Theoretical Framework Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Framework Essay Amongst the continued violence between Sudan government’s Army and Minnawi’s SLM/A, Minni Arcua Minnawi, was sworn as the senior assistant to Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir. This appointment was a result of the agreement that was signed by the SLM/A and the government in the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).   The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006 between the Sudan’s government and the various factions in the country that were involved in civil war since the last five decades. It would be worthwhile if we can go through the disturbing history of Sudan which has hardly known what peace is since its independence. â€Å" The Sudan Peace Process – A comparison of the Addis Abba Peace agreement of 1972 and the Comprehensive Peace agreement of 2005† by Sara Basha in March 2006 not only gives a comprehensive review of the violent past of the country but also compares the two most important peace agreements in the country that promised peace to its people. According to Sara Basha, the reason the tension started brewing in the country was the divided rule that the Britishers implemented. They had demarcated such a strong line between the north Sudan and South Sudan that people no more got along each other. The Britisher’s deliberate emphasis on the North in terms of governance, business and appreciation led to its growth as more developed and rich when compared to south. In fact, at the time of independence, there was only one school in the whole of south Sudan. Over time, religion and ethnic differences also contributed to the conflict thereby making it a North Arabs vs. South Christians war. Sara Basha’s review gives a clear outline of the two civil wars that was fought in the country. The first civil war broke out immediately after independence, i.e., from 1955 and it lasted till 1972 when the Addis Abba Peace Agreement was signed. There was period of ten years of null when the people of Sudan first tasted peace. The agreement was signed under the rule of General Jaffer Nemeiri who was quite instrumental and influential in Sudan’s political history. It was due to his compliance and non-compliance of the agreement that failed the whole peace process. The first civil war, as Sara Basha reveals, was fought for South Sudan’s autonomy from the oppressive North. The Addis Abba Agreement sought to address that issue and South Sudan was given regional autonomous powers. Peace, according to Sara, was brought in to the picture when both the parties dutifully observed the conditions in the agreement. However, from 1977, hitherto peace-engaging ruler, Nemeiri started Islamization of the whole country and in 1983, imposed some new decrees and division of the south Sudan into three provinces without even consulting the regional heads of the South. That proved the last straw and the second civil war broke out which lasted for twenty one painful years. As Sara mentioned, this time the reason cited was not autonomy but a â€Å"New Sudan†. The faction fighting wanted a united Sudan that would ensure a fresh beginning to the nation.   The war ended in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Government and SLM/A. This historical agreement was signed in January 2005. The review states the various provisions in the agreement that can work wonders if they were followed strictly. The review also questions how effective this peace process can be. Provided the non-compliance of the conditions in the previous peace agreement by the Government, the review does seem a bit pessimistic about the outcome of the process. It specially mentions the not-so-enthusiastic face the government has managed to put forth about the power sharing between the rebel factions and it. Moreover, the transition of the SLM/A from a rebel faction to a governing body was also under question. The current study seeks to fill this gap and gives the situation post-2005 when the implementation of CPA started. The Sara Basha’s review had come up with a hypothesis that the CPA can bring lasting peace in the country if both the sides adhere to it. The current study gives further credence to this hypothesis as it clearly explains the steps taken by the Sudanese government to implement the provisions. The election of Minnawi in the cabinet, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), the efforts to resolve problems with the Eastern Front give weight to the whole peace process. There are, however, continued reports of deteriorating situation in the country where the human rights have been violated unabashedly. This partly answers the various questions and hypothesis raised by Sara Basha’s review. Though the current review does not explicitly state that the peace process would be a failure, the unabated violence in the country definitely leaves much to be desired. The current review cleared lot of gaps that Sara Basha’s review sought in future reviews. One of the main issues was the Darfur conflict and others that it could not cover. The current review not only covers that but also gives insights in to the latest developments in the issue. And the latest development doesn’t yet give promise of the lasting peace that Sara Basha’s review wished for.       References Basha, Sara. 2006. Sudan Peace Process: A comparison of Addis Abba Peace Agreement of 1972 and the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005. Online. Available from internet, http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/politics/depnews/ProposalPresentations/2006/Proposal%20Basha%20S%2017mar06.doc

Above and below the line promotion

Above and below the line promotion 1 Introduction In terms of the general perception of all of the marketing mix elements that a firm may employ, it is perhaps promotion that is the most prominent P in the 4 Ps. In fact to many people promotion is marketing. Promotion is a part of a firms overall effort to communicate with consumers and others about its product or service offering. Both the company and the consumer have needs which they aim to fulfill; the profit making company wishes to improve or maintain profits and market share, and gain a better reputation than its competitors, and the consumer aims to reach his or her personal goals. The total product offering allows each party to move towards these goals, offering a bundle of satisfactions which fulfill needs in an instrumental and a psychological sense. The phrase Marketing Communications is generally preferred to the term promotion, this term being reserved for a branch of communications called below-the-line sales promotion. 2 Promotion or Marketing Communication? In a sense all marketing communication activity is a form of promotion, that is in one way or another is attempting to promote the interest of the brand, product range and/or company. What differentiates above the line activity from below the line activity is a somewhat arbitrary division. There is no universally accepted definition of either. Below the line activity is loosely classed as non-media advertising. Basically if an advertisement is submitted to a publication and a commission is paid to the advertising agency to feature the piece then this is deemed to be above the line communication. If no commission has been paid, for example in the case of a public relations press release, a trade exhibition or a sponsored sports event, this is referred to as below the line activity. This distinction is accepted by most and is the distinction adopted here. 3 Real and implied product attributes The role of marketing communications is to communicate the benefits of the product, service or firm to potential consumers and indeed the same process is undertaken in not for profit situations like political parties. The benefits marketing communicators try to convey can be real although many of attributes are implied through association or suggestion. This has been described as a total bundle of attributes that the consumer perceives in a holistic manner. In other words, consumers see the product or service offering as a unified whole, rather than a bundle of separate component parts such as its price, packaging, shape and so on. In this way, marketing communications conveys the meaning of the companys total product offering, helping consumers attain their goals and moving the company closer to its own goals. Many products, particularly in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) category, are very similar to other products in their class. For example margarines are basically similar no matter what brand is selected, and the same goes for many fmcg products. In times of shortage, such as during the war years, goods were treated as homogenous commodities, and basically soap was soap! In less developed countries the same is true today. From the study of buyer behaviour it was noted that Maslow described the different needs of human beings as being hierarchical in nature. At the bottom of the pyramid physiological needs such as hunger and thirst are of primary concern to the individual, almost to the exclusion in fact of anything else. Marketers can make use of this phenomenon and this can be witnessed in advertising soft drinks such as Coca Cola or fast food such as Burger King, McDonalds or KFC. Only when these basic, but important, physiological needs are satisfied will the individual turn his or her attention to the next category of need in the hierarchy. Their next need is safety and that of their family. In modern society these needs are reflected in goods and services such as burglar alarms, car locks and alarms, double glazing, external lighting, insurance, saving schemes etc. Marketers use the motive of fear in order to market such products. Thereafter loftier concerns assume more importance. People need to feel part of a group, appreciated by others and have the opportunity to both give and receive love. Fashion items like perfume, supporting the same pop group or sports team are all examples of how marketing uses social needs to sell products and services. Esteem needs can be translated into products and services through high status marquee cars, designer clothes or expensive holidays. Finally we reach the higher order need of self-actualisation. Only in very wealthy countries is it possible to have large sections in this category. The best example here is probably in California, especially in cities such as San Francisco where people can indulge in a variety of alternative life styles. Books by self help gurus, health supplements exercise videos are examples of products aimed at this motive. 4 The marketing communications mix Promotion describes the communications activities of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and publicity/public relations. Advertising is a non-personal form of mass communication, paid for by an identified sponsor. Personal selling involves a seller attempting to persuade a potential buyer to make a purchase. Sales promotion encompasses short-term activities such as giving coupons, free samples, etc. that encourage quick action by buyers. The company has control over these three variables, but has little control over the fourth variable, publicity/public relations. This is another non-personal communication method that reaches a large number of people, but it is not paid for by the company and is usually in the form of news or editorial comment regarding a companys product or service. Companies can gain some control over the publicity it receives by the release of news items. Put together, these promotional activities make up the promotional or communications mix with varying emphasis on each element according to the type of product or service, characteristics of consumers and company resources. Company size, competitive strengths and weaknesses and style of management all influence the promotional mix. Other communications elements with which promotion must be coordinated are the product itself, price and distribution channels used. Product communication, including brand name, design of packaging and trade-marks are all product cues which convey a message about the total product offering. Price can communicate different things under varying circumstances, for instance conveying prestige appeal for those buyers who perceive that a high price is equal to quality and prestige. The place in which the products are to be found also has notable communications value. Retail stores have personalities that consumers associate with the products they sell. Products receive a halo effect from the outlets in which they can be found and two stores selling similar products can project entirely different product images. For example, a perfume sold through an upmarket store will have a much higher quality image than one sold through supermarkets. 5 The Marketing Communications Process Effective communication means effective marketing. Buyers perceptions of market offerings are influenced by the amount and type of information they receive as well as their reaction to that information. There must be a good flow of information between seller and buyer to assist decision-making that precedes a purchase. An effective marketing communications system also allows feedback from the consumer to the seller. Some people have a psychological predisposition to buy products and services that are new to the market. This predisposition can be modeled with the use of a normal distribution. Certain people derive a great deal of pleasure from acquiring new products and being first in the market. Such people have a low level of perceived risk and in fact they positively like the risk and excitement associated with the purchase of new, innovative products. These people are referred to as innovators and, according to Everett Rogers account for about 2.5 % of the population. The next group of people displaying a tendency to buy new products are known as early adopters and account for approximately 13.5 % of the market. These are still highly adventurous purchasers and the possession of innovative new products gives them a high present value. They still have a low level of perceived risk but are slightly more risk adverse than the innovator category. The next two groups, Early Majority and Late Major ity account for the bulk of the potential market, 64% in all. Most people fall in to one of these categories. Finally the Laggards are people who are not really infested in new product development and tend to purchase products only when their old product is worn out and stops working. This theme is returned to later under product issues. A key question for the marketing communicator is: Are the innovators and early adopters also opinion leaders? The majority of potential customers are too risk adverse or too disinterested to be first in the market for an innovation. They are largely unaffected by the media communication about the innovation. Instead, they are influenced by people that they know who they regard as opinion leaders. Although some individuals my be innovators for many products and services, it is more likely that they will be classified as such for a limited range of products. For example a computer enthusiast may be regarded as a innovator for new computer products. Similarly, someone who is interested in photography may be regarded as opinion leaders in relation to this product but not others. A new brand of toothpaste containing baking soda is not really that new to people; after all, it is still just toothpaste. A vacuum cleaner for your garden is on the other hand quite a radical innovation. These products have recently come on to the market although most people, even keen gardeners seem a little unsure as to whether they should buy one or not. If these products are good, then the message will soon circulate by word of mouth and soon most households will own one, just as most own a lawn mower or a lawn edger and indeed these latter products were considered to be a radical innovation only a few years ago. 6 Marketing related messages. Marketing communications can be defined as the process of: presenting an integrated set of stimuli to a market target with the aim of raising a desired set of responses within that market target; setting up channels to receive, interpret and act on messages from the market to modify present company messages and identify new communications opportunities. As both a sender and a receiver of market-related messages, a company can influence customers to buy its brands in order to make profit. At the same time it can stay in touch with its market so that it can adjust to changing market conditions and take advantage of new communications opportunities. 6.1 The source of the message Receivers of a message are often greatly influenced by the nature of its source. If an audience perceives a communicator as credible, then they will be more likely to accept his or her views. If, on the other hand, the audience believes that the communicator has underlying motives, particularly ones of personal gain, then he or she will be less persuasive than someone the audience perceives as being objective. Some advertisers use candid television interviews with homemakers in order to enhance their credibility and eliminate intent to persuade, sometimes asking consumers to explain why they buy a particular brand or asking them to trade their chosen brand for another. Another method used by companies to increase credibility is to have the product endorsed by an expert with appropriate education and knowledge on a given subject. This source will be more successful in changing audience opinions. Specialized sources of information are often perceived as expert sources, and are successful due to the fact that messages are aimed at selected audiences, for example the use of sports professionals as promoters for brands. The credibility of a source is also a function of its perceived status or prestige. The higher the perceived status of a source, the more persuasive it will be. If a receiver likes a source, it will be more persuasive. It is clear that age, sex, dress, mannerisms, accent and voice inflection all affect source credibility and subtly influence the way an audience judges a communicator and his/her message. A source high in credibility can change the opinion of receivers, but available evidence suggests that this influence disperses in a short time after the message is received. It has also been observed that where an audience initially receives a message from a low-credibility source, their opinion change increases over time in the direction promoted by the source. This is referred to as the sleeper effect. Another aspect of this is that when a high-credibility source is reinstated, for example by a repeat advertisement, it has been found that audience agreement with the source is higher after a period of time than if the source had not been reinstated. For a low-credibility source, reinstatement results in less agreement with the source than with no reinstatement, and it is said that under these circumstances reinstatement negates the sleeper effect. 7 Media Advertising Media advertising communicates information to a large number of recipients, paid for by a sponsor. It has three main aims: To impart information To develop attitudes To induce action beneficial to the advertiser (generally the purchase of a product or service). An advertisement for washing powder is paid for by the manufacturer to achieve greater sales; a party political broadcast aims to increase votes. It must be remembered that advertising is only one element of the communications mix, but it does perform certain parts of the communicating task faster and with greater economy and volume than other means. How large a part advertising plays depends on the nature of the product and its frequency of purchase. It contributes the greatest part when: Buyer awareness of the product is low Industry sales are rising rather than remaining stable or declining The product has features which are not obvious to the buyer The opportunities for product differentiation are strong Discretionary incomes are high A new product or new service idea is being introduced. 8 Advertising models These have been drawn from several sources, particularly psychology, and from advertising practitioners in order to explain how advertising works. 8.1 The stimulus/response formula This was used at first, later models taking into consideration the environment in which the decision to buy is made. Daniel Starch said in 1925 for an advertisement to be successful it must be seen, must be read, must be believed, must be remembered and must be acted upon. This model assumed that the advertisement is the main influence on the state of mind of the consumer in respect of the product and makes no allowance for combined or multiple effects of advertisements. 8.2 The DAGMAR philosophy Colleys DAGMAR model in 1961 (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) allows for the cumulative impact of advertisements and also maps out the states of mind consumers pass through: From unawareness to awareness; to comprehension; to conviction; to action. This is described as the marketing communications spectrum. Advertising, along with promotion, personal selling, publicity, price, packaging and distribution, move the consumer through the various levels of the spectrum as follows: Unawareness/awareness The advertisement tries to make potential customers aware of the products existence. Comprehension The customer recognizes the brand name and trademark and also knows what the product is and what it does; knowledge gained from the advertisement or from an information search prompted by it. Conviction The customer has a firm attitude, preferring a particular brand over all others. Preferences may have an emotional rather than rational basis. Action Some move is made towards purchase, thus the advertisement has been acted upon. This illustrates the concept that the purpose of advertising is to cause a change of mind leading toward purchase, but it is rare for a single advertisement to have the power to move a prospect from complete unawareness to action. Effectiveness is judged by how far an advertisement moves people along the spectrum. 8.3 The Lavidge and Steiner model This consists of a hierarchical sequence of events on six levels: Awareness Knowledge Liking Preference Conviction Purchase These steps divide behaviour into three dimensions: cognitive (the first two), affective (the second two) and motivational (the third two). Although this differs from the DAGMAR model in the number and nature of stages, there is agreement that purchase is the result of the persuasion elements, making the assumption between changes in knowledge and attitude towards a product and changes in buying behaviour there is a predictable outcome. Dissonance theory, however, illustrates a two-way relationship, with behaviour influencing attitudes as well as attitudes influencing behaviour. After making a decision to purchase, the prospect will be involved in cognitive dissonance and will actively seek information to reinforce the decision, focusing on attractive features and filtering out unfavourable data. The major implication of this is that advertising for existing brands in the repeat purchase market should be aimed at existing users to reassure them in the continuation of the buying habit at the expense of the competition. 8.4 The Unique Selling Proposition This was developed by Rosser Reeves (1961) who reported the principles his agency had adopted for 30 years. This states that the consumer remembers one key element of an advertisement a strong claim or concept. This proposition must be one that the competition does not offer, which will be recalled by the consumer and will result in purchase at the appropriate time. 8.5 The brand-image school This was led by advertising practitioner David Ogilvy who focused on non-verbal methods of communication to invest a brand with agreeable connotations aside from its actual properties in use, such as prestige and quality. It must be remembered that an advertisement is the channel through which the sponsor communicates their message. The encoded message reaches recipients, through advertising or salespeople, who then decode and absorb it either fully or partly. The quality of the transmission can be distorted by noise occurring because the receiver does not interpret the message in the way the source intended (due perhaps to differences in cultural backgrounds of the two parties). It may however be because of cognitive dissonance which occurs when peoples receipt of the message does not agree with what they previously believed. Dissonance may cause a number of different reactions by the receiver: Rejecting the message Ignoring the message Altering the previous opinion Searching for justifications The first two reactions are of course negative, and from this feedback the source may change the message or stop communicating altogether with a particular receiver who is not receptive to the sources ideas. It can, therefore, be seen that advertising does not always convert people into users of a particular product. It can, however, have a positive effect in preventing loss of users, and increasing their loyalty. 8.6 Advertising by objectives Advertising situations are so varied and unique that it is not possible to generalize about how advertising works. Any potential advertiser should therefore adopt an advertising-by-objectives approach that will make clear what they are trying to achieve, how they will achieve it and how they are going to measure its effects. Few companies give any detailed scientific thought to exactly what they are trying to achieve through advertising. Clear objectives are needed to aid operational decisions, which include: The amount to be spent on a particular campaign The content and presentation of the advertisement The most appropriate media The frequency of display of advertisements or campaigns Any special geographical weighting of effort The best methods of evaluating the effects of the advertising. Corkindale and Kennedy (1976) found that systematically setting and evaluating objectives provided the following benefits. Marketing management has to consider and define in advance what each element in the programme is expected to accomplish. An information system can be set up to monitor ongoing performance, with the nature of information required clearly defined. Marketing management will learn about the system it is operating from accumulated experience of success (and failure) and can use this knowledge to improve future performance. Majaros (1970) major study on objective setting revealed that most managers saw increasing sales or market share as their main advertising objective. In fact, this is a total marketing objective and it is unreasonable to expect to achieve this objective through advertising alone (unless it was the only element of the marketing mix used, as in direct mail and mail order businesses). Majaros study also revealed that methods of evaluation used by most companies were not relevant, and that clear, precise advertising objectives, known to all involved, would rectify this situation. The following advantages of the advertising-by-objectives approach became clear. It helps to integrate the advertising effort with other ingredients of the marketing mix, thus setting a consistent and logical marketing plan. It facilitates the task of the advertising agency in preparing and evaluating creative work and recommending the most suitable media. It assists in determining advertising budgets. It enables marketing executives and top management to appraise the advertising plan realistically. It permits meaningful measurement of advertising results. When setting objectives, all personnel in a company who have an interest in, and influence on, advertising decisions have different ideas of the purpose of advertising. The Chairman may be concerned with corporate image, whilst the Advertising Manager may see it as an investment direct toward building a brand image and increasing market share. Marketing objectives have to be separated from advertising objectives. Overall marketing objectives should be defined, and the next step is to determine the contribution that advertising can efficiently make to each of these. An advertising objective is one that advertising alone is expected to achieve. Advertising objectives should be set with the following points in mind. They should fit in with broader corporate objectives. They should be realistic, taking into account internal resources and external opportunities, threats and constraints. They should be universally known within the company, so that everyone can relate them to his or her own work and to the broader corporate objectives. They need to be flexible, since all business decisions have to be made in conditions of partial ignorance. They should be reviewed and adapted from time to time to take account of changing conditions. Setting advertising objectives should not be undertaken until all relevant information on the product, the market and the consumer is available. Consumer behaviour and motivation must be thoroughly assessed, particularly that of the companys target group of customers. The statement of an advertising objective should then make clear what basic message is intended to be delivered, to what audience, with what intended effects and the specific criteria to be used to measure success. Corkindale and Kennedy used five key words to summarize the elements of setting advertising objectives: WHAT What role is advertising expected to fulfill in the total marketing effort? WHY Why is it believed that advertising can achieve this role? (What evidence is there and what assumptions are necessary?) WHO Who should be involved in setting objectives; who should be responsible for agreeing the objectives, coordinating their implementation and subsequent evaluation? Who is the intended audience? HOW How are the advertising objectives to be put into practice? WHEN When are various parts of the programme to be implemented? When can response be expected to each stage of the programme? 9 Below-the-line promotion. The terms below-the-line promotion or communications, refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media advertising. Examples of non-media promotions are exhibitions, sponsorship activities, public relations and sales promotions such as competitions, banded packs and price promotions. Below-the-line promotions are becoming increasingly important within the communications mix of many companies, not only those involved in fmcg products, but also for industrial goods. For example dealer incentives, exhibitions and sponsorship activities are all growing in popularity. All forms of non-media communications are a form of promotion if we use the word in the broadest sense. Specific forms of below-the-line sales promotion are discussed below. 9.1 Below the line sales promotion Below the line sales promotions are short term incentives, largely aimed at consumers, but also aimed at the trade e.g. wholesalers, retailers, distributors, etc., along with company employees, usually the sales force. Over the past 20 years or so there has been greater pressure on marketing budgets and a greater demand on marketing management to achieve marketing communications objectives more efficiently. Hence marketers have been searching for a more cost-effective way to communicate with their target markets than conventional media advertising. A move to below the line promotion is one result of this. A definition of below-the-line sales promotion is given by Hugh Davidson: An immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or temporary duration. This definition highlights one important characteristic of below-the-line sales promotion that is its short term nature. Most conventional above the line advertising campaigns are medium to long term in nature. Below the line sales promotions tend to be short term in nature. Rarely does a sales promotion last for more than six months, and the majority last for much shorter periods. All promotions are variations of one basic type or another, but since the sales promotion is dynamic by nature new types will be developed in the future. The sphere of sales promotions generally include the following: Display materials (stands, header boards, shelf strips, wobblers) Packaging (coupons, premium offers, pack flashes) Merchandising (demonstrations, auxiliary sales forces, display arrangements) Direct mail (coupons, competitions, premiums) Exhibitions Industrial promotions also include the above elements, but with modifications to make them closer in type to those used by manufacturers of consumer goods for their retailers; designed to gain orders over long periods. 9.2 Sales promotion planning A full plan is needed to ensure that each stage of a promotion is reached: Analyse the problem task Define objectives Consider and/or set the budget Examine the types of promotion likely to be of use Define the support activities (e.g. advertising, incentives, auxiliaries) Testing (e.g. a limited store or panel test) Decide measurements required Plan timetable Present details to sales force, retailers, etc. Implement the promotion Evaluate the result 9.3 Advantages and disadvantages of sales promotions Advantages Easily measured response Quick achievement of objectives Flexible application Can be extremely cheap Direct support of sales force Disadvantages Price-discounting can cheapen brand image Short-term advantages only Can cause stress with retailers Difficulty in communicating brand message 9.4 The importance of sales promotion It is often difficult to know which marketing expenditures can be attributed to sales promotion. For example price reduction can cause confusion 10% off a packet of biscuits is a sales promotion, but what about price discounting by manufacturers? 10 Telephone marketing Telemarketing can be defined as any measurable activity that creates and exploits a direct relationship between supplier and customer by the interactive use of the telephone. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company define it as the marketing of telecommunications technology and direct marketing techniques. Telephone marketing can take the forms of in-coming call and out-going call. In-coming call telephone marketing usually makes use of special numbers, which enables the caller to call free-phone or at local call rates. Such campaigns are usually used in conjunction with other marketing communications tools. 11 Direct mail and direct marketing Direct mailing is the use of the postal service to distribute promotional material directly to a particular person, household or firm. It is often confused with the following related activities, which all fall under the general heading of direct marketing. Direct advertising One of the oldest methods of reaching the consumer, with printed matter being sent directly to the prospect by the advertiser, often by mail, but sometimes by through the letter box personal delivery, handing out to passers-by or left under the screen wiper of a car. Mail order Mail order advertising aims to persuade recipients to purchase a product or service by post, with deliveries being made through the mail or other carrier or through a local agent. Thus it is a special form of direct mail, seeking to complete the sale entirely by mail and being a complete plan in itself. Mail order is a type of direct mail, but not all direct mail is mail order. Direct response advertising This is a strategy of using specially designed advertisements, usually in magazines or newspapers, to invoke a direct response, such as the coupon-response press ad, which the reader uses to order the advertised product or request further information. Other variants offer money-off coupons and incentives to visit the retail outlet. The usage and acceptance of direct mail

The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakes

The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare wrote the classic play, Hamlet in the sixteenth century.   Hamlet would be a very difficult play to understand without the masterful use of foils.   A foil is a minor character in a literary work that compliments the main character through similarities and differences in personality.   The audience can identify similarities and differences between any of the characters and Hamlet, however, there are two characters that share so much in common with Hamlet that they have to be considered the most important foils in the play.   These two characters are Laertes and Fortinbras.   It is the great similarities between Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet that make the differences so obvious and therefore help to shape the character of Hamlet.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laertes is the most noticeable foil for Hamlet, because of his continual direct involvement in the play.   Laertes and Hamlet have many things in common.   Laertes and Hamlet are both educated men with a high social standing.   Hamlet is the prince of Denmark and Laertes is the son of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain.   Both Hamlet and Laertes desire revenge for the death of their fathers.   Claudius murdered Hamlet's father and Hamlet killed Laertes' father.   Hamlet and Laertes both had an undying love for Laertes' sister Ophelia.   Laertes showed his love for his sister when he warned her about seeing Hamlet.   Laertes knew that as head of the state Hamlet would be unable to choose who he married and that Ophelia would be hurt if she fell in love with him.   Hamlet had an undying love for Ophelia despite his actions and words toward her in Act III.   He shows this at Ophelia's burial when he proclaims that his love for h.. . ...one as important as that which he shares with Laertes and Fortinbras.   Both Laertes and Fortinbras, although in different ways, provided the admiration and pity needed to make Hamlet the tragic hero he was.    Sources Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 1-10. Findlay, Alison. "Hamlet: A Document in Madness." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 189-205. Goldman, Michael. "Hamlet and Our Problems." Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Ed. David Scott Kaston. New York City: Prentice Hall International. 1995. 43-55 Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128   

No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Tax dollars are your money at work.   Do you want your money to go to fund private religious schools?   Tax dollars should not fund religious education because it is a violation of the separation of church and state clause of the first amendment to the constitution. Lately we have seen proposals for vouchers.   These vouchers are public money given to low income family so they may send their kids to private schools.   Most of the schools who use this program are religious.   In the Cleveland voucher program we see there were 3,761 children are enrolled and 96 percent of those children are attending religious schools.   Also 82 percent of the participating schools were sectarian.   This voucher program was challenged in the 6th circuit court with the Simmons-Harris v. Zelman case.   It was ruled the Cleveland voucher program â€Å"clearly has the impermissible effect on promoting sectarian schools†. Voucher plans have been brought up in many different places and most of the time they seem to receive the same reactions.   They are being shot down a...

An Investigation of Avon Essay -- Business Management Studies

Introduction In this project I will undertake extensive research into a large sized business. I have previously chosen the company Avon. My research will involve the collection of both primary and secondary data. I will compete the report, which will include: * Brief background information about the business and what it does * A description of the aims and objectives of the business * An assessment of how successful the business is in meeting its objectives * An explanation of the legal structure of the business and consider how appropriate is it * An explanation of how each functional area contributes towards the aims and objectives of the organization * A detailed explanation and diagram of the organizational structure and communication channels of business * An analysis of the management style and organizational culture, that considers how they affect the performance of the business and helps meet objectives * A description of the ICT methods used for both internal and external communication * A detailed analysis of the impact of ICT upon internal and external communications of the business and consider how this affects performance of the business * An examination of how structure, management style and culture interrelate to determine the success of the business * Descriptions of the quality assurance and control systems used in the business and analyse how effective these are in adding value * A consideration of alternative methods of quality control including their potential benefits and drawbacks, and the effects it could have on functions and objectives of the business. Task A Name of business – Avon Location – Corby Brief history o... ...y the level above it. The person at the top, Andrea Jung, has overall responsibility. The director is responsible for communicating company policy and making sure it is carried out. Managers are in charge of each departments and are responsible for carrying out the director’s decisions. Their role is to organize staff and motivate them. They must be good at communication. This organisational chart is a visual image of the company. The structure indicates the flow of communication, with the director above who gives information to the various other departments with the communication flow moving down. It also shows the responsibility of individuals and who they are responsible to. For example, the sales division is responsible for the project manager section, and are accountable to the legal department, and at a higher level, the director of the company. An Investigation of Avon Essay -- Business Management Studies Introduction In this project I will undertake extensive research into a large sized business. I have previously chosen the company Avon. My research will involve the collection of both primary and secondary data. I will compete the report, which will include: * Brief background information about the business and what it does * A description of the aims and objectives of the business * An assessment of how successful the business is in meeting its objectives * An explanation of the legal structure of the business and consider how appropriate is it * An explanation of how each functional area contributes towards the aims and objectives of the organization * A detailed explanation and diagram of the organizational structure and communication channels of business * An analysis of the management style and organizational culture, that considers how they affect the performance of the business and helps meet objectives * A description of the ICT methods used for both internal and external communication * A detailed analysis of the impact of ICT upon internal and external communications of the business and consider how this affects performance of the business * An examination of how structure, management style and culture interrelate to determine the success of the business * Descriptions of the quality assurance and control systems used in the business and analyse how effective these are in adding value * A consideration of alternative methods of quality control including their potential benefits and drawbacks, and the effects it could have on functions and objectives of the business. Task A Name of business – Avon Location – Corby Brief history o... ...y the level above it. The person at the top, Andrea Jung, has overall responsibility. The director is responsible for communicating company policy and making sure it is carried out. Managers are in charge of each departments and are responsible for carrying out the director’s decisions. Their role is to organize staff and motivate them. They must be good at communication. This organisational chart is a visual image of the company. The structure indicates the flow of communication, with the director above who gives information to the various other departments with the communication flow moving down. It also shows the responsibility of individuals and who they are responsible to. For example, the sales division is responsible for the project manager section, and are accountable to the legal department, and at a higher level, the director of the company.

Scha

Problems at Perrier Perrier may well be the iconic brand in the world of mineral waters. However, regardless of the profile of the brand, the company that produces the bottled sparkling mineral water is having a tough time. It is the focus of what one commentator describes as â€Å"a vicious struggle underway for the soul of the business. The origins of the Perrier company can be traced to 1898 when a local doctor, Louis-Eugene Perrier, bought the mineral water source near Vergeze, France.The company grew steadily but demand really escalated in the late 1980s when it became highly fashionable and championed by a range of admirers including Wall Street yuppies. At its peak (1989), Perrier sold 1. 2 billion bottles (830 million in 2003), almost half to consumers in the United States. The boom years were good for the Perrier workers. Buoyant profits were associated with regular pay rises, social benefits, and extra holidays. However, in 1990, the finding of a minute trace of benzene in a bottle led to the collapse of U. S. sales.By 1992, annual output had halved and the company was close to bankruptcy. At this point it was bought for $2. 7 billion by Nestle, the world’s largest food company. Attracted by the combination of bottled water as a fast-growing business and the world’s best known mineral water brand, Nestle identified Perrier as an attractive takeover target. However, Perrier struggles to turn a profit. In 2003 its pretax profit margin on $300 million sales was only 0. 6% compared with 10. 4% for the Nestle Waters division overall. In 2004 it again recorded a loss.The Perrier factory is on a 234-acre site on the Mediterranean coastal plain near Nimes. The factory itself is rather nondescript, so much so that â€Å"from a distance it could be mistaken for a power station or auto plant. † Perrier employees work a 35-hour week and earn an average annual salary of $32,000 which is good for this part of France and relatively high for thi s industry. However, the average Perrier worker produces only 600,000 bottles a year, compared with 1. 1 million bottles at Nestle’s two other international French mineral-water brands (Vittel and Contrex).Relations between management and workers are not good. Almost all (93 percent) of Perrier’s 1,650 workers belong to the CGT, a union that is viewed by the management as consistently resisting Nestle’s attempts to improve Perrier’s financial performance. According to Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, â€Å"We have come to the point where the development of the Perrier brand is endangered by the stubbornness of the CGT. † Jean-Paul Franc, head of the CGT at Perrier, sees the situation differently. In regard to the company’s plan to cut 15 percent of its workforce he protests, â€Å"Nestle can’t do whatever it likes. He says, â€Å"There are men and women who work here†¦ Morally speaking the water and the gas stored below this ground belong to the whole region. † When, in 2004, Danone launched a new product (Badoit Rouge) that was designed to directly compete with Perrier’s new super-bubbly brand, Eau de Perrier, Perrier’s management put bottles of Badoit Rouge in the factory cafeteria. This had been done to emphasize the point to Perrier employees that they were involved in a head-to-head battle for that niche in the market.However, this act was not well received. â€Å"It was a provocation,† recalls one Perrier truck driver. â€Å"We took the bottles and dumped them in front of the factory director’s door, so he couldn’t get into his office. † QUESTIONS 1. Identify the key elements of the resistance to change described in this situation. 2. Construct a change management strategy for dealing with this situation. In so doing, identify what approach(es) to managing resistance you recommend and provide a clear justification for your choice.

Steinberg Analysis

The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the private toll of Global Competition (83-92) The model family is only a myth, nothing more. There is no such thing as a perfect family where there is no problem, no disputes and fights. As I read through â€Å"The Accordion Family', I actually feel as if the model family can only break family down and cause more disappointment in reality. In the accordion family, the kids come back to live, usually temporarily, with their parents because of financial problems or they are trying to pursue an interest that requires he help of their family.Well then, society might view the kid who is trying to pursue his own interest with the help of his family as a slob and that he/she is ruining his family by staying around doing nothing. But the only reason society would even be thinking that is because they are comparing it to a model set forth 5 decades ago. They are still basing that today's â€Å"perfect† family will still be ex actly the same as it was back then. I think that as the social, political, and economic situation of a culture and society change, the standard for a â€Å"perfect† family also change.I also put the word perfect in quotation mark, as I want to show that the word perfect has high amount of flexibility. There is no one defining perfection. The model family was a model that was set forth in the 1950 where economy was booming; optimism is high in the air. This is not the case for the 21st century, we have only recover from the great recession and maybe due to the circumstances that is provided, a family where everyone stick together, pit their effort and wealth together is actually the best solution right now.Also the model family is created for the American Culture, but hat about the Chinese culture, the Indian Culture, and the Middle Eastern Culture. Some of these cultures have the parents and the children and the children's spouse and the children's children all living togethe r. This is their definition of a perfect family. Maybe the accordion family, the boomerang kid is Just another model of the perfect family that is used by another culture. Chapter 1 â€Å"Quality Time Redefined† (93-99) I think the hidden implication of the model family is that the family supposes to spend time together.Such as playing board games after dinner, attending church on Sunday, and simply interact with each other Just that much more. The only problem with this is that these all seem to be forced. Playing board games after dinner would kind of be like playing video game together after dinner speaking on today's term. Well the model family is suppose to be the perfect happy family, but how can a family be happy if one or more member of the family is force to do stuff they do not want to be doing.Let's say I want to play Madden 08 but my mom wanted to play Dance Dance Revolution, then whatever game we play, one of us will be stuck playing a game that we did not wanted to play. I believe that a family usually knows each other well enough to know what each other's interests are. Then when there is an activity that comes up where every single-family member's interest is met, they can all Just go and enjoy the event together. I don't agree that the advancement in technology is lowering the quality of family time. If anything I think it is improving the quality of family time in a different way.Usually when my family spends family time together, it always ends in an argument or dispute because there is always someone in the group that do not want to be doing whatever we are doing. So as a matter of fact for my family, the traditional way of spending family time is actually decreasing the quality of family time. When my family Just all gathered together in a big room and do our own stuff, we all tend to go to bed happier and with out an argument. We were able to do what we wanted to do and we are still able to be around each other.On the other hand we would have been around each other but we would not have been able to do what we wanted to do. Also I think that the title of this article is completely correct on what quality time should be. I honestly believe that quality mime should be redefined. We are a nation that is constantly changing socially, politically, and technologically. The reason that families spend time playing board game 5 decades ago were because they do not have the technology we have to do other stuff together. The model of the perfect family is a model that needs to be updated for the people of the current era.Chapter 2†³Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment†(103-109) Education is a powerful tool. With it we can change those around us, modify the culture of others and push our self further than those around us. Also the education hat we have give us a sense of authority over other there we are defined by what we learn and where we go for school. Because education is highly value, th e demands for education has rise which in turn raise the price for an education with it. Since Education can be used to change the way a culture think, it can be used to control the way that a population will be.The myth of empowerment is that with education it can shaped us to be more educated and more qualified to make decisions. But the other side of the story is that with education will are only focus on a single point, the acts and the material that we have learned is so embedded in our mind that we are not flexible to changes and new ideas. In this 21st century, there has been a new rise to what determines our identity and that is education, but the myth dispute whether what we know and learn in school defines the kind of people we are.The myth of education and empowerment also say that it is a chance to provide people with a chance for equality and a decent life. The motto is that you will get rewarded for the hard work you do. This is the American dream that everyone is afte r; if you have the education, you have the empowerment to do what is beyond what you are currently doing. Chapter 2 â€Å"Idiot Nation† (121-136) To answer the chapter's first question, â€Å"NO, I do not feel like I live in a nation of idiots. † Maybe the reason I feel this way is because I'm on a campus surrounded by some of the most educated and informed people I will meet in my life. DRP.Moor's repeated used of sarcasm shows that he is angry and irritated with how uninformed the American public is. I think he is Justify in how quickly people believe what they hear especially from someone with authority. The myth said that those with higher education usually feel more empowerment to make opinion and other also perceived them with more empowerment to make opinion. This is true with a terrible side effect as DRP. Moore show here. DRP. Moore demonstrates that the public will blindly follow those with higher education even though those with higher education may not be e ducated in the field they are making an opinion about.Also those with higher education want to maintain their status of empowerment therefore they are not willing to admit when their position are in the dark. Even when they do not know what is going on they will try their best to BBS their way out of it. The myth of the education is a caving effect. The uneducated blindly follow the educated that makes uneducated opinion for the uneducated to follow. Then when the next generation come up the uneducated are making opinion that is not correct. DRP. Moore in his example demonstrated someone with prestigious education that is leading the nation, George W. Bush. George W.Bush went to Harvard and Yale therefore he must be educated, right? Well according to the myth, George W. Bush is one of the most educated and empowered to make decision, but DRP. Moore showed that even though George W. Bush had an upper education, his education might have only been Seibel because of his families influen ce. This shows that Just because someone has education does not necessarily empower him or her to make decisions. Just because someone has education does not necessarily make his or her opinion more valid. America believes that education is power, yet they do nothing to fix up the condition that their future is studying in.The myth said that America believe that a proper education is one of the most important aspect of a good future, but it is ironic how they are not even willing to turn their attention to fix up the most important tool to a DOD future. This in a way goes to show how educated the â€Å"educated† leader we have leading us is really are. The educated leader that we have in our society does not solve the problems, instead they let the problem pile up and then point finger at the one that is actually trying to make a difference. Maybe this sense of empowerment is just severely overrated.Chapter 2 â€Å"l Just Want Be Average† (151-162) The myth of educatio n and empowerment is that if we work hard, we will have a fair chance at the life that we are working hard for. If we work hard, our hard work will be repaid back to us. Well in Mike Rose's situation that is not the case, his education did not even start out by being fair. He was given an identity base on how he scored on a test and it was not even his test ironically. The myth of education and empowerment is false as not everyone get a fair chance at life despite how hard they work.The myth of empowerment is what leads to the abuse of the power of education. Education can be use to empower people with the ability to make decision or it can be a formula that is entrench into people's mind so that they are following a guideline that they are taught when they are young. This was happening in Mike Rose's vocational school. The education system did not give the kids a chance to do well in life and school. The kids are taught life skill so that when they come out they will be better to s erve society.And when it comes time to teach what really matter, it seems as if education has Just abandon them and left them behind. The myth of education and empowerment is the belief that everyone has an equal chance to empower himself or herself and further their ability to go beyond what they are currently capable of doing. Yet this is not true as the education system is the exact opposite of that. The education system tries to create ridges so that there will be those to work the lower end Jobs and those to work the managerial position. It seems as if the idea that education is fair is only a myth.Education is also the idea that it empowers us to make educated decision. Well that is Just simply Just a myth, as in Mike Rose's case, our educated leader would hire â€Å"empowered† teachers to teach the vocational class; the teachers usually would Just not care. ON the other hand McFarland, someone who is â€Å"unqualified† to teach is actually making an attempt to e ducate the kids. This really shakes the foundation that education empowered us the ability to do stuff. I think that instead of education empowering us to make decision and do stuff, it should be our action and our intent that be our empowerment.Chapter 2 â€Å"Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work† (163-179) The myth of education is that it should provide a fair chance for everyone to be accomplish in life. The idea is that if we simply work hard, we will be rewarded with for our hard work. This is not true in the American system and I can speak from personal experience. As Anyone demonstrated all of these school are separated into class by their possessed wealth, not by their capability and potential. As soon as the child of a poor family steps into school, his education will be to teach him to serve and obey order.This is not a fair chance for the child to be accomplish in life. It ironic how education is supposable to be the only way for those who are at the bott om to become those who are at the top, but in reality education is a way to push them further down and entrench a guideline so deep in their minds they will never come out of their pit. Education also empowers people to make the best decision. The teachers in the lower end school are empowered to make decision. But it seems as if their decision re harmful to those who the decision are being made for.This bring into question, are those who are educated really empower to make decision. Education is a powerful tool, but I believe that it's entanglement with empowerment corrupt the pure intent that education should truly be. When people see education as a way to power themselves with authority, then education is not use in the way it should be. This can be prove the opposite too. People with education want to maintain their authority so they use education to squash those who they believe should stay at the low end to serve them.