The Nonmarket Environment of McDonald’s - 830 Words

McDonald’s can use the power of social media to interact with its consumers to understand their grievances. Perhaps the negative publicity that the company has received is due to lack of proper interaction with the customers (Selcke, 2012). Through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the company can enlighten the public on the quantity of calories that is present in every food item. Millions of McDonald’s customers can be reached via Facebook and Twitter. The company should use its Facebook pages to apologize for any bad decisions, set the record straight, and even seek advice from its consumers to enhance positive publicity (Selcke, 2012). Issues Obesity is probably the most significant issue facing the McDonald’s Company today. The corporation has been severally blamed for the menace due to its wide range of junk foods. As the world’s largest fast food company, it has become a target of most health related films such as Super Size Me. This is because the public blames the company for failing to give nutritional information concerning the items on its menu (Baron, 2010). The other controversial issue mentioned in the text is the consumer warnings vis-à  -vis the acrylamide chemical detected in McDonald’s French fries. However, despite the CSPI’s confirmation that the fries contained very negligible quantities of the carcinogen, McDonald’s image had already been tarnished. In addition, McDonald’s has been facing a series of lawsuits and defamations. An example of suchShow MoreRelatedImproving Ethical Behavior Is An Important Area Where Better Understanding Of Organization Behavior817 Words   |  4 Pagescom/sites/kensilverstein/2013/05/14/enron-ethics-and-todays-corporate-values/ Another instance where unethical behavior came as a serious nonmarket issue in the case of child labor. Many firms employ child labor in their offshore manufacturing centers, like toys (made by Chinse firm City Toy) used as gift items to the customers of McDonald`s. It was subjected to criticism and McDonald’s had to stop that strategy. With the pattern of organizational behavior (OB), injustice, corporate dishonesty, exploitation, andRead MoreMarketing Case Study9790 Words   |  40 Pageseither ethnocentric, polycentric, or regiocentric. CASE 1-2: McDonald’s Expands Globally While Adjusting Its Local Recipe Overview. Today, McDonald’s golden arches are one of the most recognized symbols in the world, just behind the Olympic rings. While growth within the U.S. has slowed, the picture outside the U.S. has appeared brighter, until recently. However, globally, taste profiles and consumer desires are changing. McDonald’s has responded to these changes by altering their basic productsRead MoreAaa Framework5113 Words   |  21 Pagesnetworking—responsibility for specific parts of a company’s business model to partner companies to accommodate local requirements, lower cost, or reduce risk. For example, Eli Lilly extensively uses strategic alliances abroad for drug development and testing. McDonald’s growth strategy abroad uses franchising as well as company-owned stores. And software companies heavily depend on both user adaptation and networking for the development of applications for their basic software platforms. A fourth type of adaptationRead MoreBrand and Page25228 Words   |  101 Pages it passes most legal tests. d. it is service oriented. e. it will usually not violate cultural taboos. Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Knowledge: (F) Page: 351-352 13. Due to differences in the cultural or competitive environment, a company may choose the _______________________ strategy if it wishes to keep its product economies scale intact but customize its communications. a. product and communication extension--dual extension b. product invention Read MoreImpact of Emerging Markets on Marketing15122 Words   |  61 Pagesbest example is the success of Western Union, which has organized a global money transfer system for migrant workers. Historically, franchising has been the most popular approach to market development, such as the pioneering success of Holiday Inn, McDonald’s, and Ace Hardware in the United States. P4: In markets consisting of unbranded competition for products and services, market development delivers better financial performance than market orientation. From relationship marketing to institutionalRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 PagesDBA 1652 Marketing Management UNIT -- I Unit No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Unit Title Marketing management – an introduction Marketing environment Marketing with other functional areas of management Market segmentation Market targeting and positioning Product management Brand management Pricing Channel design and management Retailing and Wholesaling Integrated Marketing Communication Advertising management Sales promotion Personal selling Public

Computer Company Business Plan - 2564 Words

Current Market Status Target Markets and Brands XYZ analyzed available market research data to identify target segments that would be profitable and fit with our strategy. As a result, we identified three initial target markets Ââ€" the Cost Cutter, Workhorse, and Traveler. Use patterns and demand data for these customer segments are shown in Appendix A. Customers in the Cost Cutter segment desire an economical product Ââ€" essential, easy-to-use functions at a low price. We have developed the Charger brand for this market Ââ€" a nicely equipped model, yet the lowest priced in the industry. Our efforts to provide an affordable model have awarded us 69 percent of the market share for this segment. This market is attractive because of its†¦show more content†¦Like SBS, 3B is targeting the Workhorse and Traveler markets. 3B s manufacturing facility is located in the US, and they have sales offices in the US and Europe. Their lower performance can be attributed to higher production costs and fewer sales offices than the competition. Innovation, Inc. is currently trailing all other companies in the industry in both financial performance and market share. Innovation is targeting two markets with lower demand Ââ€" Traveler and Innovator. They have built their manufacturing operations in the US and have placed sales offices in the US and Europe. Innovation is trailing the other companies in the industry due to the lower demand segments they are targeting, increased production costs, and lower sales force productivity. They do have strong ratings for investment in the future, indicating that they are positioning themselves to be more competitive in future years. Company Analysis XYZ has developed several strengths that we will continue to maximize to help us develop a sustainable competitive advantage. These key strengths are: • Strong focus on investing in the future • Industry leader in manufacturing productivity • Among industry leaders in workforce management and productivity In addition to the strengths outlined above, we have also identified several weaknesses that the company must overcome to be successful. Our key weaknesses are: • Workhorse is ourShow MoreRelatedMerging Benefits at Huge Computer Company733 Words   |  3 PagesThe Case: Merging Benefits at Huge Computer Company Two major high-tech companies, Huge Co. (HC and Computer Co. (CC), have recently merged to form Huge Computer Company (HCC) and are now starting to combine the operations of both. A key issue of the integration has been how to treat the benefit and retirement plans from the two-companies—in particular, how to blend the plans for the software engineers, who are key to the continued success of the new company. Read the following case and write anRead MoreBus 210 Swot977 Words   |  4 PagesBusiness 210 SWOT Analysis Danielle Jones October 10,2010 JavaNet Internet Cafà © is the first of its kind located in Eugene, Oregon. The goal of the company is to broaden the community’s accessibility to affordable Internet through social interaction and entertainment. JavaNet is the creation of University of Oregon graduate Cale Bruckner. Cale has business degrees in both Marketing and Management. His level of expertise also includes product development, product marketing, team managementRead MoreAudit Case Study : Keystone Computers1480 Words   |  6 PagesAudit Case – Keystone Computers An important decision for any shareholder is deciding whether or not to do business with that company. When a business is audited, the operations are reviewed to make sure that nothing is being hidden. An auditor will review the company’s financial statement and practices to confirm that each are direct and correct. The financial statements are the business’s way of representing them and showing that they are following the Generally Accepted Accounting PrinciplesRead MoreWhat Is An Algorithm?944 Words   |  4 Pagesspecific sequential steps that describe exactly what the computer program must do to complete the required work. Figure 10.4, on page 426, shows the stages that each programming project follows. Step two is where the algorithm is, which is â€Å"making the plan.† The example the book uses is the pharmaceutical companies designing new drugs. When they design new drugs, they have to use complex computer programs that model molecules. The computer s oftware programs help chemists create the new drug in aRead MoreTaking a Look at the G-Computers Company1033 Words   |  4 PagesHOME: G-Computers is designed to help people with IT issues and its job is to provide technical assistance to different corporate and retail sectors across the country. It not only proffers consultancy but also enterprises solutions along with networking which includes sales of hardware and software as well. G-computers is a well-established and one of best rated solution provider of Pakistan. It has always been the hallmark of excellence and perfection since its inception. G-Computers is a proactiveRead MoreThe Business Plan for State-of-the-Art Computer Technology1046 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction This business plan has been primarily prepared in order to find out the feasibility in the implementation of state-of-art computer technology and revolutionary computer product. The other plan like marketing plan, operational plan and financial plan are drawn keeping in mind real scenario of the business and current market. By concentrating on its qualities, its key clients, and the underlying qualities they require, Nerd Patrol (NP) will build bargains consistently in its initialRead MoreA Business Plan For Nerd Patrol1501 Words   |  7 Pages A Business Plan for Nerd Patrol Student’s Name Unit Title Date â€Æ' Introduction This business plan describes the products and services that Nerd Patrol will be producing and offering starting on January 2016. Nerd patrol is a new company that falls in the telecommunication industry and will start being operational within the next one month. The company will be providing individuals and small businesses with a full range of computer and networking services including hardware and software upgradesRead MoreIntroduction to Information Systems1264 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 7 Discussion Questions 2. Why there is a strong trend toward cross-functional integrated enterprise system in the business use of information technology? Cross-functional enterprise system is a group of people with different functional expertise working towards a common goal. It can be the people from finance, marketing, operations and human resources. Typically, it includes people from all levels of an organization. Cross-functional enterprise systems often function as self-directedRead MoreStrategic Planning : Key Component Of A Strategic Plan948 Words   |  4 PagesStrategic planning is vital to the success of a business. A key component of a strategic plan comes in the form of a thorough SWOT analysis. The financial gain of a company can be directly impacted by its strategic plan, and without strategic planning a business or company has no defined direction for the future. Strategic planning aids a business in laying out a direction and path for the business to follow in order to increase its chances of being successful and prosperous. According to the textbookRead MoreVinyl Sign Company Essay717 Words   |  3 Pagesmore data: A vinyl sign company to make vinyl signs at your house can cater to businesses by making large commercial signs or vehicle lettering and people needing lettering on small signs and vehicles. Write a business plan, including any ideas, projections and goals you have for your business and how you plan to achieve your goals. A vinyl sign company can be run from an office building, warehouse or even your own garage. Choose a beneficial location for your business. Include everything from

You Suck A Love Story Chapter 7 Free Essays

Chapter Seven The List While Jody showered, Tommy made a list. Feed Laundry New Apartment Toothpaste Sweet Monkey Love Windex Dispose of Vampire Minion â€Å"What do we need an onion for?† Jody asked. She was having a little trouble getting her vision to focus. We will write a custom essay sample on You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Minion, minion,† Tommy said. â€Å"Mint-flavored onion? Why do we need that?† â€Å"A minion! Someone who can move around during the day who can help us out. Like I was for you.† â€Å"Oh, my bitch.† Tommy dropped his list. â€Å"Nuh-uh.† Jody picked it up and walked over to the kitchen counter where the coffee machine stood. â€Å"I would sell my soul for a big cup of joe.† â€Å"I was not your bitch,† Tommy said. â€Å"Right, right, right. Whatever. So how long do we have to do this list?† â€Å"I checked the almanac. Sunrise is at six fifty-three, so we have about twelve hours. It’s almost the solstice, so we get a lot of darkness.† â€Å"Solstice? Oh my God, it’s almost Christmas.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"Hello? Shopping?† â€Å"Hello? We have an excuse. We’re dead.† â€Å"My mother doesn’t know that. I have to find something for her that she’ll disapprove of. And your family – â€Å" â€Å"Oh my God! Christmas. I was supposed to go home to Indiana for Christmas. We need to redo the list.† â€Å"You do it. I’m going to dry my hair,† Jody said. The new list read: Christmas Presents Call Home Feed Minion (not our Bitch) Hot Monkey Love Windex Write Literature Dispose of Creepy Old Vampire New Apartment Laundry Toothpaste â€Å"I think you should take monkey love off of the list,† Jody said. â€Å"What if we lose the list and someone finds it?† â€Å"Well I think ‘dispose of Creepy Old Vampire’ would be a little more embarrassing, don’t you?† â€Å"You’re right, cut monkey love and change ‘vampire’ to ‘Elijah. † Jody tapped the list with a pen. â€Å"And take off Windex and put in ‘buy coffee. â€Å" â€Å"We can’t drink coffee.† â€Å"We can smell it. Tommy, I desperately need coffee. It’s like the blood hunger, only, you know, more civilized.† â€Å"Speaking of blood hunger – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, you’d better move that up the list.† â€Å"And add a bottle of whiskey. You’re going to have to buy it.† â€Å"Sorry, writer boy, but we’re doing this stupid list together.† â€Å"I’m not old enough to buy liquor.† Jody stepped away from him and shuddered. â€Å"That’s right. Isn’t it?† â€Å"Yep,† Tommy said, nodding – trying to look wide-eyed and innocent. â€Å"Well, okay then. I should have checked IDs before picking my bitch.† â€Å"Hey!† â€Å"Kidding. What are you going to do with a bottle of whiskey anyway?† â€Å"Check something else off the list,† Tommy said. â€Å"I have an idea. Get your purse.† â€Å"What did the Animals want, anyway?† â€Å"Twenty grand.† â€Å"I hope you told them to fuck themselves.† â€Å"They did that already.† â€Å"Did they suspect, you know, about what you are now?† â€Å"Not yet. Lash said I looked a little pale. I sent them to the store. If Clint knows, well – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, good move. Maybe we should just take out an ad. ‘Young vampire couple seeks angry village people to hunt them down and kill them. ; â€Å"Ha. Village people. Funny. Put self-tanning lotion on the list. I think the pale thing is giving me away.† At seven in the evening, three days before Christmas, Union Square was awash in shoppers. There was a Santa’s Village set up in the raised square, with a line of children and parents that wound five hundred deep through a labyrinth of red velvet cattle gates. Around the square, the street performers, who would normally have knocked off around five, lined the granite steps up to the square. A juggler here, a sleight-of-hand guy there, a half-dozen â€Å"robots† – people painted silver and gold who would move in machine-jerk rhythm for the drop of a coin or a bill – and even a couple of human statues. Jody’s favorite was a gold guy in a business suit, who stood motionless for hours on end, as if he’d been frozen in midstep on the way to work. There was a small hole in his briefcase into which people stuffed bills and dropped coins after photographing him or trying to make him flinch. â€Å"This guy used to freak me out,† Tommy whispered. â€Å"But now I can see him breathing and the aura thing.† â€Å"I watched him for a whole lunch hour one time and he never moved,† Jody said. â€Å"In the summer, you know he has to be suffering in that painted suit.† Suddenly she shuddered at the thought of Elijah, the old vampire, still encased in bronze back at the loft. Yes, he had killed her, technically, but in a way he’d just opened a door for her, a door that, no matter how bizarre, was immediate, vital, and passionate. And yes, he’d done it for his amusement, he’d said, but also because he was lonely. She wound her arm into Tommy’s and kissed him on the cheek. â€Å"What was that for?† â€Å"Because you’re here,† she said. â€Å"What’s first on the list?† â€Å"Christmas presents.† â€Å"Skip down.† â€Å"Sweet monkey love.† â€Å"Yeah, we’ll do it in the Santa’s Workshop window at Macy’s.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"No, not really.† â€Å"Okay, then we need liquor.† Jody snatched the list out of his hand so quickly that most people wouldn’t have even seen her move. â€Å"You are no longer in charge of the list. We’re getting me a new leather jacket.† I AM HOMELESS AND SOMEONE SHAVED MY HUGE CAT. William had changed his sign. Chet the huge cat was still wearing Jody’s sweater. He eyed the two vampires suspiciously as they approached. Tommy held the bottle of Johnny Walker out to William. â€Å"Merry Christmas.† William took the liquor and squirreled it away in his coat. â€Å"Most people just give money,† he said. â€Å"We’re cutting out the middleman,† Jody said. â€Å"How are you feeling today?† â€Å"Great, why? Really good, you know, considering that I’m homeless and you guys shaved my cat.† â€Å"You were pretty hammered last night.† â€Å"Yeah, but I feel great today.† â€Å"That’s how it used to affect me,† Tommy said. â€Å"Remember. Kind of energizing.† Jody waved Tommy away. â€Å"You didn’t get light-headed or anything?† Jody asked. â€Å"I was a little hungover when I woke up, but I was fine after a couple of cups of coffee.† â€Å"Fuck!† Jody spat. Then she held her head. â€Å"Calm,† Tommy said, patting her shoulder. â€Å"Dr. Flood will make it all better. Maybe.† Jody growled, just loud enough for Tommy to hear. â€Å"Ya know,† said William, when there was a break in the pedestrian traffic and he didn’t have to concentrate on looking pathetic, â€Å"I’m flush for cash, but since you’re in the Christmas spirit, I’d still go for a look at Red’s hooters.† â€Å"Bite me, dirtbag,† Jody said as she rolled up on William. â€Å"Honey.† Tommy caught the back of her newly purchased red leather jacket, just in case. They’d never know if his idea was going to work if Jody snapped the bum’s neck. â€Å"I will not be sexually harassed by the entree.† â€Å"Something you ate isn’t agreeing with you?† Tommy grinned at her when she looked back at him, but the fire went out of her eyes. â€Å"You can just cross sweet monkey love right off your list,† Jody said. â€Å"Jeez, what a bitch,† said William. â€Å"Her time of the month?† Tommy quickly wrapped his arms around Jody, lifted her off her feet, and carried her a few steps around the corner, even as she squirmed. â€Å"Let me go, I’m not going to hurt him.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Much.† â€Å"That’s what I thought,† Tommy said, still holding her tight. â€Å"Why don’t you head over to the Walgreens and I’ll finish up with the huge cat guy?† A family of Christmas shoppers smiled as they passed them, thinking they were young lovers indulging in a public display of affection. The father whispered â€Å"Get a room† under his breath to his wife, which a normal person wouldn’t have heard. â€Å"Count your lucky stars, buddy, we almost did it in the Santa’s Workshop window. Hot, sweaty elf sex – in front of the kids. The kids would have liked that, huh?† The father hurried his family on down the street. â€Å"Nice,† Jody said. â€Å"Way to stay under the radar.† â€Å"Well, you know, I like to stay sharp,† Tommy said. Because he was nineteen and had only started having sex regularly since he met Jody, he still thought he had some sort of secret knowledge that was unavailable to other people. How can they possibly be thinking about anything else? he thought in the private part of his mind. â€Å"I’ll bet it smells like peppermint,† Tommy said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Elf sex.† â€Å"Would you please put me down.† â€Å"Okay, but don’t hurt the huge cat guy.† â€Å"I’m fine. I’ll meet you at the drugstore in five minutes. This had better work.† â€Å"Five minutes,† Tommy said. â€Å"Cinnamon. Maybe it smells like cinnamon.† The pale couple stalked the aisles of the Walgreens, having a great time dismissing the crass accoutrements of bourgeois American life, and generally scoffing at all the conventions of traditional culture. They were elite, after all. Special. Chosen – if you will – if only by the nature of their heightened sensitivities and superior sensibilities. They both claimed the ability to look past the faà §ade put on by most people, and see the very depths of the human soul. Strange, then, that they didn’t see it coming when the skinny guy in a flannel shirt popped around the corner in front of them. â€Å"Let’s ask these guys,† Flannel said. â€Å"They look like heroin addicts.† Jared White Wolf and Abby Normal backpedaled from the eyeliner display where they’d been looking for something hypoallergenic. Abby’s eyes had been watering all night, causing her makeup to run and giving her more of a sad-clown-of-life look than she was going for. Jared hid behind Abby, just a little, which was awkward, since he was nearly a foot taller than she. The guy in flannel was joined by a beautiful, pale redhead, carrying an armload of toiletries. What amazing hair, Abby thought, looking at the long red tresses. I’d give anything for hair like that. â€Å"Tommy, leave these poor people alone,† said the redhead. â€Å"No, wait.† Flannel turned to Abby and smiled. â€Å"Do you guys know where they keep the syringes?† Abby looked at Jared, who looked at the guy in flannel. â€Å"Well, you can’t just buy them,† Jared said. He was fiddling with the leather straps on his bondage pants, looking coy. Abby slapped his hand. â€Å"You need a prescription to buy syringes,† Abby said. â€Å"Do you really think I look like a heroin addict?† Jared threw his bangs out of his face dramatically. His head was shaved except for his bangs, which reached to his chin, specifically so he could throw them out of his face dramatically. â€Å"I was, like, thinking that maybe I should bulk up. You know, eat and stuff, but – â€Å" â€Å"Well, thanks,† said Flannel Shirt. The redhead moved off down the aisle. â€Å"I was going to try some heroin, but if you can’t buy needles, well, there you go. See you guys. Nice shirt, by the way.† Abby looked down at her T-shirt, black, of course, with the image of a poet taken from a nineteenth-century etching. â€Å"Like you even know who it is.† † ‘She walks in beauty, like the night, † quoted the flannel-shirt guy. He winked at her, then grinned. â€Å"Byron’s a hero of mine. See ya.† He turned and started to walk away. Abby reached out and snagged his sleeve. â€Å"Hey, there are needle exchange programs all over town. They’re listed in the Bay Guardian.† â€Å"Thanks,† said flannel. He turned and Abby grabbed him again. â€Å"We’re going to be at the Glas Kat. There’s a Goth club tonight. Five-hundred block of Fourth Street. I know a dealer there. You know, for your heroin.† The flannel-shirt guy nodded, and looked at Byron’s picture on her shirt again, then at her face. Fucksocks. He’s so looking at my streaking eye makeup. â€Å"Thanks, milady,† said Flannel Shirt. And he was gone, off over the dark moors of the tampon aisle. â€Å"What was that about?† whined Jared. â€Å"He’s so, so Happy Days.† Jared White Wolf spent a lot of time watching Nick at Nite when he wasn’t brooding or fussing with his appearance. Abby walked into the flap of Jared’s black duster and pounded his slight chest with her palms. â€Å"Didn’t you see. Didn’t you see?† â€Å"What, you acting like a complete ho?† â€Å"He had fangs,† Abby said. â€Å"Well, so do I,† Jared said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of perfect, dentistry-quality vampire fangs. â€Å"Duh, everybody does.† â€Å"Yeah, but his grew! I saw them. Let’s go,† Abby said, pulling Jared White Wolf by his great bat-wing lapels. â€Å"I have to change into something hot before we go to the club.† â€Å"Wait, I want to get some Halls. My throat is raw from all the cloves we smoked last night.† â€Å"Hurry.† The buckles of Abby’s black platform boots jangled as she dragged her friend past the lipsticks and hair products before he could get interested. â€Å"Okay,† said Jared, â€Å"but if I don’t meet a cute guy tonight, you have to stay up all night and hold me while I cry.† â€Å"You should try black lipstick sometime,† Tommy said to Jody as they approached their building, their arms loaded with packages. He was still thinking about the kids at the drugstore. It was the first time since tenth grade that he’d used his knowledge of Romantic poetry. For a while he’d tried molding himself into the tragic Romantic hero, brooding and staring clench-jawed off into space as he composed dark verse in his head. But it turned out that trying to appear tragic in Incontinence, Indiana, was redundant, and his mother kept shouting at him and making him forget his rhymes. â€Å"Tommy, if you keep grinding your teeth like that, they’ll wear away and you’ll have to have dentures like Aunt Ester.† Tommy only wished his beard was as heavy as Aunt Ester’s – then he could stare out over the moors while he stroked it pensively. â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said, â€Å"because I need to make it more obvious that I’m an undead creature that feeds on the blood of the living.† â€Å"You make it sound so sordid.† â€Å"No, I meant it in a nice way.† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Because it’s not like people wouldn’t understand if they found out we were vampires, because we slipped up and, oh, I don’t know, UNSHEATHED OUR FANGS IN THE FUCKING DRUGSTORE!† Tommy almost dropped his packages. She hadn’t said a word about that all night. He’d hoped she hadn’t noticed. â€Å"It was an accident.† â€Å"You called that girl ‘milady. â€Å" â€Å"She was impressed with my Byron.† â€Å"Yeah, well, your Byron was probably sticking out a little, too, wasn’t he?† â€Å"It wasn’t like that.† â€Å"You drooled.† Jody paused at their security door and dug into her jacket for her key. Tommy stepped around her. â€Å"I’m still new at this. I think I’m doing pretty well. My ghastly pallor obviously impressed the lady at the needle exchange.† He reached into his bag and fanned out a handful of sterile-wrapped and capped syringes. â€Å"Congratulations, you can now pass as an HIV-positive heroin addict.† â€Å"Trs chic.† He grinned like he imagined a sexy Italian man-whore might. â€Å"Who drools in public,† Jody said. Damn, she’s immune to my sexy Italian man-whore grin, Tommy thought. He said, â€Å"Be nice, I’m new. My lips don’t fit together right when my fangs are out.† She turned the key and swung the door open. There, passed out on the landing, was William the huge cat guy and sleeping on his chest, Chet the huge cat. â€Å"I told you it would work,† Tommy said. Jody stepped into the stairwell and closed the door behind her. â€Å"You go first.† Fifteen minutes later, as he placed five syringes full of blood in their refrigerator, Tommy said, â€Å"This vampire thing is going to be great.† He’d had a moment when he’d bitten William – not just getting over the idea of being that close someone who smelled that nasty, but also being close to another man period. But after cleaning William’s neck with an alcohol swab they’d gotten from the drugstore, and consoling himself that most literary vampires seemed sexually ambivalent anyway, the blood hunger pushed him through. He was feeling more relaxed, now that they had the food problem solved – for a while, anyway. If his friends didn’t kill them in the next couple of days, he might even enjoy life as a vampire. Then he turned to Jody and frowned. â€Å"But I can’t help but think that it may be wrong, taking advantage of a homeless alcoholic.† â€Å"We could just hunt and kill people,† Jody said cheerfully. She had a little crust of William’s blood in the corner of her mouth. Tommy licked his thumb and wiped it away. â€Å"We did give him a nice sweater for his huge shaved cat,† Tommy said. â€Å"I loved that sweater,† Jody said. â€Å"And we are giving him a warm landing to sleep on,† she added, diving onto Tommy’s rationalization dog pile. â€Å"And if we only take a little bit each day, he’ll actually feel better. I know I did.† â€Å"And we won’t become alcoholics ourselves.† â€Å"How are you feeling, by the way?† Tommy said. â€Å"Better. Hair of the dog. You?† â€Å"Two-beer buzz, max. I’ll be fine. You want to try the experiment?† Jody checked her watch. â€Å"No time. We’ll do it tomorrow night.† â€Å"Right. So, on to the list. Looks like hot monkey love.† â€Å"Tommy, we need to find a daytime person to help us. We have to move out of this place.† â€Å"I’ve been thinking about Alaska.† â€Å"Okay, good for you, but we still need to find a place to live where the Animals and Inspector Rivera can’t find us.† â€Å"No, I’m thinking we should move to Alaska. For one thing, in the winter, it’s dark for like twenty hours a day, so we’d have plenty of time. And I read somewhere that Eskimos put their old people out on the ice when they are ready to die. It would be like people were leaving snacks out for us.† â€Å"You’re kidding.† â€Å"Eskimo Pies?† He grinned. Jody put her hand on her hip and looked at him, her mouth hanging open a little, as if she was waiting for something more. When it didn’t come, she said, â€Å"Okay then, I’m going to change.† â€Å"Into a wolf?† â€Å"Clothes, cadaver breath.† â€Å"I didn’t know. I thought maybe you’d learned.† Tommy thought Alaska was a great idea. Just because she was a few years older, she always acted like his ideas were stupid. â€Å"The thing with William worked,† he said defensively as he put away the supplies they’d bought at the drugstore. â€Å"That was a good idea,† Jody said from inside the closet. Now what? â€Å"Well, Alaska isn’t a bad idea.† â€Å"Tommy, there’s like nine people in all of Alaska. We’ll stand out, don’t you think?† â€Å"No, everyone is pale there. They don’t have sun for most of the year.† She came out of the closet wearing her little black cocktail dress and her strappy come-fuck-me pumps. â€Å"I’m ready,† she said. â€Å"Wow,† Tommy said. He’d forgotten what they were talking about. â€Å"You think the Ferrari-red lipstick would be too much?† â€Å"No, I love the Ferrari-red lipstick on you.† Hot, sweet monkey love, he thought. This was exactly why he loved her. In the midst of all of the pressure, the danger, really – she still took time to think of his feelings. She lifted her breasts until they threatened to spill out of the plunging neckline of the dress. â€Å"Too much?† â€Å"Perfect,† Tommy said, walking toward her with his hands out. â€Å"Gimme.† She breezed past him into the bathroom. â€Å"Not for you. I need to get going.† â€Å"No, no, no,† Tommy said. â€Å"Hot monkey love.† While Tommy watched from the doorway, Jody applied the Ferrari-red lipstick, checked it, then frowned and wiped it off, then grabbed a different tube off the vanity. â€Å"When I get back.† â€Å"Where?† Tommy said. Sexual frustration had reduced him to single syllables. She turned to him with the new coat of maroon lipstick. â€Å"To get your minion.† â€Å"Not like that, you’re not,† Tommy said. â€Å"This is how it works, Tommy. This is how I got you.† â€Å"Nuh-uh, you weren’t wearing that when I met you.† â€Å"No, but the reason you pursued me is because you were interested in me sexually, wasn’t it?† â€Å"Well, that’s how it started, but it’s more than that now.† And it was more, but that was no reason to leave him here all aroused and stuff. She walked over to him and put her arms around him. He let his hands slip inside the low back of her dress. His pants were getting tight and he could feel the pressure of his fangs coming out. â€Å"When I get back,† she said. â€Å"I promise. You’re my guy, Tommy. I picked you as my guy, forever. I’m going to find someone to help us move and do things for us in the daytime.† â€Å"They’re just going to want to bone you, and when you don’t do them, they’ll turn on you.† â€Å"Not necessarily.† â€Å"Of course they will. Look at you.† â€Å"I’ll figure it out, okay. I don’t know how else to go about it.† â€Å"We could put an ad on Craig’s List.† (Craig’s List was a classified Web site that had started in the Bay Area and was now the first place people checked for jobs, apartments, or nearly everything.) â€Å"We’re not putting an ad on Craig’s List. Look, Tommy, we have more things to do than we have time. You can clean the loft and go get the laundry done and I’ll get us an onion.† â€Å"Minion,† he corrected. â€Å"Whatever. I love you,† she said. Bitch! He was vanquished. Unfair. â€Å"I love you, too.† â€Å"I’ll take one of the disposable cell phones you bought. You can call me anytime.† â€Å"They’re not even activated yet.† â€Å"Well, get on that, buddy. The sooner I get out there and find someone, the sooner I can get back here for some hot monkey love.† She has absolutely no sense of ethics, he thought. She’s a monster. And yet, there she is, only a few dress straps from being naked. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Don’t step on the huge cat on the way out.† Jody had only been gone twenty minutes before Tommy decided that cleaning and laundry sucked and that he could find a minion as well as she could, even if he didn’t look as hot in a little black dress. He was careful not to wake Chet and William on his way out. How to cite You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 7, Essay examples

Social Construct free essay sample

Race as a Social Construct â€Å"Race dominates our personal lives† (192 Lopez). Race is constantly a part of people’s lives and throughout the film Rabbit Proof Fence directed by Phillip Noyce and the Critical Race Theory written by Ian Lopez, we are able to see in what ways it affects people. The film depicts a group of three half caste Aborigine girls, who are taken from their family by a white man, Mr. Neville. The girls are taken to be trained as servants and also so they can assimilate to the â€Å"White† culture. The article explains how race can be mistaken to be a biological difference, but how it actually is a social construct created by society. Throughout their works, Lopez and Noyce portray that race is not determined by biological factors, but rather by society creating social constructs. The Aborigine’s uneasiness towards whites because of how the whites treat and degrade them for their physical attributes exemplifies how race is a social construct. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Construct or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the movie, the half caste kids were nervous of being taken and never being able to see their mothers again. The half castes were taken to their new â€Å"home† where they were â€Å"[checked] for skin color and the fairer ones who are cleverer† to see who can be freed to leave and get a good education (Noyce). The whites were the ones who were free and had many more opportunities than the Aborigines did because of the color of their skin; hence, â€Å"Their race in the end determined whether they were free or enslaved† (192 Lopez). Their freedom was controlled by the whites, who caused them and their family’s pain because the whites thought their race was superior. In Rabbit Proof Fence, the whites separate themselves and the Aborigines because of their skin color and make the mistake of determining race by biological differences. Although Molly’s wit is able to fool Mr. Neville, Moodoo knows where the girls are, proving that race is created by society and not by genes. There are times when Moodoo senses the girls nearby, but seems to ignore it. When he is with the white man looking for the girls he says â€Å"she’s pretty clever that girl, she wants to go home† (Noyce) because he wants to pretend he does not know where they are. He understands that it is unfair for these helpless people to be taken from their families out of force because he can relate since his daughter was taken as well. In the Critical Race Theory article, Lopez talks about how â€Å"Black and White are social groups, not genetically distinct branches of humankind† (193 Lopez). To Mr. Neville, whites are thought to be superior because of how they look compared to the Aborigines; therefore, the fairer ones are more intelligent and clever. Molly and Moodoo prove Mr. Neville wrong when they outsmart him, which verifies that race is a social construct. Race can be thought of â€Å"as a vast group of people loosely bound together by historically contingent, socially significant elements† (193 Lopez) from their ancestry. Society has categorized people based on many different characteristics ranging from â€Å"hair, complexion, and facial features† (192 Lopez). We see this categorization in the movie when the whites put the half caste Aborigines in a special camp away from their families because of their skin color. The Critical Race Theory explains to us that race is a social construct created by society and Rabbit Proof Fence provides us with examples from the article. Race is constantly mistaken to be people with different physical attributes, when in reality a person’s biology should not and does not determine which race he or she belongs to. Race is a social construct. Works Cited Delgado, Richard. Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1995. Rabbit-proof Fence. Dir. Phillip Noyce. Perf. Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan, and Kenneth Charles Branagh. Miramax Films, 2002. DVD.

Buddhism Details Essays - Indian Religions, Buddhism, Religion

Buddhism Details The most devoted followers of the Buddha were organized into a sangha. Its members were identified by their shaved heads and robes made of un-sewn orange cloth. The early Buddhist monks, or bhikkus, wandered from place to place, settling down in communities only during the rainy season when travel was difficult. Theravadan monks and nuns were humble and obtained their food in the form of offering on a daily round of the homes of ?Lay' devotees. Among the traditional functions of the Buddhist monks are the performance of funerals and memorial services in honor of the dead. Major elements of such services include the chanting of scripture and transfer of merit for the benefit of the deceased. (1, 3) Lay worship in Buddhism is primarily done individual rather than congregational. Although technically the Buddha is not worshipped through Theravada, worship is done through the stupa. A stupa is a dome-like structure containing a relic. Devotees walk around the dome in a clockwise direction, carrying flowers and incense as a sign of respect. The relic is the Buddha's tooth in Sri Lanka. It is the focus of a popular festival on the Buddha's birthday. The Buddha's birthday is celebrated in every Buddhist country. In Theravada this celebration is known as Vaisakha, the month after the Buddha was born. Popular in Theravada cultures is a ceremony known as pirit, or protection, in which readings from a collection of protective charms from the Pali canon are conducted to exorcise evil spirits, cure illness, bless new buildings, and achieve other benefits. This was a popular practice that practitioners of Buddhism, monks, did to help them reach Nirvana. (1, 3, 4, 5) In Mahayana cultures, ritual is more important than in Theravada cultures. Images of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas on temple altars and in the homes of devotees serve as a focus for worship. Prayer and chanting are common acts of devotion, as are offerings of fruit, flowers, and incense. One of the most popular festivals in China and Japan is the Ullambana Festival, in which offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to ghosts. It is said that during this celebration the gates to the other world are open so that departed spirits can return to earth for a brief time. (1, 3, 4, 5) In the Christian faith, people may practice several methods to bring them closer to God or ?Heaven. One way has been around for many centuries, called baptisms. Baptism is an initiation into the religion. Jesus was among the first to be baptized. He was baptized by John at the beginning of his public ministry (Mark 1:9-11). Another practice that is used among the Christian religion would be prayer. A Prayer may be individual or done as a group, formal or spontaneous, silent or spoken. Christian prayer normally includes gospel, praise, thanksgiving, confession, and an appeal for forgiveness. Another ritual that is very similar to ?Lay Worship' would be Christmas. People often celebrate this holiday as Jesus Christ's birth-date, even though it was not because of many biblical references, but despite that, People celebrate this with carols. The carols could be the equivalent of chanting holy scripts in Buddhism. (1, 2, 4) The Christian religion is not that similar to Buddhism for many reasons. One reason is that Buddhism does not have a God. In Buddhism, people do not worship anybody, since that divine being was also just human. The goal is to achieve Nirvana, like the Buddha did. Christianity has a God and Jesus as his son. We worship God and Jesus. People strive to be noble and good. In Christianity, there is pursuit of happiness and morality, but not through greed. Although the goal is not Nirvana, one goal is through prayer is to be truthful with yourself and God. Achieving Nirvana is very similar to achieving Heaven. In Christianity, there is one god, and in Buddhism there is no God. (1, 3, 4) To me, Christianity is more appealing to me, just because I have lived as a Christian, my whole life. If I had not, I believe I still would find Christianity more appealing, since there is a God to worship. There is also a story of how the much of the world began. Also it is more comforting, since in Buddhism, one should sacrifice them self, like everything else is more important than you. Logically Christianity is better to me since people can about their daily lives with out having to chant everyday. In Christianity, it is more logical

The effects of the Pollyanna Principle when remembering and recalling pleasant and unpleasant words.

The effects of the Pollyanna Principle when remembering and recalling pleasant and unpleasant words. The Pollyanna Principle is defined by Matlin (2006) with respect to memory and other cognitive processes as pleasant items are usually processed more efficiently and more accurately than less pleasant items. This was consequently named the Pollyanna Principle after the fictional character Pollyanna who was known to look on the bright side of life and to find goodness out of every environment and situation (Warr, 1971, as cited in Sargent, 2005). Numerous studies have also supported this fact by illustrating that people tend to display optimistic beliefs of themselves (Larwood Whittaker, 1977; Svenson, 1981, as cited in Silvera, Krull Sassler, 2002) and the external world around them (Klar Gilda, 1997, as cited in Silvera et al., 2002).One of the basis arising from the Pollyanna Principle contend that people are more accurate in learning and the subsequent recall of words that are found as pleasant in comparison to words that are found as less pleasant and neutral (Sargent, 2005).A graph demonstrating the serial position effect

Social Networking and Whether It Helps Create a Utopian or Dystopian Essay

Social Networking and Whether It Helps Create a Utopian or Dystopian Society - Essay Example 1. Body A. Utopian society B. Dystopia society 2. Analysis and evaluation 3. Definitions Conclusion: In conclusion, social networking plays a big role in shaping responses to situations and understanding between people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. It has made it possible to sell ideologies and get new perspective on any issue discussed. Introduction The introduction of social networking sites in the internet have had mixed reactions from scholars and individuals. Though philosophical analysts believe that the production of individuals in work places has reduced drastically, there are those on the view that the sites bring new, constructive ideas through interaction. The sites are believed to have brought a utopia society. As defined by Michael et. al., utopia refers to an ideal or a visionary world of political, social, and economic perfection (10). The resultant utopian society is one that achieves absolute harmony and happiness through exercising of perfect conside rations for people to live by. Dystopia refers to the complete opposite of utopia characterised by extremely fearful and dehumanizing conditions. It follows that a dystopian society is one characterised by lack of basic freedom, misery, and widespread discrimination based on race, sex, intellect or any other disparities that exist in societies. Wars, natural and anthropogenic calamities, overpopulation, scarcity of resources, high levels of crime and occurrence of epidemics bring about dystopia, whether in isolation or a combination of two or more. The two are mutually exclusive in that the presence of one automatically rules out the other. A classic example of this relation between the two is the attempt by the German leader, Adolf Hitler, to create a utopian society constituting a super race, which backfired in to a dystopian society for the discriminated minorities. A utopian or dystopian society at the global level results from localized small communities that facilitate interac tion of people with similar goals of unity and harmonious co-existence or the lack of it. Leaders across board strive to form societies that uphold basic human freedoms; exercise democracy in decision-making, equality between sexes, races, and different persuasions, fairness in resource distribution and environmental sustainability among others to make the world an oasis of peace for all. This implies that people exercise greater control of their actions than they do currently; cooperate in organizing and undertaking activities that affect others and the environment. This is contrary to current capitalist and communist systems practised, in which the elite have complete control over poor whom they exploit for economic gains. Education is a basic ingredient of utopia; learners should be encouraged to carry on with their interests in order to fully explore and develop their criticality in thinking. Political leadership and governance would be expected to change to an egalitarian syste m in which people organise themselves voluntarily to manage vital institutions without coercive and hierarchical structures. Encouraging basic science and technology with priority to appropriate application and careful understanding of its implications on the ecology before adoption is another tenet of utopianism. Other features include practice of equality between sexes, exercise of great control over individual contact and tolerance to the highest

Engineering - Anaerobic Digestion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Engineering - Anaerobic Digestion - Essay Example Leading in the Go Green, campaign is biogas. Biogas is defined as a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane gas, which is sourced from the breakdown of organic matter, usually waste, in a process referred to as anaerobic digestion. The process is a method by which raw biogas is converted into cleaner, efficient and easier used energy sources. Planning a biogas plant Designing a biogas plant is an engineering problem that has to be approached by considering all the operational, economic, environmental and sustainability conditions. Before designing the biogas plant in the Middle East, the engineer has to first engage in plans, which are conceptualized ideas, but not suited for any one given application. In planning, some of the considerations to look into include the naturally occurring resources, agricultural development, social conventions, customer energy requirements and possible construction site. Careful planning is necessary to eliminate present and cumulative or multiplier effec ts on the design. As a biogas digester (production unit) is a costly investment, it cannot be simply set up as a temporary station. Design The design of the biogas unit is dependent on the conditions a given society poses to the objective. A biogas unit is affected by numerous conditions such as the environmental conditions, design and socio-economic conduct of the people of that region. The choice of the design is determined by the conditions of the chosen site. Designing a biogas unit in the Middle East is a generalized idea, to come up with a perfect unit, the engineer has to analyse the conditions and challenges a given site provides. Just as any system, the biogas production plat is affected by the input and any additional disturbances, which are reflected in the output (which in our case is biogas). Physical conditions Physical conditions are one of the most influential factors when it comes to designing and setting up a biogas digester. Since the anaerobic process of biogas p roduction is quite sensitive to temperature, then care should be taken in considering the climate of a given locale. Other conditions apart from the climate of a location that may be put to test include the soil conditions, the feedstock or substrate for digestion, and the available building material. The design considerations in terms of the substrate and size of the digester are determined by the consumers as well as the available building material. Insulation of the digester happens to be the main consideration in setting up the plant. The anaerobic process operates at temperatures of between 30 and 60 C. keeping the temperature between these limits is of great necessity to ensure that the bacteria involved in the digestion process lives, for high or low temperature leads to their death. Skills and labour Another requirement in designing is skills and labour. The technology involved in setting up a biogas plant is sophisticated and requires skills from both the constructors and d esigners. The complexity of the design usually dictates the type and level of skill involved in the construction process. Depending on the size, distance and costs, the biogas digester may be prefabricated or made in-situ. Standardization Although plants may be designed to fit the needs of a given consumer, there is a need for standardizing the design.

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used Essay

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used - Essay Example Specified means of negotiations can be utilized in numerous situations, be it in legal systems, industrial disputes, government, or domestic relationships. General negotiation skills are learned and applied in an extensive range of activities to resolve any difference that arise in a work place. I was working in the United Credit Bank in Azerbaijan, during my internship, where I used to deal with the reporting process. On several occasions, I used my negotiation skills to be permitted to make some significant changes in my reports. However, it could have been more successful if I could have identified these issues prior to producing the report, so I wouldn’t need to enquire from my manager to give me permission for making the changes in the reports. As much as the idea was not viewed negatively by my manager, I realized that I could have behaved in a more successful way. Some of the negotiating skills I used include the following: Preparation First, I used to prepare myself fo r the negotiations by deciding on when and where I would meet my manager after writing my reports. At this stage, I also used to limit the time I could use when asking her of any issues to prevent any disagreement and unnecessary conversations between the two of us. I always made sure that I have gone through my reports especially those concerning any monetary records to be fully aware of the facts so that it could be easier for me to clarify my position to the manager. In this context, I specifically went through the rules and regulations of the bank and made sure they were on my fingertips to prove that I had not violated any policy. By this, my boss could not spend much time trying to clarify information that she expected I was familiar with (Nadler, 2003). Analyzing the problem As a bank employee at that time, I had to ensure that my internship become successful, hence I took my time to determine what my manager really expected of me. Before I could approach her, I used to analy ze the issues in my reports, especially in record keeping so that both our interests could not disagree. I often detailed by analysis by identifying the interested parties, such as the manager herself, the auditor, and other executives, and spot out the issues they could have criticized. However, sometimes I could not single out the real issues as required. Active listening during discussions Putting in mind that I often did not spot out the actual issues of concern, I could forward my cases exactly the way I saw them. Major skills used here included questioning, clarifying, and listening to my manager. Sometimes I could take notes as she explained to record important points put forward just in case I needed more clearing up. Nevertheless, it came to my notice that I rarely applied this skill efficiently because I tented to concentrate more on noting than listening. This led to hardships at some points as she could end up talking too much than I expected and that I never got an equa l chance to present my case as she always did. Another impact I noted when I seemed to write much and listen less was that I failed to notice her body language, which could have enabled me to know if she was happy with my questions or if she demonstrated something important. She could at times forbid me from writing and use my pen to illustrate her point by rectifying the issues in my reports, and this is when I often concentrated. Control of emotions The United Credit Bank of Azerbaijan is a large bank with many daily activities and

Promotion and sales and marketing techniques

Promotion and sales and marketing techniques Promotion and Sales:- The term Promotion and Sales are totally interdependent on each other. Promotion is a communication link between buyers and sellers. It is a function of informing, persuading, and influencing a consumers purchase decision. Promotional activities include: media advertising, direct mail, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations. A sale consists of marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising and public relations that stimulate consumer purchasing and dealer effectiveness. Sales promotion is a subset of promotion. In other words, sales promotion is not the same thing as promotion. Promotion is a much broader term. Promotion Mix:- The Combination of promotional activities an organization uses is called promotion mix . Integrated marketing communications (IMC):- Coordination of all promotional activities to produce a unified, customer-focused promotional message. Aim:-The main role of this assignment is to examine the role of Promotion and Sales and to find out market technique. In this assignment we are analyzing the following techniques: 1. Traditional elements of the promotion mix. 2. Advertising media. 3. Steps in Business to Business Selling. 4. Steps involved in setting up a public relations programme 5. Promotional techniques used to reach customers. Traditional elements of the promotion mix: Advertising Personal Selling Sales Promotion public relations Product Product Traditional Promotional Mix The Promotional mix works like a subset of the marketing mix, with its product, distribution, promotion, and pricing elements. With the promotional mix, the marketers attempt to create an optimal blend of various elements to achieve promotional objectives. The promotional mix requires a carefully designed blend of variables to satisfy the needs of a companys customers and achieve organizational objectives. Promotional Mix: Subset of the marketing mix in which marketers attempt to achieve the optimal blending of the elements of personal and non personal selling to achieve promotional objectives. I. Personal Selling :- is the oldest form of promotion. It is conducted on a person-to-person basis with the buyer. It involves the search for new prospects and follow up service after the sale. It is mainly face to face presentation and promotions of goods and services. Its more accurately described today as helping others satisfy their wants and needs. This direct form of promotion may be conducted: a. Face-to-face b. Telephone c. Videoconferencing d . Interactive computer links between buyer and seller Benefits of Personal Selling :- The benefit of personal selling is that there is a person there to help you complete a transaction. The sales person should listen to your needs, help you reach a solution and do all that is possible to make accomplishing that solution smoother and easier. 2. Non-personal Selling a. Advertising:- is any paid, non personal communication through various media about a business firm, not-for-profit organization, product, or idea by a sponsor Identified in a message that is intended to inform or persuade members of a particular audience. Advertising primarily involves the mass media, such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and billboards, but also includes electronic and computerized forms of promotion such as Web commercials, CDs and DVDs, and video screens in supermarkets. b. Product Placement:- a form of non personal selling in which the marketer pays a motion picture or television program owner a fee to display his product prominently in the film or show. Through their product gets so much popularity and they get the benefit from this. So this type of non personal selling is very good for their product placement. C. Sales Promotion:- consists of marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising and public relations that stimulate consumer purchasing and dealer effectiveness. Sales promotion is a subset of promotion. In other words, sales promotion is not the same thing as promotion. Promotion is a much broader term. Sales promotion provides a short-term incentive, usually in combination with other f forms of promotion, to emphasize, assist supplement, or otherwise support the objectives of the promotional program. For example, Restaurants, including fast food establishments, often place certain items on the menu at a lower price for a limited time only. Movie promotional tie-ins are a classic example. Movies are tied into food, drinks and restaurants. Sales promotion includes the following activities: 1) Displays, 2) trade shows, 3) coupons, 4) contests, 5) samples, 6) premiums, and 7) product demonstrations. Sales Promotion can be achieved both internally ( with in the company) and externally (outside the company) Public Relations and Publicity:- Public relations refer to a firms communications and relationships with its various publics. These publics include customers, suppliers, stockholders, employees, the government, the general public, and the society in which the organization operates. It is the management function that evaluates public attitudes and procedures in response to public request. Publicity is the marketing-oriented aspect of public relations. It can be defined as non personal stimulation of demand for a good, service, person, cause, or organization through unpaid placement of significant news about it in a published medium or through a favorable presentation of it on the radio, television, or stage. Of course, bad publicity can damage a companys reputation and diminish brand equity. Public Relations has three steps:- Listen to the public Change Policies and procedures Inform people that youre being responsive to their needs. Comparison of the Four Promotional Mix Elements Personal Selling Advertising Sales Promotion Public Relations Advantages Permits measurement of effectiveness Elicits an immediate response Tailors the message to fit the customer Reaches a large group of potential consumers for a relatively low price per exposure Allows strict control over the final message Can be adapted to either mass audiences or specific audience segments Produces an immediate consumer response Attracts attention and creates product awareness Allows easy measurement of results Provides short-term sales increases Creates a positive attitude toward a product or company Enhances credibility of a product or company Disadvantages Relies almost exclusively upon the ability of the salesperson Involves high cost per contact Does not permit totally accurate measurement of results Usually cannot close sales Advertising media Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideals, or services. It includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to persuade a target market to purchase or to consume that particular brand. These brands are usually paid for or identified through sponsors and viewed via various media. It is any paid, non personal communication through various media about a business firm, not-for-profit organization, product, or idea by a sponsor Identified in a message that is intended to inform or persuade members of a particular audience. Advertising primarily involves the mass media, such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and billboards, but also includes electronic and computerized forms of promotion such as Web commercials, CDs and DVDs, and video screens in supermarkets. Various types of Advertising media 1 Newspapers 2 Television 3 Radio 4 Magazines 5 Outdoors 6 Direct mail 7 Internet The above described media are classified according as retail advertising, trade advertising, business to business advertising ,institutional advertising, product advertising ,comparison and online advertising. Advantages of Advertising media It reaches a large group of potential consumers for a relatively low price per exposure. Allows strict control over the final message. Can be adapted to either mass audiences or specific audience segments. Disadvantages of Advertising media Does not permit totally accurate measurement of results Usually cannot close sales. Global advertising Advertising has gone through five major stages of development: domestic, export, international, multi-national, and global. For global advertisers, there are four, potentially competing, business objectives that must be balanced when developing worldwide advertising: building a brand while speaking with one voice, developing economies of scale in the creative process, maximizing local effectiveness of ads, and increasing the companys speed of implementation. Born from the evolutionary stages of global marketing are the three primary and fundamentally different approaches to the development of global advertising executions: exporting executions, producing local executions, and importing ideas that travel.[24] Advertising research is key to determining the success of an ad in any country or region. The ability to identify which elements and/or moments of an ad that contributes to its success is how economies of scale are maximized. Once one knows what works in an ad, that idea or ideas can be imported by any other market. Market research measures, such as Flow of Attention, Flow of Emotion and branding moments provide insight into what is working in an ad in any country or region because the measures are based on the visual, not verbal, elements of the ad. Steps in business to business Selling In business to business-selling, it is critical for the sales person to known the product well to know how the product compares to competitors s products. Such product knowledge is needed before the salesperson begin the selling process. Example of this is customer relationship management software (CRM).It is useful for establishing long term relationships with customers imagining you are a software sales person showing business user the advantages of various programs .It consists of Prospect and Quality Pre approach Approach Make Presentation Answer Objectives Close Sale Follow up 1.Prospect and Quality The first step is of prospecting. Prospecting involves researching potential buyers and choosing those most likely to buy. That selection process is called qualifying. To qualify people means to make sure that they have need for product, the authority to buy and the willingness to listen to a sales message. A person who meets these criteria is called a prospect. 2.Pre approach In this approach you must learn as much as possible about customers and their wants and needs. In this gathering the information before you approach the customer is critical. As we said an example of CRM selling you would know which people are likely to buy or use it. Approach In this the main idea is to give an impression of friendly professionalism, to create rapport,, to build credibility, and to start a relationship. Often the decision of whether to use a software package depends on reliable service from the salesperson. Make Presentation In the actual presentation of the CRM software, the idea is to match the benefits of your value package to the clients needs. Various companies provide sales proposal software that include everything from power point presentations to competitive analysis. During the presentation is a great time to use testimonal to Show potential buyers that they are joining leaders in others firms in trying this software. 5 Answer Objections You should anticipate any objections the prospect may raise and determine proper responses. Think of questions as opportunities for creating better relationships, not as challenges to what youre saying. Customers may have legimate doubts and you are there to resolve those doubts. Relationships are based on trust, and trust comes from successfully and honestly working with others. it. Close Sale As a salesperson, you have limited time and cant spend forever with one potential customer answering questions and objectives. A trial close consist of a question or statement that moves the selling process towards the actual close. As you can see, salespeople must learn to close many times before a long term Relationship is established. or relationships, not as challenges to what youre saying. Customers may have legimates doubts and you are 7.Follow Up The selling process isnt over until the order is approved and the customers is happy. The sales relationship may continue for years as you respond to new request for information. Salesperson realy needs to be providers of solutions to their customers and also needs to think about happen after the sale. The follow up step includes handling customers complaints ,making sure the customers questions are answered and quickly supplying what the customers wants. Steps involved in setting up a public relations programme Public relations refer to a firms communications and relationships with its various publics. These publics include customers, suppliers, stockholders, employees, the government, the general public, and the society in which the organization operates. It is the management function that evaluates public attitudes and procedures in response to public request. Public relation is defined as the management function that evaluates public attitudes ,request and procedures in response to the public s request, and executes a program of action and information to earn public understanding And acceptance. Publicity is the marketing-oriented aspect of public relations. It can be defined as non personal stimulation of demand for a good, service, person, cause, or organization through unpaid placement of significant news about it in a published medium or through a favorable presentation of it on the radio, television, or stage. Of course, bad publicity can damage a companys reputation and diminish brand equity. Public Relations has three steps:- Listen to the public: Public relation start with good marketing research. Change Policies and procedures : Businesses dont earn understanding by bombarding the public with propaganda, they earn understanding by having programs and policies and practices in their public interest . Inform people that youre being responsive to their needs: Its not enough to simply have programs in the public interest. You have to tell the public about those programs so that they know youre being responsive Public relations has more power to influence consumers because the message comes from source that is perceived as being more trustworthy. Advantages of Publicity: Creates a positive attitude toward a product or company Enhances credibility of a product or company Disadvantages of Publicity: May not permit accurate measurement of effect on sales Involves much effort directed toward non-marketing-oriented goals 5.Promotional techniques used to reach customers There are several Promotional techniques that encourage/stimulate customers to patronize a specific retail store or to try a specific product. These promotional techniques give various benefits/bonuses to customers and these are mainly classified as 1.Coupons: This is the most common technique which usually reduce the purchase price or offered as cash. Need to state the offer clearly and make it easy to recognize. 2. HandoutAwash in Coupons Looks at the volume of coupons (323 bn) and the poor redemption rate (less than 3%). Looks at more innovative media to deliver coupons (currently over 80% are delivered via the Sunday paper).in store by the products, as customers exit the store based on purchasesdiscussed delivering coupons to customers as they enter the store, using a card that swipes to indicate past purchases. Past buying behavior is the best predictor of future buying patterns Users only redeem coupons they would ordinarily purchase. 75% of the coupons are redeemed by consumers who would buy the brand already. . 3 Demonstrations: Excellent attention getters. Labor costs are usually high. 4. Frequent User Incentives: Major airlines, helps foster customer loyalty to a specific company. Credit card companies. Trading stamps-Co-ops back in England, foster retail loyalty. 5. Point of Purchase Display: Outside signs, window displays, counter pieces, display racks. 90% of retailers believe that point of purchase materials sell products. Essential for product introductions. Also with 2/3 of purchasing decisions made in the store, they are important. 6. Free Samples: Stimulate trial of product. Increase sales volume at the early stage of the product life cycle and obtain desirable distribution .Most expensive sales promotion technique. Not appropriate for mature products and slow turnover products. 7. Money Refunds/Rebates: Submit proof of purchase and mail specific refund, usually need multiple purchase for refund. Helps promote trial use, due to the complexity of the refund, it has little impact. Customers have a poor perception of rebate offered products. Used extensively in the Auto and Computer industry. 8. Premium Items: Offered free or at minimum cost as a bonus. Used to attract competitors customers,different sizes of established products. McDonalds Last summer the following tie-in premium programs. Casper with Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Choice Hotels Congo with Taco Bell Batman Forever with McDonalds, Kelloggs , Six Flags, Sears Pocahontas with Chrysler, Nestle, General Mills, Burger King Mighty Morphin with McDonalds Cents-off Offer: Strong incentive for trying a product-very similar to coupons, but are a part of the package. Consumer Contests and Sweepstakes: Consumers compete based on their analytical or creative skills. Must be accurate or you will anger customers/retailers. Sweepstakes are prohibited in some states. Conclusion From the above discussion of various Promotion and sales technique we conclude that promotion with advertising is a part of total system approach that lead to maketing principles. Promotion and sales are interdependent on each other. It helps to increase demand for the product with a view to increase the companys sale and profit.

Sound Essay -- Hearing Papers

Sound It may be commonplace to point out that acoustic reality and perceptual reality are different. In a live performance situation, for example, no matter how still the audience, the environment will be full of sounds extraneous to the music. If a tape recorder were positioned somewhere in the midst of such a situation, and if a segment of the resulting tape were submitted to digital sound analysis, the results would highlight the difference between what one heard during the performance (what is presumably captured on the tape), and what analysis confirms the tape actually contains. Sound analysis reveals the behavior of sound in the physical world. In this case, analysis would show that soundwaves from all the sound sources in the environment -- the various instruments of the performance, perhaps the stirring of the audience, or the sound of vehicles passing beyond the confines of the performance context -- the multitude of acoustic elements that make up each of these sounds do not rema in conveniently grouped by source. Rather, the components of all these sounds mix together, combining into a single, very complex waveform which is represented on the tape and revealed through analysis. This is because sound waves are additive, like waves in water, multiplying in quality rather than quantity. In the simplest possible terms, what digital analysis uncovers are the acoustic features of the sounds captured by the tape recorder; what are actually heard are the perceptual features of the same sounds. The acoustic and perceptual characteristics of sound are not the same, nor in many cases is there a one-to-one correspondence between them. Parameters of Sound In a very general sense, sounds in a normal environment consist o... ...on provided by either form of presentation is an approximation at best, limited by the resolution capabilities of both the digitizer and the analyzer, as well as by the fineness of detail possible in the graphic display of the software. It is also important to be cautious in considering which details of the visual representation of a sound sample are salient to the sound as perceived; often the picture of a sound will include clearly visible elements which are acoustically present in the sound but too short in duration, or too soft in intensity to register perceptually. A useful maxim in this regard is the following: If a discrete element is filtered from a sound with no difference to the resulting tonal sensation, then the element is unimportant to the final percept and need not be considered in interpreting the data, no matter how blatantly it appears in analysis. Sound Essay -- Hearing Papers Sound It may be commonplace to point out that acoustic reality and perceptual reality are different. In a live performance situation, for example, no matter how still the audience, the environment will be full of sounds extraneous to the music. If a tape recorder were positioned somewhere in the midst of such a situation, and if a segment of the resulting tape were submitted to digital sound analysis, the results would highlight the difference between what one heard during the performance (what is presumably captured on the tape), and what analysis confirms the tape actually contains. Sound analysis reveals the behavior of sound in the physical world. In this case, analysis would show that soundwaves from all the sound sources in the environment -- the various instruments of the performance, perhaps the stirring of the audience, or the sound of vehicles passing beyond the confines of the performance context -- the multitude of acoustic elements that make up each of these sounds do not rema in conveniently grouped by source. Rather, the components of all these sounds mix together, combining into a single, very complex waveform which is represented on the tape and revealed through analysis. This is because sound waves are additive, like waves in water, multiplying in quality rather than quantity. In the simplest possible terms, what digital analysis uncovers are the acoustic features of the sounds captured by the tape recorder; what are actually heard are the perceptual features of the same sounds. The acoustic and perceptual characteristics of sound are not the same, nor in many cases is there a one-to-one correspondence between them. Parameters of Sound In a very general sense, sounds in a normal environment consist o... ...on provided by either form of presentation is an approximation at best, limited by the resolution capabilities of both the digitizer and the analyzer, as well as by the fineness of detail possible in the graphic display of the software. It is also important to be cautious in considering which details of the visual representation of a sound sample are salient to the sound as perceived; often the picture of a sound will include clearly visible elements which are acoustically present in the sound but too short in duration, or too soft in intensity to register perceptually. A useful maxim in this regard is the following: If a discrete element is filtered from a sound with no difference to the resulting tonal sensation, then the element is unimportant to the final percept and need not be considered in interpreting the data, no matter how blatantly it appears in analysis.