Change context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Change context - Essay Example For example, one may question whether a halt in the organizations operations would result in the same changes observed and the consequent associated benefits, or, while in operation, what changes are the organization seeing in its context, that need to be taken into the account. A credible answer to these questions will allow the organization identify what is important and effective this will allow the organization to develop necessary activities that seek to drive the organization to an affirmative position, and communicate its impact in a better manner. Change doesn’t usually occur in an unprecedented manner, and arriving at a reasonably acceptable form of change requires assessment and implementation of strategies meant to accomplish the organizations set goals. In most cases, organizational change results from major external driving forces that the organization has little control over, such as need for increase in productivity, significant cuts in funding and need to address new market targets, among others. Normally, in a bid to keep up with these changes that affect the organization, unprecedented changes must occur, devolving the organizations structure to newer improved standards that can keep up with the changing environment. Such evolving changes may include formulation of new policies such as changing from a highly hasty decision making entrepreneurial tendency to one which observes calm and critical planning preceding decision. Such a move, which alters in the organizations operations results to organization-wide c hange. In comparison of three advertisements seeking to find viable individuals for employment in a managerial post, all the advertisements required highly trained individuals, with an adequate educational background. Also, the duties to be tasked to the manager were quite similar, including development of new organizational ideas, planning of the organizations expenditure, identification of issues affecting the

Pricing Decision Essay Example for Free

Pricing Decision Essay Companies in their endeavor to succeed in the highly competitive and dynamic market are now considering a clear focus on their marketing strategies. This is in order that they may remain relevant in the fast changing business environment, market conditions and consumer preferences. It is important that a company considers the effects of the changes in the business environment including price variations initiated by its competitors This is best done by first analyzing the prices offered by the competitors visa vie the company’s cost structure and the competitor’s chances to change in response to the company’s new price offers (Kotler 2003. p 66). Pricing Strategies The company needs to figure out the best strategy to implement in order to achieve the optimum prices for its products. To initiate cost-cutting with a view to improve on the profitability of the company the company must have an understanding of the type of cost that it needs to manage. This will be to a large extent influenced by its style of management, sources of professional advice, the broader vision of the company’s goals, communication strategy, and company’s capitalization in relation to debt-equity ratio and the cost of borrowing (Sherman 2007. p 3-4). The company also needs to understand the several types of costs that it incurs. The various types of costs are research and development costs, the overheads and administrative costs, human capital costs including health care costs, salaries and employee benefits, infrastructure and system costs, advertising and promotional costs, fixed and variable costs, and debt-servicing costs. The bottom line is to thoroughly examine each of these cost categories and weigh their importance to the company’s business operations, consider more efficient available alternatives, and the possible implications of the cost reduction strategy (Sherman 2007. p5 9). A company such as Wal-Mart that has for years been ahead of its competitors by offering the lowest prices for its goods. Wal-Mart is able to manage favorable price cuts by implementing price cut strategies such as endeavoring to reduce its costs by pursuing a tax reduction strategy. This has been through its investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in order to exploit tax loopholes and avoid some of the taxes levied in particular states (Moore 2007. p. 2). Having accomplished the above cost reduction strategy, the company may the come up with appropriate pricing for its products. This is done by first understanding pricing methods. There are six pricing methods that would lead to an informed decision in fixing prices. These are markup pricing method, the target return pricing method, perceived value method of pricing, value based pricing, the going-rate method of pricing and the sealed-bid method of pricing (Kotler 2003. p 66). Implications of Price Cuts and Conclusion The price of the product or service is a major factor that influences customer’s purchase decision is the marketing mix. A combination of the cost reduction strategy and an appropriate pricing strategy is more likely to benefit the company and enable it attain a competitive advantage over its competitors. By adopting market responsive cost cutting strategies in the communication industry, companies in turn helped create a better way of life whereby customers are now able to communicate more often and at lower prices Salazar 2007. p. 1). This translates to increased profits to the service providers as they are able to sell more units than before. References Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Management. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Moore, M. (2007). Taxing Strategies: Always Cutting Prices, Wal-Mart Attempts to Rollback Taxes. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://walmartwatch. com/img/blog/NIMSP_tax_strategies. pdf Salazar, L. C. Cost Cutting Strategies at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. lirneasia. net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/2-lcs-shoestrings-sing-28feb07. pps Sherman, A. J. (2007). Strategies for Cutting Costs and Improving Profitability. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. sbecouncil. org/uploads/PPT%20Cost%20Cutting%20for%20Growth%20and%20Profitability. ppt

Skills and Requirements of Professional Educators Essay -- Education

Introduction: An educator is an individual whose work is to pass the required information to the students. A professional educator is effective in all they do and is responsible for the creation of an interactive learning environment. To do this, an educator should understand the requirements needed to satisfy the goals and objectives of their curriculums as well as the content. As much as the work of an educator is to disseminate the required information to the students, they also ensure that all the expectations of these students are met and if possible exceeded. An educator uses a variety of teaching strategies which includes classroom management to ensure that the purpose of education is achieved. In this paper, I will demonstrate the responsibilities, knowledge and skill required of an effective professional educator. Review of literature: A professional educator creates a positive learning environment that is conducive for all the students in the school. To do this, an educator must understand the principles of classroom management and employ these strategies as they interact with the students. The educator applies classroom organization skills to monitor the students mental, physical and social growth. Effective classroom organization skills include planning, communicating and scheduling. Planning helps an educator determine the day to day activities that needs to be carried out. Through communication, an educator tells the students exactly what will be requires of them. Effective communication allows the students to understand the goals and objectives of the curriculums that they are undertaking. Scheduling help in the proper allocation of all the available resources. Effective scheduling helps the educator to fully us... ...Five ways to encourage participation in the classroom. (2009, September 18). Retrieved from The Learning Generalist: http://www.learninggeneralist.com/2009/09/five-ways-to-encourage-participation-in.html Hannaford, A. N. (2009, December 11). INTASC Principles. Retrieved from http://audreymerrell.net/INTASC/principles.html Increasing Student Participation. (2009). Retrieved from The Teaching Center, Washington University in St. Louis: http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/increasing-student-participation School of education. (n.d.). Intrinsic Motivation. Retrieved from Purdue University Calumet: http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/vockell/edPsybook/Edpsy5/edpsy5_intrinsic.htm The Education Division. (2008, March 11). Demonstrating Skills as an Educational Facilitator. Retrieved from Lewis-Clark State College: http://www.lcsc.edu/education/teacherprep/standards/ef/shtml

Coca Cola in Belgium

1) How could the Belgium problem have damaged Coca Cola? Coca-Cola had been creating a really strong and successful image, and people had great sympathy for the brand. But because of the Belgian scandal, the credibility of the umbrella brand was being doubted. First of all, customers (mainly from Belgium and France at the beginning) were scared of drinking Coca-Cola products. For example, parents did not want their kids to get contaminated. More so, the brand was not giving a specific reason for these incidents, and by not reacting soon enough the quality of their products was at stake.Because of that, the Belgian government imposed strict hygienic conditions to recover the right to sell their products again. Therefore, the rest of European countries had an â€Å"excuse† to distrust the brand, even if the Belgian authorities reacted a bit extremely due to the former chicken crisis. Suppliers and distributors around Europe were also impacted. Coca-Cola, as a global brand, had h ad to trust its bottlers to follow the quality values the company held, but this scandal challenged the current control of Coca-Cola over its supplier's plants.But these suppliers also were scared of the consequences of their relationship with Coca-Cola in this crisis. Coca-Cola also suffered a financial impact because of this crisis. The withdrawal of their products had a negative impact on the second quarter net income of the year 1999, with a decrease of 21%. Not only that, but the cost of the entire operation escalated to $103 million. All around the world investors were afraid of the money invested in the company, and this affected a decrease of the share value on Wall Street.The competitors saw this crisis as an opportunity, and increased their promotion in order to steal part of Coca-Cola's market share. They took advantage of Coca-Cola's weak image during those days to claim their own high quality. Despite all of this damage during June and July (partly due to the slow react ion of Coca-Cola), by the beginning of August the core users of Coca-Cola brands had regained the same purchasing intent than before the crisis. Hence, we can conclude that even if there was a big impact in the short term, this crisis did not affect the image of the company in the long term. ) Is the problem solely limited to Belgium? Solely to Europe? Or is it a global problem? It is worth mentioning that this was the first crisis of these characteristics that Coca-Cola suffered. Until then, it had been the most famous and successful global company, but a located problem in a relatively small country as Belgium had repercussions in Wall Street. It is true that the center of Europe was the most affected area for this problem: the cases of sickness were reported in Belgium and in France only, but it also affected the rest of the European market (Luxemburg and Dutch, for example.It even made the European Commission involved, which recriminated the company for not giving enough explana tions. However, it was not only the Eurpean market who was affected: they reported a worldwide loss of 1% of sales, and during 10 days they lost a 13% in share value. Therefore, the Atlanta Headquarter had to react, and Douglas Ivester (CEO) had to make a public international apologies. Nevertheless, Coca-Cola is produced locally rather than globally, so they could have reduced this global impact by informing about the production and distribution process.In conclusion, the brand image and reputation of Coca-Cola was affected globally, but especially in Europe, as it is where it had direct impact. Although thanks to Coca-Cola's strength, its global profitability only received a short term impact. 3) Is it feasible for the company to regain its image? In this particular case, we already know that Coca-Cola was able to regain its image. But it is interesting to see what were the reasons of the recovery, and whether they can be used by other companies.First of all, this crisis started a s a phenomenon of mass hysteria, which happen periodically. They tend to have huge impact in the short term, but the long term is barely affected. Most recent example would be the avian flu, which had few casualties but caused a great disturbance. Second, the company had more than enough resources, the know-how and the influence to regain the confidence of its stakeholders through communication. After all, they were highly regarded by most consumers and markets, and recognized as a global, â€Å"caring† brand.Third, we have now (not that much in Coca-Cola's particular case) the example of other global brands that had comparable problems and were able to recover, through both communication and other acts. One very well known problem was that of Nike, and the whole scandal of child labor during the 90's and early 00's. They reacted fast, and instead of trying to cover it up, admitted it and acted in order to end the problem, and convince their stakeholders that they had 4) If y ou had to design an advertising campaign, what objective would you propose? And what actions other than advertising would you undertake?The scandal suffered in Belgium was also a reason for European authorities (and each country's authorities) to expose their doubts about Coca-Cola. Thus it would be advised to have an all-around campaign to prove the company's integrity and its commitment on social responsibility in front of all of the stakeholders, not only the consumers. Some ideas we discussed that could be included in this campaign during the hysteria are the following: * The crisis was directly linked to Coca-Cola cans. Because of that, Coca-Cola should promote bottles rather than cans.Unconsciously the human brain would not link the bottles with the crisis. * The main focus of the campaign should be on emotional arguments, as functional arguments are compromised. * Similar to the first idea, prevent damage over other brands (Fanta, Nestea) by advertising them individually, so the consumers do not link them directly to Coca-Cola. These communications could be supported with PR. If we can convince the media of the commitment on quality, positive comments will help calm down the consumers and minimize the impact of the hysteria.John Emsley's article in The Independent is the perfect example of of how this comments can benefit Coca-Cola. Some ideas we discussed that could be changed in the company after the hysteria are the following: * Redefine the company's mission, to better show commitment with its stakeholders and with social corporate responsibility. * More collaboration with local governments on social projects. * Stronger conditions for suppliers, or stronger control over them, in order to make it harder for these crisis to appear.

Are gender differences socially shaped?

a) The term androgyny is the meaning for a person who uses both male and female characteristics. b) Content analysis is the analysing of different communications and the sort of message they're giving out. An example of this is a study of British TV adverts conducted by Manstead and McCulloch in 1981. They found evidence that stereo-typing of the male and female role was significant and that because of this, the adverts are likely to play an active part in shaping cultural attitudes towards women. c) One study in which the experimental method was used was by Money & Erhardt (1972). They were interested in seeing whether a boy who's identity had been changed would develop as a biological male or, because of his new identity, a male. They could compare this with his identical twin brother. The method was that due to an accident during surgery, this child of 7 months suffered injuries to his genitals so badly that the doctors advised to the parents that he should be castrated and given plastic surgery to create a female appearance. During adolescence, the hormone oestrogen was given to the child (known as Joan) to encourage breast development. Money monitored the behaviour of Joan until early adolescence. The results were that Joan did in fact develop as a normal female. She assumed a traditional female identity and was far more feminine than her identical twin brother. The conclusion to this experiment is that if it was presented in the nature vs. nurture debate, nurture would win in this case. Even though Joan was a biological male, the results showed that Joan developed a female gender identity. d) The use of cross-cultural research to investigate gender differences is essentially to point the differences in cultures by environmental factors, shaping the development of gender identity. Mead (1935) conducted a study of three societies to see whether there were differences in gender roles looking at the nature vs. nurture idea. She went to New Guinea for six months to study ‘The Arapesh' who lived in the mountains, ‘The Mundugamor' who lived by the riverside and ‘The Tchambuli' who lived on the lakeside. She wasn't campring the differences between the three groups, but the differences of their culture compared to traditional Western culture. Her results showed that The Arapesh showed that there were similarities between themselves and Western society, although they were more interested in the community than reaching their own individual targets. The Mundugamor showed traits that were described as masculine. Both males and females were ‘fierce' and ‘cannibalistic'. The Tchambuli had very obvious gender roles, although they were the reverse of the West; men were more artistic and women held more status and economic power. Her conclusion to this was that culture is the major socialising and conditioning agent, particularly in the early years. There's no relationship between biological sex and gender role. Although this has been a hugely studied work, there is some criticisms that should be brought up. She was very young when she produced this study, so she was with little life experience and her judgement may have been influenced and slightly ‘over-the-top' in places. She was known to have believed strongly in the idea that the environment is a major factor in shaping gender roles. Mead only spent six months in these places, so didn't get the full yearly cycle. Errington and Gewertz (1989) recognised all of these problems and went to do the same study that Mead had done over 50 years before them. They went to the Tchambuli and recognised that women didn't diominate men, nor did men dominate women. They believed that Mead being a women and experiencing what she may have thought ‘unfair' at the time in 1930's Western culture, may have changed her idea of what she was observing. Despite the flaws, this was still a great study that used cross-cultural research to investigate gender differences. In conclusion, I think that cross-cultural studies into gender differences has certainly provided a lot of evidence over the years to show that gender differences are a socially shaped. Traditions and values certainly shape cultural ideas, but maybe due to the nature of evolution, what might appear to be social to us, may now be biological within our bodies, so it would be harder for us to change our ways that we live.

Search Draft Registration Records (Cards) From WWII

Search Draft Registration Records (Cards) From WWII Millions of men living in America completed draft registration cards between 1940 and 1943 as part of the WWII draft. The majority of these draft cards are not yet open to the public for privacy reasons, but almost 6 million WWII draft cards completed during the fourth registration by men between the ages of 42 and 64 in 1942 are open to the public  for research. This registration, known as the Old Mans Draft, provides a great deal of information on the men who participated, including their full name, address, physical characteristics, and date and place of birth. Note: Ancestry.com has started to make World War II draft cards from the 1-3 registrations, and 5-6 registrations available online in a new database U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929. As of  July 2014, the database  includes registrations filled out by men in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Record Type:  Draft registration cards, original records (microfilm and digital copies also available) Location:  U.S., although some individuals of foreign birth are also included. Time Period:  1940–1943 Best For:  Learning the exact date of birth and place of birth for all registrants. This can be especially useful for research of foreign-born men who never became naturalized U.S. citizens. It also provides a source for tracking individuals after the 1930 U.S. census. What is a WWII Draft Registration Record? On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act authorized the President to temporarily increase the U.S. military. Under the office of the Provost Marshal General, the Selective Service System was established to draft men into military service. Local boards were created for each county or similar state subdivision, and for every 30,000 people in cities and counties with a population greater than 30,000. During World War II there were seven draft registrations: October 16, 1940 - all men 21-31 years residing in the U.S. - whether native born, naturalized, or alienJuly 1, 1941 - men who reached age 21 since the first registrationFebruary 16, 1942 - men 20-21 and 35-44 years of ageApril 27, 1942 - Men 45-64 years of age. Not liable for military service. *Only draft cards open to publicJune 30, 1942 - Men 18-20 years of ageDecember 10-31, 1942 - Men who reached the age of 18 since the previous registrationNovember 16 - December 31, 1943 - American men living abroad, aged 18-44 What You Can Learn From WWII Draft Records: Keep in mind that WWII Draft Registration Records are not military service records - they dont document anything past the individuals arrival at training camp and contain no information about an individuals military service. It is also important to note that not all of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military, and not all men who served in the military registered for the draft. How to Search the WWII Draft Registration Records If youre searching online and dont know where your individual was living, you can sometimes find him through other identifying factors. Many individuals registered by their full name, including middle name, so you might try searching for a variety of name variations. You could also narrow the search by month, day and/or year of birth.

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Training

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Training The Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) credential is usually the first Microsoft title earned by certification seekers– but it’s not for everybody. Here’s what you need to know: MCP Is the Easiest Microsoft Credential to Obtain The MCP title only requires passing a single test, normally an operating system test like Windows XP or Windows Vista. That means it takes the least amount of time and money to get.That does not mean, however, that it’s a breeze. Microsoft tests a lot of knowledge, and it will be difficult to pass the exam without some time in a helpdesk or network environment. The MCP Is for Those Who Want to Work on Windows Networks There are other Microsoft certifications for those who want to work in other areas of IT: for example, databases (Microsoft Certified Database Administrator – MCDBA), software development (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer – MCSD) or high-level infrastructure design (Microsoft Certified Architect – MCA).If your goal is to work with Windows servers, Windows-based PCs, end users and other aspects of a Windows network, this is the place to start. Gateway to Higher-Level Certifications The MCP is often the first stop on the road to the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) credentials. But it does not have to be. Plenty of folks are happy to get the single certification and have no need, or desire, to move up. But the upgrade path to the MCSA and MCSE is easy, since the test you have to pass will count toward the other titles.Since the MCSA requires passing four tests, and the MCSE takes seven, getting the MCP will a) Get you that much closer to your goal and b) Help you decide if this type of certification, and career, is for you. It Leads Most Often to an Entry-Level Job Hiring managers often look for MCPs to work on a corporate helpdesk. MCPs also find jobs in call centers, or as first-tier support technicians. In other words, it’s a foot in the door to a good IT career. Don’t expect IBM to hire you as a system administrator after waving your MCP paper in someone’s face.Especially in a tough economy, IT jobs can be scarce. But having a Microsoft certification on your resume can help give you an edge over non-certified candidates. A prospective employer knows you have a base level of knowledge, and the drive to gain knowledge of your prospective, or current, field. The Average Pay Is High According to the latest salary survey by respected website mcpmag.com, an MCP can expect a salary of around $70,000. That’s not bad at all for a single-test certification.Keep in mind that those figures take many factors into account, including years of experience, geographic location and other certifications. If you’re a career-changer and getting your first job in IT, your salary will quite likely be substantially less than that.Consider all these factors when deciding whether or not to go for the MCP title. MCPs are well-respected in IT shops, and have skills that can help them on their way to lucrative, satisfying careers.

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion

Acute Problems in Regard to Modern Society and Religion Young Pope - Young Religion The religion question is always under active discussion. People argued from the ancient times about different religious trends and beliefs. Our history faced even long and bloody wars, which were started, basing on the religious background. So if you are not from a religious family and came across a course of religion at university, it can become a complicated affair to sort all those things out. As in any matter of such serious kind it is discussed from different points of view and with the providing all kind of various factors. To write an appropriate essay or to prepare an informative report, one should sweat over a large scope of informational resources. Religion as a strong manipulative mechanism Unfortunately, most of the historical events, which humanity have faced and which have more or less relation to religion, were often a speculation of the people being in the pursuit of power and authority. It can be easily understood, if you read original religious literature. Thus, the statements written, for example, in the Bible encourage us not to do murder, not to steal, etc. So, the religion by itself has the peaceable and kind thoughts and beliefs, which are aimed to make a person better and harmonious. But at the same time it can be an effective tool for the manipulation of the hundreds or even thousands of righteous minds. Thus, the modern cinematographic embodiment of the intrigues in the higher religious circles is displayed in the English-language Italian television drama series, called â€Å"Young Pope†. This story can be to some extend disappointing, since if the serving in the church people can undertake such affairs, what we can wait from the ordinary people, who have so many temptations. Nevertheless, the strong and independent pope appears to become a real leader and nipped the desired manipulations in the bud. So if you want to start exploring religious questions, you can begin with the films like â€Å"Young Pope†. Of course, you cannot be able to study this theme in such a way, but through it you can prepare yourself for serious and often contradictory resources and books in religion. Developing brands and branches With every year such religions as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism give a lot of branches and newly created religious groups. People interpret beliefs in some other manner, create their own churches and gather the followers. We should admit that there is nothing bad in this fellowships and groups, if people have peaceful and positive goals, though the main churches often do not confess these branches. Along with the numerous religious filiations, there are a lot of groups and pseudoreligions, arranged by swindlers. They use the religious background and psychological methods for personal profit, most often the financial one. While surfing with an objective to learn about religion more or just receiving invitations to join some religious group, be sure to find out everything at first. Nowadays, there are a lot of examples, when people, who wanted to lead a righteous being, were coaxed out of their money or were trapped into the physical or moral slavery. New age –new problems The life of the society and moral principles differ with each decade. It is hard to imagine our grandmother to talk about the official recognition of homosexual marriage. But for our time such things become more and more common. There is the democracy in the social life of the people, so very often we hear the same question towards religious institutions and representatives. Besides, such questions are also raised in the â€Å"Young Pope† and a lot of other films. Perhaps, it is the question, which disturbs a lot of people and democracy fighters in our society, so that is why it is so relevant. Besides, young pope can better realize all similar problems, since he is a representative of the modern generation and understands the opinions, which are generated by the youth. Thus, you can see that the questions and issues concerning religion are very difficult and ambiguous. Anyway, respect all religions and people, since no matter what religion they adhere, the thing, which really matters, is our human qualities and open-heartedness.

Nursing Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Education - Essay Example Further it will seek to discuss the current system of nursing education, post graduate (masters) education and reflections on nursing education in Kenya and Ireland. Nursing in Kenya before 1950s was being operated by individuals who had no structure that was convectional; this was based on the fact that poverty level was high. As the result of the poverty level, it was impossible to train and equip nurses with the required nursing practices. The fact that nursing lacked convectional structure meant that government support was not offered and thus nobody could stand and call for national strike which would pressure the government to support nursing organizations (Chinn, 1994 p 30). The well wishers from the United Kingdom provided running support and thus pressure mounted and effort to have legislation on nursing started. It was in 1983 when the first documented legislation Nurses Act Cap 257 was passed by all the nurses’ council of Kenya so that their right and demand could be aired in a manner that was respectable. In 1980s, Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse (KRCHN) was registered and the aim was to train the nurses so as to provide comprehensive care to the entire communities who were supposed to be served. In 1990s diseases which were complex like cancer, HIV/AIDS among others started to emanate. This made cap257 to be emphasized on to make sure that nurses were equipped and effectively trained. In Ireland, the political and legislative act dates back in 1900 where nursing was developed earlier due to the government and other stakeholders support. The first legislation in Ireland was passed in 1919 while in Kenya it was passed in 1950s which was termed as Nurses Registration Act which was later known as Nursing Council for Ireland (Kelly and Joel, 1996 p 97). The act ensured that practices and other high professional competence in nursing were

Media Production - This is England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Media Production - This is England - Essay Example The continuous whisper of ‘war’, soulful blast, and meaningless foreign conflict, which are undertaken for hidden desires and the obscured racism, are a clear reminder of England’s past (Brussat 2013) Location This Is England was entirely filmed in the East Midlands, an irregular landscape of flatlands and estate buildings with poor infrastructure development. Most of the movie’s shooting was done in the residential areas at Nottingham, Lenton, and some parts of St Ann’s. Meadow’s movie production history demonstrates the utilization of countryside region to form spectacular film background. Similarly, Meadow’s in his movie â€Å"This Is England† concentrates much on the countryside as part of the flat landscape, which portrays much of unemployment and few chances of self-development. This environment gives the viewer a chance to meet Shane Meadow’s in his boyhood age of twelve years whose father perishes in the war agains t Argentina (Goldsmith 2006) Themes The death of Shaun father leaves him exposed to tyrants in the streets and school compound whereby one moment a garrulous skinhead schoolmate takes him off course. The fact that Shaun kept his own counsel worsens his anger making it tough for him to get well with other boys, which leads to a lonely self-life in the firsts scenes of the movie. With time, Shaun finds unusual friends who have no taste for education and spent most of their time in criminal activities such as excessive drinking and street fights. Shaun gets a strange haircut to please the gang of skinheads that was much focused on racial antagonism. Fortunately, a conflict arises over the leadership of the gang leading the head of the gang, Woody, to split. Combo an ex-convict takes the readership of the opposing group that seemed to possess racism. The arrival of Combo from prison changes the plot whereby Combo’s numerous fights with blacks in jail led to his acquisition of bel ligerency experience. Combo’s comeback draws boundaries in the gang’s union whereby he challenges the skinheads led by Woody to guard England against external influence and encourages Milky to behave more like an Englishman and not just like a Jamaican (IMDb 2007). During the leadership struggle of the gang, Shaun turns on the side of Combo with a conviction that his father did not die in vain after, which he is trained on combat as well as survival for the fittest techniques. Considerably, â€Å"This Is England† title of the movie and Combo’s entreaty reveal the actual nature of England’s politics and cultural background. A great embrace of English heritage, as brought out by the Combo, shows a sense of social purity and racism. On the other hand, the viewer is able to view England that is struggling to be recognized as being in a mixed state and assimilated by colonial influences, which erode the native English culture and mix it with that of the irs (Goldsmith 2006). However, Meadow’s plot concentrates on the theme where the struggle for heritage gives birth to racism. In a later scene, national front meeting attended by British farmers and factory workers is clandestinely arranged behind a pub, which becomes one of the most scaring parts of the film that is full of engraved terror on what would be the next scene (French 2006) The spilt gang leaders, Combo and Woody, are able to care for honest and bullying skinhead boy under their reign.  

Prove how a more Community feel to college and more social events can Research Paper

Prove how a more Community feel to college and more social events can lead to higher grades - Research Paper Example These influences may not be exactly related to academics but drift towards an individual’s more personal realm involving their lifestyle and mind-frame while attending these academic institutions. One of these influences is the general feel of the academic institute/college that a person is attending (Brick 23). The ability of the college to provide a more comfortable environment for their students through initiating a â€Å"community feel† around the college is one way that a tertiary institution may be able to assist their students in improving their grades. Problem Definition Tertiary education can be said to be the trickiest part of the academic system as in most cases it is usually meted out in different circumstances than those that individuals had become accustomed to in their past academic experiences (Hanushek 74). This is largely due to the fact that this can be referred to as the final stage of traditional education and thus the environment the student is sub jected is more in tune with the post academic structure they will find after they graduate (Brick 15). This is to say that in college, students are treated more like the adults they will be when released to the world. However this change in scenery may affect individuals negatively as they may find it difficult to cope with the switch leading to a drop in their grades. The drop may be significant or barely noticeable depending on the individual but nonetheless the problem has to be faced in a bid to come up with ways that students are able to improve their grades in college. The more traditional solutions may not work at this time as the environment may not be suitable to cultivate success and thus more conventional methods may be needed. For instance increased study may not work as well as there is no one present to monitor whether an individual has actually increased their level of studying (Pashler 56). Whereas in previous situations such as high school and below there is usually an authoritative figure observing the studying habits of an individual be it a teacher or a parent and thus one is felt compelled to read when they know they are being monitored. However, college brings about a different atmosphere where there is usually no authoritative figure to monitor ones actions (this is usually due to the freedom that comes with moving out of the house.) and thus another source of motivation may have to be found if one wishes for improved grades. This can be seen by the drop in grades of an individual after they have cleared high school and have moved on to college. This is especially true in what can be referred to as the â€Å"non –elite† institutions and mainly consists of community colleges and various institutions on a similar level. The elite institutions (in this case would include schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Brown) may fall out of this category of a drop in grades as the pressure is still there for those who join such institution s to perform (Hanushek 83). The various individuals attending college can be seen as a community and thus a role should be taken up by a member of this particular community to attempt to improve the academic results of the institution in general through finding out ways in which colleges can bring about a more â€Å"

Implications of Cars Running on Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Implications of Cars Running on Oil - Essay Example To save time, people head to their office on a personal car. This has, however, put much burden on economy and environment. While all the cars and transportation vehicles depend on oil, it is more likely that over the next decade the world will not have enough oil to fulfill the needs of cars. Â  Scientists have been looking for alternative fuel and combination of fuel which can reduce the burden on oil. There are many combinations of liquids that can be used along with oil to reduce the oil usage but the materials that can work well with oil in a mixture are all derived from food crops. This will lead to a burden on food crops and will affect the prices of the food items badly. Depending on food crops for food and as well as for transportation will put heavy burden and prices will soar so much that both will end up being not affordable. High prices will also increase the current food deficit all over the world. Many countries will not be able to provide the first basic necessity to their people which are food. This means adding a mixture of fuel to the equation and keeping the same ICE will not solve the problem over the next decades, it will only worsen it. This means that the initiative taken to completely eliminate the oil from the equation can solve the problem. Â  Many companies are working to invent batteries that can support EV (Electronic Vehicles), an idea which was dropped in the 19th century due to the dependence of EV on batteries which can only last 50 miles and needed replacement of battery very soon. There are also manufacturers who are reducing the car weight by replacing steel which helps in increasing efficiency of the cars running on any other fuel or material other than oil.

Identify and Evaluate the Sources of Long-Term Finance Available to Essay

Identify and Evaluate the Sources of Long-Term Finance Available to the Company - Essay Example Thirdly, the result from the previous estimation will be analyzed. Finally, this study will give recommendation on how the project should be financed if the board of director decides to carry out the project. TASK 1: Estimate the Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Made-Up PLC The author will now undertake the estimation of the company’s weight average cost of capital (WACC) by estimating the cost of capital from each financial source of the company. The company currently has three long-term sources of finance, which are ordinary shares, preference shares and bond issuance. 1: The Cost of Ordinary Shares, Ko The company has 4,600m of ordinary shares currently sold on the market at ?1.55 per share. Hence, the market value of ordinary shares is: 1.55 * 4,600m = ?7,130m One method which can be used to estimate the cost of ordinary shares is Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). ... Hence, the rate of return on long term (10 years) UK government Bond will be used for this case. According to the data from Bloomberg, the rate was quote as 2.35% (Bloomberg, 2011). In estimating a beta (?) for the company, there are two estimation methodologies, using a ? of an existing firm in the same line of business and averaging ?s of several companies in the same industry. In this analysis, the ? is derived from that of an existing firm with similar capacity to Made-UP Plc’s. This estimation has an advantage over the average ? methodology since firms within the same industry could have very different ?s and the resulted ? could be unpredictable and unsuitable to Made-UP Plc’s. Since Made-UP Plc’s and TESCO are ones of the largest firms in the industry and have very similar lines of business, the TESCO’s beta will be used for this case, which is 0.7546 (Financial times, 2011). In the case of risk premium, the figure is taken from an empirical study b y Fernandez and Campo (2010). They investigated the average market risk premium used by analysts and companies in the UK in 2010. The result indicated that the average market risk premium used by analysts was 5.2 and 5.6 for the companies. The author will use 5.2 for this case. According to the figures above, the cost of ordinary share can be calculated as follows, The cost of ordinary shares = 2.35 + (0.7551 * 5.2) = 6.28% 2: The Cost of Preference Shares, Kp The company has 150m of irredeemable ?1 nominal preference shares with coupon rate of 5%, payable annually. The shares are currently selling at ?0.68 per share. Hence, the market value of preference shares is: 150m * ?0.68 = ?102m The Cost of preference shares can be calculated by

Exercise and sport Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exercise and sport Genetics - Essay Example lear families provided the earliest data to on the heritability of variations in fitness-related traits (Bouchard, Leon, Rao, Skinner, Wilmore, & Gagnon, 1995). In these studies, 130 two-generation families were monitored for different responses to an aerobic exercise program implemented for twenty weeks. Oxygen uptake, stroke volume, cardiac output, and exercise heart rate response to training were found to be heritable. Genetics was also found to influence other variables such as skeletal muscle strength and performance, muscle adaptation to endurance exercise, explosive power, muscle strength, and their response to training. Segregation analysis showed that mostly single genes are responsible for phenotypic variation in some traits like oxygen uptake at the ventilator threshold (Feitosa, et al., 2002). These findings have resulted in the identification of polymorphisms and genetic loci that contribute to human physical performance. Genome-wide linkage analyses and genetic associations identified cardiorespiratory and skeletal muscle performance genes. Studies using the HERITAGE family cohort (Bouchard et al. 1995) identified linkage peaks associated with genetic variation in maximal oxygen uptake, power output, exercise stroke volume, blood pressure, body fat distribution, glucose and insulin metabolism (MacArthur & North, 2005). Association studies have further identified three candidate genes involved with cardiorespiratory function. The first was CKMM, which encodes for the cytosolic muscle isoform of creatine kinase, is responsible for the rapid regeneration of ATP during intensive muscle contraction. This gene was associated with exercise performance (Rivera, et al., 1997). Second was the angiotensinogen gene, AGT, M235T missense polymorphism, which has positive association with several measures of cardiorespiratory performance (McCole, et al., 2002). Missense polymorphisms in the ADRB2 gene for the ÃŽ ²2 -adrenergic receptor were also found to be associated

Identify and Evaluate the Sources of Long-Term Finance Available to Essay

Identify and Evaluate the Sources of Long-Term Finance Available to the Company - Essay Example Thirdly, the result from the previous estimation will be analyzed. Finally, this study will give recommendation on how the project should be financed if the board of director decides to carry out the project. TASK 1: Estimate the Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Made-Up PLC The author will now undertake the estimation of the company’s weight average cost of capital (WACC) by estimating the cost of capital from each financial source of the company. The company currently has three long-term sources of finance, which are ordinary shares, preference shares and bond issuance. 1: The Cost of Ordinary Shares, Ko The company has 4,600m of ordinary shares currently sold on the market at ?1.55 per share. Hence, the market value of ordinary shares is: 1.55 * 4,600m = ?7,130m One method which can be used to estimate the cost of ordinary shares is Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). ... Hence, the rate of return on long term (10 years) UK government Bond will be used for this case. According to the data from Bloomberg, the rate was quote as 2.35% (Bloomberg, 2011). In estimating a beta (?) for the company, there are two estimation methodologies, using a ? of an existing firm in the same line of business and averaging ?s of several companies in the same industry. In this analysis, the ? is derived from that of an existing firm with similar capacity to Made-UP Plc’s. This estimation has an advantage over the average ? methodology since firms within the same industry could have very different ?s and the resulted ? could be unpredictable and unsuitable to Made-UP Plc’s. Since Made-UP Plc’s and TESCO are ones of the largest firms in the industry and have very similar lines of business, the TESCO’s beta will be used for this case, which is 0.7546 (Financial times, 2011). In the case of risk premium, the figure is taken from an empirical study b y Fernandez and Campo (2010). They investigated the average market risk premium used by analysts and companies in the UK in 2010. The result indicated that the average market risk premium used by analysts was 5.2 and 5.6 for the companies. The author will use 5.2 for this case. According to the figures above, the cost of ordinary share can be calculated as follows, The cost of ordinary shares = 2.35 + (0.7551 * 5.2) = 6.28% 2: The Cost of Preference Shares, Kp The company has 150m of irredeemable ?1 nominal preference shares with coupon rate of 5%, payable annually. The shares are currently selling at ?0.68 per share. Hence, the market value of preference shares is: 150m * ?0.68 = ?102m The Cost of preference shares can be calculated by

Social intelligence class the name of the bock social intelligence the Essay

Social intelligence class the name of the bock social intelligence the new science of success for Karl Albrecht - Essay Example thus grouping people accordingly as well as understanding how the groups and societies map the environment in terms of ecological, social and personal thereby, establish a structure to aid in group decision making as well as revealing the views of participants. c) Performance prediction. Basing on the social intelligence test concept, people with low social intelligence are more suited to low customer contact roles because they may not necessarily posses the social competencies required for the success of frontline office duties. On the other hand, those with high social intelligence are considerately skilled socially and thus can communicate or contract directly with other people. d) Creating interaction strategies. By understanding social intelligence, it helps on to understand the dynamics of dealing with others for exampling assessing the impact of one person’s behavior on other people thus strengthening the ability to get along with others. One becomes socially successful by learning how to deal with others and interact with new behaviors. e) Helps leaders to enhance their leadership competencies. Some of the competencies that can be learnt in improving leadership include self confidence, the drive to improve performance, staying calm under pressure and having a generally positive outlook. In dealing with a family member with a toxic personality so as to affect the impact of their negative personality on your own personality, the following approaches can be undertaken.You need to acknowledge that their pain, upset and unhappiness is their own and not yours. This will help you not to believe in what they do or say.second is getting positive about yourself. When things are not better it is good to remain positive. This will make those around feel better and as well can influence the negative personality to feel positive. In addition, be firm and declare your stand about not being well with negativity. For example one can make use of comments such as

Book of Acts Essay Example for Free

Book of Acts Essay The Book of Acts The book of Act was written by Saint Luke. The date of the writing is uncertain, but most scholars favor the period 8-90 A. D. Some people think that Acts represents normative guidelines for the New Testament church for all times. In this view I think it is agreeable for the book of acts just shows the ideal church with corresponding beliefs and values. This kind of church should be present to all even up to the present times. This book, in which St. Luke records the actions of the apostles, particularly of St. Peter and St. Paul, (whose companion in travel he was,) is as it were the centre between the Gospel and the Epistles. It contains, after a very brief re-capitulation of the evangelical history, a continuation of the history of Christ, the event of his predictions, and a kind of supplement to what he had before spoken to his disciples, by the Holy Ghost now given unto them. It contains also the seeds, and first stamina of all those things, which are enlarged upon in the epistles. The Gospels treat of Christ the head. The Acts show that the same things befell his body; which is animated by his Spirit, persecuted by the world, defended and exalted by God. In this book is shown the Christian doctrine, and the method of applying it to Jews, heathens, and believers; that is, to those who are to be converted, and those who are converted: the hindrances of it in particular men, in several kinds of men, in different ranks and nations: the propagation of the Gospel, and that grand revolution among both Jews and heathens: the victory thereof, in Spite of all opposition, from all the power, malice, and wisdom of the whole world, spreading from one chamber into temples, houses, streets, markets, fields, inns, prisons, camps, courts, chariots, ships, villages, cities, islands: to Jews, heathens, magistrates, generals, soldiers, eunuchs, captives, slaves, women, children, sailors: to Athens, and at length to Rome. Others view it as only descriptive for the 1st century church. Descriptive in the sense that it only describes the pattern and how the church worked during that period of time. The term Acts is not used, as it is sometimes with us, to denote decrees or laws or having to describe it, but it denotes the doings of the apostles. It is a record of what the apostles did in founding and establishing the Christian church. It is worthy of remark, however, that it contains a record of the doings of Peter and Paul. Peter was commissioned to open the doors of the Christian church to both Jews and Gentiles, and Paul was chosen to bear the gospel especially to the pagan world. As these two apostles were the most prominent and distinguished in founding and organizing the Christian church, it was deemed proper that a special and permanent record should be made of their labors. While some think that it is both a normative guidelines and a description of the church of the 1st century. At the beginning of the book the author states his purpose and that is to explain to Theophilus, and to the world, how Christianity arose and began its sweep across the earth. By this time Christianity appeared to be on the way to becoming a world religion, and some account of its beginning was needed so that it might appeal to cultured and learned people. It talks about the Day of Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit; the apostles take the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. The title is misleading, for Acts is not a record of all the original disciples of Jesus. The book gives the early history of Christianity from Christ’s ascension outside Jerusalem to Paul’s visit in Rome. Chapters 1-12 stress the work of Peter in Judea and nearby lands, mainly among Jews. Chapters 13- 28 tell of the far- ranging missionary preaching of Paul, mainly to gentiles. In my opinion it is a normative guideline for the New Testament church. In the book of Acts, it is shown how the people and the believer should act before God. All antiquity is unanimous in ascribing this book to Luke as its author. It is repeatedly mentioned and quoted by the early Christian writers, and without a dissenting voice is mentioned as the work of Luke. The same thing is clear from the book itself. It professes to have been written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, Ac 1:1; was addressed to the same person, and bears manifest marks of being from the same pen. It is designed evidently as a continuation of his Gospel, as in this book he has taken up the history at the very time where he left it in the Gospel, Ac 1:1, 2. It also shows that the Holy Spirit is really with His people if they will ask from it, for the Holy Spirit will be their comforter and friend. The church nowadays should be guided by the Holy Spirit for a strong foundation. The gospel should be well delivered and evangelized throughout the world by the believers. They should acts upon what is right just like what Paul and Peter did in the book of Acts where in they weren’t afraid to spread the good news among all people. This book has commonly been regarded as a history of the Christian church, and of course the first ecclesiastical history that was written. But it cannot have been designed as a general history of the church. Many important transactions have been omitted. It gives no account of the church at Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul; it omits his journey into Arabia, Gad 1:17; gives no account of the propagation of the gospel in Egypt, or in Babylon, 1Pe 5:13; of the foundation of the church at Rome; of many of Pauls voyages and shipwrecks, 2Co 11:25; and omits to record the labors of most of the apostles, and confines the narrative chiefly to the transactions of Peter and Paul. References: 1. Book of Acts. New Standard Encyclopedia. Volume 2. Pages 355-356. 2. Youth Bible. Holy Bible Contemporary English Version, Global Edition. Pages 861-871 3. Acts of the Apostles. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Acts_of_the_Apostles

Fallacies involving credibility and context

Fallacies involving credibility and context Chapter 6 Fallacies Involving Credibility Fallacies of Context Fallacies Involving Credibility APPEAL TO AUTHORITY using testimonial evidence for a proposition when the conditions for credibility are not satisfied or the use of such evidence is inappropriate. This is usually called appeal to false authority, because not all appeals to authority are bad. Think of any celebrity endorsement commercial-Michael Jordan telling you to wear Hanes underwear. MJ is awful cool, but hes no Undergarment Scientist. From an advertising point of view this is good business, but not from the logical viewpoint. More sinister occurrences happen when someone who is an authority in a specific field urges a proposition concerning a related field. For example, you may have seen one of these commercials for the miracle weight loss pill-the endorser in the white lab coat with the stethoscope is not a doctor at all (in one case I saw someone in labeled in residency which is apparently all the experience you need to give a medical recommendation for super-fat-destroying pills). AD HOMINEM-using a negative trait of a speaker as evidence that their statement is false or their argument is weak. Abusive This is the easiest form of this fallacy to spot. It goes like this You shouldnt pick Susan to be on our basketball team because shes a computer geek. This fallacy aims at saying something distasteful about a persons character. It is appropriate to attack someones character if it is on a relevant topic. If the prosecutions star witness has a history of lying, that is very pertinent to the case. Exception to the rule it is OK to point out a negative personality trait as long as it is relevant. For instance, Ms. Smiggles declares that she saw Mr. Rwowrth murder Mr. Gritspit. But many of her friends and coworkers have declared that Ms. Smiggles is a notoriously liar. Circumstantial-This form of Ad Hominem aims to hurt a persons reputation through an association with something in that persons context. For instance You shouldnt vote for Hilary Clinton because her husbands brother is in jail. You can attack someone for being in a bad circumstance that they helped cause. For example if someone is running for political office and it comes out that they were once part of a business that went bankrupt and that candidate had made decisions that contributed to the companys demise, that would be important evidence to consider. Tu Quoque-This means you too; it happens when one corrupt politician says to another corrupt politician Youre corrupt and the other one responds that doesnt matter, you are too! That is to say, this is not a real excuse. If we found out that the Secretary of Defense had been using his government credit card to buy weekends in France, the Secretary of Defense will not help himself by saying, but everyones doing it! Poisoning the Well-A particularly wicked kind of attack. For example if someone were to say Of course you support universal health care, youre a liberal! The insinuation is that the accused is so dominated by their own ideology that they cant think straight (see terrorists). The accused person can now say nothing that is not suspicious. Every reason that accused person would produce to support their claims will fall under the category, Things Liberals Always Say. So the accused person is left defenseless. The other way round it might look like this Of course you support increased defense spending, youre a conservative! implying that being a conservative made it impossible to rationally consider defense spending. Surely there are people who are so completely wrapped in their own point of view that they cannot be rational, but this kind of attack is bad because it prevents any further debate. Fallacies of Context FALSE ALTERNATIVE (FALSE DELIMA) excluding relevant possibilities without justification. This fallacy usually presents two alternatives, one which the arguer wants you to pick and one which is undesirable. For example, You can either volunteer for military service now, or you can be drafted later. You dont want to wait to be drafted later as grunt, so you should volunteer now. The problem is that those arent the only two options available to us. This fallacy is often committed by the demagogues who say things like youre either with us or youre against us. The move tries to scare people into joining the speaker for fear of becoming their enemy. POST HOC-using the fact that one even preceded another as sufficient evidence for the conclusion that the first caused the second. This will be the foundation of a lot of the superstitions. I stepped under a ladder, and that made me have a bad day. Stepping under the ladder only came before the rest of my day, but stepping under the ladder did not cause the rest of my day to sour. More sophisticated versions of this fallacy seek to reinterpret history such as Since the American Civil War occurred before World War I, the Civil War is obviously the cause of World War I. Slipper Slope-This version of Post Hoc seeks to set up a chain of events to connect two unrelated propositions. Heres an example If you start listening to the Beatles, youll want to listen to other rock n roll, then youll listen to Nirvana, then youll start smoking and drinking, and that will lead marijuana, which will in turn lead to coke, crack, meth, and steroids, and the only way to keep up youre habit youll have to steal, and someone will shoot you. So, if you dont want to be shot to death, dont listen to the Beatles. HASTY GENERALIZATION-inferring a general proposition from an inadequate sample of particular cases. Taking to few samples and then generalizing to broadly is whats happening here. This fallacy is most often seen in arriving at stereotypes of people. For instance, The perpetrators of the 9/11 massacre were Islamic, therefore all Islamic people are terrorists. COMPOSITION-inferring that a whole has a property merely because its parts have that property For example, This sparkplug is part of the car. It is very light. So, the whole car must be light. This is a lot like Hasty Generalization. Heres a more sinister example, Ralph is Native-American and Ralph is an anarchist, so all Native-Americans must be anarchists. DIVISION-inferring that a part has a property merely because the whole has that property. For instance, This computer is heavy, so all of its parts must be heavy. More sinisterly, In the U.S., most people believe in God, so my buddy, Garth, must believe in God.

The Knowing Psychical Body :: Psychology Psychological Papers

The Knowing Psychical Body ABSTRACT: By offering four epistemological structures as guidelines, I will review the relationships as described by Freud between internal and external perceptions, conversion, and over-determination. In doing so, I have speculated that a second preconscious dynamic should be recognized as functioning within this system, namely the psychical body. The activity of this preconscious psychical body promises to resolve the aporias that arise in Freud's work concerning the role of internal perceptions in the processes of conversion and over-determination. In the end, I show that the positing of an imaginary, psychical body is the means by which the arguably intuitive, internal perceptions which Freud at times refers to as sensations and feelings are expressed according to the logic of imagination. The unconscious has access to a wealth of knowledge, and it is not expressed in a form we have come to expect truth to be in, i.e. following rational logic. But rather, it is a direction, an unconscious motion, that can be described to be more of an affect than a statement and is epistemologically the function of intuition resulting from a repressed logic. In the end, I show that the positing of a psychical body is the means by which, the arguably intuitive, internal perceptions that Freud at times refers to as sensations and feelings are expressed according to a repressed logic. First I will outline four possible ways of knowing. The first two belong to the realm of reason and, I will argue, occur at the level of a well-defined ego. Within the parameters of reason, one finds the mode of knowing which is common and well-known, that of rational, scientific, observation which concerns itself with moving bodies and their respective interaction within the realm of the visible in the sense employed by Merleau-Ponty. The second mode is what is known as abstract, rational, thinking, and here the individual is interested in the interaction of abstract bodies. The force behind this method of knowing resides in the abstracted bodies, which are extrapolations of what one once observed in the first mode of knowing. With regard to the two modes of rational knowledge, we see the individual observing the interaction of a plurality of bodies, for rationality operates on the assumption that the smallest number is two, (1) that is, rational logic are based on a binary system. Within this realm, all comparisons and observations need to be performed under standardized, regulated conditions, i.

Irony in “The Story of an Hour” Essay

There are many types of irony such as basic irony which is the use of word to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning. Situational irony which is the moment a characters actions have the opposite of their intended effect. Finally there is dramatic irony which occurs when there is a contrast between the readers knowledge and the knowledge of the characters in the work. However situational irony is what mostly transpires in Kate Chopin short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Situational irony is used in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† through Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. When she first heard the news of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard, â€Å"wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment† (Chopin, 1). Everyone in the house thought that she was upset and went upstairs to be alone in her room because this is a common reaction after having just lost a loved one. Although once Mrs. Mallard is alone in her room, Chopin wants the reader to witness that she is not saddened by the loss of her husband but relieved, â€Å"When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: â€Å"free, free, free!†Ã¢â‚¬  (Chopin, 1) Although Mrs. Mallard is â€Å"free† from her marriage that does not mean that she did not love her husband, as she looks through the open window from which she gazes represents freedom and opportunities. Instead of being dark and full of grief to symbolize how one would expect her to feel, she sees patches of blue sky, fluffy clouds and treetops. She also hears singing of birds and smells a rainstorm coming. Chopin signifies this as new beginning for Mrs. Mallard. Everything that she experiences through her time of â€Å"mourning† suggests joy and a new life that awaits her. She is expected to mourn her husband’s death, but she is thinking about her new life â€Å"There would be no  one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for her self† (Chopin, 2) this is to be understood that she has sacrificed her life for her husband, although there is no evidence that her husband has done her living â€Å"for her†. The language Chopin uses throughout her story foreshadows the ironic happiness that she feels with being free. Chopin further more tries to explain that she is not only feeling happiness through her husband’s death when she writes, â€Å"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead.†(Chopin, 1) It is not clear on why Louise Mallard feels this way about her husband’s death because there is no evidence on any physical or emotional abuse, repression or neglect from her husband â€Å"it might have been external, in society or in her marriage or whether it was internal, a recognition that it takes strength to control one’s feelings or whims.† (Berkove, 153). Through Louise’s recognition that she is free from her husband there is situational and dramatic irony as well. While she was alone in her room she realized that she would no longer be bound to her husband but rather free to do whatever she should choose, † â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† she kept whispering.† (Chopin, 2) She continues to whisper this to herself because although she is alone in her room she acknowledges that she should not be having such thoughts and does not want anyone to know how she really feels about her husband’s death. No one else knew this, they all believed that she was sorrowful and wanted to be alone to grieve. Josephine, a woman in the house, even though Mrs. Mallard was making herself sick, but in reality Louise was absorbing the days ahead of her. Her overwhelming joy all comes to an abrupt stop when she descends from her room to only find out that her husband is not dead. She is so shocked to see her husband that she has a heart attack and as doctors described it as, â€Å"joy that kills,† which is perceived as the dramatic irony part of the short story. Everyone believes she died in that way so the reader can actually realize that she was in fact not joyful to see her husband instead in disarray and upset that she only had a glimpse of real freedom and would rather be dead than to go back and live the life she had. â€Å"Louise dies in the world of her family where she has always sacrificed for others† (Ewell, 160.) Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is one of the many books that says â€Å"so much in so few words† (Berkove, 152). The irony in her story is almost never ending. Louise Mallards life after discovering about her husbands death is the true meaning of â€Å"the story of an hour† because she had a quick look of how her life was going to be. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† Katechopin.org Kate Chopin International Society, April 19, 1894. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. 2. Berkove, Lawrence I. American Literary Realism, Vol. 32, No. 2 : Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† Jstor.org. 2000. Web. 1 Nov. 2014 3. Ewell, Barbara C. â€Å"Chopin and the Dream of Female Selfhood: Kate chopin Reconsidered† Jstor.org. 2000. Web. 1 Nov. 2014

Mkt Plan-Popcorn Store in Hk

1. 0 Executive Summary We are preparing to open a popcorn specialty shop in Hong Kong, the Pop Popcorn Shop. Hong Kong is a famous international tourism city and it successfully received more than 42 million tourists in the past year. Hong Kong has its unique culture and the Hong Kong film culture is one of the most remarkable one. Therefore, our Pop Popcorn Shop will closely integrated with the Hong Kong film culture, and create a well-known local brand image, which can attractive to local residents who like to eat popcorn or like to see movies, and the tourists who interest in the Hong Kong culture or movies.We can effectively compete with other popcorn store because we offer a high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price to consumers. More importantly, we provide customize service, which customers can make their own flavor popcorn and even the packages according to their preference. The particular customize service as well as the film culture br and image is our two brightest spots, which can make us distinguish with other competitors and become our distinct competencies.The marketing objective in the first year is to build up our brand awareness through our various marketing communication methods and we will continue to focus on increasing our brand equity in the next two years. The primary financial objectives are to achieve first-year sales revenue of HKD1,580,000 (USD 203,820) and reach profitability. The revenue will be expected to increase by 12% in the second year and 15% in the third year. 2. 0 Service Description Popcorn is a popular  snack food  at sporting events and in  cinemas, where it has been served since 1914.Hong Kong, a dynamic Asian metropolis that attracts numerous tourists and businessmen, global or Asian, every year, has been deeply influenced by the western movie culture and gradually developed it very own local movie culture, which is a robust branch of Hong Kong local culture, leading Hong Ko ng to be such a huge market for film industry. Benefiting from this significantly growing movie market and the saying that popcorn is always the best company in theaters, Hong Kong would be our ideal place that gives us incentive to locate our Pop Popcorn Shop in this prosperous city.Specifically, our popcorn shop will be opened at Langham Place, one of the most popular shopping mall located in the very heart of Hong Kong, which has a magical gravitation that attracts numerous local residents and tourists. Moreover, with its world-class equipment, fascinating settings, and consensus images of fashion, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the nearly the most popular movie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong.Thus, the needs from the people who are going to a movie in UA cinema would be so huge that can be a large target market, waiting our popcorn specialty store to satisfy. In addition, our specialty store, Pop Popcorn, not only aims to offer high-quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price to consumers, but also provides customized service that customers can make their own flavors popcorn and even design their own popcorn packages, as well as customize their distinctive popcorn tins.Moreover, nine regular flavors popcorn will be provided in Pop Popcorn — sugar, buttery, caramel, cheese, chocolate, barbecue, rainbow, spicy, and mustard — which is a wide range from classic flavor to popular special flavors. Additionally, two different packages, bags or tins, with five different sizes — small, medium, large, 1 gallon, or 2 gallon — would be offered to our customers to select. Essentially, the most distinctive feature of Pop Popcorn will be the combination of popcorn and Hong Kong local movie culture.In our shop, everything is about film. From the in-store decoration, display of popcorn, our staff costume, to the packing of our popc orn are all designed based on the characteristics of Hong Kong local movies. Above all, customers can also design the packing of their popcorn with one of their favorite movies, which can be a wonderful souvenir from themselves, as well as a distinctive gift for their friends. 3. 0 SWOT Analysis 3. 1 Strengths 1. Exclusive location — Langham Place is one of the most famous shopping mall located in the very heart of Hong Kong.It has attracted numerous local residents and tourists. Specifically, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the one of the most popular movie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong. 5 This exclusive location will provide an intense collection with our target customers. 2. Distinctive decorations and packaging design of our shop – In Pop Popcorn Shop, everything is relative to films. The film elements in our store will generate one the most significant points-of-difference compare to other popcorn stores. 3.Various tasty and even customized flavors of popcorn – Pop popcorn store will regularly provide nine flavors of popcorn to the customers. More important, we will be the first popcorn shop to provide customized flavors service. 3. 2 Weaknesses 1. Brand awareness — As a new popcorn shop, we would not have much brand awareness and brand equity at the very beginning. 2. Customer accession — Regarding to those customers who are going to a movie, our shop location will not be the most convenient place for them to buy popcorn compared to the snack store located inside the theater.It’s one of the disadvantages when we compete with the snack stores inside the theaters. 3. 3 Opportunities 1. Film culture is one of the most prominent characteristics of Hong Kong culture. There is a large amount of movie fans in Hong Kong. 2. Popcorn is known as the best partner for movies, the constantly flourishing of film industry in Hong Kong will lead to an explosion of needs of popcorn. 3. Hong Kong is an international prosperous city, many local residents has a relatively high disposable income. . The continue growth of tourists in Hong Kong, especially the tourists from Mainland China, as well as the their strong consumption power. 3. 4 Threats Competition is a dynamic process that our competitors would also switch their strategies that may lead to some turnover marketing circumstances. Based on the analysis of our target market, there may be three potential situations, which can be threats to our popcorn shop. 1. Other brand-famous popcorn stores may expand their locations.Since one of our essential strengths is our location in Langham Place, if other brand-famous popcorn shops also have inclination about expanding to the location near our shop, it would be a threat for us. 2. With the growing popularity of popcorn, the snack stores locate inside the theaters may provide more flavors popcorn to the customers. 3. There is oth er more tasty and healthier alternative snacks for customers when they have a movie. 4. 0 Target Markets Generally speaking, the people who like to eat popcorn will be our target customers.Specifically, based on geographic segmentation, local residents and tourists of Hong Kong would be our target market that deserve our fully concentration on developing our own customer bases, as well as establishing our very brand awareness. 4. 1 Local residents who like popcorn or movies 1. Typical users Geographically, those Hong Kong people who live in the urban area–New Territories and Kowloon–would be our major typical users. In 2011, around 45% of the Hong Kong population is living in New Territories and around 30% of them lives in Kowloon.Demographically, those local residents, female or male, who are about 15-44 years old with average monthly income more than HKD10,000 or monthly spending more than HKD200 on snack food can be identified as our typical users. Additionally, peo ple who will go to theater for movies more than four times a month will be defined as our heavy users. 2. Size and growth of this target market In 2011, the population in HK was about 7,067,800, and the average population growth rate had increased by 0. 72% compare to 2005.In terms of population of our target market, the amount of population of 15-44 years old is around 3,135,300, which accounts for 44. 4% of the total population. 3 In the recent years, the film industry in Hong Kong is booming. Regarding to the film industry in Hong Kong, in 2010, the box office gross was HKD1,339 billion, and, in 2011, this number grew to HKD1. 379 billion. The total number of films that released in 2011 was 276, which included 56 Hong Kong local films and 220 foreign films. In addition, the number of attendance was 87,517 and the attendance rate was 75. % in 2011. Moreover, according to a survey co-conducted by the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Picture Industry Association in 2008, 58. 3% of those people who went to a movie would buy various amount of popcorn as their â€Å"companies† for the next 120 minutes at the theater. 3. The real â€Å"buyer† in this target market The real â€Å"buyer† of our product is mainly the same as our typical users. However, the male customers may account for a larger amount of them. Because when a couple goes to see a movie, the male will usually be the one who pends his money on the popcorn and share it with the female, given in the Hong Kong culture. 4. Main characteristics of this target market Our typical customers’ main characteristics can be described on two fronts. First, these people are deeply influenced and attracted by the film culture in Hong Kong, which is one of the most fundamental branches of the Hong Kong local culture. Second, according to the data from Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong, among the people who is 18-44 years old, the average monthly income of them is HKD13,600. 5. Reasons why this target market is attractiveEvidently, there are two main reasons why these typical users of us, who are the 15-to-44-year-old local residents with over-average incomes, will be substantially attractive to our popcorn specialty store. Firstly, these typical users have been living in Hong Kong for some years that they may be fundamentally influenced by Hong Kong local culture, especially by the film culture in Hong Kong. Loving movies can be a major incentive for them to be willing to spend money to have movie in theaters. And popcorn, as one of the most ideal companies in theaters, can be one the last things our target market want to miss.Secondly, these young residents have relatively open-minded customer awareness, easier to accept new brands that have distinctive brand images. Moreover, they are relatively high-income citizens living at a fashion lifestyle city and willing to spend more on snacks or recreations. 4. 2 Tourists 1. Typical users in this target market Geographically, tourists form Mainland China will be our target customers, especially who are from 4 main cities in China – Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Demographically, the tourists between 15-44 years old, male or female will be defined as our target customers. 2.Size and growth of this target market In 2011, Hong Kong received record-high visitors from around the world, which was totally 41,921,310, a remarkable increased by 16. 4% over 2010. Tourism generated value added of HKD 74. 6 billion in 2010 and the inbound tourism accounted for the largest share of the value added of tourism, which was HKD 59. 2 billion. Compared with 2005, this value added increased by an average annual rate of 12. 5%. Among various incomes generated from the inbound tourism, food and beverage services had HKD 6,300 millions value added in 2011. 2. The real â€Å"buyer† in this target marketThe real â€Å"buyers† are tourists, who may buy our popcorn as a souvenir or a gift for themselves, as well as for their friends. It indicates that the buyer may not be the actual user in this target market. However, we will put more attention to advertise our shop among the female tourists, since the female tourists are usually more interested in shopping and buying souvenirs. 3. Main characteristics of this target market Firstly, most of them are from Asia, especially from Mainland China. In 2011, Mainland China continued to be the largest visitor source market of Hong Kong, contributed 28. million arrivals, accounting for 67. 0% of total arrivals in Hong Kong. 7 Secondly, mid July to end August are always the most intense period for tourists to visit Hong Kong. Also, regarding to the life-cycle stage segment of overnight vacation visitors in Hong Kong, approximately 36% of the visitors are families with children, 20% of them are young single male or female, 12% of them are young couples, and 7% of them are young students. Moreover, these visitors, 15-44 years old, which will be our target customers, account for 75% of our total visitors of Hong Kong in 2011. 4. Reasons why this target market is attractive Firstly, the number of tourists is remarkably substantial and this number is increasing every year. The appreciation of most major currencies against Hong Kong dollar and the improving travel sentiment have fueled the impressive performance. 7 For the short-haul market, benefiting for the Individual Visit Scheme, which the Central Government has announced that residents from certain cities are allowed to visit Hong Kong as tourists in their personal capacity, tourism in Hong Kong is developing significantly every year.In 2011, the coverage of the Scheme has expanded to 49 cities in China since the first introduced on in 2003. 9 That means the tourists form Mainland China will continue to increase substantially. For the long-haul markets, arrivals recorded a 1. 7% increase. In particular, the United States remained the largest long -haul market with 1. 2 million arrivals in 2011, representing a 3. 5% increase. 7 Secondly, the tourists, especially those who are from Mainland China, have such a robust consumption capacity. From the source of Hong Kong Tourism Board, in 2011, the total tourism expenditure associated to inbound tourism is HKD 253. billion, which had a significant 20. 5%, increase by 2010. 8 Specifically, the average spending of the visitors from Mainland China was HKD 8,220 in 2011, which has a 10. 3% increase by 2010. 9 5. 0 Competitive Analysis 5. 1 Direct Competitor Our direct competitor will be the Garrett Popcorn Shop Hong Kong, which is a famous popcorn store overseas. Garrett is located at the International Financial Center Mall Hong Kong, where is in the central business district in Hong Kong. The IFC Mall has lots of luxury shops inside and it focus on targeting to the high-income customers. 1.The strengths and weaknesses of Garrett First, Garrett has a high reputation overseas due to its long history and consistent high quality of fresh popcorn. That is, the global brand famousness of Garrett Popcorn would be so pervasive that would attract large amount of foreign customers who is working currently at Hong Kong. Second, after concentrating on popcorn industry for more than 60 years, Garrett has already developed its very own secret recipes to mix into popcorn, like The Chicago Mix, Caramel Crisp, and CheeseCorn. These famous flavors popcorn are another stunning strength of Garrett.However, some weaknesses of Garrett Popcorn Hong Kong have been exposed to the public, which may turn to be our opportunities. According to the OpenRice, which is a popular users review and local cuisine recommendation website, based on 5 aspects include taste, environment, service, hygiene, and value for money, Garrett Hong Kong scores only 3. 8 of 5. 0 based on  the customers’ ratings. The negative reviews are mainly about the service and the value of money. Many customers comp lained about the unfriendly staff and the too expensive popcorn. 2. Our strategies to compete with GarrettBased on the analysis about Garrett Hong Kong’s strengths and weaknesses, our competing strategies can be elicited in three fronts. First is about different shop location setting that we would focus on popular shopping mall rather than luxury shopping center. Second is our popcorn price setting that would be average 20% lower than Garrett. Third is the customized services provided by us, which will customers to create their own flavor popcorn and packages. Moreover, we will pay more attention to select and train our staffs and thus provide very friendly service to customers. . 2 Indirect Competitors The indirect competitors of us will be the snack stores locate inside the theaters, which can also provide popcorn to our target customers. 1. The strengths and weaknesses of the snack store inside the theaters Firstly, it’s the most convenient location for the customer s who are going to see a movie – most of these snack store are just steps away from the theater. Secondly, the popcorn price is relatively low compare to our store. However, their weaknesses are also obviously when compare to our popcorn specialty store.Almost all of these stores just provide the sugar flavor popcorn to the customers. The very limit flavor choice and relatively low quality of popcorn are their biggest disadvantages. Additionally, these stores are usually put little effort on marketing communication with customers. 2. Our strategies to complete with the snack stores inside the theaters Evidently, our strategies to compete with these indirect competitors can be, firstly, providing discounts or advocating promotions to the customers who have a movie ticket.For example, the customers can get 10% off in our store when they present us the movie ticket on the same day. Secondly, we will implement various campaigns that strongly advertise our fascinating tasty popcor n with multiple flavors and high quality, framing an image that our target customers can have a box of satisfying popcorn with a reasonable price. 5. 3 Potential competitors The potential competitors of our popcorn shop can be defined as those snack grocery stores that can offer alternatives snacks to popcorn. Although there are various kinds of snack food with even cheaper prices in those grocery tores, however, if a customer is looking something fresh or special rather than something bland when he/she is going to a movie, these grocery stores would soon to become the very last place to satisfy him/her. Thus, regarding to our target customers, we can pay efforts in marketing communication that utilizes mass medias to frame that fresh popcorn is the best choice for movies, especially the fresh popcorn with customized flavors we exclusively provided. 6. 0 Pricing Strategies 6. 1 Pricing Strategy 1. Pricing objective — The pricing objective of Pop Popcorn Specialty Store is pro duct-quality leadership.Consistent with our store’ s marketing strategy and brand positions, the message that we seek to communicate is that we offer high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price. 2. Unit cost and margins — The total cost of our product will include fixed cost and variable cost. Since the various cost of raw materials are relatively low, while the cost of rent and salary is relatively high in Hong Kong. The cost of per popcorn will be lower when more popcorn has been made per day. Thus, in our price structure, the raw materials per unit cost is estimated approximately 15% of the total cost. . Competitors’ price structure comparison — Garrett Popcorn Hong Kong provides 5 flavors and 6 sizes of popcorn to the consumer. The price is quite different based on different flavors, the average price of the Garrett’s popcorn is — small HKD52, medium HKD76, large HKD96, jumbo HKD164, 1 gallon HKD334, and 2 gallon HKD639. On the other hand, nearly all of the snack stores in theater in Hong Kong just provide the sugar flavor popcorn, and the price is around HKD15 for small, HKD25 for medium, and HKD30 for large size. 4.Pricing methods — Base on the company cost, competitors cost, and customer demand, we will use the perceived-value pricing method to select our product price. In addition, based on our product-quality pricing object, we will seek to create an image that emphasizes our high-quality product with value price brand to consumer. Due to our location rent and less brand awareness, our average price will be about 20% lower than Garrett popcorn price. While our average price will be 25% higher than snack stores in theater since our store is excel in making arious tasty flavors popcorn. 6. 2 Price Structure 1. Our price list 2. Special offers In order to encourage sales we will provide access for certain customers to special prices. Such as special customer priceâ€⠀œcustomers can get 10% off in our store when they present us the movie ticket on the same day. Also, we will have a frequency reward program–membership cards which can collect points and use the points as cash to purchase popcorn in our store. Meanwhile, we will provide coupon in the special festival to our customers. 7. 0 Channels of DistributionInitially, Pop Popcorn will use a direct-to-consumer distribution model – our own specialty store and website, to determine our channels of distribution. 7. 1 Specialty store in Langham Place Pop Popcorn Specialty Store will locate in the first floor at Langham Place. The reasons why we choose this location can be evidenced on two fronts. Firstly, Langham Place Mall, located in the very heart of Hong Kong, is a quintessential 15-storey fashionable landmark and one of the most popular shopping malls for both local residents and tourists.Secondly, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the nearly the most popular mo vie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong. Thus, being located first floor in Langham Place, we can have an exclusive advantage to build up an intense connection with a large amount of our target customers. Not only the people who are shopping in the Langham Place can easily purchase our popcorn, but also the people who will go to see movies. As we mention about, everything is about film in Pop Popcorn Shop.The decoration style in our shop will be full of the film elements. As well as our staffs’ uniform. Buoyed by researches, which suggest that as much as 70 percent to 80 percent of purchase decisions are made inside the retail store, firms are increasingly recognizing the importance of influencing consumers at the point of purchase. Regarding to our popcorn shop, especially because of our low brand awareness at the very beginning, not only the display of our popcorn is important, but also our salespeople is essential for leading customers’ purchase decisions.On the other hand, when the consumers know our brand and come to purchase popcorn, salespeople may also play an important role to provide a very best purchase experience to these customers. Thus, lots of attention will be paid to manage our sales force through the selection, recruitment, training, motivation, compensation and evaluation sections in order to provide our customers the very best salespeople, who are sophisticated in customer service and fascinated by Pop Popcorn’s brand culture. 7. 2 Pop Popcorn’s own websiteThe very own attractive and interesting website of Pop Popcorn will provide a substantially rich source of our store and product information, including our featured popcorn, distinctive customized service about the flavor popcorn and packages, etc. Moreover, various of promotions, membership activities, and latest movies news, trials, especially those information about local Hong Kong movies can be fou nd on Pop Popcorn’s website, in order to establish its very own brand awareness that combines fresh tasty popcorn with Hong Kong film culture.In addition, our user-friendly and security purchase system in the website provides a convenient way for consumers to purchase our popcorn no matter for themselves or for their friends as a gift. 8. 0 Marketing Communications Pop Popcorn’s marketing communication strategy will, initially, endeavor to establish our very own brand awareness among our target customers in order to develop our customer base. Essentially, the message that Pop Popcorn aims to communicate is that it offers high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price.In addition, there are various efficient approaches for us to convey this message to our target customers, which includes the own website of Pop Popcorn, online and offline advertising, sales promotions, interactive marketing and event and experience campaigns. 8. 1 Pop Po pcorn Website The Pop Popcorn Web site focus on providing a rich source of product information with a fascinating website typography and design. Specifically, various information about our popcorn flavors, customized tin services, or promotions would be easily accessed to our customers in the website.In addition, the Pop Popcorn website will also provide a user-friendly purchase system for customers to order their popcorn online, so that they easily purchase our popular flavors popcorn or their customize flavor popcorn for themselves and their friends. 8. 2 Advertising 1. Online advertising Since one segmentation of our target customers is the local residents who likes to eat popcorn or likes to see movie, we will focus on put our online advertisement on the film websites, where the movie lovers usually browse and access to film information.Also, advertising Pop Popcorn in the local popular video websites, like Youtube and Tudou, which has huge traffics would be an extraordinary way to establish our brand awareness, creating customers’ craving for our popcorns. Meanwhile, in order to cover another group of our target customers–tourists, websites about travel guides, travellers’ reviews, and travelling recommendations about Hong Kong will also be our prior choices to place our online advertisements.We will seek to communicate that Pop Popcorn Specialty Store is one of the last things tourists want to miss when they travel in Hong Kong. 2. Offline advertising We will put our advertisement on the magazines that our target customers usually like to read, such as food magazines, film magazines, and travel magazines. Also, we will post outdoor advertising at the famous shopping places, where are popular to tourists and local residents — especially the shopping malls that have theater inside. 8. 3 Sales PromotionsIn order to stimulate our short-run sales at the very beginning and build our long-run brand equity, we will offer multiple sale s promotions to consumers. We will focus on giving away our popcorn samples because this consumer franchise-building promotion can provide a chance for customers to try our tasty popcorn. Also, we will offer coupons to encourage purchase of larger-size units and attract switchers away from competitors’ brands. Moreover, a frequency rewards program will be provided to customers in order to show our appreciation to them and increase their brand loyalty. . 4 Social Media With the pervasive development of social medias, we will create our official account or page on the popular social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Pinterest, which will ultimately be a major platform for us to collect customer views and interact with customers, as well as a major platform for us to frequently update our news and upcoming promotions. 8. 5 Events and Experiences Pop Popcorn will establish a membership organization and focus on creating our own events and experience to create consumer and media interest and involvement.For example, we will organize gratuitous film talks for our members to share their movie reviews, and other relative events. At the same time, we will try to sponsor and cooperate with local film production companies. The Hong Kong films are typically low-budget when compared with American films. 3 So it’s possible that we can sponsor some local films with low cost. Since film culture is one of the most prominent characteristics of Hong Kong culture, cohering Pop Popcorn with Hong Kong film industry will not only help us to develop a large customer base of movie fans and tourists, but also increase our brand equity. . 0 Budgets for 3 Years 9. 1 Revenue Forecast The revenue forecast in the first year will be HKD 1,580,000(USD 203,820) after the relatively large amount of expenditure on marketing communication. Being boosted by the online and offline advertisements, as well as our very own established brand awareness, the revenue forecast sho uld be expectedly increasing by 12% in the second year and increasing by 15% in the third year. 9. 2 Product Cost The variable costs include the popcorn kernel, flavoring and other relative supplies will account for 20% of the total sales revenue.The fixed costs include salary, rent and facilities. Specifically, the salary will be increased by 6% per year in order to maintain the staff's’ satisfaction. The rent of our store will remain the same in three years according to the contract, and the facilities expense is a one-time expenditure, which refers to the costs on the popcorn machines and the store renovation cost. 9. 3. Marketing Communication Expense Related to the marketing programs described in the previous section, our marketing communication expense included six aspects.The cost of building our own website will be relatively large in the first year. The online advertising budget will increase by 10% per year while offline advertising budget will decrease by 10% per y ear. The mainly cost of sales promotions are for free popcorn samples and printed coupons, which will decrease by 5% per year. On the other hand, the social media communication budget will increase by 20% and the events budget will increase by 15% per year since we will dedicate to have a border and deeper relationship with our customers. 9. 4 Total Budget for 3 Years 10. Reference Citations