Youth Culture and Globalization

Youth Culture and Globalization Thesis Statement Globalization and the commercialization of the youth culture space pose both a positive and a negative precedence towards the future. Globalization has opened up nations’ boundaries allowing faster flow of information across nations. Fast and reliable flow of information promotes common sharing of cultural and social values among youths across the world. However, there is a worrying trend towards discarding the traditional values e.g. family life that has held society together for a long time.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Youth Culture and Globalization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction The physical and cultural environment occupied by the youths has over time been curved out as an identity for the youths. The identity describes the ideologies held by the youth; youths exist within a defined time framework, space and place. Within this framework, there are forces that influ ence the social and cultural aspects of the youths life. These forces have been reshaping the youth culture from the early days up to the contemporary youth that we have today. This paper looks at the contest and commercialization of the youth culture and manifestation of youth culture in the current global world. The paper also focuses on the possible derailments of the youth culture and the dangers associated with the derailments. Youth culture is looked at as a scheme of social relations that involves creating linkages and responding to the influences derived from power, habits and fashions (Steinberg Parmar 2). The focus is also on the relations that exist between the youth and the society, as well as the factors that shape youths identity in terms of culture. The youths engage one another within a space, places and in turn influence their culture. Adults have some powers that influence or control the way the youths in particular environments develop socially and culturally. Of ten the influence that the adults impose to the youth inhibits the growth and development of the youth. Globalization denotes the trends that have rapidly made activities in the political, economic and social sphere have a worldwide presence (Osgerby 148). The twentieth century saw a break up of the previously firm boundaries dividing nations, leading to a worldwide sharing of economic and cultural values among the communities of the world. Studies have pointed out the youth period as a life course at which individuals are more at a risk of getting alienated (Epstein 4). Being a period that lies in between childhood and adulthood, individuals within this age bracket fight two confusing life issues. There is a fight between the freedom of being a child in the custody of the parents and the fight to deal with the adults’ responsibility.Advertising Looking for term paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mor e How youth culture operates in the contemporary global world Globalization has significantly succeeded in bringing the previously long distance relations close. Current communication platforms such as telephone, internet has made it possible to have long distance relationships and make it feel as a close relationship. The internet is a host of several social networking platforms such as face book, MySpace, meebo, Hi5 and many others. Social networking platforms facilitate the sharing of information in almost an instant manner. These platforms also allow uploading of photos which further brings the relationships more close. The possibilities that the internet has brought about have lifted the social relations and cultural values from the local perspective to an international level (Osgerby 149). Most governments moved towards market deregulations to create free markets, this concept promoted the growth of global enterprises. Global entrepreneurs have been scouting for global business opportunities with the main focus now shifting the youth culture. Research points out the rise in international communication, marketing and the media as the platform on which the recent aspects of youth culture stem on. The three aspects have created a platform on which groups of youths around the world can share common interests and sensibilities (Epstein 13). Academics is another means through which the youth culture has been able to spread out across the world, breaking the international boundaries. Most universities and learning institutions have opened their doors to international students, admitting students from different parts of the world. These learning institutions have become fertile grounds for the development and spread of youth culture. Transnational brands and media provide a universal set of choices from which the youths pick social and cultural values. Growth of the global capital market has also been identified as a force working towards globalizing the modern youth culture. It has enabled a cultural exchange across the world in terms of ideas, styles and the commercial products that the youths use. Many youths across the world are experiencing the impact of youth culture; the level of impact however differs based on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity and the social class. These issues have worked to ensure the youths remain starkly divided in terms of culture and other social values. The level of reach to information regarding youth culture is not uniform across the geographical divides. The wealth level among countries is quiet different as is the institution of the various technological platforms which facilitate the sharing of information. The internet spread and use for example is low in underdeveloped countries and highly spread in developed countries. There is also a felt difference to the reach of information between the youths in towns and those in the rural set-ups.Advertising We will write a custom term pap er sample on Youth Culture and Globalization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The youth culture has for time been viewed as a deviation from the normal life course especially by the adults. As discussed earlier, every adult and parent feels he or she has the power to control the child’s social behavior. To this course, adults want their young ones to grow up and follow the footsteps that they went through as young people. The contemporary youths have a lot of experience exposed to them through the highly globalised space they live in. a lot of the social and cultural issues that the contemporary youth manifest is extracted from the various global media channels. Some of the most prominent youth groups that have existed in the world over include; the working class, the riot girls and the separatism. Hall and Jefferson (236) point out that the youths belong to a special group that equally requires special attention. There is a generatio n gap that has developed between youth culture and the class concept. Class in societies is created based in wealth, race, ethnicity and castes for countries where the caste system type of life exists. Youths are increasingly playing a felt role in the rapidly growing economies in the world. The youth culture has become a point of focus as a market; this is quickly being adopted as a culture in most countries. For countries where the economy is more of agrarian and industrial, the youths are depended upon as a source of labour. They labour to produce goods and products for sale within the global market. The operation of the youth culture is restrained by economic forces, it flourishes when the economy is performing well. How youth culture responds to the opportunities to manifest the youth culture depends on the youth empowerment which varies from one geographic place to another (Steinberg Parmar 24). The negative aspects of youth culture Youth culture has been associated with a se ries of negative effects which the adults have expressed their discomfort with. The sharing of global cultural and cultural issues has widely been criticized by the previously conservative nations. There is hardly a nation where the youths are clearly holding pure culture, not a mix up of values from various places. Some of the cultural values that the youths have adopted have been criticized from the moral point of view. The hip hop culture for example expressed in the hip hop music is looked at as being demonic by the Christians, yet this culture has spread out so fast embracing many youths across the world.Advertising Looking for term paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Symbols of youth culture such as pop music and the related fashion have become common among the youths which many express fears of it aiming at corrupting the innocent (Hall Jefferson 237). It is clear in this context that the youths are not innocent as they are already embedded into the system. But they have blindly chosen to be exploited by youth cultural aspects such as pop culture. The media as a platform on which cultural sharing takes places has been criticized for not censoring the information made accessible to the youths. Some of the information rated inappropriate to the youths is made accessible to the youths who pick up the information and make it part of them. Shows with scenes of violence, pornography, drug use, robbery are so common in cinemas and other movie shows where the youths are common visitors. They leave the cinema and movie halls with a mentality as those of the characters of the movies. This influences the youths with criminal minds, prostitution and drug use. Most parents argue that a lot of efforts need to be instituted in the process of molding the youths by directing them to acquire the right culture. This is in light of the dynamics of the globalization and the challenges that are presented to the current youth generation. Many youths today circulate around proms for fashion and tuxedos, whose financial implications are so high. The emphasis on the physical outlook in proms is not just about the clothes, the concept also touches on both the physical outlook in terms of weight and height of the individual (Lerner Lerner 542) point out that most youths resort to dieting and purging to loose some weight before the prom time, this behavior changes are often accompanied by complicated outcomes to those involved. Other than the fashion aspect that is embedded in prom, sexuality is also an issue. Sexual intercourse among the youths poses life threatening effects such as teenage pregnancy and transmission of viral diseases. Alcohol con sumption and drug use is another worrying part of prom celebration. This can be pose dangers to the youths especially are they have to drive under intoxication from the prom (Lerner Lerner 543). Prostitution is a growing menace world over; in fact, this has become a profitable industry. The industry attracts young girls who are exploited for the sake of material gain in exchange for sex. Most modern family structures are not anchored on strict values; some parents are abusive to their children as a result of drug abuse. Some children from such families escape the harassment and end up on the streets as prostitutes. Others run away from school after failing to cope with school life and standards and end up in prostitution as away of life. These are the negative effects that the global world brings to the contemporary youth. Unauthorized copying of sound and music is growing at an alarming rate especially among the youths. The behavior is motivated by the availability of digitized au dio content, technology that supports sharing of audio files hard economic times and lack morals and ethics. The broadband technology has widely been used as a means of sharing music files; copyrighted audio content is also copied using writable CDs, DVDs, flash discs and other compressed information storage devices. Youths are widely involved in cross-border copying of audio content via internet by downloading. Youths access adult content and share the same world over with other youths. There has been an alarming cry over the type of content that the youths share over the internet, pornographic content is widely downloaded even by youths under the recommending age for the content. The future of youth culture and globalization Youths in the developing nations are at risk of loosing their original identity and adapting a completely new form of life. These are youths who feel what they have inherited from their parents in terms of culture is inferior; they therefore hope out to check for the world class culture. They imitate what they view in the media and take it up against their parents wish. Youths from Africa and Asia are especially keen to copying the culture of the American youths whom they feel have a better way of life than theirs (Nayak 76). This can be observed in the dress code, the type of music they listen to, leisure activities, dating styles and the games they prefer to engage in. (Epstein 14) points out that most rural home are left without youths as they stream to cities in search of employment opportunities. This habit has led to highly populated cities filled mainly by the youths. There is also a clear shift in the gender roles especially in the African and Muslim communities. Duties previously preserved for men only are today filled by ladies as well. Most Muslims and Indians for example, preserved domestic duties for women; men were to be single bread winner. These attitudes are being eroded among the contemporary youths especially as the wo rld economy becomes tougher. The economic situation calls for men and women to complement each others’ effort. As a result, young ladies are now striving for competitive positions; there are calls for affirmative action in many nations that have not yet created a conducive environment for women to compete favorably with men. Women are struggling for representation in political positions, in order to be able to articulate their issues appropriately. Many countries especially in Africa and the Arab countries had little or sometimes no women representation in parliaments (Scrase Holdden 43). Today with the widespread crusade on gender issues and the need to have women representatives in various offices, changes are being instituted to allow women hold office positions. Many have pointed out the many positive effects associated with globalization especially in promoting economic growth among nations. It is also clear that globalization has contributed to the erosion of religious identities, traditional values and social identity among communities in the world. The opening up of the nation’s boundaries has indicated security threats especially in the wake of terrorism and piracy along some coastal lines. The September 11 incidence is still clear in the minds of the people. The increased global economic integration is being enhanced day after day. There is a global need to unite and fight terrorism which has become a global problem now. The unity forged among nations to fight terrorism is an avenue for further global engagement among nations. The youths have become targets of the terrorism groups; they are often recruited as members of the groups and involve themselves in execution of terrorism activities (Nayak 28). Conclusion Globalization has been viewed by many as a blessing in disguise. This is because both the positive and negative benefits associated with it. Many studies of the globalizations phenomenon have focused more on the economic and so cial aspects globalization and dissociated it from the cultural impact. Youth culture especially comes at the centre of globalization effects on culture. As pointed out, globalization did open up boundaries of nations allowing sharing of information on various issues. This has impacted much on the way of life of the youths across the world. Most of the media and information platforms for sharing information across the world favor the youths. The internet for example as a tool of communication is big fascination to the youths. Social networking platforms such as face book are fashionable communication channels for the contemporary youths. As a result of the fast and reliable communication channels acts as a fan to the spread of youth culture. Parents are at pains seeing the type of culture their young ones are growing up with. The adults have little control over their youths considering the free flow of information that the youths are exposed to in the media. They tend to copy most o f their ways of life from the media and spread out to other youths. The trend has been set; the momentum towards a highly integrated world is receiving support from all over. The future of the youth culture is set to be more common across the world as they continue to share common information and copy one another in terms of culture. Effort is needed to mitigate the negative aspects of globalization on the youth culture such as violence, crime and drug abuse (Scrase Holdden 17). Further research is recommended in the area of the effect of globalization on the youth culture so as to come up with proper mitigation mechanisms of the negative effects as well as how to promote the positive aspects of globalization on youth culture. Steinberg, Shirley, Parmar, Priya. Contemporary Youth Culture: An International Encyclopedia, Volume 2. New York: Greenwood press, 2006. Osgerby, Bill. Youth Media. New York: Routledge, 2004. Epstein, Jonathon. Youth Culture: Identity in a Postmodern World. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1998. Hall, Stuart, Jefferson Tony. Resistance through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-War Britain. New York: Routledge, 2004. Lerner, Jacqueline, Lerner Richard. Adolescence in America: A-M. California: ABC-CLIO Inc., 2006. Nayak, Anoop. Race, Place and Globalization: Youth Cultures in A Changing World. New York: Berg, 2003. Scrase, Timothy, Holdden Miles. Globalization, Culture and Inequality in Asia. Hawaii: Trans Pacific, 2003

Congress Members Services to Constituents

Congress Members Services to Constituents While they may not always vote the way you think they should, the members of the U.S. Congress from your state or congressional district - Senators and Representatives can and will do some very useful things known as constituent services for you. While most can be requested or arranged for through your Senator’s or Representative’s website, these and other services can be requested in a  personal letter  or in a  face-to-face meeting  with your members of Congress.   Get a Flag Flown Over the Capitol U.S. flags that have actually been flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., can be ordered from all senators and representatives. Flags are available in sizes ranging from 3x5 to 5x8 and cost from about $17.00 to about $28.00. You can request a specific date, like a birthday or anniversary, on which you want your flag flown. Your flag will come with a presentation-quality certificate from the Architect of the Capitol certifying that your flag was flown over the Capitol. If you specify that the flag should be flown to commemorate a special event, the certificate will also note that event. The flags are of high quality, with embroidered stars and individually sewn stripes. Be sure to order your flag at least 4 weeks before the date you want it flown over the Capitol, and then allow about 4- to 6-weeks for delivery. Most, if not all members of Congress now provide online forms for ordering flags on their websites, but you can still order them by good old U.S. mail  if you prefer. Demand for flags tends to go up around special occasions like July 4, national elections, or the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, so delivery might take a little longer. Get Nominated to a U.S. Military Service Academy Each U.S. senator and representative is permitted to nominate candidates for appointment to four U.S. service academies. These schools are the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. You can also get more information on service academy nominations by reading the CRS report Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies (.pdf) Work as a Senate Page Generally open to 16- or 17-year-old high school juniors, the Senate Page Program allows students a unique opportunity to learn about Congress while continuing with their coursework. Page responsibilities center on their work assisting Senators in the Senate Chamber when Congress is in session. The program is one of the most selective and prestigious in the United States. Each Senator may sponsor interested high school students, who then compete for a limited number of positions. Win the Congressional App Challenge The offices of U.S. Representatives in participating House districts can help K-12 students compete in the annual Congressional App Challenge. Students design and submit their own software application, individually or in groups of up to four. Winning apps may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year, and additional prizes may be available. Win the Congressional High School Art Competition High school students from participating House districts are eligible for the annual Congressional Art Competition. The winning piece of visual artwork from each congressional district is displayed in the Capitol for a year. Since the program began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Plan Your Visit to Washington, D.C. Your members of Congress know their way around Washington, D.C., and they can help you enjoy a great visit. Many members will even help you book visits to D.C. landmarks like the White House, the Library of Congress and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. They can also direct you to tours you can book yourself including, the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, and Washington Monument. Most members of Congress also provide web pages filled with information of importance to D.C. visitors including points of interest, airport and subway information, entertainment, and more. In addition, you can schedule a visit with your senator or representative, if they are in D.C. during your visit. Get Information on Grants Remembering that very few federal grants are available to individuals, your senators and representatives are well equipped to provide information on grants. They can help you or your organization with information on funding availability, grant eligibility, small business assistance, student loans, non-grant sources of federal aid and much more. Get a Special Greeting Card Last but far from least, you can request a very nice, personalized greeting card from your senator or representative commemorating special events like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or other life achievements. Many members of Congress now provide online forms for ordering greetings and most allow you to order greetings by phone or fax. Help With a Federal Agency Helping citizens navigate the complex federal agency system is part of the job for U.S. Senators and Representatives. Their offices may be able to help if you are having trouble working with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the IRS or any other federal agency.

Tiger Woods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tiger Woods - Research Paper Example In the earlier time the air travel were taken as a luxury and it used to very much expensive. But, in the recent time the air ways have become one of the common ways of travelling. However, there are some specific reasons behind availing the air ways instead of other road ways and they are, saving time, under any emergency, luxury, comfortable journey etc. among all of these points the time saving is the major reason behind choosing the airways instead of other ways of travelling. The Low Cost Carriers (LCC) has become one of the new trends in the airlines business. Most of the airways are focusing on the low cost air service to have a bite of the huge South Asian and Asian market. The market it huge and it has got a great potential due to the increasing per capital income and the increase in the disposable income of the middle class people. Tiger airways was launched in 2004 by Singapore Airlines (Doganis: 2006, 263) and it was basically for the middle class passengers who are eager to avail air ways if the price is reduced. However, Singapore Airlines must not forget that price reduction is not the primary key; rather the primary key is to satisfy the customer with the value pricing and to keep in mind that the customers are the primary assets of the Tiger Airways (Hax: 2009, 118). According to the 7Ps the traditional 4 Ps are very important but in this case the major important factors within these 7 Ps are price, promotion, physical evidence, and people. The Tiger airways must understand the model of lower the price but double the sales volume without compromising over the quality. The service triangle is a model where it can be seen how the organization keep in touch with the employee and customer at the same time to understand the service factors and employee as well as the customer satisfaction. (Kuhnle: 2007, 9). Tiger must not forget that the physical evidence of the product is very important as they are selling hospitality products which don’t h ave direct effect over the customers while they are buying the product; rather it can be felt after experiencing the product, so, the physical evidence must provide the tangible satisfaction and that is only possible with value pricing and great customer services. The people involved in the process in this module are the faces of the company and they must know all the important factors to satisfy the customers. Penetrating pricing may attract many new customers but could be the reason for bellow average services which would create great problem to retain the existing customers. The value pricing would be the best way to retain the customers as the customer would be happy to pay little more but they want better service. Some of the successful services related to the LCC are point to point operation. It means instead of keeping any break the journey of the flight should be straight from one point to another. No free food for short journey but timely landing and no late mark. And one o f the most important factors is to keep the employees happy so no formation of unions would occur which might hamper the services (Belobaba, Odoni, and Barnhart: 2009, 123). In this way the Tiger Airways can apply the concept of 7Ps to be profitable even after adopting the low pricing but with the value attached with it. This way the Tiger Airways would be able to sustain their position in the market with the large returning and satisfied

Preforming a Narrative criticism on Jimmy Valvano's speech Essay

Preforming a Narrative criticism on Jimmy Valvano's speech - Essay Example As Jimmy addresses his audience, he gives various accounts of his life as a youth; he narrates what he learnt when he began coaching at 21 years old, how he managed to motivate his youthful team. Additionally, he provides a story of how Coach Lombardi used to motivate his team. This is an imperative aspect of not only a speech, but any other forms of literary works. The use of flashback is imperative in any aspect of literary work owing to the fact that it does not simply enhanced the quality of the work to make it entertaining, but also portray an essence of a deeper meaning (Powell, 7). The use of imagery is not directly applied by Jimmy Valvano in his speech, but rather exhibited in the manner he attempts to subject his audience into certain aspects of imagination. The first incident of imagery in the speech occurs when he narrates to the audience how Coach Lombardi used to keep his players waiting, only to show up in the last few minutes in their locker rooms, banging the door as he moves back and forth. Additionally, the use of imagery is evident, as Jimmy attempts to subject his audience into imagination by describing how he hurt his hand, while trying to imitate Coach Lombardi. The use of imagery as a figure of speech has been associated with certain positive attributes; to begin with, imagery in any form of literary works enhanced the manner by, which these literary works appeals to human senses, thus enhancing their understanding on the literary work presented (Powell, 8). Additionally, the application of imagery as a figure of speech is crucial for placing emphasis on what is being narrated; thus creating some sense of validity of the information as well as an enhanced understanding among the audience (Powell, 9). Hyperbole is a rhetoric use of language; it simply means the use of language to exhibit exaggerations. At the beginning of the speech, Jimmy applies an essence of hyperbole by saying, â€Å"I can’t

Toys and Games Essay Example for Free

Toys and Games Essay The Toys and Games industry is one of the most adaptable and creative enterprise businesses that outlined a wide scope of products for younger children as well as slightly older children. An increasing market of children toys and games have grown over the last several years to producing intriguing products that satisfies parents both on prices and technology. The toy and gaming industry has grown to produced extraordinary entertainment products as well as brand identity to solidify the company’s brand equity (Kelly, 2000:08). For instance the Mattel and Hasbro company brands contributes to the enormous consumer interests to toys and gaming system in the United States, China, and U. K. that created fierce competition with corresponding international company brands. The marketing strategies implemented by the firms operating in different geographic locations present an interesting perspective for defining the product specifics (Armstrong and Kotler, 2007:98). Some of the boundaries identified in the toy and game industry that resulted in the market being affected by falling birth rate. This in turn created a lower accountability in children population is declining in the past decade from 1996-2001 (Key Note, 2007:44). Therefore, the boundary creates the need for enterprises to redesign products for the older children market and provide appropriate marketing aspects according (Emeraldinsight. com, 2008). The marketing strategies used by the firms the major company brands are centered on the core technical advancement to solidify the target segmentation (Shermerhorn, 2008:38). The marketing strategies are planned and executed from its central platform in the international market due to the vast opportunities to reaching majority of the children population. The company’s brand cohesive approach provides the challenges exposed by each sector market that redefines the boundary previously indicated for exposure in the United States, China, and the U. K. target market segments identified (Asa. org, 2008:2). The toy and games industry sectors are categories in nine units that are as follows (Key Note, 200711): ? Infant/pre-school toys and games products for under 5year olds ? Activity toys ? Outdoors/sport toys and games ? Games/puzzles ? Dolls ? Action toys ? Vehicles ? Plush toys ? Other Products The toy and game industry category sectors are garnering the marketing approach to be designated by target demographic and locations to render the most brand equity to a profitability standing (Chitty, Barker, and Shrimp, 2005:22). The business enterprise has to renders a longer consumer commitment to a particular brand in order sustaining operations when the target demographic changes, case in point the last past decade declined in child births (Cameron, 2004). Moreover, the pricing strategies offer another element to assist in the differentials between the large company brands that creates a fundamental aspects to outlined the concepts for competitive prices in order to become the leader in the toy and game industry. The impact of government policies and laws on the Toys and Games Industry The identified government policies impacting the Toys and Games industry relates to several concerns that safety to weights and measure regulations. These two areas out of the many specified regulations depending on the location around the world where toys and games are sold, the safety area and weight measurements are dominately the primary concern. The safety legislation enforces the Toy Safety Directive 88/378/EEC that stricts the toy company to adhere to materials not destructive to the environment or longtime negative exsposure to children. Furthermore, the safety legislature covers the means for ensuring the toy products and games are aligned communicating the correct assessement towards age, choking hazards pieces, EN71-2:2006 Flammability, and other additional information to provide the parent the right assessment. The weights and measure regulations 1994 No# 1851 relates to the requirement for an indication of actual weighing of the toy and game. Case in point, the younger children demographic are at different sizes as well as the container/furniture to hold or stand up the product (Key Note, 2007:55). Therefore, this particular regulation provides the parent needed information to better assess what is acceptable for the children and/or houselhold. The weight and measure regulations allows for the company’s brands to focus on the appropriate components necessary to address two folds of marketing and RD concerns; pricing and targeted demographic preferences for longtime interests in the toy or game. These enforced government policies are geared towards bringing the law within the toy and game industry to facilitate the growing company brand in the international market as well as domestically. In doing so, the end user that is mostly younger children are able to enjoy the toy and game product to its full potential without the immediate concern of a possible harmful outcome. Analysis on the Economic Forces which Affect Demand for the Toys and Games Industry The economic environment is constantly changing that produces a challenging concept for toy and game companys to being creative in selling and distributing their products. The U. K. gross domestic product continues to show the consistent level of growth from 2004 to currently. In doing so, the GDP has provides a very positive backdrop for the corporate spending in RD for product development. The area of inflation does arises, especially the last couple of years particularly in U. K. , in which the rate have lagged behind for the increase of household disposable income (Carol. co. uk. ,2008:2). As economists have outlined, the prices that rises in an economy as a whole hoave been lower than income rises creates opportunities for toys and games company enterprises to adapt to the market conditions (Baye, 2009:102) The GDP in the U. K. averages to a 5% increases between 2007-2010 that encourages toys and games enterprises for further investment in traditional demographic markets. The senior management team within the toy and game industry companies provided the needed funding to further explore more creative ways to tap into the available expendable/spendable income of households. Respectively, the international focus of marketing to these targeted households are more effective in highlighting new products and features that can translate to â€Å"crazes† that boost volume sales for specific products. The growth rate continues to improve as more and more toy and game companies trained their marketing team to identify trends and adapt quickly to the changing preferences in the demographic (Pelsmacker, 2006:122). Case in point, the latest report on younger children are more inclined to prefer toys and games that are older in content that is understanding due to the rise in pre-school education. The younger children population tend to be more attracted to toys and games that are at least1 grade higher that produces an emphasis on creating products that are challenging to hold children’s interest. The economic environment additionaly creates a structure for companys to provide upgraded options in order counteract with limited product shelf life within the particular age groups. This is critical for major brands to adjust accordingly due to current trends of younger children preferences that are different than forty years ago. The cooperation of major company’s brand with retailers and research on trends offers a stronghold to RD to marketing effectively in a challenging economic environment. The Impact of Demographic Change, Society’s beliefs, Values and Attitudes The identified impact of demographic changes are in the specifications preferences from the younger children population. In recent years, the younger children population prefers more challenging activities from toys and games that requires for better RD to market effectively in the industry. In addition, the impact of the primary demographic creates an opporutunity for major companys to expand the focus of product development for ages 7-9 and 10-18 that focuses on educational development as well as entertainment. These demographic changes has pros and cons depending on the specificity of the toy and game company to adapt accordingly in order to stay relevant and leader in the industry (Bryman, 2007:45). The society’s beliefs, values, and attitudes on certain toys and games provide for social responsible company to adhere to that will not limit the marketability of the product. That is why most toy and game companies concentrate most of their investments in the international markets to expose the product line. The different cultures provides for a more specified marketing strategy that acknowledge the children society belief and values that will encourage a positive attitude towards the company brand. Case in point, the Mattel Corporation number one doll Barbie is marketed internationally and in each culture there are different theme Barbie, for instance the UK model will be different for the China model or even the U. S. A. model. This approach allows for a more competitive toy and game company to incorporate needed attributes in products that has a lasting impressions on younger and older children. The flexibility of the younger children preferences allows for the creation of upgraded tailored toys and games that older children are more attracted to purchase accordingly. Therefore, the brand of Sony and Playstation developed different demographic age groups to market that will balance out the disparity of time periods of low birth rate to a higher older children population. The demand for a different gaming experience by the older demographics sets the bar for firms both in the U. K. and the United States that creates a platform for influencing the marketing and design strategy (Burnes, 2004:102). The toy and games companies are utilizing the feedback from consumers and integrating a newer technology approach that infuses the society beliefs of acceptable products (Wild, Wild, and Han, 2006:94). The challenge is the constant ability to target market the appropriate resources to secure the designated children population (Fleming and Koppelman, 2006:25). The approach taken by each of the toy and game companies is to release products and game titles that catered to the targeted demographic preferences with care to parents and children values of appropriate features, i. e. the Brats Dolls probably will not be acceptable in China compared to the U. K. or the U. S. A. Therefore, the advancements during certain times for maximum impact in designing the product and accessories are critical to demonstrate a willingness to staying as a leader in the industry (Williams, 2008). The toy and game industry provides the straight forward concept to effective RD that produces an interesting business perspective to effectively knowing the market in different geographic locations to meet is strategic goals in demographic assessment. Assess the Impact of Technological Development in Relation to Toy and Game Industry. The dramatic impact of technological development in relation to the toy and game industry is the major features for the Sony PlayStation contrasting approach from the other products. As mention prior, the major opportunity for toy and game companies to market the brand towards different demographic age groups when the fluctuations in birth rate creates an audience interested in complicated toys and games (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, Walker, and 2005:28). These fluctuations in time-tables of releasing titles and online initiatives in China compared to the USA. The strategy for the time-tables is to apply pressure in the gaming markets on the other brands to follow suit after Sony sets the trend. The outcome projected for online capabilities increased revenue and returned investment due to the Sony PlayStation robust multimedia capabilities (USA Today, 2005:1). Conversely, the fundamental marketing strategy for Sony PlayStation is to allow U. K. to focus on the accessibility mindset for the expansion into international markets by the availability of titles to increase interest in the product. In doing so, the Sony PlayStation continues to stay competitive compared to Xbox and Nintendo Wii in both international markets. The Xbox predominately brand positioning with the manufacture trade-name Microsoft offers a competitive edge in the U. K. and the United States to keep the brand competitive to Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. (See Figure A). Brand Positioning Brand Name Selection Brand Sponsorship Brand Development Attributes Benefits Beliefs and Values Selection Protection Manufacturers brand Private brand Licensing Co-branding Line extensions Brand extensions Multi-brands New-brands More importantly, the Sony PlayStation PS3 consoles have sold in the U. K. markets creates a profound interests to producing sales trends upwards (PlayStation. com, 2008: 2). The identified recent market strategy to improve the consoles model of PSP and PS2 that features a Blu-ray influenced the overall sales returns for the company. The Blu-ray provided the Sony PlayStation to effectively utilize the younger demographic age range from 12 to 18 years old. This approach for the Sony PlayStation differs from some of the other products by focusing and maintaining the aspect of a visual experience as the primary focus. In doing so, the targeted market segment offers Sony PlayStation to build on its already establishing consumer base to strengthen its brand identity (Sony, 2008:1). Furthermore, the Sony PlayStation marketing strategies adapt its features to the U. K. market on technique for the gaming experience compared to other international geographic markets that provides accessibility to upgrade features. The Sony PlayStation focuses on the titles for the video game console produced to solidify their lead in specific game titles. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsofts Xbox 360 and Nintendos Wii as part of the generation of video game systems that distinguishes the PlayStation by its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network. The theoretical concept that Sony Company Entertainment incorporates is based on the understanding to the international markets that the firm concentrates on adaptability that secures a holding on the demographic both offline and online. The firm geographic locations, specifically in markets that catered to the product demographics interets presents more a direct interest to the game titles and technical online accessibility. Moreover, the Sony PlayStation contrasts with previous game developer’s perception on how Sonys marketing strategy for the online play to infuse advertising funding appropriately (Porter, 2004:89). Nonetheless, the Xbox generation video game console expanded the landscape to present Microsofts second foray in succeeding their projects in the international launch (Bowen, 2000). The promotional strategy for the Xbox 360 focuses on opening an alternate reality game title selections primarily in the USA and the Microsoft Corporation primary focus is to split resources for products exposure in U. K. for the marketing strategy. The focus on the U. K. is mainly due to the reported sales that have slowed due to the onset of the Nintendo Wii product launch that counteracts Microsoft Corporation approach (Xbox. com, 2008). Therefore, the Microsoft Corporation strategy is to penetrate the domestic and global markets with advance visual impact technology by presenting the product on an online community’s websites. The Xbox brand identity has grown in the internatinal markets over the years along with association to the British and American public; therefore, the brand identity provides an advantage in securing the brand equity compared to Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. However, the Xbox marketing strategy for the product concentrates on the adaptability and brand loyalty in the United States the on going approach is to strenghten itself in U. K. and international markets. The measure implemented by toys and games companies such as Microsoft Corporation Xbox, Nintendo, and other corresponding companies provides the necessity of the concept for consumers to utilize the products in a different way rather than an ordinary way (Nintendo. com, 2008:3). The toys and game technology strategy is to provide more attractive software adaptability with creative tools to play the video game to solidify the consumer base. The product offers the technical capabilities on the online marketing to solidify the target market population for infusing the product’s brand equity. The 3 most Opportunities and 3 most Threats Identified The three most opportunity for the toy and game industry is the companies sources of information on demographics, distribution to international markets from economic scale, and the market is susceptible to â€Å"crazes† that boost volume sales for a specific item. These benefits of using demographic segmentation for targeting a children population audience is the increase of the share of the customer in the market, high customer equity, and brand equity that provides continued growth for business operations. The building of profitable relationships with them is the foundation of marketing management (Mantel, Mereidith, Shafer, and Sutton, 2008:11). The formula for the marketing management agenda is the philosophy for a design plan that empowers the brand idenitiy through effective customer-driven marketing strategy (Thill and Bovee, 2007:88). The opportunity creates a vast trend towards a specific product item that at times transcends the available spendable household income that truly boost sales. Therefore, the ability to change efforts to finding, attracting, and growing the target demographic from younger children to slightly older children proves beneficial by superior customer value (Kotter, 1996:1) The identified three threats are children getting older creating a shorter product shelf life, many products are global but ignoring local markets, and toys and games company has to compete with for consumer expenditures during high buying season i. e. Christmas. Therefore, the pursuit to successfully utilize the RD data to formulate products that adapts to growing children to reduce shelf-life, however, companies that do not invest accordlying in RD lose a significant share in the demographic segmentation (Saunders, 2007:55). The focus effort required to balancing the marketing strategy not just globally but locally provides a strong hold on the brand loyalist to further brand equity. Respectively, the measure to acquire toy and game brand influence both globally and locally markets requires the needed information to segments of the targeted demographics to when to effectively market during low periods of household spending. Therefore, the methods to achieving and managing the toy and game company brand identity to established a â€Å"familiarity† from the customer base that produces product superiority through brand value proposition. References 30 Key Note (2007) The Key Note Report 2007 21st Edition, Edited by James Manley, Retreived December 23, 2008, Published date May 2007 Emeraldinsight. com (2008) The Emerald Insight Review, Retrieved December 22, 2008, from http://www. emeraldinsight. com ASA. org (2008) The Advertising Standards Authority, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from www. asa. org. uk Carol. co. uk (2008) Annual Report Online, Retrieved December 26, 2008, from http://www. carol. co. uk Chitty, W. Barker, N. Shimp, T. A. (2005). Integrated Marketing Communications. Melbourne: Nelson. Pelsmacker, Patrick (2006) Marketing Communications: A European Perspective. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 3 edition Porter, Michael (2004) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. Free Press; New Ed edition Saunders, Mark (2007) Research Methods for Business Students. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition Schein, Edgar (2004) Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey Bass; 3rd Edition Baye, Michael R. , (2009) Managerial Economics and Business Strategy Fifth Edition, Retrieved from August 2, 2008, McGraw-Hill / Irwin, Boston, MA Bryman, Alan, (2007) Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press; 2Rev Ed edition Burnes, Bernard, (2004) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition Cameron, Ester, (2004) Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. Kogan Page Ltd PlayStation. com (2008) The Official Website of Sony PlayStation, Retrieved from July 27, 2008, from http://www. playstation. com Nintendo. com (2008) The Official Website of Nintendo, Retrieved from July 25, 2008, from http://www. nintendo. com USA Today, (2005) Tech Gaming, Retrieved from July 29, 2008, from http://www. usatoday. com/tech/gaming/2005-11-21-xbox-rivals_x. htm Sony Boasts PlayStation, (2008) The PlayStation Boasts Sales, Retrieved, from July 30, 2008, from http://www. joystiq. com/2008/01/06/sony-boasts-playstation-holiday-sales-numbers/ Xbox, (2008) The Official Website of Xbox, Retrieved from July 26, 2008, from http://www. xbox. com Armstrong, Gary, Kotler, Philip, (2007). Marketing: An Introduction, 8th Edition. Pearson, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Wild, John J. , Wild, Kenneth L. , Han, Jerry C. Y. , (2006). International Business, The Challenges of Globalization Williams, Meri (2008) The Principles of Project Management, SitePoint Incorporated Fleming, Quentin Koppelman, Joel (2006) Earned Value Project Management, 3rd Edition, Project Management Institute Bowen, R. Brayton, (2000). Recognizing Rewarding Employees. Journal of McGraw-Hill Professional Book Group. 2(3) 140-141 Kelly, Joe, (1998). Existential-Systems Approach to Managing Organizations. Journal of Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. 1(3) 122-125 Shermerhorn, John, (2008). Organizational Behavior. Wiley, 10 Edition Cooper, Dale, Grey, Stephen, Raymond, G, and Walker, (2005) Managing Risk in Large Projects and Complex Procurements Mantel, Samuel J. Jr. Meredith, Jack R. Shafer, Scott M. Sutton, Margaret M. (2008) Project Management in Practice, John Wiley Sons, Inc. Publishing Kotter, John (1996) Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press Thill, John V. and Bovee, Courtland L. (2007) Excellence in Business Communication, Seventh Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

Cable Television Essays -- Technology Media Papers

Cable Television The word technology has meant a number of different things throughout the span of time and culture. From the beginning of the stone tablet to the introduction of cyberspace there has been technology; something that has enhance our literacy and improved our detail of life and knowledge. The development of the personal computer seems to be somewhat elementary to all of use now. Technology has made its way into our homes and is continuing to make our lives interactive with those around the world. ?Before the advent of the PC, the television and satellites brought the world into the living rooms of many homes Pictures of life beyond the boundaries of one's own community or neighborhood were made accessible every night through local broadcasting and eventually cable television. Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi find that, "Today, the thing hundreds of millions of humans most have in common with one another, aside from their humanity, is television. It has become our culture’s dominant form of leisure and its most powerful means of mass communication. In four short decades it has become the primary channel for the information that we share as a nation and as a world" (24). The use of cable television is not something that seems that entirely revolutionary to us all now. It is the one thing that most Americans relax to every night and look to every morning to find out the weather for the day. It is said, "one third of waking time that is free, the single activity that clearly abs orbs the most time in modern societies is watching television (Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi 12). TARGET TECHNOLOGY : CABLE TELEVISION Description: ?This page will discuss and explore the implications of one of the greatest technologies ... ...EPRI_Journal/jan_feb97/telecom.html. MCM Telecom selects Lucent Technologies to Build Broadband Local Network in Mexico. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://wwwlucent.com/press/1098/981015.nsb.html. National Cable Television Association. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.ncta.com. Ragdoll. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.ragdoll.it/10fpen.htm. Segal, Sheryl. Telecommunications Act of 1996. 25 Sep 1998. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999.Available. http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html. Schaeffer, Lee. Western Pennsylvania Television and Video Teachers Consortium. 1 Jan 1999. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://www.nb.net/~schaefer/tvt.html. Telewest and NCI Announce Plans For Interactive Cable Television. Online. Internet. 12 Apr 1999. Available. http://wwwnavio.com/news/releases/telewest.html.

How Actors Contribute to Film Essay

The very goal and essence of acting is to represent a certain character or figure and portray his or her ideas and personality. The goal of acting is to be another person entirely and play their character and their life as if they were your own. It is a beautiful art form and its target is to make the writer’s characters and story come to life. The skills, dexterity and prowess needed in order to fulfill such goals are, certainly, determination, as needed in the hearts of all people who are striving to achieve their dreams. It may not be considered as a skill but it is truly and absolutely a mandatory quality in every dreamy person. One also needs creativity and uniqueness in order to make the film’s â€Å"dramatis personae† come to life and be a real living and breathing person in the eyes of the audience. Also, for the role of the actor to come alive, the actor would need to be in possession of a strong power of influence and, in a way, control and manipulation for the reason that their acting needs to be fantastically believable and have a sense and aura of reality. This quality of believability will strike the audience and will cause a conflict in his or her mind, which would be sinking into the fantasy of the film and holding onto the reality of the world. You will need to be extremely professional and comfortable in front of the camera in order to lose the audience in the story and cast. These are only some of the many skills you will need in order to perform with beautiful finesse and accomplish the very purpose of acting. An actor who executes his job well, complete with panache, professionalism, believability, creativity, humility to accept the words of fellow actors or the director himself, and so much more are marks of good actors. They have to attain the goals of an actor and they have to know how to get into complete character. They have to know how to improve on themselves and make it their objective to reach out to their audience and convey their emotion and influence them to their advantage. As the audience, I would know good acting if I truly feel and believe in the words and actions of the actor. On the other hand, a bad actor is, naturally, the opposite. He is not professional in what he does and does not communicate enough feeling through his acting. The audience would not feel any passion from the actor and the actor does not achieve the exact impact he expected from the audience. The director is the individual who confronts the actor’s wrongdoings, suggests particular improvements, helps the actor understand his role and he is the one who directs the flow of the film, itself. He is a very vital part of the film industry. Since he knows the story and the cast very well, the director’s influence on an actor’s performance is crucial. The director has to know how to take charge and should know what to expect of his actors. He has to be a good communicator because if the actor misunderstands his words, it will absolutely affect the film development process. The actor should know how to follow his director but at the same times, they should have the respect due each other and the actor should know when he should speak up about certain topics. He should also regard the director as his mentor and so I believe the director’s influence may deeply affect the performance of the actor and the director’s words will surely be embedded in his mind. Since he is one of he heads of the film development process, the actor would know that the director knows best and so the effect and impact of the words of the director will affect the performance of an actor. Negative or negatively said words may offend the actor or it may even be taken constructively. Positive or even positively said negative words, may affect the actor more successfully because it will raise the actor’s confidence. Directors, though, should not control the every movement of an actor because he should allow a space for creative freedom, which actors are definitely entitled to. Actors should have creative freedom so that it will practice the mind of the actor to generate more creative, original and spontaneous ideas. Also, in order to make their own individual mark on the film and they will, somehow, feel more accredited for the film because they have contributed their own approaches in their acting. This will also help the director and ease his burdens of continuously managing the actor’s movements. Creative freedom is essential. But, it should not be used abusively liberal. The actor should give space for the director’s words as the director gave space for the actor’s creative freedom. Te film industry makes stories in order to influence or inspire their audience, let them enjoy books or lives of people in a more animated and different light and perspective, make them laugh, smile, inspirit or galvanize them, even for simply a moment. They could even be making these films because it is their most efficient or only outlet of their emotions. There are many reasons for creating films and creating stories because people have different minds and have different ways of thinking. We watch such films because we, as humans, are inclined to become very curious and become interested in many things. We may also sometimes, subconsciously, yearn for a better life and so we watch the movies that portray those with better lives that we want, movies with people with worse lives that will make us appreciate our present life or even some sort of nonsensical farce or slapstick comedy and that will make us laugh and lift our spirits. We also, may have different reasons of watching films that range from just wanting to have a get-together with friends or it is your way of cheering yourself up. Films are a very big part of our world’s culture because they can poison your mind and offend people or it can also make you laugh, inspire others and change people for the better and make you make a change and a difference.

Coke Wars Case Study

Coke Wars Case Analysis: Competition, Strategy, and Implications Webster University Summer 2012 INTRODUCTION The rivalry between Coca-Cola & Pepsi can be deemed as legendary, â€Å"the top soft drink competitors in the world spend millions of dollars yearly to try and convince you that their version of soft drink is better† (Dotson pg 1).Over the past century, it seems they have feuded over everything from who has superior taste, to the pursuit into space, and more recently over NASCAR and the social media race. Regardless of who is ahead in the competition, the battles between Coca-Cola & Pepsi demonstrate important strategic adaptations that the corporations must execute so as to thrive in the constantly changing realms of customer satisfaction, business environments and technology.This paper will: 1) review the strategic issues presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola & Pepsi; 2) highlight fundamental strategies & tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discuss implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application.STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT MODEL (SMM) The text describes strategic management as â€Å"the set of decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve a company’s objectives† (Pearce, Robinson pg 3). With this definition in mind then, the Strategic Management Model can be considered as a very useful framework by which managers plan and implement business strategies.More importantly, in today’s global business environment â€Å"firms need perfect processes that respond to increases in the size and number of competing firms; to the expanded role of government as a buyer, seller, regulator, and competitor in the free-enterprise system; and to greater business involvement in int ernational trade† (pg 3). Furthermore, while â€Å"businesses vary in the processes they use to formulate and direct their strategic management activities†¦the basic components of the models used to analyze strategic management operations is similar† (pg 9).In reaction to internal and external environmental business/economic pressures Coca-Cola & Pepsi have manipulated the SMM in various ways so as to remain viable/powerful competitors in their respective industry. Coca-Cola Model Application According to the Coca-Cola Company’s Annual Report 2011, they are â€Å"the world’s largest beverage company†¦with more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands†¦own the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands†¦products bearing their trademarks, have been sold in the United States since 1886, and are now sold in more than 200 countries† (pg 1).Coca-Cola’s report to shareholders reveals that they are continuing to r emain competitive in the beverage/snack industry due to a multitude of intelligent strategic decisions. When analyzing Coca-Cola from the Strategic Management Model perspective one can determine that while the internal/external environment will always remain unpredictable, the development of viable plans/processes can assist a corporation in remaining flexible and responsive to necessary change. Coca-Cola’s Mission is â€Å"to refresh the world†¦inspire moments of optimism and happiness†¦create value and make a difference† (Annual Report Mission, Vision, and Values).Their current goals are â€Å"to use company assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (pg 1). Overall, the mission statement is quite powerful and accurately â€Å"describes the company’s product, market, and technological areas of emphasis in a way that reflects the values and priorities of the strategic decision makers† (Pearce, Robinson pg 10).With respect to Internal Analysis, the corporation has identified its â€Å"operating structure as the basis for financial reporting† and is broken down into 7 different operating groups (Annual Report pg 2). The method for financial reporting is important because this is where/how investors and executives alike assess the â€Å"quantity and quality of the company’s financial, human, and physical resources†¦and contrasts company’s past successes and traditional concerns with the company’s current capabilities† (Pearce Robinson pg 11).Coca-Cola’s Annual Report is well designed, informative, and relatively easy to read as well. An important internal analysis factor of note is that of leadership—CEO’s and Board members alike must adequately analyze the direction/vision of the corporation so as to not become â€Å"fixated upon past glories†¦instead embracing new opportunities† (Ward pg 3). The External Environment that the company experiences is one full of pressures to include: extreme competition, distribution system management challenges, and social responsibility struggles.Additional competitive factors include those of â€Å"but not limited to pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, and brand/trademark development & protection† (Annual Report pg 8). Concerning Strategic Analysis and Choice, Coca-Cola can be considered as â€Å"effective at building sustainable competitive advantage based on key value chain activities and capabilities† (PR pg 11) and have identified their bottling operations as equity method investments.The â€Å"investments a re intended to result in increases in the unit case volume, net revenues and profits at the bottler level, which in turn generate increased concentrate sales for the company concentrate and syrup business†¦when this occurs both the corporation and the bottling partners benefit from long-term growth in volume, improved cash flows, and increased shareholder value† (AR pg 7). The Long-Term Objectives should reflect areas such as â€Å"profitability, return on investment, competitive position, technological leadership, productivity, employee relations, public responsibility, and employee development† (PR pg 11).According to the provided case materials, the company has strong goals for the future and â€Å"has transformed into a more innovative, risk taking company†¦becoming more adventurous in responding to changes in the beverage market for healthier alternatives† so as to respond to customer desires, technology, and competitive environment (Ward pg 3). Co ca-Cola’s Generic Strategy is that of differentiation, making their products superior to those in the industry, â€Å"by stressing the attribute above other product qualities, the firm attempts to build customer loyalty† (PR pg 158).Their Grand Strategies can be defined as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, and strategic alliances. Coca-Cola is increasingly globalized and their Generic and Grand strategies seem to be creating valuable success for the corporation â€Å"and is transforming into a more innovative, risk-taking company† (Ward pg 2). Short Term Objectives for the corporation involve effective marketing strategies that appeal to existing customers and new clientele as well.They have embraced social media, the health craze and more recently the 2012 Olympics to successfully reach an increasingly global audience. In fact, â€Å"Coke’s strongest performance has been experienc ed in emerging markets in Russia, China, and Brazil, and has also improved its position in North America and Europe as well† (pg 3). Action Plans are incorporated and employed globally by executives and managers alike at Coca-Cola and those plans are laid out in the Annual Report.Everything from distribution systems, bottling methods, responses to competition, raw material acquisition, and investment plans are outlined which provides exact methods by which the corporation plans to remain a viable player in the industry. In sum they plan to â€Å"use the Company’s assets—brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and the talent and strong commitment of management and associates—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for shareholders† (Annual Report 2011 pg 1).Functional Tactics used by the corporation to achieve short term goals and attain competitive advantage include adoption of marketing strategies that appeal to not only health conscious customers but to a global audience. In fact â€Å"Coke is bringing out mid-calorie versions of some of its brands like Sprite and Fanta, and is teaming up with Grammy award winner Mark Ronson for its 2012 London Olympics anthem† (Hernandez pg 1).Additionally, Coke â€Å"continues to focus on selling soft drinks globally and even vows to rebuild Coke sales in the US market† through focusing upon non-carbonated sports drinks such as PowerAde, Aquarius, and Fuze (D’Altoro pg 2). Coca-Cola absolutely has Policies That Empower Action as demonstrated by the information contained in the Annual Report and via their website: â€Å"Work Smart: Act with urgency, remain responsive to change have the courage to change course when needed, remain constructively discontent, and work efficiently† (Coca-Cola Website pg 2).The â€Å"work smart† mentality allows for decisions to be made whenever possible at the lowest level of the corporation. Organizational Structure is segmented into the following areas: â€Å"Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific, Bottling Investments, and Corporate† (Annual Report pg 2). Coke is predominantly organized into an international area structure that allows for operational efficiency and regional competitiveness.However Coca-Cola faces the additional struggle of remaining socially responsible to societies and environments in which it operates and has faced several legal implications with respect to human rights issues in South American Bottling plants (FRONTLINE). Nonetheless Coca-Cola reiterates that â€Å"despite the volatile environment, the company and its bottling partners have maintained operations and worked to provide safe, stable economic opportunities† for the people in nations that they operate in (FRONTLINE).Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement is facilitated by Coca-Cola’s organizat ional structure, leadership, and 2020 Vision campaign. In fact their website reiterates that in order â€Å"to continue to thrive as a business over the next 10 years and beyond, they must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape their business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for what is to come† (Coca-Cola Website).This statement reveals that the corporation is committed to â€Å"detecting changes and making necessary adjustments†¦in strategy that allows their organization to respond more proactively and timely to rapid developments that† inherently affect ultimate success. Pepsi Model Application Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Mission statement is very clear, concise and purposeful â€Å"Captivate consumers with the world’s most loved and best-tasting convenient foods and beverages through the use of its strengths: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Capabilities, Productivity Focus, Human Capital and Pur poseful Performance† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi also reiterates that being socially responsible is of utmost importance and â€Å"commitment to do right for the business by doing right for people & the planet† effectively creates a â€Å"catalyst for business growth and innovation, enabling them to be financially successful and globally responsible† (Pepsi Annual Report). As covered in the Letter to Shareholders the CEO, Indra Nooyi, reveals the Internal Analysis of Pepsi Co. to be that of â€Å"strong progress and on a core basis net revenue was up 14% for 2011† (Pepsi Annual Report). This success was due to improvements n the following areas: â€Å"investment in emerging markets, brand management, research and development, differentiation, efficiency and global operating structure to fully leverage the scale of PepsiCo† (Pepsi Annual Report). PepsiCo is most certainly proud of their improvements and strategic focus but also realizes that the crea tion of â€Å"an adaptive team and culture—one that can continually renew itself and thrive on change†¦performing today while transforming for tomorrow† is necessary for success into the future and believes that their â€Å"best days are yet to come† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi experiences similar External Environmental conditions to that of Coca-Cola. Intense competition, globalized marketplace, social responsibility, and economic conditions all affect the strategies that PepsiCo decides to implement. Additionally, Pepsi must allocate its attention to not only the beverage industry but to their global snack line as well; which while designed to be complimentary can prove to have possible negative effects when considering the volatility of each of these industries.The Strategic Analysis and Choice, that Pepsi has selected, much like Coca-Cola can be considered as effective. In order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage Pepsi is â€Å"pursuing specif ic strategic investment and productivity initiatives to build a stronger, more successful company through global brands, innovation, and advertising/marketing campaigns† (Pepsi Annual Report). As mentioned earlier, the following areas are of importance in Pepsi’s strategic analysis/choice: Brand Image, Positioning, Innovation, Distribution Channels, Productivity, Human Capital and Social Responsibility.As the report outlines, Pepsi’s Long-Term Objectives support increasingly globalized operations, global brand recognition, public responsibility, and industry leadership in beverages and snacks. In fact Pepsi was the first to realize the customer shift to healthier lifestyles and responded before Coke â€Å"to changes in the beverage market as consumers shifted from fizzy drinks to healthier alternatives† (Ward pg 3). Furthermore â€Å"Pepsi’s new strategy: Better-For-You Products—comes down to health concerns and being socially responsible wh ere†¦lifestyles have changed†¦and Pepsi has modified its products† (D’Altorio pg 1).Pepsi’s Generic Strategy, like that of Coca-Cola, is that of differentiation. This is why the Cola Wars have been so pervasive and prevalent—they both are striving to make their products superior to those of the competition. Their Grand Strategies can also be identified as concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, vertical integration, turnaround, joint ventures, divestiture and strategic alliances.Additionally, Pepsi is becoming more globalized in nature and their Generic and Grand strategies reflect this: â€Å"they are a $66 billion global powerhouse focused upon two complementary businesses with attractive growth margins and returns—global snacks and global beverages† to achieve global nutrition achievements worldwide† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Short Term Objectives are focused upon investment in their global brand management and streamlining distribution methods so as to attain measurable efficiency.In fact last year three brands—Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks ready to drink beverages—had each grown to more than $1 billion in annual retail sales, expanding PepsiCo’s portfolio of billion dollar brands to 22† (Pepsi Annual Report). Their distribution methods remain largely â€Å"unmatched†¦and in 2011 they successfully changed distribution for Gatorade products in the US in the convenience and other channels from a warehouse-delivered-go-to-market system to DSD, in order to more efficiently serve customers† (Pepsi Annual Report).Much like Coca-Cola, Pepsi’s Action Plans are employed globally and specific intentions are revealed in the Annual Report. The difference is however that Pepsi has two industries upon which it has to contend with: beverages AND snacks. Their action plan for 2012 and beyond stresses five imperatives : â€Å"1) build and extend macro-snacks portfolio globally; 2) sustainably and profitably grow its beverage business worldwide; 3) build and expand the nutrition business; 4) increase and capitalize on the high coincidence of snack and beverage consumption; 5) ensure prudent and responsible financial management† (Pepsi Annual Report).Functional Tactics used by Pepsi so as to achieve its short term goals/competitive advantage include marketing strategies and socially responsible business practices that reach a more global audience. Adopting the responsibility of â€Å"Global Nutrition† demonstrates Pepsi’s commitment to a healthier population and have â€Å"developed new strategies with new soft drinks which will catch on to part of the public that is the new health craze† (Dotson pg 2).The development of products such as Gatorade G2, which is low in calorie than the regular sports drinks, and Propel demonstrate that Pepsi in focused upon innovative produ cts that cater to the health conscious customer needs/wants. As revealed by the Annual Report, Policies That Empower Action for Pepsi begins with the â€Å"Power of One concept†¦operating as one company to connect with consumer†¦innovating globally, delighting locally†¦ and performance with purpose† to achieve sustained growth and success.While Pepsi has many difficulties to confront with respect to competition, multiple industries, and internal/external economic stressors; they are continuing to adapt to their environments and reiterate that â€Å"the challenge to renew a successful company is one that they embrace† (Pepsi Annual Report). Pepsi’s Organizational Structure is segmented â€Å"into four business units: 1) PepsiCo America’s Foods; 2) PepsiCo America’s Beverages; 3) PepsiCo Europe; 4) PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, Africa† (Pepsi Annual Report).Pepsi’s structure allows for certain control and efficiencies both n ationally and globally in the beverage and snack industries. In addition Pepsi has standardized the reportable segments of each business so as to allow for appropriate analysis and competitive advantage measurement by region. With respect to Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement, Pepsi’s organizational structure, leadership, and Power of Pepsi campaign reveal that the corporation is committed to remaining a sustainable competitor well into the future.Furthermore, â€Å"as they look ahead they are positioning their company for sustainable growth by building its brands around the globe, bringing innovative products to the marketplace, capitalizing on the coincidence of consumption of snacks and beverages, unleashing the full potential of its global scale and ensuring that PepsiCo continues to be a best place to work† embodies ways in which Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement are going to be accomplished. ANALYSIS & IMPLICATIONS FOR MIDDLE MANAGERSThe stra tegic models that each corporation adopts are similar but produce different levels of success for each organization. Both Coke and Pepsi have adopted aggressive marketing strategies and have struggled amongst one another to develop superior products and attain customer share maximization. Competition, while at times can be frustrating for the organization, in this case has allowed for the creation of better products and increasingly globalized operations resulting in inherent successes for both organizations.The Cola-Wars have been existent for quite a while, but as this point in time it can be said that Coca-Cola is the leader in the beverage industry segment â€Å"Pepsi was knocked into third place behind Coca-Cola and Diet Coke†¦Coca-Cola sold 1. 6 billion cases of regular soda and 927 million cases of diet soda, while Pepsi sold only 892 million cases† (WIKIPEDIA). However, Pepsi is still remaining competitive globally through the realization that there are other ind ustries upon which to capitalize and ensure sustainability into the future.In fact, â€Å"as far as Pepsi is concerned the cola wars are over and needs to focus on convincing investors that it has the right focus in the new health kick† (D’Altorio pg 2). While Pepsi is focusing upon â€Å"Global Nutrition† they still need to realize that â€Å"carbonated beverages still produce much of the company’s sales and are still a key to Pepsi’s financial health† (D’Altorio).Into the future both Coca-Cola and Pepsi will prove to be viable competitors as revealed by their strategies/mission statements contained in their Annual Reports. The real key however, will be whether consumer demand remains in the carbonated beverage industry†¦if the tides somehow change, Pepsi will emerge as the victor due to their diversification strategy†¦one that has crossed channels and decided to create advantages with both beverages and snacks.The Cola War s bring up important implications for middle managers in the form of strategic analysis, implementation, and adaptation. Organizational success depends ultimately upon the ability of the organization to connect with consumers by providing an array of options so as to meet consumer desires, needs and lifestyles and these principles are largely motivated by corporate leadership and direction.Furthermore, the talent of employees must be empowered by management so as to execute goals and objectives effectively. A corporations’ assets —brands, financial prowess, distribution systems, global influence and the talents of employees must be effectively employed so as to become more competitive and to influence accelerated growth in manners that create value for customers, shareholders, and the company itself. CONCLUSIONThe Coca-Cola/Pepsi â€Å"conflict has raged on for decades† and has even been dubbed as the â€Å"Battle of the Century† but has revealed in the p rocess two corporations that have been successful in adopting strategies and processes so as to survive in the constantly changing, volatile business and economic environments representative of the current times. Coca-Cola and Pepsi will continue to face challenges into the future in the realms of economics, technology, and an increasingly globalized business environment.In effect, the corporation that is able to effectively exploit the new social media front of marketing strategy into the future will most likely end up as the frontrunner in most any industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Coke and Pepsi are amongst a multitude of companies buying into social media’s ability to strengthen their brands†¦consumers are 55% more likely to recall ads that include social media components than non-social ads†¦consumers today are incredibly empowered and what used to work to get their attention now needs a bit more thoughtfulness† (USA TODAY).This paper: 1) reviewed the strategic issue s presented in the â€Å"Coke Wars† case through the use of the Strategic Management Model as applied to both Coca-Cola & Pepsi; 2) highlighted fundamental strategies & tactics so as to analyze the inherent competition between both corporations; and finally 3) discussed implications of concepts presented in the case for the middle manager so as to grasp lessons learned for future application.Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are on the right track as far as determining appropriate strategies to thrive in the environments in which they operate but the challenge into the future will be the appropriate analysis and adaptability in which to adequately respond to customer needs, economies of scale, and the dynamic business environment. CASE STUDY MATERIALS/REFERENCES 1) Frontline. Coca-Cola’s union troubles in Columbia; http://www. pbs. org/frontlineworld/fellows/colombia0106/; Retrieved: 3 July 2012. 2) Coca-Cola Annual Report. http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/investors/annual_ other_reports. html http://www. hecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html 3) PepsiCo Annual Report. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports. html; Retrieved 4 July 2012. 4) Wikipedia. The Cola Wars; http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cola_wars; Retrieved 2 July 2012. 5) Terhune, Chad. Coca-Cola trying to renegotiate its syrup contract with bottlers; â€Å"Soda Rebellion: A Suit by Coke Bottlers Exposes Cracks in a Century-Old System; Serving Wal-Mart Is at Issue, But Spat Shines Spotlight On Local Businesses' Role; The Brownes' 84-Year History†; Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition). New York, N. Y. : Mar 13, 2006. p. A. Document URL: http://proquest. umi. com. library3. webster. edu/pqdweb? did=1001778801&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=30323&RQT=309&VName=PQD Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones & Company Inc. 6) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Last Stand of Coke’s Old Guard Don Keough, 79, Seeks One More Year on the Board†; Financial Tim es; London, England; 19-Apr-2006. 7) Ward, Andrew. Can Coca-Cola recover? ; â€Å"Coke on Upward Path†; Financial Times; London, England; 20-Apr-2006. 8) Pearce, Robinson. Management and Strategy; MNGT 5650; Webster University St Loius, MO; McGraw Hill: Copyright 2012. 9) Dotson, Horace.Pepsi vs Coke: The Battle of a Century; Yahoo; http://voices. yahoo. com. Retrieved: 07 July 2012. 10) Diaz, George. NASCAR Cola Wars Spark Frosty Fireworks at Daytona; http://articlesorlandosentinel. com/2012-07-06/sports/os-george-diaz-daytona-coke-pepsi-0. Retrieved 06 July 2012. 11) Hernandez, Karin. Pepsi vs. Coke: The Cola Wars. http://seekingalpha. com/article/600021-pepsi-vs-coke-the-cola-wars. Retrieved: 06 July 2012. 12) Snider, Mike. Social Media is Latest Front of Cola Wars; USA Today 30 April 2012. http://www. usatoday. com/tech/news/story/2012-04-30/pepsi-coke-social-media/54631902/ Retrieved 12 July 2012.

New Tech essays

New Tech essays We can see many new technologies appeared in the market recently. In this report, I will discuss about three of them, which are the technology of DVD (Digital Video Disc), MP3 and Digital Camera. With the size of a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disc (DVD) can contain a much larger amount of data than a CD. It also contains music and videos with the best sound and picture quality. The technology of DVD also allows the moviemakers to add more features in a disc that the Video Cassette Tape cant do. Moreover, the quality of the movie in a DVD is pretty much like the movie we usually watch in the theater. DVD players also play standard audio CDs. Lowering prices on multi-disc models mean that it's practical to have just a DVD player for playback of multiple audio CD and video DVD discs. There is a catch if you record your own CDs: While many DVD players can accommodate standard CD and DVD formats (and any Commercial title), they may have problems reading the CD-R and CD-RW discs, which you record yourself, no matter what type of device you used to record the discs. Today, there is one out of four families in the United States has a DVD player at home and the VCRs are go ing to be out-of-date in the next few years. MP3 is an abbreviation for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3. A standard for audio data compression determined by the Motion Picture Experts Group, which is an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) working group. It enables compression of audio data to about 1/10 of the data size of a standard compact disc. Since the MP3 encoding algorithm is disclosed, there are various encoders/decoders compliant with this Standard, including freeware that is available for no charge. Thus, the MP3 standard is widely used in the computer field. Many MP3 players look much like portable radios, headphones and all. Others resemble large pens or even watches. Inside each player is a computer chip and memory that can store a...

The Difference Between Celsius and Centigrade

The Difference Between Celsius and Centigrade The Celsius and centigrade temperature scales are the same scales, where 0 degrees is the freezing point of water and 100 degrees is the boiling point. However, the Celsius scale uses a zero that can be precisely defined. Heres a closer look at the difference between Celsius and centigrade: The Origin of the Celsius Scale Anders Celsius, a professor of astronomy at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, devised a temperature scale in 1741. His original scale had 0 degrees at the point where water boiled and 100 degrees where water froze. Because there were 100 degrees between the defining points of the scale, it was a type of centigrade scale. Upon Celsius death, the endpoints of the scale were switched (0Â ° C became the freezing point of water and 100Â ° C became the boiling point of water), and the scale became known as the centigrade scale. Why Centigrade Became Celsius The confusing part here is that the centigrade scale was invented by Celsius, more or less, so it had been called Celsius scale or the centigrade scale. However, there were a couple of problems with the scale. First, the grade was a unit of plane angle, so a centigrade could be one-hundredth of that unit. More important, the temperature scale was based on an experimentally determined value that could not be measured with the precision deemed sufficient for such an important unit. In the 1950s, the General Conference of Weights and Measures set out to standardize several units and decided to define Celsius temperature as Kelvin minus 273.15. The triple point of water was defined to be 273.16 K and 0.01Â ° C. The triple point of water is the temperature and pressure at which water exists simultaneously as a solid, liquid, and gas. The triple point can be measured accurately and precisely, so it was a superior reference to the freezing point of water. Since the scale had been redefined, it was given a new official name: the Celsius temperature scale.

Consider how a currency appreciation might affect national income Essay

Consider how a currency appreciation might affect national income - Essay Example Currency Appreciation and National Income Currency appreciation may lead to an increase or a decrease in national income. According to Visser and Visser (2004, p. 58), currency appreciation improves the terms of trade in favour of the nation whose currency is appreciating. What this means is that there is likelihood of imported increasing in volume than the exported goods. This might play out negatively against the nation income considering the fact that GDP = C + I + G + EX – IM Whereby GDP = gross domestic product C = the sum of personal consumption expenditures, I = the private investment expenditures, G = the government consumption expenditures, EX = the expenditures on exports IM = the expenditures on imports To have a clear perspective on this, it should be noted that currency appreciation or depreciation has an effect on key macroeconomic variables which are â€Å"economic growth, employment and inflation† (Glanville & Glanville 2011, p. 369). Currency Appreciati on and Economic Growth An appreciation of a currency will affect the demand for export goods and supply of import goods. In both cases, the economy of the nation whose currency is appreciating is on the receiving end (Glanville & Glanville 2011. p. 369). ... ore imports without necessarily having to pay more money – the amount of money they used in the past to buy a certain volume of imports will now fetch a bigger volume of the same. Due to human nature, or more precisely according to the basic laws of economics, the local consumers will shift their demand from local goods to imported goods. This will certainly have an adverse effect on the local industries as the demand for their products falls. Incorporating this effect on the following equation - GDP = C + I + G + EX – IM - means that GDP is lowered (C, I and G are reduced while IM increases). Currency appreciation and exported goods The exports of a nation whose currency is appreciating will become more expensive in foreign markets. Because the currency has appreciated, foreign importers (those buying local good for foreign markets) will have to pay more for the same volume of goods they used to demand before the appreciation of the currency. In such a situation, the f oreign importers will either continue to buy the local goods or will seek alternatives such as getting the goods from different countries where prices are lower or stopping their import business all together. The world is so much connected and the later solution will be more attractive for any forward thinking consumer or organization. This again will see the nation with an appreciating currency lose its export market. Local industries again stand to suffer lower demands of their products. Substituting this effect in the equation GDP = C + I + G + EX – IM shows that the GDP again suffers because EX reduces. Therefore, in the two situations above, it is very clear that an appreciating currency will prompt the local consumers to shift their demand from local goods to exported goods and foreign