Cultural baggage and Cultural tourism by Dr Jim Butcher, an evaluation Essay Example for Free

Cultural baggage and Cultural tourism by Dr Jim Butcher, an evaluation Essay Dr Jim Butcher, the author of the article above, has researched on its various facets of tourism such as its moralization, innovations, and cultural, ethical, ecological and anthropological aspects and also as a tool for sustainable development. He has several publications to his credit (www. canterbury. ac. uk). The article under review authored by Dr Butcher appears as a book chapter in the Book â€Å"Innovations in Cultural Tourism†(2001) edited by him. Key issues of the article are the positive and potential aspects of cultural tourism which some critiques discount it as antidevelopment and prone to cause conflicts between the host and the tourist. The author is of the view that cultural tourism has its roots to the man’s craving for alien cultures and the need for relief from monotony of modernity and as such it has naturally come as a blessing to the economically backward regions. He has found three aspects of culture as a function, as a past and as a difference overshadowing the goodness of cultural tourism. The main aim of the author is to dispel the negative impression created by these aspects in the minds of the critics. The book chapter under evaluation is not in layman’s language. Even a discernible student of tourism would find it difficult to distinguish between cultural baggage and cultural tourism or relationship between the two terms. Whatever Dr Butcher says about cultural tourism has been in one aspect or another touched upon by his peers. That the cultural tourism has come of age and is capable of benefiting the economically weaker nations or places within nations and that it promotes cultural exchanges, fusion of culture, that it simply promotes or creates awareness of host’s culture and that it has been gradually making countries sans boundaries with only natural barriers by creating a feeling of oneness, have all been also discussed by other authors on the subject if one happens to visit the website of the UNESCO on cultural tourism. (unesco. org) and many others. His unique findings are that the ‘over functional culture’, its ‘past’ character and its â€Å" difference† outlook overshadow the real creative character of cultural tourism. He has taken pains to explain all the three in almost four pages out of hardly six, which is an indicator of his serious concern towards Cultural Tourism. His conclusion that cultural tourism results in economic development is indeed true. Man is basically gregarious and therefore cultural tourism with its benefits is unstoppable. The cultural tourists and the hosts are the actors and we are the audience. It means differently to each one of them. If the actors are allowed to have their own way, the inevitable result will be what the author Dr Jim concludes with, that is development. There is no doubt cultural tourism is growing segment of the travel market â€Å"Mass marketing is giving way to one-to-one marketing with travel being tailored to the interests of the individual consumer. A growing number of visitors are becoming special interest travellers who rank the arts, heritage and/or other cultural activities as one of the top five reasons for travelling†(nasaa-arts. org). It has been said that mass tourism has had its detrimental effects but there are advocates for mass tourism for its own benefits. Certain undesirable conflicts of cultures are just harmless side effects and are not to be taken seriously for the sake of larger benefits cultural tourism. On the whole Dr Jim’s contribution in this chapter leaves the reader more informed and makes him act responsibly as an audience whether as a policy maker or whoever, in order to preserve and promote the goodness of cultural tourism markedly different from mass tourism. REFERENCES Butcher, J. (ed) (2001), Innovations in Cultural Tourism, ATLAS, Tilburg http://www. canterbury. ac. uk/business-sciences/sport-science-tourism-and-leisure/staff/dr-jim-butcher. asp accessed on July 12, 2006 http://www. nasaa-arts. org accessed on July 13, 2006 http://portal. unesco. org/culture/en/ev. php-accessed on July 13, 2006

Does Technology Hold the Key to Improved Life Expectancy?

Does Technology Hold the Key to Improved Life Expectancy? Andrew McMahon Stone   Introduction. Life expectancy is the average period a person may expect to live1. Almost universally, females live longest, as do MEDC dwellers. Globally, life expectancy has increased by 40% in the last 50 years (1960s: 50 years – present: 70 years). However, this is just an average so there will be extremes, for example, the oldest recorded person alive now is almost 116 years6 and there are babies that die within days of birth. Technology means developing, applying or studying tools and methods, thus, in context: the machinery used in hospitals; access to knowledge for educational health; and the development and use of medicines. In my family, life expectancy has stayed constant as my great grandparents lived into their eighties, two of my grandparents are still alive (aged 80), although one died at 48 years*. However I think that my brother, my cousins and I will survive for longer, given that my ancestors died from rare, non-genetic causes like cancer and brain haemorrhage. *My great grandfather was in the Great War and was shell shocked and spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital. Causes I believe that the main cause of improved life expectancy is the rate of the country’s technological growth but there are other factors, some natural, some human (Table 1) Table 1: factors affecting life expectancy There exists a correlation between population size and area and life expectancy, especially if we look at ‘extremes’, for example Monaco is the smallest country in the world, by area and almost population, and it has the highest life expectancy rate of 85 years for males and 93 years for females2. Similarly, China has the biggest population and has one of the biggest areas in the world yet it is in the top 100 for life expectancy and is rising with its population2. This might suggest that it is easier to provide access to smaller and larger concentrations of people, but then in the UK, we know that many rural dwellers often have to travel in excess of 40 miles to reach a hospital. This could prove fatal in terms of an emergency if people can’t be reached in time, thus this is where telecommunications technology and internet accessible health education (what to do if a person has a heart attack or stroke) are vital. I am very fortunate to live in an urban area and I have two hospitals within 15minutes drive of my home. Lifestyle choices affect the life expectancy of a person because someone might choose to eat healthily and exercise regularly and so, in theory, have a higher life expectancy than someone who chooses not to. This is a social factor, controlled by personal decisions, but it is mostly an MEDC issue. In LEDCs people often have little/no choice about their lifestyle as they may be limited by food/water supplies. Access to educational information via internet technology may help people make informed choices and improve life expectancies but if disregarded, then access to technology is of no benefit. Hereditary conditions like cystic fibrosis (the UK’s most common life threatening inherited disease7) can affect the life expectancy of a person as the average life expectancy for a person with CF is 37 years. There are70,000 sufferers worldwide)8 . Hereditary conditions affect people in both MEDCs and LEDCs although technologies in MEDCs are helping treat people with CF, so their life expectancy is slowly improving. The cost of such technologies is often prohibitive in LEDCs. Personal income is also a key determining economic factor. Those with more disposable income will have more opportunity to access health technology and more easily afford healthier food choices, which should result in improved life expectancy. However, it can result in poor lifestyle choices like over-eating or binge drinking so can have the opposite effect. This is unfortunately common in MEDCs, particularly the UK and USA, exacerbated by ‘supersize me’ in food outlets and BOGOF offers in supermarkets. War and conflict can be a big contributing factor to lowering life expectancy, with technology contributing in a negative way. Weapons have been developed that can kill more people more easily. Armed forces are mostly composed of men, which help explain why in some countries, they have a lower life expectancy than females. In Cambodia the life expectancy rate went down for men from 43 years in 1966 to 31 years in 1977 and for women from 46 years in 1966 to 34 years in 197714. This was because of a mass genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime15 that killed between one and two million people. In Telford, where I live, the life expectancy for males is 77.4 years which is 1.5 years less than the England average of 78.9 years. And the Telford life expectancy for females is 82 years which is 0.9 years less than the England average of 82.9 years. 9 Technology its impacts on life expectancy The true effects of technology on life expectancy depends on how you define technology; If you define technology as the access to information via the internet I would have thought that the world’s life expectancy would have reacted positively to the exponential growth of internet users in the last 20 years in figure 2. Figure 1 does show that the world’s life expectancy has increased in gradient but only very slightly steeper to the rate of growth before the early 90s. Figure 110: changes in life expectancy global Figure 2: internet users – globally (in red)11 This implies either that there are still countries that dont have a lot of internet users or that the amount of internet users does not directly affect the world’s life expectancy. I believe there is a link. To prove this, 96% of Iceland’s population13 are internet users and the average life expectancy is 81.28 years13, which puts it 6th in the world. Conversely, 0.8% of Eritrea’s population are internet users, the lowest in the world, and its average life expectancy is 61.42 years which is nearly 10 years below the worlds average. Nationally, in the UK, 87% of us are internet users and our average life expectancy is 80.05 years3, although I appreciate that the link between the two isn’t ‘exclusive’. At a personal level I have looked up symptoms to determine what illness I have and also researched how to improve my fitness which I believe will affect my life expectancy. Mobile phone technology enables people to access information about healthy lifestyles. I have a smart phone which can help me access information on any issue I might have with my health so that I can try to combat it. Nationally (UK), there is 97% coverage of the country, which enables almost everyone with an internet enabled phone or broadband connection to access. OAPs are encouraged to gain internet skills via free classes available at local libraries. Another factor contributing to improved life expectancy could be the amount of investment into research and development. Israel put the biggest percentage of their GDP into research and development, 4.2%, and their average life expectancy is 80.96 years which makes them 17th in the world. However Ethiopia only put 0.1 billion dollars into research and development which is only 0.17% of their GDP and I believe that this is a reason why their average life expectancy is 55.41 years, 14 years below the world’s average. In my country, the UK, 1.7% of the GDP is spent on research and development which is equivalent to 38.4 billion dollars5. With that money, university graduates have invented and designed technology to improve life expectancy like the portable defibrillator and the discovery of the hepatitis B vaccine 16. Non-profit organizations have also achieved similar eg a syringe that breaks after the first use to stop the spread of diseases like HIV. At a personal level my lif e expectancy has been enhanced by vaccines and medicines eg Hepatitis B immunisation as a child and the annual influenza vaccine. Continually evolving technology is bringing new developments into existence like 3D printers that can bio-print specific organs to replace failing ones although only a bladder has been printed so far. Personally all of my family have had scans sometime in their lives to diagnose specific illnesses or injuries that, if they and not been diagnosed, might have caused a lower life expectancy, eg bowel cancer screening and breast cancer screening. Technology cannot work without trained professionals! Technology can only hold the key to improved life expectancy if it is properly managed. Trained professionals are needed to operate scanners in hospitals and governments in LEDCs might not be able to afford them or to provide the training to get them and so technology would be irrelevant and ineffectual. Technology is also ineffective in places where infrastructure is either poor or non-existent e.g. electricity and internet access. Scenarios One of the biggest factors that affect life expectancy in LEDCs is maternal and infant health. Maternal and infant mortality rates are higher in LEDCs, further contributing to lower average life expectancies. If we can ensure safer births, we can improve life expectancy and the need to have so many children. This is where technology could come into play to assist midwives in challenging situations. Even without access to electricity and internet, updated written literature and health/hygiene guidance could be provided to help the situation. You could argue that this isn’t technology, but actually you need technology to design, print and distribute the books. And with the relatively new invention of the 3D printer, organizations could make models for midwifery that teach them in a practical way. If everyone in the world had access to technology I do think that globally life expectancy would increase significantly simply because of the sheer wealth of information available on the internet and people being able to gain health education. But the likelihood of everyone having access to technology in the future is low. For some, eg indigenous tribes and small groups isolated from modern civilization, there is a desire to remain untouched by external influences. Charities and wealthier governments could continue to send appropriate technology to LEDCs. I also believe that technology will develop further in the future and will eventually be able to help eradicate diseases and cancers. Conclusion I think that technology is key to improved life expectancy and I think in the future it will become the biggest influential factor. This is because other factors, I believe, will be controlled by technology. People will be able to make informed decisions regarding lifestyle choices and risks of poor lifestyle choices. If this doesnt stop them from choosing that lifestyle then the technology is there to help them with the ‘side effects’ or ‘symptoms’. Hereditary conditions will be easier to treat and cure, I think, enabling improved life expectancy. Quality of life, I also believe, will be enhanced by technology eg better quality housing. Technology is also getting cheaper by the year so should be more affordable. In the future access to clean water wont matter either because if there is an unclean water supply then filters can be fitted. Technology is (and will even more in the future) helping to reduce fatalities from happening when natural disasters occur by, simulating, in the process of building buildings that are less likely to fall, and aiding response times for emergency services to be faster. Bibliography. 1 https://www.google.co.uk/#q=define+life+expectancy – Definition of life expectancy. 2,3,5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancybHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancyy_life_expectancy World rankings for life expectancy in different years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Esperanza_de_vida.PNG – World map of life expectancies (2008). http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_tec_ach-economy-technological-achievement Technology achievement index by country. 5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countrHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spendingiHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spendinges_by_research_and_development_spending 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_living_supercentenarians 7 http://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/choose-charity/cystic-fibrosis-trust/ 8 http://www.cff.org/aboutcf/ 9http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebPageHPAwebAutoListDate/Page/1278943975984 10 https://www.google.co.uk/#q=world+life+expectancy 11 http://www.theawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Screen-shot-2010-08-17-at-2.11.10-PM.png 12 http://wHYPERLINK http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-diewHYPERLINK http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-diew.express.co.uk/news/uk/421390/Watch-that-tells-your-time-to-die 13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_numbHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_userseHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_usersr_of_Internet_users Internet users. 14http://www.google.co.uk/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_met_y=sp_dyn_le00_inhl=endl=enidim=country:KHM:LAO:MMR#!ctype=lstrail=falsebcs=dnselm=hmet_y=sp_dyn_le00_inscale_y=linind_y=falserdim=regionidim=country:KHM:LAO:MMRifdim=regiontstart=-94435200000tend=473644800000hl=en_USdl=enind=false 15http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/20122314155454169.html 16http://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/jul/05/highereducation.uk2 Discoveries by UK universities.

Haagen Dasz Co. Inc Integrated Marketing Report

Haagen Dasz Co. Inc Integrated Marketing Report 1. Introduction Recent years, especially the period that has started since the maturing of the electronic media and the proliferation of the internet, have seen widespread and far-reaching changes in forms of communication. A number of changes in the global business environment, including factors like market splintering, greater segmentation, information technology and globalisation, have led to the emergence of a new concept in holistic communication. Known in management parlance as Integrated Marketing Communication, (IMC) experts feel it to be integral to the improvement of competitive advantage in marketing. (Pelsmacker and Kitchen, 2004) IMC is a marketing practice intended to ensure the working together of all components of marketing, for example, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, electronic, 121 and direct marketing in a unified manner, rather than separate and disparate forces, with little in common with each other. Marketing communications comprises five broad categories, namely personal selling, advertising, public relations, direct marketing and sales promotions. Each has its own set of pros and cons and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. However, the key is to look at the available options in a comprehensive way and to ensure consistency throughout the selected media. (Vargas, 2005) The creation and nourishment of a unified message in all elements of marketing is integral to its concept. Driven by a need for integrating communication components, and the organisational exigency of large advertisers, the rapid growth of IMC has led many advertising agencies to take it up as a primary service area. This report aims to examine the different elements involved in Integrated Marketing Communication, and recommend a plan for its implementation for Haagen Dasz, Inc. (HDI) The report is structured into sections that take up the concept of IMC, the strategies adopted by HDI to communicate its messages until now, and possible ways to adapt and change them in light of alterations in the marketplace, as well as in the modes of communication. 2. Integrated Marketing Communication Communication, an integral component of all relationships relates to the exchange of information, concepts, ideas and emotions. These exchanges occur through a range of communication avenues, each of which makes its own contribution to the total exchange process. Marketers, steeped in communication theory, were quick to realise this phenomenon and adopted numerous ways to communicate with their customers, e.g., newspapers, hoardings, radio, television, and progressively direct mail, as well as the internet. â€Å"Marketing communications is the process by which the marketer develops and presents an appropriate set of communications stimuli to a defined target audience with the intention of eliciting a desired set of responses.† (Vargas, 2005) Marketing has a number of distinct avenues, namely advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling, and in recent times, internet marketing. Each of these avenues works towards achieving specific objecti ves and great synergies come about when used in mutually reinforcing modes. In the eighties, most marketing experts saw each of these avenues as separate and deserving of different treatment. The concept of integrating all these separate components into one umbrella usage first gained currency in North-western University’s Medill School of Journalism†, through the efforts of Don Schultz. (IMC is) a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communications disciplines (for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations) and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact. (Schultz et al., 1993) Most experts were quick to understand the innate common sense behind integrating these different sub streams of communication and using them to convey one unified message. One major reason for this was due to the realization that different marketing communication tools had very dissimilar attributes, for example while the ability of advertising to reach a large audience is large it proves to be quite ineffective in delivering personal messages. Similarly, personal selling can be very effective in delivering personal messages but is not effective in reaching large audiences. Direct marketing, on the other hand, can deliver personal messages, and reach reasonably large audiences. Differences like these characterise the various attributes of different communication tools, namely, (a) the ability to deliver personal messages, (b) the ability to reach a large audiences, (c) the level of interaction (d) the level of credibility and (c) costs, in total and per unit. (Integrated Marketing Co mmunication, 2007) In addition to this factor, the use of IMC increased because of the many shifts that took place in the advertising industry. Advertising focus shifted from being reliant on media to other forms of communication like specialised media, promotions and mailers. The market shifted from the domination of manufacturers to the influence of retailers and control of consumers. Advertising also shifted from being general towards becoming databased and advertising agencies became much more accountable for marketing success. The introduction of IMC also led to the creation of a number of benefits that included increased impact of communication, improved effectiveness of creative ideas, greater consistency in communication and better returns on communication investment. Even though marketing experts have come to recognise the benefits and efficacy of IMC, a number of unlikely obstacles continue to hinder its growth. Many companies have different teams of people working on different elements and it quite often proves to be difficult and highly challenging to produce communication with very similar messages for different types of media, considering that they have different uses and objectives. â€Å"For example, television ads are generally used for awareness generation, print to educate, and outdoor and radio to keep the message top-of-mind. In reality, the goal of all advertising, including packaging, is to sell.† (Young, 2006) Apart from this issue, a number of other obstacles also hinder the implementation of IMC strategies. Moriarty (1994) considered the cross-disciplinary managerial skills the biggest barrier to IMC, while Duncan and Everett (1993) reported that egos and turf battles were primary obstacles to integration. Eagle and Kitchen (2000) identified four groups of potential barriers to IMC success in their study of New Zealand advertising agencies and the marketing industry: power, coordination and control issues; client skills, centralization/organizational and cultural issues; agency skills/talents, overall time/resources issues; and flexibility/modification issues. Schultz (2000) saw structure the way the firm is put together as the most challenging problem of integration. Very obviously, successful implementation of Integrated Marketing Communication at Haagen Dazs will have to take account of these likely obstacles and ensure that they do not interfere in the process. 3. Assessment of the Current Position of Haagen Dazs Haagen Dazs is a pioneer in marketing and in conveying different messages in appealing ways to its consumers. The company, since its inception, has never hesitated to adopt a contrarian attitude and has gone against conservative thinking with great success. Its history of unique and different messaging started with the adoption of its name, which though it had no real connotation, gave an impression of exotica and cold Scandinavian companies. Packaging containing maps of Denmark served to reinforce this impression, a feeling carried to this day. (Chakraborty and Govind, 2006) The first break with accepted marketing thought came when Haagen Dazs introduced small portions of superior quality, extremely creamy ice cream at significantly more expensive prices. Its first forays in advertising were restricted to strictly word of mouth communication and the product depended upon its distinctively rich quality to do the talking. Over the years, through changes in ownership the company has re mained strongly committed to the concept of producing thick, rich, and creamy ice cream, and constantly reinforced its advocacy of the good life, of enjoyment, physical pleasures and sensuousness. The company has achieved tremendous success, in every market it has entered, a fact that speaks very strongly of the superior quality of the product and of the communication of the company. The company has continuously worked on the basis of a few strongly held beliefs, namely, (a) developing the brand with an attached history of perfection and luxury, (b) using the finest ingredients to deliver product excellence, (c) investing in consumer research to understand tastes and preferences of customers, (d) using selective distribution and delayed mass marketing until the establishment of minimum critical mass, (e) not shifting in its priorities and objectives and (f) using creativity and innovativeness to support brand identity. This helped the company in establishing its current competitive strengths and premium pricing. Its initiative of introducing ice cream flavoured postage stamps, in collaboration with the Austrian government, which could be used for checking out flavours as well as using on postage was an enormous success. While the number of people who use the ordinary mail in these days of broadband and email is questionable, the initiative, discussed at great length across western countries, served its purpose of strengthening the image of a quirky, fun loving and enjoyment centred product. (Marketing Concept and Market Segmentation, 2005) Haagen Dazs now operates in a number of countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. While the company saw huge successes in the USA, it had to face enormous competition in Europe from competitors like Ben and Jerry’s, and to some extent, from Baskin Robbins. The company operates in a niche market catering to affluent and brand conscious customers willing to pay premium prices for luxury products. Its main strengths lie in its fabulous image as a premium quality, expensive brand. The company also has a very wide range of exotically named products that strengthen its image of luxury and indulgence. Few people associate the company with plain vanilla, even though it was one of the original flavours of the company, and customers think more of sticky toffee and strawberry cheesecake when they walk into a Haagen Dazs cafà ©. In recent years, the company has pioneered a range of low fat flavours in the same price range. The company, apart from making its products available in high street supermarkets, operates through well-appointed owned and franchised cafes, where visitors receive special attention, gifts, and invitations to attend special occasions tasting sessions. The company operates in limited market segments and this definitely restricts its scope to grow into the economy segments. When the company introduced its range of low fat ice creams at similar rates customer, queries about the high price led to explanations about special technology, long and intricate processes and the use of only natural ingredients. This also restricts the company’s opportunities to expand overseas and it must necessarily enter markets with high-income profiles. The company faces threats from other ice cream companies and an environment where technology makes it possible to duplicate flavours with ease. This negates the efforts of product research and development, and first mover advantage, if at all, does not last beyond short time periods. The ability to keep on producing new flavours is a source of competitive advantage in the ice cream industry, a Haagen Dazs attribute that now stands blunted to some extent. (Marketing Concept and Market Segmentation, 2 005) The company does not face any political pressures, other than from lobbies that espouse low fat foods. Company efforts to address these groups with the introduction of low fat products, apart from opening up a market segment, has helped in blunting criticism from these quarters. The company’s products target affluent customers, and global upturns in business and disposable incomes helps such companies; who deal at the higher end of the market. Inversely any prolonged depression, like in the eighties, will hit such companies hard. The fact that the company operates in the foods segment in a number of international markets makes it necessary for the company to consider local traditions, cultures and norms. Research in this area was responsible for the introduction of the successful green tea flavour in Japan. Advertising strategy, until now, has focussed on luxury and life style, on desire, taste and indulgence. Advertisements are carefully constructed with emphasis on aesthetics and use ice creams, or people as subjects. Promotional activities reflect the same association with class. Wimbledon, Ascot and the Paris Opera preferred events and reinforce the image of luxury. The advertising history of the company has been marked by its rivalry with Ben and Jerry’s, competition that intensified after Unilever took over the company. In 2004, Haagen Dazs mounted a campaign called the â€Å"Made for Each Other† campaign that sought to revitalize the image of the company. The campaign, based upon television commercials, used soft music, poetry and gentle visuals, in stark contrast to the bright and bold messages, in vogue with other advertisers. The campaign worked very successfully and led to an increase of 3.6 % in sales when the market for ice creams was otherwise witnessing a do wnturn. (Chakraborty and Govind, 2006) Recent years have seen intensification in competition in the ice cream market and a change in customer preference to move away towards healthier alternatives. While companies like Ben and Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins have also become more aggressive in their marketing moves, new companies like the US based Cold Stone Creamery are also moving aggressively into new markets. The increase in internet usage also needs suitable response from marketing departments to ensure that opportunities available are utilised appropriately. 4. Recommendations Haagen Dazs is known for its superior quality, rich taste and lifestyle connotations. The success of the company been built on these factors and it would be unwise to discard the core values represented by the brand. The Austrian campaign â€Å"Let your tongue travel† using flavoured postage stamps proved to be immensely successful because of its newness and the opportunity for many people to taste a range of exotic flavours. The emergence of a young and affluent market all over the world makes it imperative for the company to target this segment to protect and augment future sales. Advertising initiatives should focus on being youth friendly and concentrate on current obsessions like Formula One rather than on events like horse races. While tennis remains an eternal youth fixation on a global basis, the emergence of Formula One as an adventurous and affluent sport makes it an ideal platform for long-term sponsorship. Apart from changing the thrust of sponsorships messages mus t necessarily take heed of the current fascination with health, fitness and low fat foods. The company should step up efforts to push its range of low fat ice creams through appropriate advertising messages designed to attract the health conscious market. It would possibly be a great idea to introduce a range of vitamin and mineral fortified ice creams to take advantage of the current obsession with health and promote it strongly across various media. The company has recently been very successful in it Crà ¨me de la Crà ¨me campaign in the San Diego market, wherein a number of high-end restaurants participated in serving company products to high-end clientele. We saw Hà ¤agen-Dazs as a great fit for San Diegos high-end restaurants because it is made with only the finest natural ingredients, and the local scene is unique because of its many farms and availability of organic, fresh produce, said Sarah Znerold, SZPRs president. The first program, held last August, was called Creme de la Creme. Chefs from 10 top local restaurants were each invited to develop a creative and tasty Hà ¤agen-Dazs ice cream concoction and have it judged at an event featuring San Diego media and industry VIPs, Znerold said. (Slavens, 2007) Campaigns like this in different towns are bound to increase the visibility of the company’s products. The vast number of owned and franchised shops also makes it very easy for the company to obtain personal details of visitors to these establishments. The company has the opportunity to use these personal details to put together a well-designed one to one campaign, wherein customers could be continuously informed of new products, health connotations, and offered a range of benefits including invitations to special occasions and discounts on purchases. The integrated marketing communications strategy must primarily look at five functions, namely identifying target audiences, determining the communications objectives, designing the messaging content, selecting the means of communication, determine the mix of media and budget priorities and implement a system to measure the effectiveness of the efforts. In the case of Haagen Dazs, market segment targeted continues to be the affluent, quality conscious customer. It is however important to realise that the segment will have a higher proportion of younger people, especially in emerging markets and take account of their preferences. The current marketing mix is effective in meeting the needs of the target segment and a stronger targeting of the youth segment will lead to more visitors to cafes, leading to an increase in tasting and appreciation of new flavours. The communication objectives range from countering competition from competitors like Ben and Jerry’s and Baskin Robbins, as well as spreading awareness about the product. Effective messaging is obviously critical to the whole exercise and needs great thought. This is however a company strength, evidenced by the highly successful messages carried by the company in the past. The media has to necessarily place much greater emphasis on internet and direct marketing, using the plethora of customer information that could be accessed through company cafes. The use of the internet will make it possible for the company to establish personal contact with customers on a large scale, learn about customer preferences, step up research efforts and plan effectively for new products. It will also act as a very effective vehicle for spreading information about the company’s new range of low fat, health products, in both the ice cream and yoghurt range. It is important to ensure that the results of the IMC strategy be ascertained and recorded properly. While sales movement will tell its own story, strong and properly planned research will be able to ascertain the success of IMC efforts and throw up deficiencies that will need to be corrected. Bibliography Chakraborty, I, and Govind, S, 2006, Haagen Dazs: repositioning of a cult brand, ICFAI Centre for Management Research Gronstedt, A., Thorson, E. 1996, Five Approaches to Organize an Integrated Marketing Communications Agency. Journal of Advertising Research, 36(2), 48+. Haagen Dazs, 2007, Wikipedia, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hà ¤agen-Dazs Kim, I., Han, D., Schultz, D. E. 2004, Understanding the Diffusion of Integrated Marketing Communications. Journal of Advertising Research, 44(1), 31+. Kitchen, P. J., De Pelsmacker, P. 2004, Integrated Marketing Communications: A Primer. New York: Routledge. Marketing concept and Market segmentation, Haagen Dazs, 2005, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=27166 Mcarthur, D. N., Griffin, T. 1997, A Marketing Management View of Integrated Marketing Communications. Journal of Advertising Research, 37(5), 19+. Moingeon, B. Soenen, G. (Eds.). 2002, Corporate and Organizational Identities: Integrating Strategy, Marketing, Communication, and Organizational Perspectives. London: Routledge. Oller, J. W., Giardetti, J. R. ,1999, . Images That Work: Creating Successful Messages in Marketing and High Stakes Communication. Westport, CT: Quorum Books Schultz, D. E., Kitchen, P. J. 1997, Integrated Marketing Communications in U.S. Advertising Agencies: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Advertising Research, 37(5), 7+. Slavens, R, 2007, Haagen Dazs tastes success with crà ¨me de la crà ¨me campaign, B2B, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/FREE/701150759/1004/VERTICAL_EE Vargas, 2005, Integrated Marketing Communications, An effective comprehensive approach, Business ventures, Retrieved April 3, 2007 from www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/publications/bv4q05.pdf Varey, R. J. ,2001, Marketing Communication: An Introduction to Contemporary Issues. New York: Routledge.

Admissions Essay - I Will Not Be Stopped :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay -  I Will Not Be Stopped    It is a late summer night and I have just gotten home from work. I work at a meat packing plant where I load tractor-trailers. Since my dad is permanently disabled as a result of a heart attack that occurred two years ago, I feel fortunate to have the job. I've been there three years now and have grown tremendously as a result.    The guys I work with are typical blue-collar workers in that they are poorly educated and lower middle class. Because I am an aspiring physician, many of them share their problems and anxieties with me. Through many interactions, I feel that have become very sensitive, compassionate and understanding. My job is very fulfilling because men of all ages look to me for support and as a role model for their own children.    I relate to the guys at work so well because I was raised in a lower middle class neighborhood and my dad was a blue-collar worker. Most of my neighborhood friends are now unemployed, doing manual labor, or in trouble with the law. I was fortunate to have parents who knew the value of an education and were willing to sacrifice to send me to excellent catholic schools. In retrospect, this was a turning point in my life because I was introduced to a new group of people of different races and different socio-economic backgrounds. Eventually, I became aware of the limitations that my background imposed and I was determined to overcome and far exceed those limitations.    I became interested in medicine through my grandfather who was an unlicensed veterinarian. He had no formal education and relied solely on practical experience; nevertheless, he was quite competent. I would go with him as a young boy to treat animals in our small community. The relief my grandfather provided and the subsequent gratification has left a lasting impression on me. Since his death nearly four years ago, I find myself with a profound desire to vindicate the educational shortcomings that so often frustrated him.    In the summer of 1983, before my college matriculation, I attended Xavier's Stress On Analytical Reasoning (SOAR) Program. The Program's main objective was to prepare students for college level math and science courses. One of the moderators was my cousin who is a Xavier graduate and now a senior at Louisiana State University Medical School.

Symbolism of Mount Rushmore Essay -- Politics

The View from Mount Rushmore Amidst the Black Hills of South Dakota, the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln watch over the nation. George Washington, often called the father of the nation, was a leader in the American Revolutionary War to win independence from Great Britain and later became the first president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and added territory that doubled the size of the nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Theodore Roosevelt demonstrated strength, sought to improve the country through the Progressive movement, and constructed the Panama Canal (Nsp.gov). Abraham Lincoln sought to keep the country united during the Civil War and ensured freedom to African American slaves. The memory of these great leaders of the United States of America is forever carved into stone. Tourists who visit the monument each year are reminded of the ideals of freedom and democracy that these four presidents fought for a nd instilled in this country. Gerard Baker, the superintendent of Mount Rushmore spoke about the significance of the monument saying, â€Å"Mount Rushmore is a memorial that symbolizes America, and Americans should never lose sight of their cultural beginnings† (Nsp.gov). These men represent the freedom that this nation was founded on and yet, the image of this monument is often used to criticize the current situations of the country. Mount Rushmore has become more than a static symbol of freedom; it has transcended the past and has been utilized to create new and deeper meaning in a myriad of issues. Michael McGee defined ideographs as â€Å"culturally-grounded, summarizing, and authoritative terms that enact their meaning by ... ...oon/d8aab341-fbce-44cd-83e2-0ef20c01a75f.html>. NPS.gov. 2007. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. 29 Oct. 2007 . PBS.org. 2007. Public Broadcasting Station. 2 Dec. 2007 . Pismestrovic, Petar. â€Å"Dreamland.† Cartoon. PoliticalCartoons.com. 2007. Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index. 29 Oct. 2007 . Dr. Seuss. â€Å"Liberators of America.† Cartoon. Introduction to Political Cartoons. 2007. 29 Oct. 2007 . Williams, Mike. â€Å"Back of Mount Rushmore.† Cartoon. Cartoonstock.com. 2007. Cartoonstock. 29 Oct. 2007 .

Continuities and Changes of the Commerce of the Indian Ocean Region from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E.

Trade has been a major way to connect people to other parts to the world and to access to other products all throughout the world. Today, trade connects nations and products of the western hemisphere to those of the eastern hemisphere. The Indian Ocean was a major trading zone for the areas surrounding it in the time period from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E. Several aspects of this trading area stayed constant during the aforementioned years, like the products that were traded and that India always remained a major participator in these trades. However, the dominating groups that had the most control over the area changed several times along with the culture of the area.Following the decline of the Mongol Empire, the overland trade route on the Silk Road was becoming an out-dated method of trade. With the advancement of technologies across the world a more expedient method of trade became even more necessary. Nations turned toward maritime trade to feel this need. The Indian Ocean served as a way to connect the Asian continents with the Middle East.Major traders of the area were Europe, Arabia, India, China, and Indonesia. Indian spices, cloth and yarn were transported across the hemisphere using the Indian Ocean. There spices intrigued the population of places like Egypt and China who were unaccustomed to Indian flavors. China spread its precious metals and porcelain across the area. Even animal, like elephants, were traded from Sri Lanka. Europe consumed most from the area than they contributed, which continued into the 19th century. Philosophies and religions were also ‘traded’ through the Indian Ocean route.Islam was introduced to the tribal regions of Africa and spread even farther into Arabia and India. Philosophies also spread from Rome into Arabia and India through the trade. Towards the end of the 2th century people began to be traded in the Columbian Exchange or slave trade. In the time period of 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E., the speed and vitality of t rade in the area was a major continuity.At the time, those who controlled the most of the Indian Ocean had a great deal of economic power. In the 8th century, the Hindus and Buddhists controlled the trade primarily between the eastern coast of Africa and Indonesia. From the 7th to 13th century, Indonesia commercial life flourished. After the Hindu-Buddhist period, Muslim leaders toke control of the area for trade through the Red Sea to Europe and China. Also, the Muslim period involved a lot of trade with India for its pepper from Calicut. Vasco de Gama discovered the Indian Ocean trade route for Portugal by travelling around the southern tip of Africa.Portugal toke advantage of their discoveries and used them to advance in the spice trade with Europe. Several Mediterranean empires tried to challenge the Portuguese control over the Persian Gulf however, by the 16th century they had established bases in the area. Shortly following that, the English and Dutch began placing officials i n India and Africa in order to farther their own endeavors.From the 7th to 18th century many things about the commercial life in the region of the Indian Ocean stayed constant however, many things were altered. After the potential of the Indian Ocean trade system began known, more and more countries began to enter into a power struggle for the control over the area. Precious metals, Indian spices, and exotic animals contributed to the reasons why so many explorers, mariners and traders were so intrigued by the prospects of trading in the Indian Ocean.

Reducing The Number Of People Living In Absolute Poverty

Absolute poverty measures the number of people living below a certain income threshold or the number of households unable to afford certain basic goods and services. Much of the poverty in developing countries, such as South Africa, tends to be absolute poverty. Economic growth can be defined as steady growth in the productive capacity of the economy.Short term growth is measured by the annual percentage change in real national output, which is affected by shifts in short run aggregate supply curve (SRAS), whilst long term growth is shown by the increased in potential growth can is illustrated by an outward shift in a country's long run aggregate supply curve (LRAS). Whilst a rise in real GDP can lift millions of people out of absolute poverty, a reduction in the number of people living in absolute poverty can help to achieve economic development. In order to reduce the number of people living in absolute poverty, they would have to get jobs in order to gain a living.This means that people would have more disposable income, thus increasing consumption which is a factor of aggregate demand and would therefore shift the aggregate demand curve to the right, causing economic development. This would also mean that the government would also have more money which can be used to invest in education and training or other forms of spending. A lack of education and training is what keeps people in absolute poverty as it prevents them from getting jobs and moving up, however, if education and training were to increase, more people would be getting jobs, thus increasing real GDP whilst resulting in economic growth.Furthermore, government spending is also a component of the aggregate demand formula and therefore an increase in that would result in an increase in aggregate demand, thus causing an outward shift in the SRAS whig would eventually result in economic development. Gold and diamond are the major exports from South Africa although agricultural products are also expor ted. If the government were to spend their money on training in mining, those who were living in absolute poverty could get jobs as miners and not only wouldthis increase the real GDP of South Africa, but it would also increase exports which is another component on aggregate demand, thus again resulting in economic development. South Africa has debts similar to many other developing countries which are burdened with international debt which they cannot afford to pay and which acts as a constraint to economic development. However, if there was a reduction in the number of people living in absolute poverty in South Africa, the government would have more money to repay their debts.Poor infrastructure make it difficult for a country to attract foreign and domestic investment thus providing a constraint on long term growth potential. The government could also invest the money which would have originally gone towards those in absolute poverty in infrastructure and healthcare. Better healt hcare would mean that South Africa would have a more reliable workforce and an improvement in infrastructure would mean that workers would be getting to work on time and it would be easier to travel.These are qualities which attract foreign and domestic investment; this would result in more jobs available, thus increasing employment as well as the real GDP of South Africa. Corruption and poor governance is one of the causes of absolute poverty, however, it is also a significant factor for a constraint on economic growth. High levels of deeply embedded corruption and bureaucratic delays can harm growth in many ways for example inhibiting inward investment and also making it more likely that domestic businesses will invest overseas rather than at home.Governments need a stable and effective legal framework to collect taxes to pay for public services. However, in order to reduce the number of people living in absolute poverty, corruption would have be to decreased, thus resulting in ec onomic development. Many poor countries have governments which are not democratically elected. Countries such as South Africa tend to spend money raised through taxation unwisely leading to government failure and thus find it difficult to attract FDI. However, a correction in corruption and poor governance would mean that South Africa may be able attract FDI, thus increasing the real GDP and resulting ineconomic development. South Africa is a primary-sector economy, which produces gold and agricultural goods and is therefore primarily product dependent. Primary product dependency is a constraint on economic development. The dependency makes South Africa very vulnerable in the event of natural disasters. Furthermore, downward price fluctuations caused by exchange rate movements or variable harvests can have a devastating impact due to the low price elasticity of demand for primary products.Moreover, the Prebisch-Singer hypothesis claims that countries that specialise in primary produ cts, such as South Africa, face declining terms of trade within time. This is because prices of primary products have declined over the long term due to increases in productivity in agriculture and less demand for other commodities. In addition, as the country gets richer over time dmand for secondary and tertiary products increases whilst demand for primary prices rises by only a little due to its low income elasticity of demand.As a result, prices of manufactured goods and services rise relative to prices of primary products. This means that the country which is specialising in primary products experience declining terms of trade as the income they receive from their exports buys fewer imports over time. However, investment in education and training as well as FDI in South Africa would mean that it would not be such a subsistence economy. Many sub-Saharan economies, such as South Africa, are severely affected by droughts followed by flooding, making it difficult to establish any i ndustry and attract any foreign direct investment.However, if there is a decrease in the number of people who need aid and support, the money raised by charities and the money the government originally used to support those in absolute poverty could instead by used fix any damages caused by bad weather conditions which means that not only would the country come across as more appealing to FDI's, it would be easier to go crops, thus increasing exports and therefore leading to economic development as this results in an outward shift in the aggregate demand curve.To conclude, all the factors above depend on the number of people who are no longer in absolute poverty; the less people in absolute poverty in a country, the more economically developed the country is going to be and therefore it depends on the magnitude. Economic development is an increase in living standards which could be measured by an increase in income per capita, life expectancy and access to education and healthcare.D espite it being difficult to say whether a reduction in the number of people in absolute poverty would lead to economic growth because it is unknown whether that means that they would immediately get a job, thus increasing GDP, resulting in economic growth, it is safe to say it would lead to a rise in economic development as their living standards would increase as they are no longer living in absolute poverty and can therefore afford necessities.