Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Example

Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Example Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Advertisement involves communication to a target market. The intension is to attract the target market, primarily to the advertisement, then ether to the product, or the through the context of the advertisement to the product. Their intension is to pursued through the point of contact between commercial interests and the audience as consumers of products and services. Although it is important to remember that that there are constrains to advertising, for example certain products and services may not be advertised religions and doctors and fortune tellers, cigarettes and other tobacco products. Alcohol may not be glamorised for youth audiences. The National Lottery, slimming products and alcohol products may not be advertised around childrens programmes. The advertising of womens sanitary products is not permitted until after 9.00 p.m. Although small aspects, rules like these ethical constrains appear obvious. Using them as an example it is easy to see the ever-changing environments that advertisers have to navigate. Advertising is directed at mass audiences, so to be tasteful and descent appropriate in any work done. Advertising is very similar to television, and other programmes; * Comes out of the same production base, technologies and production practices. * Has the same basic narrative structures, but compressed. * Uses genre material as a point of recognition and attraction for the audience * Makes interstitial references to other television material * Uses television performers (and their voices) whom we know from other programmes. * Creates its own stars and popular series. General, and obvious key areas adverts want to achieve: (*The connotation strategic methods) * Persuasion An advert communicates, and attempts to win over the audience. *Persuasion:- It is illegal and sinful to use subliminal messaging * Justification The above persuasion would not be possible with out justification Advertisers use special tools in there advertisements to avoid problems such as ethical complaints, taste and decency ect (above). Tabaco companies such as Marlboro use hidden and covert messaging to avoid such regulations. Fear and emotion are the main aspects advertisers try to tap. In this tool box aspects such as the following help towards a direct approach at communicating with audiences;- Surrealism/ inversion *See Orange mobile phone advertisement (*currently showing 11/04/02). There is a man who is on his way somewhere (not specified) and keeps meeting people he knows. The orange phrase is; connecting people; the man must represent the (advert directed) orange philosophy, demonstrated as lots of people waving, saying hello, where he replies. This approach is very surreal, this man appears to know every person he walks by, but is conducted in a very natural manor, expressing an un-real environment. In an attempt to express the communication aspects of him, appealing to feelings such as recognition, social achievement ect. Endorsement This comes in the form of celebrities, or presenters appealing to audiences emotions involved in a range of representations. I.e. health, social direction, lifestyle, point of sale ect. A good example of popular endorsement would be the use of sporting personalities to endorse products. *See Nestle Sporties, this commercial used Mike Own a well-known footballer to been seen eating the product. This would entice fans of this player to eat the breakfast cereal he does. Endorsement around the identity of the product, can be seen with release of Lucozade Sport, where the product endorses the Sport image, inventing slogans and ideas, such as energy replenishment, leading to express a statistic stating 33% more energy from lucazade than standard pop drinks (I think it must be packed with more sugar than the other drinks). Concern of Compassion This strategy is used widely in the cosmetics industry. Where the common form of advertisement is to use and portray perfect models, or perfect beauty to express youthfulness. Or in charity advertisements of i.e. third world countries or RSPCA adverts, where an audience have concern and compassion over an example of poor, or needful persons. From what small donations would make large differences. Concern of compassion on a more overt level can be seen in such advertisements for cleaning adverts. I.e. The advert demonstrates to the mother that she should clean the kitchen surfaces to stop germs breading. Depictions of the child playing on the floor, with reassured looks demonstrate to audience that this is the right way to clean, and she uses Flash to do it with, the right choice of cleaning product. Politics: This can benefit and obstruct advertisers. Obviously advertisers need to work in the conjunction of rules and regulations, but can also feed off any political headlines at that time. With out reference; politics can benefit an advert on many levels. Whether that would be from such things as tax, or political issues ect. (i.e. foot and mouth, tourism industries). Physical techniques: Repetition; is used to remind audiences of the advert/ product, service. Steady repetition is used regularly in advertisement Advertising relies just as much on visual appearance as the overt connotations; (*denotation) Content of the advertisement: Strategies Companies develop strategies to assist them in meeting their objectives. The types of strategy which might be identified in terms of advertising could include: * Identifying the benefit being offered to the consumer by the organisation or its products/ services. * Putting forward an argument to help to sell the product * Identifying to whom the argument is being aimed * Being able to convince the target audience to believe the message Product-Oriented Strategies These strategies relate specifically to the product itself, i.e.: * Generic strategies Sell the category of product, e.g. slimming drinks, toilet roll, trainers. They do not sell the actual brand, e.g. Heinz Baked Beans. Generic clams relate to the highlighting of a particular benefit of a product, i.e. quick effective relief from indigestion, clean Wights etc. Some advertisers highlight this kind of generic claim and then relate their particular brand to that claim to gain a cumulative benefit. * Features of the product Highlighted in an attempt to appeal to the individuals reason. The advertiser attempts to suggest that the logical choice would be their particular brand in preference to others. This is an effective approach if the advertiser is attempting to gain distinction for his or her brand. * Positioning Strategies This strategy attempts to carve out a desired and very distinct market niche. The idea of positioning was developed by Trout Ries. Consumers tend to place products into a hierarchy, and the positioning is about where in that hierarchy the advertisers brand appears. Coca Colas campaigns Coke is it and the real thing were an attempt to position the product as the authentic cola drink. Pepsi on the other hand attempted to reposition Coke Cola by suggesting that it was a drink for older people, with the campaign The choice of a new generation. This type of strategy works well for new products. Questions that need to be addressed in terms of positioning are: * What the brands present position in the market? * Where are your competitors placed in the market? * Does the company wish to reposition its present position in some way? * What type of advertising approach could we use? * USP The unique selling proposition will depend upon the culture of the company and its approach to advertising. Every companys ultimate aim is to create an idea, which will result in the sale of the companys product/ service. The USP was a philosophy developed by Rosser Reeves. It suggests that every product/ service has characteristics that make it unique at its level. Preferably, these characteristics should be a major feature of the product, thereby making the brand superior to others. A slogan like Guinness is good for you is a unique-selling-proposition statement. A unique selling proposition based on a physical characteristic limits potential, however, and could run into difficulty with strict advertising codes that now exist. The claim by Persil that it washes wighter is an example of such a proposition. All advertisements should, nevertheless, promote one specific benefit to the consumer. Consumer-Oriented Strategies These strategies are aimed at the consumer: * Brand image strategies These strategies attempt to give the brand a personality, and that personality- instead of any built-in or intrinsic features of the product is what is being sold. David Ogilvy is credited with developing the idea of a brand image in the 1950s for products like Schweppes. With Coca Cola and Pepsi we have two similar products which are differentiated by the way each brand is portrayed and communicated through advertising. This approach works well in a competitive market environment or where the product might be classed as a commodity, i.e. soap, beer etc. This type of advertising also works well for products which have obviouse social identities, i.e. cars. Products which are invisible, i.e. cleaning products or food products stored in cupboards, are also sold by using the brand image approach.

Definition and Examples of Online Reading

Definition and Examples of Online Reading Definition Online reading is the process of extracting meaning from a text that is in a digital format. Also called digital reading. Most researchers agree that the experience of reading online (whether on a PC or a mobile device) is fundamentally different from the experience of reading print materials. As discussed below, however, the nature and quality of these different experiences (as well as the particular skills required for proficiency) are still being debated and explored. See Examples and Observations  below. Also see: ReadingThe Advantages of Slow Reading and Slow Writing Close Reading and Deep Reading How to Become a Creative ReaderOnline WritingReaderReading Speed Writers on Reading Examples and Observations Unlike reading print sources, reading online is nonlinear. When you read a book or an article in print, you follow a reading sequence- beginning at the start of the text and progressing through the text systematically. However, when you read information online, you frequently jump around from source to source using hyperlinks that direct you to a different Web page.(Christine Evans Carter, Mindscapes: Critical Reading Skills and Strategies, 2nd ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2014) Comparing Print and Digital Reading ExperiencesCertainly, as we turn to online reading, the physiology of the reading process itself shifts; we don’t read the same way online as we do on paper. . . .When Ziming Liu, a professor at San Jose State University whose research centers on digital reading and the use of e-books, conducted a review of studies that compared print and digital reading experiences, . . . he found that several things had changed. On screen, people tended to browse and scan, to look for k eywords, and to read in a less linear, more selective fashion. On the page, they tended to concentrate more on following the text. Skimming, Liu concluded, had become the new reading: the more we read online, the more likely we were to move quickly, without stopping to ponder any one thought. . . .[P]erhaps digital reading isn’t worse so much as different than print reading. Julie Coiro, who studies digital reading comprehension in elementary- and middle-school students at the University of Rhode Island, has found that good reading in print doesn’t necessarily translate to good reading on-screen. The students do not only differ in their abilities and preferences; they also need different sorts of training to excel at each medium. The online world, she argues, may require students to exercise much greater self-control than a physical book. In reading on paper, you may have to monitor yourself once, to actually pick up the book, she says. On the Internet, that monitoring and self-regulation cycle happens again and again.(Maria Konnikova, Being a Better Online Reader. The New Yorker, July 16, 2014) Developing New Skills for Online Reading- How does the nature of writing and reading change on the Internet? What, if any, new literacies do we require? We are just discovering the answers to these questions (Afflerbach Cho, 2008). First, it appears that online reading comprehension typically takes place within a research and problem-solving task (Coiro Castek, 2010). In short, online reading is online research. Second, online reading also becomes tightly integrated with writing, as we communicate with others to learn more about the questions we explore and as we communicate our own interpretations. A third difference that exists is that new technologies . . . are used online. Additional skills are required to use each of these technologies effectively. . . .Finally, and perhaps most importantly, online reading may require even greater amounts of higher-level thinking than offline reading. In a context in which anyone may publish anything, higher-level thinking skills such as crit ical evaluation of source material and understanding an authors point of view become especially important online.(Donald J. Leu, Elena Forani. and Clint Kennedy, Providing Classroom Leadership in New Literacies. The Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs, 5th ed., edited by Shelley B. Wepner, Dorothy S. Strickland, and Diana J. Quatroche. Teachers College Press, 2014)- [E]ncouraging students to take on a leadership role in sharing their online skills and strategies has proven to be a beneficial means of promoting acquisition of the new literacies of online reading comprehension (Castek, 2008). The findings from this study suggest that students learn online reading comprehension skills best from other students, within the context of challenging activities designed by the teacher. Increased levels of challenge appeared to prompt students to try multiple approaches to making sense of complex information and encouraged them to think deeply about solving problems.(Jacquelynn A. Malloy, Jill M. Castek, and Donald J. Leu, Silent Reading and Online Reading Comprehension. Revisiting Silent Reading: New Directions for Teachers and Researchers, ed. by Elfrieda H. Hiebert and D. Ray Reutzel. International Reading Association, 2010) Reading More, Remembering Less?We might have more access to information than ever before, but reading things online actually has a negative impact on peoples cognition.[In a study conducted at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand,] associate professor Val Hooper and masters student Channa Heraths analysis of online and offline reading behaviour found that online reading generally does not have a positive impact on peoples cognition.Concentration, comprehension, absorption and recall rates when engaging with online material were all much lower than traditional text.This is despite people getting through more material thanks to skim reading and scanning online material.(Internet Makes Us Stupid: Study. Sydney Morning Herald [Australia], July 12, 2014) The Transition to Digital ReadingIts still words being taken in on a computer screen, and for millions of people it is a daily occurrence, one that now seems as natural to them as anything else in their lives. To think that mil lions wont be willing or able to make the transition to an overall digital reading experience is naà ¯ve. In large measure, people already do the majority of their reading digitally.(Jeff Gomez, Print Is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age. Macmillan, 2008) The Lighter Side of Online ReadingAnyway, Ive done lots of research for the past, you know, few hours, and I found out that most people will believe anything they read. And I know its true because, you know, I . . . I read it online somewhere.(Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Ferb Latin/Lotsa Latkes. Phineas and Ferb, 2011)

Information Systems Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Information Systems - Term Paper Example The company also appears in the Forbes Global 2000 as the fourth largest company in the world, considering further metrics. This is in spite of the company ranking 14th most profitable corporation in the US, also according to the Fortune 500 list. The success of this company comes from its lean management style, as well as the internal controls structures implemented within the organization. GE has in place a number of internal controls that enable it to operate both efficiently, as well as profitably. According to the latest 10 – K report from the company, it is evident that the company meets the rules and regulations criterion of the Internal Control Integrated Framework as established by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) and the PCAOB. This commission established a number of guidelines to adhere to while undertaking internal control processes and procedures, and as such, General Electric (GE) Corporation has to adhere to these provisions in order to be compliant with Internal Control Integrated Framework set by COSO and PCAOB. Initially, the essence of internal controls is to keep the company on the right course in order to guarantee the achievement of its mission, as well as ensure maximum profitability in operations. Furthermore, internal control systems are equally instrumental because they enable the company to minimize the level of surprises that they may encounter along the way. As such, internal control mechanisms enable the executive team of the company to deal appropriately with the rapidly changing economic field, as well as the growing competitive environments of trade, in addition to shifts in customer priorities and demands. Therefore, the administration of the company is better place to restructure the organization for future growth and development within the modern day dynamic business environment. The company ends up enjoying a significant wide range of benefits through it

The Transportation Security Administration Essay

The Transportation Security Administration - Essay Example The TSA is also charged with the responsibility of inspecting rail cars, looking for bombs at checkpoints in and around the country's airports, and patrolling subways (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To better understand the TSA, it is crucial that we look at its mission and core values, and how they have been achieved. As already mentioned, the TSA is mandated to protect the transportation systems of the country in a way that would ensure free movement of people and trade. Its vision, though not yet attained, is to persistently guide the standards for distinction in transportation security through its processes, technology, and people (Transport Security Administration, 2008). To achieve its shared goals and enhance its mission performance, the TSA has set aside some core values. Let me present them in a summary form for they will be instrumental in gauging the situation at TSA and how improvements need to be carried out. Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. ... Team spirit TSA is made up of respectful, open, and dedicated people in the business of improving the lives of others. TSA takes pride in challenges, success, and aims at winning in all its endeavors. TSA takes pride in building teams around its core strengths. Evaluating the situation at TSA Though its mission, vision, and core values may reflect a picture of a very efficient and effective agency, TSA has been faced by numerous scandals and criticisms since its inception in 2001. Judging by the magnitude of some of the high-profile scandals, the situation at TSA can be said to be pretty bad. Let me analyze the scandals and criticisms one at a time so that the real picture of TSA inefficiencies and how it can improve can be drawn out. TSA Scanners and screeners Judging by what happened on September 11 2001 in the United States after the terrorists strike, TSA should be in the forefront to ensure that such an occurrence do not happen again. Many innocent people lost their lives in that fateful day when terrorists hijacked some planes only to ram them against the World Trade centre. Against this backdrop, TSA was established and given the mandate of checking for bombs and other dangerous weapons from passengers, especially those boarding aero planes, and those on transit (Boyd, 2005). But the TSA scanners and screeners are not up to this task. In recent tests conducted to ascertain whether their scanners could detect bombs, 75 percent of fake bombs could not be identified by their security screeners at LAX. 60 percent of fake bomb components could not be smoked out in Chicago O'Hare by TSA security scanners. Detection levels by private security firms were much higher, with only 20

Film studies (Authorship module) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film studies (Authorship module) - Essay Example Today, no contemporary American director more deserves the title of auteur than Martin Scorsese Martin Scorsese is the perfect example of an auteur because he uses the same thematic consistencies throughout all of his work. These entail Catholicism, virgin/whore conflict, redemption, ethnic pride, and of course crime culture. On top of this, he supports all of his plots with very eclectic soundtracks. The cinematography he uses is very similar in all of his films. He utilizes the fluid motion of the camera with each shot, while making the mis-en-scene of each frame valuable to the plot of the story. He is also know for using some of the same actors in his films, specifically Robert Deniro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel. Of his large body of work, Mean Street symbolizes the blue print to the archetype that has become his unique style. Scorsese has a visual style that relies on the city of New York. Mean Street embodies the culture that comes with this location. In the film, the audience is subjected to getting to know characters who spend their time womanizing, hustling, fighting, and drinking. Centered on the struggles of four men in their mid-20's and all residents of Little Italy, who are working their way up the rungs of gangster culture, some are loan sharks, and some are just plain hoods. Tony (David Proval) is a big friendly guy who runs the neighborhood bar; Michael (Richard Romanus) is a small-time loan shark who tends to rip off Brooklyn adolescents. Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) is an irresponsible hood who borrows money from loan sharks that he never intends to pay back, and Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is the nephew of the mafia boss Giovani (Cesar Danova). Charlie's only aspiration is to run his own restaurant. Mean Street is authentically based on specific events Scorsese saw almost regularly while he was brought up in Little Italy. The screenplay for the film initially started out as a continuation of Who's That Knocking. Scorsese changed the title from Season of the Witch to Mean Street. The film is arguably Scorsese's most religious film, even more so than his film The Last Temptation of Christ. This is in part due to the fact that the original draft of Mean Street centered on the religious conflict inside of Charlie and how it was affecting his world view. Charlie sees saving Johnny Boy as a way to find redemption. His aspirations for sainthood are played out through his behavior on the streets, as opposed to going to church. This is one of the implied meanings in the film. The implied meaning that comes with an auteur directed film is all present in Mean Street. In his article Senses of Cinema, Marc Raymond points out many of the film's intricacies. He argues that there is an implied homoeroticism between Johnny Boy and Charlie. He points this out when he says: The couple of the film is clearly Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) rather than Charlie and his girlfriend Theresa (Amy Robinson). This can be seen in one particular sequence in which Charlie and Johnny Boy stay out all night and sleep in the same bed together. Charlie gets out of bed and goes to the window, where he sees Theresa dressing. The next scene cuts to Charlie and Theresa making love in a hotel room. (Raymond, Pg1) Raymond argues that Johnny boy plays the part of the Femme Fatale and that this is a very

Rhetorical Analysis Of Native American Poverty Politics Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Of Native American Poverty Politics Essay Despite the alarming data used to convince the reader that the plight of the Native Americans in poverty is due to government neglect, inattention and lack of aid, Tom Rodgers fails to succeed in his argument for more support. This rhetorical analysis, using a number of sources will counter Rodgers arguments that the government has failed to support and protect the Native Indian and provide more than adequate aid for the success and betterment of this group of indigenous peoples. Introduction Driving through virtually any Native American reserve, one can see the poverty that this group faces. Despite the beauty of this culture and the sense of community, it is not an easy existence. Nowhere has the distance between the haves and have-nots been more evident than on the native reserves of North America. Native Americans are suffering from a dearth of jobs, high poverty rates, and little education. The poverty rate among Native Americans is 28.4%. For the nation as a whole, the corresponding rate was 15.3 percent (United States Census Bureau, 2011). With this poverty have come the inherent poor housing, inferior education, lack of jobs, poor health conditions, and host of other problems typically seen in struggling communities. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was established to promote agricultural and economic development, provide health programs, social services and Native American schools. However, in recent years Native Americans have begun actively protesting their dissatisfaction with the bureau and have accused the government of mismanaging the monies to be given to the tribes and directly contributing to the dire poverty on the reservations. In Tom Rodgers piece, he declares that Poverty is both the cause and consequence of all the ills visited upon Native Americans. Failure to address poverty causes deprivation and hardship in these communities today, and robs the next generation of any opportunity to succeed and thrive tomorrow (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers, a Native American and member of the Blackfeet tribe, is an advocate who works on the behalf of tribal governments, and a previous congressional staffer to a senator. Rodgers has declared that Native Americans are living in untenable situations and that it is time for the US government to make good on its promises of support. His piece goes on to say that although we have moved beyond wanton neglect and violence, our national response to the problem of poverty in Native American communities remains woefully inadequate (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers tells us that Native Americans are some of the poorest in the entire nation and feels that support is needed for basic services an d that the United States, although one of the wealthiest nations of the world, has not adopted the United Nations proposal for adoption of the Declaration on the Right of the Indigenous Peoples (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers deems that there is a need to expand formal rights and a better federal performance. Essentially Rodgers decries the level of awareness and recognition of Americans and the need for more aid. While one would never suggest that historically the Native Americans did not lose much when they were stripped of their lands, one could submit that ongoing government subsidies have perpetuated the cycle of poverty seen today on native reserves. In this piece, Rodgers neglects to show that funds given to tribes have been woefully mismanaged, fraudulently spent by the native councils, and have directly contributed to a general decline. Government officials designed many programs to alleviate conditions of desperation and poverty among Americas indigenous populations (Thompson, 2005). The result of Rodgers ignoring the fact that Native Americans have historically been one of the most funded groups in North America undermines his suggestion that more aid is the answer. Rodgers taps into our moral outrage and tries to evoke our sympathy using pathos by citing an example from 1862. In a time of starvation in a Dakota Sioux tribe, members were told, when the U.S. government failed provide the money owed to them by an Indian Agent, If they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung (Rodgers, 2008). While anyone would agree that this is a most heinous statement in response to rampant starvation, it is taken from a statement made 152 years ago! This is in no way a current sentiment, and just manages to underline Rodgers use of past transgressions to absolve natives from responsibility for the situation they are in today. This non sequitur, while shocking, does nothing to explain the situation as it exists today and leaves the reader wondering if this substantiates or gives credence to any argument that natives are not well funded and thereby neglected by The US government. In fact, in a piece written by John Stossel, he maintains that Yes, the gove rnment signed treaties with the tribes that make Indians special. But that specialness has brought the Indian socialism. Its what keeps them dependent and poor (Stossel, 2011). Rodgers argues that it is the due to Native Americans for more aid. He reasons that ethically and historically it is their appointed right. Yet, it is interesting to note that Africa, a nation amongst the poorest in the world, has adopted a new tradition of trade not aid. On the Good African website it states, We passionately believe that Trade is the only viable strategy for Africas economic and social development. Africa has received over US$ 500 billion in Aid over the last 50 years and yet despite these huge inflows, the continent remains mired in poverty, disease, and systemic corruption. There are many problems in using Aid as a vehicle for development. This is because handouts have never been an effective way to achieve economic transformation (Good African, n.d.). The website explains that aid undermines independence, erodes accountability and leads to dependency on donors. Whoever can say they have pride in something they did not earn? Rodgers does not take the time in his article to examine the generations who have received aid, and why despite the monies received, this society has been seemingly irrevocably broken down. By only stating that more aid is needed, it does not address the reasons why, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when tribes as virtual wards of the state, and who have a government that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ manages their land, provides their healthcare, and pays for housing and child care, still manages to have the highest poverty rate, nearly 25 percent, and the lowest life expectancy of any group in America (Stossel, 2011). His part for the whole argument cannot stand when we see that while Africas solution of no longer relying on aid seems counterintuitive, its working, while the standard of giving aid to the natives in North America is not. Socialism will destroy America the same way it has destroyed the American Indian. If we are going to learn anything from the tribes and nations, it should be that the experiment h as failed (American Indian Tea Party Nation, 2010). Rodgers rally cry in his missive is his statement that The invisibility, silence, and neglect must end (Rodgers, 2008). His belief that Native Americans have no recognition of their plight bears no witness. The article further expresses his wish that as Barack Obama ascends to the White House, now is the significant moment to address the many problems Native Americans endure, including systematic poverty (Rodgers, 2008). This provokes the reader to believe that there is simply no recognition of the problem at hand, however, if one reads John Stossels depiction of the treatment of North American Natives; he debunks Rodgers statement with, The US government has helped no group more than it has helped the North American Indians. It stuns me when President [Barack] Obama appears before Indian groups and says things like, Few have been ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans (Stossel, 2011). Clearly, the Native American issue has not only been recognized, it has been acknowl edged by government as high as the President of the United States. To state that there is no awareness or recognition as Rodgers has done is a fallacy and one that falls flat as the reader realizes that Rodgers has not succeeded in his argument and in fact only magnifies the embarrassment of riches that the Native American has received by comparison of any other group of people in the United States. Tom Rodgers does manage to evoke thought and compassion in the Natives plight. It awakens the reader to become more informed in regards to the extreme poverty issues surrounding this group of peoples. Where he fails to convince the reader that society is basically ignorant to the issues, and would have us believe no aid is forthcoming, he would have bettered his argument by relying on facts rather than playing on our sympathies. No one would deny the problem, but perhaps this piece would have been better received if solutions were put forth, rather than blame. There is and has always been aid provided, the tribes have been recognized, and every level of government has conceded that there are problems which continue to perplex. Rather than divisive argument to what devolves into finger pointing, it would behoove us to be creative in our solutions and continue to work together despite Rodgers conviction of our current inaction.

Wal-Mart Resources

Unit 2 Assignment 1 Introduction Wal-Mart uses a tremendous amount of information resources to build their marketing decision support systems and customer relationship management environment. Wal-Mar’s main objective is to provide their customers with the best value they can find anywhere while providing friendly and efficient customer service. Its strategies are based on reducing costs to quality products so they are able to achieve â€Å"everyday low prices† (Walmart. om, 2013). Wal-Mart has to be able to monitor and analyze all the processes and information possible in order for them to attain a competitive price advantage, lure in new customers, and retain faithful and loyal current customers. Information technology is essential today in helping companies to achieve these goals and Wal-Mart utilizes a great deal of the available information through systems and operations that the retail business encompasses (Walmart. om, 2013). Listed in this paper are the many ways Wal-Mart enlists its information from customers and how it is used by marketing managers to help make marketing decisions and enrich its customer relationship management environment. Information Collected Collected By Wal-Mart Wal-Mart collects information from its customers in a number of ways through the customer’s interaction, whether by in-store activity or website activity.Wal-Mart discloses that it gathers information on customers whenever they create an account on one of their websites, make an online or in-store purchase, use a gift registry, create a mobile shopping list, or submit personal information to Wal-Mart along with any related content of the communication. In addition, they also collect information whenever the customer conducts a transaction where Wal-Mart collects information as required by law.This could include hunting and fishing licenses, request customer service, contact Wal-Mart, submit a Wal-Mart related testimonial, review, story, rating, or any other user-generated content that may be generated on the website, or participate in a contest, sweepstake, promotion, or survey (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Collected By Other Sources Wal-Mart may receive personal information from other entities that can help the correct or supplement their records, improve the quality or personalization of their services, and help prevent or defer fraud.They may also collect information from consumer reporting agencies or other service providers if you attain certain other financial products (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Automated Information Collection Wal-Mart also gathers technical information such as the customer’s internet protocol address, device operating system and browser type, the address of a referring website, and the path the customer takes through the Wal-Mart website.Wal-Mart uses â€Å"cookies† to recognize you as you use or return to their website. Wal-Mart also uses web beacons that allows them to know if a certain page was visi ted, an email was opened, or if ad banners on their website and other websites were effective (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Marketing Information Used Wal-Mart uses information for different purposes but for this paper we will discuss how they use information for marketing purposes. Fill requests for products and services and communicate with the customer about those requests * Administer surveys, sweepstakes, contests, and promotions * Provide customer service * Help improve and customize their service offerings, websites, and advertising * Send information about products, services, and promotions Information Systems Point of Service/Sale System Wal-Mart uses SUSE @ Linux Enterprise Point of Service/Sale system that is supplied by the Novell group vendor (Information, 2007).This system is made up of three primary components: Administration Server, Branch Server, and Point of Service Client Images. The SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Administration runs Wal-Mart’s main office in Bentonville, Arkansas. It records sales from all the stores but also contains a database of goods sold through other sales outlets such as Wal-Mart online shopping. This data also comprises of information like the number of items bought by a user and similar products purchased along with other online statistics.The Branch Server boots the Point of Service clients from the local network, registers new client devices at the website, distributes operating system updates to the client devices, and also stores the sales information as a backup in real time simultaneously as the Administration Server. The Point of Service Client is the indirect interaction between customers when they make any purchases at Wal-Mart. These devices process and record purchases and allows real time coverage of sales and inventory information for all sales.Having this type of information gives marketing managers the tools necessary to make informed decisions about what promotions to run and on what product s in real time. Retail Link Retail Link was developed in 1992 by Wal-Mart’s very own Information Technology Department (Hays, 2004). Using this software Wal-Mart can look at the take up rate for sale items, changes in the number of customer purchases, and the amount the average customer spends during a promotion. Marketing managers will know what products were being bought and what items that the customer may have added on during that purchase.Having that information may give the marketing department the idea to do a promotion with those two items paired up together. Retail Link software can also display to vendors various key information such as the repurchase cycle time of the product, purchase quantity per basket, and provide information such as sales history and sales performance. This allows vendors and Wal-Mart’s marketing managers the ability to simulate what-if situations that can help them make more informed marketing decisions (Hays, 2004).The information gat hered in these systems give marketing managers the intelligence needed to figure out which marketing initiatives have worked in the past, are currently working, or may work in the future in order to prevent wastage of money from ineffective promotions. Wal-Mart uses these systems in order to provide customer satisfaction, everyday low pricing, and to enhance the shopper’s experience (Walmart. com, 2013). Conclusion Wal-Mart collects information on its customers numerous ways. Some sources are transactions, customer service operations, surveys, and website registrations just to name a few.They could, however, come from other sources such as outside companies that help Wal-Mart update its records. Wal-Mart wants to communicate to its customers for feedback through email newsletters, special offers, and new product announcements. Wal-Mart also participates in interest-based advertising, which means the customer may see advertising on its website tailored to how the customer brow ses or shops. This type of information is essential today in accomplishing the goals Wal-Mart has of everyday low pricing and its customer first approach. References Hays, C. L. (2004, November 14). What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits.Retrieved from NY Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2004/11/14/business/yourmoney/14wal. html? oref=login;oref=login Information, W. (2007, January 24). Wal-Mart Taps Microsoft, Novell For Linux Deployment. Retrieved from Information Week: http://business. highbeam. com/137376/article-1G1-158268344/walmart-taps-microsoft-novell-linux-deployment-walmart Walmart. com. (2013). Annual Reports. Retrieved February 11, 2013, from Walmart. com: http://stock. walmart. com/annual-reports Wal-Mart. com. (2013, March 3). Privacy Policy. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Wal-Mart. com: http://corporate. walmart. com/privacy-security/walmart-privacy-policy

Much Ado About Nothing : Acts: I & II

Benedick’s Soliloquy on ideal woman: (2.3.20-27) In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing Benedick, a romantic young Lord in Padua, is head over shoulders in love with Beatrice, Leonato’s niece. A moment ago he satirized the â€Å"fantastical† behavior of Claudius in love. As he readies himself for love, he contemplates the sterling qualities he seeks in his love lady. He desires her to be the embodiment of all rare virtues admired by men. He would not buy her unless she is â€Å"fair†, â€Å"wise† and â€Å"virtuous†. Furthermore, she needs to be â€Å"rich†, and â€Å"mild†, and   Ã¢â‚¬Å"noble†. He also expects her to be   a brilliant conversationalist as well as an â€Å"excellent musician†. Benedick goes about choosing his woman as a fastidious buyer go bargaining for the best property at lowest price. This speech is meant to provide fun and mirth to the audience; but it also demonstrates the male attitude of regarding women as property. If he succeeds, then he would be in possession of a gem of a woman, and could go about boasting of   his prize catch. We are indeed prone to laugh at such acquisitiveness. The commodification of woman is also deplorable. She has to be tailor-made with all virtues stitched in to satisfy the male ego. It is a folly for Benedick that he rules out the possibility   that if such a perfect woman existed at all , she might   not choose him. Benedick’s reaction to hearing that Beatrice is secretly in love with him: (2.3.181-213):2 paras. On her husband like qualities. On why he is so easily duped by his friends. In the speech following the trap   set by Pedro, Claudio and Leanato, Benedict starts behaving like a very compromising lover who is willing to bury past   his antagonism with Beatrice. As suggested by Pedro, Benedick begins his introspection – self-examination to improve his chances of being a good and worthy husband. Like a repentant lover and future husband he feels he has unfairly treated the fair Beatrice, and her love â€Å"must be requited†. (2.3.216) He also decides that he â€Å"must not seem proud.† (2.3.220). He concludes that she is fair, virtuous and wise for having fallen in love with him. He has now grown wise to listen to people’s criticism which would lead to the improvement of his personality. For having so long opposing and railing against marriage, he makes a 180 degree turn and pledges to â€Å"be horribly in love with her.† (2.3.226) He further argues that he must break his vow of celibacy so that â€Å"the world must be peopled.†(2.3.233). Being conditioned and brainwashed by Leanato, Pedro and Claudio he now discovers â€Å"some marks of love in her.†(2.3.236)His conclusion – â€Å"I am a villain; if I do not love her.† (2.3.253) – is a proof of his delusion. In this speech Benedick recapitulates after eavesdropping the mock-serious conversations of Claudio, Pedro and Leanato who aver that Beatrice is dying for his love, but   is too modest â€Å"to wear her heart out first.† (2.3.195) What he so long regarded â€Å" a gull† now has become veritable truth; as he says, â€Å"This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne.† Like the typical lover with   Ã¢â‚¬Å"imagination   all compact†, he is duped by the   prank played by Pedro and Claudio. He is unable to see through the â€Å"sport† to mislead both   the proud lovers to hold â€Å"an opinion of another’s dotage.† (2.3.208) The old and the experienced Prince and Governor are successful in manipulating the romantic but arrogant lovers to confess their love and overcome their egoes. All Beatrice’s objections like â€Å"Against my will† and forcing her on â€Å"knife’s point †¦to choke a daw withal.† (2.3.246) are romantically interpreted as signs of love. Benedick’s behavior does confirm Shakespeare’s view of lover in Midsummer Night’s Dream: â€Å"The   lunatic, the lover and the poet/Are of   imagination all compact.† (Midsummer, 5.1.7) Their wild imagination hardly resembles the reality. Qualities I like in a man or woman. Do I choose any qualities admired by Benedick? Why? Or why not? The qualities I like in a man are tenderness, affection, and a capacity for enduring relationship. He must not treat woman as a prized possession for his personal benefit; but treat her as an equal partner. The qualities admired by Benedick are male ego-centric and would not satisfy any modern woman. â€Å"Wise†, â€Å"noble† and â€Å"mild† are admirable qualities in male as well   female spouse. Some intellectual qualities like brilliant conversationalist and excellent musician are   welcome personality traits, but not a necessity. But â€Å"rich† indicates love of wealth and dowry which often creates problems in marital life. Benedick gives the impression of a customer with a shopping list of virtues rather than a lover. To match his list a woman has to be perfect. No woman would like such an exacting husband. Work Cited: Craig, W.J.(ed.),   Shakespeare: Complete Works. London. O.U.P. 1974   

Three Conferences That Created the Dominion of Canada

Three Conferences That Created the Dominion of Canada About 150 years ago the three British colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island were considering the possibilities of joining together as a Maritime Union, and a meeting was set in Charlottetown, PEI for September 1, 1864. John A. Macdonald, then Premier of the Province of Canada (formerly Lower Canada, now Quebec, and Upper Canada, now southern Ontario) asked if representatives from the Province of Canada could also attend the meeting. The Province of Canada contingent showed up on the SS Queen Victoria, which was well supplied with champagne. That week Charlottetown was also hosting the first real circus Prince Edward Island had seen in twenty years, so accommodation for the last-minute Conference delegates was a bit short. Many stayed and continued discussions on board ship. The Conference lasted for eight days, and the topic rather quickly switched from creating a Maritime Union to building a cross-continent nation. The discussions continued through formal meetings, grand balls, and banquets and there was general approval for the idea of Confederation. The delegates agreed to meet again in Quebec City that October and then in London, United Kingdom to continue to work on the details. In 2014, Prince Edward Island commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference with celebrations all year long, across the entire province. The PEI 2014 Theme Song, Forever Strong, captures the mood. The Quebec Conference of 1864 In October 1864, all the delegates who had been present at the earlier Charlottetown Conference attended the conference in Quebec City, which simplified getting an agreement. The delegates worked out many of the details of what the system and structure of government for the new nation would be like, and how powers would be shared between provinces and the federal government. By the end of the Quebec Conference, 72 resolutions (called the Quebec resolutions) were adopted and became a substantial part of the British North America Act. The London Conference of 1866 After the Quebec Conference, the Province of Canada approved the union. In 1866 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia also passed resolutions for a union. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland still refused to join. (Prince Edward  Island joined in 1873 and Newfoundland joined in 1949.)  Towards the end of 1866, delegates from the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia approved the 72 resolutions, which then became the London resolutions. In January 1867 work began on drafting the British North America Act. Canada East would be called Quebec. Canada West would be called Ontario. It was finally agreed that the country would be named the Dominion of Canada, and not the Kingdom of Canada. The bill got through the British House of Lords and the House of Commons quickly, and received Royal Assent on March 29, 1867, with July 1, 1867, the date of the union. Fathers of Confederation Its confusing to try and figure out who the Canadian Fathers of Confederation were. They are generally considered to be the 36 men representing the British colonies in North America who attended at least one of these three major conferences on Canadian confederation.

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Boradinging the view of the Bl essays It seems that it may be mass media or pop culture that seems to portray talking black cool. Karla D. Scott from Saint Louis University makes the point that many people in main- stream America have the, perception that black language use also indicates stupidity on the part of the user. (Gonzalez, 183) Although it is not necessarily true, it seems like if you are a African-American, and you do not use slang or ebonics you are considered a sell out or that you, you do not sound black. Ebonics which was introduced in Oakland, California in 1996, is the term used, ...in reference to language of black Americans.( Gonzalez, 183) Many images that come to mind when discussing or trying to understand the black language may come from some icons in American pop culture, like Buckwheat from the Little Rascals, which shows a young black boy, who speaks incorrect English and seems to somewhat uneducated (Gonzalez, 184-85). This is a common theme in many television shows and movies and it is quite unfortunate that many outside the black culture and even in its own culture feel that all blacks speak this way and that is simply not true. Whereas those African-Americans who are educated and do speak proper English, are considered other blacks and maybe considered to be a sell out. Overall, unless you are an African American, it is awfully hard to comment on this issue. If you are not part of a culture it is unfair to make a strong statement whether you agree or disagree with a particular aspect of the issue. But I think that Bill Cosby this past summer said it best, that he feels strongly that young blacks are not going to be successful or make it in this world if they keep acting the way they do. What he meant is that what see in the music videos is not reality; you cannot be a thug and act like a punk and expect to make it in this world. And I fe ...

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