Cultural Changes and Continuities in the Mediterranean Essay

Throughout history, the Mediterranean has offered a vast amount of political transformations leading to both cultural continuities and variances. One of the main political changes that occurred in this area was the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Byzantine Empire, which took place from around 200 C.E to 1000 C.E. While these empires consisted of roughly the same culture, they had different political structures which led to some differences. Other alterations that came up were the rise of Islam and the invasion of Germanic tribes. This led to cultural diffusion in the Mediterranean and had many effects on the cultures of this area. Many relate the fall of the Roman Empire to it being split in half in 330 C.E; however, the Roman Empire officially fell in 476 C.E. when Germanic tribes overthrew the Western half of the empire. The Eastern half went on to be known as the Byzantine Empire which already had its own capitol, Constantinople, and its own emperor. Christianity had already been legalized by the Roman Empire in 313 C.E, before the split. It had spread so rapidly afterwards that it soon became the official religion of the state. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Byzantine Empire, this was one of the main continuities. Christianity was the official religion of the Byzantine Empire as it had been for the Roman Empire. Not only did the Byzantine Empire stay Christian, but also the Western half of the Roman Empire, at that point conquered by Germanic tribes, stayed Christian and the conquering tribes converted to Christianity, which was a change. Another continuity of Roman culture into Byzantine culture was that a Byzantine emperor, Justinian, actually created a code of laws from compiling laws that were used in the Roman Empire, such as the citizenship laws that were prevalent for most of span of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine (eastern Roman Empire) continued to speak Greek, and the Western Roman Empire continued to speak Latin. This continuity of Greco-Roman culture not only showed in language but also in architecture. It was built off of architecture in both Rome and ancient Greece. An architectural feat particularly associated with the Byzantines is the Dome, an idea based off of the Roman arch. Columns were also commonly used inside Byzantine churches, which is a Greek architectural design. A prominent change in the culture of the Mediterranean was the rise of Islam. It spread rapidly throughout the Mediterranean region of Africa, which had beforehand been a variety of religions. Although Islam was not very prevalent in most of the European Mediterranean, it did make the crossover in 711 C.E. to Spain. Before this Spain had been Christian and there were still Christians in the area, it was just that Muslims were more prevalent. In conclusion, the political transformations that occurred from 200-1000 C.E. throughout the Mediterranean region, influenced the culture of some Germanic Tribes, the Byzantines, and some Muslim groups, affecting the entire coastal area.

Nursing Expertise Self-Report Scale Essay

I think that it is important to understand where you are in your nursing practice. After completing the Nursing Expertise Self-Report Scale, I realize that I still have a lot more experience to gain as a nurse. I believe that nurses must be life-long learners to stay current in the ever-changing field of healthcare. I have only been a nurse for two years. Before beginning the test, I thought that with my few years of experience, I would be a novice nurse. However, I am a competent nurse. According to Arnold and Boggs (2011) the competent nurse â€Å"views the clinical picture from a broader perspective and is more confident about his or her role in health care† (p. 127). I have been organized and able to manage my time successfully. I feel that I can consciously make decisions without direct supervision. I can assess the patient and look at all the variables before proceeding with care. I can think more long term now than I did in the beginning. I feel that in order to improve my communication skills in the healthcare setting, I have to continue to think more long-term. I need to stop being so task-oriented and start looking at the patient as a whole. Instead of doing something just because it’s ordered, I need to be diligent and make sure it is appropriate for my patient’s specific condition. I realize how important it is to be able to communicate with the physicians. We are with the patients much more than they are, and we are their eyes and ears. I feel that it is also vital to have good communication with the patients and their families. They depend on us to be honest in all that we do. When the patient trusts us, they will be more open with us. My facility does bedside shift report. I think this is important because it gives the oncoming nurse the chance to understand what the patient is going to need for the next 12 hours. It also gives the patient the opportunity to become involved in their care. As nurses, we are always communicating so it is  important to make sure that we do it correctly and efficiently. References Arnold, E., & Boggs, K. U. (2011). Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses (6th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

TESCO Marketing and Healthy Living Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

TESCO Marketing and Healthy Living - Essay Example In 1979, TESCO attained a landmark by having sales of up to one billion pounds. In 1982, the sales of the business doubled, and it had sales of up to two billion pounds. In the same year, the company put up some of the computerized checkouts. The company also was the first to initiate nutritional value of its brand through an initiative referred to as ‘Healthy Eating’. The initiative made the company obtain more consumers because people were interested in the services that it offered. As a result, in 1991, it became one of the biggest independent and petrol retail sellers in Britain. Within few years, the company launched new services and products that included computers for schools, ‘Every little Helps’, and TESCO Organic range. Within a year, TESCO was in a position to improve its customer services through the customer champion’s policy stores. Through the policy, the company became an organic retailer in the UK market (Kingd, Lannon & Baskin 2007, p.90). Healthy brandIn 1985, TESCO launched the healthy eating initiative. The aim of the initiative was to provide customers with information on nutrition and health and the foods that are made for a healthier diet. The company was classified as the leading food retailer in Britain. TESCO also obtained a unique position to communicate with its customers and receive feedback. The customers gave feedback on their current needs and attitudes. TESCO provided information on the food that they eat and where they shop.

Individual report 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual report 1 - Essay Example I also looked at the systems for supporting decision making, and in particular, I looked the DSS system and how it is used in the company. This information was retrieved from prior reviewed books and from the internet. The main challenge faced throughout the research period is getting time to go through the books in order to get the information. With the tight schedule at the University, it was somewhat challenging to go through all the available books that are related to this study. This would have further improved on the report. Another challenge that I faced when writing the report is; not knowing where to begin from. This is because, there is a lot of information on the topic and picking out the most crucial and relevant information was giving me some challenges. It was crucial that I do not lose focus in the specific area of attention in order to make sure that the whole report has a clear flow of ideas so that the readers do not get confused. In future I plan to reduce and even overcome these challenges by taking a number of steps. To begin with, proper planning will be crucial in the success of any future project. This is by allocating a time in a day to complete a section at a time. This will help me be able to balance all my class assignments. The second step of overcoming the challenges is to read and understand the requirements of an assignment. This will make sure that when I gather information, I do so with an aim of getting certain information. This will save on time and will reduce the risk of getting confused. This is because, instead of gathering a pool of general information about a topic, I will be able to only gather information that is relevant to the question asked under a topic. Finally, time management will be crucial; this is by starting on an assignment immediately other than assuming that there is plenty of time to do it. This will help me deal with any unexpected issue that may arise while working o n a paper. This

Human Resource in action (Hospitality Industry) Essay

Human Resource in action (Hospitality Industry) - Essay Example An applicant searches for a job that matches his or her skills. The details of a job are specific for a particular opening. In each opening, there is a short introduction of the recruitment objective of the company regarding the position. The information here includes a short description of the company and the need for the position. The description also entails the qualities of a possible candidate to fill the position. The qualities expressed relates to the personal and professional attributes that are desirable for the vacant position. The websites also describe the nature of the jobs and the attributes that the company looks for in a person. The objective is to prepare the candidates to learn and appreciate the existing corporate identity and culture of the company. The academic requirements of a potential candidate are also outlined with a required level of experience. Consequently, the websites provide the benefits that successful candidates reap from working for the companies. The websites also assure candidates of equal employment chances for all persons regardless of ethnicity, religion, race and gender. The application and selection process is totally based on merit. The sites are very informative about the companies and the job particulars. The websites do well in dissipating the corporate culture and providing as much detail as possible regarding the opportunity. The details ensure that the posts are clear and only qualified candidate tender their application. Moreover, the websites are doing well in terms of presentability. The design of the websites is appealing and thus attracts potential applicants. They are also easy to navigate with clear links. The ease of searching a job vacancy on the site is simplified through a search tab. The ease of use attracts more applications, thus offering the companies a wider pool of talent. Despite the ease of use and clear descriptions, there are several recommendations that

Paper 2 - English Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper 2 - English Drama - Essay Example Brecht describes epic theatre as a form of drama and a methodological approach to the creation of the plays where, â€Å"Its qualities of clear description and reporting and its use of choruses and projections as a means of commentary earned it the name ‘epic’† (Brecht and Willet 121). Moreover Brecht believed that, â€Å"It is most important that one of the main features of the ordinary theatre should be excluded from [epic theatre]: the engendering of illusion† (Worthen 396). Hence he uses drama as a mode of unveiling the bitter truths about human nature, life in general and the socio-political behavior of human beings. â€Å"Mother Courage and Her Children† is set in the time of 17 century during the Thirty Years War. The Play is an intriguing tale of a mother who loses her three children because of the war though the play is an indirect comment on the time of Nazi Regime. Brecht believed that drama should be used to enlighten the readers about th e reality rather than it being used as a mode of escape therefore he portrays the grotesqueness of war and inhumane side of human beings so that the readers would realize the extent of deterioration that has occurred. For example in the Mother Courage right after her daughter’s death says, â€Å"I hope I can pull the wagon by myself. Yes, Ill manage, theres not much in it now. I must get back into business† (70). This line is a cruel projection of the height of selfishness that has replaced human emotions because of the war. Then again there is a constant oscillation between Mother Courage’s love and hatred for war where at one place she condemns it because she is unable to gain profit while at other times she loves it because it helps her earn a living as she says, â€Å"I wont let you spoil my war for me. Destroys the weak, does it? Well, what does peace do forem, huh? War feeds its people better† (58). Although Brecht borrows some of the

Sex and Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sex and Media - Essay Example Given that media tends to be more fiction than fact, sex is often showed in a negative light, presenting negative images and ideas to those that are subjected to such media. The media, such as television shows, presents a falsified, and often brutal, view of sex. From rape to sexual abuse, shows on television have shown it all. While many people are taught that sex is the representation of love in a physical form, media reveals it to be something other than being related to love (Nikunen 108). Some television shows do not directly show the sexual act, preferring to imply it and use the camera to skirt around the scene, but the images are no less graphic. As long as these television shows make their viewer rating known prior to the start of the show, they are allowed to display graphic acts of sexual violence. Rape and sexual abuse are common occurrences in this world, but by displaying them as forms of entertainment, they are only being condoned by society. Sex in media has the great est influence on adolescents. More often than not, this influence is negative, encouraging young people to engage in premarital, underage sex. Television shows like â€Å"Teen Mom† and â€Å"16 and Pregnant† glamorize teenage sex, condoning it for teenagers that watch these shows. Teenagers love the Hollywood lifestyle, and television shows that praise teenage pregnancy is not exempt.

Since 1997, britain has been undergoing a period of constitutional Essay

Since 1997, britain has been undergoing a period of constitutional reform. this reform has been radical and yet piecemeal Discuss this statement in relation t - Essay Example The reverse side of the British political tradition is ability to modernization of political system, creation of new political institutes for further development of a society and the state. The newest cycle of political modernization in the Great Britain has begun in 1970s years, but its most dynamical stage has fallen to the period from 1997, when the Labour party led by Toni Blair has come in. Till now from the formal point of view the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland was considered as the unitary national state with the one centre in London, possessing the inseparable sovereignty. At the same time administrative-territorial division of the country includes four regions: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which long since possessed rather wide autonomy. Initially England was the state-forming nation, which has annexed or has entered the unions as the senior member with nations adjoining it. Long time, the leading position of England in a state order and governance was expressed in the fact that its name was a synonym of the name of whole country. At the same time the English nationalism was not ethnic, but civil, it became the basic source of formation of concept "British public". The British Empire, which has reached culmination of its power in the nineteenth century, became a primary factor in accumulation of the phenomenon of "Britic ism", which long time was the basic identification for inhabitants of United Kingdom. However in second half of the last century after the empire came apart, situation has changed. In the British regions except for England national movements became more active, more and more number of people named themselves not British, but Scots, Welshmen or Irish. The growth of national consciousness in the British regions of so-called "Celtic peripheries ", and also a number of other factors, has led to the fact that to elections of 1997 the Labour party has come

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 111

Assignment Example c) Inflation changes dramatically in the price level. When inflation rises to 4%, buyers will increase the present consumption expenditure and demand price levels raises and money loses its real purchasing power. a) Physical capital refers to the objects used by firms to produce its goods and services. They include machinery, buildings, and equipment. Financial capital refers to resources that are used to purchase those physical objects. The resources come from savings. b) Net investment refers to the amount of actual addition made to the capital stock of economy in a given time, while gross investment refers to the total amount of addition made to capital stock that represent the economy within a given period. c) Types of markets for financial capital include money market, capital market and third and fourth markets, which include foreign exchange, commodity and derivatives market. Their availability and development will depend on the policy a country sets to safeguard the money matters. d) There is a wide swing in prices of goods and services when the interest rates are low. Variation in asset prices changes with interest rates. The business executive knows how to best design ways into meeting the available demands and constant supply of products and services. The increase and decrease in prices of goods depend on profit margins. e) Firms have a number of factors to consider when making an investment decision. They consider the scale of investment, expected returns and the long and short-term effects on investment. The consumer preferences that demand more from the manufacturers usually create an awareness campaign to enhance profitability. f) The determinants of demand for loanable funds are an investment. It changes with interest rates. Those who require putting their money and time into investment in many occasions use loan facilities from banks. g) Household make saving decision by reducing spending and increasing

Analysis poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis poem - Essay Example Milton says that he would continue to serve God despite his blindness so that he is able to present a true account of his life to God after death, and thus succeed. In this poem, Milton’s immense faith in God reflects that provides him with the courage to continue living and facing the hardships of life in spite of his blindness. This faith lends Milton the patience to cope with the circumstances and also inculcates the hope in him that he would get salvation if he remains patient. In To His Coy Mistress, Marvell emphasizes upon the need for his mistress to abandon her coyness and engage in sexual pleasures with him because the time they have is finite, and they should do all to make their experiences of this world memorable and cherished in every possible way they can. Marvell refers to his mistress’s coyness as a â€Å"crime† given the finiteness of time they have in this world. Had the time been infinite, Marvell would have enough time to wait for his mistress’s consent for sexual engagement with him to form, but the fact is; time is finite. Marvell refers to the darkness and loneliness that comes with being into grave that derives man of all pleasures and leaves nothing behind but ashes and dust. Before, that happens, Marvell and the mistress should use their time in the most satiating way. Marvell frequently uses enjambment in the first two stanzas by putting stops in between the thoughts whereas he does not take a pause to think in t he last stanza; the poem’s flow depicts the sexual act for Marvell wherein the first two stanzas led to orgasm in the third stanza. The two poems have themes of religion as well as love, though the two poets are on opposite extremes of the two themes. While Milton is an extremely God-fearing man and follows religion by not committing suicide and continuously serving God despite his blindness, Marvell also remembers death but that empowers the idea of using the finite

Microteaching Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Microteaching Evaluation Essay A microteaching lesson can be used to find out what works well in a lesson and what can be improved following feedback. Harvard University states â€Å"Microteaching is organized practice teaching. The goal is to give instructors confidence, support, and feedback by letting them try out among friends and colleagues a short slice of what they plan to do with their students. Ideally, microteaching sessions take place before the first day of class, and are videotaped for review individually with an experienced teaching consultant. Microteaching is a quick, efficient, proven, and fun way to help teachers get off to a strong start.† For my microteaching session, I was observed teaching a group of apprentices using oxy fuel cutting techniques. This session started with safety and finished with practical demonstrations and observations. As my lesson was primarily workshop based, a lot of the teaching was demonstrations observations and oral questions and answers. At the time of my lesson, there were no classrooms available for the safety video I usually use as an introduction so I therefore had to adapt my lesson to suit the learning needs of the apprentices. Firstly, the usual lesson I would carry out would be completed over two days covering every aspect of oxy fuel cutting. As the group I was teaching had already completed manual handling of cylinders, I could remove sections of the lesson. I would also teach up to twelve learners, however during this lesson I only had four learners. This allowed me to shorten the lesson further. This was ideal because two members of the group have a small concentration span and benefitted more from a smaller shorter lesson. One leaner had previous experience of oxy fuel cutting from college so I had to assess his ability, knowledge and understanding along the way. I had to be prepared to offer this learner more work to meet his needs. Partner work was used in which I chose the pairs in relation to their a bility and understanding, and set them small tasks to encourage good working relationships. Instead of watching a video and power point in a classroom, the lesson had to be carried out in a workshop environment. This had both a negative and positive affect on my learners. One learner in particular always struggles to learn in the classroom as he is very easily distracted and is best suited in the workshop. He seemed to learn more from this adaption as he needs to be kept busy and occupied at all times. Another learner in the group bounces off this learner’s behaviour so with all learners occupied and busy, the second learner was also occupied and well behaved which encouraged him to work and learn. There were however, aspects on the video which could not be demonstrated in the workshop and could cause confusion between some learners following and working from the hand outs. The hand outs which I used were also used in the workshop for the learners to follow. These hand outs are usually used with a power point presentation but without a classroom, the lesson had to be adapted. One learner in the group can struggle with the workshop based learning. He has quite a good understanding of the subject and can ask a lot of questions relating to the subject. I adapted the lesson to suit his needs by setting a set of questions for them to research and answer at the end of the lesson using the knowledge and understanding they had and gained, their hand outs and research on the internet. There were also diagrams to label in the hand out which instead of working from the power point presentation, I had them label orally during the lesson to assess their learning. I could expand on the activities completed to embed elements of minimum core easily. Although the research part of the lesson was added due to not having a classroom, I could set research questions in every lesson. Instead of cutting straight lines with the learners, I could set them a task of marking out and cutting out shapes to dimensions in which the learners would have to allow for the kerf or cutting line. This would encourage the use of maths by working from dimensions and working out simple formulas to find circumferences and cutting widths. I could also incorporate the use of the smart boards to encourage learners to take part in presentations or answering questions. Games could be organised for diagram labelling identifying components and parts of equipment. During the lesson, I constantly gave feedback to the learners by asking questions to ensure they knew and understood what they were learning and acknowledging their answers. During the practical work I would assess their ability of cutting and identify faults with them but highlighting the good points to keep them motivated. The learners would identify and try to correct their faults for the next cut. I would ask the learner what they thought of their work and ask them what they thought they were doing wrong working from fault sheets. I encouraged the learners to try and cut in a variety of ways to keep them motivated following the same method in giving them feedback. This was done in order to prolong their motivation and to encourage them to assess their own work and improvement so they could see their own individual progression. The questions for research that I set were checked, but not in a formal manner. I ensured the learners knew they were set as tasks rather than a test. I went through the questions with the group as a whole and they all shared their answers to the group. Each learner had an input in answering the questions and a conclusive answer was met. I could develop my lesson further by expanding the length of the lesson slightly to cover more aspects of oxy fuel cutting. More resources could be used in order to embed minimum core more effectively. Resources such as videos and power points should be used for learners who learn more effectively in a classroom but should also cater for the learners who learn more from demonstrations and observations in the workshop perhaps in the form of more hand outs or other resources such as work or procedure sheets or question and answer sheets. I could also incorporate the use of a smart board as opposed to just using it for power point presentations to include learners in each lesson. Finally, I need to ensure I keep adapting lessons to meet the learning needs of the learners. Adapting lessons is an important part of teaching as Geoff Petty (page 141) noted â€Å"Many teachers develop one or two teaching methods and stick to them. This is a mistake. A variety of methods – as well as increasing student attention and interest – gives you the flexibility to deal with the wide range of challenging and infuriating problems that teachers inevitably encounter. It also helps you deal with the increasing demands of the teacher’s ever-changing role. In modern education, as in evolution, the motto is ‘adapt to survive.† BIBLIOGRAPHY http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/html/icb.topic58474/microteaching.html Accessed 15/08/12 Petty, G (2009) Teaching Today a Practical Guide, Nelson Thornes Ltd, Cheltenham

Importance of Brands and Branding

Importance of Brands and Branding Abstract Repetitive failures cost companies millions of dollars in redesign costs, liabilities, and transaction costs. However, by far the most serious cost of these failures is the lost business that results from customer defection. For service companies, the task of providing error-free services is even more challenging because their intangible nature renders subjective perceptions of quality. Equally troublesome is the uncontrollable element of customer participation in the service process because production and consumption occur as a simultaneous process. Despite these challenges however, service quality and customer satisfaction are closely related constructs. When service providers continuously strive to develop error-free processes, customer satisfaction is sure to follow. Chapter 1: Introduction Many marketers are rethinking their branding because competitive pressures, new channels, and changing customer needs have eroded their brands positions of strength. However, increased marketing expenditures to reposition brands often fail to produce any improvements in either overall image or market share. Experience has shown that companies should focus on achievable rather than aspirational positioning, and that three steps can help ensure success: 1. Ensure relevance to a customers frame of reference. Be fully aware of the brands â€Å"frame of reference† so that a repositioning strategy will resonate with customers. Look at a combination of customers attitudes and the situations in which the brand is used to obtain the most powerful customer insights. 2. Secure the customers â€Å"permission† for the positioning. Recognize that permission amounts to a reasonable and logical extension of the brand in the customers eyes. Leverage a brands unique emotional benefits to carry customers from their current brand perception to the intended one. 3. Deliver on the brands new promise. Identify the pathway of performance â€Å"signals† that will convince customers of the new brand positioning. Develop product/service programs to ensure consistent performance on these signals. Track and assess performance against customer signals prior to launching the new positioning. Adopt an â€Å"interim positioning† to establish brand credibility and performance. An array of factors is requiring marketers today to rethink their brand positioning. Changing customer needs are often eroding the brands established position. At the same time, increasing competitive pressures created by new entrants and product innovations, and the proliferation of new channels and promotional campaigns, are driving marketers back to the drawing board. Many CEOs and CMOs, however, find themselves displeased with the results of their repositioning efforts. Increased marketing expenditures devoted to repositioning brands in the minds of consumers often fail to produce any improvements in either overall image or market share. Why do these well-intentioned efforts turn into marketing failures? While there are many causes, companies often fail to focus on achievable brand positioning rather than branding in service sector. Too often, their efforts target an ambitious goal that outstrips the actual ability of the brand to deliver on what it has promised to customers. Or the goal is too far from customers current brand perception to be a realistic brand objective. For example: In the late 1 980s Oldsmobile wanted to revitalize its brand and gear it to a younger audience. Thus marketers at General Motors launched a creative campaign around the tagline, â€Å"Not your fathers Oldsmobile,† highlighting the cars improved styling and new features. But for many younger consumers, this was too much of a stretch for the brand. The product modifications did not go far enough to meet the needs and expectations of the new customer set they were targeting. As a result, Oldsmobile recognized the need to shift its campaign. Eventually, GM closed its Oldsmobile division. More recently, United Airlines Rising campaign attempted to position the brand as the most passenger-centric airline, with a clear understanding of customer problems and the solutions needed to fix them. The campaign had the effect of raising expectations, which were quickly deflated, however, by the brands inability to deliver against the promises made as part of its bold new positioning platform. Consequently, United was forced to change its central brand message — no longer emphasizing Rising. Many high-tech businesses have recently repositioned themselves as e-business brands. However little effort was made by these brands to clearly differentiate themselves from one another despite the millions of dollars spent on elaborate marketing programs. The net effect, according to their research, has been to sow confusion in the minds of customers, rather than to forge strong brand identities. These examples — and most marketers can cite many others — underscore the imperative to pursue a brand positioning that is eminently achievable, not just attractive. Based on our experience, three steps can help ensure that they make this distinction: 1) ensuring relevance to a customers frame of reference; 2) securing the customers â€Å"permission† for the positioning; and 3) making sure that the brand delivers on its promise. Be Relevant to the Customers Frame of Reference: When repositioning a brand, its essential for marketers to capture not just the emotional and physical needs of the customer but the dynamics of the situation in which those needs occur. We refer to this as the customers â€Å"frame of reference.† For example, while isotonic beverages like Gatorade and Powerade are thirst-quenching drinks, consumers tend to think of them in the broader context of sports, exercise, and physical activity. Importantly, the frame of reference sets the parameters for customers consideration set — the brands they will choose from. Indeed, most customers have a very specific definition of what the brand is and what it can be relative to their frame of reference. Repositioning a brand too far from this frame of reference creates customer confusion that makes a positioning unsuccessful. Attempting to brand Gatorade, for example, within a social, lighthearted context would probably be stretching the brand too far from the current sports/physical activity frame of reference. Similarly, a communications company known for data services for business customers would likely be positioning the brand too far outside of the customers frame of reference if it suddenly tried to launch a â€Å"friends-and-family† calling plan. Being fully aware of the frame of reference for a brand can help ensure that its repositioning strategy will resonate with customers. But the frame of reference is usually a combination of both customers attitudes and the situations in which the brand is used. As a result, we typically find the most powerful customer insights and segmentation come from looking at a combination of these factors In some categories, customers broader attitudes are the dominant factor. How customers think about pet-related brands, for example, can be seen in the context of how they treat their own pets — whether they view them as family members, best friends/companions, or in a less personal way. If customers view pets as family members, the optimal message for the brand will appeal to such human qualities as nurturing and pampering. This â€Å"family member† orientation or frame of reference may help support a brand extension to a full range of pet services, such as grooming and accessories. Other customer needs are not as consistent, but better understood within the context of specific situations or sub-categories. In the field of airline travel, for example, the customers frame of reference may be a function of the type of trip they are taking. The customer who is used to traveling within the U.S. in cramped coach-class conditions, for example, will have a much different set of needs and expectations than the traveler who is used to flying to international destinations with all the comforts of first-class service. As a result, in most instances the frame of reference is built upon a combination of both of the above attitudinal and situational forces. For example, while consumers may generally have a health-conscious attitude about the foods they eat, on certain â€Å"special† occasions they may allow themselves to become more indulgent, creating what we call a â€Å"need state.† A strong brand identity can also help marketers secure the desired permission from consumers. Because Victorias Secret owns or is associated with the notion of intimate moments, for example, it would be easier for that brand to get permission to introduce a new line of lingerie or perfume with a sensual connotation than it would be to launch a line of jeans or handbags. In repositioning, marketers must embrace the idea that they are brand â€Å"stewards,† while customers define their relationship with the brand and determine the basis for the relationship. A steward must spend more time deeply understanding what customers really think about the brand and where potential â€Å"bridges† to growth and new branding exist. For example, Smuckers could leverage the â€Å"wholesome goodness† their loyal customers attribute to them instead of solely focusing on themselves as fruit processors. Marketers should not attempt to cover the waterfront here, but instead focus on the relevant interrelated â€Å"hot buttons† that will clearly convey the message. For example, in the case of a technology brand positioning itself as â€Å"humanizing technology for everyday people,† the strongest set of pathways to the positioning came from product signals such as customized hardware and specific application platforms (e.g., games, household management) rather than from equipment with the latest features and innovative design. The pathway modeling also indicated the strong signal value of the brands customer service representatives having an understanding of an individual customers needs. This important service signal led to the broader customer perception of the brand as caring — an important personality signal for the brand to deliver on its positioning. Additionally, the marketer learned that having technicians follow through with customers to issue resolution w as a critical service signal that led to the broader personality signal of the brand being professional — another key for the brand to live up to its positioning. With these insights, the marketer could allocate resources accordingly, ensuring that the more important signals were being appropriately supported. Develop necessary product/service programs to ensure consistent performance on these signals to the customer. For example, if the brand positioning is built around superior customer satisfaction, but frontline sales people are measured on revenue rather than satisfaction, it is unlikely that consistent performance will be achieved. So, if airline gate agents are the first and most important contact point for customers, they should be empowered to solve customers issues instead of redirecting them to customer service personnel. In the technology brand example, given the importance of the customer service representatives and service technicians, there should be a greater emphasis on the quality of the service delivered rather than on the number of customers that can be serviced over a given time period. Make sure approaches are in place to track and assess your performance against these customer signals prior to the formal launching of the new positioning. Applying rigorous quality assurance procedures to key elements of the new brand experience will often ensure that customers are not disappointed, or fail to have their expectations met. Current data-collection methods allow for rapid response and can be leveraged to determine whether the launch programs are having their desired effect on brand perceptions. Due to the complexities of brand positioning, many marketers are correctly choosing to move to an â€Å"interim positioning.† This interim positioning is designed to establish brand credibility and performance on the road to fully achieving the longer-term aspirational positioning. Such a positioning focuses on those aspects of the brand on which the organization is currently able to deliver. Interim positioning is often essential when a brand stakes out new territory considered â€Å"up market,† addresses an important or longstanding deficiency, or is attempting to redefine its competitive set. As the brand evolves (based on customers changing perceptions), additional components of the new platform can be put into place and confidently communicated to consumers. Target Stores successfully employed an interim positioning as it evolved the brand up market from a position as a discount retailer of national brands to a contemporary â€Å"urban chic† retail brand pro viding good value. The interim positioning emphasized value without sacrificing style and involved specific merchandising efforts such as stylized color blocking and associations with name designers (e.g., Frank Gehry). As the brand evolved to its current positioning, it further emphasized the â€Å"designer† theme in its advertising, often having models wearing various house wares as high fashion. By focusing on achievable instead of aspirational brand positioning, companies can help ensure meaningful market share results while enhancing their brand image. This requires, however that the new brand position fits comfortably within the customers frame of reference, and that it not attempt to overreach. Marketers must also secure the customers permission to extend the brand by building a bridge of relevant benefits to carry customers from the current to the intended brand position. Implementing the performance delivery systems to ensure the brand is able to live up to its new promise is the final critical step in building and executing a successful brand positioning program. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Branding: Definition and benefits Literature gives several definitions of the term brand. The common themes are that a brand is more than just a combination of a name, a design, a symbol or other features that differentiate a good or a service from others. It is a unique set of tangible and intangible added values that are perceived and valued by the customer. In addition a brand is said to have personality, an emotional bond to the customer that grows out of the perceived characteristics. These certain features of a brand grow out of a complex set of added values that can comprise of history and tradition, additional services, marketing messages, quality, popularity of the product amongst a certain group of users (status) and others. These basiss of a brand perception prove that a strong brand can not be established over night The development of a brand takes time, strong financial marketing muscle and good marketing skills such as Insight into customer needs, Ability to offer products or services that meet those needs, Creativity to produce exiting and compelling advertising, Ability to communicate differentiation in a way that customers understand and that motivates them. Without this process they do not have a brand but only a name and a sign for a product. Brands have benefits for both, the brand owners as sellers and the customers: Benefits of a brand for Sellers Customers Identifies the companies products, makes repeat purchases easier Facilitates promotion efforts Fosters brand loyalty stabilises market share Allows to charge premium prices and thus to get better margins Allows to extend the brand to new products, new markets and to new geographic areas Can communicate directly with the customer, reach over the shoulder of the retailer More leverage with middlemen Is more resistant to price competition Can have a long life Is more forgiving of mistakes Helps identify products Helps evaluate the quality of a product Helps to reduce perceived risk in buying, provides assurance of quality, reliability etc. Is dependable (consistent in quality) May offer psychological reward (status symbol) â€Å"rout map† through a range of alternatives Saves customer time Is easier to process mentally With this potential a brand can offer an important competitive advantage for a seller who has decided for a differentiation strategy. Even in markets with many similar products or services a brand can provide some sort of uniqueness to a certain product. Depending from the strength of a brand the branded product thus can be positioned towards a more monopolistic situation. With all these characteristics a brand is important in an organisations marketing mix. Although it is basically a certain feature of the category â€Å"product†, it influences every component of the marketing mix: The product gets a higher value in the perception of the customers. This influences the pricing policy in the way that often a premium can be charged. The promotional strategy and mix will be different because it is more focused on the brand than on the individual product. For instance the introduction of a new product under a well established umbrella brand requires a very different promotion campaign than the introduction of a new brand or an unbranded product. The decision for the place and the marketing channel is influenced because a branded product with a higher perceived value might be placed in an environment that is well related to the brands personality, e.g. gourmet shop vs. food department in a supermarket. 2.2 Branding strategies: Besides the more general decision for the use of brands the decision for the branding strategies is important. There are several aspects to be considered: Ownership of brands Structure of brand systems Regarding the ownership, Dibb (1997) and Kotler (1999) differentiate between five categories: These decisions need to be taken carefully. They offer not only large opportunities but also various risks: A company which has strong manufacturer brands may decide to sell the same or similar products to retailers for use as their own label brands. If consumers become aware of this they might change their perception of the manufacturer brand: â€Å"They get the same product for a lower price under my retailers brand.† or â€Å"They sell the same thing under another name very cheap. This product is not exclusive anymore. I go for another brand then.† Extensive permissions for the licensed use of a strong brand for other products can destroy the value of the brand. Pierre Cardin has lost lots of its luxury appeal since various goods with this name can be found in every department store. The structure of brand systems describes how an organisations products and brands are related. Dibb (1997) distinguishes between: 2.3 Branding for service industries: 2.3.1 Reason for branding services: Although the principles for branding of goods and services are generally the same there occur some differences. These arise from the different natures of both categories. The main differences that influence branding policies are that services Have a changing level of quality, The consumer has to become involved in the consumption of a service actively, They are intangible and not storable. When a brand in general gives the consumer more confidence in his choice this is even more important for services. Their quality and other features are more difficult to asses. Because of their intangibility and complexity it is harder for the customer to distinguish between the offers from the wide range of service companies are working in the market place. This especially applies to the market of accounting, auditing and consulting where consolidation and globalisation increase competition. In an FT-article about branding accounting services (Kelly 1998) a branding expert states that â€Å"more than 70 % of the Fortune 500 companies said branding is increasingly important in helping them to choose where to get a service. They want to be able to tell who is good at what.† 2.3.2 Drivers for the use of branding in the accounting/consulting industry with a focus on the Big Five (former Big Six) firms: The Big Five accounting firms have a long history up to 75 to 100 years. These firms have developed from smaller entities through co-operations and mergers. Often new products and new markets have been developed by â€Å"buying in†, by buying the expertise and the access in the form of other firms. For many small and medium accounting and auditing firms it is attractive to join the association (in most cases) of one of the large players for the following reasons: The form of an association with independent member firms allows to retain a level of individuality although in some cases this is not long-lasting. The membership in an large powerful firm gives a competitive advantage (reputation, access to knowledge, access to new markets, higher market share, cost savings through sharing resources, e.g. for training and recruitment etc.). Partners of these smaller firms are often offered to become partners in the large firm. For a long time the industry did not put much effort in the development of brands. The tradition and long lasting reputation of the Big Five itself gave their names a considerable brand value. For quite a long time this was fairly enough for their purposes. In Kellys (1998) article a professional firms branding expert states that for many years the accountancy firms hid behind the â€Å"convenient parapet† of the Big Six brand label. In the audit market most shareholders were happy to have any audit firm as long as it was from the Big Six.Other factors were legal limitations for advertising. Accounting firms were first allowed to advertise in 1984. That means that marketing and communications focused mainly on activities like excellent work and the power of word of mouth, job advertisements (as the only allowed advertisements they were used as a means to present the company), speaking at conferences, publishing articles in professional journals, co-operating with universities and business schools and so on. Accounting firms saw themselves as a conservative i ndustry with discretion as one of their services. In their minds this didnt go together with an aggressive marketing campaign.In the last years the industry has seen some developments that required new strategies: Globalisation: A global client needs a global auditor because companies are legally required to prepare consolidated financial statements including all subsidies around the world. This is much easier if you have all subsidies audited by the same firm. In addition global clients have a high need for specialised consulting. They often prefer a consultant that is as global as they are to get more expertise and consistency. Stagnation in the core business: The traditional auditing business does not show high growth rates. An individual firms growth can mainly be achieved at the expense of competitors. Growth in consulting services: On the contrary to the auditing business there is an enormous growth for consulting services. The accounting firms have traditionally done some consulting and now they developed these activities aggressively. This had two results: A growing variety of services offered these new products had to be communicated to existing and potential clients Accounting firms came into direct competition with the traditional consulting firms which had their own brands and reputation Need for qualified people: With the development of new products/services all firms needed much more highly qualified people. Recruitment became an important issue. (For example: The German member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers took on about 1000 new employees in 1998, the first year after the merger.) This led to a competition to attract the best university students. All these factors together increased competition amongst the Big Five. For this industry excellent quality is not a means to get a competitive advantage, it is an important requirement for any success at all. A large variety of services is important; but the customer will perceive it only in the moment he needs a certain service. In this situation the Big Five did not manage to differentiate themselves successfully from competition. A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers during the merger process revealed that â€Å"the business community and the general public did not and do not perceive any compelling differences between and among either the Big Six or the Big Five. Not only did all firms appear to have similar defining qualities, they were also not sending any consistent messages about their organisations to external audiences.†Here a strong brand with a personality and a clear message can be a valuable means for differentiation and thus for gaining a competitive advantage. By now we can say that the Big Five have become aware of this. Now they invest heavily to reposition themselves and to develop their good names to real power brands. 2.4 Benefits of branding: Branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. A brand is a persistent, unique business identity intertwined with associations of personality, quality, origin, liking and more. Heres why the effort to brand their company or their self pays off.  · Memorability: A brand serves as a convenient container for a reputation and good will. Its hard for customers to go back to that whats its name store or to refer business to the plumber from the Yellow Pages. In addition to an effective company name, it helps when people have material reminders reinforcing the identity of companies they will want to do repeat business with: refrigerator magnets, tote bags, date books, coasters, key rings, first aid kits, etc. Memorability can come from using and sticking with an unusual color combination (FedExs purple and orange), distinctive behavior (the gas station whose attendants literally run to clean your windshield), or with an individual, even a style of clothing (Author Tom Wolfes white suits). Develop their own identifiers and nail them to their company name in the minds of their public.  · Loyalty: When people have a positive experience with a memorable brand, theyre more likely to buy that product or service again than competing brands. People who closely bond with a brand identity are not only more likely to repurchase what they bought, but also to buy related items of the same brand, to recommend the brand to others and to resist the lure of a competitors price cut. The brand identity helps to create and to anchor such loyalty. Consider the legions of car owners who travel up to 2,000 miles at their own expense to attend a Saturn celebration at the companys plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Thats loyalty. And supposedly, more people have the motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson tattooed on their body than any other brand name. Thats out-of-this-world loyalty.  · Familiarity. Branding has a big effect on non-customers too. Psychologists have shown that familiarity induces liking. Consequently, people who have never done business with you but have encountered their company identity sufficient times may become willing to recommend them even when they have no personal knowledge of their products or services. Seeing their ads on local buses, having their pen on their desk, reading about them in the Hometown News, they spread the word for them when a friend or colleague asks if they know a ____ and thats what they do.  · Premium image, premium price: Branding can lift what they sell out of the realm of a commodity, so that instead of dealing with price-shoppers they have buyers eager to pay more for their goods than for those of competitors. Think of some peoples willingness to buy the currently in brand of bottled water, versus toting along an unlabeled bottle of the same stuff filled from the office water cooler.The distinctive value inherent in a brand can even lead people to dismiss evidence they would normally use to make buying decisions. I once saw one middle-aged Cambridge, Massachusetts, intellectual argue to several colleagues that Dunkin Donuts coffee tastes better than Starbucks. So contradictory was this claim to the two companies reputations for this demographic group that the colleagues refused to put the matter to a taste test.  · Extensions: With a well-established brand, they can spread the respect they will earn to a related new product, service or location and more easily win acceptance of the newcomer. For instance, when a winery with a good reputation starts up regional winery tours, and then adds foreign ones, each business introduction benefits from the positive perceptions already in place.  · Greater company equity: Making their company into a brand usually means that they can get more money for the company when they decide to sell it. A Coca-Cola executive once said that if all the companys facilities and inventory vanished all around the world, he could walk into any bank and take out a loan based only on the right to the Coca-Cola name and formula.  · Lower marketing expenses: Although they must invest money to create a brand, once its created they can maintain it without having to tell the whole story about the brand every time they market it. For instance, a jingle people in their area have heard a zillion times continues to promote the company when its played without any words.  · For consumers, less risk: When someone feels under pressure to make a wise decision, he or she tends to choose the brand-name supplier over the no-name one. As the saying goes, Theyll never be fired for buying IBM. By building a brand, they fatten their bottom line. 2.5 Brand structures for services industries: As for services, literature suggests to use the companies name a so called corporate brand as the overall family brand for all the services offered. Murphy (1990) calls this the â€Å"monolithic approach†. He argues that especially for companies which offer an enormous array of services (e.g. consultants, banks) corporate names must be used to deliver more generalised benefits of quality, value and integrity. de Chernatony (1996) comes to the conclusion that corporate brands are a crucial means to help make the service offering more tangible in consumers minds and can enhance consumers perceptions and trust in the range of services provided by the company. One disadvantage of corporate brands little opportunity for developing second or sub-brands for differentiated product lines- applies more to branded products. However Murphy (1990) states that many companies have chosen an approach of â€Å"local autonomy but group-wide coherence† as a system whereby individual divisions and products are largely free-standing but mention is made in all literature and on all stationery and products that â€Å"company A is member of the XYZ group†. This approach is very common amongst the Big Five accounting and auditing firms. It allows their national member firms, to exploit the groups brand name and their own (brand) name at the same time. Many member firms that had joined the global firms have lon Importance of Brands and Branding Importance of Brands and Branding Abstract Repetitive failures cost companies millions of dollars in redesign costs, liabilities, and transaction costs. However, by far the most serious cost of these failures is the lost business that results from customer defection. For service companies, the task of providing error-free services is even more challenging because their intangible nature renders subjective perceptions of quality. Equally troublesome is the uncontrollable element of customer participation in the service process because production and consumption occur as a simultaneous process. Despite these challenges however, service quality and customer satisfaction are closely related constructs. When service providers continuously strive to develop error-free processes, customer satisfaction is sure to follow. Chapter 1: Introduction Many marketers are rethinking their branding because competitive pressures, new channels, and changing customer needs have eroded their brands positions of strength. However, increased marketing expenditures to reposition brands often fail to produce any improvements in either overall image or market share. Experience has shown that companies should focus on achievable rather than aspirational positioning, and that three steps can help ensure success: 1. Ensure relevance to a customers frame of reference. Be fully aware of the brands â€Å"frame of reference† so that a repositioning strategy will resonate with customers. Look at a combination of customers attitudes and the situations in which the brand is used to obtain the most powerful customer insights. 2. Secure the customers â€Å"permission† for the positioning. Recognize that permission amounts to a reasonable and logical extension of the brand in the customers eyes. Leverage a brands unique emotional benefits to carry customers from their current brand perception to the intended one. 3. Deliver on the brands new promise. Identify the pathway of performance â€Å"signals† that will convince customers of the new brand positioning. Develop product/service programs to ensure consistent performance on these signals. Track and assess performance against customer signals prior to launching the new positioning. Adopt an â€Å"interim positioning† to establish brand credibility and performance. An array of factors is requiring marketers today to rethink their brand positioning. Changing customer needs are often eroding the brands established position. At the same time, increasing competitive pressures created by new entrants and product innovations, and the proliferation of new channels and promotional campaigns, are driving marketers back to the drawing board. Many CEOs and CMOs, however, find themselves displeased with the results of their repositioning efforts. Increased marketing expenditures devoted to repositioning brands in the minds of consumers often fail to produce any improvements in either overall image or market share. Why do these well-intentioned efforts turn into marketing failures? While there are many causes, companies often fail to focus on achievable brand positioning rather than branding in service sector. Too often, their efforts target an ambitious goal that outstrips the actual ability of the brand to deliver on what it has promised to customers. Or the goal is too far from customers current brand perception to be a realistic brand objective. For example: In the late 1 980s Oldsmobile wanted to revitalize its brand and gear it to a younger audience. Thus marketers at General Motors launched a creative campaign around the tagline, â€Å"Not your fathers Oldsmobile,† highlighting the cars improved styling and new features. But for many younger consumers, this was too much of a stretch for the brand. The product modifications did not go far enough to meet the needs and expectations of the new customer set they were targeting. As a result, Oldsmobile recognized the need to shift its campaign. Eventually, GM closed its Oldsmobile division. More recently, United Airlines Rising campaign attempted to position the brand as the most passenger-centric airline, with a clear understanding of customer problems and the solutions needed to fix them. The campaign had the effect of raising expectations, which were quickly deflated, however, by the brands inability to deliver against the promises made as part of its bold new positioning platform. Consequently, United was forced to change its central brand message — no longer emphasizing Rising. Many high-tech businesses have recently repositioned themselves as e-business brands. However little effort was made by these brands to clearly differentiate themselves from one another despite the millions of dollars spent on elaborate marketing programs. The net effect, according to their research, has been to sow confusion in the minds of customers, rather than to forge strong brand identities. These examples — and most marketers can cite many others — underscore the imperative to pursue a brand positioning that is eminently achievable, not just attractive. Based on our experience, three steps can help ensure that they make this distinction: 1) ensuring relevance to a customers frame of reference; 2) securing the customers â€Å"permission† for the positioning; and 3) making sure that the brand delivers on its promise. Be Relevant to the Customers Frame of Reference: When repositioning a brand, its essential for marketers to capture not just the emotional and physical needs of the customer but the dynamics of the situation in which those needs occur. We refer to this as the customers â€Å"frame of reference.† For example, while isotonic beverages like Gatorade and Powerade are thirst-quenching drinks, consumers tend to think of them in the broader context of sports, exercise, and physical activity. Importantly, the frame of reference sets the parameters for customers consideration set — the brands they will choose from. Indeed, most customers have a very specific definition of what the brand is and what it can be relative to their frame of reference. Repositioning a brand too far from this frame of reference creates customer confusion that makes a positioning unsuccessful. Attempting to brand Gatorade, for example, within a social, lighthearted context would probably be stretching the brand too far from the current sports/physical activity frame of reference. Similarly, a communications company known for data services for business customers would likely be positioning the brand too far outside of the customers frame of reference if it suddenly tried to launch a â€Å"friends-and-family† calling plan. Being fully aware of the frame of reference for a brand can help ensure that its repositioning strategy will resonate with customers. But the frame of reference is usually a combination of both customers attitudes and the situations in which the brand is used. As a result, we typically find the most powerful customer insights and segmentation come from looking at a combination of these factors In some categories, customers broader attitudes are the dominant factor. How customers think about pet-related brands, for example, can be seen in the context of how they treat their own pets — whether they view them as family members, best friends/companions, or in a less personal way. If customers view pets as family members, the optimal message for the brand will appeal to such human qualities as nurturing and pampering. This â€Å"family member† orientation or frame of reference may help support a brand extension to a full range of pet services, such as grooming and accessories. Other customer needs are not as consistent, but better understood within the context of specific situations or sub-categories. In the field of airline travel, for example, the customers frame of reference may be a function of the type of trip they are taking. The customer who is used to traveling within the U.S. in cramped coach-class conditions, for example, will have a much different set of needs and expectations than the traveler who is used to flying to international destinations with all the comforts of first-class service. As a result, in most instances the frame of reference is built upon a combination of both of the above attitudinal and situational forces. For example, while consumers may generally have a health-conscious attitude about the foods they eat, on certain â€Å"special† occasions they may allow themselves to become more indulgent, creating what we call a â€Å"need state.† A strong brand identity can also help marketers secure the desired permission from consumers. Because Victorias Secret owns or is associated with the notion of intimate moments, for example, it would be easier for that brand to get permission to introduce a new line of lingerie or perfume with a sensual connotation than it would be to launch a line of jeans or handbags. In repositioning, marketers must embrace the idea that they are brand â€Å"stewards,† while customers define their relationship with the brand and determine the basis for the relationship. A steward must spend more time deeply understanding what customers really think about the brand and where potential â€Å"bridges† to growth and new branding exist. For example, Smuckers could leverage the â€Å"wholesome goodness† their loyal customers attribute to them instead of solely focusing on themselves as fruit processors. Marketers should not attempt to cover the waterfront here, but instead focus on the relevant interrelated â€Å"hot buttons† that will clearly convey the message. For example, in the case of a technology brand positioning itself as â€Å"humanizing technology for everyday people,† the strongest set of pathways to the positioning came from product signals such as customized hardware and specific application platforms (e.g., games, household management) rather than from equipment with the latest features and innovative design. The pathway modeling also indicated the strong signal value of the brands customer service representatives having an understanding of an individual customers needs. This important service signal led to the broader customer perception of the brand as caring — an important personality signal for the brand to deliver on its positioning. Additionally, the marketer learned that having technicians follow through with customers to issue resolution w as a critical service signal that led to the broader personality signal of the brand being professional — another key for the brand to live up to its positioning. With these insights, the marketer could allocate resources accordingly, ensuring that the more important signals were being appropriately supported. Develop necessary product/service programs to ensure consistent performance on these signals to the customer. For example, if the brand positioning is built around superior customer satisfaction, but frontline sales people are measured on revenue rather than satisfaction, it is unlikely that consistent performance will be achieved. So, if airline gate agents are the first and most important contact point for customers, they should be empowered to solve customers issues instead of redirecting them to customer service personnel. In the technology brand example, given the importance of the customer service representatives and service technicians, there should be a greater emphasis on the quality of the service delivered rather than on the number of customers that can be serviced over a given time period. Make sure approaches are in place to track and assess your performance against these customer signals prior to the formal launching of the new positioning. Applying rigorous quality assurance procedures to key elements of the new brand experience will often ensure that customers are not disappointed, or fail to have their expectations met. Current data-collection methods allow for rapid response and can be leveraged to determine whether the launch programs are having their desired effect on brand perceptions. Due to the complexities of brand positioning, many marketers are correctly choosing to move to an â€Å"interim positioning.† This interim positioning is designed to establish brand credibility and performance on the road to fully achieving the longer-term aspirational positioning. Such a positioning focuses on those aspects of the brand on which the organization is currently able to deliver. Interim positioning is often essential when a brand stakes out new territory considered â€Å"up market,† addresses an important or longstanding deficiency, or is attempting to redefine its competitive set. As the brand evolves (based on customers changing perceptions), additional components of the new platform can be put into place and confidently communicated to consumers. Target Stores successfully employed an interim positioning as it evolved the brand up market from a position as a discount retailer of national brands to a contemporary â€Å"urban chic† retail brand pro viding good value. The interim positioning emphasized value without sacrificing style and involved specific merchandising efforts such as stylized color blocking and associations with name designers (e.g., Frank Gehry). As the brand evolved to its current positioning, it further emphasized the â€Å"designer† theme in its advertising, often having models wearing various house wares as high fashion. By focusing on achievable instead of aspirational brand positioning, companies can help ensure meaningful market share results while enhancing their brand image. This requires, however that the new brand position fits comfortably within the customers frame of reference, and that it not attempt to overreach. Marketers must also secure the customers permission to extend the brand by building a bridge of relevant benefits to carry customers from the current to the intended brand position. Implementing the performance delivery systems to ensure the brand is able to live up to its new promise is the final critical step in building and executing a successful brand positioning program. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Branding: Definition and benefits Literature gives several definitions of the term brand. The common themes are that a brand is more than just a combination of a name, a design, a symbol or other features that differentiate a good or a service from others. It is a unique set of tangible and intangible added values that are perceived and valued by the customer. In addition a brand is said to have personality, an emotional bond to the customer that grows out of the perceived characteristics. These certain features of a brand grow out of a complex set of added values that can comprise of history and tradition, additional services, marketing messages, quality, popularity of the product amongst a certain group of users (status) and others. These basiss of a brand perception prove that a strong brand can not be established over night The development of a brand takes time, strong financial marketing muscle and good marketing skills such as Insight into customer needs, Ability to offer products or services that meet those needs, Creativity to produce exiting and compelling advertising, Ability to communicate differentiation in a way that customers understand and that motivates them. Without this process they do not have a brand but only a name and a sign for a product. Brands have benefits for both, the brand owners as sellers and the customers: Benefits of a brand for Sellers Customers Identifies the companies products, makes repeat purchases easier Facilitates promotion efforts Fosters brand loyalty stabilises market share Allows to charge premium prices and thus to get better margins Allows to extend the brand to new products, new markets and to new geographic areas Can communicate directly with the customer, reach over the shoulder of the retailer More leverage with middlemen Is more resistant to price competition Can have a long life Is more forgiving of mistakes Helps identify products Helps evaluate the quality of a product Helps to reduce perceived risk in buying, provides assurance of quality, reliability etc. Is dependable (consistent in quality) May offer psychological reward (status symbol) â€Å"rout map† through a range of alternatives Saves customer time Is easier to process mentally With this potential a brand can offer an important competitive advantage for a seller who has decided for a differentiation strategy. Even in markets with many similar products or services a brand can provide some sort of uniqueness to a certain product. Depending from the strength of a brand the branded product thus can be positioned towards a more monopolistic situation. With all these characteristics a brand is important in an organisations marketing mix. Although it is basically a certain feature of the category â€Å"product†, it influences every component of the marketing mix: The product gets a higher value in the perception of the customers. This influences the pricing policy in the way that often a premium can be charged. The promotional strategy and mix will be different because it is more focused on the brand than on the individual product. For instance the introduction of a new product under a well established umbrella brand requires a very different promotion campaign than the introduction of a new brand or an unbranded product. The decision for the place and the marketing channel is influenced because a branded product with a higher perceived value might be placed in an environment that is well related to the brands personality, e.g. gourmet shop vs. food department in a supermarket. 2.2 Branding strategies: Besides the more general decision for the use of brands the decision for the branding strategies is important. There are several aspects to be considered: Ownership of brands Structure of brand systems Regarding the ownership, Dibb (1997) and Kotler (1999) differentiate between five categories: These decisions need to be taken carefully. They offer not only large opportunities but also various risks: A company which has strong manufacturer brands may decide to sell the same or similar products to retailers for use as their own label brands. If consumers become aware of this they might change their perception of the manufacturer brand: â€Å"They get the same product for a lower price under my retailers brand.† or â€Å"They sell the same thing under another name very cheap. This product is not exclusive anymore. I go for another brand then.† Extensive permissions for the licensed use of a strong brand for other products can destroy the value of the brand. Pierre Cardin has lost lots of its luxury appeal since various goods with this name can be found in every department store. The structure of brand systems describes how an organisations products and brands are related. Dibb (1997) distinguishes between: 2.3 Branding for service industries: 2.3.1 Reason for branding services: Although the principles for branding of goods and services are generally the same there occur some differences. These arise from the different natures of both categories. The main differences that influence branding policies are that services Have a changing level of quality, The consumer has to become involved in the consumption of a service actively, They are intangible and not storable. When a brand in general gives the consumer more confidence in his choice this is even more important for services. Their quality and other features are more difficult to asses. Because of their intangibility and complexity it is harder for the customer to distinguish between the offers from the wide range of service companies are working in the market place. This especially applies to the market of accounting, auditing and consulting where consolidation and globalisation increase competition. In an FT-article about branding accounting services (Kelly 1998) a branding expert states that â€Å"more than 70 % of the Fortune 500 companies said branding is increasingly important in helping them to choose where to get a service. They want to be able to tell who is good at what.† 2.3.2 Drivers for the use of branding in the accounting/consulting industry with a focus on the Big Five (former Big Six) firms: The Big Five accounting firms have a long history up to 75 to 100 years. These firms have developed from smaller entities through co-operations and mergers. Often new products and new markets have been developed by â€Å"buying in†, by buying the expertise and the access in the form of other firms. For many small and medium accounting and auditing firms it is attractive to join the association (in most cases) of one of the large players for the following reasons: The form of an association with independent member firms allows to retain a level of individuality although in some cases this is not long-lasting. The membership in an large powerful firm gives a competitive advantage (reputation, access to knowledge, access to new markets, higher market share, cost savings through sharing resources, e.g. for training and recruitment etc.). Partners of these smaller firms are often offered to become partners in the large firm. For a long time the industry did not put much effort in the development of brands. The tradition and long lasting reputation of the Big Five itself gave their names a considerable brand value. For quite a long time this was fairly enough for their purposes. In Kellys (1998) article a professional firms branding expert states that for many years the accountancy firms hid behind the â€Å"convenient parapet† of the Big Six brand label. In the audit market most shareholders were happy to have any audit firm as long as it was from the Big Six.Other factors were legal limitations for advertising. Accounting firms were first allowed to advertise in 1984. That means that marketing and communications focused mainly on activities like excellent work and the power of word of mouth, job advertisements (as the only allowed advertisements they were used as a means to present the company), speaking at conferences, publishing articles in professional journals, co-operating with universities and business schools and so on. Accounting firms saw themselves as a conservative i ndustry with discretion as one of their services. In their minds this didnt go together with an aggressive marketing campaign.In the last years the industry has seen some developments that required new strategies: Globalisation: A global client needs a global auditor because companies are legally required to prepare consolidated financial statements including all subsidies around the world. This is much easier if you have all subsidies audited by the same firm. In addition global clients have a high need for specialised consulting. They often prefer a consultant that is as global as they are to get more expertise and consistency. Stagnation in the core business: The traditional auditing business does not show high growth rates. An individual firms growth can mainly be achieved at the expense of competitors. Growth in consulting services: On the contrary to the auditing business there is an enormous growth for consulting services. The accounting firms have traditionally done some consulting and now they developed these activities aggressively. This had two results: A growing variety of services offered these new products had to be communicated to existing and potential clients Accounting firms came into direct competition with the traditional consulting firms which had their own brands and reputation Need for qualified people: With the development of new products/services all firms needed much more highly qualified people. Recruitment became an important issue. (For example: The German member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers took on about 1000 new employees in 1998, the first year after the merger.) This led to a competition to attract the best university students. All these factors together increased competition amongst the Big Five. For this industry excellent quality is not a means to get a competitive advantage, it is an important requirement for any success at all. A large variety of services is important; but the customer will perceive it only in the moment he needs a certain service. In this situation the Big Five did not manage to differentiate themselves successfully from competition. A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers during the merger process revealed that â€Å"the business community and the general public did not and do not perceive any compelling differences between and among either the Big Six or the Big Five. Not only did all firms appear to have similar defining qualities, they were also not sending any consistent messages about their organisations to external audiences.†Here a strong brand with a personality and a clear message can be a valuable means for differentiation and thus for gaining a competitive advantage. By now we can say that the Big Five have become aware of this. Now they invest heavily to reposition themselves and to develop their good names to real power brands. 2.4 Benefits of branding: Branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. A brand is a persistent, unique business identity intertwined with associations of personality, quality, origin, liking and more. Heres why the effort to brand their company or their self pays off.  · Memorability: A brand serves as a convenient container for a reputation and good will. Its hard for customers to go back to that whats its name store or to refer business to the plumber from the Yellow Pages. In addition to an effective company name, it helps when people have material reminders reinforcing the identity of companies they will want to do repeat business with: refrigerator magnets, tote bags, date books, coasters, key rings, first aid kits, etc. Memorability can come from using and sticking with an unusual color combination (FedExs purple and orange), distinctive behavior (the gas station whose attendants literally run to clean your windshield), or with an individual, even a style of clothing (Author Tom Wolfes white suits). Develop their own identifiers and nail them to their company name in the minds of their public.  · Loyalty: When people have a positive experience with a memorable brand, theyre more likely to buy that product or service again than competing brands. People who closely bond with a brand identity are not only more likely to repurchase what they bought, but also to buy related items of the same brand, to recommend the brand to others and to resist the lure of a competitors price cut. The brand identity helps to create and to anchor such loyalty. Consider the legions of car owners who travel up to 2,000 miles at their own expense to attend a Saturn celebration at the companys plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Thats loyalty. And supposedly, more people have the motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson tattooed on their body than any other brand name. Thats out-of-this-world loyalty.  · Familiarity. Branding has a big effect on non-customers too. Psychologists have shown that familiarity induces liking. Consequently, people who have never done business with you but have encountered their company identity sufficient times may become willing to recommend them even when they have no personal knowledge of their products or services. Seeing their ads on local buses, having their pen on their desk, reading about them in the Hometown News, they spread the word for them when a friend or colleague asks if they know a ____ and thats what they do.  · Premium image, premium price: Branding can lift what they sell out of the realm of a commodity, so that instead of dealing with price-shoppers they have buyers eager to pay more for their goods than for those of competitors. Think of some peoples willingness to buy the currently in brand of bottled water, versus toting along an unlabeled bottle of the same stuff filled from the office water cooler.The distinctive value inherent in a brand can even lead people to dismiss evidence they would normally use to make buying decisions. I once saw one middle-aged Cambridge, Massachusetts, intellectual argue to several colleagues that Dunkin Donuts coffee tastes better than Starbucks. So contradictory was this claim to the two companies reputations for this demographic group that the colleagues refused to put the matter to a taste test.  · Extensions: With a well-established brand, they can spread the respect they will earn to a related new product, service or location and more easily win acceptance of the newcomer. For instance, when a winery with a good reputation starts up regional winery tours, and then adds foreign ones, each business introduction benefits from the positive perceptions already in place.  · Greater company equity: Making their company into a brand usually means that they can get more money for the company when they decide to sell it. A Coca-Cola executive once said that if all the companys facilities and inventory vanished all around the world, he could walk into any bank and take out a loan based only on the right to the Coca-Cola name and formula.  · Lower marketing expenses: Although they must invest money to create a brand, once its created they can maintain it without having to tell the whole story about the brand every time they market it. For instance, a jingle people in their area have heard a zillion times continues to promote the company when its played without any words.  · For consumers, less risk: When someone feels under pressure to make a wise decision, he or she tends to choose the brand-name supplier over the no-name one. As the saying goes, Theyll never be fired for buying IBM. By building a brand, they fatten their bottom line. 2.5 Brand structures for services industries: As for services, literature suggests to use the companies name a so called corporate brand as the overall family brand for all the services offered. Murphy (1990) calls this the â€Å"monolithic approach†. He argues that especially for companies which offer an enormous array of services (e.g. consultants, banks) corporate names must be used to deliver more generalised benefits of quality, value and integrity. de Chernatony (1996) comes to the conclusion that corporate brands are a crucial means to help make the service offering more tangible in consumers minds and can enhance consumers perceptions and trust in the range of services provided by the company. One disadvantage of corporate brands little opportunity for developing second or sub-brands for differentiated product lines- applies more to branded products. However Murphy (1990) states that many companies have chosen an approach of â€Å"local autonomy but group-wide coherence† as a system whereby individual divisions and products are largely free-standing but mention is made in all literature and on all stationery and products that â€Å"company A is member of the XYZ group†. This approach is very common amongst the Big Five accounting and auditing firms. It allows their national member firms, to exploit the groups brand name and their own (brand) name at the same time. Many member firms that had joined the global firms have lon

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay The comedy knocked up was written, directed and produced by Judd Apatow, and was one of the highest grossing films in 2007. Released at the end of May in 2007, it succeeded as a summer blockbuster and won the people and teen choice awards for favorite movie comedy. Distributed by Universal, the film grossed over $148 million. Knocked up follows the unplanned conception of successful single woman Allison, with unlikely partner loser, pothead Ben. After a night of drinking and dancing with Ben at a bar, Allison invites Ben over to her place and, both drunk, they have sex and conceive a baby. When Allison finds out, she decides to keep the baby and tries to force a real relationship with Ben. Despite a rollercoaster of fights, emotions, and immature baby jokes, Allison and ben ride off together in the s last scene to the apartment Ben has prepared for Allison and her new born baby. This film is important because it reveals the disparity between social realities of pregnancy and the historical trajectory of pregnancy and how it relates to the current naturalization of pregnancy as a commodity. Allison is seen as deviant because she is unwed and was drink during the conception of the child. As well as having a one night stand. But she is seen as normal cause she tries to fix the situation a form a relationship with the father, and in the end she does. This movie reflects a particular cultural, political and social situation that informs our understanding of the discourse of pregnancy. Commodity pregnancy is working through the culture industry to portray pregnancy as glamorous and even trendy, while in popular film pregnancy is plotted as unintended and framed as a grave problem. The bump is not a blessing. Abortion has since been included in various television shows, and movies, has been a major topic of debate in politics, and is a known medical procedure- whether one is pro- choice or pro-life, people are conscious of the abortion. Yet, the word abortion was never mentioned in the movie and was instead referred to as a  ¿Ã‚ ½smushmortion. ¿Ã‚ ½ Or the mother told Allison to have it taken care of , insinuating an abortion, like her step sister did. While the word abortion was never in the movie for reasons unknown, the fact that female body parts, assumed duties of females, biological functions, and physical appearances are the punch lines of so many jokes proves the film makers were not afraid of offending anyone, they just had a view on what was to controversial. In the movie Allison and Ben intend to use a condom in their night of drunken sex, but due to a miscommunication, Ben does not put the condom on. The depiction of contraception either not being used by accident or by ch oice in this movie shows the characters as just accepting that pregnancy as an outcome of sex is just a risk women take- despite the fact that women fought for decades for the precautions that make this statement sound ridiculous. This movie revolves around Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s determination to force a relationship with her complete opposite, Ben, after she finds out he , ¿Ã‚ ½knocked her up ¿Ã‚ ½, seemingly for the sole purpose of maintaining the semblance of a traditional family. In the end this is exactly what happens; a drunken night of sex between a beautiful, successful career woman turns results in a baby, and an unattractive fool getting the woman of his dreams. Allison embraces motherhood wholeheartedly with Ben. Being single is the obvious second option and motherhood in the context of a man and woman together is still framed as the norm. Pregnancy complaints have been one of the fastest growing types of employments discrimination charges filed with the equal employment opportunity commission. In this movie Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy is celebrated by her employer, even though she is an on-air celebrity host knee-deep the entertainment industry, where looks and everything and bodies only come in one size-slender. Throughout most of Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy there is rarely any talk of her job, except that she decided not to tell her boss until she had to, so she wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t lose her job. When her boss actually brings her into the office to discuss the fact she is pregnant, Allison apologizes  ¿Ã‚ ½I wasn ¿Ã‚ ½t expecting it, I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t know how to handle it and I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t want to lose my job. I ¿Ã‚ ½m really sorry, ¿Ã‚ ½ stating all the fears of working women and becoming pregnant. Instead of being fired, she is praised for being pregnant, because as her boss puts it,  ¿Ã‚ ½ turns out people li ke pregnant; the bigger you are, the bigger ratings. ¿Ã‚ ½ The celebrity interview show even created special programing so Allison could talk to pregnant celebrities and  ¿Ã‚ ½being pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ all month. These sets pregnancy up as something that only pregnant women can engage with and understand and even implies that there is a certain language that only pregnant women can communicate. Allison, because of her biological state, is considered to have an extra advantage when talking to pregnant celebrities just because she is pregnant as well. Also, the idea that  ¿Ã‚ ½people love pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ helps build the ideology that people are generally happy when they see a pregnant woman, that there is something inherently good about pregnancy, especially when all the realities of the pregnancy are off screen. They only see her and her expanding belly, and nothing else, no father figure, no morning sickness, no swelling feet, nothing. In the context of post feminism they are telling cultural moments, especially when we women are still fighting for equality in the workplace and the home. There is still a gross pay gap. There is still an assumption that women are the default caretakers, homemakers, and emotional nutcases. Women are still the minority in corporate executive positions, political leadership roles, and in above-the-line positions in film and television. Storylines featuring women in the mass media are still rare; when women do get main roles, they are often hyper-sexualized, or limited to romantic comedies and plots with  ¿Ã‚ ½women ¿Ã‚ ½s issues. ¿Ã‚ ½ When something tied to womanhood, something men cannot attain, is taken in by the culture industry and churned out as a fad, a problem or a commodity to be glorified, we women need to pay attention. Pregnancy does not define womanhood and it is not even something all women can achieve, but it is certainly an important part of many women ¿Ã‚ ½s li ves and it is the reason all of us, men and women, are here today. Whether portrayals of pregnancy in media are good, bad, or silly, whether celebrities actually look like that post- baby or not, whether the term abortion is offensive or not, the commodification of pregnancy in the current postfeminist context is happening and will continue until the culture industry ceases to find a market for it. By becoming more conscious of this phenomenon and other phenomena like it. We can change the way we understand ourselves and others, pregnant or not.

Punishment Quote in The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Punishment Quote “Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the other can only be hurt.'; This is a very interesting quote, and depending what you make of it, it can be very confusing. To most people this quote might not mean anything, but you must read it and try to understand it. Though this quote can relate to a persons personality, it also might not relate to a person at all. All people are different and think differently than others. Almost everybody in the world has a different understanding of what is wrong and what is right, and also of what should be punished and what should not be punished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The quote “Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the others can only be hurt,'; may have many meanings to many different people. To me this quote means that if a person does not know or does not believe that what they have done to be punished is bad, then the punishment will mean nothing to them. If the person thinks that they did nothing wrong, and thinks there is no reason for them to be punished, then the punishment will mean nothing to them. The person will gain nothing, they will gain no knowledge from their act or their punishment. There are a lot of reasons why people do not understand the concept of punishment in the world. People think very differently from others, therefore, people will have different beliefs of what is right and what is wrong. A person might consider one thing to be a wrong action and the need to be punished, while another person thinks the opposite. They might think it is not wrong and there is no need for punishment. If actions are not dealt with correctly, punishment will be of no use. People will become out of control and there will be nothing but chaos in the world we live in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This quote relates to the book, The Scarlet Letter, as well as all of its characters quite a bit. In fact the whole book, from what I have read, is mainly about punishment, while this quote is also about punishment. The main character of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, must deal with a major punishment for her actions. Hester Prynne realizes that what she did was wrong and she accepted the punishment willingly, she even made and sewed the “A'; herself.