The Importance of Gender Representations in Spanish Cinema

The different works of art – from paintings to literary pieces – present prevailing themes in the society. They act as small fragments of a comprehensive historical narrative. These fragments, though fictional, are still able to reflect true scenarios, real life stories from which they are based upon. To a certain extent, films serve the same purpose as any work of art – they present the artist’s feelings, thoughts, and reflections on whatever is happening in the society at the time of its creation. The different elements in any film – the social setting and the gender representations do not only bring life to its plot. Rather, these thematic elements of the film contribute fully on its general appeal and overall impact to its audiences. In this paper however, the researcher will only focus on one of these elements – gender representation. Putting a specific focus on this study, this paper will only explore the importance of these representations in Spanish cinema. To perform this purpose, common gender representations in some Spanish films will be revealed in relation to: how it reflects the prevalent issues in Spanish society; how it adds to the film’s appeal to local audiences; and how it provides an imagination of Spanish identities to local and international movie goers. 1st Assumption: Gender representations grant the films the ability to reflect the prevailing issues in the Spanish Society In the past few years, domestic violence has been a prevalent social problem in Spanish communities. Reports show that there is a high count of women who are suffering from the violence and physical abuse posed by their husbands and partners. Based on the report of Emma Daly in Christian Science Monitor, the Spanish society is suffering from a â€Å"machismo culture† where women are treated as inferior to men. (Daly, 1998) In relation to this important social issue, many films also carry domestic violence as significant thematic components in their plots. In such films, women are portrayed as the victims of their husbands’ consummation of their masculinity in a largely patriarch society that equates women to second-class citizens. Solo mia (2001) is one of the films which reflect this social issue. The movie puts into film a typical story that takes place not only in Spain but also in many societies where a once loving and tender relationship goes wrong. As shown in the movie, the relationship gradually transforms into a tale of obsession which prompts the husband to repeatedly subject his wife to domestic violence. (Saenz, 2009) The same social issue envelopes the film â€Å"Princesas† (2005) and El Bola (2000). In the first film, a prostitute suffers from the violence introduced by her lover while in the latter shows that children can also become victims of what is known in Spain as â€Å"Terrorismo Familiar†. Basically, Spanish cinema reflects not just the fact that domestic violence prevails in the real Spanish community. Rather, gender representations in the film also show that such type of violence affects women of all ages, and in different social classes. With the men presented mostly as the perpetrator of the violence, the films further shows that men in Spain often act adversely against the inferior women. nd Assumption: Gender representation increases the film’s appeal to local audiences by reinforcing nationalism and providing greater grounds for linkage and identification. Since Spanish cinema reflects prevalent values, ideas, and practices in the Spanish community, it gives the film a more localized appeal. The tendency to magnify one’s identification with t heir culture further increases the movies’ appeal to the local moviegoers. Basically, most of the Spanish films pose a generic thematic distinction from the mainstream Hollywood movies. While most Hollywood movies take the themes of liberal women who are posed as office workers and even successful professionals, most Spanish movies reflect on the importance of motherhood – a local theme that is common in many traditional patriarchal societies. Solas is one of the most famous films that glorify maternity as the only way for a woman to achieve real fulfillment and happiness. The film revolves around the story of Rosa and her daughter Maria. The two, both victims of domestic violence, are reunited after several years of being apart. Rosa has become a passive victim to her husband’s abuse but Maria refuses to surrender to the despotism and instead, decides to live in the city. However, Maria inevitably ends up in the same situation as that of her mother – being physically and emotionally abused by her boyfriend. To a certain degree, the portrayal of motherhood in the story works in two contrasting ways. Rosa retains the profile of the typical mother. She is portrayed as the submissive and self sacrificing woman who is willing to endure overwhelming hardships – the abuse of her husband – in order to potentially â€Å"save† her family from falling apart. However, she fails as Maria separates herself from the threat that her father poses. Fortunately, in line with Rosa’s angelic qualities as a mother, she is able to â€Å"save† her daughter from leading a devastating lifestyle through her captivating and unrestrained love and care. Following these implications, motherhood is presented in the story as a self-denying role which women must embrace not only to provide a certain sense of accomplishment but also to gain the ability to â€Å"save† people whom they care for. Motherhood is also presented as a Spanish woman’s way toward salvation and recovery as depicted in Maria’s character. Maria’s relationship with his boyfriend reflected a destructive scenario which led to her alcoholism. However, as Maria became pregnant, that signaled her positive transformation from an angry and hostile character to another motherly figure that’s kind, passionate, loving, and forgiving. In essence, Maria’s motherhood became her escape from the destructive factors that formerly consumed her life. Such gender representation embedded in the plot of the movie allows the local audiences – particularly women – to relate to characters and watch the film. 3rd Assumption: Gender representation in Spanish films offers both local and international audiences with an imagination of Spanish identities Gender representation forms a significant part of the local Spanish cultures and traditions. As films carry gender representation which is reflective of a distinct cultural identity, they then achieve significance as cultural accounts. The fact that the movies provide both local and international audiences with an idea of what comprises a real Spanish community qualifies them as relevant educational and enriching artifacts. In addition to that, these artifacts not only promote an imagination of Spanish identities. Rather, the Spanish movies also help people of other cultures in learning, appreciating, and understanding Spanish culture. For example, in the film â€Å"Coma agua para chocalate (1992) or ‘Like water for chocolate’†, the gender representations mirror how important must both men and women adhere to old superstitions and traditions. The film shows that marriage and love are restricted by old Spanish traditions as a young couple – Pedro and Tita – could not get married simply because Tita’s oldest sister has to get married first and because Tita had to first fulfill her domestic roles and â€Å"responsibilities† to her mother. Gender representation in La casa de los espiritus (1993) or â€Å"The House of the Spirits† also offers a glimpse at Spanish culture. This film shows the importance of social class as a local rags-to-riches patriarch does everything to prevent his daughter from marriage a lower class worker who fights for socialism. The same theme inspires the film, The Dog in the Manger (1995). In the movie, a Countess falls in love with his secretary. However, social status stands on their way. Furthermore, this gap in social position increasingly widens as the Countess, as a woman is expected to be submissive to societal expectations. Conclusions Gender representations become important elements to Spanish cinema mainly because they reflect prevailing issues and themes in a natural Spanish community. As these themes are reflected and portrayed, the films gain the local audience’s attention through the formation of linkages and character identification. Gender representations embedded in the plot also qualify the films as cultural artifacts that offer audiences with a glimpse of Spanish culture. On the whole, gender representation promotes the appreciation of not just Spanish movies, but of the Spanish culture as well. Through the gender roles promoted in the films, both local and international audiences learn how Spanish culture must be understood and appreciated.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Prince Henry the Navigator Prince Henry the Navigator Prince Henry the Navigator was born 1394 and died 1460. Even know he died doesn't mean I can’t refresh your memory about him. Prince Henry was a Portuguese royal prince, solider, and patron of explores. Henry sent many sailing expeditions. Prince Henry father is of King John I of Portugal and his English wife, Philippa of Lancaster. When he was 21, Prince Henry attacked the Moslem port of Ceutha in north Morocco. This successful attack in 1415 inspired Prince Henry to explore Africa, most of which was unknown to Europeans. Prince Henry created the school of navigation.About 1418, Prince Henry started the first school for oceanic navigation along with an observatory at Sagres, Portugal. In this school, people were trained in navigation, map-making, and science, in order to sail down the west of Africa. Prince Henry of Navigation traveled all over the place like West Africa at this time, no Europeans had sailed past the treac herous Cape Bojador and returned alive. Cape Bojador is on the coast of Africa just below latitude. Prince Henry the Navigator established his own court at Sagres and sponsored voyages of discovery in the Madeira Island and along the western coast of Africa.As grand master of the Order of Christ, he gained funds for backing voyages aimed at the conversion of pagans. His patronage led to development of the Portuguese caravel and improved navigational instruments and the advancement cartography. See I told you can learn a lot from reading my essay I bet you barely knew some of the things I told you I even learned a lot to. Bibliography http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Henry_the_Navigator#Early_life http://www. enchantedlearning. com/explorers/page/h/henry. shtml

Prosperity of India Essay

The way Indian economy is making progress for the last few years, is fairly rapid and impressive. Continuation of the same trend in the next five years should result in substantial advancement in prosperity as compared to developed countries. However, complacency can be disastrous for any country. Also there is no harm to give further fillip to growth rate in future. With this attitude I would like to suggest the following ares of improvement for aster development of India’s economic prosperity and security. 1.India’s achievement in the field of information technology, particularly in software development has been very impressive and very much talked about. But it is worth noting that most of India’s software and other IT services companies, including IT based business process outsourcing derive a very big chunk of their business from overseas business. This means that India is not able to make much use of IT to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its bus iness and other economic operations. This also reflects the low priority given by Indian business to improve quality, effectiveness and efficiency. I believe, that to become a major economic power in the world, it is necessary to develop the best capabilities in much wider sphere of technology, rather than just providing services to other companies and business that use such services to achieve high level of efficiency and effectiveness. 2.Performance of industries is being harmed by narrow considerations of regionalism and casts. While the need to provide support support to under developed regions and under-privileged sections cannot be denied. I very much doubt if their interest is best served by helping them in ways that bring down the level of performance in businesses and public life. Any preferential treatment to specific region or set of people should pass the test of a proper cost benefit analysis. Of the various practices adopted in name of social justice, the one that hurts the country most, is denying opportunities for to those who can serve national interest best, by assigning responsibilities for such work and resul t to the incapable and incompetent. I believe all scheme enforced by government for preferential treatment for employment based on caste or region should be replaced by schemes to develop the capabilities of such under privileged people so that they can contribute to the national wealth. National wealth cannot be increased by just consuming it without contributing to its creation. 3.There is a need to cut down on corruption and inefficiency in the  government. This can be done very effectively by employing information technology. The right to information act has made some impact. But already there are moves from many government to limit the scope of this act on many different pretexts. I believe by developing and implementing effective systems that monitor and control performance of individual in government jobs, performance of the country as a whole will improve automatically. Thank Writer Comment Blurt Anonymous Profile Anonymous answered India need improvement in all spheres so that it could also be counted as the developed country. People should adopt family planning programmes to reduce the population of the country. Better education and medical facilities should be provided. Agriculture should be improved because more than half of the population is farmer. Come on India!!!! Now its our time!!! Thank Writer Comment Blurt Anonymous Profile Anonymous answered India should provide girl education in rural areas so that the girls could also study and can be the future of the nation.Some parents also did not send their child to the school because of the following reasons:- 1.School can be far from the home and there would be no conveyance. 2.Parents could not afford the fees of the school. 3.The child could be discriminated just like Om Prakash Velky. 4.Proper teachers could not be available. So Indian Government should provide proper education in the rural areas specially and should take strict action to the education of the rural areas. Thank Writer Comment Blurt Anonymous Anonymous commented 1.child labour must be band 2.women of the society should be protected Anonymous Profile Anonymous answered India lacks literacy, n literacy can remove all the social evils from the country and making it a secular, safe, n prosperous country. We people living in the Urban areas are not at all satisfied by what is happening then try to imagine of those living in remote areas, they simply lack everything. The things that today have become a basic necessity for us are out of reach for some people or say most of the India’s population like electricity, water supply. Dowry, child marriage are the evils that need to be debarred today from the roots. N Literacy is the only mean to do that. Girl education can make a far improvement. It could remove almost all the evils that India is affected by. Thank Writer Comment Blurt prem R S Profile prem R S answered Common Education, Common law( Civil code) No religious favourism, no cast, majority , minority concepts should be avoided. Nationalsim should be encouraged..India is the world leader. All should be equal without cast and creed. Only one difference should be there, ie, havings and have nots. That means under economic conditions. Give them what they needed. If educationally backward provide them, Money for study give them. If money is there and lack of development in that region, provide it.If health problem arrang for it. Think first and ask first What is the problem in each and every area.No holidays under religious consideration. Only weekend holidays only.Each and every person should have the right to take leave on their respective festivals and enjoy it. All others should come to the office and vice versa.No HINDu law, or christian or Islam. Should take good from all and be implimented. If giving scholorship provide to all poor people without considering his cast and only consider his economic conditions.All students and people should express their views , ideas through proper channel(agency) what they want and to become Provide them help for it afterexamining his qulaity for that. A good Nation without Religous favourism . That could develop. STudy and teach All are brothers. No scams!!! It will destroy the minds of new generation. Think positively and  act positively by policians and leaders who are influencing the society.Should give importance to (50%) agriculture.Without eating we could do nothing. Control population . One or Two. Give the new birth baby full facilities( up to 2 childeren) If more than that number, it is responsibility of their own and it nver of the STATE(Govt) and never give them any assistance. Always in the mind that â€Å"†INDIA THE WORLD LEADER†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ 

Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication Essay

Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication - Essay Example 3). One strongly believes that this phenomenon, the closeness-communication bias is significantly manifested in most close interpersonal relationships in contemporary times due to the preconceived notion that closeness is synonymous with understanding what the other person really intends to relate. In one’s personal experience, there is a feeling of complacency that closeness between spouses or friends is actually indicative of knowing what the other person needs or wants – even prior to communicating the message. However, one was surprised to find out from the study that this notion is untrue. When one searched further on the closeness-communication bias, the research study conducted by Savitsky, Keysar, Epley, Carter, and Swanson (2011) entitled â€Å"The closeness-communication bias: Increased egocentrism among friends versus strangers† and published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the findings included the element of egocentrism, defined as â€Å"the philosophy or attitude of considering oneself the center of the universe† (The Free Dictionary, 2012, p. 1). The outcome of the study indicated that â€Å"egocentrism increases when one interacts with close friends—individuals who are assumed to be similar to oneself, and f or whom one may therefore relax efforts to correct an initial, egocentric default† (Savitsky, Keysar, Epley, Carter, & Swanson, 2011, p. 272). This is a surprising revelation because at it explains, taking one’s understanding that the other person knows more about oneself contributed to the perception that the other person actually understands more than what is actually being communicated. In response, therefore, to the following questions: (1) Have you ever had a miscommunication with someone close to you simply because you assumed that they understood you? What happened? The answer is yes. A close friend was usually assigned to do powerpoint presentations in academic projects. When

Family in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family in UK - Essay Example The definition of family has changed over the centuries for reasons that include both social and structural changes in the western world. The UK family structure has changed in the last 40-40 years.Initially, social scientists including anthropologists and sociologists agreed on various ‘conventional’ definition of family. One such definition was that of Murdocks in 1949, which stated, â€Å"A social group characterized by common residence, economic corporation, and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults† (Settles, pp56, 1999). According to Coontz, the world family until the 19th century was commonly explained as a married couple, living with their co-resident children and distinguished from a household or more distant kin (Arnold, 2007, n.d). Therefore, the definitions stated above, and as described by the que stion have common themes, that of a union of a heterosexual couple (male and female) with recognized rights and obligations, and children. Heterosexuality is the sexual orientation to the persons of the opposite sex. This definition of the family is that of a nuclear family (Lamanna & Reidmann, pp3, 2006). However, at the turn of the 20th century, contemporary social scientists have challenged this definition of family. Various new definitions of family have emerged. There have been various phenomena, which have changed this traditional definition. During the 1900s, Western world had seen dramatic shifts in women employment, opportunities for sexual expression, and technological advances that have touched numerous aspects of the social life of individuals. In addition, the society of today is a dynamic one and families are adapting to meet the new demands of the world. This is because now change and diversity is the norm (Karraker & Grochowski, pp18, 2006). Many people because of a variety of factors have reconsidered the conventional definition of family. This may be because of increased awareness of human rights and equality, feminism, and the place of law. One other reason is due to the increased divorce rate that increased in the mid-fifties. This has led to the family including one divorced adult with another heterosexual adult, bringing up a custodial child (belonging to either adult) and children. Hence, one wonders about the boundaries of family (Settles, pp57, 1999). Families offer the need of intimacy, communication, problem solving and helping each other according to Karraker & Grochowski (2006). Grochowski’s concept of strategic living communities has expanded the traditional definition of family to include all such members who offer intimacy and love. In a way, families are regarded as proactive organism, and it should not be limited to rigid definitions and stereotypes. In this way, everyone has their own right to define who their family i s. It is highly independent on the individual (Karraker, Grochowski, pp18, 2006). Therefore, in the recent times, social scientists of different fields have challenged the conventional definition of family. Family is a very core concept in social sciences especially that in sociology. Hence, the paper will initially address the sociologists’ view of the conventional definition of family. In sociology, the family is regarded as the social institution. It is the key to primary socialization for children in society (Charles, pp. 1-2, 2004). Family life and work has transformed due to recent times in various countries. Hence, the issue of what a family consists of has been greatly talked about. In contemporary tines, the traditional definition is not synonymous to what families currently are. Today’s families include

Essay on social work's theory Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

On social work's theory - Essay Example roviding services (e) with most of these services located within the context of the welfare state and (f) social work is a composite of knowledge, skill and values (Ife, 1997). This has been the traditional framework within which social work has been existing, but this is becoming â€Å"increasingly out of step with the reality of the contemporary practice context†.(Ike, 1997: 12). The hitherto existing system has produced an increase in individual worker case loads, with less levels of control over one’s work while also faced with ethical dilemmas. The disparity between the traditional role that has been ascribed to social work and the reality of actual practice has resulted in critical reviews being instituted of the existing theories that drive social work and how they can be improved. This essay will examine and critique two specific social work theories (a) crisis intervention theory and (b) feminism. A crisis occurs when there is a source of stress that arises in the environment. There are three interrelated factors that are responsible for the generation of a crisis (a) a hazardous event which poses a threat (b) the threat is posed to the person’s instinctual needs, which may also be linked to earlier threats that may have occurred, thus making a person vulnerable to the threat and (c) the inability to respond appropriately to the crisis with an adequate level of coping mechanisms.(Rapoport, 1965:25-26). Dealing with crises is an integral part of social work, because it is a time when people need help. Situations presenting danger or opportunity call for effective decision making by social workers. The crisis theory states that in a developmental or situational crisis, the habitual ways of coping do not work, either because the situation is too new and has not been anticipated or because the events in question are too overwhelming for individuals to deal with. The underlying assumption of the crisis theory is that there are a number of needs, such as

Connecting the local with the global Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Connecting the local with the global - Essay Example On the other hand, economies are exposed to the risk of the spread of economic crisis, for example the current financial crisis in the United States which spread to several other economies due to globalization. However, the benefits of globalization surpass the adverse effects since economies continue to thrive despite the negative aspects of globalization (John and Thomas 1997). For example, the East Asian economies are amongst those that have reaped much benefit from changes in the global scale. Once a peripheral economy, even with the devastating outcomes from the Korean War, Seoul, the capital of Republic of Korea, has become the worlds 11th largest economy in the world and has overcome the world economists expectation by developing into a semi-peripheral economy in a short time. This essay is a critique of events that have occurred as a result of globalization in South Korea. It offers an overview of the benefits that the community has reaped from globalization, as well as some hitches that have affected the people due to the globalization phenomenon in Seoul. It also gives the impression that the benefits that the benefits of globalization to the community surpass the few hitches tha t have been experienced. In the conclusion, it highlights the world-system theory of globalization that is reflected by the ideas that have been discussed. Globalization is one of the occurrences in the Republic of Korea that has had extensive effects on the country’s economy. The community in Seoul, which is the capital city, has been affected by the shift from protectionism to a liberalized economic system. The proliferation of foreign direct investment is as a result of globalization. The United States leads in the number of foreign companies investing in the country, which is focused towards more import liberalization in order to encourage consumption of foreign products in the country. This was meant to encourage foreign investment in the country (Noland 2009). The

The Cost of My Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cost of My Education - Essay Example On a monthly basis, I have to cover expenses related to my car, food and snacks not included in the meal plan, as well as all extracurricular activity and entertainment costs. Step two. Having established my expense categories, I am now positioned to estimate the actual dollar amounts for each and obtain an estimate for one year. By using a spreadsheet, I am able to view this information by category and obtain an accurate calculation. My annual tuition is $15,000 and the insurance for my car is $4,200. Accordingly, my annual expenses add up to $19,200. Every semester my residency fees cost me $3,500 and the meal plan is $1,250. I expect my books to cost $300, my student activity and parking fees to be $100, and my lab fees to be $75. This means that my semester fees equal $5,225. Because I will be able to walk to class, I don't expect to spend much money on gas every month, about $50. The rest of my monthly expenses should not be more than $250, making my monthly total while in school about $300. During the summer, I'll be living at home and will not have monthly expenses. I can now accumulate this information into a one-year estimate by adding my annual expenses ($19,200) to my semester expenses for two semesters ($5,225*2 = $10,450) and my monthly expenses for the eight months I will be at s

Resistance and containment as described in the song The Revolution Essay

Resistance and containment as described in the song The Revolution Will Not be Televised - Essay Example Scott-Heron underlines that a controlled or structured media can never demonstrate the waves of social, political and cultural changes of a nation. The entire song reveals the idea that The Black revolution would be down in the grooves and on the lanes. The whites always regarded the blacks as downtrodden and denied them the necessities of life. Though most of the black leaders had protested against this injustice, they were either silenced by jails or bullets. Blacks used Popular Music as the manifestation of their suppressed feelings and Scott- Heron’s song ‘The Revolution Will Not be Televised’ deserves significance in this respect. Through this widely accepted song, Scott-Heron could rouse the innate feelings of the blacks and the very first stanza of the song makes this grim reality vivid. Readers get a clear picture of the social set up existed with many ‘don’ts’ at the time of the composition of this song. As the blacks ‘will not b e able to’ perform what they desired, they realise the reality that their revolution for attaining racial equality will remain as an oasis. Any one can feel a note of sadness and can experience the dejected state of mind of the blacks in the song; on the other hand, the song has also the power to raise one’s thoughts to a higher level of aesthetic appreciation. As a spokesman of black community, Scott-Heron, like other black writers, portrays the ill-treatment they suffer at the hands of the dominant white community. The very first line of the song grabs one’s attention as one can see the pathetic state of blacks being denied of their own houses. However, there is a struggle to endure the sufferings and by portraying the endurance of the blacks, Scott-Heron in a way is advocating that liberation is constantly countered by implicit (and explicit) forms of oppression that are not always immediately identifiable (Jackson). Scott-Heron uses a lot

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Data Interchange (EDI), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Point of Sales (POS), mCRM – (mobile CRM), Inter Organizational Information Systems (IOIS), and various other Data Mining (DM) technologies are used across various departments in the retail industry. The use of the above mentioned technologies in various stages of the supply chain in a retail industry is shown in Figure 2. â€Å"RFID is a term that describes any system of identification wherein an electronic device that uses radio frequency or magnetic field variations to communicate is attached to an item" (Glover, Bhatt, 2006). It comprises of two key components namely – a tag and a reader. The tag functions as an identification device and is attached to an item while the reader is a device which is used to identify / detect the RFID tags attached to various items (see Figure 3). The software used is known as an RFID middleware. Recently huge retail giants such as IKEA and Wal-Mart are known to depend on the RFID technology for enhancing their supply chain management process. RFID helps in better management of the retail supply chain through eliminating wastage, reducing labour cost and improving customer service (Jones et al., 2005). Electronic Data Interchange refers to a standardized process where data / business transactions take place in a computer-to-computer system (Walton, Marucheck, 1997). Within the retail industry, a significant portion of business documents including purchase orders, delivery schedules and notes, invoices, payment transfers etc are created and maintained in an electronic format. The EDI system helps in transmitting this paperless data in a hassle free manner and with minimum human intervention, thus eliminating the chances of human errors (Becker et al., 2001). Point of sale refers to a system which facilitates the sale of the product / service to the customer by accessing a product in store, and dynamically updating the inventory

Nashville International Airport (BNA) Research Paper

Nashville International Airport (BNA) - Research Paper Example Though the airport was initially built on just 337 acres of land, the airport has since acquired adjacent land for expansion. Finch (2009) reveals that the airport currently sits on more than 4,500 acres of land. Finch (2009) reports that, apart from the acquisition of more land for expansion, the airport has also undergone a series of renovation, which has transformed it be one of the safest airports to board a plane. For instance, the airport has four runways, which are long enough to handle all types of aircrafts. The longest runway measures about 3,360 meters, which meets the RSA standards for handling all kinds of aircrafts. Finch (2009) noted that Nashville International Airport (BNA) currently handles a very large number of travelers and cargo. Finch (2009) reveals that BNA has 12 airlines that serve the various cities in North America and beyond. The airport is reported to be witnessing about 400 arrivals and departure daily. Finch (2009) reveals that about 8 million passenge rs currently fly either from or into the airport. For instance, it is reported that about 4.67 million passengers boarded flights on Nashville International Airport (BNA) in 2011. The airport also handled more than 84,000 tons of cargo in the same year. Currently Nashville International Airport (BNA) ranks 34th-busiest passenger airport in the U.S. ... As earlier indicated, Nashville International Airport (BNA) handles about 7 million passengers each year which is more than 1% of Americas total passenger boarding’s, according to Surhone, Timpledon and Marseken (2010). Nashville International Airport (BNA) recognizes the fact that the airport serves even the physically challenged. As a result, the airport has elevators and ramps used by these passengers for alighting and boarding the plane. The airport also has an ample parking bay for vehicles with handicap license plates. In this regard, it is a requirement that each airline makes its own arrangement for assisting the physically challenged to get to and from the plane. In addition to the parking lot for the physically challenged, the airport also has a packing bay for all provided free of charge as long as the vehicle is not packed for more than 30 minutes. Moreover, there is also a short-vehicle servicing garage for passengers who travel via the airport (Romine, 2012). Nas hville International Airport (BNA) also has many entertainment facilities at the airport that ensures that its passengers are not left the board while waiting their flights. Finch (2009) reveals that the airport has some of the several hotels and restaurants at the terminus where passengers can enjoy their meals. The hotels and restaurants serve a variety of meals and drinks to passengers at affordable prices. In addition, the airport also features live bands on a daily basis ranging from jazz to county music (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010). The terminus of the airport is also well illuminated by skylights designed by Robert Lamb Hart, the famous New York architect. This contributes to the general atmosphere of accessibility and openness. Security is also beefed up at the

Michael Moore Essay Example for Free

Michael Moore Essay Michael Moore has provided radical political alternative to mainstream perspective by making documentaries, writing books and commenting on the political issues. He is the person who has criticized on globalization, large co-operations and assault weapon ownerships. He has done a controversial movie with President George W. Bush named Fahrenheit 9/11. That was the award-winning and controversial film of 2004. This movie contained the distortions and untruths which had endorsed President Bush for re-election. That was the first time a film has this kind of impact. Background Michael Moore born on April 23, 1954, is the famous American film maker, author and liberal political commentator. He was born as Irish Catholic. He had done schooling from parochial St. Johns Elementary School for primary school and originally intended to join the seminary. He then attended Davison High School where he had done drama and debate. In 1972, he completed graduation and at the age of 18, he was elected to the Davison School board. As he dropped out from the University of Michigan-Fint, he worked with the student newspaper The Michigan Times and worked with the General motors. Then he got the alternative weekly magazine The Flint Voice nowadays called as The Michigan Voice, at the age of 22. In 1986, he became the editor of Mother Jones. After 4 months, he was fired from the Mother Jones because he had refused to print the article by Paul Berman, which was against the social political party of Nicaragua, named Sandinista. He was once sued for wrongful dismissal and the case got settled out of court for $58,000, providing him with the seed money for his first film â€Å"Roger me†. In 1990, he got married to a producer Kathleen Glynn and he started living with his stepdaughter Natalie in the Traverse City, Michigan. He was Catholic, but he was disagreed with the church teachings on abortion and gay marriage. He also started the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan in 2005. Also Time magazine named him one of the world’s 100 influencing people. He had made many documentary movies which criticize the globalization, large co-operations and assault weapon ownership. He had produced and directed movies like Roger me, Fahrenheit 9/11, Canadian Bacon etc. These were the documentary movies which criticize the society on the issues like political, globalization etc. Capitalism-A Love Story was the movie which shown the financial crisis of 2007-2010 and the US transition between the administration of incoming Obama and outgoing Bush. During a press conference he said â€Å"Democracy is not a spectator sport, its a participatory event. If we dont participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy. So Obama will rise or fall based not so much on what he does but on what we do to support him† Reuters Sept 06, 2009. He had done acts in the movies like Lucky Numbers, the Fever and Canadian Bacon. He had played many roles like an Anti-Canadian activist and journalist. He had also hosted the BBC television series TV Nation and the series was aired on BBC2 in UK 1994-1995. It was also aired in US on NBC in 1994 for 9 episodes and in Fox for 8 episodes. In 1999-2000, The Awful Truth was aired on Channel 4 (U. K) and Bravo (U.  S), which satirized the actions of big co-operations and politicians. In 1999, the show which was similar to the â€Å"The Awful Truth† but also incorporated phone-ins and a live stunt each week was aired through U. K. ’s Channel 4. The name of the show was Michael Moore live. Also in 1999 he had won â€Å"Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award† in Arts and Entertainment for â€Å"The Awful Truth† where he was also described as the muckraker, author and documentary filmmaker. He had also directed various music videos like Rage against Machine, Sleep Now in the Fire, Boom and All the way to Reno. He had made appearance in the documentary movies like The Drugging of Our Children (2005), Grand Funk Railroads, Blood in the Face (1991), The Yes Man (2003 , The Corporation (2004), Martial Law 9/11:Rise of the Police State (2005), The Divided State (2005), I’m Going to Tell You a Secret (2006) and Shooting Michael Moore. These movies were the documentaries on different issues of the society. The movie â€Å"The Drugging of Our Children† was the movie based on the over-prescription of psychiatric meditation to children and teenagers. The movie â€Å"Blood in the Face† was the documentary about supremacy groups (Neo-Nazi). In 2003, the movie The Yes Man was the documentary in which two men posed like World Trade Organizations and he appeared during the segment which was concerned about the working conditions of Mexico and Latin America. He had said The problem is the profit motive: for corporations, theres no such thing as enough’† during the interview for his movie â€Å"The Corporation†. Then he was appeared in the movie Martial Law 9/11: Rise of the Police State, which was the criticism to his own movie Fahrenheit 9/11. He was also featured in the movie The Divided State which followed the levels of controversies surrounding his visit to U. S. before elections in 2004. Then he appeared in I’m Going to Tell You a Secret which chronicles Madonna during her 2004 Re-invention world tour. He had also written the famous books like â€Å"Downsize this! † which was based on corporate crime and politics in U. S. , â€Å"Stupid White Men† which was the critics on American’s domestic and foreign policies and â€Å"Dude, Wheres My Country? † which was based on Bush Family’s relationship with Saudi royalty, Bin Laden Family and the energy industry and a call-to-action for liberals. Discussion Michael Moore has criticized the whole system of America in many ways like through documentary movie, books, TV shows, press conferences and many other ways. He is the person who has criticized President George W. Bush on the 9/11 attacks. He had changed the face of elections in September 2008 as he released the movie on internet â€Å"Slacker Uprising†. In all his movies, books written, TV shows, music audios etc, he has criticized globalization, large corporations and assault weapon ownership, the Iraq War, U.  S. President George W. Bush and the American health care system in his written and cinematic works. I am trying to reach across the great divide that exists in our country right now, he said. Certainly we could find some common ground on issues like health care, because illness knows no political stripe. (Flasher, 2007) His book â€Å"Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American† was a critical review on the corporations ignoring the safety and well being of their community and workers over their stockholders. He had shown the true faces of the society which he wants to change. Bowling for Columbine Like most of the Moore’s work this movie was based on the real life incidence of 1999 the Columbine High School massacre. This massacre claimed the life of twelve students, one teacher, injuring more than twenty other people and ended up in suicide of the two students committing the crime. This was regarded as one of the deadliest school incidences in America and raised questions over the distribution and control of guns and arms. The movie revolved around the weapon control issues. This movie was critically acclaimed, received commercial success as well as criticized for misrepresentation of facts. However people liked it for various reasons. The movie goes on probing various aspects of the violent records of USA across the world. Ordonez-Jasis, and Jasis () listed various issues discussed between Moore and Evan McCallum (the spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, the largest weapons-builder in the nation on the violent history of American involvement in various international activities such as, Mossadegh government and the imposition of the Shah (1953), our involvement and war in Vietnam (1963 to 1975), the overthrow and assassination of the democratically elected president of Chile, Salvador Allende (1973) to the funding, training and support of death-squad governments in El Salvador (1977 to 1991), the Contra war in Nicaragua (1981 to 1990), our involvement and funding of both sides of the Iraq-Iran war (1980 t o 1988), the bloody invasion of Panama (1989), our involvement in the invasion of Kuwait and its aftermath, the Gulf War against Iraq (1990 to 1991), the Yugoslavia-Kosovo war (1999), and, finally, our initial support for and later destruction of the Taliban government in Afghanistan (2001 to 2002). The disturbing actual footage of the violence and death caused by U. S. foreign policy are portrayed as acts of international violence. (Ordonez-Jasis and Jasis)† Moore had described the Columbine High School massacre as microcosm of what happens throughout the world. This was considered as cruel as well as unfair comparative statement as the level of massacre, the objectives and implications have been different. However, it could have been controlled with strict gun control laws. The unfortunate deaths of students and psychological trauma of injured and related people has been compared to the thousands of those who faced the direct and indirect involvement of US in violent activities in their country or region. This comparative analysis shocked America as well as internationally questioned the role of America in various issues. Fahrenheit 9/11  This was again a controversial documentary movie targeting the President over the decision to attack Iraq irrespective of the fact that major world leading organization and parties were against it. The controversies were over various factors like utilization of oil resources to the personal reasons President George Bush may have. The movie was acclaimed in various film festivals from Cannes to Academy awards. This movie is presented as an examination of the role of America, particularly the role of The President after the Twin Tower, September 11 2001 attacks. This film like his earlier works has been in controversies for the distortion of truth. There was list of facts and figures published along with the movie release related to the points raised in the movie. This movie was also politically motivated as 2004 election was due when the movie released and it was said to have impact on the election. â€Å"Moores Fahrenheit 9/11 surpassed that success on its opening week- end. Released in the summer before the 2004 U. S. presidential election, the anti-Bush administration film became a powerful rallying point for both Bush detractors and Bush supporters. That it arrived in American theaters with the imprimatur of the Cannes Film Festivals Palme DOr award only spiked the controversy. No film has ever played such a prominent role in U. S. lectoral politics. (McEnteer 2006, 79) The movie and Moore got international recognition with this movie. The movie presented Bush and his family’s, presented Bush as a ‘corrupted clown, serial deceiver and rendering his critics apopliect’ (McEnteer, 2006) Capitalism (Capitalism, a love story) This movie was based on the corporate malfeasance. This means the privatization and led implications on the life of individuals across the world. There have been number of works from across the range of journalists, film makers and others like Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, and Vandana Shiva who questioned role of various power bodies of our society. Chomsky on one hand questioned the role of media in misrepresentation of Islam, whereas Moore has attacked to various power bodies across the world. The movie was well created that it succeeded to keep the attention of viewers from start to the end. The movie included the 1950s corporate propaganda films. There have been some scenes of the movie that was been appreciated like in one of the scenes the Shell Oil CEO Mark Moody-Stuart is shown to have tea on his front lawn with the same people against him, referred him murderer on the giant banner and are the Earth First! Activists. Capitalism was attack on the role of large corporations and their profitability concerns that is impacting the environment, society and world as a whole. Conclusion No matter how controversial Moore’s work has been so far. His presentations have given people an opportunity to think something that can be a hidden truth. The questioned raised over the aspects like individual ethics and collective imperatives, role of media, role of administrative agencies and the ability to present something that can impact power centers have helped in manufacturing different consents in the society altogether. Moore works have held the power centers responsible and accountable for their actions and justifications of the actions. American political spectrum has been very much influenced by Moore as a personality and his work that attacked various political and power spectrums.

Japanese Culture: Art, history and society

Japanese Culture: Art, history and society The Japanese culture is one that is rich within an historical and traditional context. Many of the traditional practices established hundreds of years ago can be seen today in modern Japan and are a direct reflection of significant historical accounts. The role of woodblock art in Japanese culture is one such reflection to which many historical references and traditions were recorded and captured in pictorial form. The art of woodblock printing first appeared as early as the 1600s within the cities of Kyoto and Osaka. These early forms of woodblock printing (spoken as Ukiyo-e in the Japanese native tongue) were a very simplistic process utilizing black ink and colored chalk. Typically during this initial time period, the art form was considered a lower class of art and therefore was not sought after by the higher class. Over time the woodblock printing process became more complex with the introduction of various colors by the artist. For this reason the art form became a group effort of artist, wood block carver, printer, and publisher. The popularity of the townsmen woodblock printing began to take root over the centuries as it migrated from the smaller villages to the city of Edo at its pinnacle during the nineteenth century. Revered as the classical era of Ukiyo-e, the Edo period spanned from early seventeenth century until its recorded end in 1868. The Japanese experienced a great deal of peace during this span of time under the rule of the Tokugawa Clan. This era of peace however, came with a great deal of political oppression and complete seclusion from the world outside its shores. The city of Edo began to flourish culturally as the lower class indulged in knowing pleasures and theater performances. The concentration of cultural activity within Edo had given way to new subjects and perspective within woodblock printing artwork. The long practiced subject of woodblock printing had shifted from landscape etchings to more contemporary settings of the city life. What had originally been a century old technique for copying text, the woodblock prints became a highly sought after commodity to visitors of Edo. The printing technique had evolved into a sophisticated practice, depicting landscapes, inner city dwellings, actors, actresses and performers during the seventeenth century. There are a myriad of woodblock prints linking to historical and contemporary events during the Edo period. One such print is the, Furyu The Great Battle of the Frogs, commissioned in 1864 by Kyosai. This print depicts two large forces of frogs engaged in battle across a narrow body of water. The severed heads of the slain enemy can be seen impaled on stakes as the opposing forces wage a vicious battle. This print is believed by some to represent a playful rendition of the Tokugawa clan fighting the Choshu forces. The exact interpretation of the artwork remains unknown, however, prints that may have shown a negative view towards the Tokugawa clan were oppressed and the artist imprisoned. The Tokugawa clan was dissolved in 1868 and the emperor was restored as the ruling authority in what began to be known as the Meiji Era. Political oppression continued into the new era as government officials regulated any publications that did promote national peace and the sanctity of the country. There is evidence to suggest that a strong conviction to suppress mockery and disapproval from the common wealth continued as late as the nineteenth century. The printmaker Kyosai and other citizens of Edo may not have perceived this turn of the tide in leadership of the country as a blessing. The economy of Edo had suffered greatly during this transition of power between the Tokugawa rule and the new Meiji era. A new slogan, Fukoku kyohei, was formulated under the emperor. The objective was to develop far reaching policies to transform society in an effort to catch up with the west. The dramatic changes that took place are well represented in the woodblock prints that were produced during this time frame. Once more, the Meiji Period had opened the shores of its country to commerce and trade among the rest of the world. Over the next three decades the popularity of woodblock prints as a commercial item had lost its appeal among the Japanese citizens; however it did remain the prevailing technology routinely used to print pictures and texts within books. A centuries old tradition of perfected woodblock printing that had captured the very essence of Japanese culture had come under pressure from western ideals and influences. An influx of western technologies such as photography, lithographs and other metal type processes quickly gained a foothold over the traditional methodologies of woodblock printing. Publishers, despite adopting metal type technology, continued to commission woodblock prints for supplements in newspapers and other illustrations. In 1894 publishers were confronted with the task of rallying open support from citizens for the war with China, and in an instance reverted from the new metal type print processes to the traditional woodblock methodology in production runs. The publishers recognized that woodblock prints in the style of ukiyo-e were their most influential means for gaining public attention. Many artists such as Kobayashi Kiyochika and Mizuno Toshikata, contributed to the attention of the war by creating more than three thousand prints. Over one hundred thousand of the more popular prints were sold during the war. As the zeal for the China War ended, numerous artist and craftsmen found that their services were no longer needed. The war prints were no longer a sought after commodity. Although sales of the popular prints diminished in time among widely used metal type printing technology, the widespread use of woodblock printing had left a lasting impression within Japanese tradition. In the brief years following the China War woodblock prints were still commissioned in the use for the reproduction of paintings and ukiyo-e for export. During this time, however, the birth of a new creative print movement was taking root. An artist by the name of Yamamotot Kanae had the revolutionary vision to create a print which utilized traditional woodblock methods. The now famous print entitled, Fisherman had attracted the attention of a new breed of artist. The new theory of the Sosaku Hanga movement defined what an artist should be at the turn of the early twentieth century. In the traditional role of ukiyo-e printmaking the processes were completed separately and meant that the design, wood carving and printing (publishing) of the woodblock prints were completed by highly skilled individuals. The Sosaku Hanga artist held the opposing view that the artist should be involved at every step of the process to the prints completion. The Sosaku Hanga movement and other developing art theories around that time period, which utilized woodblocks as their median for new age expressions, never became as popular as the traditional commercialized prints had become in centuries past.

Effect Of Celebrity Endorsements On Brands Marketing Essay

Effect Of Celebrity Endorsements On Brands Marketing Essay Friedman and Friedman mentioned a celebrity endorser is an individual who is known by the public for his or her achievements in areas other than that of the product class endorsed. Celebrity Endorsements 20% of all advertisements in India are endorsed by celebrities (Prakash, 2012). In support of the observation, a research shows that celebrity endorsements results in more favorable advertisement ratings and brand evaluations (Dean and Biswas, 2001) and can have a substantial positive impact on financial returns for the companies that use them (Erdogan, 2001). Though, celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon in India, with Hindustan Lever using super stars consistently for its Lux brand over the years. The number of celebrities endorsing brands has risen significantly in the past 20 years in India. Celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan have become the advertisers favorite bet. Advertising professionals in India believe that there are two situations in which celebrity endorsements can be effective. Lifestyle products like Raymonds, Vimal etc. where celebrity epitomizes that kind of lifestyle. And in situations where customers are not sure about the product and testimonials by celebrities tend to provide required assurance. However, in this case the match between the product and the celebrity needs to be perfect. According to Paul Nayyar, a celebrity endorsement is used to achieve two ends to get your products noticed and to show that it is tried and tested. (Prakash, 2012). Some industry insiders believe that a celebrity endorsement is effective only when it is in congruence with the product. Theory and practice prove that the use of super stars in advertising generates a lot of publicity and attention from the public (Ohanian 1991). One might think that using a celebrity in a product/service endorsement means guaranteed success for the brand, but this is not always the case. While many companies had used a celebrity at one point or the other to endorse its product/service, only few of them have been successful in building a brand and generating long term revenues through the tactic. Objective To study the phenomenon of celebrity endorsements for Brands and various consumer behavior models associated with it. Examine the effect of celebrity endorsements on brands. Approach A three step approach has been taken to achieve the objectives of the study. Literature review to understand the various theories and phenomenon describing the use of celebrity in advertisements. Survey analysis to understand the consumer perception of image of various celebrities seen today in Indian advertising vis-à  -vis the image of the brands they endorse. Analyze the performance of these brands in the light of their image match with their respective celebrities. Survey Analysis: Online survey was designed to gather the consumer perception of the image of the various celebrities and the image of their endorsed products. Respondents were shown clips of the advertisements from the past and asked about the recall and likeability of these ads. Link to the survey is https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_ermlGxDswznQJk9 Detailed questionnaire is attached here for reference. Assumption: Market share of the brand can be taken as a reasonable estimator of the performance of the brand when the industry has not seen any major changes. 4. Literature Review Celebrities have been used in advertising since late nineteenth century and since then a considerable amount of research has been done in this domain. Studies on Celebrity endorsements have been undertaken to establish source credibility and attractiveness models in advertising. These studies suggest that celebrities exert their influence on consumers through perceived attributes like expertise, trustworthiness, attractiveness, familiarity and likeability (Ohanian 1990, 1991). Another concept in theory which defines the effect of celebrities on brands is termed as the match-up hypothesis. It examines the match (or fit) between the product being endorsed and the celebrity used. According to Kahle and Komer 1985; Kamins 1990 and Till and Bustler 2000, match-up hypothesis maintains that an endorsement is more effective when the image or characteristics of the celebrity are well matched with the endorsed product.Friedman and Friedman (1979) concluded that the better the celebrity/product fit, as perceived by consumers, the higher the level of endorsement effectiveness. Till and Busler (2000) found that celebrity/product fit was effective for only certain measures of effectiveness such as brand attitude, but not for other measures such as purchase intention. McGuire (1969-1987) said that one of the most reliable effects found in communication research is that expert and/or trustworthy sources are more persuasive than sources that are seen as having less expertise and trustworthiness. The literature also implies that celebrities add value through the process of meaning transfer (McCracken 1986, 1989). The meaning transfer model posits that celebrities develop a persona through the types of roles they play in society as well as how they are portrayed in the media. McCracken (1989) inferred that the endorsement effectiveness depends on the meaning that the celebrity brings to the endorsement process. He described the whole Meaning Transfer process in three stages. In the initial stage, the meanings generated from distant movie performances, or athletic achievements and performances reside in celebrities. In the second stage, meanings are transferred to the product through an advertisement process. In the third stage, the meanings are transf erred from the product to the consumer, where the properties of the product become the properties of the consumer. A review of the literature revealed following other key predictors for the success of a celebrity endorsement: Celebrity performance: It refers to the achievement of a celebrity in their chosen profession. When a celebrity fails to perform acceptably, as defined by consumers, a celebrity endorsers effectiveness tends to decline (Agrawal Kamakura 1995). Celebrity credibility: Source credibility can be defined as a communicators positive characteristics that affect the receivers acceptance of a message (Ohanian 1990). Celebrity expertise: Subjects exposed to a source perceived as expert exhibit more agreement with the sources recommendation than did those exposed to a source with low expertise (Ohanian 1990). Celebrity trustworthiness: Miller and Baseheart (1969) found that a highly opinionated message from a highly trustworthy communicator produces an effective attitude change, while non-trusted communicators impact proved immaterial. Celebrity attractiveness: The source-attractiveness model suggests that the attractiveness of any source is determined by the communication receivers perceptions of the sources similarity, familiarity, and likeability. Likeability includes factors like Physical appearance, personality and social status. When consumers perceive a celebrity as similar to them and if they are familiar with and like the celebrity, they will tend to find the celebrity more attractive. Joseph (1982) in his study on endorsers attractiveness concluded that attractive endorsers deliver a more positive impact on the products they endorse as compared to less attractive endorsers. Caballero et al. (1989) in his study even observed that endorser attractiveness had no effect on advertising effectiveness. Balance Theory Fritz Heider developed Balance Theory to show how people develop relationships with things and other people in the environment. It says that if people see a set of cognitive elements as being a system, then they will have a preference to maintain a balanced state among these elements. People are motivated to restore a position of balance if there is discomfort. Fritz Heiders Balance Theory explains the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements when a well-liked celebrity uses a product.   The balance theory states that people like balance in their lives and if they have a positive attitude towards a celebrity and they see that celebrity using a certain product or service, then they will likely have a positive attitude toward the product or service as well.   The Principle of Attractiveness says that people are more likely to listen to a message from someone they find attractive. Conversely, a celebrity with a poor image can damage harm a brand.   This phenomenon is explained below in the risks of using a celebrity. Figure : Balance Theory The Match-up Hypothesis Literature reveals that a spokesperson interacts with the type of brand being advertised. According to Friedman and Friedman (1979), a famous person relative to a normalspokesperson is more effective for products high in psychological or social risk, involving such elements as good taste, self-image, and opinion of others. Till and Busler 1998, Martin 1996, Till and Shimp 1998 have examined the congruency between celebrity endorsers and brands to explain the effectiveness of using famous persons to promote brands. Results show that a number of celebrity endorsements proved very successful, whereas others completely failed, resulting in the termination of the respective celebrity communicator (Walker et al.1992) The Meaning Transfer Model McCracken (1989) explains the effectiveness of celebrity spokespersons by assessing the meanings consumers associate with the endorser and eventually transfer to the brand. The model suggests three stages. First, the meaning associated with the famous person moves from the endorser to the product or brand. Thus, meanings attributed to the celebrity become associated with the brand in the consumers mind. Finally, in the consumption process, the brands meaning is acquired by the customer. The third stage of the model explicitly shows the importance of theconsumers role in the process of endorsing brands with famous persons. Figure : Meaning Transfer Model Source: McCracken, 1989 paper on Meaning Transfer Model Celebrities contain a broad range of meanings, involving demographic categories (e.g. age, gender, status), personality and lifestyle types. Madonna, for example, is perceived as tough, intense and modern women, and is associated with the lower middle class (Walker et al. 1992). Risk of using Celebrities The celebrity may overshadow the product being endorsed High ad recall but less brand recall and intentions to purchase. The 1996 BPL ad featuring Amitabh Bachchan is a classic example of the phenomenon. People recalled Amitabh Bachchan more than BPL in the advertisement. The celebrity being overexposed, reducing his or her credibility -Some spokespersons promote more than one brand.eg: Golf champion Tiger Woods has endorsed Accenture, Rolex, and Nike. Tripp et al. (1994),suggested that endorsing as many as four products negatively influences the celebrity spokespersons credibility and likeability. These effects are independent of the celebrity, i.e. even the most liked stars can fall a prey to this phenomenon. Though these findings are found to be valid, the concept of multiple product endorsements is still prevalent in advertising. The target audience may not be receptive to celebrity endorsers: Effect of region and culture on the selection of the celebrity for a product. In 2006 saw a surprising move from KSDL which roped in MS Dhoni as brand ambassador to endorse the soap. The purpose was to attract new generation. But it does not go along well and the entire campaign proved to be very ordinary. The celebritys behavior may pose a risk to the company: Since repeated pairings of a brand and celebrity strengthen the associative link consumers establish between brand and celebrity, negative information about the celebrity may negatively impact the endorsed brand (ErdoganBaker 2000). Post-scandal, that global consulting firm Accenture dropped Woods as a spokesman and Procter Gambles Gillette also announced limiting Woods presence in its advertisements. 5. Survey and Advertisement Analysis For the purpose of analysis we chose two sectors in India Telecom sector and beverage industry in India. Primary motivation behind choosing these sectors was that no major/radical change has happened in the time period considered in these sectors. Airtel and Idea were chosen in the Telecom sector and Thumps up and Pepsi was chosen in the beverages category. We listed down various celebrities who have endorsed these brands in the past and asked consumers about the image perception of these celebrities and the image perception of these brands. Following celebrities were considered Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan. Picture below presents the perception map of the various celebrities on a set of pre-defined dimensions. Figure : Perception Map of Celebrities Figure : Perceptual Map of Brands 6. Airtel Ad Campaigns Power to keep in touch (1995-98): This era saw the beginning of mobile communication in India. Only the elite in society that could afford to keep mobile phones. Hence, it position itself in the premium category aimed at high class society. Express Yourself (2003-08):This campaign was successfully launched taking the ownership of the entire space of telecommunication and strengthening the emotional bond that Airtel had established with its customers over the years. It highlights the capability of Airtel in terms of performance and network coverage. Dil jo chaahe paas laaye (2010-2012):With the spread of Airtel in over 19 countries, Airtel decided to change its message decision strategy. The new brand logo was launched with the intention of bringing the brand closer to its consumers and as a symbol which will help ensure instant recognition across diverse international markets. Jo mera hai woh tera (2012):Airtel has launched ad campaign on Friendship day targeting youth and showcasing itself as a brand which brings friends closer.  Although the craft of friendship has been deployed by all and sundry in their  communication strategies  , the difference is in the creative rendition of the theme. Celebrity Endorsement Shahrukh Khan got attached with brand in the year 2002. The reason of taking him was that Shahrukh Khans core values of being a self-made actor with his success glamour and hence would connect more to the masses. Sachin Tendulkar got associated with the brand in October 2003. His dedication, innocence and performance are today seen as a driver of self-identification amongst the masses and hence he was roped in. Also, Sachin and Airtel both are leaders having similar values and personality traits like trustworthiness, friendliness, youthfulness and trend-setters. In the years 2003-2007 mainly three celebrities were used SachinTendular, Sharukh Khan, A.R. Rehman. All the three are the leaders in their respective fields, so is AIRTEL. VidyaBalan and Madhavan were used as celebrities in the year 2008. Spontaneity and vibrancy are key attributes of Airtel. VidyaBalan is a hugely talented actress who brings a lot of freshness and naturalness to any role. Madhavan is a big superstar in the southern region. Hence Airtel picks him up to connate leadership. Saif and Kareena were also used as celebrities endorsing the brand for the year 2008. Source Attractiveness and Credibility Airtel has used various celebrities at various times. All these celebrities have gone well with its brand image which it has tried to portray time to time. Shahrukh Khans one of the brand endorser has core values of being a self-made actor with his success glamour and goes well with the attributes of the brand. Perceived social value of source likability in terms of physical appearance and social status is high. Also, public has familiarity with the source and hence people are able to relate to the brand. Image characteristics Match Following Brand characteristics and celebrity characteristics were arrived at using the survey results and secondary data. Figure : Image Match up Airtel Balance Theory Figure : Balance Theory Airtel http://telecomtalk.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/airtel-srk.jpg Hence the image of Shahrukh Khan doesnt actually match with the image of Airtel. The success of Airtel and its consistent market share can be attributed to the source attractiveness and credibility principle. Airtel has been able to sustain very high market share over the year. Figure : Market Share Airtel Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Market Share (% terms) 22.4 23.7 24 21.8 20 Source: Crisil Research 7. Idea Cellular Till 2007, Ideas ads were highlighting its tariff plans and network coverage. They were focused on its network coverage and promotional packages. A Good Idea Campaign (2006): Ideas promotions in 2006 were based on its tariffs, service quality, and network coverage. In 2007, Idea shifted its focus to using mobile telephony to solve social issues. Idea also developed several websites to support its ads based on social issues. Idea chose to promote its brand where as its competitors focused on promoting their value added services and tariff plans. An Idea can change your life, A good Idea, and What an Idea! (2007-11): These campaigns, based on social issues (Education for all, language barrier, Use mobile save paper) that could be solved using mobile telephony, were acclaimed for their creativity. Celebrity endorser Abhishek Bachchan was used for all these ad campaigns. Celebrity Endorsement Idea roped in Abhishek Bachchan to endorse its brand in October 2007 to expand its geographical presence to cover several telecom circles in India. In the past Idea has also tied up with Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team, Mumbai Indians, and popular players like Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan were used to promote the brand. Comments Analysts felt that using Bachchan, one of the leading movie actors in India who is extremely popular among youngsters, was one of the reasons for the significant improvement in Ideas brand recall. However, some experts felt that while Ideas ad campaigns were creative and improved its brand recall, there was nothing in the ads that would attract a customer of its competitors or a new subscriber. They felt that Idea should have promoted the unique selling points of its products and services in the ads rather than only projecting the uses of mobile telephony. Source Attractiveness and Credibility Perceived social value of source likability in terms of physical appearance and social status is high. Also, public has familiarity with the source and hence brand recall is high as people are able to relate to the brand. Image characteristics Match Following Brand characteristics and celebrity characteristics were arrived at using the survey results and secondary data. Figure : Image Match up Idea Figure : Market Share Idea Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Market Share (% terms) 8.4 9.2 9.9 10.0 11.0 If we look at the market share of Idea is has not increased significantly over the years. Though the celebrity status of Abhishek Bhachchan has been able to generate a good recall (also supported by our survey results), it has not been able to convert to the brand purchase, due to the image mismatch with the brand. Balance Theory Figure : Balance Theory Idea https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQedzqyWQGKf4QQ-BIgLfhU9rxl9HB5o6bSN3iLxL3ouvDpkhLW 8. Thumps Up Thumps Up has always been about a highly glorified, desirable world of masculinity that every youngster seeks. This comes from the characteristics of the product itself which is a harder, less sweetened, more raw cola, as compared to the almost toned-down nature of its competitors. Campaigns through the years Happy days are here again (1977 1980): Positioned as a refreshing drink, emphasized on happiness. Taste the Thunder Campaign (1988 2012): Initially positioned as an individualistic masculine brand, but over the years went on to add adventure, confidence and playfulness. It was used to connect with the young Indian male. This campaign featured Salman Khan, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar over the years. Khatron Ke Khiladi (KKK) show on Colors Channel (2011):  Thums Up was the title sponsor for the show. The show was completely integrated with brand Thums Up from the concept to approach as it had adventure and daring stunts. Also, Akshay Kumar, who is Thums Ups brand ambassador, hosted the show. Aaj Kuch Toofani karte hain (2012):  In this campaign, the brand challenges its loyalists to push the envelope and do something daring or toofani. It urges its consumers to Live the Thunder and unlock the new code of masculinity. The television commercial features South Indian actor Mahesh Babu, Dhaval Thakur (winner of Khatron ke Khiladi 2011), Sahil Shroff (actor) and Angela Jonsson (model who appeared on Kingfisher Calendar). Celebrity Endorsements Thums Up has been using celebrities to endorse its brand through the years. It picked up action heroes like Salman Khan, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar. For the Andhra Pradesh region which is the biggest market for the brand they roped in their most revered star Chiranjeevi. Recently they got the latest sensation in Andhra Pradesh, Mahesh Babu to endorse the brand.   1999 2000: Salman Khan 1999 2000: Sunil Shetty 2002 2012: Akshay Kumar 2012: Mahesh Babu Image characteristics Match Following Brand characteristics and celebrity characteristics were arrived at using the survey results and secondary data. Figure : Image Match Up Thumps Up In 2002, Akshay Kumar was roped in as the brand ambassador and the brand continued to strengthen its position as a Male Iconic Brand through consistent positioning. His training in martial arts and his raw, rugged looks have enhanced the coolness and macho quotient of the brand. According to the survey results, Thums Up Ad featuring Akshay Kumar had better recall than the ad featuring Salman Khan. This can probably be explained by the image characteristics associated with the brand. They are more in sync with the image characteristics of Akshay Kumar. Figure : Balance Theory Thums Up The market share of Thums Up increased in 2009. It was when they launched a new campaign that took the whole idea of I Will Do Anything for My Thunder attitude of the Indian male to the next level with Akshay Kumar in the commercials. Figure : Market Share Thums Up Brand 2008 2009 2010 2011 Thumps Up 14.9 16.3 16.7 16.5 Source: Euromonitor 9. Pepsi Pepsi is a brand that stands for its youthfulness, irreverence, and dare for more spirit. Pepsi has always introduced new youth expressions as part of its campaign launches. Popular Pepsi lines have reflected the young generations attitude and values besides standing for an irreverent point of view. Campaigns through the years and Celebrity Endorsements YehiHai Right Choice Baby Aha (1991): This campaign with stars and glamour was an adaptation of an international Pepsi campaign. It featured Aamir Khan, MahimaChaudhary and AishwaryaRai. Yeh Dil Maange More (1999 2006): This campaign sought to establish Pepsi as a strong brand with Indian youth and the phrase became a runaway success. The ads featured prominent sports personalities and film stars, such as  Sachin Tendulkar,  Shahrukh Khan,  AmitabhBachchan. Yeh Pyaas Hai Badi (2005): With a peppy jingle Oye Bubbly to spearhead the campaign, Pepsi latched on to the tagline, YehPyaasHaiBadi. It was mainly promoted through Shah Rukh Khan, PreityZintaandSaif Ali Khan. The campaign was all about a bigger thirst to get more out of life. It was about the assertive spirit and confidence of the youth to make things happen. Yeh Hai Youngistan Meri Jaan (2008): This campaign attempted to capture not only the youth attitude but also the great sense of optimism, success and buzz about India and the Indian youth. With the Youngistaan campaign Pepsi branded the new generation. As the name suggests, it represented a world of the youth, where the young generation likes to be in control. It brought forward their never failing attitude, their desire to take on challenges and the power to turn things around. The Youngistaan idea captured the energy, excitement and irreverence of the young confident India. For this campaign Pepsi signed on fresh faces like RanbirKapoor and DeepikaPadukone. My Pepsi My Way (2009): Reiterating its connect with cricket and the youth, PepsiCo rolled out a this campaign featuring five cricketers: MS Dhoni, VirenderSehwag, Ishant Sharma, Robin Uthappa and Praveen Kumar, playing cricket on boats. Through this campaign brand Pepsi provoked the youth to take on any situation and use their mental smarts to effortlessly find their way through any given situation. Youngistan ka Wow (2010): While keeping the brand identity of youthfulness intact, this campaign of Pepsi took forward the concept of Youngistaan. The campaign featured RanbirKapoor. Recently, Pepsi has dropped Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan as its brand endorsers because now they have grown old and do not go well with the Youngistan concept. The new Indian youth and the brand image of Pepsi now relates more with the next generation of young stars and cricketers. The brand has been endorsed by the celebrities (like RanbirKapoor, DeepikaPadukone and young cricket stars) that match up with its image since 2008. The highly relevant characteristics of these endorsers are consistent with the highly relevant attributes of the brand. Image characteristics Match Brand attributes of Pepsi go well with the image of Ranbir Kapoor more than the image of Shahrukh Khan and it is evident from the increase in market share at the time when Ranbir Kapoor was roped in as the celebrity endorser for Pepsi. Following Brand characteristics and celebrity characteristics were arrived at using the survey results and secondary data. Figure : Image Match up Pepsi Figure : Market Share Pepsi Brand 2008 2009 2010 2011 Pepsi 14.5 14.9 14.9 15.0 Source: Euromonitor There was an increase in the market share from 2008 to 2009. This was the period when the Youngistan campaign was launched with Ranbir Kapoor as the new generation brand ambassador whose image of youthfulness, self-belief and smartness is consistent with the brand image. Balance Theory Figure : Balance Theory Pepsi https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCAtyimm0Mgl7jziXUgpURskhEH8XElW3zuM2_PjXcyPFFMrYcTw 10. Implications for Marketers Celebrities endorsements have not always been successful and even the biggest of the celebrities have failed to bring the desired revenues to the companies. It is essential for an advertiser to be aware of the complex processes associated with the celebrity endorsement. Our report provides insights into the various models in the celebrity endorsements and assesses them in Indian context. Insights from the report can help marketers decide when to use a celebrity and when celebrity endorsements pay off. This will help in optimizing the spending on the advertisements.

A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates :: Obesity in America

Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active. Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed. Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether. The best way to begin a revolution in health in America is to start with the youth. The United States has the largest percentile of overweight children in the world. Approximately one-quarter of all four to five year olds and one-third of ten to eleven year olds are considered overweight. The obese children will more than likely become overweight parents. A child with an obese parent is ten percent more likely to raise obese children and thus the cycle continues (McBride, 2010). The more years that go on the higher the obesity rate climbs because the children are eating more and more and becoming less and less active. Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.

The Creation of God in Apocalypse Now in Relation to Frazers The Golde

The Creation of God in Apocalypse Now in Relation to Frazer's The Golden Bough      Ã‚  Ã‚   Very rarely do filmmakers intend to create cinematic masterpieces which integrate and draw upon lush literary qualities and leave the viewer with a deeper feeling of life and death than he or she had before viewing the film. Even if some filmmakers do attempt to create a masterpiece, symbolic and complex, many fall short. However, when Francis Coppola created Apocalypse Now, he succeeded in creating a masterpiece, drawing upon the complicated story within Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the savage observations within Frazer's The Golden Bough. The character of Colonel Kurtz in both Conrad's and Coppola's works, is one of a complicated, volatile renaissance man; he is at the same time a ruthless, body collecting warrior and a artistic philosopher. Kurtz's "divinity is like fire, which under proper restraints, confers endless blessings, but if rashly touched, burns and destroys what it touches" (Frazer 13). Kurtz, as a savage icon, is capable of greatness and is brutally ma licious at the same time. Where Coppola strays from Conrad, he does so to show Kurtz's deliberate choice to become a god-like figure and be destroyed in the tradition of the savages. Through the savage beliefs of tabooed head and hair, the slaying of the divine king, and sympathetic magic, Coppola creates a more savagely realistic character in Kurtz.    Perhaps one of Col. KurtzÕs most prominent physical features in Apocalypse Now is his shaven head. Frazer explains that, to the savages, the head and hair of their divine king is tabooed, and "to touch the top of the head, or anything which had been on his head was sacrilege" (Frazer 812). To the savages, their king ra... ...in Cambodia after he slays Kurtz because either Chef had ordered the air strike, or because Willard, eventhough he is mesmerized by the culture, is a unwavering part of the western world. Just because Willard is portrayed by Coppola as a unconventional man and can slay Kurtz in accordance with savage customs, doesn't make him a savage. Eventhough Frazer is an Englishman, Coppola believes his observations of savages are precise, and so he chooses to create his born again savage god-king, Kurtz, accordingly.       Works Cited Frazer, James. The Golden Bough. 1922. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1951. Vickery, James B., The Literary Aspect of 'The Golden Bough'. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973. Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Remarks on Frazer's 'Golden Bough'. Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Human Press, Inc., 1979.      

Alexander Popes Essay on Man -- Alexander Popes Essay on Man

Alexander Pope's Essay on Man - Man is Never Satisfied Alexander Pope's Essay on Man is a philosophical poem, written, characteristically in heroic couplet. It is an attempt to justify and vindicate the ways of God to man. It’s also a warning that man himself is not as in his pride, he seems to believe the center of all things. Eventhough not truly Christian, the essay makes implicit assumption that man has fallen and that he must seek his own salvation. Pope sets out to demonstrate that no matter how imperfect complex and disturbingly full evil the universe may appear to be, it does function in a rational fashion, according to natural laws and is in fact considered as a whole perfect work of God. It appears unsatisfy to us only because our perceptions are limited by...

Archetypes in Beowulf Essay

Archetypes stir profound emotions in the reader because they awaken images stored in the collective unconscious. In Seamus Haney’s translation of Beowulf this is used in the form of character types. Beowulf is a hero and encounters many triumphs with different types of people on his journey in this epic poem. There are three archetypal characters in Beowulf that are particularly effective and intriguing. These are The Creature of Nightmare Grendel, The Mentor Hrothgar, and The Loyal Retainer Wiglaf. The characters are common experiences in the human psyche. The Creature of Nightmare is a monster from the deepest darkest part of the human psyche. Throughout Beowulf, Grendel’s actions and description accurately fits the archetype. The vivid language used in the poem illustrates Grendel as a monster. â€Å"The God-cursed brute was creating havoc:/greedy and grim he grabbed thirty men/from their resting places†¦/ (121-123)†. He’s also depicted as â€Å"a fiend out of hell/ (100)†. This passage acts as an illustration of the archetype in the poem because a demon that steals lives at a peaceful hour is what would happen in a nightmare. Grendel shares similarities with another dark creature from literature, Poseidon. He is known through Greek mythology as an almighty god but also is a monster. In the myth of Medusa, Poseidon took medusa’s virginity forcefully in the temple of Athena, had the blame put on her, and she was terribly punished. The acts he committed were iniquitous. What makes this archetype particularly effective and intriguing is the fact that these monsters are real; except they aren’t in the form of a nightmare or make believe gods. In addition to the Creature of Nightmare there is the Mentor. This individual acts as a teacher or consoler to the initiate. The fit for this archetype is Hrothgar. For the duration of the novel, he acts as role model to Beowulf consoling him to achieve greatness. Hrothgar depicts this archetype when he talks to Beowulf about life and how to be a good king. He says â€Å"†¦understand true values. / I who tell you have wintered into wisdom. / (1724-1725)† and â€Å"Do not give way to pride. / for a brief while your strength is in bloom but it fades quickly†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Being a mentor requires experience so that wisdom can be bestowed onto another and that something is learned. He undoubtedly does this for Beowulf. Hrothgar can be compared to another character in literature. This character is Hagrid from  Harry Potter. It’s easy to overlook him but Hagrid turns out to be Harry’s rescuer and first real friend. He’s the first person to take Harry’s side in anything, and he is the first real impression that Harry gets of the wizard world, aside from the letters. Harry makes use of relying on friendship throughout all of the books thanks to Hagrid. These details make him an exemplary example of a mentor. The Mentor archetype is effective and intriguing because people still have mentors by their side in the form of a mother, father, friend, teacher, or other guiding them through life. Lastly, there is The Loyal Retainers. These people are very important as they are usually a sidekick who has a duty to protect and reflect the nobility of the hero. Beowulf’s sidekick is Wiglaf. He comes at the end of Beowulf and is the only warrior who stays and helps Beowulf defeat the dragon, â€Å"No help or backing was to be had then/ f rom his high-born comrades; that hand-picked troop/ †¦ ran for their lives†¦/but within one heart sorrow welled up/ (2597-2600)†. He also stays with Beowulf when his last breath is taken. Wiglaf gets this archetype because he protected the hero, Beowulf. He shares very similar qualities with Ponyboy from The Outsiders. He is the main character but when his friend, Johnny, kills someone Ponyboy runs away with him staying by Johnny’s side till he died even though he could have let Johnny get in trouble by himself. Ponyboy protected Johnny and stood by his side. The archetype, Loyal Retainer, is effective and intriguing because there’s always somebody that is there for another person in life to protecting them and be loyal. Archetypes are persuasive in the epic poem Beowulf. The Creature of Nightmare, The Mentor, and The Loyal Retainer are common experiences in the human psyche. These archetypes can be connected to other literature. They can also be connected to life. The ideas in this essay matters to the world because as according to Carl Jung people from all over the world respond to certain myths or stories in the same way not because everyone knows the same story but because lying deep in our collective unconsciousness are the racial memories of humanity’s past. These memorie s exist in the form of archetypes.

Coffee Shop Business Plan

cocoa tree refining chocolate tree ban is determined to withstand a fooling necessity for topical anaesthetic hot chocolate addicts, a place to romance of as you try to escape the effortless stresses of life and just a satisfactory place to meet your friends or to postulate a book, all in one. With the out egress demand for mettlesome-quality epicurean burnt umber and salient wait on, chocolate civilization result trespass on its proximity to the University of Oregon campus to strain a core group of ingeminate customers. java bean elaboration testament offer its customers the high hat prep bed coffee bean in the celestial sphere that ordain be complimented with pastries, as s wellspring as free books that its patrons tail end larn to enjoy their visit. The familiarity leave croak a 2,300 consecutive foot coffee bar at heart a pass distance from the University of Oregon campus. The takeers know secured this pickle by a three- course leas e with an pickax for extending. The have also provided $140,000 of the required $170,000 start-up funds. The remain capital forget be obtained through Bank of America commercial loans.The fellowship is expected to rick gross sales revenue enhancement from $584,000 in FY2001 to $706,000 in year three. As burnt umber nuance allow touch to maintain a 65% consummate(a) profit security deposit and reasonable in operation(p) expenses, it go forth see net pay grow from $100,000 to $125,000 during the analogous period. 1. 1 Objectives chocolate Cultures objectives for the first year of operations atomic number 18 Become selected as the Best New Coffee contain in the field by the topical anaesthetic restaurant guide. Turn in remuneration from the first month of operations. Maintain a 65% gross margin. 1. 2 Keys to succeeder The keys to success impart be stemma inclination that impart be two visually attractive to customers, and designed for dissolute and efficie nt operations. Employee training to insure the take up coffee training techniques. grocerying st placegies aimed to take a shit a solid tight of hardcore customers, as well as maximizing the sales of high margin products, much(prenominal) as espresso drinks. 1. 3 Mission coffee Culture go away make its trounce effort to create a rummy place where customers dismiss socialize with distributively opposite in a well-situated and relaxing milieu time enjoying the dress hat brewed coffee or espresso and pastries in town.We allow for be in the business of dower our customers to relieve their daily stresses by providing put up of mind through smashing ambience, satisfactory location, friendly customer service, and products of consistently high quality. Java Culture result consecrate its profits to increase the employee satisfaction while providing stable transcend to its shargonholders. Company summary Java Culture, an Oregon limited indebtedness society, sells co ffee, some other(prenominal) deglutitions and snacks in its 2,300 square feet support coffee bar turn up faithful the University of Oregon campus.Java Cultures study investors are Arthur Garfield and James Polk who cumulatively own everyplace 70% of the company. The start-up loss of the company is assumed in the quantity of $27,680. 2. 1 Company Ownership Java Culture is registered as a Limited obligation Corporation in the state of Oregon. Arthur Garfield owns 51% of the company. His cousin, James Polk, as well as Megan Flanigan and Todd Barkley hold minority stakes in Java Culture, LLC. 2. 2 Company Locations and Facilities Java Culture coffee bar allow for be located on the landed estate appal of the commercial building at the nook of West 13th boulevard and Patterson Street in Eugene, OR.The company has secured a one-year lease of the va thronet 2,500 square feet premises previously occupied by a hair salon. The lease exact has an option of renewal for three year s at a fixed rate that Java Culture ordain be given depending on the financial strength of its business. The floor plan leave alone include a 200 square feet back tycoon and a 2,300 square feet coffee bar, which will include a seating orbital cavity with 15 tables, a kitchen, storage area and two bathrooms.The space in the coffee bar will be just about distributed the adjacent way1,260 square feet (i. e., 55% of the total) for the seating area, 600 square feet (26%) for the production area, and the remain 440 square feet (19%) for the customer service area. This home is located in a commercial area within a walking distance from the University of Oregon campus on the corner of a major(ip) thoroughfare connecting abounding South Eugene neighborhood with the busy business district commercial area. The commercially zoned premises have the necessary pee and electricity hookups and will require only minor remodeling to accommodate the espresso bar, kitchen and storage area.The coffee bars open and clean interior design with modern wooden decor will convey the quality of the served beverages and snacks, and will be in-line with the establishments positioning as an eclectic place where deal can relax and enjoy their cup of coffee. The guide window displays, through which passerby will be able to see customers enjoying their beverages, and after-school(prenominal) electric signs will be aimed to seize the attention of the customer traffic. Products Java Culture will offer its customers the best discernment coffee beverages in the area.This will be achieved by using high-quality ingredients and strictly following preparation guidelines. The store layout, menu listings and merchandising activities will be focused on maximizing the sales of higher margin espresso drinks. A extensive with the espresso drinks, brewed coffee and teas, as well as some refreshment beverages, will be sold in the coffee bar. Java Culture will also offer its clients pastries, sma ll salads and sandwiches. For the epicurean backing that prefers to prepare its coffee at home, Java Culture will also be selling coffee beans.The menu gos will be supplemented by free books and magazines that customers can read inside the coffee bar. 3. 1 Product Description The menu of the Java Culture coffee bar will be built around espresso-based coffee drinks such(prenominal) as lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, etc. for each one of the espresso-based drinks will be offered with whole, skimmed, or soja milk. Each of these coffee beverages is based on a shot of espresso, which is prepared in the espresso machine by forcing heated water through ground coffee at high pressure.Such espresso shots are combined with pestered milk and/or other additives exchangeable cocoa, caramel, etc. , to prepare the espresso-based beverages. Proper preparation techniques are of paramount importance for such drinks. A minor deviation from the amount of coffee in the shot, the size of the coffee particles, the temperature of milk, etc. , can negatively excise the quality of the prepared drink. 3. 2 gross sales Literature Two thousand flyers will be distributed in the adjacent neighborhood, on the University campus, at the malls and in the selected office buildings within two weeks prior to the opening of Java Culture.Subsequently, free postcards with Java Culture stock warrant will be printed to increase the company visibility among the patrons. Market Analysis sum-up U. S. coffee ingestion has shown steady growth, with gourmet coffee having the strongest growth. Coffee drinkers in the peaceable Northwest are among the most(prenominal) demanding ones. They regard well-brewed gourmet coffee drinks and demand grand service. Eugene, OR, with its liberal and outgoing populace and long rainy winter, has traditionally been a grand place for coffee establishments.Java Culture will strive to build a true-blue customer base by offering a great tasting coffee in a relaxing environment of its coffee bar located squiffy to the bustling University of Oregon campus. 4. 1 Market Segmentation Java Culture will focus its tradeing activities on scope the University students and faculty, people working in offices located close to the coffee bar and on sophisticated teenagers. Our market research shows that these are the customer groups that are most probable to buy gourmet coffee products.Since gourmet coffee consumption is universal crossways different income categories and mostly depends on the take of higher education, proximity to the University of Oregon campus will provide access to the targeted customer audience. 4. 2 Target Market Segment outline Java Culture will run to people who want to get their daily cup of great-tasting coffee in a relaxing atmospheric state. Such customers vary in age, although our location close to the University campus means that most of our clientele will be college students and faculty. Our market research shows th at these are discerning customers that tend towards better tasting coffee.Further more(prenominal), a mess of college students consider coffee bars to be a convenient studying or meeting location, where they can read or meet with peers without the necessity to pay interbreed charges. For us, this will provide a fantastic possibility for building a loyal client base. 4. 2. 1 Market needfully General trend toward quality among U. S. consumers by all odds plays an important role in the new-fashioned growth in gourmet coffee. Additionally, such factors as desire for small indulgencies, for something more exotic and unique, provide a nigh selling opportunity for coffee bars.4. 3 Industry Analysis Coffee consumption has shown a steady 2. 5% growth rate in the United States over the last decade. In 1994, total sales of coffee were approximately $7. 5 meg with gourmet coffee representing 33% (or $2. 5 billion) of that. The retail coffee industry is grow in the U. S. Pacific Northw est. The local climate, with a long rainy season, is very contributive for the consumption of hot non-alcoholic beverages. At the same time, hot dry summers drive people into cafes to order iced drinks.Further, coffee has really accommodate a part of the lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest. Its discerning coffee drinkers are in prefer of well-prepared, strong coffee-based beverages, which they can consume in a relaxing environment. 4. 3. 1 contender and Buying Patterns Competition According to the 1997 Oregon Food service Statistics (NAICS 72), Eugene had 45 naturalised snack & non-alcoholic beverage bars (NAICS 722213) with total sales of $14. 2 million. Among other establishments that offer coffee drinks to their customers are most of Eugenes limited- and full-service restaurants.Java Cultures direct competitors will be other coffee bars located adjoining the University of Oregon campus. These include Starbucks, coffee shop Roma, The UO Bookstore, and other Food service esta blishments that offer coffee. Starbucks will definitely be one of the major competitors because of its strong financial position and established marketing and operational practices. However, despite of Starbucks entrenched market position, many customers favor smaller, independent establishments that offer cozy atmosphere and good coffee at low-cost prices.Cafe Roma is a good case of such competition. We estimate that Starbucks holds approximately 35% market dowry in that neighborhood, Cafe Roma appeals to 25% of customers, The UO Bookstore put ups to another 10%, with the remaining market share split among other establishments. Java Culture will position itself as a unique coffee bar that not only offers the best tasting coffee and pastries but also provides home-like, cozy and wanton environment, which established corporate establishments lack.We will cater to customers bodies and minds, which will help us grow our market share in this belligerent market. Buying Patterns The major reason for the customers to return to a specific coffee bar is a great tasting coffee, supple service and pleasant atmosphere. Although, as give tongue to before, coffee consumption is uniform across different income segments, Java Culture will price its product offerings competitively. We strongly cogitate that selling coffee with a great service in a sharp setting will help us build a strong base of loyal clientele.