Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Changing The Face Of Mental Health - 2245 Words

Changing The Face of Mental Health Crystelle Rivas Kaplan University Changing The Face of Mental Health Mental illness plays a significant role in homelessness across America. Nearly â€Å"25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness† (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Because people with severe mental handicaps have a harder time integrating into society without the help of trained professionals, a large number of these individuals become homeless or have placement issues. For this reason, mental health centers have been placed in communities across the country in an effort to give these people a foundation for growth and recovery. Since the mental health centers have limited†¦show more content†¦The living conditions offered to the patients were basic and would be considered unsuitable by any of today’s standards. Not only did the institution have their patients sleeping on cots and sharing rooms, they also did not offer any meaningful therapies to help. In essence, patients were â€Å"drugged an d warehoused† with their care in the hands of a team which consisted of the entire staff, including the janitor (Milwaukee County Asylum, 2013). Because this process was a typical occurrence in most mental health institutions across America, they earned a bad reputation being known as snake pits and got national attention. In October of 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed his last piece of legislation, which was meant to free thousands of patients from the unspeakable living conditions they endured in institutions. President Kennedy’s vision was to give these mentally disabled people their dignity, along with more humane care, and offer actual therapy. Unfortunately, President Kennedy was unable to see the bill through and help it along some of the more difficult obstacles it faced because he was assassinated a short three weeks after its signing. Although Kennedy’s bill changed the mental health industry significantly, only half of the community treatment centers were built due to funding issues. Waukesha County opened the doors to its mental health center in 1989 taking in the people with mental health issues and unruly behavior. To get a better

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Goodner Brothers, Inc. Internal Control Issues Essay Example For Students

Goodner Brothers, Inc. Internal Control Issues Essay Goodner Brothers, Inc. Internal Control Issues 1. List what you believe should have been the three to five key internal control objectives for Goodner’s Huntington sales office. 1. Assets Safeguard The padlock and other some security are used as a physical protection of Goodner’s inventory from stolen by unauthorized person. 2. Authorization of Transaction Goodner’s policy said that the new customer required an approval of the sale manager for the credit sale. The objective of this policy is to control the authorization of employee by using an approval from the senior manager to determine the credit term of new customer. . Top-level reviews Annual review by the internal audit is used in order to inspire the operation and compare the performance with a plan of the business, so that the company can find out that there are any problems or fraud or not. 4. Human Resource Policies and Practices Goodner’s policy about hiring an employee is relied on honesty and integrity of the employee which is required 3 strong as references and preferably from reputable individual with some connection to Goodner Brother. 5. Adequate Document and Records We will write a custom essay on Goodner Brothers, Inc. Internal Control Issues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The computerized accounting system is used at each Goodner sales outlet. The system will record the sale and purchase transactions which were recorded by the bookkeeper and sales representative. So the company can record all transaction from each sale outlet. 2. List the key internal control weaknesses that were evident in the Huntington unit’s operations. Internal control weaknesses: 1. Unrestricted access to the accounting system, cause the large volume of sales and purchase transaction often swamped (possible to be double recorded) 2. Recording transactions didn’t in timely basis, instead of record from source of documents; the sales representative just recorded the entry from the scrap paper that they jotted things down. 3. Lack of segregation of duties: 3. 1 The sales person is also the one who recorded transactions. 3. 2 Shipping and billing are in the same function. 3. 3 The sales person is allow to directly access to the inventory storage and can load and deliver to customers by themselves. 3. 4 The sales person is the one who count for checking the ending inventory and completed the count sheet. 4. Took only year-end physical inventory to bring its perpetual inventory records into agreement with the amount of inventory actually on hand. (Inventory observation just only 1 time per year) 5. Poorly design to keep and record the inventory shrinkage, make it’s difficult to observe the inventory actually on hand. 6. No reconcile items sales in sales invoices, all shipping documents with the stock card take out. 7. Fail to review the customer complaint report by sales managers, even though this is one of the important sources to get the fact and give the sense of the skeptical signs. 8. No any confirmation to any customer about the products delivered, no any document 3. Develop one or more control policies and procedures to alleviate the control weaknesses you indentified in responding to Question 2. Objective: 1. All recorded transactions are properly authorized, valid (occurred), complete, and accurately. 2. Assets (cash, inventory and data) are safeguarded from loss and theft. 3. Business activities are performed efficiently and effectively Internal Control Procedures: Sales entry should be authorized, valid, complete and accurately -The accounting system should be restricted for only authorized person The transactions should be recorded in timely basis -The transactions should be recorded only from source of documents (ex. Sales invoice) -The transaction should be approved by authorized person Correct shipping and billing to customers -Reconciliation of sales order and pick up inventories -Use of bar code scanner and RFID tags to record picking and shipping (wri te off inventory, immediately -Field checks and completeness test if data entries perform manually. -Packing slip and bill of lading should not be printed until accurate shipment has been verified. -Segregating the shipping and billing functions Sales orders, picking tickets, packing slips, and sales invoices should be sequentially numbered and then periodically accounted for and every shipment is entered into the computer system. To protect the theft of inventory -Inventories keep in a secure location with restricted access. -Warehouse and shipping employees should sign the document accompanying the goods at the time the goods are transferred from inventory to shipping -Inventory should be released for shipping only with approve sales order. -Wireless communication and RFID tags can provide real-time tracking which help to reduce the theft. Physical count made periodically or surprised check -The employees responsible for inventory custody should be held accountable for any shortag e. To protect the theft of cash Segregation of duties: -Handing cash or checks and posting remittances to customer accounts. A person performing both of these duties could commit the special type of embezzlement called lapping -Handing cash or checks and authorizing credit memos. A person performing both of these duties could conceal theft of cash by creating a credit memo equal to the amount stolen. Issuing credit memos and maintaining customer accounts. A person performing both of these duties could write off as uncollectible amount owed by friends. -Monthly statement mailed to customer provides another layer of control, because customers would notice the failure to properly credit their accounts for payment remitted. -Set the policy that all customer payment should be in cross cheques (pay to Goodner Brothers, inc. only) and also inform this policy to the customers. 4. Besides Woody Robinson, what other parties were at least partially responsible for the inventory losses Goodner suffered? .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .postImageUrl , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:hover , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:visited , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:active { border:0!important; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:active , .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd9ce43e70fa62ece8ffd5cde8d1f87a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: British ColonialismFile Name: British Colonialism EssayDefend your answer. There are several more parties beside Woody Robinson that responsible for the inventory losses Goodner suffered. Obviously, the company itself should review and improve their internal control as that their internal control is very weak. In this case study, there are several departments of the company that is directly responsible. In fact, Internal Audit Department is the most important department that responsible for this situation because internal control is like the foundation, if the foundation is good everything will be easier.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Merger-Bat Rothmans free essay sample

The report will evaluate the impact of the merger between the two companies which resulted in the capture of the largest market share in cigarettes manufacturing in Malaysia and the emerged of a â€Å"Winning Organization† tagline for British American Tobacco Malaysia Berhad. The submission is also a part of requirement for completion of FIN 745 Managerial Finance subject. ? Merger This section will provide the basic elucidation from the academic view and the basic principles of a merger. ? Tobacco Industry in Malaysia This section will provide the overview of Tobacco Industry players, market share and brand name in which the players presents. ? Background of Merger Case Study The background section will provides the merged companies and the information of the new emerge company resulted from the merger. ? Merger Transaction Details This section will provide transaction details of how the merger took and what had transpired during the merger process. ? Merger Results –Financial Performance Merger results will analyse the outcome from the financial performance perspective during and after the merger. We will write a custom essay sample on Merger-Bat Rothmans or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ? Conclusion This section will provide the conclusion of the merger which happened between Rothmans of Pall Mall (Malaysia) Berhad and Malaysian Tobacco Company Berhad. b) Merger 1. Definition of Merger Merger is defined as the combination of two or more firms, in which the resulting firm maintains the identity of one of the firms, usually the larger one. 2. Motives of Merger i. Growth or Diversification Firms that desire rapid growth in size of market share or diversification in their range of products ii. Synergy The synergy of merger is the economies of scale resulting from the merged firms’ lower overhead. Synergy is most obvious when Horizontal merger take place as many redundant functions and employees can be eliminated. iii. Fund Raising Fund-raising merger motive happens when a â€Å"cash rich† firm merges with a â€Å"cash poor† firm. This will allow funds to be raised externally at lower cost as it will increase the borrowing power by decreasing its financial leverage. iv. Increased Managerial Skill or Technology Increased Managerial Skill or Technology happens when the merger motive is to adapt or combine the managerial personal skill or acquire the technology needed. v. Tax Considerations Tax Considerations motive happens when a firm merge with another as acquire the target’s tax loss carryforward. The tax loss can be applied against a limited amount of future income of the merged firm. 3. Types of Merger i. Horizontal Merger Horizontal merger is a merger of two firms in the sale line of business. ii. Vertical Merger Vertical merger is a merger in which a firm acquires a supplier or a customer. iii. Congeneric Merger Congeneric merger is a merger in which one firm acquires another firm that is in the same general industry but neither in the same line of business not a supplier or a customer. v. Conglomerate Merger Conglomerate merger is a merger combining firms in unrelated businesses. c) Tobacco Industry In Malaysia There are three biggest manufacturers of cigarettes in Malaysia which together control over 90% of the legal market share. The three manufacturers are: 1. British American Tobacco Malaysia Berhad (BAT) Major shareholder of British American Tobacco is British American Tobacco Holdings (Malaysia) which hold 50%. BAT manufactures the cigarettes brands of Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall, Peter Stuyvesant, Lucky Strike, Benson and Hedges and Rothmans. BAT’s 2010 total net sales amounted to RM 3,965 million and profit after tax of RM 959 million. They are currently the market leader in Malaysia as they hold approximately 65% of market share in Malaysia. British American Tobacco Group the second largest global tobacco company with more that 700 million cigarettes sold in 2010. 2. JT International Berhad (JTI Malaysia) JT International Berhad is the Malaysian division of Japan Tobacco International. JTI Malaysia manufactures the cigarettes brands of Winston, Mild Seven, Camel and Salem. JTI’s 2010 total net sales amounted to RM 1,205. 1 million and profit after tax of RM 178. 9 million. Currently JTI held almost 10 % of cigarette market share in Malaysia. Japan Tobacco International is the third largest global tobacco company with more that 500 million cigarettes sold in 2010. 3. Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (PMM) Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is wholly owned by Philip Morris International. PMM manufactures the cigarettes brands of Marlboro, LM and Semporna A. Currently PMM held almost 15 % of cigarette market share in Malaysia. Japan Tobacco International are the largest global tobacco company with more that 900 million cigarettes sold in 2010. d) Background of Merger Case Study British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad (British American Tobacco Malaysia) emerged on 3rd November 1999 from the merger of Rothmans of Pall Mall (Malaysia) Berhad and Malaysian Tobacco Company Berhad. These two long established tobacco companies brought with the merger, experience and an unrivalled portfolio of highly successful international brands to create the largest tobacco company in the country. British American Tobacco Malaysia manufactures and markets high quality tobacco products designed to meet diverse consumer preferences. Brand portfolio includes well-established international names like Dunhill, Kent and Pall Mall. 1. Rothmans of Pall Mall Rothmans of Pall Mall (M) Bhd was incorporated on September 1, 1961 and was listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) on October 27, 1961. It involved in the manufacture, importation and sale of cigarettes, pipe tobaccos, cigars, the sale and distribution of luxury consumer products and the provision of travel services. Rothmans Malaysia manufacture and markets Malaysia’s leading cigarette brand, Dunhill and other brands such as Peter Stuyvesant, Perillys, Rothmans and Winfield. Its financial year ended March 31, 1999 recorded a turnover of RM1. 95 billion and a pre-tax profit of Rm616. 6 million. 2. Malaysia Tobacco Company Malaysia Tobacco Company Bhd (MTC) was incorporated on September 28, 1956, and listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) on July 1, 1978. MTC is principally involved in the manufacture, importation and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in Malaysia. Through its subsidiaries, MTC is involved in the marketing and distribution of cigarettes, and the provision of travel services. British American Tobacco brands manufactured and marketed under licence by MTC include Benson Hedges, Kent, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike and State Express 555. For its financial year ended December 31, 1998 MTC recorded a turnover of RM525 million and a pre-tax profit of RM23. 2 million. e) Merger Transaction Details Both Rothmans Malaysia and MTD have entered into an Asset Sale and Investment Agreement for the purchase of JPS, and a Sale and Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of MTCM.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Dave Mathews Band Essay Example

Dave Mathews Band Essay Example Dave Mathews Band Essay Dave Mathews Band Essay Dave Mathews Band Title: The Soul of Bluegrass Backup Topic: The Dave Matthews Band Specific Purpose: I would like to inform the class on the success of this great band. Thesis Statement: Past, present, and future the Dave Matthews Band represents a striking pop success story. Introduction Attention Material: As I sat in my chair wondering what to write this speech on, I first had no clue at all. I had my CD player on, and I realized that my speech would be on my favorite band, The Dave Matthews Band. Song after song, I can listen to this band for hours. Credibility Statement: Now some of you might think I am a Dave Matthews freak, and that I know everything about the band. You might be right. If you listen to what I have to say, maybe someday you too will appreciate the band as well. Thesis Statement: Past, present, and future the Dave Matthews Band represents a striking pop success story. Preview Statement: Today I would like to inform you about the band?s history, the experience of seeing them live, and what we might see in the future from them. (Transition: Let me start by informing you how the band came about.) Body I. The year 1991 was the beginning of band, dave, matthews, first, future, live, two, success, music, cd?s, about, songs, song, show, present, months, might, history, great, fan, experience, cd, bring, years, year, wrote, very, think, ten, striking, start, speech, shows, seeing, represents, pop, play, one, new, musicians, maybe, listen, led, just, joined, inform, few, favorite, everything, day

Saturday, November 23, 2019

About the Greek Playwright Sophocles

About the Greek Playwright Sophocles Sophocles was a playwright and the second of the 3 greatest Greek writers of tragedy (with Aeschylus and Euripides). He is known best for what he wrote about Oedipus, the mythological figure who proved central to Freud and the history of psychoanalysis. He lived through most of the 5th century from 496-406 BCE, experiencing the Age of Pericles and the Peloponnesian War. Early Life Sophocles grew up in the town of Colonus, just outside Athens, which was the setting of his tragedy Oedipus at Colonus. His father, Sophillus, thought to have been a wealthy nobleman, sent his son to Athens for an education. Public and Religious Offices Held by Sophocles In 443/2 Sophocles was hellanotamis or treasurer of the Greeks and managed, with 9 others, the treasury of the Delian League. During the Samian War (441-439) and the Archidamian War (431-421) Sophocles was strategos general. In 413/2, he was one of the board of 10 probouloi or commissioners in charge of the council. Sophocles was a priest of Halon and helped introduce the cult of Asclepius, god of medicine, to Athens. He was honored posthumously as a hero (Source: Greek Tragedy An Introduction, by Bernhard Zimmerman. 1986.) Dramatic Accomplishments Seven complete tragedies out of more than 100 survive; fragments exist for 80-90 others. Oedipus at Colonus was produced posthumously. Oedipus TyrannusOedipus at ColonusAntigoneElectraTrachiniaeAjaxPhiloctetes In 468 BCE, Sophocles defeated the first of the three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, in a dramatic competition; then in 441 BCE, the third of the tragedian trio, Euripides, beat him. During his long life, Sophocles earned many prizes, including about 20 for 1st place. Here are his prize dates (when known): Ajax (440s)Antigone (442?)ElectraOedipus at ColonusOedipus Tyrannus (425?)Philoctetes (409)Trachiniae Sophocles increased the number of actors to 3 (thereby reducing the importance of the chorus). He broke from Aeschylus thematically-unified trilogies, and invented skenographia (scene painting), to define the background.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Jazz Fusion Musicians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jazz Fusion Musicians - Term Paper Example or Kenny G brand by use of instrumentals. Therefore, the term jazz became distorted to accommodate rock and pop groups back in the 1960s by adding horns for flavoring (Sweat and Tears, Blood and Chicago). By old definition, fusion is, therefore, a mixture of improvisations made on Jazz combined with the rhythms, energy and timbers of rock music. Jazz fusion began to take hold in the wake of the Golden Era of rock in around the late 1960s. The essay discusses; Mile Davis, John Abercombie, Don Alias, Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce and Larry Carlton contributions to jazz fusion in their life time. A number of questions commonly get asked concerning the founder of jazz fusion. In accordance to some music analysts, some say fusion might have started with the guitarist, Larry Coryell. Speculations presume that Larry Coryell brought the rock oriented tune. In addition, he also brought attack raw, edgy tones in contrast to the smooth, rounded tones which guitarist employed in many jazz sessions at th at era. In addition, other analysts noted that blues and rock sensibilities which Jack DeJohnette, drummer, and Keith Jarrett, pianist, brought to the given Charles Lloyd Quartet also became wildly popular to rock audiences in 1967, despite, using acoustic instruments. Furthermore, from England, The Trinity and jazz organist Brian Auger also developed rock in the late 1960s through borrowing some pop influences plus clothing styles. The founders could even be traced way back to 1959 to the likes of Ray Charles. He pioneered the use of the given Wurlitzer electric piano in singing some of his blues, gospel and jazz hits. The same Wurlitzer electric piano became used later by Joe Zawinul and contributed in making a given gospel song a hit in 1966. In relation to some musical analysts, they claim that the first jazz and rock combination might have been truly a mixture of Dixieland Jazz plus the 50s rock. Therefore, regarding the founder of jazz fusion music, there is no impressive cons ensus to date on whom might have been the founder of the spectacular Jazz fusion music. Even if quite a lot of arguments exist on the true founder of the jazz fusion music, but musicians behind making it popular could be identified. These musicians played a prominent role in popularizing the jazz music and making it get a lot of audiences as years advanced. A good example of such a musician that contributed immensely to its popularity includes Miles Davis (Miles & Quincy 34). Miles Davis was an ever curious person that wished to experiment with any music. He managed to fuse rock and rhythm and blues (R&B) currents existing in the late 1960’s and created hits. Miles Davis managed to popularize jazz fusion to greater heights at that time thereby increasing the number of fans listening jazz fusion genre. Jazz itself became fused in the ‘20s, together with rock and even soul music around that time. In addition, other musicians that contributed to its popularity became the B eatles groups. From 1964, as the Beatles group invaded and rocked their music on air and other areas, they too managed to spread the jazz fusion music with them through the music they played. As the jazz scene continuously became a battle between angry avant-garde and hard boppers, many bored and alienated musicians looked to rock, which at that time had begun to develop into multifaceted imaginative art form (Miles & Quincy 36). Moreover, the introduction of the given electronic keyboards like the Wurlitzer plus the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the Literature review

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the and backgroud chapter on monday - Literature review Example The market also does asset valuation, arbitrage, raise capital, commercial transactions and invest in bond, stock or money. Besides, all these, the market also does forex risk management (Levinson, 2005). Forex has four interdependent spot markets where currencies are traded. These are the spot market, futures market, option market and derivatives market. Most of the time, these markets are availed by key actors in direct and indirect investments, such as, exporters, importers, investors, speculators, and governments. Trading is often done at interbank markets and financial institutions although the most common currency traded is the US dollars. Exchange rates are managed either in fixed rate, semi-fixed systems, and floating rates. Forex Risk Management Forex risk management is basically protecting a foreign currency from losing value against the domestic (Levinson, 2005) â€Å"currency before an export payment is received as well as enabling markets to attach price to risk, permit ting firms and individual to trade risks until they’d hold to what they wanted to retain† (Russell, 2011). ... Investors, either individual or institutional, who are motivated to and to gain capital are assured of this market’s system of resiliency in risk management (Russell, 2011). This is further supported by the institutionalization of formal markets where investors can immediately raise capital by selling shares at the stock exchange (Russell, 2011). The foreign exchange is a huge trading market that is geographically dispersed and exchanges could either be favorable or not depending on the measures of risk management employed otherwise it can be limiting â€Å"trade lot size, hedging, trading only during certain hours or days, or knowing when to take losses†(Milton, 2011). Forex trading may seem easy, but in all honesty so difficult, indeed. Traders would either experience sudden corrections in currency exchange rates; bewildering variations in exchange rates; susceptibility to market’s rapid change for profit opportunities; lost payments; delay in the confirmation of receivables and fees; discrepancy of bank drafts received and the contract price †(Milton, 2011). Tools for Forex Risk Management How should a trader control his loses? Expert in trading currency suggested that investors should think twice to set limits on potential â€Å"pressure or drawdown† one is willing to stake in trading. They also advise make use of â€Å"correct lot sizes and to start at lower amount depending on one’s level of risk tolerance (Easy Forex, 2011). But for experts, the best rule is to utilize small account balance. They also advised tract â€Å"overall exposure† to be abreast of the developments and correlation of currency pairs (Easy Forex, 2011). Gain complete risk control and define your opportunity when the right

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Aging Healthy and Securely Essay Example for Free

Aging Healthy and Securely Essay Abstract Every individual reaches prime of life. Inevitably, we can not escape old age, unless a person dies young. The decision of where to live is one of the most challenging ordeals to cope with as one grows old. As the elderly individual grows old, their time on this earth becomes very valuable, thus, they want to spend their remaining lives securely and healthy.   Accordingly, it is of great importance that the government should provide housing options which recognize the value placed upon the latter years of ones’ life. Most importantly, housing programs must be created which answers the need for health care and security as well. One best program that this paper wishes to propose is to put up a housing community which incorporates the two most important needs of an elderly- medical attention and safety. The target population for this program would be those elderly individuals, particularly those in poor health, who can not afford to seek nursing care as well as those who do not have family members whom could attend to their needs. The selection of these elderly individuals whom the housing units will tend will be based on family backgrounds, economic status, financial capacity and other material details collated by an assigned committee. If funded sufficiently, this project will answer the needs for elderly housing and elderly care given the rapid growth in elderly population having the need of integrated services since the costs of isolated services are too high. Statement of Purpose To combat the problems introduced above, the (Name of submitting organization), proposes to have an elderly housing and health care program. As the elderly population continues to grow in number, and accordingly the need for adequate elderly housing services build up, the resources to offer services will drop off (Travis, 2006). Looking for a more effective technique of service delivery is of extreme importance. At the moment, on the other hand, the existing connections between elderly health and housing are weak at best. Seldom can you find a successful yet reasonably priced housing program that incorporates efficient health care for the elderly. In view of that, the most pleasing and most cost-efficient method of aging — aging in place — is not easy to attain, even under the most ideal conditions. Health and housing concerns of an elderly individual are frequently interconnected. To improve an effective method of service delivery, the long-term care system must mirror this interrelationship between health and housing. For this reason, the (Name of submitting organization) will propose to develop a stimulating and competent initiative for elderly housing with health care in the economically distressed neighborhood in Washington. This elderly housing and health care program will provide medical attention to the elderly individuals especially those who are weak or sick and at the same time the housing units will securely roofed them as they spend their precious years. The main objective of this program is to offer housing for the elderly since one of the most depressing problem that Washington now faces is the lack of elderly housing. What is more, this program aims to provide health care that the elderly individuals need. Similarly, the main goal of this program is to increase housing options for the elderly individuals. With this program sufficiently funded, it is expected that the outcome would be to have a health-friendly environment which eventually would lead to healthier and safer elderly individuals. Moreover, elderly individuals who have health problems or are looking for information concerning housing options must be able to get in touch with an on-site resident manager or with other program members on duty and be given the support and care that they need. The elderly housing and health program would surely bring about loads of benefits for the elderly individuals. As a result, problems like untimely death of elderly, increase in mortality rates, widespread of diseases, population congestion, increase in the number of persons with poor health conditions and other dilemmas related to elderly housing and health care would be worked out. Statement of Need   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over and above the unpredictability of aging, one must be concerned with the actuality that the average life expectancy for the elderly is increasing, which results to higher possibility that the elderly these days will have to cope with some sort of chronic health condition.   For this reason, one’s ability to keep up the well-being and self-sufficiency while living out one’s abridged life tends to become a very expensive aim. This expense has an unfortunate effect on the majority of the elderly owing to the decreases in income after retirement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The elderly population is fast expanding while the core tax-paying population is decreasing. As the elderly population increases, and consequently the need for adequate elderly housing services intensify, the resources to offer services will drop off. There 34 million Americans over the age of 65. On average they constitute 10 to 13 percent of each state’s population. Those states with the highest concentration of the elderly are Florida, the northeastern region and the Midwestern corridor. Nevertheless, the number of elderly in Washington becomes alarming as well as its number rapidly increases. In 55 years, the number of people aging 65 years and above will more than double, the number of those 75 and older will triple and the number of people 85 and older will quintuple. The elderly population is projected to multiply twice as much in size to well over 70 million by 2025. The states that will experience the greatest growth in the number of residents over the age of 65 are in the west and south. As a percent of the total state population, states in the west and southwest will experience the greatest increases ( Lawler, 2001). Nearly all seniors own the homes in which they reside. The home-ownership rate for individuals between the age of 62 and 74 is 81.2 percent; between the ages of 75 and 84, it remains high at 76.9 percent. As these homeowners age and their bodies become weaker, the regular maintenance and preservation of a home can become bodily demanding to manage. As the health needs of an aging senior and the repair needs of an aging house increase, both place necessitates on the fixed income of a retiree (Lawler, 2001). The lack of housing for the elderly is one of the most depressing problems Washington DC is facing today. This situation exists because lesser priority is given to this problem. External researches reveal that there may be housing for the elderly like home for the aged yet it does not have the comprehensive health care program. Just the same, health care programs do not provide proper housing needs of the elderly. Hence, the program proposed above incorporates the housing and health care needs of the elderly individuals. In line with this dilemma, the Housing and Urban Development had also been advocating projects which concern elderly housing. The Section 202 program gives capital advances (no interest loans that are forgiven given that affordability requirements are met for 40 years) and Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs) for the construction or extensive rehabilitation and operation of residential projects and other related facilities for the elderly. Housing financed under this program may consist of proper support services for elderly persons who are weak or at risk of being institutionalized. A possible problem that may arise in connection with this project would be the difficulty on selecting potential participants or elderly who will benefit the project. Moreover, not all elderly in need may be facilitated or accepted since the project is just starting out. The number of elderly individuals that could be accommodated will be limited. The Aging Healthy and Securely program aims to solve the problems presented above. The (Name of submitting Organization) wishes to complete the project, financially supported by the government, within the time allotted for the aforementioned project. We expect the fervent involvement or support of the HUD, State Housing Authority, city funds and other related organizations. Procedures Washington is one of the many cities faced with problems on elderly housing. The elderly population rate is overwhelming. Over 33 million people in the United States are now above 65 years of age and by the year 2020 it will increase to about 53 million, or one in every six Americans. To add, a great number of these elderly individuals need nursing care or health care. In spite of the relationship between health and housing, the health concerns of an aging individual are attended to by one agency or set of services while the same individual’s housing concerns are tackled by different sets of nonprofit and/or government organizations. This separation is directly related to the way the housing and health industries were planned and considered and continue to function in distinct markets. While the private sector has created a greater number of models that unite both health and housing services, the public sector has continued to branch out the two. Public subsidies are intended to create either health or housing services but not both. Government-sponsored health programs and housing programs were devised to give off distinct public goods (Burkhardt, 1999). They were formed in isolation, as different line items in local, state and federal governments. Public housing programs and government mortgage subsidies were shaped to increase the number of inexpensive and sufficient housing units. The public system of health services was set up to support general public health and well-being, to offer health care for the very poor and to lessen the possibility of an outbreak or epidemic. The undertakings of public health and housing agencies were not only independent but mutually exclusive. From the information and figures presented at the current time, the future for the elderly individuals appear vague and unclear The need for a healthy, safe and decent reasonably priced housing and related services for the elderly is very critical. This alarming statistics gave the drive to (Name of the submitting Organization) come up with housing community consisting of 40 rooms (ten for offices and 30 for the elderly) which not only shelter these individuals but also provide staff that could attend to their health needs. Approach Driven by the best intentions, the (Name of the submitting Organization) envisions the program to be multifaceted, wide-ranging and innovative. The city has an immense necessity for additional reasonably priced or affordable housing for the elderly. The (Name of the submitting Organization) had identified a strategic location and will put up a 30 units/rooms elderly housing community. The location in which the housing community will be located is one sit which elderly housing has been identified as an essential need. Above and beyond the transitional housing, there will be a wide-ranging medical and social service and housing component involved in the program. Albeit the Washington state has homes for the aged, there is difficulty in looking for an elderly housing which is affordable and provides health care at its best.   Most of the new constructed buildings in the city are for market rate units or commercial ones. This will have no effect on the increasing elderly population requiring housing and health assistance. There great numbers of depreciated buildings or deserted residences which if given attention and financed adequately, can be converted into elderly housing units. Target Population/Participants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The target population for the Aging Healthy and Securely program are those elderly individuals who are in need of medical or nursing assistance and who can not afford to stay in expensive elderly housing and health care units. To note worthwhile, the program will house those physically, financially and economically underprivileged elderly individuals with ages of 65 years and above. Elderly individuals with ages 60-64 years may be selected provided their illnesses call for immediate rehabilitation and care. Selection and screening of these elderly will not be very easy for the staff members assigned or the selection group. The selection of those individuals will be based on the family backgrounds, economic status, health records, financial capacity and other details or information material to the program’s criteria collated by an assigned committee. Materials or records from the following may be used to select those elderly individuals that may be housed; community or local agencies like health centers/hospitals for medical records, National Statistics Office for identification and personal records, social service and welfare agencies, public and privately-governed homeless centers, nursing homes, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, over and above being in poor health condition, the elderly individuals must have a very low income and neglected by their family members. Only the sickest and the poorest seniors will be selected for the program. All selection works are to be carried out without consideration of an individuals ethnic group, civilization, race, sex, or sexual orientation, and a statement to this effect will accompany all public service announcements, advertisements, and locally-placed flyers or posters. All selection will be done without bias and prejudice. Work Plan Activities The schedule below shows the various informative, motivational, spiritual and educational activities of the elderly housing and health care program. Morning- Evening Daily Activities * Spiritual Healing (includes praying, sharing or reading of inspirational passages)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * Personal Hygiene check up (includes medical treatment, bath for the elderly, etc.) * Meal time (serving of food in accordance to the health diet prescribed and suggested by attending doctor and nutritionist respectively) * Leisure/Recreational (includes watching TV, socializing with co-elderly and staff, reading books, strolling, etc.) Deliverables   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aside from the nursing and medical team whom will take care of the elderly, the housing units also observe infrastructure design and housing needs of the elderly. The building includes features like handrails or grab bars, raised lettering or Braille, elevator or stair lift, faucets, or cabinets, special sinks, specially equipped telephones, extra wide doors or hallways, ramps, push bars on doors, flashing lights, special wall sockets or light switches and the like. Sustainability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If funded sufficiently, the elderly health and housing care will tend to a lot of elderly individuals in need. After the construction of the housing units and when the operation   is on full blast already, the (Name of submitting organization) will conduct a fund-raising activities every now and then for the maintenance of the housing community. Moreover, the (Name of submitting organization) will continue to seek financial assistance from the government from time to time to meet the program’s financial obligations with the staff members as well as for the maintenance of the units and facilities. Program Activities Elderly individuals will be categorized or leveled when deciding for the room assignments. Those with chronic and contagious diseases must be isolated from the rest. Female elderly must be separated from the male elderly in terms of room occupancy. As to food serving, nutritionists must take into consideration the sickness or health conditions of these elderly. To add, attending doctors/nurses must have seminars on motivational skills every now and then to apply such I their workplace. They should encourage these elderly individuals to manifest their talents. Motivational and recreational activities must be tolerated and accordingly, the (Name of the submitting Organization) can conduct a program presenting these elderly individuals with their skills and talents. This could not only lead to a fund-raising activity but an enjoyable and remarkable activity for the elderly individuals trying to make the most out of their remaining precious years. Evaluation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The (Name of submitting organization)’s housing and health management program will be measured in terms of efficiency and performance by submitting a project report upon the end of the fiscal year. The details, figures and information presented will be accurate, material, timely, consistent and will reflect the program’s outcomes and achievements. Likewise, program’s activities will be evaluated upon the end of the fiscal year. What is more, audited financial statements will also be presented so as to monitor expenses and clearly trace the breakdown of the requested amount or the grant money. Dissemination   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The administrator, managers and board of directors as well as the staff members will promptly hold meetings and conferences to voice out problems, discuss concerns and devise plans and actions to further improve the housing and health programs suitable for the elderly and to achieve desired outcomes, objectives and goals. Performance appraisal and evaluation will likewise be conducted every now and then to measure who among the staff carries out his/her duties well and who does not. Qualifications/Personnel The community would be managed by an administrator having 4 managers, 5 department heads, 30 professional caregivers/nurses, 20 clerical and technical staff and 15 maintenance staff.   Forty employees would be working full time and the remaining 35 employees would be working part time. Selection of the staff members will be done rigidly since the main aim of the program is to deliver a quality service. Interviews, exams (technical and psychological) and background investigations will be carried out accordingly. Staff members recruited for the elderly housing and health program will be required to work efficiently as a team. Team effort is a main consideration to come up with a friendly working environment.   A lot of the staff will work with the elderly individuals in more than one assignment area and all will be expected to deliver elderly nursing care, therapy and related tasks with the group as well as a traditional elderly training and nursing roles. Each and every one of the staff members will have to spend substantial individual time developing elderly motivational and educational skills and activities or materials. With the purpose of making the team-building process possible, all elderly housing and health care staff members will take part in a one-week seminar/conference consists of workshops and deliberations paying attention on the elderly community, the nursing care provided to elderly, fund-raising activities to be done, the programs population, and the mission and goals of the project. The (Name of the submitting organization) will seek assistance from local homeless institutions or centers once in a while like (please indicate a name of existing housing institution in the city which caters to the same category). This institution had helped lots of elderly individuals concerning their housing problems. They already developed a lot of activities beneficial for the elderly individuals. This institution had been a recognized center in affordable elderly housing and care management programs. Budget   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The grant funds from the Housing and Urban Development will be utilized for the construction of new elderly community (with 30 rooms) building and some will be used for Non-Housing component of the program. The estimated elderly individuals that can be sheltered within a year would total to 200-300. The programs Administrative cost will be approximately 14 percent of the grant budget. The planning procedure has taken into consideration all realistic and reasonable expenses to be incurred in relation to the implementation of the elderly housing and health care program. The (Name of the submitting organization) has had far-reaching knowledge and experience in overseeing, implementing and directing instruction and medical/nursing or social programs and these expertise and experiences have been already applied to work out both the program and the budget. The (Name of submitting organization) had come up with a comprehensive or thorough program model which takes into consideration all of the measures and decisive factors like salaries, medical/laboratory tools and equipments, medicines, staff uniforms medicines, operational costs, overhead costs, program activities, insurances, and the like. This program model serves as the basis for the cost estimates to be incurred by the elderly and health care program. Some other costs that will be incurred will consist of motivational and recreational activities/programs, therapy and counseling/support services, management development and housing management program. The program is based on long-term goals and foresees to help a lot of elderly individual. Safety and good health will be given emphasis all throughout the program’s existence and all development in the course of the program will be anchored in competence, facility, attention and reliability. Quality service will be the aim of the staff members at all times. Condensed Housing and Urban Development grant cost breakdown is as follows: Housing Component- $100,000.00 Non-Housing Component $200,000.00 Administrative Cost $100,000.00 Total Grant Budget $400,000.00 Administrative costs consist of all of the financial and program reporting guidelines as it should be, accounting and auditing costs, payroll and secretarial work and other standard administrative costs. References Burkhardt, John. (1999). Mobility Needs in a Maturing Society. Coming of Age, Federal Agencies and the Longevity Revolution. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (1999). Housing Our Elders. Washington. Kochera, Andrew. (2001). A Summary of Federal Rental Housing Programs. AARP Public Policy Institute. Lawler, Kathryn. (2001). Aging in Place, Coordinating Housing and Health Care Provision for America’s Growing Elderly Population. Fellowship Program for Emerging Leaders in Community and Economic Development. Washington: Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. Smith, Gary, et al. (2000). Understanding Medicaid Home and Community Services: A Primer. Department of Health and Human Services. Soldier, Travis W. Housing options for the Elderly. Retrieved June 19, 2006 from http://www.usd.edu/elderlaw/archives/housing_options_for_the_elderly.htm

Friday, November 15, 2019

A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim and I Hear America Singing :: Hear America Singing Essays

A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim and I Hear America Singing America the great, land of freedom, home of the brave--each of these phrases has been used to describe the United States of America. Walt Whitman was a man who lived through many tough times in this country, but who would prosper as a poet. He was personally affected by all of the death and destruction that he witnessed during the Civil War. "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" and "I Hear America Singing" have some fascinating similarities but include many differences. Although both poems were written by the same man, he seemed to see America in a different light when writing each poem. Each piece uses different tones and images, but they are tied together by the style of writing and use of America as a main subject. In "I Hear America Singing" and "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim," Whitman uses differing tones, images, styles of writing, and even different themes to show the splendors and downfalls that America can bring. "I Hear America Singing" and "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" have two very different tones about the same subject. "I Hear America Singing," this poem has a very cheerful, happy, and robust tone which is evident even in the title. Whitman describes many different types of people singing "their strong melodious songs." The different trade each person has represents different ethnic backgrounds in the people of America. Whitman writes this poem to show how wonderful America is and how much he loves living here. "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" has a much different tone. During the civil war, Whitman's brother was wounded while fighting. His experiences while working in hospitals full of wounded and dying people inspired him to write such a dreary poem. Whitman's tone throughout the whole poem is solemn and dreadful. Describing three dead soldiers, Whitman seems to write how cruel and unjust people have been in killing the young, old, and even wh at he sees as "the face of the Christ himself." In each poem, Whitman uses opposite tones to describe America at different times and in different ways.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

1984 And Lord of the Flies Essay

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and 1984, By George Orwell, both portray the power of the government and the revolts that develop, while expressing a different nature of fear. Both books have a strong government possessing power and control over all the citizens. The novels compare in expressing fear but, contrast in showing completely divergent types of fear. Each piece of literature displays jealousy and hatred towards the government which leads to revolts. Furthermore, in the book, Lord of the Flies, one boy, Ralph, rules over several boys while they are stranded on an island. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 both have communities with an overruling government using extreme power. Lord of the Flies is about twenty boys who are stranded with no adult authority on a deserted island after their plane crashes. One of the oldest boys at the age of twelve, Ralph, becomes chief because he holds the conch shell and the boys all agree to follow his orders. The book 1984 takes place in the totalitarian country of Oceania after World War II. This powerful country is under full control of their government known as The Party and all the citizens are watched throughout the day by telescreens placed all over their communities. In the Lord of the Flies, Ralph quickly declares himself chief and exerts his power on his fellow tribesmen in attempt of running an organized community. As chief, Ralph orders each of the boys a job to fulfill to make the community run smoothly. One of the boys, Jack, is in charge of keeping the fire lit and under control. Ralph’s powerfulness is expressed when Jack leaves the fire unattended as a ship passes the island. â€Å"Ralph pushes piggy to one side. â€Å"I was chief, and you are going to do what I said† (Golding 70). Once Ralph sees the ship at a distant from the island and realizes the fire is at a low ember he becomes outraged. He pushes piggy and demands Jack to obey his orders. Ralph knew it was crucial to keep the fire going to get the attention of the sailors on the ship. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay This was a missed opportunity by the boys and Ralph uses his power to make sure everyone executes their job. Ralph does not yell because he is arrogant, he uses his power to make sure the boys get home safely. Similarly, in 1984, the government is referred to as the Party and it has power over all the citizens. The telescreens are video cameras placed around the cities including inside everyone’s home. Also, the Party hangs propaganda around the cities to remind the citizens to obey all rules of The Party. In the beginning of the book the propaganda is explained as â€Å"The black-mustachio’d face gazed down from every commanding corner. There was one on the house front immediately opposite. Big Brother Is Watching You, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into his own† (Orwell 2). Big Brother is the head of The Party and complete dictator of Oceania. These posters are used to remind the citizens they are being watched at all times. The propaganda used in the communities portrays the power of Big Brother and The Party. The posters are hung everywhere so the citizens are constantly faced with looking their dictator in the face. The books Lord of the Flies and1984 both portray a strong central government with a powerful dictator ruling over both communities. Virgina Tiger, professor and chair of English at Rutgers University in New Brunswick and an author of four books, is a critic on Lord of the Flies. Tiger said â€Å"Middle-class Ralph, with his boy scout skills, fair complexion, and sense of fair play, is the son of a naval officer, thus is he closely linked to Britain’s past magisterial powers on the seas† (Tiger). In this quote she is characterizing Ralph. His father is a naval officer so he is closely linked to the powerful force of the Briti sh Navy. Tiger believes Ralph was declared leader because of the skills he possesses as well as his father’s strong leadership qualities displayed in the Navy. Similarly, critics of the book 1984 acknowledge the power of the government and its rule over the people. Victoria Gaydosik, an associate professor at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a published editor of young adult books, is a critic of 1984. She said â€Å"The ruling political system, Ingsoc, venerates the leader (possibly mythical) Big Brother; members of the Inner Party exercise the real power behind the ubiquitous face of Big Brother. Winston, a lowly member of the outer party, has no power to wield, and the state is interested only in his obedience to the will of the Party† (Gaydosik). Gaydosik says The Party only cares of the citizens’ obedience to the will of The Party meaning The Party has complete control and power over all the citizens. Both the critics of Lord of the Flies and 1984 recognize the power of the governments in both communities. In both of the books, Lord of the Flies and 1984, an expression of fear is present towards contrary ideas. In Lord of the Flies, the young boys are stranded on a deserted island and become scared of what else could be on the island. Also, they fear dead man connected to a parachute that landed on top of a mountain on the island. They boys believe it is some sort of beast and set up to kill it. In 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, faces the fear of being caught by the Party for his rebellious acts throughout the book. Conversely, in Lord of the Flies, the boys are afraid of a mysterious object attached to a parachute that floats on top of a mountain on the island. In Lord of the Flies, two boys are taking care of the fire when they spot what they believe is a beast on the mountain. They are extremely frightened and run to Ralph for help. â€Å"They became motionless, gripped in each other’s arms, four unwinking eyes aimed two mouths open† (Golding 98). The boys are still at young ages of around six to twelve years old. The surprise of seeing an unrecognizable body with eyes immediately brought the boys to the conclusion the body was a beast. This puts a fear in all the boys of the unknown on the island. The boys are scared of what else could be on the island and what was the â€Å"beast† the two boys saw. The boys have no adult protection from the beast and fear what could happen to them. On the contrary, the citizens in 1984 fear their government and the cruel punishments resulting from not abiding the laws. The Party is extremely controlling and has strict laws for all the citizens to obey. Winston meets a girl, Julia, and they have to plan to meet secretly to see each other because their sexual relationship is not allowed in Oceania. Julia says, â€Å"We can come here once again, it’s generally safe to use any hide-out twice. But not for another month or two of course† (Orwell 112). This occurs when Julia and Winston first start seeing each other and Julia is explaining to him they could come back to their hide-out but not for a couple months because it would be suspicious. They have to be cautious with their secret relationship because it can result in cruel punishment from The Party. Throughout the book they must face the fear of being caught by The Party and be sentenced to death. In both books, Lord of the Flies and 1984, a portrayal of fear is present but of contrasting ideas. A critic Paul Crawford is currently an assistant professor of history at California University of Pennsylvania and also published a book and many online articles including literary criticism on Lord of the Flies. In his criticism he says â€Å"They face beasts and phantoms in a succession of apparently supernatural events. Uncertain and fearful, the boys are subjected to unexplained phenomena. Suspense and hesitation as to the nature of the â€Å"beast† follow, and their fear increases accordingly† (Crawford). Crawford is saying that the boys were faced with beasts and unknown objects under strange circumstances. Suspense rises when the boys see the beast and th eir fear increases in result of the unknown on the island. The boys fear the unknown and the beast because they don’t have protection and don’t know what the mysterious beast will do. In contrast to this the main character of 1984, Winston Smith, faces the fear of being seized by the government for is unacceptable relationship with Julia. Critic of 1984, Jane Graves, is an award-winning author of romance novels. She states in an online article, â€Å"After many difficult encounters where they attempt to hide from the telescreens, they agree to meet in a clearing in the woods. Here they are able to be free with one another and have sex for the first time† (Graves). Graves explains the troubles in which Winston and Julia face to have sexual intercourse with one another. They have to avoid being seen on the video cameras around the cities and meet each other in the woods. Betrayal of The Party and Big Brother leads to severe consequences so Julia and Winston must always face the fear of being caught. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 both express fear but of different concepts and situations. Lord of the Flies and 1984 compare in possessing rebellious groups with revolutionary beliefs against the government. In Lord of the Flies, one of the boys, Jack, is upset with the decision of making Ralph chief. Jack believes he is a more qualified chief and begins leading his own group of kids. In 1984 Winston Smith believes the government is corrupt and controls the future and the citizens by erasing the past. Winston starts having rebellious thoughts and believes in a revolutionary group named the Brotherhood against The Party. In comparison to the Brotherhood, Jack, from the Lord of the Flies, goes against Ralph and leads his own group of kids in a hunt for the beast. In Lord of the Flies when two boys spot a mysterious beast, they all start climbing the mountain where it landed in search of it. Ralph decides to head back to their camp because the boys were getting tired but Jack ref uses. Jack says â€Å"I’m going up the mountain to look for the beast now† (Golding 119). Jack demands to search for the beast going against Ralph’s decision of taking a rest from searching. A couple other boys agree with Jack and head up the mountain while Ralph and the rest of the boys go back to their camp. After disagreeing with making Ralph the chief, Jack finally makes a stand and refuses to take orders from Ralph. Likewise, in 1984, Winston Smith disagrees with the government and makes a stand against The Party. He begins by writing rebellious thoughts in his diary and wants to break the laws of Oceania by performing a sexual act. Winston believes having sex is rebelling against the government. Orwell says, â€Å"And what he wanted, more even than to be loved, was to break down that wall of virtue, even if it were only once in his whole life. The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion† (Orwell 60). Winston’s dream comes true when he met Julia and finds himself in a sexual relationship with her. Winston’s main goal throughout the story is to rebel against The Party and to make his own decisions. Winston breaks the virtues of The Party and successfully rebels against Big Brother with his sexual involvement with Julia. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 compare in possessing characters that clash with their respective governments’ ideals and partake in rebellious acts. Berthold Schoene-Harwood is a critic of Lord of the Flies as well as a teacher in Liverpool at John Moores University and a successful author and editor. Berthold says, â€Å"The boys engage in a relentless, ultimately self-annihilating battle against their own nature. In their attempt to assert themselves as men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Schoene-Harwood). He is saying the boys find themselves fighting against each other to prove who is more of a man. These battles lead to the death of some of the children because they have become savages from their extended amount of time on the island. Jack acts out agai nst Ralph because he does not want to be controlled by him. Jack deems he is his own man and can make his decisions which results in his revolt against Ralph. Similarly, in1984, Winston acts out against the government through performing rebellious acts. Gorman Beauchamp, a critic of 1984, graduated from the University of Michigan and is currently an associate professor emeritus at the University of Michigan as well as a published author. Beauchamp states, â€Å"But because the whole duty of citizens is to love Big Brother, their love for one another is perforce politically subversive† (Beauchamp). In this quotation he is explains the duty of the citizens is to love their leader and Winston and Julia’s sexual relationship is an act of betrayal towards Big Brother. Because of Winston’s disagreement with the party and hatred towards Big Brother, he is revolting against the government. The critics Schoene-Harwood and Beauchamp confirm the exertion which defiant acts are displayed in the books Lord of the Flies and 1984. The books Lord of the Flies and 1984 display powerful governments as well as insubordinate acts against the government with divergent fears expressed in both. Lord of the Flies has a chief, Ralph, who has complete rule over all the boys on the island compared to Big Brother in1984 who powerfully rules over the citizens of Oceania. Both books present fear, but in Lord of the Flies the boys dread the unknown on the island compared to the despair of being arrested by the government in 1984. The revolting groups formed in Lord of the Flies and 1984 relate in both opposing the ideas of their government. Both books are similar in possessing powerful governments with opposing groups as well as expressing fear but the perspective in each is altered through the age of the characters. In Lord of the Flies the characters are very young and fear a far less serious matter of a mysterious beast verse being caught by the police and executed in 1984.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Peculiar Institution Essay

On September 23, 1861 Mrs. E. A. Spaulding of Central Village Windham County wrote Abraham Lincoln about the Peculiar Institution or Slavery. She believed that until it â€Å"is abolished, civilization is impeded, humanity languishes and our boasted land of freedom is a practical lie. † Two prominent persons of the era, John C. Calhoun and James Henry Hammond, thought the contrary. Calhoun and Hammond were strong defenders of Slavery. In his Mudsill Speech of 1858, Hammond justified the use of slaves through the Mudsill theory. He said that in order for the upper class to be able to push the country forward, there had to be a lower class to support it. The lower class was needed to do the dirty job and the easy tasks. They were the ones with less intelligence and talent but had the energy, subservience and loyalty demanded by the job, referring to the Africans. In the North, the laborers were not paid enough. They had to work long hours and some ended up as beggars. There were many beggars in the North, but there were none in the South. The slaves in the South enjoyed lifetime employment and because they were well paid, they did not have to beg, did not go hungry, were never out of jobs and neither did they have to work more than what they can do in a day. The slaves in the South were Blacks. They were from a different and inferior race. In working for slave owners in the South, their life had greatly improved. They had simple desires, little ambitions and they wanted no more than those. Both owners and slaves had no conflicts to disturb the peace of their days. In the case of the North, their slaves were their own race. Hammond believed that such a situation can be humiliating for the slaves, though they are the majority. As this majority had voting rights, they were actually more powerful. With such power they can create the most trouble for their employers. In his Disquisition on Government, Calhoun disagreed with the Founding Father’s idea of the rights of individuals. He believed that it was not true that people were born free and equal. The condition of life of the Blacks, being the inferior, had been improved by Slavery. They had become civilized, and their moral, physical and intellectual circumstances had changed for the better. Historically, there was never a society where part of it did not depend on the efforts of the other. The living and working conditions of the South were much better than those in the North. The Southern slave owners took care of his slaves and their families and were not subjected to the constant and unsettling labor problems in the North. Calhoun’s strongest argument against the Abolitionists was that protection of domestic institutions was granted exclusively to the states. Since Slavery was a peculiar institution to the South, attempts by other states to abolish it was defiance of the Constitution. Pro Slavery advocates cited Biblical references to argue that slavery was allowed by the Lord and intended for it to continue. Exodus 21:5-6, the slave says â€Å"I love my wife, my master and my children, I will not go free. † †¦. nd that â€Å"he (slave) shall serve him (master) for life. In Ephesians 6:5, God instructs â€Å"Servants, obey your masters of this world with fear and respect, with simplicity of heart, as if obeying Christ. † In Genesis 9:26, Noah prayed to the Lord, â€Å"Blessed be Yahweh, God of Shem, let Canaan be his slave. † Titus 2:9 says â€Å"Teach slaves to be subject to their masters †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Colossians 3:22 instructs â€Å"Servants obey your masters in everything not only while they are present, to gain favor with them, but because you fear the Lord. In all these, the advocates believe that slavery did not go against the spiritual teachings. There were also economic considerations in the use of slaves to work in Southern plantations. They were the most cost-efficient, available laborers. Their owners realized big returns of investments that they were able to give their slaves decent and comfortable lives, by way of homes, clothing, medical care and assurance of a stable future. The slave and their owners had a paternalistic relationship where the latter took care of the slaves like family.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers - CoSchedule Blog

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers Blog This year, sent teams to two of the largest marketing conferences in the world:  INBOUND and Content Marketing World. Together, they attracted nearly 30,000 marketers.  To make the most of it for our teams, and our lovely readers (you!), we asked some of the smarterst marketers in attendance: What is your single biggest marketing takeaway from this year’s conferences? They did not disappoint! In this post, I’m going to share some top takeaways you can put into action by the time you’re done with your next cup of java ☕ï ¸  The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top InfluencersTop Influencer Takeaways From 2018 INBOUND and Content Marketing World Table of Contents: Kathleen Booth of Impact Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Ian Cleary of Razor Social John Hall of Influence and Co. Ann Handley of MarketingProfs Anna Hrach of Convince and Convert Julia McCoy of Express Writers Alex Schofield of Wistia Byron White of WriterAccess What Are These Conferences? Before we dive in, it may be helpful to know what these conferences actually are! If youre unsure, no prob. Created and hosted by Hubspot, INBOUND is the largest marketing conference in the world, with nearly 25,000 registrants. And Content Marketing World, created and hosted by Content Marketing Institute, is the gold-standard of content marketing conferences. Loving Boston and #inbound18 👠Ã°Å¸â€˜ Ã°Å¸â€˜  If youre here, swing by for some goodies and say hi 👋 @pic.twitter.com/KHfn5XAs8J Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 5, 2018 INBOUND features big-name keynotes like Alex Rodriguez and Scott Harrison. But the nitty-gritty marketing talks are found in hundreds of breakout sessions scattered around a giant convention center (that looks like a spaceship). I have a Ph.D. in failure, but a Masters in getting back up. I choose to focus on the latter. – @AROD #INBOUND18 pic.twitter.com/g6AENF4jRA Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 6, 2018 Content Marketing World is similar, with keynotes from the likes of Tina Fey. However, its razor focused on content marketing - as the name implies. Cleveland Rocks! Stop by and say to these handsome devils at #cmworld. You might even get a signed #10xMarketingFormula book! @njellering @EricPiela @garrett_moon @k_n_elson pic.twitter.com/tvFFTMMhqH (@) September 5, 2018 Each conference has value in its own right. Now, here are nine takeaways from top marketers and brands on the heels of these notable conferences. How To Use Medium For Brand Lift And Reach First up, I spoke with  Kathleen Booth, VP of Marketing at  Impact, at INBOUND. She talked about the nature of Medium as another channel in your marketing. Heres what she said: When Hubspot looks at their audience and reach on Medium, 87 percent of the people they reach are not in their contact base. Thats total brand awareness! Add to that, Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral. Medium has a specific use case: brand lift and reach. But to be successful on Medium you have to work the algorithm. For example, right now, you have to get 50 people to clap within the first 24 hours to simply get on bat. If you’re writing stuff people don’t want to share, you’re not going to get any traction. Medium is a discovery platform. To me, this was a fascinating take on the content platform. Really, it almost turns Medium into another social network. So, if you have a Medium blog, like our 10x Marketing channel, consider digging into what makes great content spread there. And think of it as a brand lift and reach platform. Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral@WorkMommyWork Write Down Big Goals, Focus On Helping Others, And Remove Distractions From Your Life Next, we caught up with  Andy Crestodina, CEO of Orbit Media, after Content Marketing World. Now, we talk to Andy as much as we can, as hes one of the smartest marketers we know. The one thing that stuck out for me (and Ive found myself talking about) was from Joe Pulizzis big-picture keynote about goals. I didnt know this, but Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee, wrote down his goals in a letter to himself. He committed to becoming an international martial arts superstar, making $10,000,000 and giving the most exciting performances to his fans. Joe suggests we all do the same by writing down our goals, focusing on helping others, and removing distractions for our lives. Great advice for marketers. Great advice for everyone. Thanks, Joe. There you have it. Write down big goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions from your life. Its interesting that often, doing the job of marketing well means pairing your ambition for growth with a desire to be truly helpful to your audience. Write down goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions @crestodina Content Optimization Is As Important As Content Creation Ian Cleary from Razor Social  reflected on just how hard it is to stand out. Tactics like SEO arent innovations, theyre necessities. And 84 percent of people  expect brands to do content marketing. To stand out, Ian suggests focusing on optimization as well as attraction. He says: The number of companies investing in content marketing is increasing every year, so its becoming increasingly challenging to get onto page one of Google. Were not even in the race unless we produce high quality content, but we also need to focus more on the optimization of this content and promotion. Optimization includes optimization for SEO, but also includes areas such as optimization for readability, as well as attracting people you need to keep people on your site reading your content. In addition, we also need to invest more time in promoting content organically and through paid advertisement. No matter how good the content is if youre not investing the time in the promotion you wont get the value from it. Ian hints at a simple content marketing framework that works incredibly well: create, promote, optimize. Create content people love and search engines understand. Then aggressively promote that content through paid and organic channels. And finally, dont neglect] optimizing it for the long haul. No matter how good content is, without promotion, you wont get the value from it @IanCleary Dont Be A Copy-Cat Marketer John Hall, co-founder of Calendar and advisor to  Influence Co., knows a thing (or twelve) about content marketing. Influence Co. uses smartly-placed content marketing to help clients become influencers in their fields. Heres what John said on the heels of CMW: I think the biggest focus at Content Marketing World this year was what companies can do as a differentiating factor so that your customer sees you differently than others in the industry. Whether it be my talk on increasing distribution, or Jay Baers talk on Talk Triggers,  or another speaker, there were clear hints of being unique with marketing tactics and not just copy others. I think that stood out to me as something for brands to focus on moving forward. Around , we call unoriginal tactics copycat marketing. While you can certainly get inspired by other brands doing things right, copy-paste marketing jobs will give diminishing returns. Why? Because if everyones doing it, your brand looks like everyone elses. What can companies do as a differentiating factor, so your customer sees you differently? @johnhall Great Content Marketing Imagines The Extraordinary In The Ordinary Ann Handley is one of our favorite marketers, and is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs. She reflected on one of her favorite talks, and how its impacting her brand: Dewitt Jones talked about imagining the extraordinary in the ordinary. To me, great content marketing does that, too: It takes sometimes pedestrian tactics and elevates them. I spoke about in my efforts to retool Total Annarchy, my own newsletter (AnnHandley.com/newsletter) and called out what I see others doing really well with email newsletters. (Most companies are missing the boat completely on them.) (And I say this with love in my heart.) It takes everyday customer questions and sincerely tries to deliver the best answer it can to them, to become that trusted resource. Mitch Joel, Dorie Clark, and I talked about that in our panel on Longform Content (the Long Tales, as Mitch cleverly titled it!). Robert Rose talked about this too. It takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that resonate. On the heels of John Halls advice that we take unique paths as content creators, Anns advice is interesting. Instead of trying to go 180-degrees from the norm, she suggests elevating even the pedestrian tactics like newsletters. And how does a marketer do this? By developing trust and answering real customer questions with insight and value. Great content marketing takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that Get One Big Idea In Motion Next, we caught up with Anna Hrach, a strategist at Convince Convert. She touched on something every marketer should note in this age of endless channels, strategies, and opportunities: It is so easy to fall in love with every amazing idea presented at Content Marketing World. But, as many of us know all too well, its also just as easy to feel completely overwhelmed and get a bit of analysis paralysis with those same ideas when you get back to the office. Instead of trying to tackle it all at once, sit down and figure out whats going to be the easiest AND most impactful to implement. Get those ideas in motion first, then go down the wishlist. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there. Its so easy to catch shiny-object-syndrome. But prioritizing one big idea at a time is such sound advice. When you try to do everything, you often end up doing nothing. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there @annabananahrach Trustworthy Marketers Will Cut Through The Noise Julia McCoy, course educator and CEO at Express Writers, attended CMW this year (and actually wrote a fantastic takeaway piece on it). My favorite takeaways from CMWorld 2018 (theme: Game On) would be these two points. The first - what Robert Rose said when he took the stage before the first keynote: There is a new player coming into the market: Trust. He said that trust is Player 2 in todays marketing, and hes 100% right! More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the noise. My second favorite takeaway would have to be what Joe Pulizzi, my all-time favorite content marketer, shared in his keynote: Marketing success only takes three things. Record, Repeat, Remove. Marketing fails when our recorded goals arent big enough; when there is not enough repetition; and when we do not clear the garbage that stops us from achieving our goals. Joe shared that the minimum time was 9 months, average 18 months or longer, of implementing content to see success. These were some major takeaways that Ive been sharing on Twitter, LinkedIn, and internally with my staff post-CMWorld 2018. Julia gave us two tips for the price of one! Trust and process. Focus on building deep rapport with your audience, and remember that content marketing is a very long-term game. More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the Get Started With Personalized Video Next, I chatted with Alex Schofield, an Account Executive at Wistia, at INBOUND in Boston, MA. The Wistia team obviously eats, sleeps, and breathes all things video marketing. So its no surprise their team had advice on doing it well. Coming out of INBOUND, our biggest recommendation for video marketing in 2019 and beyond is to start (or continue) creating personalized videos! 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions, and given how easy it is to record a video on your phone or with a tool like  Soapbox, there’s no reason not to add personalized videos to your tool kit. Using video to answer FAQs, offer a promotion, or just simply say thanks, will help you nurture leads through the funnel. This advice around using video in the sales process is not only a fantastic idea, but its also a great way to breakdown the classic sales-marketing silo. Given how easy it is to record a video on your phone, theres no reason not to add personalized Know Thine Audience, And To Your Own Persona Be True Finally, Byron White, CEO of Writers Access, deepened the theme of building trust by knowing your audience inside and out. Byron said: Good content marketing is all about building a relationship with your audience, so get to know the whole of their parts! What kinds of media do they inhale in their free time? Are they Mac or PC people? Caregivers with crazy schedules or data nerds with a penchant for baseball?  A holistic approach can often help you layer in unique details and interesting angles to your content strategy that makes your approach feel that much more personal to your target audience. Who is your audience? What do they care about? How can you uniquely help them? These are fantastic questions to answer about your personas. And when you do, youll find your strategy can nearly write itself!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Colossus at Rhodes

The Colossus at Rhodes Located on the island of Rhodes (off the coast of modern Turkey), the Colossus at Rhodes was a giant statue, about 110 feet tall, of the Greek sun-god Helios. Although finished in 282 BCE, this Wonder of the Ancient World only stood for 56 years, when it was toppled by an earthquake. Huge chunks of the former statue stayed on the beaches of Rhodes for 900 years, drawing people around the world to marvel at how man could create something so enormous. Why Was the Colossus of Rhodes Built? The city of Rhodes, located on the island of Rhodes, had been under siege for a year. Caught up in the heated and bloody battle between the three successors of Alexander the Great (Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus), Rhodes was attacked by Antigonus’ son, Demetrius, for supporting Ptolemy. Demetrius tried everything to get inside the high-walled city of Rhodes. He brought 40,000 troops (more than the entire population of Rhodes), catapults, and pirates. He also brought a special corps of engineers that could make siege weapons specially geared to break into this particular city. The most spectacular thing these engineers built was a 150-foot tower, mounted on iron wheels, that hosted a powerful catapult. To protect its gunners, leather shutters were installed. To protect it from fireballs hurled from the city, each of its nine stories had its own water tank. It took 3,400 of Demetrius’ soldiers to push this mighty weapon into place. The citizens of Rhodes, however, flooded the area around their city, causing the mighty tower to wallow in mud. The people of Rhodes had fought back valiantly. When reinforcements came from Ptolemy in Egypt, Demetrius left the area in a hurry. In such a hurry, that Demetrius left nearly all of this weapons behind. To celebrate their victory, the people of Rhodes decided to build a giant statue in honor of their patron god, Helios. How Did They Build Such a Colossal Statue? Funding is usually a problem for such a large project as the people of Rhodes had in mind; however, that was easily solved by using the weapons that Demetrius had left behind. The people of Rhodes melted down many of the leftover weapons to get bronze, sold other siege weapons for money, and then used the super siege weapon as the scaffolding for the project. Rhodian sculptor Chares of Lindos, the pupil of Alexander the Great’s sculptor Lysippus, was chosen to create this huge statue. Unfortunately, Chares of Lindos died before the sculpture could be completed. Some say he committed suicide, but that is probably a fable. Exactly how Chares of Lindos constructed such a gigantic statue is still up for debate. Some have said that he built a huge, earthen ramp that got bigger as the statue got taller. Modern architects, however, have dismissed this idea as unpractical. We do know that it took 12 years to build the Colossus of Rhodes, likely from 294 to 282 BCE, and cost 300 talents (at least $5 million in modern money). We also know that the statue had an exterior that consisted of an iron framework covered with bronze plates. Inside were two or three columns of stone that were the main supports for the structure. Iron rods connected the stone columns with the exterior iron framework. What Did the Colossus of Rhodes Look Like? The statue was to stand about 110 feet high, on top of a 50-foot stone pedestal (the modern Statue of Liberty is 111 feet high from heel to head). Exactly where the Colossus of Rhodes was built is still not certain, although many believe it was near the Mandraki Harbor. No one knows exactly what the statue looked like. We know that it was a man and that one of his arms was held aloft. He was likely naked, perhaps holding or wearing a cloth, and wearing a crown of rays (as Helios is often portrayed). Some have guessed that Helios’ arm was holding a torch. For four centuries, people have believed that the Colossus of Rhodes was posed with his legs spread apart, one on each side of the harbor. This image stems from a 16th century engraving by Maerten van Heemskerck, which depicts the Colossus in this pose, with ships passing under him. For many reasons, this is very likely not how the Colossus was posed. For one, legs open wide is not a very dignified stance for a god. And another is that to create that pose, the very important harbor would have had to have been closed for years. Thus, it is much more likely that the Colossus was posed with legs together. The Collapse For 56 years, the Colossus of Rhodes was a wonder to see. But then, in 226 BCE, an earthquake struck Rhodes and toppled the statue. It is said that the Egyptian King Ptolemy III offered to pay for the Colossus to be rebuilt. However, the people of Rhodes, after consulting an oracle, decided to not rebuild. They believed that somehow the statue had offended the real Helios. For 900 years, huge pieces of the broken statue lay along the beaches of Rhodes. Interestingly, even these broken pieces were huge and worth seeing. People traveled far and wide to see the ruins of the Colossus. As one ancient writer, Pliny, described after seeing it in the 1st century CE, Even as it lies, it excites our wonder and admiration. Few people can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues. Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior. Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it.* In 654 CE, Rhodes was conquered, this time by Arabs. As spoils of war, the Arabs cut apart the remains of the Colossus and shipped the bronze to Syria to sell. It is said that it took 900 camels to carry all that bronze. * Robert Silverberg, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970) 99.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Alexander the great Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alexander the great - Assignment Example Within his lifetime as king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great was the one person who was able to build and reign over among the greatest empires and kingdoms in the history of mankind. He was only a young man of when he inherited his father’s kingdom, yet he became greater than many of the kings and emperors combined. â€Å"Thus, at the age of twenty Alexander inherited the kingdom of Macedonia, beset as it was by great jealousy, bitter hatred, and dangers on every side. (Freeman 39) Although immediately faced with troubles from every aspect, he was able to, at a young age, rule his kingdom wisely, powerfully and effectively. The size of his empire is evidence enough to prove that Alexander indeed was a force of greatness and good, yet his character also provides proof of his genius, intelligence and powerful command over his subjects. He had the great capacity and skill to gather power and overthrow a much stronger force. This strength and intelligence was greatly influenced by the teachings of Aristotle that prepared him to become the great king that he was. â€Å"To those who lived to see Alexander in Asia, this event foreshadowed many occasions on which his independence, intelligence and courage brought triumph after triumph.† (Hammond 146) Aside from the massive empire that Alexander ruled before he even reached the age of 33, he was also the catalyst of the conglomeration of the Greek culture and the other cultures in other nations such as Persian, Indian, and Egyptian cultures. This conglomeration of different cultures is known as the Hellenistic culture. During the Hellenistic Period, there was an outpouring of developments in the arts including literature, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and stage play. It also encompassed advancements in science, astrology, cosmology and mathematics. This era also underwent a time of heterogeneity. In place of considering and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Toledo - The City of Three Faiths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toledo - The City of Three Faiths - Essay Example E. Already, united Christian conquerors had launched the Reconquista in a bid to recapture Spain from Islamic rule. The twin threats of united Christian armies and rivalries between the smaller kingdoms eventually led to the demise of Islamic rule in Spain. The fall of the kingdom of Granada in the reign of Isabella and Ferdinand marked the official end of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula. Between the Islamic conquest and expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula, a significant body of developments occurred throughout Spain in myriad fields. As commercial centers and centers of learning opened up their doors to all and sundry, the level of commercial advancement and research took on a new shape altogether. The developments in medieval Spain opened up the doors of Europe’s enlightenment and growth centuries later. The kingdom of Al-Andulas and the various kingdoms in its legacy gave rise to a number of cosmopolitans such as Seville, Cordoba, Toledo and Granada. All of these cit ies became centers of excellence in terms of economics, culture, science and religious tolerance. However, amongst these cities perhaps Toledo remained the most significant in terms of political and cultural development. Toledo first became a center of excellence under the Islamic regime of Al-Andulas after which King Alfonso VI conquered it in 1085 in his Reconquista bid. Unlike other regions where Christian takeovers incited bloodshed, violence and persecution, the takeover of Toledo was markedly different. Alonso placed no compulsion on the local Muslims and Jews to convert or immigrate to other lands. The real motives behind Alfonso’s actions have been questioned with some labeling them as altruism while others label them as commercial interests attached with the Muslims. Whatever the case, Alfonso allowed the Muslims to use the great mosque of Toledo and appointed a Christian governor (who spoke Arabic) to â€Å"oversee civil authority†. Muslim chronicles from the time indicate that Alfonso proclaimed himself as the King of two religions (Islam and Christianity as Jewish populations were too small). This declaration even by a king was revolutionary for the time as the Church considered all other religions as paganism alone. Alfonso’s recognition of Islam meant that he was ready for tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It must also be mentioned that Toledo served as an important commercial center on the important Spanish crossroads for trade and other commercial pursuits. Over the centuries Toledo’s centralized location as well as its commercially savvy population were able to transform the city into a massive commercial hub. The onset of commercial activities meant that Toledo had money to spare and that there were various cultural streams interacting with each other. Consequently, Toledo transformed into a vibrant commercial and cultural center. In contrast, the new rulers of cities such as Barbastro subjected their populations to inhumane and barbaric treatment that reduced these cities to dark ages. An-Andulas had managed to remove these cosmopolitan centers from abject poverty and backwardness, but the Reconquista managed to throw them back into poverty. This remained true for nearly all of the Iberian Peninsula except for Toledo. Toledo’s ruler Alfonso had captured the city in order to enhance his standing based on the city’s vibrant commercial and cultural activities. The Muslim population in the city was the very reason for its

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Supply and Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply and Demand - Essay Example The law of demand in economics states that with all aspects (tastes, expectation, and income) held constant; highly priced commodity will have a low demand (D1). Whereas, that of supply argues that with an increase in supply, the price (P1) of commodity will significantly reduce. An increase in demand (D2) along the curve of supply results to increase in the price (P2) of commodity; and a higher equilibrium quantity. Similarly, a reduction in the level of supply (S1) leads to a shift of the demand curve; to a high price on the equilibrium and a reduced equilibrium quantity. Efficient market theory refers to an analysis in a free market system regarding behavior of prices. It is tasked with the responsibility of determining whether prices accurately reveal essential information; necessary in determining the proper allocation of limited resources among diverse uses (Slee, 2011). Surplus implies that the capacity in demand is lesser than that supplied; whereas shortage exists when the quantity demanded is lesser than that supplied. In addition, in a situation where surplus exist there will be a constant drop of prices; similarly, shortage influences increased pricing (Market Equilibrium

Monday, October 28, 2019

Danone Marketing Strategy

Danone Marketing Strategy Danone is the worlds largest fresh dairy company with a thousand cups of Danone offerings being consumed every second around the world. It operated in India through a joint venture with the Britannia group till 2009. After the split, Danone India was setup as a wholly owned subsidiary of GroupeDanone with the aim of promoting fresh diary and milk products. The dairy industry benchmark suggests that the packaged yoghurt market in India could be about 60,000 tonnes, while the indigenous market comprising curd sold in loose pouches by local dairies may be about 140,000 tonnes. The major players in the organized segment include Amul, Nestle and some smaller regional players like Nandini in Karnataka and Milma in Kerala. Thus, India presents a promising opportunity to Danone especially with its differentiated emphasis on quality and freshness. With this in mind, Danone has launched its line of yoghurt in the select markets of Mumbai and Pune and is now targeting a market share of 12% in 5 years. This report outlines the marketing strategy decided by Danone to achieve these targets. Introduction Groupe Danone is engaged in the marketing and production of fresh dairy product and beverages. It is headquartered in Paris and is the fifth largest packaged food company in the world with just over 1% shares of global sales 1786 billion US$ in 2008. In recent years, the company has refocused its operation into three core markets water, fresh dairy products, baby food and medical nutrition. Danones principle product is Yoghurt. It is the worlds leading company in yogurt with 24% value sales in product category. Mission Danones mission is to provide healthy food products to as many people as possible. Our rationale for choosing Danone yoghurt is based on the following alarming statistics Under-nutrition contributes to 53 percent of the 9.7 million deaths of children under five each year in developing countries such as ours Iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition worldwide, affecting an estimated 2 billion people. It is impairing the mental development of 40-60 percent children in developing countries Vitamin A deficiency affects approximately 25 percent of the developing worlds pre-schoolers. It is associated with blindness, susceptibility to disease and higher mortality rates. It leads to the death of approximately 1-3 million children each year. Iodine deficiency is the greatest single cause of mental retardation and brain damage. Worldwide, 1.9 billion people are at risk of iodine deficiency, which can easily be prevented by adding iodine to salt In light of the above, we found the following characteristics inherent in Danone yoghurt which made it more than just a convenient tasty snack: DANONE YOGHURT is fortified with 4 micro nutrients : Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc and Iodine keeping in mind the sheer number of Indians who suffer from deficiency of some or all of these nutrients Other benefits of yoghurt are: Nutritious texture The smooth creamy texture of yogurt comes from lactic acid, which is formed when milk ferments. Fermentation occurs using two lactic bacteria:  Streptococcus thermophilus  and  Lactobacillus delbrueckii var. bulgaricus. Improved digestion During fermentation, between 20 and 30% of milks lactose is converted to lactic acid. Since yogurt contains bacteria such as  ÃƒÅ¸-galactosidase, those who are lactose-intolerant can tolerate it better when they eat it. Yogurts texture makes it easier to digest. Due to its thickness, yogurt takes longer to move through the digestive system, allowing the lactase enzyme to break down lactose more efficiently and absorb nutrients effectively. Low fat Recommended fat intake represents between 20% and 35% of total energy intake and is normally 65 g a day for women and 90 g for men. Eating yogurt allows one to maintain these limits. With at most 5 g of fat per serving, yogurt is pure health food that is not just low fat, but also contains a host of other nutrients Another reason for choosing Danone yoghurt is that it has been launched very recently in Pune. As a part of the phased launch program in India, Danone yogurts were initially made available in three flavors (strawberry, mango and vanilla) across super marts and grocery stores in Pune and now Mumbai. Danone fortified yogurts have a shelf life of 15 days. While Danone Dahi is priced at Rs 27 for 400 grams and Rs 14 for 150 grams, flavored yogurts are priced at Rs 10 each for 100 gram pack size. Such a product which is in its initial stage of launching, gives us an opportunity, as marketing students, to analyze the Indian market for flavored yoghurt and develop a marketing plan for further expansion of Danone Yoghurt. Situational Analysis Yogurt is a fermented milk product prepared by blending bacterial cultures into the milk. In India, traditional yoghurt products such as dahi, sour milk drinks such as lassi and buttermilk used to br produced at home at very negligible cost. Many sections of consumers still prefer preparing such items at the home because of high costs of branded products in the market. But at the same time due to growth in the middle class section of society in big cities and increased awareness of nutritional value of such dairy items, accompanied by a fall in the per unit prices of processed dairy products, the sales of packaged dairy food products has grown in the last decade. Context Currently yoghurt in India is available in two forms namely: set and stirred. Set yoghurt is available in plastic cup containers usually in packs of 100 to 400 grams. It is particularly popular in the northern and western parts of the country. On the other hand the stirred or loose form is available in plastic pouches in packs of 100 ml to 500 ml quantity. These loose packs are more prevalent in the southern part of the country. Rising average income of households in the urban areas, increasing awareness about the health benefits of processed dairy products, combined with the increasing western influence in society has lead to a faster rate of growth in the demand for yoghurt and other sour milk products amongst the Indian consumers. Till very recently there was not much demand for flavored or fruit yoghurt among Indian consumers and most of people consumed it in plain form. Company Groupe Danone (Danone) is a global market leader in production and marketing of fresh dairy products and beverages. The group is headquartered in Paris, France and employs 76,044 people globally. The group recorded revenues of E 15,220 million (approximately $22,393.8 million) during FY2008, an increase of 19.1% over FY2007. The operating profit of the group was E 2,270 million (approximately $3,339.9 million) during FY2008, an increase of 33.8% over FY2007. The net profit was E 1,313 million (approximately $1,931.9 million) in FY2008, an increase of 10.8% over FY2007. The product line offered by the company include bottled water, savory snacks, dairy desserts, pro-biotic dairy products, beverages and fresh dairy products under more than 25 brand names. The key strengths of the company includes, strong global brand image, market leadership across a wide variety of product types and across geographies, diversified revenue model which reduces the risk and most importantly strategy of product innovation to strengthen groups competitiveness. With the focus on the healthy and nutritional dairy food products, Danone group has re-launched itself in India after its initial alliance with Britannia ended in 2007. The aim of the company is to grab a significant pie of the flavored and value-added milk product category, by differentiating itself through extensive product innovation. The key focus of the company would be on delivering products which have nutritional benefits and would be focused mainly on the health conscious people of the society. Competitors Karnataka Milk Corporation KMC with its flagship brand Nanadani accounted for the maximum share of yoghurt and sour milk product market in India till 2008. KMC didnt have a national presence, but was widely available in southern India especially Karnataka, which accounted for highest per-capita consumption of sour milk and yoghurt products. In addition to KMC, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) also occupied a major chunk of the market and both the companies had recorded a growth of about 1% during 2008. Nesvita, a pro-biotic yoghurt brand of Nestle, increased the market share of Nestle on accounts of increased demand for yoghurt among the consumers in 2009. Pricing was one of the most important factors in determining the market share of the brands. Due to low manufacturing costs, KMC and GCMMF were able to price their products at significantly lower levels as compared to national players like Nestle. For example a 200gm unit of nandani dahi is available for Rs 10 whereas the same quantity for Nestles Fresh and Natural Dahi costs Rs 13. Till 2009 Nestle and Yakult were only international players in the yoghurt market in India. State level cooperatives supported the domestic brands capability of having short shelf life, and so boosted the market for them compared to the international players. Also as late as 2008 there was no private label presence in the yoghurt and sour milk market in India. Collaborators Danone faces intense competition from local players like Karnataka Milk Corporation and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. These local players have several advantages over an external player like Danone. For example due to low manufacturing costs and state funded cooperatives they are able to price their products low as compared to other players. Also, the distribution network of these local players is far more effective and penetrates deeper into the geographies, which is a major profit factor in dairy product industry. Also the supply of milk and culture to be used in the production process needs to have an efficient delivery system. To address such problems Danone has chalked out plans of joint ventures and partnerships with other players. It has partnered with Dynamix, as the co-manufacturer for Danone products in India. Also it has entered into a joint venture with Japanese pro-biotic dairy products manufacturer Yakult Honsha to launch pro-biotic yoghurt called Yakult distributed through the direct selling channel popularly known as the Yakult Ladies. Also Danone has partnered with several retail chains and distribution networks to make its product readily available to a wide audience. Customers The size of the Yoghurt market in India has increased by approximately 18% in 2008-09 in current value terms to reach Rs 6.5 billion. Sour milk drinks is the fastest growing category, with about 22% value increase in 2009. With the growing awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of the organic and cultured dairy products among the urban population of India, there has been a significant rise in the demand for such products. As the number of players offering such products are currently very few, there is a good business opportunity in this segment. The prospective consumers are people who value the nutritional and health benefits of processed and packaged diary food products. The key drivers which push the customer to look out of such products are the reliability and brand image of the vendor. The customers also place value on shelf-life and whether the product is made with natural ingredients. Packaging also plays an important role on consumer preference. The size of the packs available and the ease with which they can be consumed, stored and re-consumed is an important criteria for a consumer to make a product choice. Pricing of the various packs plays an important role in the ultimate buying decision of the consumers in India. The price needs to be decided by keeping in mind the per unit cost of production as well as the competitors price for the same quantity. Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks, trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates Porters Diamond Determining Factors of National Advantage Factor Conditions: India has readily available cheap labor. Also skilled workers are in abundance in urban and semi-urban areas at low costs. The raw materials like the milk, culture are readily available all over the country. Setting up a manufacturing unit is comparatively easy in certain parts of the country due favorable state laws Demand Conditions With increasing awareness of nutritional and health benefits of packaged dairy products there has been a tremendous increase in the demand of such products The size of the Yoghurt market in India has increased by approximately 18% in 2008-09 in current value terms to reach Rs 6.5 billion Western influence over the middle and upper middle class has increased the demand Related and Supporting Industries Plans of joint ventures and partnerships with other players like Dynamix, as the co-manufacturer for Danone products in India Also it had entered into a joint venture with Japanese pro-biotic dairy products manufacturer Yakult Honsha to launch pro-biotic yoghurt called Yakult Ladies Denone has partnered with several retail chains and distribution networks to make its product readily available to the targeted customer segment Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry Currently not many people aware of flavored and fruit yoghurt in India Local players like Karnataka Milk Corporation KMC etc enjoy a number of benefits over external players in terms of lower costs and better distribution systems No private label presence in the yoghurt and sour milk market in India currently Pricing plays an important role in decision making for Indian consumers Marketing Objectives Danones marketing objective is to gain 12% market share in five years till 2014. In a category dominated by well-established players, it will take considerable time to establish market leadership. While this would naturally be a long term goal for the company, its immediate goal should be to incrementally gain market share and create awareness for flavoured yoghurt as well as brand Danone. Marketing Strategies Segmentation Scheme, Segments Profile The market segmentation can be done using demographic and geographic variables. The demographic variables used are income, gender and age. The geographic segments are divided based on urban or rural locality inhabited by the population being segmented. By 2016, the share of middle-class households (defined as those having annual income of US$6,000-$30,000) in the top 20 Indian cities is estimated to move from 39% in 2007-08 to more 55%. High-income households (more than US$30,000) will triple in the same period to 13%. More importantly, the share of low-income households (below US$3,000) could halve to just 7% by 2016 compared to 16% in 2007-08. Such a gigantic shift in household demographics will have a huge impact on demand for everything from food and beverages and consumer electronics to clothing and personal transport. The urbanization of India is taking place at a faster rate than in the rest of the world. By 2030, 40.8% of Indias population will be living in urban areas compared to about 28.4% in 2007-08. The population in urban India saw rapid growth driven by birth and migration during 1995-2007 which will continue until 2015. The percentage of urban households increased from 26.9% to 29.3% in the period 1995-2007, and is expected to reach 31.8% by 2015. Target Segment and Rationale Thus based on the various socio-economic indicators mentioned above, the urban middle-class Indian family would prove to be a very attractive target segment. The choices of women and children play a huge part in deciding the food items consumed by a family. Married women who are educated and who are balancing busy careers with their families have comparatively less time to spend on daily cooking which has resulted in the increased popularity of packaged food. This trend is likely to continue as the number of working women is expected to increase over the coming years. Tweenagers (children in the age-group 10-14 years) have a high level of media awareness and influence family decision-making in urban India. An example of their influence is the success of breakfast cereals in urban India. Cereals are increasingly being consumed by young urban children within rich and middle-income families and Kellogg India has successfully taken advantage of this by positioning its cornflakes as a nutritious snack for children after school. Therefore it is important to target this segment of the population. But influential as they are, a singular focus on just the children can be detrimental as the proportion of tweenagers in the total population is estimated to fall by 0.2% from 2007 to 2015, owing to families opting to have fewer children. Positioning and Rationale For many years Indians have had a negative perception of packaged food as stale and inferior. But with greater information about product quality, the growing affordability and necessity of such goods has contributed to the changed perception of packaged goods as hygienic and high in quality, which in turn has led to the increased popularity of branded packaged goods. Due to greater investment in the power sector and the penetration of electricity to most parts of the country, the sale of domestic electrical appliances such as refrigerators is increasing. This factor too has led to an increase in sales of frozen and refrigerated packaged foods. Consumption of yoghurt in India is highest in Northern and western Indian where Indian yoghurt(curd ) is eaten sweet (as opposed to consuming yoghurt with savory foods like in most of South India)and this would provide an easier progression to flavoured yoghurt in terms of consumer tastes and preferences. The concept of flavoured yoghurt is common in western cuisine, and with middle-class urban Indian families eating out and expanding their culinary horizons more than ever before, they are highly likely to be open to the concept of flavoured yoghurt. Taking into consideration the above mentioned demographic, economic and social factors, Danone yoghurt can be positioned as a tasty and healthy versatile food option. It can be consumed as a snack between meals, as dessert, or even as part of a meal like breakfast. It differentiates itself based on the superior health benefits, taste and quality offered. Danone yoghurt is uniquely positioned as it offers the taste and enjoyment derived from consuming an indulgence food-item like ice-cream as well as the health and nutritional benefits of a health drink (Eg: malted health drinks). In this way it can marry the benefits of both products and differentiate itself from other value-added dairy and health food options present in the market. Market Research MARKET RESEARCH Background: When Danone launched Danone Yoghurt in Pune, they didnt undertake a very extensive market research process. The company was new to India therefore collecting valuable feedback on customer preferences and their attitude towards health snacks was more important. They conducted surveys and got feedback on aspects like their eating habits, number and type of flavors to launch etc. The company was reasonably confident of Danones acceptance in India as it has made the product work in countries with no exposure to fermented dairy whatsoever such as Indonesia. The Problem: What is the consumer perception of yoghurt in general and is there a profitable potential market for flavored yoghurt in India? Decision Alternatives: To increase the scope of Danone yoghurt in other cities beyond Pune and Mumbai To halt expansion The former would require expanding the manufacturing capacity and setting up more factories. Currently there is only one in Baramati (near Pune) in Maharashtra which caters to both Pune and Mumbai markets. Research Objective: To determine if India is ready for Flavored yoghurt and to see which specifications and preferences of consumers can the company cater to in order to capture a larger market share. Data sources: Primary data collected through a survey. This seemed to be the most effective way to gauge peoples knowledge, belief, preferences and satisfaction. For this purpose we developed a questionnaire. Total number of respondents: 76 The sample of people asked to fill the questionnaire ranged from children to elderly to working professionals, to adults who stay home. Danone has not specifically targeted any particular segment of people. The company has decided to cater to families as a whole. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS: Based on the responses to the questionnaire we can infer the following: Most respondents believe in eating and living healthy and feel that yoghurt is a healthy and nutritional alternative to other snacks and eatables. This is no surprise as there is a trend towards health consciousness among children and adults alike In purchasing a snack such as yoghurt, people rank flavor as the main criteria for making a decision. Price and fat content are considered to be other important factors. Among flavors, we found plain yoghurt (or dahi) is the most preferred followed by chocolate. This is expected as dahi is now part and parcel of our everyday meals and chocolate is popular among kids and adults. Besides these, strawberry and vanilla are also liked by the respondents. Danone is the first to offer vanilla flavored yoghurt in India. When asked to rate attributes in yoghurt on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least important and 5 being the most important) respondents rated taste, flavor and health benefits (low fat) as the most important features. RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ANALYSIS People regard yoghurt first as tasty and then as healthy. Danones mission is providing healthy food products to as many people as possible. Danone is a food company and not a pharmaceutical company therefore while the basis of all their products is healthy content, they cannot and do not ignore the taste aspect. Respondents consume curd and other forms of yoghurt mostly between once to 5 times in a week. This boils down to a maximum of once a day. They purchase yoghurt mostly through food chains such as Reliance, More etc. and only about 36% purchase from local shops. Respondents gave considerable importance to availability of yoghurt. It is interesting to note that people are not willing to go out of their way to buy a particular brand of yoghurt especially if substitutes are available. Therefore, yoghurt should be readily available (even in local shops) to induce people to make a purchase and inch towards building brand loyalty for Danone. Since people are willing to pay Rs. 10 to 12 for plain yoghurt, flavored yoghurt can probably be priced marginally higher as it is viewed as a premium product. Marketing Action Plan The Marketing Action Plan deals with the 4Ps of marketing, i.e. Product, Price, Promotion and Place. We have outlined the marketing action plan for Danone Flavored Yoghurt below: Product Danone Flavoured Yoghurt is flavored spoonable yoghurt made from milk, Yoghurt cultures, flavors, stabilizers, whey protein concentrate and color. It is fortified with four micro nutrients Zinc, Vitamin A, Iodine and Iron. Danone Flavored Yoghurt does not contain any preservatives. It has a shelf life of 15 days. The product would be primarily positioned as a healthy snack that tastes good. It is currently available in four flavours in India. They are: Mango Strawberry Vanilla Plain The product is available in 100 g packages. Currently no other product sizes are available. Product Packaging Danone Yoghurt is packaged in a plastic container and vaccum-sealed using an Aluminium foil bearing the attractive logo and branding. The containers are well sterilized before the fermented milk is poured in so as to remove the yeast since that leads to the creation of moulds that destroy the yoghurt. In addition, some stabilizers are added at the final stage that prevent the occurrence of whey, the watery coat that is formed above the set yoghurt. Price The price of the Danone Flavoured Yoghurt is Rs.10 for 100 gm yoghurt. Since the main marketing strategy of Danone is to establish the brand in India and increase the market share, Danone has to apply market-penetration pricing techniques. The product is competitively priced to ensure wider consumer reach and to secure high volume growth. The operational cost involved in the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and retailing of 100 gm of flavoured product are as follows Advertising Objectives The aim of the advertising program will be to create awareness about the brand, to highlight the quality,taste and nutritional benefits of the product. Since Danone is new to India and flavoured yoghurt is in the introduction stage in the Indian market, the advertising has to create sufficient awareness about the product category among the customers and stimulate enough interest to promote trial of the product. The advertisements should also increase the brand awareness of Group Danone and communicate to the consumers that Danone is the largest company in dairy products in the world. The advertisements would be primarily targeted at the segment of urban, middle class families. Choice of media The main focus should be on television ads, as it reaches more urban families than any other medium. Display media such as billboards, signs etc., innovative promotion programs and point-of-sale promotions could also be implemented to ensure wider reach. Advertising Program Television Advertisements The television advertisements would be targeted at the urban, middle class families. We suggest that there should be two separate television advertisement strategies one for increasing the brand equity of Group Danone in India and one focused on building the awareness of Danone Flavoured Yoghurt. It is important to build the brand awareness of Danone as the urban middle class consumers in India are highly aspirational and would love to be associated with a world-class brand. Aspiration-led marketing and portrayal of brands as status symbols has worked well in the past with the Indian consumers. This could also create an edge against established competitors such as Amul or Nestle and aid in brand recall. The advertisement should be informative; the purpose here is to introduce the average Indian consumer to Danone as the worlds largest dairy group. The creative execution can focus on Danones history, its popularity across the world and essentially, the arrival of Danone in India. The product related television advertisement should be built around the product features, taste and health benefits, appetite appeal and the snacking occasions. One of the main intentions is to ensure that potential customers try out the product. The plain yoghurt is a part of Indian diet and is generally preferred over the flavoured yoghurt which has less appeal to the Indian palate. Hence, the advertising has to actively motivate the consumers to switch from traditional sour yoghurt to the flavoured yoghurt emphasizing on both the taste and the added health benefits and can feature men, women and children consuming flavoured yoghurt as part of their meals. It should have eye-catching visual imagery that promotes appetite, appealing music and preferably a story line that involves an urban family that represents the general consumer lifestyle and preferences. The strategy for the implementation of the advertising should be: Launch with a high-decibel advertising campaign to maximize the impact. This can be continued for three to four weeks. The advertisements should be mainly featured on television channels popular in the urban middle class families. General entertainment channels in Hindi as well as English and the television channels that target tweens and English movie channels have more viewership among the target segment. The programs which are most popular with the target segment and those that emphasize health and wellness should be focused on. Outdoor media Billboard and poster ads that complement the television advertisements and enhance the brand appeal should also be a major part of the communication plan. Danone already has implemented innovative promotion media such as the Blue Danone buses in Pune. These ads should contain memorable visuals and communicate detailed information to give the product greater visibility and appetite appeal. Print Media The print media advertisement can deliver detailed information about the brand and the nutritional and taste attributes of the product to the target customers. English newspapers and family magazines such as Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping etc. and health and wellness magazines reach a large base of urban consumers. Sales Promotions The purpose of the sales promotions such as coupons, contests, premiums etc. are to gain attention and to lead the consumer to purchase the product. Since the product is in the introduction stage, the main goal is to encourage trials and thereby adoption. The following sales promotion methods are suggested: Distribute free samples with popular family and health magazines Banded packs with other branded health foods such as breakfast cereals or fruit juices. Point-of-sale displays that are eye-catching Social Media Marketing The urban population is characterized by extensive use of internet media. Internet represents a powerful channel that can be proliferated for effective advertisement campaign. Social media marketing can be employed in the form of presence on networking sites like facebook, orkut and myspace. Forums can be created on these sites that can inform the users of the health benefits of yoghurt, latest technology and its effect on product quality. First hand feedback and consumer sentiments can be analyzed from what they say on these forums. This information can be used to improve product quality, packaging, introduce new flavours and improve consumer interaction and further reinforce the brand image in the minds of the consumer. Place The primary mode of distribution of Danone flavoured yoghurt is a single-level channel with only the retailer as the intermediary between Danone and the consumer. To ensure the freshness of the product, it is put in cold storage at 4 degrees Celsius after packaging and is transported in trucks to the warehouse. Danone is the first company in India to have cold chain from factory to warehouse and from warehouse to the retail shop. At present, Danone flavoured yoghurt is available only in Mumbai and Pune. Danone will be launched across India in three phases: Phase I: It would include marketing in the top 10 metros with use of modern retail chains Phase II: It would include the next 20 Tier 1 citi