Burberry Consumer Profile Report Essay Example

Burberry Consumer Profile Report Paper We look at these characteristics as they are the elements of a potential customers life that can influence customers behavior before, during and after making a purchase. The target market for Barberrys womens wear is typically a young professional female, aged between 25 and 30 with a high level of disposable income. The MRS. Social grade States that young professionals who fall into social grades A and B earn a salary of thirty thousand pounds or more per annum (see figure 1 allowing them to have a high level of expenditure, which is supported by the graph shown in appendix A. Having an income this high would suggest that these nouns professionals have completed their higher education to a degree level, or even to the level of a masters or PhD (appendix B). The professionalism of Barberrys target market is expressed through the garments they sell, with a large collection of tailored pieces on offer to cater to the consumers needs (appendix C). 2. 2 Geographic Characteristics The geographic characteristics of a consumer do not just focus on where the consumer lives, but also the type of house they live in and their neighborhood, as well as where they shop. Having this information about he consumer will allow a further insight into the kind of lifestyle an individual has. Statistics show that the the social grade and income of an individual effects the size of the house they live in, and typically the higher social grades and incomes will have a larger property (appendices D and E). The young professionals that Barberry targets tend to own one or two bed properties (appendices D and E), suggesting that they live alone, and are therefore single, or share with somebody with whom they split the cost of rent, allowing them to have a higher level of expenditure. According to Acorn, the young professionals that Barberry target Generally own flats in major towns and cities that Have been built recently and are more usually found in urban locations, particularly London (Acorn, 2014: online). Living in these areas would suggest that there is easy access to a variety of different shops and facilities allowing them to fit their shopping in around work and other commitments without it being an inconvenience. 2. 3 Personality and Lifestyle Characteristics This category contains characteristics that are much more personal than hose mentioned in sections 2. And 2. 2, such as music tastes, type/number of cars and stage in lifestyle. Companies Will look at these characteristics to help them gain an even better idea of their target consumers lifestyle, and therefore be able to market and advertise their products more effectively. Using the information stated in section 2. 1 we can tell that because they live in major towns and cities, those in Buyers t arget market do not tend to own a car (appendix F), again allowing them to have extra money to spend on We will write a custom essay sample on Burberry Consumer Profile Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Burberry Consumer Profile Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Burberry Consumer Profile Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Barberry products, as they do not have to spend it on car insurance, tax and petrol. Living alone in a city without a car suggests that the consumer could be considered as being in the bachelor/peacock or early nester stage of their lifestyle, meaning that they are single or have just begun living with a partner and do not have any children, again giving them a higher level of disposable income. Buyers official website has a weeping titled acoustic, where customers can go to listen to the music of nouns British bands that Barberry believes in. (A, Politicking. 2010: online). This type of music is slow and relaxed, similar to that of the music played throughout Barberry stores. There is a huge focus on music throughout the brand; this is because chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, feels that music Sets the directional mood for what were working on. (The Guardian, online: 2013). 2. 4 Attitudes, Interests and Opinions Characteristics Much like the characteristics of section 2. , the attitudes, interests and opinions can vary dramatically from consumer to consumer and looks at an individuals views, style, celebrity influences and clothing types. 3. 0 The Brand This section of this report refers to the different elements of the marketing mix to show and discuss how Barberry successfully utilize their knowledge of their target consumer and their resources to fit in with the overall target consumer environment. 3. 1 Product 3. 2 Price As Barberry is a premium designer brand the pricing of their products will reflect this. Barberry knows that their target consumer will be willing to pay high prices for their products as the high price of Buyers products suggests high quality, which is what their target consumer is after and therefore increases desirability of a product. Although all product prices are premium, Buyers price range will vary depending on which diffusion label you are purchasing from, as Barberry Proms is more expensive than Barberry London, which is more expensive than Barberry Bruit. Barberry use competitive pricing, putting the prices of their products similar to those of its competitors. Normally in an in store environment, Barberry will use the middle market approach to pricing, or a non-competitive price approach, meaning that product prices are not obviously displayed and are hidden away on labels inside the products, or not stated at all so that customers have to ask a sales assistant for a price. 3. Place Barberry sells its products to the consumer through physical retail channels, including mainline stores, concessions in prestige department stores, outlets and Barberry franchises, as well as through their own transactional website and the websites of stores such as Harrows, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and other department stores in which they have concessions. As of March 31, 01 3, the company had 206 mainline stores, 214 concessions, 49 outlets, and 65 franchise stores to be found all over the world. (Yahoo, online: no date). The fact that Barberry mainl y sell through concessions have both advantages and disadvantages. Concessions are a less expensive way for a company to sell their brand in a new area and they give the customer an idea of what kind of brand you are, for example, concessions in Selfridges would give the impression of a high-end brand. On the other hand, concessions do not allow you to have your own brand identity, it is easier for customers to compare our products with other brands and they have less stock and therefore less choice. A large majority of Barberry stores are situated in greatly populated cities and areas where they will gain most customer contact. For instance, there are eleven Barberry stores and three concessions in London alone (see appendix G). Within these cities, Barberry stores are generally placed in large shopping Centers, busy high Streets and town centers. Placing their stores in these locations means that the infrastructure around them will typically be good with decent parking facilities, public transport links and a variety of laces to purchase food and drink, making the stores easily accessible, more pleasurable and less stressful to visit, increasing the chances of customers visiting again. Another benefit of having their stores in these locations is the high footfall of potential customers, the prime locations mean that even consumers who had not planned to visit the store may decide to go in and have a browse whilst passing by. It is extremely uncommon for Barberry stores to be found in a location where the stores surrounding it are not other designer brands that would be considered Barberrys competitors. Usually, the stores that neighbor and are close by Barberry will belong to brands such as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and YES, which not only helps attract a consumer that is more likely to make a purchase but also helps to keep the brands sense of exclusivity and expense. This is because these brands all have the same target consumer and attract the same customer. It would be less likely for a Barberry store to do well and generate sufficient income if it were surrounded by high street shops like Primary, HM and Tops as they have very different target markets. 4. Promotional Methods Promotion is widely known as the fourth p within the marketing mix and is the management process responsible for communicating with customers in order to inform and satisfy their needs and wants (Easy 2002:168). This section of the report focuses on the different promotional techniques used by Barberry to increase their brand awareness and to promote their products to their target consumer successfully in such a heavily saturated market. 4. 1 Advertising Barberry uses its advertisements to reinforce its luxury, classically British image. The ads feature iconic British backdrops, British icons, typically British weather and music from British bands that can be found on Barberry acoustic, mentioned in section 2. 3. As mentioned in section 2. 1 at the beginning of the report, the target consumer for Buyers womens wear is females aged 25-30 and by using celebrities and icons who would typically appeal to women of that age bracket in their advertisements, they are able increase the interest in the brand by a great amount. For example, visuals of model Car Delivering and actor Eddie Redeemed were released at the eight of Delusiveness career and just before the release of the 201 2 film production of Less Miserable, in which Redeemed has a leading role (figure 2). Barberry is known to have their visual advertisements in a variety of high-end fashion magazines including Vogue, Ell and Harpers Bazaar, all magazines that would appeal to their target consumer, as they advertise and display brands and products of the same nature to Barberry itself. As well as in magazine, Barberry has advertised their brand through other platforms, such as on billboards in cities like London and through television adverts, also tarring a selection Of famous faces with Romeo Beckman being a more recent addition to Buyers advertising campaigns. 4. 2 Public Relations Barberrys use of celebrity endorsement is by far one of their most successful forms of PR. In the past, the brand has secured great press coverage for their products by having them photographed on celebrities that are current and popular with their target market, and by ensuring that celebrities with whom their target audience can relate to are seen in Barberry products, Barberry can gain great exposure with minimal cost. For example, when One Directions Harry Styles was pictured on the front row at Buyers London Fashion Week show this summer, the show received over 21 , 000 mentions on social media, a figure that was considerably higher than other brands. In September 201 3, Barberry gained a lot of media attention when Harry Styles, Victoria Beckman and Ell Fanning were all photographed wearing the same Barberry Proms shirt. Following the release of the photos, a number of widely read fashion magazine and websites published who wore it best articles, which not only pushed Barberry into the public eye, but increased interest in the brand as fans wanted to know more about the shirt and even purchase it themselves.

Your 100 Fan Club

Your 100 Fan Club The older I get, the more simplified I seem to want my life. Thats why I toned FundsforWriters down over the years from four newsletters, to three, to two. . . and now one, just like I started years ago. More time to write. More time to enjoy myself while writing. I love losing myself in a story. But marketing, publishing, and so on tend to distract us and rob us of the joy. At  a recent conference speaker, I spoke to writers about corralling all the to-do things on their plates and learning how to focus on writing. I suggested they do what Im doing. . . write for their most avid 100 fans. You know who those are. They are the ones who review, who respond to your blog, who converse with you on Facebook, who like your Instagram posts. They dont just say they love your work, but they talk it, naming characters and plot points that resonated with them. Why just 100? Because those are your concentrated dose of energy. You have a better feel for what they like. Since theyve contacted you somehow, you feel a few degrees closer to them. You owe them more, and in turn, they deliver back with reviews, emails, and that oh-so-precious word-of-mouth to others about you and your stories. Simply your writing. Write the stories that you think your top 100 will love. Dont have 100? If you keep making an appearance in person, on social media, in writing guest posts on blogs, that 100 will materialize. If you keep writing and quit banking on one book. If you keep reminding the few you have in a newsletter who you are (avoiding saying BUY MY BOOK), that 100 will happen. Who doesnt feel warm and cozy having 100 fans? And that number grows faster the more you cater to that tribe. Theyll practically spread the word for you.

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

Appendix - Essay Example The entrepreneur spirit is present throughout the organization. The firm offers a stock option plan to all the employees. Due to the successful implementation of the employee stock option plan all the employees care a lot about the well-being of the business organization. The stockholders have voting rights. The company has been effective in the past at raising large sums of money which has been invested for expansion purposes through the sale of stock and bonds. The managers of the company provide great leadership to the organization. The executive management team including the CEO is often seen talking with the floor employees. The company provides managers with monthly training and development sessions. The lines of communication are always open between the employees and managerial staff. The managerial style of the CEO is charismatic leadership. The managers abide by high ethical standards in their decision making process. The managers are very fair and they have delegated some responsibilities to the floor employees to empower the workforce. Change management has been used effectively by the managers to keep up with the latest trends in the industry. The managers have the power in the organization. The company does not suffer from agency problems. The managers are responsible of keeping with good interpersonal relations with all major stakeholder groups. The employees of the company feel they are a part something special. The firm’s generous stock option plan has help develop a tremendous corporate culture. The employees achieved acceptance and synergy. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The workforce of the organization is very productive. The firm evaluates the performance of the employees twice a year. Different groups of employees report to various supervisors. The firm offers its employees great benefits including medical plan. The managers receive

Risk Assessment. The business of Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Risk Assessment. The business of Tesco - Essay Example Tesco has its retail stores spread over 14 countries all over the world and also holds the leading market share in the retail markets of UK. The primary products of Tesco include the retail grocery items and other retails consumer products that are being sold through its departmental stores, supermarkets and the retail chains. The economic liberalization policies adopted by the policy makers have resulted in the increase in the number of players in the retail grocery markets of UK and in other countries. In order to attain sustainability of business, Tesco has diversified its product portfolio with the activities of retailing of clothes, electronic items, music DVDs, books , financial services, etc (Tesco 1). Vulnerability to risks The business of Tesco which is spread in several countries all over the world is vulnerable to several risks. A list of risks to which the business of Tesco is vulnerable has been given in tabular form below. Sl. No. Risk 1 Interest Rate Risk 2 Foreign Cur rency Risk 3 Liquidity risk 4 Credit Risk 5 Insurance Risk The two major risks to which the business of Tesco is most vulnerable are the interest rate risk and the foreign currency risk (Frank 174). Due to the increase in interest rates as an outcome of the monetary policy, the interest payout in the form of debt liabilities are likely to increase (Weston 24). This would result in increased cash outflows which reduce the net income of the group and also lesser repayment of debt and liabilities. This is risky for Tesco as they would continue to have higher proportions of debt with respect to the equity (Tesco 1). The foreign currency risk is the uncertainty that Tesco faces due to the fluctuation of currencies in the local markets. As a result of the depreciation of the local currency, the currency conversion rates between the local currency and Pound Sterling would be affected (Cowan 96). This poses the risk to Tesco as foreign currency fluctuation would result in reduction of reven ue earnings of the group and the volume of profits repatriated to the home country would also decrease (Whaley 226). Probability The probability of the two risks, namely the interest rate risk and the foreign currency risk have been explained as follows based on the information available from the annual reports of Tesco and the events that have occurred in the last financial year. The interest rate risk poses uncertainty to Tesco as the company is subject to fluctuation of interest rates by the central banks in several countries (Sullivan and Sheffrin 172). As per the information available from the annual reports of Tesco, it has been observed that the company had to bear the cost of increase in the interest rates implemented by the central banks. As monetary policies and in order to control the inflation rates in the economy, the increase in the interest rates has been implemented by the central banks in many countries where Tesco runs its operations (Brown 341). Thus the cost of d ebt incurred by the company has increased (Handlechner 36). The probability for the fluctuation of interest rates has been assumed to be 60% looking at the trend of impacts on the financial parameters of Tesco’s performance. It is highly probable that the foreign currency conversion rates are further going to fluctuate as the economies are in the mode of restructuring after the occurrence of the global financial crisis (Hennessy and Zechner 271). The uncertainty in the foreign currency conversion is likely to have a cascading effect on financial performance of Tesco. The cost of finance obtained by Tesco in the local mark

International Business Country Analysis - South Korea Essay

International Business Country Analysis - South Korea - Essay Example After the Korean War (1950-1953), South Korea rose from devastation to become one of the world’s largest economies in the 1990s. South Korea occupies the southern half of the Korea Peninsula, which extends about 1,000 km (about 620 mi) southward from northeastern China. The total area of South Korea is 99,268 sq km (38,328 sq mi), including about 3,000 islands. South Korea is a mountainous country. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30 percent of the total land area. South Korea can be divided into three general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; and a southern region, where a maze of mountains and valleys in the west contrasts with the broad basin of the Nakdong River in the southeast. Historically, Korea was strongly influenced by Chinese culture and acted as a conduit of culture from China to Japan. Koreans adapted many Chinese art forms with innovation and skill, creating distinctively Korean forms. For many centuries, metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics flourished throughout the Korea Peninsula. Buddhism provided one of the most significant sources for artistic expression. Confucianism, also prominent, emphasized the importance of literature and calligraphy, as well as portrait and landscape painting. Koreans began to incorporate Western forms after Korea opened itself to the Western world in the late 1800s. During the period of Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), indigenous traditions were strongly discouraged. Since then, however, Koreans have made a concerted effort to keep their cultural traditions alive. Koreans possess a deep appreciation for their cultural heritage. The government encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs as well as sponsorship of a national

Describe The Four Types Of Solid Structures Environmental Sciences Essay

Describe The Four Types Of Solid Structures Environmental Sciences Essay There are three forms of substances exist: liquid, solid and gas in which solid is one of the major state of matter. The solid structure bonds the atoms together by different chemical physical attraction. Chemical bonds are the result of interactions of electrons by various forces of attraction. This attraction can hold atoms together in a stable arrangement. Atoms may transfer or share atoms to form molecules and compounds. When atoms bond together by chemical bonds, they will become more stable. Different types of chemical bonds determine solids properties, such as melting point, conductivity and solubility (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Electron transferring form ionic bonds while electron sharing and joining molecules form covalent bonds. Linus Pauling came up with a scale, a value for each element called the electronegativity (E.N.) value. Each element has different desire wanting, ability to attract electrons. The strong electron attractions were given high values and some atoms have very low ability to attract were given a low value. These values are relative-comparison values and have no units. The value of difference electronegativity between two atoms less than 1.8 are defined as covalent bonds while the value of difference electronegativity between two atoms more than 2.0 are defined as ionic bonds. This essay will describe four types of solid structures: ionic and metallic which contains of unit cell, giant covalent which is held by network and simple molecular which are small molecules with weak forces of attraction. Ionic Structure First of all, ionic bonding commonly exists in crystal solid structures. Ionic bonding electrons are transferred from mental atoms to non-metal atoms which result in each ion obtaining a full outer shell of electrons to become stable. Commonly, metals form cation by losing valence electrons while non-metals form anions by gaining valence electrons. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is a well known ionic compound. Sodium loses one electron from its outer shell while the chlorine gains one electron to fill its outer most shell. When sodium (Na+) ions bond with chloride (Cl-) ions they form common table salt, sodium chloride (NaCl) (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). In addition, Sodium chloride (NaCl) is made up of giant lattice of ions. There are a large amount of sodium ions and chloride ions packed together which depends on how big the crystal is. Figure 1 (Adapted Steinberg, 2000) shows how does a bit of sodium chloride lattice arranged. Figure 1: Ionic Bonding in Sodium Chloride (Adapted from Steinberg, 2000) Each sodium ion is at a centre surrounded by 6 chloride anions. Each chloride ion is also in the centre, it is also surrounded by 6 sodium cations. So sodium chloride is described 6 co-ordinated. The pattern in this way will be repeated countless times in sodium chloride crystal and ensure the maximum stability in sodium chloride. Because when each ion is touched by 6 opposite charged ions, there is more attraction between the ions which makes the structure more stable (Clark, 2010). Figure 2 (Adapted from Clark, 2010) shows clearly the unit cell of sodium chloride. Figure 2: Unit Cell of Sodium Chloride (Adapted from Clark, 2010) Commonly, the atoms arrange in a regular way, but sometimes this is not the case. All metal atoms consist of a lot of crystal grains which are regions of regularity. At grains boundaries atoms become inconformity. There are various properties in ionic compounds. Firstly, ionic compounds have a high melting point and boiling point. There are strong attractions between the positive and negative ions which take a lot of energy to overcome them. Secondly, one of the main properties of ionic compounds is they conduct electricity when molten, because when the compound is in the liquid state, the ions can carry the charge freely. Ionic compounds are brittle which resulting from an applied stress. The ions will be moved sufficiently to make contact between ions. Ions of the same charged are brought side-by-side leading to repulsion forces within the crystal. Many ionic compounds dissolve in the water. Water molecules have unbonded electrons, called lone pairs. They attract positive ions and negative ions in the compounds form dative bonds and polar water forms electrostatic attractions between the ions. Water molecules also produce energy by hydration to break up the lattice and reduce their attractio n (Clark, 2010). Covalent bonds Atoms sharing electrons form covalent bonds which the electronegativity difference between two atoms are less than 1.8. Giant Covalent Structure In giant covalent structures, all atoms are bonded together by covalent bonds which directly have an influence on specific atoms in a regular extended network. The electrostatics forces hold other structures together to act equally in all directions. Diamond is best example of giant covalent structure (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Diamond has a tetrahedral shape in three-dimensions, with four covalent bonds from each carbon atom. According to VSEPR theory which can explain the levels of repulsion between chemical bonds (Lane, 2009), to reduce the repulsion four pairs of covalent bonds form and covalent bonds repel each other equally. There are no intermolecular forces of attraction only, between the carbon atoms. Figure 4 (Adapted from Chemcases, 2010) shows the structure of diamond Figure 4 shows the structure of diamond (Adapted from Chemcases, 2010). Diamond is well known as the hardness natural substance, and results from four strong covalent bonds giving diamond a strong rigid extended and continuous structure, so diamond just can be cut by other diamond. In addition, diamond has a very high melting point of around 4000K, because to break up the four strong covalent bonds requires a lot of energy. Next, the electrons which are held tightly are not free to move, resulting in the diamond having neither conduct electricity nor heat. At Last, diamond is insoluble in water because the covalent bonds are much stronger than the attraction of water molecules (Clark, 2000). Simple Molecular Structure The simple molecular substances are non-metal compounds which are made up of atoms by strong covalently bond and relatively weak intermolecular forces. Water is taken as a typical type of the simple molecular structure (Lower, 2010). In water, each hydrogen atom is bound to the central oxygen atom by a pair of sharing electrons. Oxygen has four free electrons in its outer second level to form two lone pairs to reduce the repulsions between clouds of negative charge, leaving two of the outer electrons shared with hydrogen to form covalent bonds. This rule leads to a tetrahedral structure in which the angle between electron pairs is 104.5Â °. In addition, water molecules forms hydrogen bonding. Oxygen likes electrons more than hydrogen and electrons spend more time near the oxygen, resulting in oxygen is part negative charge while the hydrogen is positive charge. Electrons are distributed leading to water form a negative structure of hydrogen bonds. Dipole-dipole attractions occur between two water molecules, due to its polar nature (Lane, 2009). Figure 5 (Adapted from Google, 2010) shows the structure of water molecule. Figure 5: Hydrogen Bonding Between Water Molecules (Adapted from Google, 2010) As the weak forces exist in simple molecular substances, they are not very dense or strong nor solid resulting in it having a low melting point and boiling point. Simple molecular substances can easily become gas or liquid. There are no ions existing in these substances, so they are insoluble in the water and can not conduct electricity (Lower, 2010). Metallic Structure Metals are giant structures which hold the atoms together by metallic bonding transferring the electrons. All elements of metal can easily lose electrons forming positive ions which are in a freely moving sea and electrons. How many electrons have been lost by each metal determine the number of electrons in the sea (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). Most ions in metals pack as close as they can. However, sodium in Group one is more open and less dense and forms a unit called the body-centred cubic (BCC) structure which is a common packing geometry for some metals. This structure is not a close-packed arrangement, just 68% of the space being filled (Lister and Renshaw, 2000). There is an atom located in the centre of a cube which is surrounded by eight other spheres. Figure 3 (Adapted from Clark, 2007) shows the structure of sodium: a coordination of eight and a unit cell containing two atoms. Figure 3: The Structure of Sodium (Adapted from Clark, 2007) There are several properties about metals. Most of metals tend to have a high melting point and boiling point due to the strength of the metallic bonding. The strength of metallic bonding is not only different from metal to metal, but also depends on the number of electrons which each atom can delocalise in the sea of electrons and by the packing. Transition metals have a high melting point and boiling point because they form a unit called hexagonal close packing. Group one such as Sodium is an exception and has a low melting point and boiling point, because it only has one electron to contribute to the bond and it is 8 co-ordinated which can not form strong enough bonds as other metals. Secondly, metals are good conductors of electricity. The electrons in the sea are free to move throughout the structure even cross the grain boundaries. The metallic bonding still exists as long as atoms are touching each other. In addition, these electrons are also responsible for the high thermal c onductivities of metals. Electrons of the metals can pick up heat energy which is transferred to the rest of metal by moving electrons (Clark, 2007). In conclusion, electrons are transferred forming ionic bonding in ionic crystal solid structure. As giant lattice of ions exist in ionic solids, the ionic solids not only have a high melting point and boiling point but also conduct electricity well. Metal hold the atoms together by metallic bonding which determines that metal compounds have a high melting point and boiling point and are good conductors of electricity and heat. Although both of giant covalent structures and simple molecular structures have electron sharing covalent bonding, they have different properties. Strong covalent network bonding is involved in giant covalent structures holding the atoms together, with the result that giant covalent compounds are easily to melt and can not conduct electricity. In contrast, there are some weak intramolecular forces in simple molecular structures which lead to this kind of structure having a low melting point and boiling point, and unable to conduct electricity.

Blood Promise Chapter Three

â€Å"Wait-what?† I exclaimed. That wasn't in the plan. That wasn't in the plan at all. I was trying to move through Russia in as incognito a way as possible. Plus, I didn't really relish the thought of having a tagalong-particularly one who appeared to hate me. I didn't know how long it would take to get to Siberia-a couple days, I thought-and I couldn't imagine spending them listening to Sydney talk about what an unnatural, evil being I was. Swallowing my outrage, I attempted reason. After all, I was asking a favor here. â€Å"That's not necessary,† I said, forcing a smile. â€Å"It's nice of you to offer, but I don't want to inconvenience you.† â€Å"Well,† she replied dryly, â€Å"there's no getting around that. And it's not me being nice. It's not even my choice. It's an order from my superiors.† â€Å"It still sounds like a pain in the ass for you. Why don't you just tell me where it is and blow them off?† â€Å"You obviously don't know the people I work for.† â€Å"Don't need to. I ignore authority all the time. It's not hard once you get used to it.† â€Å"Yeah? How's that working out for you with finding this village?† she asked mockingly. â€Å"Look, if you want to get there, this is the only way.† Well-it was the only way I could get there if I used Sydney for information. I could always go back to staking out the Nightingale†¦ but it had taken me this long to get a lead from there. Meanwhile, she was here right in front of me with the information I needed. â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Why do you have to go too?† â€Å"I can't tell you that. Bottom line: They told me to.† Lovely. I eyed her, trying to figure out what was going on here. Why on earth would anyone-let alone humans with their hands in the Moroi world -care where one teenage dhampir went? I didn't think Sydney had any ulterior motives-unless she was a very, very good actress. Yet, clearly the people she answered to had an agenda, and I didn't like playing into anyone's plan. At the same time, I was anxious to get on with this. Each day that passed was another in which I didn't find Dimitri. â€Å"How soon can we leave?† I asked at last. Sydney, I decided, was a paper-pusher. She'd shown no real skill in tracking me earlier. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to ditch her once we were near enough to Dimitri's town. She looked kind of disappointed at my response, almost as though she'd hoped I would decline and then she'd be off the hook. She didn't want to come with me any more than I wanted her to. Opening her purse, she took out her cell phone again, fiddled with it a couple of minutes, and finally produced some train times. She showed me the schedule for the next day. â€Å"Does that work for you?† I studied the screen and nodded. â€Å"I know where that station is. I can be there.† â€Å"Okay.† She stood up and tossed some cash on the table. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow.† She started to walk away and then glanced back at me. â€Å"Oh, and you can have the rest of my fries.† When I first came to Russia, I stayed in youth hostels. I'd certainly had the money to stay elsewhere, but I wanted to remain under the radar. Besides, luxury hadn't really been the first thing on my mind. When I began going to the Nightingale, however, I found I could hardly return to a boarding house of backpacking students while wearing a designer dress. So I was now staying at a posh hotel, complete with guys who always held the doors open and a marble-floored lobby. That lobby was so big that I think an entire hostel could have fit in it. Maybe two hostels. My room was large and overdone too, and I was grateful to reach it and change out of the heels and dress. I realized with only a small pang of regret that I'd have to leave the dresses I'd bought in Saint Petersburg behind. I wanted to keep my luggage light while jaunting around the country, and even if my backpack was large, there was only so much I could carry. Oh well. Those dresses would make some cleaning woman's day, no doubt. The only bit of ornamentation I really needed was my nazar, a pendant that looked like a blue eye. It had been a gift from my mother, which had in turn been a gift from my father. I always wore it around my neck. Our train for Moscow left late in the morning, and we would then catch a cross-country train to Siberia. I wanted to be well rested and ready for it all. Once in my pajamas, I snuggled under the bed's heavy comforter and hoped sleep would come soon. Instead, my mind spun with all the things that had happened recently. The Sydney situation was a bizarre twist but one I could handle. As long as we stuck to public transportation, she could hardly lead me into the clutches of her mysterious superiors. And from what she'd said about our travel time, it would indeed only take a couple of days or so to reach the village. Two days seemed both impossibly long and impossibly short. It meant I could very well be confronting Dimitri in a few days†¦ and then what? Could I do it? Could I bring myself to kill him? And even if I decided I could, would I actually have the skill to overpower him? The same questions that I'd been asking myself for the last two weeks kept plaguing me over and over. Dimitri had taught me everything I knew, and with enhanced Strigoi reflexes, he would truly be the god I'd always joked he was. Death was a very real possibility for me. But worrying wasn't helpful right now and, looking over at the clock in the room, I discovered I'd been lying awake for almost an hour. That was no good. I needed to be in peak condition. So I did something I knew I shouldn't do, but which always worked to get my mind off my worries-largely because it involved me being in someone else's mind. Slipping inside Lissa's head required only a small amount of concentration on my part. I hadn't known if I could do it when we were far apart, but I'd discovered the process was no different than if I were standing right beside her. It was late morning back in Montana, and Lissa had no classes today since it was Saturday. During my time away, I'd worked very hard to put up mental walls between us, almost completely blocking her and her feelings out. Now, inside her, all the barriers were down, and her emotions hit me like a tidal wave. She was pissed off. Really pissed off. â€Å"Why does she think she can just snap her fingers and get me to go anywhere she wants, anytime she wants?† Lissa growled. â€Å"Because she's the queen. And because you made a deal with the devil.† Lissa and her boyfriend, Christian, were lounging in the attic of the school's chapel. As soon as I recognized the surroundings, I nearly pulled out of her head. The two of them had had way too many â€Å"romantic† encounters up here, and I didn't want to stick around if clothes were going to be ripped off soon. Fortunately-or perhaps not-her annoyed feelings told me there'd be no sex today, not with her bad mood. It was kind of ironic, actually. Their roles were reversed. Lissa was the raging one while Christian remained cool and collected, trying to appear calm for her sake. He sat on the floor, leaning up against the wall, while she sat in front of him, his legs apart and his arms holding her. She rested her head on his chest and sighed. â€Å"For the last few weeks, I've done everything she's asked! ? ®Vasilisa, please show this stupid visiting royal around campus.' ? ®Vasilisa, please jump on a plane for the weekend so that I can introduce you to some boring officials here at Court.' ? ®Vasilisa, please put in some volunteer time with the younger students. It looks good.'† Despite Lissa's frustration, I couldn't help a little amusement. She had Queen Tatiana's voice down perfectly. â€Å"You would have done that last one willingly,† Christian pointed out. â€Å"Yeah†¦ the point being willingly. I hate her trying to dictate every part of my life lately.† Christian leaned over and kissed her cheek. â€Å"Like I said, you made a deal with the devil. You're her darling now. She wants to make sure you're making her look good.† Lissa scowled. Although Moroi lived inside human-run countries and were subject to those governments, they were also ruled by a king or queen who came from one of the twelve royal Moroi families. Queen Tatiana-an Ivashkov-was the current ruler, and she'd taken a particular interest in Lissa as the last living member of the Dragomir family. As such, Tatiana had cut Lissa a deal. If Lissa lived at Court after graduating from St. Vladimir's, the queen would arrange for her to attend LehighUniversity in Pennsylvania. Lissa was a total brain and thought living in Tatiana's household would be worth it to attend a semi-big, prestigious university, as opposed to the tiny ones Moroi usually went to (for safety reasons). As Lissa was finding out, though, the strings attached to that deal were already in place now. â€Å"And I just sit and take it,† Lissa said. â€Å"I just smile and say ? ®Yes, your majesty. Anything you want, your majesty.'† â€Å"Then tell her the deal's off. You'll be eighteen in a couple of months. Royal or not, you're under no obligations. You don't need her to go to a big school. We'll just take off, you and me. Go to whatever college you want. Or don't go to college at all. We can run off to Paris or something and work at a little cafe. Or sell bad art on the streets.† This actually made Lissa laugh, and she snuggled closer to Christian. â€Å"Right. I can totally see you having the patience to wait on people. You'd be fired your first day. Looks like the only way we'll survive is if I go to college and support us.† â€Å"There are other ways to get to college, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, but not to any that are this good,† she said wistfully. â€Å"Not easily, at least. This is the only way. I just wish I could have all this and stand up to her a little. Rose would.† â€Å"Rose would have gotten herself arrested for treason the first time Tatiana asked her to do something.† Lissa smiled sadly. â€Å"Yeah. She would have.† The smile turned into a sigh. â€Å"I miss her so much.† Christian kissed her again. â€Å"I know.† This was a familiar conversation for them, one that never grew old because Lissa's feelings for me never faded. â€Å"She's okay, you know. Wherever she is, she's okay.† Lissa stared off into the attic's darkness. The only light came from a stained-glass window that made the whole place look like a fairyland. The space had been recently cleaned out-by Dimitri and me, actually. It had only been a couple of months ago, but already, dust and boxes were accumulating once more. The priest here was a nice guy but kind of a pack rat. Lissa noticed none of this, though. Her thoughts were too focused on me. â€Å"I hope so. I wish I had some idea-any idea-where she is. I keep thinking that if anything happened to her, if she-† Lissa couldn't finish the thought. â€Å"Well, I keep thinking that I'd know somehow. That I'd feel it. I mean, I know the bond's one-way†¦ that's never changed. But I'd have to know if something happened to her, right?† â€Å"I don't know,† said Christian. â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not.† Any other guy would have said something overly sweet and comforting, assuring her that yes, yes, of course she'd know. But it was part of Christian's nature to be brutally honest. Lissa liked that about him. So did I. It didn't always make him a pleasant friend, but at least you knew he wasn't bullshitting you. She sighed again. â€Å"Adrian says she's okay. He visits her dreams. I'd give anything to be able to do that. My healing's getting better and better, and I've got the aura thing down. But no dreams yet.† Knowing Lissa missed me hurt almost more than if she'd completely written me off. I'd never wanted to hurt her. Even when I'd resented her for feeling like she was controlling my life, I'd never hated her. I loved her like a sister and couldn't stand the thought of her suffering now on my behalf. How had things gotten so screwed up between us? She and Christian continued sitting there in comfortable silence, drawing strength and love from each other. They had what Dimitri and I had had, a sense of such oneness and familiarity that words often weren't needed. He ran his fingers through her hair, and while I couldn't see it so well through her own eyes, I could imagine the way that pale hair would gleam in the rainbow light of the stained-glass windows. He tucked several long locks behind her ear and then tipped her head back, bringing his lips down to hers. The kiss started off light and sweet and then slowly intensified, warmth spreading from his mouth to hers. Uh-oh, I thought. It might be time to take off after all. But she ended it before I had to. â€Å"It's time,† she said regretfully. â€Å"We've got to go.† The look in Christian's crystal-blue eyes said otherwise. â€Å"Maybe this is the perfect time for you to stand up to the queen. You should just stay here -it'd be a great way to build character.† Lissa lightly elbowed him and then planted a kiss on his forehead before standing up. â€Å"That is not why you want me to stay, so don't even try to play me.† They left the chapel, and Christian mumbled something about wanting to do more than play that earned him another elbow. They were heading toward the administration building, which was in the heart of the upper school's campus. Aside from the first blushes of spring, everything looked like it had when I'd left-at least on the outside. The stone buildings remained grand and imposing. The tall, ancient trees continued their watch. Yet, inside the hearts of the staff and students, things had changed. Everyone carried scars from the attack. Many of our people had been killed, and while classes were up and running again, everyone still grieved. Lissa and Christian reached their destination: the administration building. She didn't know the reason for her summoning, only that Tatiana had wanted her to meet some royal guy who had just arrived at the Academy. Considering how many people Tatiana was always forcing her to meet lately, Lissa didn't think too much of it. She and Christian stepped inside the main office, where they found Headmistress Kirova sitting and chatting with an older Moroi and a girl about our age. â€Å"Ah, Miss Dragomir. There you are.† I'd gotten in trouble with Kirova a lot while I'd been a student, yet seeing her now made me feel kind of nostalgic. Getting suspended for starting a fight in class seemed worlds better than traipsing through Siberia to find Dimitri. Kirova had the same birdlike appearance she'd always had, the same glasses balanced at the end of her nose. The man and girl stood up, and Kirova gestured to them. â€Å"This is Eugene Lazar and his daughter Avery.† Kirova turned back toward Lissa. â€Å"This is Vasilisa Dragomir and Christian Ozera.† A fair bit of sizing up went on then. Lazar was a royal name, but that was no surprise since Tatiana had initiated this meeting. Mr. Lazar gave Lissa a winning smile as he shook her hand. He seemed a bit surprised to meet Christian, but the smile stayed. Of course, that kind of reaction to Christian wasn't so unusual. The two ways to become Strigoi were by choice or by force. A Strigoi could turn another person-human, Moroi, or dhampir-by drinking their blood and then feeding Strigoi blood back to them. That was what had happened to Dimitri. The other way to become Strigoi was unique to Moroi -and it was done by choice. Moroi who purposely chose to kill a person by drinking blood would also turn Strigoi. Usually, Moroi only drank small, nonlethal amounts from willing humans. But taking so much that it destroyed another's life force? Well, that turned Moroi to the dark side, taking away their elemental magic and transforming them into the twisted undead. That was exactly what Christian's parents had done. They'd willingly killed and become Strigoi to gain eternal life. Christian had never shown any desire to become Strigoi, but everyone acted as though he were about to. (Admittedly, his snarky attitude didn't always help.) A lot of his close family-despite being royal-had been unfairly shunned as well. He and I had teamed up to kick a fair amount of Strigoi ass during the attack, though. Word of that was getting around and improving his reputation. Kirova was never one to waste time with formalities, so she got straight to the point. â€Å"Mr. Lazar is going to be the new headmaster here.† Lissa had still been smiling at him politely, but her head immediately jerked toward Kirova. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm going to be stepping down,† explained Kirova, voice flat and emotionless enough to rival any guardian's. â€Å"Though I'll still be serving the school as a teacher.† â€Å"You're going to teach?† Christian asked incredulously. She gave him a dry look. â€Å"Yes, Mr. Ozera. It was what I originally went to school for. I'm sure if I try hard enough, I can remember how to do it.† â€Å"But why?† asked Lissa. â€Å"You do a great job.† It was more or less true. Despite my disputes with Kirova-usually over me breaking rules-I still had a healthy respect for her. Lissa did too. â€Å"It's something I've thought about returning to for some time,† explained Kirova. â€Å"Now seemed as good a time as any, and Mr. Lazar is a very capable administrator.† Lissa was pretty good at reading people. I think it was part of spirit's side effects, along with how spirit made its users very, very charismatic. Lissa thought Kirova was lying, and so did I. If I'd been able to read Christian's mind, my guess would have been that he felt the same way. The attack on the Academy had sent a lot of people into a panic, royals in particular, even though the problem that had led to the attack had long since been fixed. I was guessing that Tatiana's hand was at work here, forcing Kirova to step down and have a royal take her place, thus making other royals feel better. Lissa didn't let her thoughts show, and she turned back to Mr. Lazar. â€Å"Well, it's very nice to meet you. I'm sure you'll do a great job. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you.† She was playing the proper princess role perfectly. Being polite and sweet was one of her many talents. â€Å"Actually,† said Mr. Lazar, â€Å"there is.† He had a deep, booming voice, the kind that filled a room. He gestured toward his daughter. â€Å"I was wondering if you could show Avery around and help her find her way here. She graduated last year but will be assisting me in my duties. I'm sure she'd much rather be spending time with someone her own age, however.† Avery smiled, and for the first time, Lissa really paid attention to her. Avery was beautiful. Stunning. Lissa was beautiful too, between that gorgeous hair and the jade green eyes that ran in her family. I thought she was a hundred times prettier than Avery, but beside the older girl, Lissa felt kind of plain. Avery was tall and slim like most Moroi but had a few sexy curves thrown in. That kind of chest, like mine, was coveted among Moroi, and her long brown hair and blue-gray eyes completed the package. â€Å"I promise not to be too much of a pain,† said Avery. â€Å"And if you want, I'll give you some insider's tips on Court life. I hear you're going to be moving there.† Instantly, Lissa's defenses went up. She realized what was going on. Not only had Tatiana ousted Kirova, she'd sent a keeper for Lissa. A beautiful, perfect companion who could spy on Lissa and attempt to train her up to Tatiana's standards. Lissa's words were perfectly polite when she spoke, but there was a definite edge of frost in her voice. â€Å"That'd be great,† she said. â€Å"I'm pretty busy lately, but we can try to make the time.† Neither Avery's father nor Kirova seemed to notice the back off subtext, but something flashed in Avery's eyes that told Lissa the message had come through. â€Å"Thanks,† said Avery. Unless I was mistaken, there was some legitimate hurt in her face. â€Å"I'm sure we'll figure something out.† â€Å"Good, good,† said Mr. Lazar, totally oblivious to the girl drama. â€Å"Maybe you can show Avery to guest housing? She's staying in the east wing.† â€Å"Sure,† said Lissa, wishing she could do anything but that. She, Christian, and Avery started to leave, but just then, two guys entered the room. One was a Moroi, a little younger than us, and the other was a dhampir in his twenties-a guardian, from the look of his hard, serious features. â€Å"Ah, there you are,† said Mr. Lazar, beckoning the guys in. He rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. â€Å"This is my son Reed. He's a junior and will be attending classes here. He's very excited about it.† Actually, Reed looked extremely unexcited. He was pretty much the surliest guy I'd ever seen. If I ever needed to play the role of a disgruntled teen, I could have learned everything there was to know about it from Reed Lazar. He had the same good looks and features as Avery, but they were marred by a grimace that seemed permanently attached to his face. Mr. Lazar introduced the others to Reed. Reed's only response was a guttural, â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"And this is Simon, Avery's guardian,† continued Mr. Lazar. â€Å"Of course, while on campus, he doesn't need to be with her all the time. You know how it goes. Still, I'm sure you'll see him around.† I hoped not. He didn't look as completely unpleasant as Reed, but he had a certain dour nature that seemed extreme even among guardians. Suddenly, I kind of felt sorry for Avery. If this was her only company, I'd want to befriend someone like Lissa pretty badly. Lissa, however, made it clear that she wouldn't be part of Tatiana's schemes. With little conversation, she and Christian escorted Avery to guest housing and promptly left. Normally, Lissa would have stayed to help Avery get settled and offered to eat with her later. Not this time. Not with ulterior motives afoot. I came back to my own body, back in the hotel. I knew I shouldn't care about Academy life anymore and that I should even feel bad for Avery. Yet lying there and staring into the darkness, I couldn't help but take some smug-and yes, very selfish-satisfaction out of this encounter: Lissa wouldn't be shopping for a new best friend anytime soon.

Communication children/young people and staff Essay

Children need positive in their life, so its always nice to greet a child with a smile. It is so good to ask them how they are. Children always have some news to share no matter how important it may be. It is very important to them to listen to what they would like to share with you. Children/Young People and even Older people always like to feel that they matter and that they are important. Many children are learning at different levels. Some can take in more information than others. It is important that you adapt to every child/young persons need. You as well as them have to understand what level each person is at so you can help them reach the best they can. It is always better to be positive. Body language and attitude is very important when speaking to a child/young person or member of staff. Speak clearly so all can understand you. Let the children/young people/parents and even staff know that they can come and talk to you. Remember to listen, be polite, friendly and make sure they feel that they are being listened too. All children and young people have to understand that there are rules to follow and they have to behave in the correct manner. Children and young people look up to older people so it is a positive idea for the staff to follow the rules as well. Communication is very necessary when speaking to your colleagues. This way it ensures consistency throughout the staffing team. If staff do not talk to one another situations can get out of hand and could lead to disagreements or even resentment between your colleagues. The best way of preventing this sort of situation is for everyone to know and understand what is happening so we can all work it out together.

bio lab pill bug Essays

bio lab pill bug Essays bio lab pill bug Paper bio lab pill bug Paper What are the Effect of Different Environments and the Movement of Pill Bugs? Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to analyze pill bugs activity in different environments and determine the effect of wet/dry or dark/light environments have on them and how taxis takes place in their choices in living in areas. Background information: Terrestrial isopods are commonly referred to as sow bugs and pill bugs and have other nick names as well. These pill bugs are also related to lobsters, crabs and shrimp making them breathe with gills. Pill bugs also tend to live in moist cool areas such as underneath rocks and soil in order to keep them from ehydrating. These pill bugs seem to sense their environment with the antennae in front of their body. Males and females are typically distinguished through darker and lighter colors, darker bottom sides being males and lighter being females. They also breathe through their gill like structures within their bodies. Through the first lab experiment that I did, I allowed the pill bugs to move freely without interfering with any of their decisions. After recording the numbers after every thirty seconds I believe that through taxis they chose to move the side where the moist was much higher. Based on my data I have concluded that pill bugs prefer moist living condition than dry. Hypothesis: If pill bugs naturally live under rocks and typically come out during the night, I predict that most of the will prefer the darker setting more than the lighter Materials: Dirt/S0il Roly-polies An apple Mister Shoe box Foam cup Duct tape Procedure: Isopod tracking chart in wet and dry conditions Time (min:sec)# Wet# Dry o:oo 0:30 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 8; 30 9:00 9:30 100 8 9 7 6 2 3 4 10:oo 9 Isopod tracking chart with light and dark setting Time (min:sec)# Light # Dark :oo 5 5 4:00 6:30 8;30 5 10:oo 7 Discussion: The purpose of this lab was to identify how pill bugs react in different environments and how taxis takes a role in their decisions. Through this lab I was able to acquire an abundant amount of information to support my hypothesis. Based on the data that came out of the light vs. ark experiment I have concluded that pill bugs prefer darker environments than light. In order to support this data IVe done research, which spec ifically states the isopods, like pill bugs prefer darken areas than light due to the fact that the sun puts these bugs at risk of drying out. The most otable error that could have occurred was the bugs themselves run into each other. In order to fix this problem I could have open the passage wider so that they can easily move freely to each side. For future experiments i believe it should be done outside so that the bugs can feel the heat waves so that it gives the lab a little bit more credibility. This lab should also be done on a larger scale with more details, like either giving them more room on in each environment like a shoe box and having the experiment go on for a couple of days instead of minutes. Conclusion: Through this lab IVe discovered that in order for an animal to survive hey go through one of two actions, kinesis or taxi. This is also proof that animals go through natural selection and the fittest will survive. Conclusion Questions: (B) 1 . Based on your observations, do isopods prefer a moist or dry environment? -Based on my results, these bugs prefer to live in moist areas. (B)2. Would the movement observed be an example of taxis or kinesis? -l believe their actions were an example of kinesis due to higher numbers in wet areas. (B)3. Suggest a reason characteristics could lower the possibility of being eaten due to the fact that not very many predators live where they do (C)l . Did the isopods exhibit kinesis and/or taxis? -l believe that the bugs exhibited kinesis until the darker environment was found, and then after experiencing the darker area they chose to stay there by taxis. (C)2. What is the adaptive significance of the behavior you observed? -In order to prevent dehydration these pill bugs instinctively stayed in the darker cool area. (C)3. How can we apply the findings of this experiment to the study of behavior in other organisms? -Through this experiment I found that this sets an example of the animal kingdom and demonstrates how animals encounter different challenges and come about surviving.

Smoking Weed and Tobacco usage essays

Smoking Weed and Tobacco usage essays Smoking is a very significant issue in the world today. Smoking tobacco and marijuana are both important issues in society today. I always see commercials on TV against smoking and why you (especially young kids) shouldnt smoke. I was wondering if these commercials and other advertisements were really telling the truth and if smoking was all as bad as they made it out to be. I will do a lot of research on this topic such as if these ads are really true or if they are expanding the truth or even if they are lying. I will do most of my research on the Internet and maybe an encyclopedia or magazine. I know smoking tobacco is bad for you. I know that it has many negative short and long term effects on its users. I also know that it can be addictive. What I know about marijuana is that it is illegal and is sometimes referred to as the gateway drug that gets you into more harmful and expensive drugs. For a lot of people, this is not true though. I assume that smoking marijuana is not very bad for you because there arent very many things that are bad for you when you smoke it. I know that it does sometimes cause short term memory loss and maybe it makes you paranoid but these symptoms are not present in all users. Smoking tobacco I think, is much more harmful and dangerous because of its known effects even short term such as decreased blood circulation and cold hands and feet. These symptoms happen after only 24 hours after you smoke a cigarette. I also assume that marijuana will be legalized in a very short time because of its wide use and also because there are too many crimes related to marijuana where people are caught with a small amount of the substance but are put in jail for long periods of time. Most marijuana users are harmless to the public and smoking marijuana does not make you a threat to the public, as sometimes drinking alcohol does and that is legal....

Environmental scanning paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental scanning paper - Essay Example ch corporate culture that has facilitated a certain way of dealing with the competitive environment that the corporation operates in (Kim and Yoffie, 2011). External factors to which the corporation is exposed are depicted by the existence of a very competitive culture with many retail outlets established nearly everywhere that it ventures. Since it operates on a global level, Wal-Mart has to cope with a highly diversified culture in every country that it sets up shop. To deal with the competitive nature of the market at the international platform has necessitated a marketing strategy that consists of a research and development to unlock the competitive advantage. A strong brand name at Wal-Mart has facilitated the entry of the retail chain store to set up shop easily in new markets. McDonalds is a multinational facing a greater level of diversity than a majority of the corporate world players. The human resource is a very important internal strength at McDonalds since the top management officials are specially trained at the Hamburger University in a move that ensures strategic management on all fronts. Diversity is particularly well managed at McDonalds across the diverse global market presence created at every corner of the world. The fact that the largest number of minority workers is employed at the corporation reveals the embrace to diversity that exists at McDonalds than in many other industries. Externally, the corporation feels it more important to handle the health of the consumers and the entire market with more direct caution due to the sensitivity that that the food industry has. Due to the high competition of the food industry, McDonalds needs to deal with the market pressure for sustainable operations. Firstly, the high consumer behavior and preferences attachments to the food products that consumers search in the market force the corporation to realign its product preparation, package and appeal. Secondly, there is need to assure the consumers

Marketing of Art Products Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing of Art Products - Assignment Example This analysis focuses on the various aspects of arts marketing and evaluates whether the different conduits for arts sales could be considered as efficient in their sales and marketing approach. The sales outlets for marketing of art products largely depend on direct consumers, festival or exhibition visitors and also on sponsors. Olkonnen et al (2000) argue that there is little or no academic interest or research studies on the phenomenon of commercial sponsorship on arts, sports and media events. Sponsorship as a study of marketing management is largely defined by marketing mix and mass communication and Olkonnen et al claim that sponsorship could be better defined by applying the approach towards networking and interaction. Networking in marketing of arts focuses on understanding the dynamics of sponsorship as a method of networks and relationships and also interpersonal communication rather than sponsorship as a measure of effects on the audience or consumers. The art festival is one of the major marketing tools through which a large number of art enthusiasts could be assembled to focus on both the academic and the commercial aspects of art. Waterman (1998) writes that despite the prominence and ubiquity of such art festivals these festivals have not been studied or researched to an appropriate degree. These art festivals serve as a platform for new artists and also from a social perspective transform places and settings into environments thriving with the production and processing ad even consumption of the very essence of culture which seem to be available within a specific location. The way a particular culture in manifested and projected becomes very obvious in festivals and festivals play a major role in highlighting cultural aspects of art apart from being a major conduit for the sale and marketing of arts. Waterman (1998) goes a bit further in discussion the implications of these festivals and suggests that support for arts is a pro cess used by elites to distance themselves from the other classes of society. Thus being a patron of arts marks out someone as member of refined or higher social class. However the changing nature of festivals is obvious as from being traditionally innovative and being controlled by artistic directors, these festivals are now increasingly controlled by marketing managers and agencies who have been transforming arts into an industry with a strong potential for marketing and attracting consumers at a large scale. Arts festivals are now seen as serving the dual purpose of marketing the arts products as also advertising the place in which such festivals are held and thus tend to attract sponsors and agencies that have many different marketing approaches and motivations. Waterman (1998) suggests that the concept of festival for arts and economics may be related to tensions between culture and cultural politics. Direct marketing of art objects is one of the more traditional and common ways of marketing and selling art products. Arnold and Tapp (2003) suggest that direct marketing is being increasingly used by non profit organisations to reach consumers, raise sales and revenues and improve long term consumer relationships. In case of selling of arts