Character Identity in the Taming of the Shrew Essay Example

Character Identity in the Taming of the Shrew Essay If something walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and acts like a duck, is it a duck? Probably, but what if this duck is really Just a confused chicken? At this point, the question of Identity comes Into play. Is the chicken then considered a duck because its actions all point towards that of the distinctive aquatic bird? Or does the chickens actual reality as a chicken, Its feathery DNA, matter more In this discussion? Identity In The Taming of the Shrew acts the same way. Haltingly the nature of Identity, Shakespeare uses the story of Christopher Julys taming and its counterpart, Skates aiming, to show that appearance becomes reality. Ultimately, the characters in The Taming of the Shrew blur the lines between reality and illusion, making them one and the same. In the beginning of the play, the small part of dialogue concerning Christopher Sly shows the phenomenon of illusion becoming reality. A rich lord abducts Sly, a drunken beggar, and plays a trick on him: What think you, if he were Rapped In sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, a most delicious banquet by his bed Would not the beggar then forget himself? (Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew, Mind. 1. 33-37). When Sly awakens In an unfamiliar setting, he questions the truth of his predicament, but eventually, he wholeheartedly accepts the Illusion that [he Is] a lord indeed, and not a tinker nor Christopher Sly (Mind. 2. 68-69). Because Sly sees that he possesses all the characteristics of a lord ? fine clothes, dedicated servants, a noble wife ? he immediately accepts the facade. We will write a custom essay sample on Character Identity in the Taming of the Shrew specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Character Identity in the Taming of the Shrew specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Character Identity in the Taming of the Shrew specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When he accepts his pseudo-nobility, Julys paradigm of his own reality shifts completely. He notices that he possesses all the characteristics off lord and adjusts his own identity accordingly: he becomes the lord. Initially, the changes in Sly are merely superficial; he gains obedient servants, nice clothes, and delicious food. Nothing about his personality should change, but It does. Not only does Sly state his belief In his nobility, but he also exhibits changes In his language, demonstrating the sincerity of his personality change. Critic Joseph Tate cites the fact that Sly form of speaking changes from prose, indicating a peasant, to blank verse, traditionally a form of speech used by poets and playwrights for aristocratic speech (106). Christopher Julys [rise] to verse and into nobility indicates that a real change occurs n Julys perception of himself and, therefore, in his actual Identity (106). Still the question remains: is Sly a true lord or Just an overdressed, indulged peasant tricked by a cruel, bored aristocrat? Shakespearean treatment of Sly story makes it seem as though he remains a lord. Introduced to Sly at the start, the audience naturally waits for his storyline to be continued, but Shakespeare never finishes It. Sly appears for the final time at the end of the first scene of act 1, and In this appearance, he merely complements the play Itself (1. 1. 243-44). This unfinished plot vice serves as a purposeful reminder that Illusion has become reality ? that Sly illusory nobility becomes actual nobility. Supporting this claim, Tate points out that Wendell ten plays plot Implies Tanat snatchers assume Ana seen Lugholes easily, inductions incompleteness proposes the opposite(Tate 107). Sly never return[s] to a world of stable identities and stays eternally as a lord (107). The implication that Christopher Sly becomes a lord and stays one indelibly within the play supports the idea that his identity changes permanently on the basis of appearance; the chicken as evolved into a duck. Immediately after Sly final line, Epithetic bursts on stage, establishing his identity as a bossy, violent, and outgoing young man. Although Epithetic never disguises his personality or intentions, his act of taming Kate contributes an additional example of how illusion and appearance becomes the reality of a situation. Epithetic, in an effort to tame Kate, devises a scheme in which he describes her behavior contradictory to what she actually does. For instance, Say that she rail, why then [he would tell] her plain she sings as sweetly as a nightingale. Say that she frown, [he would say] she looks as clear as morning roses (2. 1. 166- 69). His ruse transforms Skates identity from the shrewish spinster seen at the beginning into the dutiful wife whose speech at the end of the play indicates her new-built virtue and obedience (5. 2. 122). She is even respectful to her husband, to the point of calling him sir (5. 2. 105). Cecil C. Sermons proposes that Pedicurists method [of taming] is to suppose or assume qualities in [Kate] that no one else Suspects. What he assumes as apparently false turns out to be startlingly true (19). Therefore, Kate eventually becomes what Epithetic presents her as. Although at first Pedicurists descriptions of Kate seem only like his way to kill [her] with kindness (4. 1 . 181), his treatment [steadily unfolds to show] her really fine qualities: patience, practical good sense, a capacity for humor, and finally obedience, all of which she comes gradually to manifest in a spirit (Sermons 19). In the end, Kate turns into the modest Dove Epithetic claims her to be, demonstrating again that illusion has become reality (2. 1. 289). Kate, the shrew and eponymous character of the play, raises the most questions bout the reality of appearance. The most obvious question about Kate is whether she is truly tamed at the very end of the play. A less common, but equally interesting question is whether Kate is, in reality, a shrew. Are her bad attitude and violent tendencies only armor that Kate dons to protect herself from vulnerability and rejection? Perhaps. Several instances in the play imply that Kate is, in fact, gentler than she initially appears: the fact that Kate cries when Epithetic is late to the wedding; her allowance of her marriage to Epithetic in the first place; and her moieties reasonable pleas to Epithetic at the beginning of their marriage. These subtle details, however, become lost within the prominent examples of Skates fiery temper: yelling at her suitor; tying up her sister Bianca; and smashing an instrument over her tutors head, to name a few. Does it matter if her shrewish nature is merely armor? If everyone that has ever met Kate agrees that she is a shrew, even calling her Katherine the curse, then it does not really make a difference if it is a charade (1. 2. 121). Therefore, Skates relatives and neighbors define her identity, instead of Kate defining herself by how she feels. By believing that Katherine is a shrew [her community] makes near one, Decease Tanat Is ten only student position lately allow] her (Cooker 145). Because of the unpleasant outward appearance she gives off, Skates armor becomes a reality, regardless of what she feels inside. The last question of appearance versus reality is probably the most critical and common question of the play: is Kate really tamed? Well, she appears to be. At the end of the play in act 5, she obeys Epithetic, responding to his summons, unlike the other two wives. Her father seems to genuinely believe that she is changed as she had never been (5. 2. 119). She even gives a seemingly scolding speech to the other two wives, preaching the belief that thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, / Thy head, thy sovereign (5. 2. 150-51). Although no critic and certainly no undergraduate dabbler in Shakespeare can say for sure the sincerity of Skates taming, I believe that many elements of the play combine to give a clearer perspective on this question. Christopher Sly story, a parallel in both situation and location within the play, paves the way for Skates reversal of personality. Sly identity transformation not only exhibits the nature of appearance becoming reality, but also leads the way for Skates complete reversal of identity from headstrong shrew to obedient wife in the final act of the play. By creating perfectly parallel circumstances, not only in situation, but also in location within the play, Shakespeare draws attention to the theme of illusion becoming reality, and perhaps even prepares the audience for the legitimacy of Skates transformation. Shakespeare manages to answer the question of the duck. If something has all the heartsickness of something else, it actually becomes, in all practical ways, that something else. He says that appearance is reality, or at least, it is the only reality that matters. Because of the analysis of Shakespearean use of Christopher Sly, Pedicurists deception in taming, and Skates actual nature as a shrew, the dominant question of the play grows clearer: whether or not Kate truly alters her thinking and personality to become tamed. Because of Shakespearean treatment of the rest of the play, it becomes evident that Skates illusion becomes the reality of her situation, and she, in all practical sense of the word, is tamed

Planning an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

Planning an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign Situation Analysis Athletic footwear industry is very much concentrated (Eric 2006). The industry consists of a large number of smaller and segmented players. One of the key characteristics which define the industry is the purpose and price of the shoes. However, there is a given degree of overlap amongst the various shoe categories especially with regard to casual wear and performance shoes.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Planning an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, a considerable proportion of individuals wear athletic shoes in non-athletic settings. This is an indication that there is a potential for an increment in the size of the market for athletic shoes. Currently, large firms dominate the athletic shoe industry account for 95% of the entire market while small firms account for only 5%. Some of the key competitor s in the industry includes Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma, Skechers, Van, K-Swiss, Asics, Saucony and New Balance (Eric 2006). Nike Incorporation is the leading firm within the athletic footwear industry. The firm deals with designing and marketing various a variety of athletic footwear. Nike Air Max is one of the leading athletic footwear produced by the company. The product is effectively designed to appeal the consumer. Nike Air Max has an air cushioning and an innovative foam cushioning. This makes it to be effective with regard to impact absorbing. A thin plate is sandwiched between the cushioning systems to ensure effective support of the feet (Loscher 2006). The price of a pair of Nike Air Max shoes varies from $ 99 to $149 for men while ladies shoes range from $99 to $ 119 (Loscher 2006). A significant proportion of consumers consider Nike Air Max to be of high quality and stylish. In 2004, Nike had a market share of 42% as illustrated in the pie chart below. The lucrative nature of the industry in relation to p rofitability has led to a large number of investors venturing the industry. The resultant effect has been an increment in the degree of rivalry. The high degree of rivalry has had a negative effect on the firm as it is evident in the reduction in its market share. In order to attain a high competitive advantage, firms in the athletic footwear industry are adopting various market positioning strategies. One of these strategies relate to formation of mergers and acquisition. For example, in 2003, Nike Incorporation acquired Converse Company.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was followed by the Reebok and Adidas merge in 2005 (Fried, Shapiro Deschriver 2007). Currently, Nike Incorporation has a market share of 33% of the entire global footwear industry (Cuizon 2009). Company Market share (%) Nike 42 Adidas 27 Puma 6 Reebok 12 New Balance 5 Asi cs 1 K-Swiss 2 Saucony 1 Vans 1 Sketchers 3 The success of a firm in the global market is dependent on a number of macroeconomic factors. These relate to both internal and externla environment. The key external enviroments relate to political, economic, social and technological environment. Political analysis The United States government has developed and implemented effective policies which have played a significant role in the success of Nike athletic brands (Eric 2006). Some of these policies relate to low interest rates, economic stability such as taxation policies and ensuring stability in the currency. This has enabled Nike’s athletic footwear products to be competitive internationally. Economic analyis The athletic footwear industry was adversely affected by the global economic recession. The table below gives an illustration of the change in sales during the period ranging from 2007 to 2009 in the United States. Percentage change on the basis of dollar volume sales Percentage change 2007-2008 Percentage change 2008-2009 Total athletic footwear -3.2 -1.4 Girl’s -5.9 0.6 Boy’s -4.6 1 Men’s 0.4 3.0 Women’s 6.4 0.6 Infant -13.3 -4.8 From the table, it is evident that there was a significant reduction in sales in 2008 compared to 2009. The total sales reduced by 3.2% in 2008 and by 1.4% in 2009 (Boyle 2010). As a result of the 2007 global economic recession, the firm experienced a reduction in its sales which persisted to 2009 as a result of reduction in consumer purchases. The firm’s cost of operation was further driven up by the economic crisis in Asia considering the fact that the firm manufacures its products in Asia.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Planning an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social analysis Currently, there is a shift in the consumption behavi or amongst the consumers. One of the major trends relate to increased health consciousness. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of individuals joining fitness clubs (Eric 2006). The change in consumption behavior has led into an upward shift in demand for various fitness products such as shoes and apparels. This presents a feasible business opportunity for Nike Incorporation to exploit through marketing of Nike Air Max. This arises from the fact that Nike Air Max is specially designed to ensure comfort and flexibility of the consumer. Technology analysis In the 21st century, there has been an increment in the rate of technological innovation. This has led into transformation of businesses in various economic sectors (Eric 2006). In an effort to attain a high competitive advantage, Nike Incorporation has integrated information technology in its operation. Some of the areas in which this has been applied relate to production, marketing and distribution. Wi th regard to marketing, this has been achieved through incorporation of Marketing Information Systems. This has enabled the firm to attain a high competitive edge compared to its competitors. Internal Analysis SWOT analysis Strengths High competitiveness through effective sponsoring of sports especially athletics. Effective operation via adoption of a lean organization strategy. Nike Incorporation own buildings or manufacturing workers. This enables the firm to be flexible in its production processes. The firm has a strong research and development team which enables the firm to be innovative. The firm has attained publicity globally thus enabling it to market its products effectively on a global scale. Weaknesses Despite the fact that the firm has diversified its products, athletic footwear products are the major source of income. This means that the firm’s strength is vulnerable if its market share of footwear products is eroded. The firm has been greatly criticized o ver incidences of underpayment, child labor and overworking its employees. Opportunities There is a high probability of Nike improving its market share through new product development. The firm can increase its profitability by venturing into new market segments such as selling Jewelry and sunglasses. High probability of developing its business internationally by venturing into markets in emerging economies such as China. Threats Considering the fact that the company operates on an international scale, the firm is exposed to numerous risks such as exchange rate fluctuations and economic recession which may lead into loss. Athletic footwear industry is very competitive. Competitors are increasingly developing products aimed at capturing a proportion of Nike’s market share. Consumers have become very price sensitive. Objectives Communication objectives Varey (2002) posits that the success of every firm is dependent on the effectiveness with which the firm has estab lished a relationship with the consumers. Currently, there has been an increment in the degree of similarity amongst various product categories with regard to performance, design and price which are the core benefits sought by the consumers. As a result, it has become vital for firm’s to draw consumer’s attention. One of the ways through which this can be achieved is by marketing communication (Egan 2007). According to Masterman and Wood (2006), setting communication objective is vital in the marketing communication process. This arises from the fact that objectives act as keystone upon which the firm sets the direction and limits of the strategic decisions.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Considering the competitive nature of the industry, Nike Incorporation intends to increases awareness of its Nike Air Max with a margin of 25% within a period of one year. Awareness of Nike Air Max will be made across consumers of varying demographics. In order to attain this, the firm intends to create intense awareness of its Nike Air Max shoe. Some of the key consideration in the communication process is to create global awareness amongst potential consumers on the characteristics of the Nike Air Max. Through effective communication, it will be possible for the firm to influence consumers in their decision making process. This arises from the fact that the communication will not only be informative but also persuasive. Market share Through communication, the firm intends to increase the size of its overall market share from its current level of 33% to 50% within a period of one year. According to the latest report released in August 2010, Nike had a market share of 62% amongst th e athletics footwear products (Nike Sneaker 2010). Through its Nike Air Max market communication campaign, the firm intends to increase its market share with a margin of 20%. This will be achieved by selling the product to new customer categories and by venturing into new markets. The firm also intends to increase the volume of its Nike Air Max athletic shoes with a margin of 15% within two months. Effect on Competition It is the firm’s objective to attain a high competitive edge with regard to creating product awareness. The firm intends to be ranked as the most effective with regard to brand promotion. As a result of brand promotion, the firm will be able to communicate to the consumers on the benefits associated with consuming the product. In addition, it will be possible for the firm to influence consumers’ attitude towards Nike Air Max. Marketing communication will ensure that consumers associate the product with high value which will play a significant role in re ducing the intensity of competition that Nike Air Max is currently facing from other athletics footwear products. According to O’Guinn, Allen and Semenik (2008), effective brand promotion through market communication campaign can result into consumers developing confidence that they are receiving value for their money. Target The success of a market communication process is dependent on the effectiveness with which the right audience have been identified (Shah 2009). The target audience refers to whom the firm intends to communicate to (Jobber 2007). In marketing communication planning, various audiences are identified depending on the target markets. Identifying the target audience is vital in market communication process. This arises from the fact that the proper identification of the target audience has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the marketing communication. Considering the fact that marketing communication planning is aimed at stimulating sales of a particula r product, selecting the target audience is paramount in influencing the consumers’ decision making process (Kodish Pettegrew 2008). For example, in a family setting, the father has an upper hand in making decision regarding the purchase of electronic products. This means that firms marketing electronic products would consider the father as the core target audience (Shah 2009). To be effective in targeting the audience, various descriptive variables should be put into consideration. Some of the variables relate to demographics, lifestyle, geographics and psychographics. In addition, benefit sought and usage as the core behavioral variables should also be put into consideration (Koekemoer Bird 2004). In marketing Nike Air Max, Nike Incorporation uses both genders (male and female) in identifying its target audience. This has enabled the firm to design and develop Nike Air Max footwear which meets the demand of the customers of varying ages. Apart from using demographic varia bles in targeting its audience for Nike Air Max, Nike Incorporation also targets consumers who are style conscious. In the process of targeting, developing and marketing Nike Air Max, the firm’s marketing department also puts greater emphasis on consumers who consider enhancing their image. The change in consumer behavior presents a feasible market opportunity considering the fact that the change is not only amongst the non athletics consumers but also athletic consumers. Nike Incorporation has also incorporated institutional consumers such as athletic clubs as a part of its target audience. Developing the strategy In order for Nike Incorporation to be effective in marketing Nike Air Max, the firm’s management team has incorporated the concept of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) (Pickton Broderick 2005). Decision to incorporate IMC arose from the fact that the firm intends to create awareness of Nike Air Max to diverse customer categories. In its IMC strategy, Nike Incorporation has integrated both traditional and emerging market communication strategies. Some of the traditional market communication strategies that the firm’s management team has considered incorporating include advertising, public relations, sales promotion and direct marketing. According to O’Guin, Allen and Semenik (2008) advertising creates value in a product by instilling a positive perception amongst the consumers. In its advertising strategy, the firm has makes use of various mediums such as television, radio and use of print media such as magazines and newspapers. Outdoor advertising is also used through incorporation of billboards which are strategically located. The firm uses the simple and catchy ‘Just do it’ slogan and the Nike Swoosh in all its advertisements. Use of the logo and the slogan has contributed towards the consumers developing a positive attitude towards Nike Air Max. According to Cashmore (2009), the swoosh logo has ove r the years been associated with victory. Considering the fact that the firm targets institutional consumers as part of its core customers, the firm’s management team has integrated direct marketing so as to be effective in marketing Nike Air Max amongst these consumers. Through direct marketing, Nike Incorporation marketing department is able to identify and develop a relationship with the institution’s decision making unit thus influencing its decision making process. In an effort to develop a positive public image, Nike Incorporation has integrated public relations. This is achieved through sponsoring various sports. In marketing Nike Air Max brand, Nike Incorporation has integrated the concept of sports sponsorship. According Arnis and Cornwell (2005), Nike Incorporation has been able to venture into new markets through sports sponsorship. For example, in an effort to venture the Australian market, Nike sponsored Shane Warne who is a national cricketer. This enable d the firm to develop an affiliation with the Austrian culture hence creating an edge in marketing its products in Australia. Sales promotion in form of price and quantity discounts is also integrated in marketing Nike Air Max. In order to create product awareness to a large number of customers, Nike Incorporation has integrated emerging market communication technologies (Doren, Fechner Green 2000). Some of these tools include use of the internet marketing through inclusion of Nike Air Max in the firm’s website. In addition, the firm has also incorporated social communication networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and You Tube. The firm will also enter into a contract with search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Through the contract, the firm will be able to post Nike Air Max in the search engine. Use of search engines and social communication networks will enable a wide number of consumers to be informed about Nike Air Max. Budget To ensure the success of the marketin g communication campaign, the firm’s management team has set a substantial amount of money in its marketing budget. The table below gives an illustration of the estimated cost. Cost item Amount in $ Advertising -Print media (Newspaper, Magazines, Bill boards) Athletics sponsorship 500,000 Internet marketing (use of Google and Yahoo) 450,000 Social networks (YouTube,Facebook,Twitter,MySpace) 1,000,000 Estimated cost 1,950,000 Evaluation Over the past three years, Nike Incorporation has experienced an increment in its net income. The firm’s financial year ends on 31st May every year. During the 2008-2009 financial years, the firm witnessed a reduction in its net income as a result of its financial year. However, this trend was negated during its 2009-201 financial year. The table below gives an illustration of the firm’s financial performance over the past four years. All figures are in million dollars. Item 2010 2009 2008 2007 Total a sales r evenue $ 19,014. 0 19,176.1 18,627.0 16,325.9 Total cost of revenue 10,213.6 , 10,571.7 10,239.6 9,165.4 Gross profit 8,800.4 8,604.4 8,387.4 7,160.5 Operating Income 2,516.9 1,956.5 2,502.9 2,199.9 Net Profit before profit 2,516.9 1,956.5 2,502.9 2,199.9 Income tax 610.2 469.8 619.5 708.4 Net Profit after tax 1,906.7 1,486.7 1,883.4 1,491.5 Upon implementing the market communication campaign, the firm’s management team will conduct continuous evaluation on its effectiveness. Considering the fact that it is challenging to measure communication, the firm’s marketing department will evaluate the changes in its sales revenue. This will aid in the determination of whether the campaign is successful with regard to sales enhancement. Reference List Arnis, J. Cornwell, B., 2005. Global sports sponsorship. London: Berg Publishers. Boyle, B., 2010. NPD reports on athletic footwear and sports apparel market. ( Online). Available at: npd.com/press/releases/press_1 00310.html . Cashmore, E., 2010. Making sense of sports. New York: Taylor and Francis. Cuizon, G., 2009. Marketing audit of Nike’s strategies. PEST analysis of Nike. Web. Available at: suite101.com/content/marketing-audit-of-nikes-strategies-a94402 . Doren, D., Fechner, D. Green, K. 2000. Promotional strategies on the World Wide Web.  Journal of Marketing Communications. Vol. 6, issue 1 pp. 21-35. Egan, John, 2007. Marketing Communications. London: Thomson Learning Eric, C., 2006. Athletic footwear: industry analysis. Massachusetts: Tufts University. Fried, G., Shapiro, S. Deschriver, T., 2007. Sports finance. London: Human Kinetics. Jobber, D., 2007. Principles and practice of marketing. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education. Koekemoer, L. Bird, S. 2004. Marketing communications. New York: Juta and Company Limited. Kodish, S. Pettegrew, L., 2008.Enlightened communication is the key to building relationships. Journal of Relationship Marketing. Vol. 7, issue 2. New York: The Haworth Press. Loscher, A., 2006. Athletic footwear and running injuries. ( Online). Available at: http://andrewloscher.com/ArticlesBlog/tabid/197/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/ATHLETIC-FOOTWEAR-AND-RUNNING-INJURIES.aspx . Masterman, G. Wood, E., 2006. Innovative marketing communications: strategies for the  events industry. New York: Butterworth. O’Guinn, T., Allen, C. Semenik, R., 2008. Advertising and integrated brand promotion. New Jersey: Cengage Learning. Nike Sneaker. 2010. Sales report of footwear industry August 2010. Web. Available at: nsneakers.com/2010/09/08/sales-report-of-footwear-industry-august-2010/ . Pickton, D. Broderick, A., 2005. Integrated marketing communications. New York: FT Prentice Hall. Shah, N., 2009. Advertising and promotion. Ottawa: Tata McGraw-Hill. Varey, R., 2002. Marketing communication: principles and practices. New York: Rout ledge.

The Concept of Branding in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Concept of Branding in Marketing - Essay Example The activities they perform in the process of making themselves and their products known are referred to as branding (Hawkins & Coney 2004, 21). Overall, branding is defined as the processes and activities done by a business in the development of a unique image or name for their products and services. Branding is an important process that ensures company products and services stick in the minds of consumers to influence their purchase decisions and preference for company goods and services in place of those of their rivals (Belk 2010, 67). The process of branding in businesses focuses on the establishment of an imperative and differentiated physical and mental presence in the particular market in order to attract and sustain the loyalty of their customers (Hartmann & Apaolaza, 2007, 65).It is important to note that in as much as marketers in business organizations do their best in the production of brands with positive image for their institutions, they often do not decide on the ult imate meaning to the branding itself. In this case, it is imperative to note that the process of branding is not about getting your preferred and target audience to choose your products over those of your rivals; instead, it is about making them see what you can provide as a solution to their various needs. A good branding process in business and its products has to fulfill a number of key goals and objectives.  

The barriers of new energy development in Beijing Essay

The barriers of new energy development in Beijing - Essay Example The findings and discussion provide evidence that personal background and attitude are strongly influenced in the willingness to buy a new energy car. Government policy and marketing investigations indicate that relevant regulations are still in an unclear developmental situation, and the marketing of new energy vehicles is still a difficult endeavour. Therefore, the relevant non-sound rules and regulations, the continued use of fossil fuel, the nearly saturated automotive and second hand vehicles market, as well as some deep-rooted personal views are the main barriers for the development of new energy vehicles in Beijing. The consumer age groups purchasing new energy cars are mainly younger people. The results also show the difference in the development of new energy vehicles between Beijing and cities of other developed countries. The main conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study are that the new energy vehicle cannot replace the motor vehicle directly; they can be onl y gradually developed because time is required for the establishment of regulations, policies and charging stations, and for people’s attitudes to change. If motor Enterprises produce a car that achieves the requirements of a reliable level of technology, security and an attractive appearance, the popularity of the car will be increased. If new energy vehicles are able to reach this level, new energy vehicles will also be fast to become popular. Acknowledgements and Declaration This dissertation would not have been possible without the help and guidance of certain people. It is a pleasure to thank those who made this dissertation possible, such as my parents who gave me spiritual encouragement and the economic support I required, and my professor, Lynn CROWE, who supervised me and enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. I owe my deepest gratitude to Education Adviser Viv THOM, who gave me advice about structure and corrected my language errors. I would also lik e to thank a friend, Minfeng YAN, who introduced two important people to me, one is Teng LI, the consultant of the Audi 4S store, and Feng ZHANG, a salesperson of the Toyota 4S store. I must make a special reference to Minfeng YAN, because without his help I could not have gotten such relevant information. I am thankful to respondents and friends in the support and cooperation of the surveys and interviews. Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of the project. It is declared that this Research Report is entirely the product of my own work. 1.1 Overview The questionnaire sample sizes were 65 and 78 for face-to-face and online survey respectively. To ensure the accuracy of the answers, each face-to-face survey was completed by different people and the online survey could only be filled in once for one IP. In order to understand the condition of the auto vehicles market in a short period, the interpretive intervie ws selected consultants and salespeople from different mainstream 4S stores, where one consultant came from an Audi 4S store, another one came from a Toyota 4S store, and the last one from BYD. 1.2 Personal background The age distribution in the face-to-face survey demonstrates that there is no age limitation. 60% of total respondents were aged from 19 to 30, while 32.3% of them were aged between 31 and 50 years old. In contrast, most of respondents of the online survey (92.3%)

Business Market Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Market Assignment - Essay Example So, in order to reduce all those type of discrepancies, at the time of launching the product (Toepener) in the market of Canada, it is better to undertake the process of test marketing. It is one of the most renowned procedures of marketing used at the introductory stages of a product in a new market. By doing so, the actual performance of that specific product in those regions of the market might be analyzed and evaluated. Due to which, the target customers and the distribution system that might prove effective for Toepener may be evaluated. Side by side, the type of advertisement and promotional strategies required to increase the level of awareness of the target customers might also be analyzed. Thus, this process might present an entire list of activities and the duration of time and the strategy required (fat launch or narrow launch or dynamic launch) to introduce the new product (Toepener) in a new market (Canada). Then, it might be easier for the marketing managers to devise t he launching plan of Toepener within the regions of Canada. And the plan might also present positive results for the product (Toepener) within the markets of Canada. ... The product (Toepener) might be positioned in the market of Canada as an extremely trendy and hygienic product at a competitive price. It is done to attract the health conscious individuals comprising of a premium life style. Along with this, the product is mainly useful for those segments (customers) desiring to maintain a high living standard, which is entirely free from germs and pollutants. Therefore, only a niche category of customers might get attracted towards this brand s compared to others (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). Apart from this, if such a technique of automatic shut- down after completion of the work might be implemented within Toepener, then such a distinguished feature of Toepener might surely be preferred by the target customers. This feature might prove extremely beneficial for the brand to enhance its reputation and market share in the market of Canada among other existing rival players. Side by side, the competitive prices of the product of Toepener is also anothe r vital strategy that enhanced its total sale and equity in the market of Canada among other rivals. Therefore, it might be portrayed that the strategy of presenting value-added products (Toepener) at a quite lower price may be effective for the market of Canada. This might help in enhancing the profit margin and brand loyalty of the products to a certain extent as compared to other contenders in the market of Canada. Along with this, it might also prove effective in positioning the product among many other substitute products in the market of Canada. Thus, to present the product (Toepener) in the market of Canada, the slogan might be, ‘live a healthy and germ less life’. It might surely

A Marketing Strategy For Morrisons Marketing Essay

A Marketing Strategy For Morrisons Marketing Essay In recent years, several conceptual frameworks have been developed to better understand the processes of strategy formulation, and for such processes, the term strategic marketing is used to describe the decisions taken to develop long-run strategies for survival and growth About Morrisons We are the UKs fourth largest food retailer with  403 stores. Our business is mainly food and grocery the weekly shop. Uniquely we source and process most of the fresh food that we sell though our own manufacturing facilities, giving us close control over provenance and quality; and we have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer. Every week nine million customers pass through our doors and 124,000 colleagues across the business work hard each day to deliver great service to them. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, we are proud to save our customers money every day. Definition of Strategic Marketing Marketing Strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. (Baker Michael 2008) Principles of marketing strategies People Oriented Marketing The purpose of marketing strategies is to create the added advantage of the company. The strategies that are supported to the customer orientation is the most important one because the customer is the king of market. The Cost Of Something Is What You Give Up To Get It. Marketing strategies are planned according to the pricing of their products. Company set their pricing that are supported their products and customer are likely to buy it. Reward System Strategies Strategies are prepared to satisfy the customer and employees. Bonus Cards, loyalty cards are the rewards that organisation gives to their customers just to retain them. Competitive Advantages Marketing strategies are prepared according to the competitive advantage of the competitor. Marker Base Assets Marketing strategies are supported to the brand name, brand image, company name and then cash them to gain advantage. Vision of Morrisons food specialist for everyone Food specialist We really understand food we know where it comes from; we pack it and make it in our factories; we make it in our stores; and we employ craft skills in every store. For everyone Great food which is also: great value; and for every day, not just special days. This vision is supported by our brand values and strategic objectives. Brand value Our brand values are important to delivering our strategy and underpin all our strategic objectives. Fresh, Value and Service are discussed in the right-hand box above. SMART Analysis: SMART is an acronym which tells us that when ever we set any companies objectives they should be ,S =Specific M= Measurable A = Actionable or Achievable R = Realistic T = Time Frame Morrisons strategy Keeping things simple: Our vision to be the Food Specialist for Everyone is now well advanced. Our constant focus on freshness, great value and outstanding service is appealing to more and more people. And were now closer to more customers, having opened 43 new stores last year. Morrisons share of UK grocery market For the financial year 2009/10 the grocery market was worth  £90.2bn, an increase of 4.7%. Morrisons market share continues to increase as we move from National to Nationwide. Morrisons market share(percentage %) 2007 2008 2009 2010 11.9 12.1 12.3 12.6 Morrisons share of grocers UK 2010 (percentage %) A. Morrisons 12.6% B. Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys (combined) 63.5% C. Premium (combined) 5.8% D. Discounters and others (combined) Morrisons market share growth was greater than the total market growth year-on-year and as a result we grew market share. The top four supermarkets combined accounted for around 76% of the market. (Source: Kantar Worldpanel) Market share growth in 2009/10 (Percentage %) SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis in the technique to understand the internal and external analysis of the company that tell companies strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of the company. STRENGTH Market share growth in 2009/10 Store estate development Acquisition of co-operative stores Opening of 34 new stores Food specialist Specialist in food Owen supply chain Own distribution channel Morrison form for food Owen packing factories Instore preparation of food Quickest turnaround time between order and delivery Employees education programme (MBA) WEEKNESSES Lack of the customers trust Very less number of stores Less Advertisement Little bit high pricing OPPORTUNITY Home Delivery extension of small stores to cover the more customers start the new business line as Morrisons pharmacy Move into non-food retailing in the UK. Entry into new retail segments, such as drugstores, department stores, speciality units Increase the number of stores to cover the more population areas THREAT Low pricing of competitors Communication is weak High competition Open market for entering new competitors Purchasing of co-operative store are not maintain Morrisons standard Uncertainty will affect the sale and profitability of the company Competitive Analysis Competitive analysis conducted for the comparison of company to the other different companies/ competitors. It tells the company that where their products are and where the other have, they are in the good position are their competitor. Competitive analysis is tells advantages and the weaknesses of the companies over the competitors. Morrisons have strong competition with Tesco, ASDA, and Sainsbury etc. Boston Consulting Group Matrix Star High growth business or products that competing the market where they have competitive advantage/ edge as compare to the competitor. Normally heavy investments are required to exist in the market. Morrison may not fall in this part of the matrix. Cash Cows Business growth is low or product having relative market share. There is normally low business and little investment is required to retain in the market. Good leadership and strategies are required for growth. Morrisons is in this area of matrix. Question mark Business or product have low market share but exist in the high growth market. Businesses in this area are required high investment but they have potential to grow high. Management have to make some growth strategies that Morrison have done and now in the growth position of the market. Dogs Businesses or products have low market share and unattractive market. Business fall in this area may generate profit to come on breakeven point. Pricing strategies There are number of pricing strategies that companies used in according to their purpose that are fit and matched with objectives and goals. The strategies are: Premium Pricing Economy Pricing Penetration Pricing Psychological Pricing Skimming Pricing Captive Product Pricing Product Bundle Pricing Promotional Pricing Geographical Pricing Morrisons are used various pricing strategies from the above mentioned strategies. Economy Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy in their products that are daily use items. All most all the grocery items are under economy pricing scheme. Psychological Pricing Morrisons are also adopting this pricing technique just for psychological impact on the customers. For example 99P Promotional Pricing Morrisons are using this strategy for promotional items. Example: buy 1 get one free or two item 2 pound etc. STP Strategies STP is another type of marketing strategies that companies kept in mind while formulating its marketing strategies. STP stands for S- Segmentation T- Target P- Positioning Segmentation Demographical Geographical Psychological Behavioural Geographical Company divided its area into different parts than these subareas are also divided into regions. Morrisons have divided its UK market into 4 parts that are the states then these are divided into cities and then cities are divided its sides like central, north, east, west, northwest etc. Distribution and channel strategies Morrisons have their own distribution channel that is use to deliver its products to the retail stores for the end use of customers. Fresh foods are taken from own forms than they distribute to the concern factory for packing and finally distribute to the retail stores effective and efficient use of the supply chain management.

Factory Labor and the Domestic Sphere in the Lowell Offering Essay

In 1822, a group of Boston merchants and traders began their campaign to transform a riverbank below the thirty-foot falls of the Merrimack River into "the greatest textile manufacturing establishment in the country." These capitalists dug and improved the Merrimack canal, constructed machine shops, and built housing for mill executives, foremen and operatives. The cotton mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, and other New England sites began to employ the first female industrial labor force in the United States. Almost twenty years later, factory workers wrote and edited the Lowell Offering, a literary magazine showcasing the virtues and talents of the female operatives in verse, essays and short fiction (Eisler, 13-22). This ESSAY discusses the female Lowell factory worker as portrayed in the Offering. Although the magazine never expressed an overtly feminist view of the factory girls' condition, nor invoked a working-class consciousness similar to later labor expressions in Lowell, there is evidence of a narrative strategy and ideology speaking both to the factory women and the middle-class readership outside of the mill town. The paper's short stories, epistolary narratives and commentaries seek to legitimize an operatives' role within the feminine ideal of domesticity. In conforming to the norms of feminine literature, the Offering reconstructs the operatives' character. It subordinates the evidence for independence or autonomy to relate stories of familial or sentimental ties binding the factory girl to the world outside of factory life. The magazine sought to provide an answer to this question: given her new liberties, what kept the "factory girl" from losing contact with her moral sentiments? To a great degree, the economi... ..., 1820-1865. Columbia Studies in American Culture Series (New York: Columbia University Press, 1942): 13-14. Cott, Nancy F. The Bonds of Womanhood: "Woman's Sphere" in New England, 1780-1835. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1977. Dublin, Thomas. Women at Work: the Transformation of Work and Community in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1826-1860. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979. Dublin, Thomas. "Women, work and protest in the early Lowell Mills: `the oppressing hand of avarice would enslave us.'" Labor History 16(1975): 99-116. Eisler, Benita. The Lowell Offering: Writings by New England Mill Women (1840-1845). New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1977. Welter, Barbara. "The Cult of True Womanhood." The Many-Faceted Jacksonian Era: New Interpretations. Contributions in American History, number 67, Edward Pessen, ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1977.

Hip Hop Is Corrupting Our Youth

Do Guns Provide Safety? At What Cost? I am one of many Americans who believe that guns protect families. People who own firearms are supposed to be responsible and liable. There is controversy about whether gun possession really heightens personal safety and to what degree does gun violence factor in increased medical expenses. If less gun-related issues can come to a cease, than I believe health care cost would decrease sufficiently. I believe that people should have the right to bear arms in their home. I want to protect myself and my family from possible danger.The gun should have a trigger lock on the weapon and a lock on the box, in which the gun is stored. However, the presence of this weapon has resulted in accidental injury, suicide, homicide, and domestic violence (p315). According to this article, the presence of a firearm in the home reportedly results in death or injury to household members or visitors over 12 times more often than to an intruder (p315). This report has s omewhat influenced my initial thoughts about guns to be more hazard to my own family than to an intruder. Do guns make others safe?I don’t feel that we are safe at all from police or security guards. Trayvon Martin’s case is a prime example of a gun being used at the wrong time. If a person is armed with a weapon, most likely they are willing to use it. Although, Trayvon was in some sort of conflict with the security, if the officer were unarmed, then the death of Trayvon wouldn’t be an issue. Also, there seems to be a growing trend among mass shootings in America. The most memorable shooting was the attack on Virginia Tech in 2007. 2 students killed 32 individuals and wounded 24, then committed suicide.Targeting mass crowds seems to be more popular and carried out by copy cats. Most recently, a man starting shooting people in a crowded movie theater, during the premiere of Batman, which killed several people and injury dozens because he knew he could get attent ion. It is tragedies like these which cause controversy, awareness and anger. Lastly, the overall economic cost due to gun violence in America, including health care is about $100 billion per year (p316). Taxpayers often bear a large percentage of these financial burdens; thus this matter is a hot political topic in the presidential campaign.I agree that the gun laws should be reviewed and revised. Guns are dangerous yet are protective. Guns should be used by authorities only to prevent accidental deaths or injuries. If we can get that under control, then healthcare cost should drop. In conclusion, guns are controversial to some people and many politicians. Americans are at a crossroad with gun laws because most of us want to protect our families. Household firearm ownership is associated with elevated rates of shooting oneself, accidently shootings and domestic violence. We need to limit the ways we can purchase guns and accessories.

The criteria for statehood as set out in Article Essays

The criteria for statehood as set out in Article Essays The criteria for statehood as set out in Article Essay The criteria for statehood as set out in Article Essay and would non be from the point of position of others ( provinces that did non recognize it ) . There could be no conclusive cogent evidence, or standards to use, that could state for certain that any province existed or non. Therefore, at least on a conceptual degree, the pattern of acknowledgment can non replace the nonsubjective definition attack of Article 1 of the Convention. Another job with acknowledgment is that it can go accustomed. This job has been described as the pattern of provinces to recognize other provinces for no other ground so that it is acceptable harmonizing to‘to current international mythologies of legitimate statehood.’[ 8 ] This refers to the fact that a province seldom looses acknowledgment once it has been secured. Imagine if the state of affairs in France changed and it began to neglect to run into one of the definitions in Article 1. It would be really hard to convert any sensible individual that merely because of this trifle, France no longer existed. As a affair rule hence, acknowledgment is incapable of supplying a complete option to Article 1. Another job with Article 1 is that there are ‘states’ that do non run into its demands. The being of these entities provides an unanswerable challenge to Article 1. Of the assorted illustrations that exist, the Holy See is most blazing, so to talk. The crowned head of the Vatican City is the caput of the Catholic Church, as attested by Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold in 1957. [ 9 ] Ever since the Middle Ages, it is unquestionable that the Pope held a monolithic sum of political power. For much of the period, this power satisfied all of the demands of Article 1. This led to a natural acknowledgment of the Pope as a caput of State, and district as a State. [ 10 ] However, with the vicissitudes of history, the existent district controlled by the Pope has changed drastically. This has varied from an enjoyment of ‘universal rule’ to command of a dwindling figure of apostolic States, to holding no district at all during parts of the 19th and 20th centuries. Tod ay the Pope enjoys territory legal power over the country of the Vatican. [ 11 ] However, despite these maximum fluctuations in territorial sovereignty, from ‘universal’ in the Middle Ages, to nil at all in 1808 and between 1870 and 1929, there has been no fluctuation at all in the acknowledgment of the Holy See as a full topic of international jurisprudence representing a position equal to that of provinces. In fact, the twenty-four hours that Napoleon seized the entireness of the Pope’s district, he signed a covenant with the Pope ensuring that the Pope with enjoy sovereignty ‘in the same signifiers of his predecessors.’ [ 12 ] This was an international pact that demonstrated that the Pope’s place as a topic of international jurisprudence was wholly independent of any demand of district. [ 13 ] This place has non changed and the Holy See is still recognised as a signer of legion International Conventions including such recent illustrations as the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, [ 14 ] and the World Intellectual Property Organization. [ 15 ] There are other illustrations of ‘states’ that failed to run into the demands of Article 1. The Boers in South Africa for case, can be argued to hold uprooted their province in the 19th century and moved it to a new location, in what is remembered as the Great Trek. This event has been interpreted as‘the entire alteration of district by a people which, under the same authorities and jurisprudence, settles in a different district, leaves the individuality of the province [ or of the topic ] intact.†[ 16 ] Another illustration comes from the British willingness to recognize Czechoslovakia during the First World War. Although their topics were entirely within the constituted district of the Austrian Empire, the British Foreign Office found no trouble in happening that,‘since the beginning of the war, the Czecho-Slovak state has resisted the common enemy by every agency in its power†¦ In consideration of its attempts to accomplish independency Great Britain regards the Czecho-Slovaks as an allied nation.’[ 17 ] It was non long earlier Italy recognised Czechoslovak authorities, [ 18 ] to be joined by France, Serbia, Belgium, Greece and Italy, among others, before really exercising any authorization over any district or people. [ 19 ] These illustrations of provinces winging in the face of the Article 1 demands are clear illustrations of the definition non being recognised in pattern, albeit that they occurred, with the exclusion of the Vatican, prior to the drafting of the Treaty. However, there are besides illustrations of more recent events that have failed to purely and quickly use the footings of the Convention. This goes back to the issues highlighted above in the context of acknowledgment. Once acknowledgment has been secured, it is non easy lost. [ 20 ] The instance of Somalia in the early 1990s shows the reluctance of provinces to de-recognise other provinces, even when they cease to go on carry throughing the Article 1 definition. On 29 November 1992, the so Secretary-General of the United Nations sought to set up a human-centered intercession force for Somalia and declared that‘no authorities existed in Somalia that could bespeak and let such a usage of force.’[ 21 ] The Security Council recognised this fact and endorsed an intercession to be led by the United States. No struggle with Article 2 ( 7 ) of the UN Charter was considered. Article 2 ( 7 ) prohibits the UN from step ining‘in affairs which are basically within the domestic legal power of any state.’[ 22 ] This would take to an illation that no such province existed over the district of Somalia. Such a reading with agreement with paragraph ( hundred ) of Article 1, which lists a authorities as a demand of statehood. However, non one time did any province, or the UN claim that Somalia had ceased to be a province. Even Resolution 794 empowering the intercession preferred to warrant itself on the obscure phrases of‘unique character of the present situation’and‘its deteriorating, complex and extraordinary nature.’Not a susurration of de-recognition, despite a clear failure on the portion of Somalia to exhibit a authorities that could run into the demand of paragraph ( degree Celsius ) . Delahunty and Yoo identify five grounds why provinces may be loath to de-recognise bing provinces. [ 23 ] The first is that de-recognition threatens to sabotage the bing order. International order as it presently stands relies on the being of state provinces. There are many provinces, as presently recognised, that would be vulnerable to de-recognition on the same evidences as Somalia, for illustration, Afghanistan, Angola, Burudni. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone or Sudan. Another ground is that richer provinces are loath to take duty for step ining in the instance of de-recognised provinces. It is a batch cheaper and easier for powerful authoritiess to disregard the state of affairs in non-strategic countries than to step in. [ 24 ] The 3rd ground is that de-recognition without farther action could do the internal state of affairs in such provinces even worse. The 4th is that the trial that exists for statehood, viz. Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention, is non clear cut and decisive. Every state of affairs would be open a figure of readings and there are a assortment of strategic grounds why powerful states may differ on whether or non any state should be de-recognised. This, instead than work outing jobs in neglecting provinces, could breed struggle among the most powerful. The concluding ground is little more than legal convenience. If a province were to discontinue to be, merely to be replaced by a new province, what would be position of that st ate’s international duties, commercial agreements, belongings and diplomatic dealingss? It is merely more convenient to perpetuate a fictional province for the intents of legal continuity than make a new slate from abrasion. [ 25 ] To reason, Article 1 is non clear and universally respected. Numerous illustrations can be found of provinces neglecting to run into the standards and still basking acknowledgment as provinces. However, since the construct of acknowledgment is non seen, at least theoretically, as offering a sensible option, the definition theoretical account is still the best theoretical account available. While the definition is non in pattern used to de-recognise bing provinces that fail to run into its demands, this is non to state that acknowledgment can be achieved without run intoing its demands, and it does look as if the definition in Article 1 does move as a restraint on acknowledgment of provinces. Regardless of these troubles nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that Article 1 does include most of the elements that are necessary to depict a province. Whether or non these make a province nevertheless, is far more questionable. Bibliography International Treaties and Agreements Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, Dec. 26, 1933, art. 1, 165 LNTS 19, reprinted in 28 AM. J. Int’l L. 75 ( Supp. 1934 ) Restatement ( Third ) of Foreign Relations ( 1987 ) Concordat of Fontainebleau of January 25, 1813, 5 Martens Recueil des Traites 552 ( Supp. I ) Convention of the Rights of the Child ( 1989 ) , 28 ILM 1448 Convention set uping the World Intellectual Property Organization, 828 UNTS 3 Diplomatic Note of Aug. 9, 1918, in 1 Great Britain and the Law of Nations 236 ( Herbert Smith ed. , 1932 ) UN Charter, June 26, 1945, 50 Stat. 1031, TS No. 993, 3 Bevans 1153 Case Law In re Marcinkus et Al.1988 Rivista di diritto internazionale 216, determination of the Italian Court of Cassation, 5Thursdaysubdivision ( penal ) , July 17, 1987 Ad Hoc Arbitration Commission established by the European Community in 1992 which concluded that the Socialist Federation of the Republic of Yugoslavia‘no longer met the standards [ of statehood ] .No 1, 31 ILM 1494, 1494, ( 1992 Journal Articles and Books Thomas D Grant,Specifying Statehood: The Montevideo Convention and its Discontentments,37 Colum. J. Transnat’l L. 403, 405-22, 435-47 ( 1999 ) Malcolm N Shaw,International Law,217 ( 5Thursdayed. ) 2003 Stefan Talmon,Recognition of Governments in International Law,p. 269, ( Ian Brownlie erectile dysfunction. 1998 ) Christopher S Clapham,Africa and the International System: The Politicss of State Survival,14 ( 1996 ) Edward Gratsh,The Holy See and the United Nations 1945-1995,10 ( 1997 ) Guido Acquaviva,Subjects of International Law: A Power-Based Analysis,38 VNJTL 345 Josef Kunz,The Status of the Holy See in International Law,46 Am. J. Int’l L. 308, 1952 Joseph L Kunz,Identity of States in International Law,49 Am. J. Int’l Law. 68, ( 1955 ) Josef Kalvoda,The Genesis of Czechoslovakia,180-206 ( 1996 ) Robert J Delahunty and John Yoo,Statehood and the Third Geneva Convention,46 Va. J. Int’l L. 131

Best SAT Math Prep Books (2019) Expert Reviews

Best SAT Math Prep Books (2019) Expert Reviews SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While there are many differentSAT prep books, they all have one thing in common: they allclaim to be the best. How canyou figure outwhich one will actually helpyou succeed on the SAT? This guide will give you myrecommendations for the best prep books for theMath section of the SAT.Some of these books are best for strategies and thinking through the problems, while others are best for practice problems. A few are geared toward top scorers, while somewill help you improve a low score fast. Before delving into the list, I have to make one disclaimer: Disclaimer Everyone's learning styles and motivation levels are unique. Thus, I don't believe there's a one-size-fits-all book out there that will help everyone equally. While these recommendations should help a lot of students, they can't necessarily account for everyone's individual differences. That's why I'm a huge proponent of PrepScholar's online method of test prep. It diagnoses your strengths and weaknesses and customizes the test prep for you and your schedule. Because of this high level of personalization, it's very effective forhelping students study efficiently and make big leaps in their SAT scores. That being said, prep books can be very helpful in reviewing material and giving you practice with hundreds of sample SAT questions. It's great that you're already starting to break your test prep down by section by focusing specifically on math. Since the best representation of SAT questions come from the test makers themselves, I'll start this list with College Board's The Official SAT Study Guide. There are some pros and cons to this book, but perhaps the biggest con is that you can find these same eight practice tests for free online!Read on to decide whether or not this book would be helpful to you. The College Board's Official SAT Study Guide Price:About $19 Pros When it comes to the SAT, the best sample questions come directly from the test makers themselves.College Board's The Official SAT Study Guideincludes eight real practice tests with official answer explanations. Since College Board makes and administers the SAT, thisbook contains the best representation of the real test. However, and this is an important point, College Board has also released PDFs of every chapter and practice test in the book on its website!As part of its efforts toward greater transparency and equalizing access to test prep, College Board has published its practice tests and offered free resources via Khan Academy. The College Boardbook's main strength is its official SAT questions, since they are the very best practice material. Beyond the practice tests, the book's greatest strengths are its review of the overall test structure and format, its presentation of math concepts, and its description of the new essay. Since the SAT is a written test, it's a good idea to have hard copies of practice tests to gain practice in the most authentic way.Whether this means buying this book or printing out the free tests yourself is up to you. College Board's real questions will get you familiar with how questions are worded, how they're arranged, and other patterns of the SAT. You'll gain practice with the new structure, which gives you a 65-minute Reading section, 35-minute Writing section, and two math sections. The eight full-length practice tests add upto 24 hours of prep or 32 hours if you include the essay section. Cons While College Board's official questions are helpful and effective practice, their answer explanations are not as detailed as they could be. They explain the answer choices but don't give you much information about how to approach and think through the question. Since there are a limited number of officialpractice tests, you might choose to stagger each one throughout your prep as a way to measure your progress and evaluate your approach. The tests could be best used as measuring posts; College Board's official material won't help you as much as some other options in terms of learning and test-taking strategies. Overall, you should familiarize yourself with the material in this book, since it contains the most accurate practice questions compared to any other source. Whether you choose to do so with a hard copy of the book or via College Board's website (for free) is a matter of personal preference. Now that you know where and how to locate official College Board practice problems, let's discuss the best math prep books, starting with the best book for content instruction. Best SAT Math Prep Book for Instruction Steve Warner's SAT MathSeries Price:About $30 Pros Steve Warner offers several SAT math books. The best one for content instruction isNew SAT Math Problems, but you can also find workbooks geared towards students in certain scoring levels. New SAT Math Problems is one of the best books out there for content review and instruction. He discusses the new areas emphasized on the test:Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Heart of Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry, and Passport to Advanced Math. The book arranges concepts and their corresponding practice problems in level of difficulty, from Level 1 up to Level 4. This organizationby level, rather than problem type, is useful, as it allows you to integrate skills and ensure you don't leave out any important concepts. It also lets students focus on the difficulty level that will help them most improve their scores, with students scoring around a 600 advised to focus on Levels 2 through 4 and students aiming for 700+ directed to the Level 4 and 5 problems. The lessons are carefully crafted and paired with practice problems to test your understanding. The questions are realistic and come with detailed explanations, which often go overa few different approaches (unlike College Board's single approach explanations). These explanations allow you to carefullyunderstand your mistakes while learning how to approach a similar question the next time. Cons One major con to this book is simply its restricted length. Compared to Steve Warner's multiple-issue series on the math section of the old SAT, his currentbooks don'trepresent the same scope of material that was so useful to students at all different scoring levels. Not only will future additions be helpful, but they will ideally break down the concepts into even smaller components. This book is a good start, but students who want to review concepts would be best served with a detailed and specific breakdown of each and every one. If you're using this book, you may want to consult other resources to ensure that you've filled in every gapin knowledge for the SAT. Finally, the New SAT Math Problemsbook may not contain a sufficient number of practice problems for your prep. Its strength lies in content instruction and review with practice problems interspersed by concept and difficulty level. If you're looking for a large set of practice problems to test your knowledge, then the next book on this list would be a better resource. Best SAT Math Books for Practice Questions Dr. Jang's SAT 800 Math Workbook for the New SAT Price:About $25 Pros If you're looking for math practice problems, you'll find over 1,500 in Dr. Jang's Math Workbook for the New SAT. This book discusses math topics and concepts, but its real strength lies in the sheer number of practice problems. Since timing yourself, answering questions, and analyzing your mistakes is a key part of your preparation, this book could be a very effective study tool. The practice problems throughout the book are arranged by difficulty level, so if you've got a certain question type mastered then you can challenge yourself with harder ones. Additionally, Dr. Jang's Math Workbook has a diagnostic test at the beginning and 10 sample tests that you can take under test-like conditions. Not only are the practice questions abundant, but they are realistic. You'll find the addition of trigonometry, and the questions will be marked as non-calculator and calculator. This book is well customized to the concepts, format, and rules of the SAT. Cons As mentioned above, this book is most useful for its abundance of practice problems. It's less ideal for students looking for thorough content review. It also is not the best source of test-taking strategies, like time management. Furthermore, its answer explanations are not all that varied, so you won't gain a ton of insight into different approaches you could use to solve a problem. Dr. Jang's Math Workbook is useful for students at all levels, but you'd probably want to supplement it with a book that provided more in-depth instruction, strategies, and explanations. While the above books cater to students at various scoring levels, the two books below are best for strong math students aiming for top scores. Barron's Math Workbook Price:About $12 Pros Barron's Math Workbook has hundreds of practice SAT math questions, all with detailed answer explanations. The questions are divided by content area and concept, so you can learn about a specific skill and then drill with relevant problems. In addition to all of the practice questions, there are two full-length practice tests at the end of the book. You'll also get some test-taking tips, but the real strength of the book lies in its abundance of practice questions. Cons Students have noted some typos and spelling errors in Barron's, as if the company rushed to get the book to print without thorough copyediting first. It doesn't seem to have substantial mistakes, but these little typos can be distracting, especially as you're going through the detail-oriented work of SAT prep. As a traditional SAT book, it's written in astraightforward style that can get a bit dry and boring. If you're looking for a more engaging, personable, or funny writing style, you won't find it in Barron's. Of course, since the book is more of a workbook full of practice questions, you should look elsewhere for in-depth lessons and content review. Best SAT Math Books for High Scorers PWN the SAT Math Guide Price:About $29 Pros PWN the SAT is geared towards highly achieving, motivated students aiming for a top score in SAT Math. The book is written in an engaging, irreverent style,which helps students stay engaged with the material. It's divided into five categories: Techniques, Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Additional Topics in Math. The book breaks down each SAT Math category into its component concepts. It has realistic practice problems that are designated as either "Calculator" or "No calculator" to help you get ready for both question types. Each chapter also provides a list of official questions of a certain type to help you drill specific skills. Finally, you can register on the PWN SAT website to get bonus material, as well as watch video answer explanations that walk you through practice problems, step by step. Cons The main con of PWN the SAT Math Guide is that its target audience is limited. It will help top scorers with strong math skills, but it won't be as accessible to students who struggle with math. If you're looking for foundational knowledge, then PWN the SAT isn't the book for you. It won't be the best resource to raise low math scores. Rather, it's better to bring already strong scores into the top percentiles. Dr. John Chung's SAT Math: 60 Perfect Tips and 15 Complete Tests Price:About $39 Pros As compared to College Board's four practice tests, 15 is certainly an improvement! Dr. Chung's SAT Math book is one of the most comprehensive currently out there in terms of content and practice questions in one place. This book is best for strong math students and top scorers. It doesn't go over the fundamentals and assumes its readers have a stable foundation in math concepts. It advertises itself as "designed for students to get a perfect score" and provides useful examples and practice questions to this end. The 60 "perfect tips" are brief descriptions of concepts, like linear function, exponents, transformations, and average speeds, paired with a few examples and practice problems to reinforce your understanding. Cons First, because there aren't a lot of copes available anymore, this book can be quite expensive. Additionally, Dr. Chung does not give you much in the way of review, lessons, or concept reinforcement. The book mostly assumes you have a strong foundation in math.It's a "no-frills" kind of book that essentially looks like a list of practice problems; you won't find much in the way of introduction or narrative. It's not a book you can fully rely on for your test prep, and it's probably not the best one to start out with, either. Some students have also noted some typos in Dr. Chung'svarious editions, as if the books wererushed to publication without proofreading for all the errors. While it's great that this bookhas so many practice questions, it seems like there may besome careless mistakes throughout the material. Finally, this book is not particularly descriptive of the changes to the SAT. It contains relevant practice problems, but it doesn't go into detail about new skills and question types or even the new structure. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the changes, like the addition of trigonometry and non-calculator questions, outside of this book. The 150 Hardest SAT Math Problems Reincarnated for the New SAT Price:About $10 Pros The 150 Hardest SAT Math Problems Reincarnated for the New SATwas designed for the "A+ student who wants to go from 700 to a perfect score" and doesn't want to waste her time on "fodder problems." This book collected the trickiest questions that most students missed over the last ten years of SAT administrations. According to the author, he "reincarnated" these questions in the format of the new SAT. These questions are useful for top scorers who want to make sure they understand fundamental concepts of algebra, geometry, and numbers and how to apply them to the most challenging question types. At the same time, this book has some major weaknesses that you should understand before purchasing a copy. Cons The author maintains that his problems have been "reincarnated" to fit the redesigned test, but he doesn't seem to have changed much beyond reducing the answer choices from five to four. He does include some non-calculator questions, but other than that the author downplays the major changes that were madeto the SAT in early 2016. For instance, he includes numbers, algebra, and geometry, but no trigonometry. He also provides little explanation of the new SAT's focus on real-world word problems and scenarios. Since the math section is the one that changed the least on the SAT, these recycled problems from SATs past will still help you prepare. At the same time, make sure you're aware of the changes that are being made and supplement these questions with ones more specific to the redesigned SAT. Finally, these next two books are useful for the average math student who wants to shore up her foundation in the fundamentals or can only dedicate a limited amount of time to studying. Best SAT Math Books for Low Scorers If you're planning to devote only a few hours to studying for the math SAT, these books should give you a general overview and introduction to the concepts you need to know. However, if you are taking a more active approach to your test prep, then these are the books you should probably avoid. They're not so helpful for trulyin-depth understanding and preparation. Kaplan Price:About $12 Pros Kaplan's SAT Math Prep Bookis a traditional prep book that reviews concepts and provides corresponding practice sets. It includes new concepts, like trigonometry, and has 16 practice sets and over 250 practice problems. Kaplan's book also breaks down the new format and structure of the SAT Math section, while many other books do not. It's a useful tool for learning about the new SAT, reviewing 16 key concepts, and trying out practice problems. Cons Kaplan's practice questions tend not to be the best written. They're not always realistic or phrased in the same way that the SAT is.In the beginning of this guide, I emphasized the importance of taking official College Board tests, since they're the best representation of the questions you'll get on test day. Kaplan's questions usually represent the other end of this spectrum, because they don't always resemble actual SAT questions. Doingwell on the SAT math is not just about understanding the concepts, but also about understanding the SAT and being able to apply those concepts to the SAT's uniquely worded questions. Without this practice, you won't be asprepared as you could be for the SAT's unique phrasing and tricks. Doing well is also about strategy.Kaplan has some strategies, but they're not that helpful for breaking away from a score of around 600. Kaplan gives a basic overview, but it's not the most helpful resources for students looking to make a large score improvements or understand the material in depth. A second book for students who are not planning to do all that muchSAT prep is Bob Miller's SAT Math for the Clueless. Bob Miller's SAT Math for the Clueless: The Easiest and Quickest Way to Prepare for the New SAT Math Section Price:About $6 Pros While I'm not a big fan of the title, Bob Miller's SAT Math for the Cluelessbook delivers what it says it will - an easy and quick way to prepare for the SAT. It provides a mix of material for the current SAT and theredesigned SAT. While Dr. Chung's Math Workbook is spare, Bob Miller's book has funny and accessible introductions. If you find it hard to focus on math without some humor, you might find this book more engaging (a useful characteristic when you're self-studying with books). Cons Bob Miller's SAT Math focuses more on strategies, techniques, and introductory review than on practice questions. It also lacks an in-depth description of changes being made to the SAT, and it doesn't incorporate the more advanced math problems. This book is really just for the self-described "clueless" math students who want a brief, accessible review. Perhaps it will spark your motivation to move onto better study guides with more comprehensive SAT preparation. So there you have it, my recommendations for instruction, practice problems, high scorers, and low scorers. There are pros and cons of each, and hopefully there will be books of ever higher quality published over the next few months. One challenge that all the above booksshare is the self-discipline that required tostudyfrom them.You'll have to set your own schedule, score your own tests, and learn via reading and writing, rather than incorporating visual or auditory approaches. With these considerations in mind, is solely studying for the SAT from books the best option for you as a learner? Is Studying From Books the Best Option for You? While books used to be the main test prep method for the SAT, now there are lots of other approaches. This gives you a lot more choice in finding a method that fits best with your math level, study style, and goals, not to mention how much money you're able and willing to spend on SAT prep. Books can be affordable, but as you can see from the pros and cons mentioned above, you probably want to use more than one book to truly prepare. This can add up to hundreds of dollars. As more and more test prep companies focus their attention online, you might have to go online to find answers, answer explanations, and other supplementary materials. This could divide your attention while still leaving it up to you to spend a long time scoring your own tests. Books can be very comprehensive and informative, but you'll only access all theinformation you need with the self-discipline to take time to study and learn from your mistakes. PrepScholar's method of online test prepfor the new SAT attempts to address and make up for these weaknesses in a number of ways. One, it's an all-in-one program that incorporates the best practices from all these books, while also customizing the test prep based on what you already know and what you need to study further. It addresses the accountability and self-discipline issue by planning our your study schedule for you in the way that's been proven to be most effective. It also takes away the time-waster of self scoring, since it will give you instant feedback on your performance.On a similar note, you can visually see your progress, how far you've gone in the material and how much you have to left to conquer. By incorporating the "pros" of every test prep book - high-quality questions, comprehensive explanations, diagnostic tests, and expert test-taking strategies - and making up for the cons with personalized motivators and progress reports, PrepScholar is an affordable, accessible, and highly effective method of convenient online prep for the new SAT. Just as you should diagnose your strengths and weaknesses to best prepare for the SAT, you'd be smart to reflect on your learning style and what method of test prep, whether through books or online, will best meet your needs and allow you to excel on all sections of the SAT. What's Next? Are you aiming for perfection? This perfect SAT scorer describes all the strategies and techniques he used to achieve a full score on the SAT, and what exactly you need to do to reach that perfect score. Besides studying, planning exactly when you're going to take the SAT is also a key consideration for maximizing your performance. Read all about when you should take the SAT as you design your schedule. Perhaps you've noticed that theSAT is looking a lot like the ACT these days. If you're deciding which test to take, check out our detailed comparison of the SAT and the ACT. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

The Ideal Method of Studying Textbook Material Essay

The Ideal Method of Studying Textbook Material - Essay Example After repeated pairings, the conditioned stimulus (the tone) was enough on its own to elicit the conditioned response. However, when the tone was repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (food), the conditioned response (salivation) became progressively weaker and eventually disappeared altogether, a process called extinction. Classical conditioning can best be described as associative learning. The simplest form of classical conditioning is what Aristotle would have called the law of contiguity, which states that: "When two things commonly occur together, the appearance of one will bring the other to mind." ("Classical Conditioning") Similarly, John B. Watson, an early American psychologist, presented an 11-month old child, Albert, with a loud, frightening bang and a rat at the same time. After being subjected to six or seven repetitions of this paired stimulus over the period of a week, the child became afraid of the rat although he had not been afraid of it before being subjected to the pairings. ... Thorndike formed this theory while observing the behavior of cats trying to escape from homemade puzzle boxes. When the cats were first placed in the boxes, they took a long time to escape. With experience, however, successful responses occurred more frequently. This enabled the cats to escape in less time over successive trials. In his Law of Effect, Thorndike theorized that successful responses were "stamped in" by experience and thus occurred more frequently while unsuccessful responses were "stamped out" and subsequently occurred less frequently. In simple terms, what he learned is that some consequences strengthen behavior while some weaken behavior and that learning occurs through trial and error. Learning strategies involve techniques ranging from improving memory by association to better studying by behavior modification. Examples of behavior modification that have proven helpful and aid in learning are: Eliminate the environmental cues that interfere with studying. Set aside study time and adhere to the schedule. Reward yourself for starting on time or penalize yourself for starting late. Visualize the consequences of not studying, such as failing an exam. Beware of avoidance mechanisms. Beware of preparation overkill. The main ideas are to avoid procrastination and to practice discipline. Memory Memory is one of the most important concepts in learning. If you cannot remember anything, no learning can take place. A distinction is often made between short-term and long-term memory. Short term memory is brief and transient. Sort of like when you look up a phone number in the phone book to make a call. You remember it long enough to make the call but you do not recall it later. Your short-term memory holds a small

Delivering Customer value Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Delivering Customer value - Assignment Example In a view of that, it can be firmly asserted that there is a continuous requirement for developing new products that are cost effective and at the same time possess high quality characteristics (Liu, 2003). In order to develop a successful new product, it is required to have a structured approach towards new product development. . However, initiatives of an organisation to develop and deliver new product at time result in failure causing heavy financial loss. In this regard, one of the major reasons behind the failure is associated with the poor development and delivering process. This implies that product development process in some organisations relies heavily on trial and error methods rather than embracing structured and scientific procedures. This is where the importance of product lifecycle (PLC) models can be identified (Owens & Davies, 2000). The product life cycle (PLC) concept can be asserted as a marketing strategy and planning tool. The concept is actually based on the stages over a product’s life. Over the years several PLC models have been developed. The approaches of PLC concept are based on some key consumer trends during product evaluation and market evaluation. In general, PLC generally incorporates four elements to include innovation, imitation, repeat and substitute (Steffens, 2002). In accordance with Steffens (2002), the traditional PLC concept suggests the four stages. Those are introduction phase, growth phase, maturity phase and decline phase. When a product is introduced for the first time in the market place, that stage is known as introduction phase. Subsequently, when the consumers become more familiar about the product and start choosing the products among various alternatives, that stage is termed as a growth phase. Next, the stage when the product gains the highest market share among others that phase is usually known as maturity phase. During this phase, the consumer demand for the particular product is at peak. Finally, after