game hardware components. The company said it would develop games for its competitors’ consoles. Thus Sega slashed the price of the Dreamcast to just $99 in an effort to liquidate its piled up inventory of more than 2 million units and immediately began developing 11 new games for the Xbox, four for PlayStation 2, and three for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. As the prices of video game consoles have dropped, consoles and games have become the equivalent of razors and blades. This means the consoles generate little if any profit, but the games are a highly profitable proposition. The profit margins on games are highly attractive, affected to some degree by whether the content is developed by the console maker (such as Sony) or by an independent game publisher (such as Electronic Arts). Thus, the competition to develop appealing, or perhaps even addictive, games may be even more intense than the battle among players to produce the best console. In particular, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft want games that are exclusive to their own systems. With that in mind, they not only rely on large in-house staffs that design games but they also pay added fees to independent publishers for exclusive rights to new games. The sales of video games in 2001 rose to 43 per cent, compared to just 4 per cent increase for computer-based games. But computer game players are believed to be a loyal bunch, as they see many advantages in playing games on their computers rather than consoles. For one thing, they have a big advantage of having access to a mouse and a keyboard that allow them to play far more sophisticated games. In addition, they have been utilizing the Internet for years to receive game updates and modifications and to play each other over the Web. Sony and Microsoft are intent on capturing a portion of the online gaming opportunity. Even Nintendo has decided to make available a modem that will allow GameCube users to play online. As prices continue to fall and technology becomes increasingly more sophisticated, it remains to be seen whether these three companies can keep their names on the industry’s list of â€Å"high scorers†. Questions 1. Considering the concept of product life cycle, where would you put video games in their life cycle? 2. Should video game companies continue to alter their products to include other functions, such as e-mail? END OF SECTION B Section C: Applied Theory (30 marks). 1. What is meant by sales promotion? Describe briefly the various methods of sales promotional tools used by business organizations to boost the sales. Explain any four methods of sales promotion? 2. Write notes on the fowling : a) Explain right to safety. b) What is right to consumer protection? END OF SECTION C.

Human Resources in the Leisure and Recreation Industry Essay

Most medium sized to large businesses have a human resource department, which looks after the welfare of staff who are employed in the company. The Leisure and Recreation Industry is the biggest growing area of business in the UK with people spending of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 billion on leisure and recreation products/services. There are * people working in the Leisure and Recreation industry in the UK. Many of whom work on a temporary basis linked to tourism. External and Internal Influences on a department External Economic climate If the country were in recession this would mean that a lot of people would be unemployed and therefore not able to spend money on leisure and recreation industry because they would need to spend on their basic needs i.e. tax, bills, food etc. However in the UK employees often have a high disposable income, which means that after an employee gains income paying all tax, bills, mortgages etc, then most employees will have money to spend on the leisure and recreation industry because of their high disposable income. Minimum wage The national minimum wage will be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.05 per hour in October 2005 but this often changes from time to time, so that it can meet the demands of cost of living. So if the wage was less than the cost of living people will not be able to afford to live and spend money and may need to work extra shifts/hours to gain more money. However the leisure and recreation industry may have higher wage so that it can motivate the employee because money is the biggest method of motivation. Trends in consumer demand In the fast moving pace of life of today, many consumers want leisure and recreation facilities open earlier and later. This means that human resources departments need more flexible working arrangements with staff. So they may need to recruit extra staff to do different shifts. Employment trends Many students apply to do temporary contracts in the summer months, because students have holidays and so will work for extra money. This is also a good advantage for the HR, as they will organise holidays for other employee that will want to go on Holiday especially during the summer months. So the student will apply to fill in for other employee’s to go on Holiday. Skills shortages In some industries such as carpentry and engineering there is a growing shortage of new recruits going into the trade. The leisure and recreation industry bucks the trend as more and more courses at schools; colleges and university focus on the subject/industry. There are more skills needed in the carpentry and engineering (or other) industries than the leisure and recreation industry, which is why there are more new recruits going into the trade. Location issues If the business is located in the city then it will be very good for the business especially the HR, as there will be a high rate of employment and there will be a high number of people with suitable skills. However the premises would be expensive and the cost of labour would also be high as the cost of living will be high in the city. Internal Organisational structure Organisation charts are mainly used in larger businesses to show where different jobs fit into the organisation (shows who’s doing which job). It also shows the different levels of responsibility employees have. So the higher you go up the chart the responsibility of employees increases. Responding to customer trends in terms of products or services Audit of staffing requirements from department heads Before HR can recruit any one they will need to look if vacancies are available by going around the other departments and ask heads of the departments Staff turnover, career moves Sickness rates, absenteeism and levels of motivation Legally an employer can’t employ someone else to do a job on a permanent basis if there is someone else doing the job already. Statistically employees in the UK work till late, which is why the government are trying to, decrease the number of working hours. This is because working parents seem to neglect their children and aren’t spending enough time with them. Flexible work force HR tries to make employees working time very flexible and so this is why they recruit extra staff to do some shifts permanently so that every employee has flexible working time. Sometimes the HR will recruit some to do part time i.e. Saturdays when it is very busy they will recruit part time employees or even temporarily like the summer holidays. Recruitment and Selection To recruit an employee, first a HR manager for example will have to go around to other different departments to find vacancies, so that he/she can recruit new members of staff. Then if vacancy is available HR will have to draw up a: * Job description – this shows the roles of the job of the employee * Person specification – outline of the skills and qualities required of the post holder * Then they will have to advertise it on the local newspaper or Internet. HR can also go to jobcentres, employment agencies or Head hunters to find employees with higher qualities but this method would be expensive and time consuming so it is mainly used to find employees to do jobs needing high skills. After the job has been advertised, HR will have to go through a process called selection (selecting the right employee) and so HR sort through the applications, putting aside any which are definitely not suitable and then producing a shortlist of applicants to call for selection. This saves time and so next HR will have to arrange interviews for the applicants shortlisted and so references can be followed, practical testing, psychometric testing etc, can be done to speed up the process of selection. Selection process can vary depending on the organisation. Contract of Employment Contract of employment states the terms and conditions of the job, showing a legally binding agreement between the employer and employee. So if an employee offers to work for an organisation then in return the employer must pay that person to do the work. Contract of employment mainly states: * Holidays and sick pay entitlement – legally Employee’s are entitled to at least 4 weeks holiday and so it should state how many weeks of holiday the employee is entitled to, also it should state whether employee is entitled to employer sick pay or SSP (Statutory Sick Pay) * Grievance and disciplinary procedures – it should state who the employee can refer if he or she has a grievance and should state who is responsible for disciplinary procedures. * Notice periods – If an employee decides to leave or is dismissed by the employer then it should state the notice time for that i.e. one-month notice time. * Wage/pay – it should state the amount of pay the employee should receive when job is done, also it may state how it is paid i.e. electronically. * Hours of work – it should also state the hours of work i.e. 48 hours a week, and what time he/he will start and finish * Fringe benefits – it should also state * Period of contract – whether it is permanent or temporary An employee is legally entitled to a contract of employment if he/she is working for the business for 1 month or more. Key components of staff training and development Induction Staff Appraisal Training and Development Induction training is given at the start of a new job to show how the activities of the firm are organised. Performance Reviews Self Evaluation Peer Evaluation Target Setting Measuring individual and group output/production Mentoring and coaching Apprenticeships In-house training External training Motivation Keeping staff motivated is good for the business because: * Motivated workers are more productive and higher productivity usually means higher profits. * In a service industry, workers who are well motivated will provide a better level of customer service, keeping the customers happy. * Staffs who are well motivated are more likely to stay with the company. They grow in experience and become even more valuable to their employer. * If a business successfully keeps the staff it has, the cost of recruiting and training new staff is reduced. > Management styles > Job Rotation, Job Enlargement > Team working > Financial incentives An employee can be demotivated if: * The environment is not safe, so the HR will have to make the environment safe. * The managers/employer

The Optimist’s Daughter

The old saying â€Å"The home is where the heart is† takes on a special meaning in Eudora Welty's, The Optimist's Daughter. In this short novel, the death of Judge McKelva prompts Laurel and Fay, who are his daughter and wife, to connect with their own homes. A home is a place where one can restore themselves because it gives one a sense of comfort. Home is where people generally feel accepted, regardless of their moods, feelings, or decisions. It is a safe haven where both Laurel and Fay can be truthful with themselves and one another. In other words, home is the obvious place to go when in a time of crisis and change. For Laurel, the town of Mount Salus is her home. For Fay, home is in the town of Madrid, where her extended family likely meets the same needs for Fay as the house does for Laurel. When reviewing the events of Eudora Welty's life at the time of writing this novel, it will also become clear that, for Welty, home is both Mississippi and her writing. Laurel is a grown woman, living in Chicago, who returns to her hometown of Mount Salus, Mississippi, when her father dies. While it may seem that Chicago is now her permanent home, the reader soon realizes that the house in which she was raised in still very much indeed her home. When Fay decides to stay with her family for a few days after the funeral, Laurel has the opportunity to spend some time alone in the house before Fay takes full possession of it. In her privacy and silence, Laurel begins to grieve more seriously than she did while in public at the funeral. There are objects in the house, such as the clock, books, letters, and her father's desk, that bring back memories that are intimately attached to one or both of her parents. She becomes sad because the clock has stopped, and she knows this for a fact because nobody has wound it since her father last fixed it (Welty 73). Although it may seem like a minor detail, this stopped clock signifies both her father's absence and the reality that her time with her family and in her home has come to an end. Her grief is projected onto household objects because they represent the life she once cherished. Similarly, the books remind her of her parents' habit of reading to each other, a precious memory that she both savors and grieves over. In one passage, Laurel blends her memories of the books with the overall feeling of family, which, she feels, infuses the house. She ran her finger in a loving track across Eric Brighteyes and Jane Eyre, The Last Days of Pompeii and Carry On, Jeeves. Shoulder to shoulder, they had long since made their own family. For every book here she had heard their voices, father's and mother's† (Welty 118). Laurel also feels a connection to the house, and thus to her past, in household activities such as gardening. Her mother was an avid gardener (Welty 53), and her father tended to the flowers after his wife's passing, so it is fitting that, as part of Laurel's process of connecting with her past, she should take up the task one last time. The activity of gardening helps her to feel comfortable and close to her parents, as she participates in the rhythm of the household as she remembers it. On another level, Laurel is tending her own â€Å"inner garden† in the sense that she is connecting with her own identity. Her mother loved flowers so much that she named her daughter after one, and now that the mother is dead, the daughter is caring for the mother's flowers (Welty 27). In the house, Laurel finds herself so deeply in touch with her past that she can actually hear the voices of the people she has loved and lost. She hears her mother's voice when she is in the garden, â€Å"Laurel went on pulling weeds. Her mother's voice came back with each weed she reached for, and its name with it. ‘Ironweed. ‘ ‘Just chickweed. ‘ ‘Here comes that miserable old vine! ‘† (Welty 107). Later, in a moment of remembering the pain she felt when she lost her husband in World War II, Laurel hears his voice grieving for their lost future together. Welty writes, † ‘I wanted it! ‘ Phil cried. His voice rose with the wind in the night and went around the house and around the house. It became a roar. ‘I wanted it! ‘† (155). There is no other place besides her own home that Laurel can experience such personal revelations and be given the opportunity to confront her pain from the past and make peace with it. The bond that she has with her home is so deep that she can overcome many obstacles and emotional problems in time. Only at home is she truly able to bare her heart and hear what she needs to hear to heal herself. However, to ultimately make peace with her past and her present, she must become â€Å"one† with the significance of the house so she can take it with her wherever she goes. Incredibly, Laurel is able to do so. Fay is originally from Madrid, Texas, which is a small, low-income town. Although Welty never takes the reader to Madrid, the remarks and personalities of the Chisom family offer some idea as to what kind of place it is. It seems to lack all the charm and warmth of Laurel's hometown of Mount Salus, yet for Fay it is nonetheless her home. In Mount Salus, Fay clearly feels out of her element and becomes extremely rude and insecure. The reader can only imagine whether or not she acts the same way when she is in the comfort of her own hometown, or if she acts the same way. Nevertheless, in Fay's new community of Mount Salus, she is disrespectful, self-absorbed, and rowdy (Welty 64, 85). Fay does not appreciate the home and the possessions of her late husband than she does his friends and family. In fact, she never makes an effort to understand Laurel's grief or her need to be in the house for a few days. Fay's insistence on returning with her family for a visit after the funeral could possibly reveal that Madrid is the only place in which Fay feels secure. Fay is anxious to go back with them, insisting that she needs to be among people who â€Å"speak her language. † In other words, Fay, much like Laurel, needs to go where she feels understood either by others or by herself. In Mount Salus, Fay feels displaced, and her insecurity takes on many ugly forms, such as her tendency to disrespect Becky's memory and to deny her own family back in Madrid (Welty 152). Laurel imagines, â€Å"Very likely, making a scene was, for Fay, like home. Fay had brought scenes to the hospital-and here, to the house† (Welty 131). Laurel understands that Fay's horrible behavior is an apparent sign of her need to feel at home. Fay tries too hard to appear as though she believes that Judge McKelva's home is truly her own, but she never convinces anyone, including herself. At the time Eudora Welty wrote this story, she was grieving the loss of her mother. In fact, the reader can see that the book is dedicated to C. A. W. (Chestina Andrews Welty), which reveals that this work is closely connected to the author's own personal loss (Marrs 228). The autobiographical elements in the novel are numerous, and are especially prominent in the parallels between Becky's background and that of Welty's mother (Marrs 229). Other elements pay respect to Welty's happy childhood and the loving marriage her parents enjoyed. Through Laurel, Welty honors her mother and also works through some of the pain and the issues surrounding the death of a loving parent. Laurel's personal journey to make peace with her past in order to make sense of her future certainly mirrors the author's own struggles. Welty differs from Laurel in the sense that Laurel lives far from her hometown, while Welty lived in Mississippi, where she was born, until her death (Marrs 232). For Laurel, however, the climax of her journey comes from the house. In the absence of a house that holds all of her childhood memories, Welty wrote this book. Welty works through some of her grief in her writing, which is as meaningful to her as the house is to Laurel. Welty comments on Laurel's love of her past, â€Å"Firelight and warmth-that was what her memory gave her† (Westling 159). Laurel, Fay, and Welty are all working toward such comfort in a difficult time during the course of The Optimist's Daughter. In very difficult times, confronted with emotion and uncertainty, people often long to return to the comfort and security of their childhood homes. Fay and Laurel find the havens they need by going back to their homes. Laurel is ultimately able to take a piece of that firelight and warmth with her back to Chicago, because she has finally succeeded in making her heart and her home one.

Present a case study based on a current news story which illustrates Essay

Present a case study based on a current news story which illustrates the microeconomic concepts - Essay Example ment by the company in taking its responsibilities thereby recommending the cut of any business transaction between the company and all government agencies. However, the ban did not affect the existing contracts thereby applied only to any other new contract that the company would gain interest in. The company admitted knowledge of the ban and said that they were doing everything within their reach to redefine the relationship between them and the government thus lifts the ban. The 2010 deep water disaster arose after an undersea oil pipe burst thereby killing more than eleven Americans and resulting in the worst environmental disasters in the world. The British Petroleum thereafter pleaded guilty of all the accusations leveled against it by the American government after which it embarked on a massive environmental cleaning process and the compensation of all the victims of the accident. Apart from the human loss, the oil spillage resulted in the death of millions of aquatic life and the destruction of business for thousands of America investors as several beaches within the gulf filled with the oil sediments. On 15th November 2012, BP had reached a consensus with the justice department to pay four and a half billion dollars thereby ending all criminal charges leveled against it by the government. The company therefore reiterated their commitment to work closely with the American institutions to ensure that such an accident does not recur and that it settles all its obligation in relation to the accident. However, according to Charles Teifer, a government contracting specialist and a professor of law at Baltimore University, the ban served as a warning to the company and to other stakeholders in the oil drilling business. Teifer explained that such a ban communicated American commitment to protecting its territories especially after suffering the greatest loss because of the carelessness on the part of the company. On the other hand, the environmental authority

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan For Prada Essay

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan For Prada - Essay Example Prada’s daughter took over the leadership of the company in 1978 and with the help of Patrizio Bertelli, they transformed the image of Prada. Prada began to design classic handbags and by the 1980’s, the Prada’s designed outstanding fabrics that revolutionised the runway. This enhanced the company’s image in the market and in the 1990s, Prada became a force in the fashion industry (Prada Group, 2012). Prada invested in innovations for her designs throughout the 1990s and experimented with different fabrics to reach more customers. Prada has been expanding the range of products and expanding to different countries across world. Prada runs many boutiques across the globe and has expanded its products to include perfumes and the LG Prada mobile phone. Prada’s shoes and handbags have gained much popularity across the globe. Prada holds regular runway shows as well. One of Prada’s expansion strategies has been taking over other companies such as H elmut Lang, Fendi, Church Shoes and Jil Sander (Prada Group, 2012). Target market An organisation’s target market determines the most appropriates medium of communicating its marketing messages. Segmenting this target market enables an organisation to identify the most profitable category of potential and existing consumers (Smith & Taylor, 2004, p. 37). Each segment of the target market has its own unique consumption patterns and needs. An effective marketing plan integrates these needs and consumptions. Segmenting the target market helps an organisation to allocate its resources efficiently and derive maximum benefits from each segment (Smith & Zook, 2011, p. 229). Prada designs high fashion clothes, handbags and accessories. The company’s designs are displayed in major fashion shows and runways across the globe. Thus, the target market for Prada’s designs includes professionals, business men and women, and celebrities. This target market can afford to buy Pra da’s products. Demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation involves categorising the target market based on the demographic characteristics of consumers such as their social status, age, family size, occupation, level of income, education, nationality, religion and gender among others (Botha, Strydom, & Brink, 2005, p.66). Prada can segment its target market on gender and develop different marketing messages for men and women. Most of its designs are for women and thus, most of Prada’s marketing resources should be geared towards women. Prada’s customers can also be categorised based on their social status. Marketing messages should target individuals with high social status because they can afford Prada’s fashion designs. The company’s marketing communication plan targets customers from all nationalities. This is because the company has stores in different cities and countries and part of the communication will be online. Prada will target i ndividuals between 20-50 years. Psychographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation involves dividing customers based on the lifestyles habits, interests, activities, opinions towards an organisation and its products and daily activities among others (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel, 2008, p. 242). Prada will focus its marketing messages to impulse buyers, celebrities, and successful individuals. These categories of consumers are likely to purchase Prada’s designs for their elegance and social status associated with the designs. Behavioural Segmentation Behavioural segmentation invo

Effective Media Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effective Media Relations - Essay Example Despite of the damages and the great loss which our organization has suffered I would like the people, shareholders, and employees to keep calm and stand firm against the natural disaster. The raw material site of the organization is completely damaged which has created a major issue for the current operations to continue. Moreover, the infrastructure of the building is also damaged. At this crucial time I would like to inform the people that the building is under reconstruction and the work is going on in a steady manner. The important operations of the organization have been re-located at another safe location (as per the strategic plan of the organization) so that the workforce may not face any hurdles while continuing them. We have also assigned an external organization (third party source) for the supply of raw materials in the meantime. The raw material site and the godowns are also under quick reconstruction and are expected to be reconstructed in two weeks. The raw materials obtained from DEF organization have been double checked for quality and credibility so that our users may not face any problem or complaint. It is necessary to highlight that the organization has undergone a loss of 1.5bn $. This has demonstrated a rapid decline in the share values of the organization. I would like to ensure to all our shareholders that the share values are expected to increase in the coming week as the organization will be able to continue all its operations completely by the end of this week. Workforce plays a key role in the success and progress of any organization. Our workforce has always been a key player in our success and has always been there at... Mr. X will not only coordinate with them but will also provide them with relevant information, presentations, statistics and other information which is required by them in this regard. I would also like Mr. X to fix a meeting between our Board of Directors. Moreover, the second task assigned to Mr. X needs more attention as he will be managing and operating the response team. It is essential to appreciate the members for their hard work and to give them a push them if they are not working as per the expectation. The organization cannot afford any negligence or non-seriousness regarding the counter operations, therefore it need help from all members of the response team. Thus it is the duty of the head i.e. Mr. X to manage and monitor all the members of the team to effectively coordinate with other communication channels which include social networking sites and public forums. The team should also publish a series of press releases telling the situation of the business and the damage. It is the foremost duty of Mr. X and all other team members including me to ensure that the organization develops strong communication bridge within and outside the organization as it will be a great contribution towards successful events of the organization. The organization is undergoing a critical period and needs the support of the workforce and the response team particularly. It will be only possible with the support of our team members that the organization will be able to stand firm against the odds in this complex disaster scenario.

Creating and capturing value through corporate p ortfolio management Coursework

Creating and capturing value through corporate p ortfolio management - Coursework Example In this case, the ability to have effective strategies and approaches in managing their running costs and increasing their particular value chains goes a long way in increasing business’ competitive advantages. Despite the uncertain existing business environment, organisations in the modern times have remained to face mounting pressure in the process of creating effective and reliable innovation in order to grow, expand and remain successful (Bonham 2005, 27). In this case, technology has seemed to be the most reliable aid, helping organisations to develop various aspects of value addition and qualitative elements in the products and services they develop. Additionally, business organisations in modern times are supposed to ensure that they effectively maintain their costs and other operational efficiencies, something that pause a serious challenge especially as far as economic challenges that keep changing affects business practices. It is important to ensure that as the business prepare to grow and take on the increasing opportunities in different countries with globalisation; many are faced with inadequate abilities as far as portfolio management resources and practices is concerned (Brentani 2004, 51). Businesses are currently involved in various practices that can increase their abilities to undertake effective portfolio management, with the aim of creating effective competitive advantages and increasing their market share. This paper examines the process of effective portfolio management as undertaken by General Electric, an American company, a multinational conglomerate that deals in various aspects of energy, capital finance, technological infrastructure as well as different kinds of industrial and consumer products and services. General Electric, often abbreviated as GE is a multinational conglomerate that has an America origin, with its headquarters in New York City at the Fairfield, Connecticut (Wald 2011,

Success in Social Commerce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Success in Social Commerce - Research Paper Example By the end, we draw the growth pattern of social commerce chronologically on the basis of business articles and educational publications starting from 2005 to 2011. A structure that unites people, administration, expertise, and the information scope is used to present an organized study of the progress of social commerce. Our assessment portrays that from 2005, the year the terminology social commerce had begun to be used, suppositions and perception of individual in social commerce moved from a universal depiction of human nature to an intensive research with diverse perspectives from social psychology to social culture, and economic environments. According to the administrative aspect, business plans and model develop from the short-tail to long-tail thinking with innovative notions such as branded social communities, forte social networks/communities, niche brands along with joint purchasing, and multichannel social systems (Wang & Zhang, 2012). According to our assessment, the ni che social networks/communities give power to smaller businesses in the cut throat commerce world. Success in Social Commerce Introduction Alongside the attractiveness and profitable achievement of social networking sites and different kinds of social channels, the term social commerce was envisaged in the year 2005, portraying a rising phenomenon (Beisel, 2006). For argument sake, we precisely define social commerce as a type of business that is arbitrated by social media. Social commerce uses social channels that assist social communication and involvement of the users to support activities in the business of different products and services conducted both online and offline (Afrasiabi & Benyoucef, 2010). It signifies prospective business opportunities that merge shopping and social networking via social media. The social media users enjoy many online activities that are similar to the offline activity mode, the online difference being the mode of attaining the activities, such as online shopping, online interaction with friends and so on. The challenge for the social media is to give a satisfactory experience to online users so that they switch to the online mode of shopping and socializing. Referral economy is a new category of e-commerce that is basically gaining from the positive aspects of information technology (Harkin, 2007). Discussion Social commerce where vendors advertise through social networks or intensely incorporate social media into the purchase procedure is already consumed by several major brands globally. Many brands advertise their products and services on the social media platforms and with this advertisement they are able to reach a wide audience. It is little in terms of profits but has a vivid – although uncertain – future (Brito, 2011). In technological terms, IT competencies and potential for social commerce develops from blogs, to social networking sites, to sites that share media and to smart phones. Despite the fact that Facebook becomes a moneymaking platform, developing the idea of f-commerce, Google and Twitter became tough competitors with immense possibilities as well (Gordon, 2007). The competition level in the social media platforms is immense and each social media platform has to provide some unique feature which is not present in other platforms.

Local and Global policy contexts for senior schooling Essay

Local and Global policy contexts for senior schooling - Essay Example Not only does this form of education bring in an immense form of economic growth to the country but is also assists in a great improvement in the quality of life available (Pollard 2003). Thus, while the individual benefits from this type of education by securing better paying and working conditions, the country also benefits in the form of economic growth and a higher standard of living. However, there are certain factors which continue to affect the rates of post compulsory education. If not controlled they can harness and affect the rates at which this type of education is excelling and spreading today. A change in taste, cyclical factors and interventions by government policy makers might all be responsible for harnessing the growth of post compulsory education today. Most education systems require their students to stay in school till the age of fifteen. Thus, the education system does not require the child to attend school till any specific class, instead deciding on a legal age to leave school. The progression made in post compulsory education is checked through statistics and studies which examine the change in rates. In Australia, the participation rates showed that half of all students above the required school age continued with their education. The number of females who preferred to stay within this system was also higher than those of male retention rates. The grades obtained by these students were also great with the students achieving a higher grade in classes 11 and 12 then they had before. However, the study showed the females preferring to gain a higher education and achieving higher grades with far more persistence than their male counterparts (Lewis & Koshy). The participation in this type of education system is observed through two factors: the demand for post compulsory education and the supply for post compulsory education. But because no school system forbids or prevents an individual from achieving a secondary education, the demand for it proves to be far more effective in understand the reasons behind the participation in this education method. There are several factors affecting the rates of education in the post compulsory sector. The student has to be able to divide the costs and benefits they will achieve from obtaining this education. This includes the full-time or part-time opportunities that are available to them before they leave school. Thus, by participating in a continued education system, the individual forgoes the chance of being part of the labour market and earning wages. The diminishing job opportunities available to these students led them to drop the idea of working after the legal education age and pursue a higher education (ABS Labor Force). Yet, the job must also be able to provide adequate wages for the student to prefer it over an education system. This is because wages are the main reason behind the youth choosing to participate in the labor force (Long, Carpenter & Hayden). If the wages factor was removed from the labour force then most individuals would seek to continue with their studies. Where the student is incapable of finding a job they are able to find a trainee or apprenticeship program which teaches them the ethics

Supply Chain in business organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supply Chain in business organization - Essay Example This paper will look at the supply chain of Dell Incorporated. The rationale for choosing Dell is the recognition it gained for its efficient supply chain. The company's business model is based in five key strategies namely, rapid time to volume, products built to order, elimination of reseller markups, superior service and support, and low inventory and capital investment (Kapuscinski, et al 2004). Michael Dell, who is also regarded as the computer industry's longest tenured chief executive officer, founded Dell Computer Corporation in 1984. Later in 2003, the company changed its name to Dell, Incorporated. The company is one of the most famous manufacturers of computer worldwide, which caters to the needs of individual and corporate clients with a very unique business concept (About Dell 2004). Dell Incorporated is headquartered in Rock Round, Texas. Dell, Inc. and its subsidiaries are actively involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and support of a range of computer systems and services worldwide. The main business activity of Dell is in the provision of products and services to customers, which enables them to establish their information technology and Internet infrastructures. Dell offers a wide array of products and services to its clients. ... 2005). Currently, Dell is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world. During 2004, the company generated a total net income of $41, 444 million. The company also generates employment for a total of 46, 000 employees (Dell Inc. 2005).. Dell's Supply Chain Traditionally, personal computers were manufactured in large volumes, forwarded to distributors and were sold individually to customers. This supply chain became problematic as it requires a huge level of inventory and small set of configuration for customers. Dell introduced a new supply chain which rests on minimizing the costs of inventory and customization according to a client's specification. Dell employs a just-in-time inventory strategy which allows the movement of inputs only when a customer places an order. Table shows the flow of material in Dell's supply chain. The company's supply chain begins when a customer places an order through telephone or online via the company's website. Dell processes the order by undertaking a financial evaluation (credit checking) and configuration evaluations (checking the feasibility of a specific technical configuration). After passing these two evaluations, the order is forwarded to the company's manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas for assembly. Dell's plant notifies the company's suppliers and request the components needed for the customer's specification. It should be noted that Dell takes care only of the CPUs assembly while monitors are directly outsourced from other suppliers (Kapuscinski, et al 2004). Figure 1. Dell's Supply Chain Delivery of components to Dell's manufacturing plant in Texas is relatively faster than its counterparts in the industry. It is

Origin of OSI Model Essay Example for Free

Origin of OSI Model Essay Much of the work on the design of OSI was done by a group at Honeywell Information Systems, headed by Mike Canepa, with Charlie Bachman as the principal technical member. This group was organized within Honeywell, with advanced product planning and with the design and development of prototype systems. In the early and mid 1970s, the interest of Canepas group was mainly on database design and then distributed database design. By the mid-1970s, it become clear that to support database machines, distributed access, and the like, a structured distributed communications architecture would be needed. The group studied some of the existing solutions, including IBMs system network architecture (SNA), the work on protocols being done for ARPANET, and some of the concepts of presentation services being developed for standardized database systems. The result of this effort was the development by 1977 of a seven-layer architecture known as the distributed systems architecture (DSA). Bachman and Canepa participated in ANSI meetings and presented their seven-layer model. This model was chosen as the only proposal to be submitted to the ISO subcommittee. When the ISO group met in Washington DC in March of 78, the Honeywell team presented their solution. An agreement was reached at that meeting that this layered architecture would satisfy most requirements of OSI, and had the ability to be expanded later to meet new requirements. A provisional version of the model was published in March of 78. The next version, with some minor adjustments, was published in June of 1979 and eventually standardized. The resulting OSI model is essentially the same as the DSA model developed in 1977.

Instant Coffee Essay Example for Free

Instant Coffee Essay Everyone will not believe that coffee is the second people income in the world. There are 30 millions people who gain their income from growing coffee. As the article which had been read by Bob told that coffee has been grown by a lot of farmers in different countries. The type of coffee are Robusta, Arabica, and labarica . Usually, Robusta coffee use to make instant coffee. The first country which grows robusta coffee is Uganda and Indonesia is the second producer of this coffee. Generally, Indonesia is the fourth country which grows coffee in the world. The height of robusta coffee is below 6 meters .The next type coffee is Arabica. That is the coffee which Bob was drunk. It usually uses to make premium coffee. The height is between 600-2000 meters and the largest producer is Brazil, followed by Columbia and Kenya. The last is Labarica coffee. This coffee grows in few areas which has below 2000 high meters. It uses to make blended coffee. Based on the article there are also 3 style of coffee that is instant coffee, espresso coffee and brewed coffee. Brewed coffee is usually drunk by the European country. But, it was strange that U.K mostly choose instant coffee. Britannia supposes to choose espresso coffee while American chooses instant coffee. In Asian, Japan drink more brewed coffee. There is also institution which maintains market price of coffee, is called ICO who was made up by United Nations in 1963. They act as mediator between producing countries and consuming countries.

Facebook: A Useful Communication Tool

Facebook: A Useful Communication Tool This report provides an analysis about Facebook, which has become an important source of communication now days. The report starts with an introduction of Facebook, history of Facebook and its importance now days. The report then moves on the use of the social network as a communication tool, entertainment, business and information. The report also tells about the usage of Facebook among different people of different regions and different ages. The report then covers the main advantages and disadvantages of Facebook and then finally discusses how to make the usage of Facebook limited and safe. 1.0 Introduction A social network is defined as an internet based service that allows its users to create a public or private profile in which they could list their personal details, hobbies, relationships and share it with people they want to share their personal details with. Most popular social networks now days are Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, My Space and Google Plus. This research is carried out to provide information about Facebook, the importance of Facebook now days and to mention advantages and disadvantages of Facebook. Facebook was found on 4th February 2004 by a teenage boy Mark Zuckerberg in Stanford. The companys first name was thefacebook.com, after a month company shifted its platform of functions to Florida and Palo Alta. The company bought its name Facebook from the website Facebook.com in 2005 for $200,000. After 8 years Facebook has become one of the most famous website on the internet, even from a school boy to a busy business man everybody seems to be addicted to Facebook. Thi s research tells us about the use of Facebook by different people of different ages and regions. People of different ages use Facebook for different purposes children and teenagers mostly use this network for communication and entertainment, Business men use this for multiple purposes such as communication, information, and marketing and also as an entertainment. According to research carried out Facebook is used in every country of the world. The report then finally discusses what problems have risen as a result of excess use of Facebook and its effect on International media and daily life of people. 2.0 Importance of Facebook now days: According to this research Facebook is a lawful activity in every country of the world, and from a small child to a busy professional business man Facebook is an addiction to all of them. Facebook has become a part of daily routine of people and for some people part of their hourly routine, people of all ages use Facebook for following different purposes. 2.1 Communication: The main purpose of this social network is communication; the main logo of Facebook is connect and share with the people in your life. Facebook allows its users to chat, talk and share their daily life activities with their friends and family. 2.2 Entertainment Due to the advance features of this network entertainment has become as equal purpose as communication; as a member logs into his Facebook account his attention is readily diverted towards different entertainment stuff like time line applications, online game applications, picture jokes, funny videos and other interesting content. 2.3 Source of Earning Facebook is also used as a source of earning by people i.e. Facebook is one of the most visited websites on internet so it is an excellent website for advertisement and offers about brands and products, therefore Facebook is also used for marketing of business and hence it assists people in earning money. 2.4 Data Storage and Information Some people also use Facebook as data storage i.e. to store their memorable photos and videos on internet as in case their compute data gets corrupt or lost. Facebook is also sometimes used to obtain information about famous people, locations, cultures and events. Facebook also keeps people up to date about the world. 3.0 Usage of Facebook by people of different ages and different regions According to the research carried out Facebook population is made up of Millions of people around the globe. As compared to males, females lead the population on Facebook; young adults aged 18 to 25, possess the most population of the Facebook due to their interests in chatting, entertainment, cyber dating and other youth stuff. After this age sector Facebook is heavily populated from people aged 26 to 34, due to the same interests as of young adults. The rest of the population is covered by people of different ages including children and people over 45. Coming to the regional statics of Facebook usage, Facebook is a lawful activity in every country of the world. America has the most Facebook users of the world, Brazil has the second most users of Facebook in the World and third country with most Facebook users is India. Ireland possesses 59th position in relevance to the Facebook population. All these statistics show that Facebook is huge and on the present day it is the most popula r social network and one of the most visited website on internet. 4.0 Advantages and disadvantages of Facebook: Today the world has become a place of instant communication with the help of social networks like Facebook, twitter, Google plus etc. and by other means of communication like emails and telephones. Facebook is the most popular social network on internet and its use is rapidly increasing, according to research carried out Facebook is the most popular communication tool used, followed by SMS and email. Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, with over 350 million users, so it should come as no surprise to discover that people are using it as a primary tool for communication, said Hazel Butters, CEO of Prompt Communications. As far as communication and sharing Facebook is considered as an excellent tool, but problems arise when Facebook becomes an addiction. Facebook has become a part of daily routine of people and for some people part of their hourly routine and hence they are moving away from their daily healthy activities by spending hours on Facebook. Teens especially are being accused of constantly logged in their account, some specialists narrate that this develops social skills in them which are essential in practical life. But other people believe that this disturbs their studies and their healthy outdoor activities. Privacy is another issue with Facebook, although the social network offers the users full control of their private information still there is insecurity with many different features of Facebook, also hacking is another threat for users, if some account gets hacked all the personal details and stuff of the user will be leaked. Another drawback of Facebook is fraud and fake accounts, a ccording to the stats 83 million accounts on Facebook are fake or duplicate, this creates a lot of confusion among the users e.g. people may not be talking or sharing their details with the person they think they actually are, sometimes people are fooled into funding or sharing money for the name of some well-known company or fund raisers by fake accounts. Facebook an incredible place for young boys and girls in relevance of dating sometimes becomes a goldmine for identity theft and dating Sometimes people are in love with person they dont even know that exists or not. Cyber bullying is another major problem with Facebook, people often criticize others on Facebook and sometimes a group targets an individual and insult the person in front of their friends or even family. This causes mental stress to people, makes them victim of complex and diverts their attention from their carrier or studies. With all these problems it is hard decided that Facebook is a beneficial or not, but inste ad of criticizing a solution should be found. Facebook was found for communication and entertainment purpose so it should be kept that way, Facebook should not be taken as an addiction and there should be a small time period for it. Facebook should not be preferred over studies, outdoor activities or work. Moral Values should be followed on Facebook one must not abuse somebodys privacy, should not cheat anybody on Facebook or criticize any other person on Facebook. This way we can make Facebook beneficial. 5.0 Conclusion: The research carried out tells us that Facebook has become an important part of our lives by means of communication, entertainment and business all around the globe, but it is misused by people and therefore it is losing its reputation. But instead of walking out from Facebook it should be used properly to avoid the loss of a very useful communication and entertainment tool. Contents Geekosystem.com, 2012, to prove a point dating site steals 250,000 profiles on Facebook, 2012, http://www.geekosystem.com/dating-site-stole-facebook-profiles/, accessed on 25/11/2012. Katin Rogers, 2012, Facebook users raise privacy concerns as company tweaks security settings, 15/10/2012, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/oct/15/facebook-users-privacy-concerns-security, accessed on 25/11/2012. Social Bakers, 2012, Facebook Statistics, 2012, http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics, accessed on 25/11/2012. History of Facebook, 2012, History of Facebook, 2012, http://www.historyoffacebook.com/, accessed on 25/11/2012. Mike Sachoff, 2009, Survey found Facebook most useful communication tool, 11/12/2009, http://www.webpronews.com/survey-finds-facebook-most-popular-communication-tool-2009-12, accessed on 25/11/2012.

Challenges Affecting International Students in Australia Essays

Challenges affecting international students in Australia 1.0 Challenges facing international students in Australia 1.1 Introduction The need for higher education has prompted many students to seek further studies in international colleges outside their countries and Australia has become an academic hub for international students who mostly come from developing nations in Asia and Africa. The students, once they secure a place in this schools, they are subjected to a new environment which comes with different challenges. International students in Australia have become an integral part of the society both social and economical. However the students face a myriad of challenges before fully adopting to the new learning culture. In this report, the focus is centered in the analysis of challenges facing the international students in Australia and strategies the institutions and students have resolved to use to address the problems. The case reviews the social as well as economic factors which affect these students in the processes of their academic pursuits. 1.2 Social Issues 1.2.1 Language Barrier: There are several social issues that affect the international students in Australia. The major social issue is basically language barrier. According to Sawir (2005), prior research indicates that many international students from Asia, studying in Australia, face serious learning difficulties and lack confidence in speaking and taking a proactive role in classrooms and surrounding environment. Language barrier creates communication barriers between the lecturers and some students especially from Asian countries and can lead to dismal academic performance while at the same time separating themselves from mainstream society. The... ...on to the students about the university and its environment, before enrolment. Offering part-time job placement and coordinating with surrounding firms to assist the students can be of great help to the society. 3.0 References Marginson, S, Deumert, A, Nyland, C, Gaby Ramia & Sawir, E, The Social and Economic Security of international students in Australia: Study of 202 student cases, Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movement, Monash University Morris, J, E, 2009, Approaches and strategies to foster a culture of academic honesty: how can we help students develop an understanding of good academic practice? Oxford, United Kingdom Higher Education Academy Sawir, E, 2005, Language difficulties of international students in Australia: The effects of prior learning experience, Australia, Education Faculty, Monash University

My First Memories - Original Writing :: Papers

My First Memories - Original Writing "Come on! Hurry up you're going to be on any minute!" She yelled as she belted down the corridor holding my hand and somebody else's. I remember being dragged along like a child's limp rag-doll, bounding side to side. I was ushered into the darkened, suffocating hall filled with row upon row of chairs, where all the people would come in and scrutinize every move I was about to make. And as I continued walking, it all struck me. I don't want to be in here! I didn't want to be in this dumb play. I never even wanted to be in the play in the first place! I wasn't given any choice as to whether I wanted to be in it. From the beginning it was just as if, "you're in the play whether you like it or not!" but was never asked. I was forced to go along with it. The costume I wore trailed along behind me. It was way too large for me but I still had to wear it. I had to now and again gather up the muddy coloured, threadbare costume so that I would not trip over it. I reluctantly approached the parting in the mass of chairs, which led up on to the stage. The slight murmur of people talking slowly turned into silence as everyone turned to look at me. I took a peak at them and momentarily froze but then was nudged along by my teacher, by now whom I hated. I nearly got to the stage without any glitches. I was just about there! I started to walk more briskly towards the stage. But then, just as my stage fright had disappeared, I forgot to gather up my costume! It gathered around my feet like a rope trying to trap me. I tumbled to the floor like a sack of potatoes, and worse still a sack of potatoes that was being watched by loads of people. I had to get up! I carried on walking. It felt as if everyone was in

plotlear Parallel Plots of Shakespeares King Lear Essay examples --

The Parallel Plots of Shakespeare's King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many works of literature contain parallel plots in which similar actions taken by various characters precipitate identical results.   Upon careful examination, it is evident that â€Å"such plots exist in Shakespeare's play King Lear with the deaths of King Lear, Cordelia, Edmund, and Goneril, among others† (Curry 17).   The betrayal of a commitment to an authority figure is the cause behind each of the above characters' death.   Likewise, the consistent loyalty of Kent, the Fool, and Edgar is rewarded when they outlive their traitorous peers. King Lear, who as a divine-right king derives his power from God, betrays God's will when he transfers his kingdom to his daughters, Reagan and Goneril.   When Lear states that his purpose in doing so is "To shake all cares and business from our age, / Conferring them on younger strengths while we / Unburdened crawl toward death." (Shakespeare 2) he declares his intention to delegate his power so that he is no longer bothered with great responsibilities.   In this self-serving act, Lear is unfaithful to God, whose wish it was for Lear to rule for a lifetime.   Later, God's wrath is apparent in Act III Scene II when Lear speaks to a tempest, a manifestation of God's anger at the strife within the kingdom, and tells it to "Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout rain! / Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters" (Shakespeare 60).  Ã‚   Evidently, upon seeing the tempest, Lear is aware that he made a mistake and betrayed God's trust.   In speaking to the tempest, he asks for God to correct the situation by causing Reagan and Goneril to fall from power.   As a result of his unfaithfulness to God, Lear dies of a broken heart in the end of ... ...the conclusion of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As is by now apparent, there are a multitude of parallel plots within Shakespeare's play King Lear.   In each plot, a character's breach of loyalty condemned the character to certain death in the final scene of the play.   Several of the characters who exhibited treachery and later died were King Lear, Cordelia, Edmund, and Goneril.   Accordingly, Kent, the Fool, Edgar, and Albany all survived the play because they did not cast aside their loyalties. Works Cited and Consulted Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. Macmillan & Co., 1965 Curry, Walter. Studies of the Structure of Shakespeare. London: Mass Peter  Smith, 1968.  Ã‚   Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear.   Ed. Russell Fraser.   New York: Penguin, 1998. Webster, Margaret. Shakespeare Without Tears. Greenwich: Fawcett Publications, Inc., 1996.

Article Summary: Why Did the Bank of Canada Emerge in 1935?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 HIST 113: Article Summary: Why did the Bank of Canada Emerge in 1935? The article, Why did the Bank of Canada Emerge in 1935, written by Micheal Bordo and Angela Redish, discusses the creation of the Bank of Canada in 1935. In a time where other westernized countries had already existing central banking systems, this article questions why the Bank of Canada emerged in 1935, and the authors question why it even emerged at all. The article looks at three major reasons for the creation of the Bank of Canada.It emerged because it was just another process in the evolution of the banking system; it was a substitute for the Gold Standard, and that political pressures/influences that surrounded it. The authors attempt to disprove the first two reasons, contrary to what many economists have claimed as reasons for the creation of a central bank in Canada, and offer evidence to support the claim that the Bank of Canada emerged due to political pressures. ?First, econo mists have assumed that the Bank of Canada came about in 1935 due the evolutionary process of the banking system.In many countries, a central bank is considered a â€Å"lender of last resort† to provide aid to citizens in times of liquidity crises and financial difficulty, enhancing a sense of control and balances of risks. The authors ague that this is not an acceptable argument, since the Bank of Canada rather came about as a favor to government. During the 1900’s, Canada had various banking institutions, with the Bank of Montreal being one in particular. It was able to fulfill some of the duties that a central bank would normally do.In addition, the concept of nationwide banking minimized the impact that liquidity and uncertainty had on consumer confidence and risks of crises. As a result, the emergence of the Bank of Canada was not influenced by its natural process of evolution, since institutions and services existed that fulfilled some of the responsibilities tha t a central bank would have. ? The second reason attributed to the emergence of the Bank of Canada was that it served as an important service to maintain convertibility to the gold standard.With the removal of the gold standard in Canada, the Bank of Canada would serve as an anchor to the money supply, the price level, and the exchange rate in its absence. With this in mind, a central bank with the ability to control money supply would yield differences in the way prices behaved without a central bank; therefore, data would reveal fluctuations in regression residuals for the time period near 1935, when the Bank of Canada emerged. However, empirical time-series data, looking back from 1920 to 1940, shows that macroeconomic variables were affected very little.In fact, any time eras where there are fluctuations in the data can be attributed to other events and circumstances. The third reason attributing for the emergence of the Bank of Canada was due to political forces that acted upon it. Due to the effect of the Great Depression, trust in the traditional market was decreased on domestic level. Citizens had less faith in traditional market system mechanisms and this left a requirement for the government to provide institutions and services.Pressures from the influence of the global community pushed for the emergence of a central bank because international monetary cooperation was said to be dependent on the existence of Central Banks. In addition, due to Canada’s recent independence from Britain in 1931, the emergence of the bank was a part of a general program to create more sovereign institutions to help Canada create its own identity. A banking system, where decisions regarding money supply were made independently by Canada, was something that emphasized sovereignty.

Social Inequality in the Modern Era

Social Inequality in the Early Modern Era Throughout history, there has been an extreme discrimination against different groups of people. Women have been disrespected just because of what their religion’s holy book says. The Pope had the authority over state, not the monarch. The color of your skin has even determined your rank in society. Even though this was more in the early modern era, it still happens today. People have had to work their way to gain rights. Examples of social inequality in the modern era are the separation of church and state, rights of women, and the social construction of race.According to the Bible, the woman was created mainly as a mate for man, not the other way around. Women are incapable of making decisions, thus they are inferior to men. This is the same for Islam because in the Koran it says, â€Å"The men are made responsible for the women, since God endowed them with certain equalities, and made them the bread earners†. Also in Islam, t he role of the women is to manage the household, take care of the expenses, teach their children, and help with the agriculture. And women are expected 100% to do so of these things.Since the purpose of religion is to bring order and people something to believe in, this is what is expected in society. In the Great Chain of Being, the family is divided into ranks. The father is at the tops of the family, the mother being the second. Even in the Enlightenment this idea is passed through Jean-Jacques Rousseau that a women’s education is secondary to men. In the early modern era, the church was clearly over the monarch. Before the Protestant reformation, everybody got their ideas from the Pope.Since most people could not read, the Pope was basically running the country, with the monarch having little power. Martin Luther argued that â€Å"each man can be his own Priest† and that everybody is in fact equal with each other. The Pope should no longer have authority over anybo dy because what he is doing is wrong. The Catholic Church still tried to support their argument by saying the Church’s interpretation of the Bible is final, but some still converted to Lutheranism. Some monarchs tried to withhold the power of the church.Queen Elizabeth abolished the Catholic Church, and created the Anglican Church giving her more power and abolishing the Pope. In the social construction of race, whites are above everybody. The only reason why they are the superior race is because they have created the social construction of race. This dates back to when the Europeans first discovered the new world inhabited by Native Americans. They thought the Native Americans as natural-born slaves. Juan Gines de Sepulveda argued that Native Americans are â€Å"slaves by nature, uncivilized, barbarian, and inhuman†.Aristotle even thought that indigenous people were not human. When the Native American population died down, Europeans started to discriminate blacks. In the paternal order, whites were at the top, the house servants were in the middle, and the field slaves were on the bottom. This was based on skin color because most likely the house servants were biracial. It was seen that this order was â€Å"ordained by god† and this was for the slaves own safety because they are like children. The slave master was like the father, to provide for the slaves while the slaves work for him.Whites often thought the slaves as stupid, just because they were not brought up the same way as them. In conclusion, the origins of social inequality came from the beginning of time: when the Europeans first landed in the New World trying to discover new land. Instead they found Native Americans and completely judged them by their looks. During the time when the Catholic Church was over the state and the monarch had no power. Even with the rights of women, social inequality was there. These were factors for the inequality of the modern era.

Coca Cola Case Study Essay

Coca Cola is the most popular drink I have decided to change both the packaging of the drink and the flavouring. This will be quite a challenging task to do, as I will have to do a lot of research on the existing product first. Research work will involve for example looking in the Internet and e-mailing to existing companies for information packs etc. I will offer all the opportunity to customers (people) and listen to there comments on my design of product comparing it to the original product, of course this will be first done by questionnaires and surveys etc. so different peoples views will be analysed at the end and the results will show me if my product will be successful in the market. My objective is basically to research into the different kinds of flavours that I could use to make the product Coca Cola this will also mean asking customers if they would prefer the logo itself to be changed aswell as the packaging. I will only make this product if there is a need in the market as if there is no need in the market my product will not sell which will mean I will not be making a profit. I will also need to consider the following: Taste Flavour Amount of flavouring Wrapping Texture Other please specify Other than the above I will also need to find out exactly how well the drink is selling at present to see just what other changes may be needed. Marketing is concerned with identifying customer’s needs and satisfying those needs at a profit in such a way that the customers come back again and recommend the firm to their friends. Marketing involves everything that an organisation has to make happen if customers are to be satisfied with its products. This is the reason why I have chose to market a mobile phone to my customers as there is a wider market out there for this product. In order for organisations to satisfy customers effectively and successfully, they would need to assess customer needs. By marketing my product I have met consumer needs and this involves developing strategies, which are then translated into a series of marketing plans. Marketing is, therefore, a planned purpose, which by ensuring a business satisfies customers needs and meets its business objectives helps it to outperform its rivals which I think I would be successful in doing as there is the younger generation who are constantly purchasing mobile phones and there is a great market out there. I would need to think about my objectives and in order to do that I would need to research about my product, plan everything out, take steady and smooth actions and try to be in control so that my product sells and then I may be able to meet my objectives. In order to implement a marketing strategy this requires making many decisions: What is the market? Non-competitive market Competitive market Monopoly Oligopoly How do we segment the market? Working out all the possible markets for a good is called segmentation and each part of the market a segment. What are the wants & needs of each segment? Businesses produce goods and services to meet the wants and needs of consumers everybody has wants and needs. What is the best price? If the demand for a good or service starts to increase, prices will follow and suppliers will devote more resources to producing that good or service. Which promotional method should be used? An efficient network of communications is essential for successful promotional activity. The promotional mix comprises all the marketing and promotional objectives of the marketing mix. How should we distribute the product/service? And changing environments mean that marketers’ needs for information are never ending. Social & cultural environment Economic Environment Political & legal environment Technological environment (E1) Produce a marketing strategy for a product or service with a clear understanding of the principles of marketing The marketing principle Many organizations think of marketing as sales. Others think of it as advertising. Twenty years ago students learned the four â€Å"p’s† of marketing: product, place, price and promotion, and today it’s the four â€Å"c’s:† customer, competition, cost and communication. Basically the definition of the market place is continually changing. Because of the fact I will be carrying a similar task, which will involve me to change or make my own product I will have to consider the following: Satisfying – Every and each customer wants their necessities to be met. Matching customers’ needs and expectations demands detailed answers to questions. They want the right goods, at the right time, at the right price. Because my product will be based on a soft drink many consumers would want to try new drinks so I will have to set a reasonable price for it to be sold at to satisfy customers. For example the drink coca cola is aimed at every one and also is reasonably priced. Identify: I would need to consider answering questions like how I will have to keep in touch with customer’s thoughts and feelings and perception about my goods and service? This would also involve identifying what features customers would prefer to have in my good/service. Anticipating: This involves looking at the future aswell as the present. I would need to consider what the public would like to have today and tomorrow. Baring in mind that consumer requirements change all the time such as people become richer and they might buy expensive drinks and even alcohol because they have more money so they would spend on a expensive drink so they stand out from the crowd. Communicating effectively with customers to satisfy their expectations: In order for me to produce any promotional activity I will need to communicate with my customers this would help me to find out there expectations and build an image with the world at large. Images would help others to form a judgment about what the organization stands for, and will influence their dealings with it. The way we communicate our product or service is part of the persuasion process, which would persuade customers to buy the product at whatever price. The ways that customers are persuaded comes under the promotional mix. In order to achieve the promotional objectives the marketing and promotional communication methods are used which come under the promotional mix. These can be broken down into two areas: 1. Controllable and 2. Non-controllable. Non-controllable communication – This includes marketing messages such as a result of word of mouth, personal recommendation or what customers think of a product or service, depending on how long a family has been using the product/service. Designer labels and brands influence consumers spending power. Controllable communication – These include messages that are carefully directed to achieve an organization’s promotional objectives. Such as: Advertisements- messages sent to the media to inform or influence the people who receive them. Direct mail-personally addressed advertising sent through the post. Sales promotions-techniques designed to increase sales, such as money-off coupons, free samples and competitions. Coca Cola should therefore study the communication process carefully. It should have a clear idea of what the message is whom it is sent to and what the outcome of sending it is. They should communicate effectively to always persuade consumers to go out to buy it and also have new advertising to persuade them after a while. Profitability: Profit is the key for marketing. If I don’t make a profit there is no point of me trading I will not be able to satisfy customers requirements or identify there anticipation without the resources to put into out going marketing activities. I need to develop Coca cola in order to achieve profits, which is what my objective for the marketing strategy is. I will need to consider a low price and a quality design. I would be able to see if the demand for Coca Cola has Increased or decreased after developing the product. I could improve it by changing the packaging, adding a different taste or flavour, design, price. I will need to consider the results of my questionnaires, which will be obtained from my primary and secondary research before I start making any changes to my product, as consumers will be asked if they would buy my developed product. Understanding Customer Needs: In order for me to make my final product a success I will need to anticipate change. This includes the age structure of the population and consumers income. Market research is the antenna of an organisation from which you could obtain accurate results of what drinks consumers prefer or what they suggest they would like to have changing to the product. This is where marketing research starts. I would need to consider what consumers would like in order to satisfy customers needs and wants which will show if my product is going to become successful. Most marketing activities are therefore designed to meet the needs of groups of customers within a market. I would need to find a sample of my consumers in order to find out their wants and needs so that I could produce or develop a product that satisfies them. The product is the first element in the marketing mix and the rest of the elements would need to be considered later. These may include developing the pricing for the product or service provided, working out how to distribute (place) goods to the customers, as well as how to promote them. Coca cola would need to understand customer, needs to be able to sell their product. In order to produce a product that will make them profit at the end of the day and customer’s wants could be met according to their needs. (E2) Appropriately identify, collect and use primary and secondary data relevant to the marketing strategy If you were to survey 100 people asking them do they drink Coca Cola this would be a difficult question to answer as Coca Cola can be found in several different brands. Some would prefer to choose a Coca Cola – Diet or light or classic, with cherry or with lemon, or with or without caffeine. About five years ago this would be a question that would be feasible to answer, as then Coca Cola existed in it’s original form. A survey that I conducted shows that many people preferred the original Coca Cola. However the results reveal that majority of them (i.e. 17 out of 20) are not satisfied with the packaging of the drink and would like it to be more colorful aswell as in various designs rather than just in one ‘rather boring’ design which has the been the same for quite so many years now. Another feature that customers (from the 20 people I interviewed) would like to see changes and improvements to is the size of the product. Further questioning revealed that th e reason for improving the size i.e. up to 5 litres would be convenient when holding family parties. These findings were very useful to me as they made me realize what the publics demand is and what I need to do to make the product acceptable in the market, which in return would help me make a profit. The twenty people I asked replied on the basis of looking at media, which is one of the things that influences the market. They thought that advertising was a good way to promote Coca Cola, as it is very common and popular. The secondary data shows advertisements are sold in spots and the daytime spots cost less because there are little audiences. Many people watch television in the evening the most as they relax so most of the advertisements are on then, and also mainly in the mornings as a lot of people turn the television on in the mornings. Out door advertising- poster sites in Britain are mainly in big cities alongside main roads close top the cities. They includes the sides and backs of buses, banners and boards at football and other sports events, both the inside and outside of London and other city taxis, bus shelters, and boards at bus and railway stations. Advertising time on TV is sold in ‘spots’ ranging from one minute down to seven seconds. Daytime spots, when audiences are low cost less than those do in ‘Peak time’- the evening when millions of people may be watching Independent Television. Most evenings from 5.30 p.m. to about 10.30 p.m. is peak viewing time when TV audiences are largest. The ITV companies usually show the same programmes, though they may show different advertisements. In the UK, ITV (including GMTV), channel 4 and channel 5 (1997), show advertisements between programmes and in intervals within the programmes themselves. A half- minute spot in mid-evening on a weekday could cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,250 on Grampian Television whereas a similar spot time cost on Carlton Television might be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½23,000. One company, Grampian Television, serves only about 2,023,000 homes, but the London Region, whose programmes are provided by Charlton Television during the week and by London Weekend Televisions at weekends, has about 5,491,000 homes- 2 and a half times as many. TV advertising time in Britain is sold on the ‘spot’ system. A ‘spot’ can last for a few seconds as with many of the ‘still’ advertisements for local stops or for a minute or even occasionally more. ‘Spots’ are bunched into breaks which may contain just one advertisement, though this is rare, or several. Each of the programme companies charge different rates, or prices, for its spot time. It is not hard to see why. In 1998, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14,307 million was spent on advertising in Britain. Over 80 per cent of this was spent on display advertising of goods and services in the press, on television, radio, posters, direct mail and in the cinema. The remaining 20 per cent or so bought classified advertising (small ads), Financial and legal notices, company announcements, and recruitment advertising (job ads) and advertising in the business and professional press. Companies also spend substantial sums on other forms of communication but statistics are not always available. However, it is estimated that in 1995 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½750 million was spent on exhibitions in Britain and substantial sums are also spent on sponsorship, sales promotion, mail order and other forms of activity.