Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Criminal law - Essay Example The law that deals with crimes is referred to as criminal law. The shapers and foundations of criminal law are the numerous social standards and conducts set in different jurisdictions. This definition implies that criminal law seeks to control peoples’ conducts in society and criminalise actions and omissions that may threaten, endanger and harm others’ well being, safety, security and mental and physical health1. For people who breach any of the laid down criminal laws of a given jurisdiction, the consequences are often commensurate legal punishments such as jail terms. Unlike civil law which focuses on resolution of disputes and compensation, criminal law emphasises punishment for convicted offenders2. Because of the severity of the effects of some convictions on perpetrators, judges always want proof of the intent to commit a crime on the part of a defendant. This intent or guilty mind is referred to as mens rea. Thus mens rea and actus reus are the two core require ments that must be present at the same moment for a successful conviction. In other words, a criminal case cannot stand strong if mens rea and actus reus occur at different times, even if sequentially. On the other hand, strict liability refers to the criminal liability faced by a defendant, regardless of mens rea3, i.e. where it is absent. This paper explores the statement that â€Å"Theft and Fraud are both serious crimes, but they can never be the basis for any type of manslaughter conviction, even if the victim dies.’... Taking the offence of criminal damage as contained in section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971), the actus reus entails the damage or destruction of another person's property5. Thus, the mens rea in this case does not require exceeding an intention to commit criminal damage. In a specific intent crime, a suspect’s mens rea exceeds the actus reus. This implies that such a defendant had certain ulterior motives in mind. For an illustration, in the case of aggravated criminal damage contrary to section 1(2) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971, this offence is committed if a defendant damages or destroys a property while all along intending to endanger life6. Examples of basic intent crimes include common law theft, fraud, assault, battery, manslaughter, rape and criminal damage while specific intent crimes are unclear offences, murder and criminal damage with intent to endanger life. The reason theft and fraud cannot form the basis for manslaughter is that the actus reus of the t wo crimes are not similar to that of manslaughter. For example, the actus reus of theft is the illegal taking, keeping and/or using of another person's property. This actus reus is accompanied by the mens rea of permanently intending to deprive the rightful owner the possession or use of a property. That is, if one party mistakenly takes the property of another, thus depriving the owner of the use and possession of the property (the actus reus), it does not amount to a crime since the former mistakenly takes the property, believing he/she is the rightful owner. However, if he/she realizes the mistake but does not take the earliest opportunity to return it to the rightful owner, it becomes a crime at this point7. There is thus, the element of dishonesty in the latter scenario. The

Category Analysis of Sports and Energy Drinks In Hong Kong Essay Example for Free

Category Analysis of Sports and Energy Drinks In Hong Kong Essay Introduction Our company, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. , Ltd, is planning for a product strategy to its product: Pocari Sweat. Pocari Sweat is a grapefruit-tasting, non-carbonated sweet beverage and is advertised as an â€Å"ion supply drink†. It is designed to increase endurance, replace electrolyte loss or prevent dehydration when exercising for long periods of time. Pocari Sweat is well-recognized by the local people, especially to the athletes. Category Attractiveness Analysis Category Factor The product category we defined is the Sports and Energy Drinks. We gained the first mover advantage when the product was launched at 1980, which we are the market leader which has a off-trade volume of brand share of 43. 8% in 2012 (see Appendix Table 6). The threat of new entrants in this category is low due to the intensive competition, and there is low pressure from substitutes as sports and energy drinks are specialized products. The bargaining power of suppliers is low while the bargaining power of buyers is high. The competition in current market is highly intensive. Details can be referred to the analysis on Category Factors on Attractiveness in Appendix. Overall, this category is still attractive. Aggregate Factor The product life cycle of Sports and Energy Drinks is more likely in mature stage. From the historical figures of whole beverage market, the market size of Sports and Energy Drinks is relatively small. The market growth of off-trade sales volume of this category is increasing constantly by 5. 4% from 2007 to 2012. It will grow constantly in the future by 5% of each year. Since Sports and Energy Drinks are daily commodities for those people after exercising, the sales cyclicity and seasonality is low, as well as the profit variability. Profit level of the market is high. Overall, this category is attractive. Environmental Factor Due to the rise of childhood obesity and the increasing number of cases of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, there are an increasing number of initiatives by both government and non-governmental organizations to promote healthy living and a more balanced lifestyle. The consumer awareness of doing exercises increases and consumers become more willing to engage in sports to keep fit and relieve the stress of their work. Also, there are an increasing number of participations in sports event. Each year, the number of registration of Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon increases gradually. Other sports events such as Nike Night Run, New World Harbour Race, and charity runs are also well supported by the local residents. These led to increased consumer awareness of the benefits of sports drinks, result in the increase of purchasing of sports drinks. Competitor Analysis Level of competitions Level of competitions can be divided into Sports Drinks, Sports and Energy Drinks, Beverages and Food. Since the sales volume of Sports Drinks is contributed to 80% (Appendix Table 1) of sales in the Sports and Energy Drinks category, analysis of competition would be focus on the Sports Drinks only. Based on the perceptual map analysis, the closest competitor to Pocari Sweat is Aquarius. Both Pocari Sweat and Aquarius are ion supply drinks with a grapefruit-liked flavour. Aquarius tastes a bit lighter than Pocari Sweat. For Lucozade and Gatorade, the brand images of both are more professional for athletes, with stronger taste in different flavours. Aquarius would be the main competitor for further analysis. In terms of the brand shares of Sports Drinks, Lucozade would also be a main competitor of Pocari Sweat. GlaxoSmithKline, the company of the brand Lucozade, stated that strengthening core business is their strategic concern on 2012. The company objective is having growth in the Sports Drinks market, and they set up a new innovation centre in mainland China. Aquarius, which is a sport drink launched in 2011 by Coca-Cola Company, is highly involved in many race events in Hong Kong. Although there are no Aquarius advertisements in Hong Kong, you can find Aquarius as sponsored sports drinks in local events such as Standard Chartered Marathon Hong Kong. Maintaining growth in the market is also the main objective of Coca-Cola Company in Aquarius. Although Aquarius is a new entrant to the market since 2011, it has about 5% of volume brand shares in the market in two years. With the financial background and the brand image of Coca-Cola Company, it raises the brand awareness of Aquarius by keep involving in the public event, in order to attract the sportsmen to buy their products. Aquarius would be the main competitor in the field of isotonic rehydration sports drink. Conclusion. The Sports and Energy Drinks market is attractive, as the market size is constantly growing, the threat of new entrant is low, the pressure from substitutes is low and the profit variability is low. With the continuous sports and healthy lifestyle promotions by both government and non-government organizations, they will boost up the sales of Sports and Energy Drinks. In the Sports Drinks market, Pocari Sweat is the market leader with 43. 8% of brand shares of total in volume. People prefer buying Pocari Sweat for recovery after exercising comparing with other related products. Aquarius is the closest competitor related to our product. Still, the company has to maintain the brand loyalty and attract more customers by marketing and advertising. Recommendation The company can put more resources on advertising and also target a new market segment: manual labours. Manual labours need to replace electrolyte loss and prevent dehydration while working, especially in the hot seasons. Pocari Sweat would be the best choice for them. Also, the company can invest more on RD to develop a new product which is best suited for the new market segment. Words counted: 934. Reference Euromonitor International 2013, Sports and Energy Drinks in Hong Kong, China, Passport. Euromonitor International 2013, Bottled Water in Hong Kong, China, Passport. Euromonitor International 2013, Carbonates in Hong Kong, China, Passport. Euromonitor International 2012, Consumer Lifestyles in Hong Kong, China, Passport Annual Report 2012, Otsuka Holdings Co. , Ltd. Annual Report 2012, GlaxoSmithKline plc. Annual Report 2012, Swire Pacific Ltd. Supermarket Price Watch. [Online]. Consumer Council. Available: http://www3. consumer. org. hk/pricewatch/supermarket/index. php? filter1=027filter2=006lang=en Erik, P. Sports drinks vs. energy drinks. [Online]. Available: http://www. examiner. com/article/sports-drinks-vs-energy-drinks-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly Appendix Category Factors on Attractiveness Reasons Attractiveness Low Threat of new entrants Current market is competed intensively, and the new entrants are hardly survived in this environment. The capital requirement is high as special formula for sports drinks needs to be developed. High High Bargaining Power of buyers The major buyers are supermarkets (61. 4%) and convenience stores (35%), which they have a higher bargaining power when purchasing a large amount of products. (Appendix Table 3) Low Low Bargaining Power of suppliers The ingredients of the Sports and Energy Drinks can be purchased from different suppliers. The switching cost to other suppliers is low. High High Intensity of Rivalry There are 9 major brands in the current market. (Appendix Table 6) The competition is highly intensive. Low Low Pressure from substitutes Other carbonate drinks or juices do not have the same benefits as sports and energy drinks on performance and recovery during exercising. Bottled water would be the main substitutes of Sports and Energy Drinks. High. Attractiveness of Market Variables Reasons Attractiveness Small Market size Compare with other drinks, the market size of Sports and Energy Drinks is relatively small, only has an off-trade sale volume of 20. 3 million litres in 2012. (Appendix Table 2) Low Constant Market growth Market growth of sales volume increased by about 5. 4% each year from 2007 to 2012, the forecast growth rate of the market is also positive. (Appendix Table 4 5) The market is growing constantly. High Low Sales cyclicity Sports and exercising are daily activities across the year. High Low Sales seasonality. Sports and exercising are daily activities across the year. High Profit level With the benefit of economic of scales and mass production, the profit level is high for Pocari Sweat. High Low Profit variability Sports and exercising are daily activities across the year. High Product Life Cycle Stage Reasons Maturity There are lots of competitors in the Sports and Energy Drinks market. The pricing of the Sports and Energy Drinks is stable among this few years, ranged from $9. 5 – 13. 9, which means that the price is at the edge related to the material costs. (Appendix Table 7) Also, the volume growth of category is about 5. 4% in each year from 2007-2012, which is low to moderate growth of the market. The forecast volume growth of the category has 5% which is quite considerable. Level of competitions Product Form Sports Drinks: Pocari Sweat, Aquarius, Lucozade Sport, Gatorade, Drinkazine Energy Watt and other related â€Å"ion supply drinks† Product Category Sports and Energy Drinks: Including the energy drinks, such as Lucozade Energy, Monster Energy, Red Bull, Libogen Tonic Drink Generic Competition Beverages: Carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, beers, juices, etc. Budget Competition All consumer products with similar price. Current Future Company Strategy Matrix on Sports Drinks Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. , Ltd GlaxoSmithKline Coca-Cola Company Objectives Grow market share and volume Grow market share and volume Grow market share and volume Current Strategies Advertising and promotion of products. Products expanding in multiple segments of category. Products launching and increased advertising spend. Expected future strategies Focus on product development, increased advertising and promotions. Focus on brand extensions with new flavours to fill category. Focus on raising brand awareness through local sports events.

What Are The Hazards Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Hazards Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay Pollution refers to adverse alteration of the natural phenomena by human beings, animals or natural disasters which may affect life in one way or another negatively. Pollution is a health hazard that can cause detrimental effects to the natural environment we live in. It occurs in different forms like: Air pollution (atmospheric), land pollution, water pollution, light pollution and noise pollution Air (atmospheric) pollution This refers to a situation whereby the atmosphere surrounding us is contaminated by foreign materials of gaseous nature or particulate matter. These particles or gases may be in form of dust, excess carbon-dfioxide, excess sulphur-dioxide, and smoke among many others. All these materials can alter the natural state of atmosphere making it polluted. Dust for instance can cause diseases like asthma and tuber-closis to humans as well a affecting the transportation activities like the volcanic eruptions. A lot of dust in the air makes the rain water that could have been for domestic benefits useless. Diseases like the ones mention above caused by excess dust in the atmosphere makes increases expenses on our budgets and can lead to poverty to many countries in the world. Excess smoke in the atmosphere can cause choking and some lung problems leading to health complications. Smoke from industries has led to depletion of the ozone layer that shields ultra violet rays from reaching the earth. Ultra violet rays from the sun can cause dangerous diseases like skin cancer to human beings and also affect plants which the primary producers on earth. Gases such as carbon-dioxide and sulphur in excess will not allow the light hits the ground to be reflected back into the atmosphere. This will lead to global warming that has completely altered the way of life on earth at this century. Global warming has caused extreme weather conditions like too much rain leading to floods and also extreme temperatures which have led to desertification. Floods are dangerous to our lives and causes loss of life as it has been witnessed in so many parts of the world. Desertification on the other hand has caused hunger because of lack of rainfall to facilitate plant growth. All the se factors are the end results of excess gases in the atmosphere that brings about global warming that causes extreme weather conditions. Recently a volcanic eruption in Iceland in southern Europe caused major economic losses to so many countries in the world. The eruption paralyzed air transportation which in turn affected many businesses. Tourism activities in and out of Europe were negatively affected because many tourists could not travel. The dust particles that were ejected out of the volcano were believed to affect the planes engines and were likely to cause some mechanical problems that can make the plane to crush leading to loss of life. The particles also reduced visibility to pilots and made navigation quite cumbersome to them. Too much gases like sulphur in the atmosphere has resulted into acidic rainfall which has corroded so many buildings and also destroying plants. When rainfall (water) combines with sulphur it forms a weak acid known as sulphuric acid that accompanies rain water when it rains. The acid will attack buildings by corroding them.Alot of economic losses are realized when this occurs. Plants will not grow to maturity because of acid rain and will lead to hunger and starvation due to lack of food. Land pollution This form of pollution mainly comes as a result of human activities like, uncontrolled waste disposal and industrialization. Disposing of waste in uncontrolled manner leads to a polluted environment. Disposing raw sewage in an open area for example can cause diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and others because it will allow flies to access the sewage and food that we eat at the same time. From an economic perspective, this is also a big blow to the sector because a lot of money will be used in trying to treat the patients. Consequently the outcome is a poor economic growth. A high increase in population is also indirectly or directly contributing to land pollution in the sense that the pressure exerted on the limited land leads to degredation.Also human activities like over grazing causes land pollution because the number of animals kept in a small space will highly degrade the same piece of land by overexploiting it. The result of these is the soil erosion and desertificatio n. Some big industries in big towns may carelessly dispose dangerous waste like mercury on the environment. The chemicals can affect people indirectly because plants growing in the same area take in the same chemicals. Research has shown that tubers like Cassavas can store these very dangerous chemicals. Other factories can also release chemicals that can cause dangerous diseases like cancer to people nearby if not controlled. Mining activities also contribute to land pollution. Some miners can dig huge holes and fail to fill them up after the activity. The same holes can be dangerous to people around the mining area. Also some minerals like Uranium are of adverse effect to the surrounding community if not carefully handled. Other human activities like cutting down of trees to create room for settlement has led to pollution through degradation. Due to ever increasing population, natural forests have been destroyed by human beings to give space to rapidly increasing population. Also uncontrolled recreational activities like tourism have led to land pollution especially in parks and reserves where wild animals call home. Tourists may throw plastic bags or polythene backs to the environment hence making the natural habitat for animals uncomfortable for them. Water pollution Water pollution is the most dangerous form of pollution. As the saying goes that water is life, then pollution of water means that the entire life on earth is threatened. Water pollution occur in a variety of forms like releasing chemicals into the water from nearby industries or polluting by machines like ships and motor-boats that use water as a means of transport. Water supports different life forms which also supports human life apart from providing us with drinking water. Some animals that live in water like fish is the main aquatic source of food to human beings. When the water is polluted by chemicals like mercury for example, human beings risk the consumption of such chemicals because the fish that we eat contains such chemicals in their bodies. Also when the industries release raw sewage to a nearby water source people in that area risk getting diseases like cholera that threatens life of most people. Noise pollution Noise pollution is the kind of pollution that affect entirely humans and other animals that are sensitive to hearing. This type of pollution cause disturbance to victims and makes them very uncomfortable. Human beings for instance may not like loud music at night during the time of sleep. Persistent loud music in the surrounding especially at night or any time that silence is paramount is considered to be noise pollution. Noisy industries or factories should be located far away from residential areas to avoid noise pollution. Also in national parks animals may not like noise made by tourists visiting such places and that is why one can sometimes see posters in the entrance to such places that noise is prohibited. Noise in an environmental hazard that can cause health problems to people. Too much noise can make people deaf because of the destruction of eardrums. Light pollution This is brought about by too much light. This type of pollution affects both humans and animals. One can be rendered blind if he or she is exposed to too much light.Ligth is very important in our life but in excess one can be rendered blind. Many of us are able to see because of light but if we do not limit the amount of light we are exposed to, we can be affected negatively in our ability to see. There are varieties of light sources like the sun, electricity mirror reflection and flash lights that help us to see. We need therefore to control the amount of light that we are exposed to in order to avoid light pollution. The most dangerous type of pollution is water pollution because water is the basis for life. Water provides life to almost every living creature on earth. Even scientific researches show that our bodies are seventy five percent water, and then if water is polluted then we risk the danger of perishing. Plants that manufacture food that we eat depend on water for their growth. This initiates a series of interdependency among life forms that ultimately ends up in humans. Work cited Cairn.J.(1997), Biological methods of assessing water quality.ASTM International. Sell.N. (1992) Pollution control.SAGE Kryza.K.(2007). Inspiring middle and secondary learners.Corwin Express. Clarence.D.(1970).The politics of pollution.Pegasus. Clarkson J.(1988).Acid rain.Duke University Press.

The Importance Of Marketing Communication Marketing Essay

The Importance Of Marketing Communication Marketing Essay Introduction In this paper, I would like to discuss the problems associated with marketing communication in international markets. When I proceed with the assignment, with relevant examples, I will examine why an integrated marketing communication is essential to the success of a multinational in a highly competitive international market. Marketing communications in international markets needs to be conducted with care. This paper will consider some of the key issues that businesses need to take into account when promoting products or services in overseas markets with different socio, cultural background. The importance of marketing communication Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales promotion and online marketing are termed marketing communicators. The communication process is sender-encoding-transmission device-decoding-receiver, which is part of any advertising or marketing program. Encoding the message is the second step in communication process, which takes a creative idea and transforms it into attention-getting advertisements designed for various media such as television, radio, magazines, and others. Massages travel to audiences through various transmission devices. The third stage of the marketing communication process occurs when a channel or medium delivers the message. Decoding occurs when the message reaches one or more of the receivers senses. Consumers both hear and see television ads. Others consumers handle or touch and read a coupon offer. One obstacle that prevents marketing messages from being efficient and effective is called barrier. Barrier is anything that distorts or disrupts a message. It can occur at any stage in the communication process. Marketing Communications are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Marketing communications is the promotion part of the Marketing Mix or the four Ps: price, place, promotion, and product. The primary goal of marketing communication is to reach a defined audience to affect its behavior by informing, persuading, and reminding. Marketing communication acquires new customers for brands by building awareness and encouraging trial. Marketing communication also maintains a brands current customer base by reinforcing their purchase behavior by providing additional information about the brands benefits. A secondary goal of marketing communication is building and reinforcing relationships with customers, prospects, retailers, and other important stakeholders. Successful marketing communication relies on a combination of options called the promotional mix. These options include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and personal selling. The Internet has also become a powerful tool for reaching certain important audiences. The role each element takes in a marketing communication program relies in part on whether a company employs a push strategy or a pull strategy. A pull strategy relies more on consumer demand than personal selling for the product to travel from the manufacturer to the end user. The demand generated by advertising, public relations, and sales promotion pulls the good or service through the channels of distribution. A push strategy, on the other hand, emphasizes personal selling to push the product through these channels. Traditionally, marketing communications practitioners focused on the creation and execution of printed marketing collateral; however, academic and professional research developed the practice to use strategic elements of branding and marketing in order to ensure consistency of message delivery throughout an organization. Many trends in business can be attributed to marketing communications; for example: the transition from customer service to customer relations, and the transition from human resources to human solutions. How marketing communication become successful? For marketing communication to be successful, sound management decisions must be made in the other three areas of the marketing mix: the product, service or idea itself; the price at which the brand will be offered; and the places at or through which customers may purchase the brand. The best promotion cannot overcome poor product quality, inordinately high prices, or insufficient retail distribution. Likewise, successful marketing communication relies on sound management decisions regarding the coordination of the various elements of the promotional mix. To this end, a new way of viewing marketing communication emerged in the 1990s. It is called integrated marketing communication; this perspective seeks to orchestrate the use of all forms of the promotional mix to reach customers at different levels in new and better ways. Why integrated marketing communication is important? The evolution of the above mentioned perspective has two origins. Marketers began to realize that advertising, public relations, and sales were often at odds regarding responsibilities, budgets, management input and myriad other decisions affecting the successful marketing of a brand. Executives in each area competed with the others for resources and a voice in decision making. The outcome was inconsistent promotional efforts, wasted money, counterproductive management decisions, and, perhaps worst of all, confusion among consumers. Secondly, the marketing perspective itself began to shift from being market oriented to market driven. Marketing communication was traditionally viewed as an inside-out way of presenting the companys messages. Advertising was the dominant element in the promotional mix because the mass media could effectively deliver a sales message to a mass audience. But then the mass market began to fragment. Consumers became better educated and more skeptical about advertising. A variety of sources, both controlled by the marketer and uncontrolled, became important to consumers. News reports, word-of-mouth, experts opinions, and financial reports were just some of the brand contacts consumers began to use to learn about and form attitudes and opinions about a brand or company, or make purchase decisions. Advertising began to lose some of its luster in terms of its ability to deliver huge homogeneous audiences. Companies began to seek new ways to coordinate the multiplicity of product and company messages being issued and used by consumers and others. Thus, two ideas permeate integrated marketing communication: relationship building and synergy. rather than the traditional inside-out view, integrated marketing communication is seen as an outside-in perspective. Customers are viewed not as targets but as partners in an ongoing relationship. Customers, prospects, and others encounter the brand and company through a host of sources and create from these various contacts ideas about the brand and company. By knowing the media habits and lifestyles of important consumer segments, marketers can tailor messages through media that are most likely to reach these segments at times when these segments are most likely to be receptive to these messages, thus optimizing the marketing communication effort. Ideally, integrated marketing communication is implemented by developing comprehensive databases on customers and prospects, segmenting these current and potential customers into groups with certain common awareness levels, predispositions, and behaviors, and developing messages and media strategies that guide the communication tactics to meet marketing objectives. In doing this, integrated marketing communication builds and reinforces mutually profitable relationships with customers and other important stakeholders and generates synergy by coordinating all elements in the promotional mix into a program that possesses clarity, consistency, and maximum impact. Practitioners and academics alike, however, have noted the difficulty of effectively implementing integrated marketing communication. Defining exactly what integrated marketing communication is has been difficult. For example, merely coordinating messages so that speaking with one clear voice in all promotional efforts does not fully capture the meaning of integrated marketing communication. Also, changing the organization to accommodate the integrated approach has challenged the command and control structure of many organizations. However, studies suggest that integrated marketing communication is viewed by a vast majority of marketing executives as having the greatest potential impact on their companys marketing strategies, more so than the economy, pricing, and globalization. The importance of advertising in marketing communication Advertising has four characteristics: it is persuasive in nature; it is non-personal; it is paid for by an identified sponsor; and it is disseminated through mass channels of communication. Advertising messages may promote the adoption of goods, services, persons, or ideas. Because the sales message is disseminated through the mass mediaà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬as opposed to personal sellingà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬it is viewed as a much cheaper way of reaching consumers. However, its non-personal nature means it lacks the ability to tailor the sales message to the message recipient and, more importantly, actually get the sale. Therefore, advertising effects are best measured in terms of increasing awareness and changing attitudes and opinions, not creating sales. Advertisings contribution to sales is difficult to isolate because many factors influence sales. The contribution advertising makes to sales are best viewed over the long run. The exception to this thinking is within the internet arena. While banner ads, pop-ups and interstitials should still be viewed as brand promoting and not necessarily sales drivers, technology provides the ability to track how many of a websites visitors click the banner, investigate a product, request more information, and ultimately make a purchase. Through the use of symbols and images advertising can help differentiate products and services that are otherwise similar. Advertising also helps create and maintain brand equity. Brand equity is an intangible asset that results from a favorable image, impressions of differentiation, or consumer attachment to the company, brand, or trademark. This equity translates into greater sales volume, and/or higher margins, thus greater competitive advantage. Brand equity is established and maintained through advertising that focuses on image, product attributes, service, or other features of the company and its products or services. Cost is the greatest disadvantage of advertising. The average cost for a 30-second spot on network television increased fivefold between 1980 and 2005. Plus, the average cost of producing a 30-second ad for network television is quite expensive. It is not uncommon for a national advertiser to spend in the millions of dollars for one 30-second commercial to be produced. Add more millions on top of that if celebrity talent is utilized. Credibility and clutter are other disadvantages. Consumers have become increasingly skeptical about advertising messages and tend to resent advertisers attempt to persuade. Advertising is everywhere, from network television, to daily newspapers, to roadside billboards, to golf course signs, to stickers on fruit in grocery stores. Clutter encourages consumers to ignore many advertising messages. New media are emerging, such as digital video recorders which allow consumers to record programs and then skip commercials, and satellite radio which provides a majority of its channels advertising free. Marketing communication and public relations Public relations is defined as a management function which identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics upon which its success or failure depends. Whereas advertising is a one-way communication from sender (the marketer) to the receiver (the consumer or the retail trade), public relations considers multiple audiences (consumers, employees, suppliers, vendors, etc.) and uses two-way communication to monitor feedback and adjust both its message and the organizations actions for maximum benefit. A primary tool used by public relations practitioners is publicity. Publicity capitalizes on the news value of a product, service, idea, person or event so that the information can be disseminated through the news media. This third party endorsement by the news media provides a vital boost to the marketing communication message: credibility. Articles in the media are perceived as being more objective than advertisements, and their messages are more likely to be absorbed and believed. For example, after the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes reported in the early 1990s that drinking moderate amounts of red wine could prevent heart attacks by lowering cholesterol; red wine sales in the United States increased 50 percent. The other benefit publicity offers is that it is free, not considering the great amount of effort it can require to get out-bound publicity noticed and picked up by media sources. Public relations role in the promotional mix is becoming more important because of what Philip Kotler describes as an over communicated society. Consumers develop communication-avoidance routines where they are likely to tune out commercial messages. As advertising loses some of its cost-effectiveness, marketers are turning to news coverage, events, and community programs to help disseminate their product and company messages. Some consumers may also base their purchase decisions on the image of the company, for example, how environmentally responsible the company is. Direct marketing and database marketing Direct marketing, the oldest form of marketing, is the process of communicating directly with target customers to encourage response by telephone, mail, electronic means, or personal visit. Users of direct marketing include retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and service providers, and they use a variety of methods including direct mail, telemarketing, direct-response advertising, and online computer shopping services, cable shopping networks, and infomercials. Traditionally not viewed as an element in the promotional mix, direct marketing represents one of the most profound changes in marketing and promotion in the last 25 years. Aspects of direct marketing, which includes direct response advertising and direct mail advertising as well as the various research and support activities necessary for their implementation, have been adopted by virtually all companies engaged in marketing products, services, ideas, or persons. Direct marketing has become an important part of many marketing communication programs for three reasons. First, the number of two-income households has increased dramatically. About six in every ten women in the United States work outside the home. This has reduced the amount of time families have for shopping trips. Secondly, more shoppers than ever before rely on credit cards for payment of goods and services. These cashless transactions make products easier and faster to purchase. Database marketing is a form of direct marketing that attempts to gain and reinforce sales transactions while at the same time being customer driven. Successful database marketing continually updates lists of prospects and customers by identifying who they are, what they are like, and what they are purchasing now or may be purchasing in the future. By using database marketing, marketers can develop products and/or product packages to meet their customers needs or develop creative and media strategies that match their tastes, values, and lifestyles. The importance of Sales promotion, sponsorships and exhibitions. Sales promotions are direct inducements that offer extra incentives to enhance or accelerate the products movement from producer to consumer. Sales promotions may be directed at the consumer or the trade. Consumer promotions such as coupons, sampling, premiums, sweepstakes, price packs, low-cost financing deals, and rebates are purchase incentives in that they induce product trial and encourage repurchase. Consumer promotions may also include incentives to visit a retail establishment or request additional information. Sales promotions can motivate customers to select a particular brand, especially when brands appear to be equal, and they can produce more immediate and measurable results than advertising. However, too heavy a reliance on sales promotions results in deal-prone consumers with little brand loyalty and too much price sensitivity. Sales promotions can also force competitors to offer similar inducements, with sales and profits suffering for everyone. Sponsorships, or event marketing, combine advertising and sales promotions with public relations. Sponsorships increase awareness of a company or product, build loyalty with a specific target audience, help differentiate a product from its competitors, provide merchandising opportunities, demonstrate commitment to a community or ethnic group, or impact the bottom line. Like advertising, sponsorships are initiated to build long-term associations. Exhibits, or trade shows, are hybrid forms of promotion between business-to-business advertising and personal selling. Trade shows provide opportunities for face-to-face contact with prospects, enable new companies to create a viable customer base in a short period of time, and allow small and midsize companies that may not be visited on a regular basis by salespeople to become familiar with suppliers and vendors. Because many trade shows generate media attention, they have also become popular venues for introducing new products and providing a stage for executives to gain visibility. When we talk about Personal selling, it includes all person-to-person contact with customers with the purpose of introducing the product to the customer, convincing him or her of the products value, and closing the sale. The role of personal selling varies from organization to organization, depending on the nature and size of the company, the industry, and the products or services it is marketing. Many marketing executives realize that both sales and non-sales employees act as salespeople for their organization in one way or another. Personal selling is the most effective way to make a sale because of the interpersonal communication between the salesperson and the prospect. Messages can be tailored to particular situations, immediate feedback can be processed, and message strategies can be changed to accommodate the feedback. However, personal selling is the most expensive way to make a sale. Marketing communication and Internet marketing Just as direct marketing has become a prominent player in the promotional mix, so too has the Internet. Web sites provide a new way of transmitting information, entertainment, and advertising, and have generated a new dimension in marketing: electronic commerce. E-commerce is the term used to describe the act of selling goods and services over the Internet. In other words, the Internet has become more that a communication channel; it is a marketing channel itself with companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, and others selling goods via the Internet to individuals around the globe. In less than 10 years advertising expenditures on the Internet will rival those for radio and outdoor. Public relations practitioners realize the value that web sites offer in establishing and maintaining relationships with important publics. For example, company and product information can be posted on the companys site for news reporters researching stories and for current and potential customers seeking information. Political candidates have web sites that provide information about their background and their political experience. The interactivity of the Internet is perhaps its greatest asset. By communicating with customers, prospects, and others one-on-one, firms can build databases that help them meet specific needs of individuals, thus building a loyal customer base. Because the cost of entry is negligible, the Internet is cluttered with web sites. However, this clutter does not present the same kind of problem that advertising clutter does. Advertising and most other forms of promotion assume a passive audience that will be exposed to marketing communication messages via the mass media or mail regardless of their receptivity. Web sites require audiences who are active in the information-seeking process to purposely visit the site. Therefore, the quality and freshness of content is vital for the success of the web site. International Marketing Communications and Cultural Issues. There are a whole range of cultural issues that international marketers need to consider when communicating with target audiences in different cultures. Language will always be a challenge. One cannot use a single language for an international campaign. For example, there are between six and twelve main regional variations of the Chinese languages, with the most popular being Mandarin, followed by Wu, Min, and Cantonese. India has 22 languages including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Tamil to name but a few. Of course language choice could affect branding choices, and the names of products and services. Hidden messages and humor would be especially tricky to convey. Famous examples include the Vauxhall Corsa, which was called the Nova in the United Kingdom of course No VA! Would not be an acceptable name in Spanish. A similar problem was left unaddressed by Toyota, with their MR2 in France (think about it!). Design, symbolism and aesthetics sometimes do not transcend international boundaries. For example Japanese aesthetics sometimes focus upon taste and beauty. Also look at Japanese cars from the front they have a smiling face. The manner in which people present themselves in terms of dress and appearance changes from culture to culture. For example in Maori culture, dress plays a central role with everyday clothing differing greatly from ceremonial costume. Whereas in Western business-culture the standard uniform tends to be a conservative collar and tie. Conclusion From the above discussions we can see that marketing communication has become an integral part of the social and economic system. Consumers rely on the information from marketing communication to make wise purchase decisions. Businesses, ranging from multinational corporations to small retailers, depend on marketing communication to sell their goods and services. Marketing communication has also become an important player in the life of a business. Marketing communication helps move products, services, and ideas from manufacturers to end users and builds and maintains relationships with customers, prospects, and other important stakeholders in the company. Advertising and sales promotion will continue to play important roles in marketing communication mix. However, marketing strategies that stress relationship building in addition to producing sales will force marketers to consider all the elements in the marketing communication mix. I hope, In the future new information gathering techniques will help marketers target more precisely customers and prospects using direct marketing strategies. New media technologies will provide businesses and consumers new ways to establish and reinforce relationships that are important for the success of the firm and important for consumers as they make purchase decisions. In the coming years I believe, Internet will become a major force in how organizations communicate with a variety of constituents, customers, clients, and other interested parties.

The Importance of Language in Richard Wright’s Novel, Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

The Importance of Language in Richard Wright’s Novel, Black Boy Words are powerful things. They can be used to construct or destruct. In the novel Black Boy, Richard Wright discovers this fact after reading inspirational works written by a man named Mencken. It is at this point in his life where he understands the importance of words. Wright qualifies the idea that language is an important key to identity and social acceptance using figures of speech and warrants. A rhetorical technique used by Wright is this passage is that of metaphors. For example, when describing Mencken’s effectiveness he uses phrases such as â€Å"he was using words as a weapon.† This simile conveys to the reader just how powerful the new experience was for Wright. Richard wondered if he would ever be able to create something so significant. Although the idea seemed frightening at first, Wright was able to fight using his words in the end. In addition, to extend the metaphor of words being weapons, the language on the page is so full of disgust that Wright imagines Mencken had â€Å"slash[ed] [it] with his pen.† This image gives convincing evidence that Mencken was extremely irate with his society. His sword is the pen and his words are the blow. Those who are witness to this ‘duel’ are those who are effected by its cuts. Readers begin to realize just how important language is to identity and beliefs. Richard Wright utilizes evidence to create an ethos appeal for his readers. For instance, he doubts his literary choice once he reads the title of the book given to him: Prejudices. In his personal experience those that had spoken this word were not entirely right, according to him. He toys with the idea that this man (Mencken) is mistaken; he, himself, looked to have been mistaken. Wright made an unjustified conclusion about this writer judging by the single word on the cover of a book. If one word could bring up such emotion from this boy, imagine what a whole slew of these words would create in their wake. Mencken was not accepted by his race due, impart, to his beliefs.

Binge Drinking on America’s Campuses Essay -- College Alcohol Abuse

Binge drinking is rampant on today’s colleges and university campuses. Binge drinking is defined as, five or more drinks for a man at any one time, four or more drinks for a woman (Thompson, J.J. 63). A recent survey revealed that almost half of college students engage in binge drinking, and half of those who binge drink do so regularly (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89). It is not the half that drinks responsibly that needs programs targeting them; it is the other half of students that engage in binge drinking. This paper aims to discuss both the scope of binge drinking on the campuses of America’s colleges and universities and techniques used to combat it. At the same time America has managed to keep the same percentage of its students from drinking entirely for the last five years, binge drinking has been on the rise (Thompson, J.J. 63). While 49 percent of college students binge, only 28 percent of their non-college counterparts do (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89), clearly illustrating the divide that exists between students and non-students. These figures are upsetting in that one would expect universities to be the breeding ground for new leaders and innovative thinkers in society while these figures make today’s college campuses look like nothing more than National Lampoon’s Animal House- a drunken debauchery. Consider these facts: For women, this study found that 80% of sorority house residents had binged during the last 2 weeks prior to this study compared with 58% of non-resident sorority women, and 35% of non-Greek women. As for the men, the study found that during the previous two weeks, 86% of fraternity house residents had binged compared to 71% of non-resident fraternity men and 45% for non-Greek men (Core Institute pars. 1-2). If there has ever been a clearer cut case for reformation of the Greek system, it has never been presented. This problem was tragically brought to light in 1996 with the media attention given to the death of a Louisiana State University student who died in the fraternity house from acute alcohol poisoning. Tragically, the numbers of students dying of alcohol related causes are rising steadily each year. With the ever increasing costs of higher education, one would think that students would be committed to gaining the best education possible; but a 1996 study leaves little doubt that a student’s GPA ... .../collfact.htm Colleges and Drinking. CNN Online. February 23, 1999. http://cnn.com/US/9805/02/campus.crime/index.html New Study Finds Bingeing. Core Institute. September 1, 1999. http://www.alphaomicronpi.org/Article/alcohol02.html Drugs- Indiana University. Indiana University. February 23, 1999. http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/ncadi/primer/binge.htm Iowa State Daily. February 2, 1999. http://www.daily.iastate.edu/volumes/Fall95/Dec-01-95/fr3-hw.html LA Times Website. February 28, 1999. http://peele.sas.nl/lib/latimes030196.html McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia. â€Å"Bellying Up to the Bar; binge drinking remains a major problem on many college campuses, according to a Harvard University study.† Newsweek 21 September 1998: 89. New UNC Initiave. February 28, 1999.http://www.cspinet.org/new/aluncorn.htm Thompson, J.J. â€Å"Plugging the Kegs: students benefit when colleges limit excessive drinking; alcohol abuse by college students.† US News & World Report January 1998: 63. Internet Sources Consulted Wechsler, Henry PhD. Binge Drinking on America’s College Campuses. Harvard http://archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/monograph_2000/cas_mono_2000.pdf

Henry David Thoreau`s concept of government Essay

Thoreau is one of the most influential thinkers of the world. His Civil Disobedience theory has inspired many leaders who employed it to acquire freedom for their colonized countries. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by this essay and put it to practice in his Civil Disobedience movement during Indian freedom struggle. This method proved to be stronger than war with weapons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thoreau’s motto is, ‘That government is best which governs least’. To him government is the ‘mode which the people have chosen to execute their will’. So people holding posts in the government need to reflect the choice of the people.   He hereby does not say that there is no need for a government but demands a better one which can reflect the needs of the people. He derides the kind of government that treats men like ‘movable forts and magazines at the service of some unscrupulous man in power’. Herein he is referring to soldiers at war who risk their lives against their conscience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thoreau describes the situation of the countries invaded by America   where ‘a sixth of the population of a nation which has undertaken to be the refuge of liberty are slaves’ and under the subjugation of foreign army. He speaks against invasion of foreign lands. Million are against this kind of war and acquisition but no one raises their voice against this. Some times he says that people petition or give up their ’cheap vote’. He questions the citizen giving up their conscience to the legislator. Thoreau ridicules parliamentary elections and proclaims that only those who vote for the abolishment of slavery are real voters. Thoreau finds fault with those who are not able to tolerate unjust laws but at the same time are contended with mere petitioning. A common citizen meets government in the form of tax collectors once in a year. Thoreau does not support taxation which is created without any subjectivity. He does not mind paying tax for essential utilities but he does not find logic in poll tax. He refuses to pay for those that his conscience does not permit. Consequently he is put in jail later to be released on account of someone else paying for him. Thoreau upholds freedom of every individual and criticizes the government for treating individual citizens as a herd. He adds that every individual should be allowed his choice in the welfare activities he wishes to do. He blames the State of collecting tax in the name of welfare activities and using it to invade other nations putting thousands of lives in danger. How can a government that is closing its eyes on the evil of slave trade be trusted in welfare activities? His solution to tackle this issue is Civil Disobedience movement. Instead of waiting for others to start a movement or stop with petitions, every individual should rise up to the occasion with resistance towards the Government. He says, ‘There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.’ Thoreau admits that to this kind of government he will willingly submit himself and cheerfully obey. There has been a good change from monarchy to democracy. Now the change needs to be extended to progress towards true respect for the individual. The Government needs to find ways to recognize and organize the rights of man. He also recommends that the legislators could take instruction from the New Testament to make his governance better. This thought from Thoreau has had great impact in the world history. Many nations were made and strengthened by following Civil Disobedience. He recommends what is called as Bloodless war and this war is more powerful than that which is fought with arm and ammunitions.