Principles of Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Principles of Microeconomics - Essay Example This will create imbalance in the economy hence may result in a shortage of consumer goods. Question 2: opportunity cost means the best substitute given up in order to produce more of other type of goods. As more of one good is produced the opportunity cost to produce it rises (Sloman). Each time we make a choice to do something; simultaneously we are eliminating the choice of an alternative good. Moreover, if a country is producing more of one good it has to sacrifice ever increasing amount of the other. The reason for it is difference in factor of production. Production factors may suit production of a particular type of good and shifting resources to production of other type of good would result in increasing opportunity cost. For example: if government decides to build a shopping mall instead of hospital, the facilities and health care provided by that hospital is given up or forgone. Question 3: Change is quantity demanded: a change in quantity demanded occurs when there is move ment along the demand curve with respect to price and quantity. It usually stems from a change in the price of the product. An increase in the price causes downward movement along the demand curve leading to an increase in the quantity demanded whereas a decrease in the price causes an upward movement along the curve causing a decrease in the quantity demanded. ... It is important to note that this causes a total change in the range of price and quantity combinations. Price D1 D2 Quantity Question 4: An economic equilibrium is located when demand and supply of the commodity in discussion meets (Sloman). This point is said to be the optimum level of functioning point in an economy because all the stakeholders are able to achieve their objective of buying and selling their goods at their desired quantity level. However, economist work hard to reach this point since such an equilibrium is theoretical. Equilibrium would only be achieved at a point where demand and supply curves intersect. Moreover, any point below or above the equilibrium will either create excess demand in case of low price, or excess supply in case of higher price. The gap in supply and demand will exist in the short term. However, as sellers and consumers readjust their sell and purchase habit, equilibrium will be reached eventually. Question 5: If the technology to produce page rs improves it will push the supply curve to the right and there will be an increase in supply of pagers, meaning that for every price, the quantity supplied will increase. If the prices of cellular phones drop, the aggregate demand for pagers will decrease because cell phones are an alternative product, pushing the aggregate demand curve to the left, meaning that for every price, the quantity demanded will decrease. Both these factors shall bring down the price of pagers down by a significant level and make pagers much cheaper. Certain products have a very limited supply and an excessive demand, such as the superbowl tickets. The price elasticity of such products is extremely low as people are willing to pay more than the

Manchester Products Essay Example for Free

Manchester Products Essay Manchester Home expanded household furniture division by adding market leader PLFD – Addition of 990 million in PLFD revenues – Addition of established sales force, talented design teams – PLFD’s Signature Style line very popular with consumers †¢ Ability to combine PL design skills with MH engineering and manufacturing – Manufacturing expertise and ergonomic designs †¢ Concerns – How to tie-in PL’s bold designs with MH’s conservative style – Customer confusion over new brand name 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Company †¢ Companies’ strengths and weaknesses complement each other 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Customers †¢ Target consumers ages 34-55; Income over $50K – MH consumers are categorized as conservative elegance – PLFD consumers are more fashion-conscious, trend setters – Will need a way to reach both customer segments †¢ Results from target consumer surveys – Low brand loyalty – 60% would change brands – High information search – Style, design, quality, comfort most important qualities – all covered by MH/PL – PL has high brand awareness, almost double that of MH, will help to co-brand them to raise awareness for MH 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Collaborators †¢ Manchester already has network of office distribution channels, now they gain access to household distribution channels through Paul Logan. – PL sales force has strong ties to leading distributions channels – PL strength in upscale furniture stores, specialty stores, department stores †¢ Strong relationship with buyers – Concern over brand going away, necessary to create a smooth brand transition so consumers make the switch †¢ Push strategies important to build strong relationships with distribution network – 90% of PL shipments include Purchase Allowances 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Competitors †¢ Paul Logan was market leader †¢ Household Furniture Industry $36.64 billion in 2004; positive % growth projections A mature industry Large number of corporate consolidations Low-cost imports from Asia/Mexico moving into higher price levels Domestic companies ready to attack the vulnerability of the new brand and position †¢ We need strong advertising and marketing mix †¢ Many competitors have company owned stores – Crucial to leverage our distribution channels to gain market access 5C’S OF THE ACQUISITION Context †¢ Office furniture sales growth tied to employment growth and new business formation. – Burst of dot.com bubble and recession have decreased demand for office furniture †¢ Rise in ‘teleworking’ could increase demand for home office †¢ Demand for home furniture is tied to new home construction and home sales. †¢ Innovative and stylish products to bolster demand MOVING FORWARD ANALYSIS OF FUTURE BRANDING: OPTIONS †¢ Drop the Paul Logan name right away – Losing their current brand awareness – Need to educate customers – Strong distribution channel relationships could be damaged †¢ Keep using the Paul Logan name for the entire allotted three years – Ad agency advises against this option, as they don’t want to allocate advertising dollars to a brand with a three year shelf life †¢ Transition mid-point – Leverage the Paul Logan name to build strong brand awareness for Manchester – Continue to use the PL name in subtext for 1.5 yrs.; conduct consumer research to reevaluate after this time. – Business recommendation to convert the name 100% to Manchester Home after 1.5 yrs. ANALYSIS OF FUTURE BRANDING: OPTIONS †¢ Brand name transition: – First 6 months: Manchester Home: The New Home for Paul Logan Furniture – Following year: Manchester Home: The Home for Paul Logan Furniture – After 1.5 yrs.: Conduct consumer research to reevaluate transition †¢ Business recommendation is to drop the Paul Logan name †¢ Want to ensure the Manchester Home brand has achieved a sufficient awareness before removing PL OUR FUTURE ADVERTISING STRATEGIES †¢ Strong campaign is critical to the success of the new brand name – $184 million allotted for 2005 – Includes national and cooperative advertising for both PLFD and MH products †¢ Push vs. Pull – MH to allocate more $ towards Push advertising – Heavy Push Pull the first 1.5 yrs. – Marketing Communications mix to form long-term company image †¢ Promotional Programs – Purchase allowances – Recommend amending the planned 2005 marketing expenditures to allow for purchase allowances. †¢ Currently based on % of sales – Due to brand transition, allocate a fixed amount to advertising to ensure the levels do not drop RECOMMENDATIONS †¢ Continue to use the Paul Logan name to leverage brand awareness and channel partnerships †¢ Focus strongly on both Push and Pull strategies the first 1.5 yrs. to communicate the acquisition – Amend proposed 2005 advertising plan to incorporate more Push strategies, specifically Purchase Allowances that contributed to the success of the PL distribution network †¢ After 1.5 yrs., the business goal is to transition brand officially to Manchester Home QUESTIONS?

Information Controls by Newspapers :: Papers

Information Controls by Newspapers All newspapers have different ways of passing on the news to their readers. This often depends on the audience the newspaper is targeting. The four newspapers that I will be writing about all target various readers. I will be looking at which pieces of information newspapers would use when reporting about the invasion of the Central European state of Bernia by Cara. 'The Planet' is a tabloid newspaper that backs the government. It is happy with the way things are and has a large circulation of readers, most of which are working-class people. 'The Reporter' is also a tabloid newspaper, which supports the Labour Party and also the trade union movement. This newspaper targets similar readers to that of 'The Planet' but has a smaller circulation. 'The Enquirer' is critical towards the two main parties and is known for it's in-depth political and international reporting. This newspaper is a broadsheet whose readers are mainly middle-class. The final newspaper, 'The Daily Recorder' is a strongly patriotic pro-government broadsheet. It believes in family values and in a British Identity. As newspaper A, 'The Planet', supports the government it would be very careful about the information it dispensed. It would not want people to know that there had been 150 civilian deaths because they had been caused in retaliation against the arrival of British troops. The reason it would not want people to know this is 'The Planet' backed the move by the government to send troops to Bernia. Printing this could stop other troops from wanting to go to Bernia. To help emphasis the fact that the troops were really needed they would talk about how Bernian refugees were fleeing to escape rumours of ethnic cleansing. 'The Planet' would also avoid printing the fact that there were 150 UK casualties as this like the civilian deaths would lower the moral troops. This newspaper would probably show the photograph of the man who had been killed in hand-to-hand fighting in Bernia just to show how out of control the civil war was becoming.

Counter-Terrorism Strategies Reveal the Limits of Human Rights as a Cosmopolitan Discourse in the Age of Global Terror

Since the start of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights were introduced as a system that exceeded any boundaries, such as religion, gender, ethnicity and nationality, in order to protect each individual. It was an attempt to universalize human standards of decency, morality and dignity, by way of constructing a global human community. It is through this that human rights were able to be changed and recognised as a standard for global order, regulated through international law. The act of terrorism is not a new concept, and has been responsible for many innocent lives over many years, however not until the attacks on the United States, known as 9/11, has terrorism become such a globalized issue. It was through the symbolic destruction of capitalism, coupled with the vast media outlets to create witnesses that allowed for Western society to face a new threat of vulnerability. The mass production of human rights violations aimed at such a seemingly powerful Western country induced a culture of fear, specifically regarding the weaknesses in national security. Terrorism, national security, and war became the dominant dialogue throughout international politics, and governments began to develop counter-terrorism legislation in order to enhance feelings of safety and security, but also to seek retribution against terrorist groups. It is through this introduction of new counter-terrorism legislation that allows the expectations of human rights protection to become confused, as state security becomes the prime concern. This new legislation becomes a shield to hide behind when human rights violations are committed, allowing the state to use the premise of counter terrorism as a justification for neglecting what was previously an internationally standardized notion of human rights protection. It then becomes a paradoxical debate of violation and protection, where policies designed to protect society from these human rights violations, not only affect the terrorists whom they are aimed at, but start to affect the people who’s rights they aim to protect. Where the notion of human rights is concerned in protecting the individual, counter-terrorism in the age of global terror re-employs these boundaries between the individual in the interest of the state, and disregards human rights. Pojman (2006) states that terrorism is a type of violence employed to deliberately target non-combatants in a ruthlessly destructive and often random manner in order to support concrete political or religious objectives. Because of its random ature, the act of terrorism destabilizes any notion of a human rights system by allowing each individual to be susceptible to its effects. Denying one their right to life is depriving them of their most fundamental human right. According to Anthony Giddens (in Pojman), the difference between what he labels as â€Å"old-terrorism† and â€Å"new-terrorism† lies in its locality in geographical terms, where the first is concerned with nationalist ideology and remained local, and the latter is focused on its global implementation (2006). September 11th became the poster for this â€Å"new-terrorism†, bringing with it the stark realisation that Western Society was not impervious to terrorist regimes. The vulnerability of the United States seemed not to have been considered previously, and the mass murder evoked an intense culture of fear amongst the people, only to be further manipulated by the media, causing governments to strike with new legislation. The notion of prevention was a strong instigator for new strategies, where the state intended to seek out terrorist activity before it happened. Terrorism uncovers the limits of the human rights system in achieving universal consensus. However the authority of rights is more so undermined when counter-terrorist acts violate these moral principles in the constant pursuit of their re-avouchment. Under the title of counter-terrorism, democratically defined countries are deserting fundamental principles of human rights that were once upheld, such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression and the right to seek asylum (McCulloch, 2003). The entire premise behind having a universal declaration of human rights was to maintain a society in which people could have access to a global mechanism of protection and support. However counter-terrorism has dismantled these ideals and replaced them with suspect and presumed guilt. The position of human rights in the international community has been seen as dispensary to the higher priority of achieving security through counter-terrorism. Faced with the exposure of the weakness to its homeland, the US opted for a military based counter-terrorism approach, resulting in the deployment of military forces into the Middle East and Central Asia, initiating what was known as the War on Terror (Schorlemer, 2003). The invasion of Afghanistan was designed to strengthen state borders from afar by defeating terrorists at their source. However, in order to do so, the US strategy was to utilize violence to secure their human rights. In using violence, they contradicted exactly what they were fighting for. The state of emergency that was declared following 9/11 and the climate of fear fostered by terrorist activity destabilized the notion that all individuals are entitled to rights protection. In a state of war, honouring human rights is neither practically possible nor theoretically required (Luban, 2002). It becomes intrinsic in the system of war that constitutional rights and civil liberties of populations can be brought to a halt under the pretence of enhancing state security, all the while allowing for the deterioration of basic human rights under circumstances of organised violence. The US disregard for abiding to the universal human rights of global citizens can strongly be seen in the military intervention in Afghanistan, and further in the counter-terrorism strategies of rendition, torture and detainment practiced by the US and their allies in pursuit of security. Under the model of war, the lethal use of force on enemy troops is permissible, and the accidental maiming and killing of civilians is seen as collateral damage rather than victims of atrocities (Luban, 2002). Therefore, by declaration of war, George W. Bush implemented a counter-terrorism strategy, that by virtue of its nature undermines the system of human rights as an internationally enforceable system available to all individuals. This is reinforced by highlighting its illegitimacy in instances of war. As terrorism is not an enemy in the conventional war sense, as it is not a visible and tangible body with a defined territory, the US forces in Afghanistan have relied on using air strikes to atta ck insurgents, according to Garlasco (reference). Usual requirement of evidence or proof before a conviction becomes less regulated or required when at war, with plausible intelligence and insufficient evidence adequate as the foundation for action (Luban, 2002). In situations of flawed or limited intelligence, it has not been terrorists but civilians that have become victims of air strike assaults, thus having their right to life stolen from them (Garlasco). An example of this kind of fatal mistake occurred in the Afghani town of Uruzgan in 2002, where faulty intelligence concerning the location of Al-Qaeda fighters led to the execution of a lethal air strike, killing 21 civilians. This problematic endeavour to protect our rights is therefore legitimizing civilian casualties as collateral damage of war. Counter-terrorism strategies have justified the illegal detainment, torture and rendition of suspected terrorists as a necessary process in achieving security and paradoxically reasserting the human rights of moral citizens. The aftermath of September 11th brought about the legitimization of human rights violations through new counter-terrorism laws, whereby these violations can most distinctly be witnessed through the treatment of prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Democratic rights such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and freedom from torture were all eradicated in the operations that took place at the base, denying them these basic civil liberties in an unrelenting pursuit of truth and justice for the violence inflicted on American citizens on September 11th. Common practice has been the illegal detention of suspected terrorists, where the rights to due process and a fair trial are not upheld. Recently, the evidence against the military has been growing, including official Pentagon documents, indicating that interrogators consistently employed hard line counter-resistance measures in absolution to induce prisoner co-operation. Such measures include sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation, painful body positions, feigned suffocation, beatings, sexual provocation and displays of contempt for Islamic symbols (Bloche and Marks, 2005). Under the 1984 United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT), an event is considered torture if it satisfies three constitutive elements; the infliction of severe mental or physical suffering, for the recipient to be perpetrated for a purpose, and for this to occur by way of an official (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). The operation of torture in counter-terrorist tactics echoes the breakdown of moral consensus on the use of torture, with the US disrespect for this international human right setting a negative global standard (Wilson, 2005). Therefore, when another State executes this act of torture, the US and their Western Allies seek their services for interrogating their own suspected terrorists, rather than condemning the act. The US, since September 11th, has engaged in transferring their suspects to other countries, where the torture and interrogation can be carried out. This instance of rendition mirrors the practices undertaken by the Swedish Government, where they abducted extremist Islamic suspects and transferred them to Egypt, where torture under interrogation is considered legal custom (Bloche and Marks, 2005). Counter-terrorism has allowed for the undermining of the adoption of human rights globally. Where western democratic states were formerly viewed as human rights advocates, they now deny this role of leadership in aid of suppressing this culture of fear induced by global terrorism. Counter-terrorism strategies have both enhanced the degradation of human rights in regards to the moral basis for international relations, and allowed for the threat of terrorism to be used by state governments to increasingly militarize the protocol of law enforcement and increase the surveillance of civilians (McCulloch, 2003). The war on terror has perpetuated a permanent state of emergency with no foreseeable end. Thus in many western countries, the prolonged war against terror is being used politically rather than legally, to justify the permanent restriction of civilian human rights (Zizek). Shielded by the counter-terrorism legislation, states have put into practice new national security laws whilst pre-existing emergency legislation has achieved legitimacy, claiming to be an essential response to the threat of terrorism (Wilson, 2005). In support of their counter-terrorism strategies employed abroad, states such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the US have relied upon internal strategies to curtail the threat of terrorism. Such measures include the indefinite detention of suspected terrorists without trial or judicial review, the increased surveillance and reduced privacy protections, the dramatic increase in the powers afforded to domestic spy agencies, the right to silence and choice of legal representation eradicated completely, and the vastly expanded resources afforded to military and police engaged in homeland security (McCulloch, 2003). The civil and political liberties that were considered so important during the devising of the UDHR, are now ironically being violated by the very people who them in place. The power to detain people will increase state security organizations power to suppress dissent by adding detention to the potential adverse consequences of political opinions that challenge the political status quo (McCulloch, 2003). In times of global terror, the implementation of increased surveillance does not invoke a feeling of security amongst society, but conversely, further extends the culture of fear that occurs through constant intimidation and increasingly inhibited freedoms. The dispensability of human rights in times of state emergency is revealed when our global principles can be undermined by counter-terrorist strategies so immediately. The principle of counter-terrorism, to enhance state security, has reinforced the rigidity of national borders, by entrenching foreigners and citizenship as acceptable bases for distinction and discrimination and the rejection of humanitarian concerns for individual needs (Mertus and Helsing, 2006). The figure of the refugee as the individual, deprived of citizenship and reliant on the goodwill of other states, illustrates this collision between the protection of individual versus the protection of the state (Humphrey, 2002). After the Second World War, the refugee acquired a measure of political significance as victims of persecution. However the contemporary threat of terrorism has redefined refugees as victims of an international system of nation states founded on a hierarchy of exclusion (Humphrey, 2002). Rather than generously extending protection to individuals seeking asylum from persecution, torture and war, counter-terrorism strategies have increased the conditionality in the acceptance of refugees. ‘Boat people’ arriving on remote areas of the northwest shoreline of Australia constitute the manifestation of the international refugee crisis in this country. Recent asylum seekers are confined in remote detention centres in economically poor island communities to the north of Australia. This criminalization of refugees by the Australian government reflects a rejection of their moral responsibility as human rights guarantors whilst ironically committing human rights violations of their own. The detainment of asylum seekers inflicts a greater degree of suffering on these individuals with detention providing a re-traumatizing environment that may contribute to the development of mental health problems (Stout, 2002). The political discourse employed by the government in relation to ‘boat people’ stripped the refugee of compassion and their human rights by referring to them as ‘illegal’s’ that pay ‘people smugglers’ (Humphrey, 2002). Thus rather than alleviate the suffering imposed on refugees by virtue of their situation, various States are going to extreme lengths to undermine the legitimacy of their asylum claims by making invalid character judgments. Similar to human rights, the category of refugee is non-racial; in theory a state is obliged to extend support and assistance to a refugee without racial selectivity. Australia has a history of denying asylum based on race, such as the exclusion of Chinese immigrants during the 1880s, and now this racial exclusion is being inflicted on individuals of Middle Eastern descent based upon them sharing the same ethnicity as Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist groups. The racial assumptions that acquaint the Afghani or Iraqi race with terrorism have falsely led to the prolonged detainment and refused asylum of Middle Eastern individuals. Thus terrorism has accelerated the shift in global attitudes toward refugees from one of state moral responsibility to the prioritization of state security over accepting claims for asylum. Whilst viewed as a strategy of counter-terrorism, enhanced border security and the increased conditionality required for refugees to gain asylum disqualifies human rights as a unifying discourse without qualification. The implementation of counter-terrorism strategies by Western nations in reaction to the 9/11 attacks were largely reactionary and centred on enhanced state security to reduce the likelihood of terrorist activity infiltrating national borders. The contemporary manifestation of terrorism represents a clash of civilizations, pitting the culture of Islamic fundamentalism against a Western culture composed of modernity, secularity and democracy (Pojman, 2006). In this clash human rights rests precariously in the middle. On the one hand, terrorism denies victims their rights, yet the enactment of counter-terrorism strategies to address these violations paradoxically impedes on the rights of global citizens. The way in which western countries have responded to the threat of terrorism has not only violated principles of human rights and international law but has also proved to be ineffective in combating terrorism. Almost eight years after the proclamation of the ‘global war on terror’ terrorists are still striking with alarming frequency and ease in our cities: Madrid, London, Sharm el Sheikh, Bali and Mumbai represent the more recent and appalling acts. If our world is in a state of war, why is it that western forces have not been as successful as past governments in achieving victory in similar time periods as in past wars (Hocking and Lewis, 2007)? The First World War was won in five years and the Japanese Empire in World War II was defeated in four years following their attack on Pearl Harbour. Despite all the energies and resources deployed to strengthen the West’s ‘War on Terror’, global terrorism has not lost its power to recruit combatants and inflict destruction on unsuspecting communities (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). In the context of terrorism, war has proven to be ineffective as it fails to address the environment with which terrorism has evolved. Terrorist organizations flourish in societies that have been marginalized by globalization and where there are unresolved conflicts and few accountability mechanisms for addressing political grievances (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). The feeling of despair and sense of hopelessness rooted in oppression, ignorance, poverty and perceived injustice have been identified as causal factors in the development of terrorism. Just as the benefits of globalization and modernity have been unequally distributed so have the capabilities of marginalized populations to gain access to their human rights. Thus to combat terrorism, the implementation of social and economic policy can help to mitigate exclusion and the impact of rapid socio-economic change which foster the grievances which terrorists exploit to gain legitimacy (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). Greater emphasis on counter-terrorism strategies, which address the causal factors of terrorism, will thus increase individual access to human rights and diminish their marginalization and global inequality. Terrorism is a political and criminal activity that undermines the foundation of the contemporary human rights system. It rejects the notion that by virtue of every individual’s humanness they should have access to a host of civil, political and socio-economic rights. The attack of 9/11 exposed security weaknesses of the US, subsequently inducing fear in all western states that they could too be easily targeted by religious extremist factions. Counter-terrorism has aimed to heighten state security often to the detriment of upholding universal principles of human rights. Just as terrorism views all enemy citizens with the same contempt that is there is no distinction between the president and an average citizen, in many regards counter terrorism makes no distinction between terrorists and civilians in that human rights restrictions are imposed on all individuals in states of emergency. Once relied upon as states of human rights advocacy and leadership, western states have legitimized the rejection of human rights under the banner of counter-terrorism. The ‘War on Terror’, increasing surveillance of citizens, restriction of their constitutional rights and the abandonment of state’s moral duty toward asylum seekers symbolizes the dispensability and conditionality of universal human rights. The abrogation of human rights underlying contemporary counter-terrorism practices reflects the limits of the human rights system to neglect in times of emergency, fear and vulnerability.

Havells Case

1. Does the proposed acquisition make sense for Havells? Why or why not? Ans: The proposed acquisition makes sense for the following reasons: ? The acquisition of Sylvania will give Havells access to the wide marketing networks of SLI. It will serve as a good channel for marketing Havell’s products in Europe ? Access to the R&D and engineering capabilities of SLI ? Ownership of various brands of Sylvania: Sylvania, Zenith, Linolite, Claude, Concord and Marlin ? Exposure to lighting and lighting fixtures segment, as Sylvania was primarily engaged in this segment whereas Havells had a small presence in the lighting market. . What are the major risks associated with this acquisition? Can these be managed? Ans: Major Risks associated with the acquisition are- Strategic risk is the current and prospective impact on earnings or capital arising from adverse business decisions, improper implementation of decisions, or lack of responsiveness to industry changes. There is a risk that the acquisition fails to bring out the desired synergy. Operational risk is, as the name suggests, a risk arising from execution of a company's business functions. It is a very broad concept which focuses on the risks arising from the people, systems and processes through which a company operates. There is a huge difference in the culture of the two companies which presents a challenge of the integration of the European executives in the Indian team. y Financial risk is an umbrella term for any risk associated with any form of financing. Risk may be taken as downside risk, the difference between the actual return and the expected return (when the actual return is less), or the uncertainty of that return. The acquisition deal of Sylvania was expected to cost more than $200 million, which is a huge amount for Havells. Also there is uncertainty about the returns from the acquisition

Viral Marketing Essay Example

Viral Marketing Essay Example Viral Marketing Essay Viral Marketing Essay History Unbalanced scales. svg The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (September 2008) There is debate on the origination and the popularization of the term Viral Marketing, though some of the earliest uses of the current term are attributed to Harvard Business School graduate Tim Draper and Harvard Business School faculty member Jeffrey Rayport. The term was later popularized by Jeffrey Rayport in his 1996 Fast Company article The Virus of Marketing , and Tim Draper and Steve Jurvetson of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 1997 to describe Hotmails e-mail practice of appending advertising for itself in outgoing mail from their users. [3] Among the first to write about viral marketing on the Internet was media critic Douglas Rushkoff in his 1994 book Media Virus: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture. The assumption is that if such an advertisement reaches a susceptible user, that user will become infected (i. e. , accept the idea) and will then go on to share the idea with others infecting them, in the viral analogys terms. As long as each infected user shares the idea with more than one susceptible user on average (i. e. , the basic reproductive rate is greater than one the standard in epidemiology for qualifying something as an epidemic), the number of infected users will grow according to a logarithmic curve, whose initial segment appears exponential. Of course, the marketing campaign may be wildly successful even if the rate at which things are spread isnt of epidemic proportions, if this user-to-user sharing is sustained by other forms of marketing communications, such as public relations or advertising. Among the first to write about algorithms designed to identify people with high Social Networking Potential is Bob Gerstley in Advertising Research is Changing. Gerstley uses SNP algorithms in quantitative marketing research to help marketers maximize the effectiveness of viral marketing campaigns. In 2004 the concept of Alpha User was released to indicate that it had become ow possible to technically isolate the focal point members of any viral campaign, the hubs who are most influential. Alpha Users can today be isolated and identified, and even targeted for viral advertising purposes most accurately in mobile phone networks, as mobile phones are so personal. In response to its use, many sites have started up trying to describ e what viral marketing is and to offer viral marketing services as an outsourced extension of a business. [citation needed] [edit] Notable examples * The Ponzi scheme and related investment Pyramid schemes, are early examples of viral marketing. In each round, investors are paid interest from the principal deposits of later investors. Early investors are so enthusiastic that they recruit their friends resulting in exponential growth until the pool of available investors is tapped out and the scheme collapses. * Multi-level marketing popularized in the 1960s and 70s (not to be confused with Ponzi schemes) is essentially a form of viral marketing in which representatives gain income through marketing products through their circle of influence and give their friends a chance to market products similarly. Multis include Amway and Mary Kay Cosmetics among many others. * Early in its existence (perhaps between 1988 and 1992), the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 had limited distribution. The producers encouraged viewers to make copies of the show on video tapes and give them to friends in order to expand viewership and increase demand for the fledgling Comedy Central network. During this period the closing credits included the words Keep circulating the tapes! [5] * In 2000, Slate described TiVos unpublicized gambit of giving free TiVos to web-savvy enthusiasts to create viral word of mouth, pointing out that a viral campaign differs from a publicity stunt. [6] * In 2001, BusinessWeek described web-based campaigns for Hotmail (1996) and The Blair Witch Project (1999) as striking examples of viral marketing, but warned of some dangers for imitation marketers. [7] * Launched in 2002, BMW Films was among the earliest viral marketing ampaigns. It attracted nearly 55 million viewers and helped to elevate the career of Clive Owen. * Some accuse Publius Enigma, a series of unusual postings in 1994 that relate to The Division Bell, to be viral marketing to gain attention for the album. * Burger Kings The Subservient Chicken campaign, running from 2004 until 2007, was cited in Wired magazine as a striking example of viral or word-of-mouth marketing. [8] * Cadburys Dairy Milk 2007 Gorilla advertising campaign was heavily popularised on YouTube and Facebook. The release of the 2007 concept album Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails involved a viral marketing campaign, including the band leaving USB drives at concerts during NINs 2007 European Tour. This was followed up with a series of interlinked websites revealing clues and information about the dystopian future in which the album is set. * In 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment promoted the return of Chris Jericho with a viral marketing campaign using 15-second cryptic binary code videos. The videos contained hidden messages and biblical links related to Jericho, although speculation existed throughout WWE fans over whom the campaign targeted. 9][10] The text Save Us and 2nd Coming were most prominent in the videos. The campaign spread throughout the internet with numerous websites, though no longer operational, featuring hidden messages and biblical links to further hint at Jerichos r eturn. [11][12] * In 2007 the New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliott wrote about a business-to-business viral campaign for a software company, showing that viral advertising has application in areas outside of consumer marketing. [13] * In 2007, Portuguese football club Sporting Portugal integrated a viral feature in their campaign for season seats. In their website, a video required the user to input his name and phone number before playback started, which then featured the coach Paulo Bento and the players waiting at the locker room while he makes a phone call to the user telling him that they just cant start the season until the user buys his season ticket. [14] Flawless video and phone call synchronization and the fact that it was a totally new experience for the user led to nearly 200,000 pageviews phone calls in less than 24 hours. [citation needed] * Avirginsplea. om claimed that a 25-year old virgin living in Toronto named Geoff needed five million hits on his website in 30 days in order for Jenn, one of his very hot platonic female friends, to help him lose his virginity. * The 2008 film Cloverfield was first publicized with a teaser trailer that did not advertise the films title, only its release date: 01Â ·18Â ·08. Elements of the viral marketing campaign included MySpace pages created for fictional characters and websites created for fictional companies alluded to in the film. The Big Word Project, launched in 2008, aims to redefine the Oxford English Dictionary by allowing people to submit their website as the definition of their chosen word. The viral marketing project, created to fund two Masters students educations, attracted the attention of bloggers worldwide, being featured on Daring Fireball and Wired Magazine. [15] * The marketing campaign for the 2008 film The Dark Knight combined both online and real-life elements to make it resemble an alternate reality game. Techniques included mass gatherings of Joker fans, scavenger hunts around the world, detailed and intricate websites that let fans actually participate in voting for political offices in Gotham City, hidden phone numbers and websites in the queue lines of The Dark Knight roller coasters at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Great Adventure, and even a Gotham News Network that has links to other Gotham pages such as Gotham Rail, a Gotham travel agency, and political candidates pages. The movie also markets heavily off of word of mouth from the thousands of Batman fans. Both the second and third games in the Halo series were preceded with viral marketing in the form of an alternate reality game called I Love Bees for the second game, and Iris for the third game. * In December 2009, podcasters of The Mike OMeara Show launched a viral marketing campaign on Facebook to encourage others to download the show. * Between December 2009 and March 2010 a series of seven videos were posted to YouTube under the name iamamiwhoami leading to speculation that they were a marketing campaign for a musician. In March 2010, an anonymous package was sent to an MTV journalist claiming to contain a code which if cracked would give the identity of the artist. [16] The seventh video, entitled b, appears to feature the Swedish singer Jonna Lee. [17][18][19][20] * On July 14 2010, Old Spice launched the fastest growing online viral video campaign ever, garnering 6. 7 million views after 24 hours, ballooning over 23 million views after 36 hours[21]. Old Spices agency created a bathroom set in Portland, OR and had their TV commercial star, Isaiah Mustafa, reply to 186 online comments and questions rom websites like Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Digg, Youtube and others. The campaign ran for 3 days[22]. [edit] Viral Marketing Services Viral marketing services (VMS) include full service marketing, advertising, and media brokerage. There are outsourced companies hired for these services. Like other professional niches, (i. e. lawyer, accountant, IT), companies are now being sought for their professional insight and expertise in Guerilla marketing strategies and advanced Internet and mobility technology in the hopes of providing more leads, sales, and profits than traditional marketing service providers. A VMS company will typically create impressions for a very specific market or audience as defined by a client. The more impressions created for a client, the greater the chance of increasing prospective customer awareness of the client’s products or services. A VMS company’s basis of success is based on the ability to successfully leverage many forms of media to create a large market presence for the client. A VMS company is not responsible for searching out leads. Rather, they are responsible for creating leads through brand recognition by means of market branding and innovative advertising services. edit] Methods * Internet Search Engines Blogs * Target Marketing Web Services * Social Media Interconnectivity * Industry specific organization contributions * Television Radio * Multiple forms of Print and Direct Marketing * SEO Web Development * Customer Participation Polling services * Outbound/Inbound Call Center Services * Mobile SmartPhone Integration VMS target m arketing is based on three important principals: 1. Social Profile Gathering 2. Proximity Market Analysis 3. Real-Time Key word Density Analysis By applying these three important disciplines to an advertising model, a VMS company is able to match a client with their targeted customers at a cost effective advantage. [edit] Motivations Products and services change as consumers demand change. Because of this, businesses have recognized that the method of marketing must change. Marketing is about putting your business in front of the largest interested audience for the lowest cost per viewer. In the early 20’s, radio was the means of reaching a mass audience followed by television in the late 40’s. Television would maintain the number one spot in terms of mass audience advertising until the Internet took hold in the mid-90’s. Now people are sharing information, collaborating on topics of interest, and networking on the internet in ways not previously imaginable. [edit] Statistics * Two thirds of the world’s Internet population now visit a social network or blog site weekly[23] * 220+ million people visit the top 25 social networks each month[24] * Facebook alone has 500+ million active users[25] Social media Internet traffic has exceeded adult entertainment sites * Time spent visiting Social media sites now exceeds time spent emailing[26] * Consistent polls reflect that 89% of people forward news, events, and vendor specific information to people in their network. [27] * 59% of adults polled state that they use their cell phone to remain connected with their social network[28] Because of statistics such as these, companies – big or small – have seen to it that viral marketing services are integrated into their company. Because the cost per impression is typically much lower in comparison to other forms of media, businesses have been able to reach a very large buying audience at a lower cost when compared to other forms of available media. [edit] Techniques Many companies simply embed key words on their web site to support Search Engine Optimization best practices in order to receive a high ranking on Google in the hopes of building a strong internet business. However, this is only one component to capitalizing on the power of viral marketing. Viral marketing is about connections. The more quality connections a company can make, the more business impressions they will create. The more business impressions they create the higher likelihood that a consumer (or other business requiring a service) will make contact to purchase a good or service. By use of a social profile gathering system, a VMS company is able to create interconnections with web sites and social media groups specific to the client’s market audience. In addition to the more common social media web sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. , the internet is home to over 300,000 social community web service providers. Each of these social community web service providers have from 5 million to 50 million active users thus creating a large community of active consumers. By actively maintaining an extensive analytical database of these connections, a VMS goal is to be able to successfully match a business with the targeted buyers. Technology is the tool that allows b usinesses to moderate, manage, and automate communication with the global scale of Internet users. VMS technology incorporates artificial intelligence which allows a system to communicate with a prospective buyer via their phone (voice), SMS (Text Message), blog site, or email. Without having this level of sophisticated technology in place, a VMS company would be unable to manage the large amount of users and leads available on the Internet; but because of the advancements of technology, targeted campaigns can meet the goals and requirements of businesses from all over the world.

Key Elements Of Relationship Survival †Psychology Essay

Key Elements Of Relationship Survival – Psychology Essay Free Online Research Papers Key Elements Of Relationship Survival Psychology Essay I believe there are several key elements that are needed in order for a relationship to survive and without these elements a relationship could be subject to failure. When a person thinks of a relationship, they begin to think of what they would want, need or how they could possibly benefit from it. However, while thinking of reaping for themselves, they fail to think about the other person. The needs of one person may not be the same needs as the other person this leads to the fact that we are all different. However, there are several elements in a relationship that we all have in common and can also relate to. It is important to have some one to share your life with. Some don’t believe in relationships and would prefer to be alone. While I am one who feels that having some one is a part of growing in life, getting older, raising a family; I will enlighten those who don’t believe in relationships the importance of them and the key elements that will assist in holding a strong relationship together. Those elements are attraction, friendship, respect, love, trust, security, intimacy, and the hardest of them all finance. I will now explain my beliefs on how without these elements a relationship is destined for failure. ATTRACTION When a person meets someone the first thing that is distinguished is the way that person looks. Is he or she attractive or not and the answer is usually quick and automatic, it is as though we are programmed with this distinction. Sometimes, after we have made our decision about that person, our conclusion could infer whether we even want to make friends with that person. For instance, if a person is not attractive and has a bad attitude another person may not be very drawn in or comfortable with getting to know that person. However if a person is attractive and has a nice attitude another person may feel more comfortable with communicating and possibly getting to know that person thus establishing an acquaintance that in time develops into a friendship or something more serious. In other words, there is certain criterion that has to be met even before friendship is established. Attraction is a necessary factor in the beginning of a relationship. FRIENDSHIP When friendship is finally initiated the responsibility for keeping a friendship is not difficult as long as the two people are honest and loyal. They have to be good listeners and they have to kindness and compassion for the other person. What I look for in a friend is someone who could be there when I need them and that person does not mind sharing, giving, understanding and being trustworthy and in return I would give that person the same treatment. In a relationship, not only is it a wonderful asset to have friendship but it is also one of the key elements for relationship survival. RESPECT Many people are familiar with the word respect, special thanks to a well known and heavily praised singer and songwriter by the name of Aretha Franklin. Mrs. Franklin’s song spelled out the word R.E.S.P.E.C.T and the singer explained what it means to her. What does respect mean to you? Everybody carries their own personal definition to the word respect. Not just the textbook meaning but what the word really means to you, my idea of respect is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is pretty self explanatory, if you like to be treasured then treasure the person you are with. Respect to me is taking the time to bare with a persons feelings if you are having a hard time understanding that person respect them with patience. If you are angry with a person respect that person by not lashing out in anger to cause harm to that person. Respect is not hitting someone, if a person hits someone they are in a relationship with they do not respect that person and neither doe s that person have respect for themselves. A relationship needs respect to move two people closer together, when a person realizes they are very well respected by another person they begin to feel trust. TRUST Trust is the heart of a relationship. â€Å"†¦trust is the belief by one person that anothers motivations towards them are benevolent and honest.† (www.wikipedia.com) I believe that without trust there may as well not be a relationship at all. For instance, someone cheats on their partner but they do not break up with each other the victim may forgive the cheater, however the victim never forgets what the cheater has done. Consequently the relationship is damaged. When the cheater, who is no longer a cheater, leaves home for a walk to the mailbox, the victim is on edge and uncomfortable. The victim is afraid that the used-to-be-cheater is going to cheat again. Going to the mailbox is not nearly enough to worry about but lack of trust can turn the mind of the victim to an obsessive accuser and no one likes to be accused of things all of the time. Without trust, a relationship will burn down and there will not be any pieces left over to gather up and try to put back toget her. Trust is a strong key element of a relationships survival. FINANCE An explanation for finance is usually not needed, but I will state my belief regardless. Marital conflicts arise not because of money itself, but because of a couples differing emotions about money. (â€Å"More Than Just Money† By. Suzanne Woods Fisher, Christianity Today, Spring 2003 Issue.) Without money or the support of money a relationship turns pretty unsteady. â€Å"†¦but they soon find out that money is a tie that can bind more tightly and more painfully than any marriage license.† (â€Å"Before ‘I Do’ Don’t Do This† By. Jeff Opdyke, Love and Money, Wall Street Journal.) Knowing that someone is broke all the time, some people really do not participate in wanting to be in a relationship with that type person. It is not that they are considered as â€Å"gold diggers† or people who are all about money but everyone needs a little financial back up sometimes. Although being careful with spending and other joint efforts fin ancially are also very important. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (The Holy Bible 1 Timothy 6:10). Having sure finances is very helpful in keeping a relationship stable and secure. INTIMACY An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship with a great deal of physical and/or emotional intimacy. It is usually characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment. Sexuality may or may not be involved. (www.wikipedia.com) When adding all of these key elements together two people will be able to ascertain intimacy. Intimacy is a beautiful feeling shared between two people that can lead to lots of wonderful moments in life one of those moments is the art of being in love. Some people mistake intimacy for sex, true enough it is a part of it but in a good relationship that has all of the key elements sex usually follows falling in love. Everybody loves to be caressed with caring and love. Intimacy is a valuable key element in a relationship. LOVE This is the final factor that is not so final because I believe that during the creation of all of the key elements love is perfectly filled in to all of the blanks. Love has several different meanings in the English language, from something that gives a little pleasure (I loved that meal) to something for which one would die for (patriotism, pair-bonding). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. As an experience usually felt by a person for another person, it is commonly considered impossible to describe. Dictionaries tend to define love as deep affection or fondness†¦ (www.wikipedia.com) In conclusion, if a person ever wonders, through lacking any of the key elements of relationship survival, â€Å"Why am I still with this person?† They can always refer to this element. People go through lots of pain, lacking these important elements at times, but the greatest element of them all could be the reason we all continue to endure, enjoy, or unfortunately lose who we really are, and that element is love. Love is the strongest key element of relationship survival. shawndrell0904@aol.com Research Papers on Key Elements Of Relationship Survival - Psychology EssayThree Concepts of PsychodynamicComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Fifth HorsemanMind TravelResearch Process Part OneCapital PunishmentHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseWhere Wild and West MeetAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia