Minor Characters With Major Influence Essay Example for Free

Minor Characters With Major Influence Essay Addie Bundren was a strong but mysterious woman. She had many children that loved her dearly that would do bizarre things for her. She was a minor character in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying but she played a major role in that she affected the actions of the characters of the Bundren family. Jewel is Addie’s third child but not Anse’s child. Jewel is the product of an affair that Addie had with Whitfield, the town minister. Addie spoiled Jewel because he was a symbol of her happiness with Whitfield. Jewel constantly pushes his luck with Addie, getting into all the trouble he can possibly think of, but he loves his mother. Jewel just wants Addie to be able to die in peace and quiet without Cash sawing away at her coffin where she can see and Dewey constantly fanning the air away from Addie’s face (Faulkner 15). Jewel’s love for his mother is more openly expressed when he runs into the barn to save her coffin from the burning barn (Faulkner 222). Anse is so determined to carry out Addie’s final wish and bury her with her relatives in Jefferson. It takes the Bundren family nine days to deliver Addie’s dead body to her final resting place. During the journey Darl tries to destroy the coffin in a barn fire (Faulkner 219). Darl loves Addie just like Jewel and can not bear to see her memory desecrated by this long journey so he tries to burn the body. By this time Darl seems to have started to go insane. Really Darl is the only sane person on that whole trip. He tried to get rid of the putrid corpse and let his mother be remembered with her name still intact. Cash labors day and night over his mother’s coffin, cutting each board carefully and showing them to Addie basically saying ‘Look at the wonderful job I’m doing for you’. Cash even continues on the journey after he broke his leg while saving Addie’s coffin. Even after his leg begins to fester and swell, he never complains about it paining him. Cash’s selflessness is unwavering as he makes this journey for Addie and his family to lay Addie to rest. Cash even refused medical attention until there journey was complete because of his devotion to Addie and her wishes. All in all Addie Bundren is a very important in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying even though she is rarely heard throughout the novel. She is a major influence on her family. She had the most influence on Darl, Jewel, and Cash, her older sons. Her influence causes her family to do bizarre and dangerous things for her to honor her memory. Works Cited Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Random House Inc., 1990. Print.

The Definition And Explanation Of Branding Marketing Essay

The Definition And Explanation Of Branding Marketing Essay This essay is about how graphics is able to change the consumers perception about a brands identity. This document summarises how the graphics of the brand is able to create an identity for the brand. The shift from simple products to brands has not been sudden or inevitable. You could argue that it grew out of the standardisation of quality products for consumers in the middle of the 20th century, which required companies to find new ways to differentiate themselves from the competitors. This type of standardisation forced companies to find new ways of distinguishing themselves. Brands such as Chanel have built a contract between the company and the consumer; in fact, the consumer has now become the judge. If the consumer feels that the brand is not for them, they will immediately chose to end the contract with the brand. 1.2 Aim To understand how brands use graphics to entice the consumer. What graphical elements are used to bring in the consumer to the brand? The brands graphics is more than just a logo, or the price of a product, service or organisation, it is also the packaging, the promotions and the advertising, all of which is guided by precisely worded positioning. In advertising, reason informs, but emotion persuades (2011). 1.3 Objectives To identify what branding is perceived as To research the different perspectives of designers, artists and writers in branding To research and understand the graphics in Chanel and Primark To reflect on Primark and Chanel graphics branding and the consumers perceptions 2. Introduction This Chapter was based on the initial research about branding in order to understand what branding does, how it is perceived and understood, thus helping to better understand the basic need of branding and how this is then incorporated into the graphical element of branding. 2.1 The definition and explanation of branding A brand is a persons gut feeling about a product, service or organization. Riston (2004:21) suggested that a brand is not just a logo, an identity or a service. The product is not of existence until the consumer gives it a place in their world of products around him or her. A brands success counts on the individual, not on companies, markets or the public. When the word success is used, it refers to how much the brand is valued by its consumers. What is a gut feeling? Because people are emotional beings, to understand an emotion a person has to feel the emotion, therefore the emotion dictates the gut feeling. In a positive case, a person will feel an emotional bond in their mind. Kotler and Keller (2006:275) assert the importance of understanding how we consumers perceive the brand and what impact a brand identity has on consumer perceptions. One could argue that these ideas relate to brand image, which refer to a brands subjective or perceived attributes. A consumers perception of a brand is vital on how the brand is generally perceived. The image of the brand however is not judged by the product, service or organisation. An experience is the meaning the brand has. Think of the brand as the core meaning of the modern corporation, and of the advertisement as one vehicle used to convey that meaning to the world. (Klein: 2010:5) Naomi Klein refers to the theory of branding as a meaning she says that a brand is a meaning. Klein (2010:6) states that ads where put in place to manipulate the buyer/user to thinking that their lives will be incomplete without their product, service or organization. She says we buy brands, not products. For example, mobiles instead of mail, television instead of the radio, light bulbs instead of oil lamps and so on. Being innovative is not enough; you need a strong advertising method to accomplish a successful brand. Advertisements need to be strong enough to create a bond with the public. Advertising becomes the bridge between the public and the product. Advertising plays a very big part in how the consumer visualises the brand. 2.2 The graphics in branding Why isnt a brand just product? Because a product is made in the factory and a brand is a meaning, made in the mind of a human being, this is why when we combine the product and the brand we are able visualise a sense of emotion but communicate the idea through the media of graphic design (Gavin Ambrose: 5:2006) Ken smith, Sandra Moriarty, Gretchen Barbatsis and Keith Kenney attempt to identify and describe the field of visual communication (2005:10). One of the most important pieces of the visual communication puzzle is aesthetics. The nature and beauty of aesthetics are a language in itself, they question how it is so meaningful to the human eye is mystery. It is suggested that, because of the nonverbal nature of aesthetics, what can be written is only speculation about the nature of visual aesthetics and cannot therefore be of visual aesthetics itself. Malcolm Barnard also questions whether this type of communication can classed as nonverbal (2002:29). Barnard states that the importance of the transmission process, if the messenger does not receive the message that it was trying to portray, then a part of the communication process may have failed in either its medium, or delivery method. The aesthetics of graphics maybe seen as a voice of its own, graphics plays an important role in a bra nds identity. Kevin Budelmann, Yang Kim, Curt Wozniak (2010:7) discuss how a brand is made up of different elements. It is just not the logo the makes the brand. The brand is built from the colour of the envelope the companies distribute to the song that plays whilst customers wait on the telephone. Gavin Ambrose, Paul Harris (2010:10) has raised- you need to get someone to check the grammar and spelling awareness of how the packaging of a brand is important. For many brands the first interaction a consumer has with a brand is the package. Paul Harris (2010: 10) talks about how the feel of the brand gives to the consumer is a secondary interaction. The primary interaction is visual interaction and is the first connection a consumer has with the brand. What does this mean and who said it? Does it need a reference? One may argue that packaging is not only a part of the brand but it is a part of the overall graphic communication. The brain recognises shapes first then colour which helps trigger emotion. Although its easily said, the requirement of the right colour is necessary. Why? Because being selective helps build awareness and expresses individuality. Line, colour, tone, text and layout are what visual communication is all about. We need this method to distinguish a personality of style. Without it we are black and white. Colours represent a mood. In 1923 Kandinsky proposed that there was a universal relationship between three basic shapes and the three primary colours (shown below in figure 1). He believed that the colour yellow and the shape of the triangle to be the most dynamic and active through to the passive cold blue circle. (Gavin Ambrose: 2006:15) Even though the human has not discovered all the colours possible we are able to relate a colour to an emotion, brand or company. Just as a country has a flag to represent its self, we are only able to understand which country it belongs to by the colour or the logo. Red and white is common them present in many of the top brands around the world. When the grocer first went on sale in January 1862 (2012), there was no Coca-Cola. There was no Cadbury, no Heinz, and No Hovis. Many of the brands we know today, love or hate them, use them daily without thought or pointedly avoid, were not. Coca-Cola is one of the biggest world providers. They have the most successful branded value in the global branding industry. Consider for instance a can of coke-a-cola: means are to hold the liquid. Whereas coca cola (brand) holds a set of values related to the product. If separate, the brand from the package you are left with a mental container, a set of fonts, colour and graphics. These together crea te a brand thus giving the brand value. (Gavin Ambrose, Paul Harris: 2010:14) Advertisers Chris Creative Legacy Agency (CLA) believes the core essences for branding is the brand recognition. Without in-depth branding, your company gets no direction, what matters is how you get the customer engage. He believes that the brand needs to build a curiosity and an experience. Connecting the consumer with an experience is what builds the brands recognition. Brand does not have a real definition. The importance of having a brand is delivering the core message. Using different market material and communication and the way you present yourself will help bring the foundation of a structured brand. people are also rational beings why dont you mention branding as a rational solution to a problem? branding as a solution to the problem of how we give meaning to products and companies? (EXPAND) 2.3 Brand identity Rita Clifton (2009: 34) peruses the ideology of brand measurement by power. Brand valuation is an attempt to attribute part of the total value of a firm brand. Nevertheless, brand equity- Especially for brands like Microsoft or Google as opposed to a product, such as Chanel or Primark is like a reputation (it cannot be brought or sold). A brand identity builds and creates awareness for a business. When an individual has trust in a brand they help the buyer to create strong loyalties, dedication and meaningful relations. A brands value is dependent on reliability and delightfulness the brand is able to deliver. This sort of status cannot be sold, where as a trademark can be sold. The importance of economic value is also a perspective that some may argue has an impact of how a brand is perceived by the consumer. Rita Clifton (2009:17) talks how there are far more interest in the brands recognition than there was ten years ago. But there is still an ignorance and misunderstanding of ma ny of the issues. Without the value the brand will not be successful. Jan Lindeman in chapter three of the book brands in branding, talks about how the market value has quadrupled from less than twenty-per cent in 1975 to eighty per cent in 2005. Marty (2006:8) agrees that our society has moved from mass production to an economy of mass customization. Our purchasing choice has multiplied. Another example is Cadburys chocolate, without its branding logo, colour it is just a chocolate bar. The foiled packaging alone would keep the chocolate bar fresh but would result in half of the branded value that Cadburys chocolate has with its packaging Similarly Marty explains how on one side of the business you have your analytic, linear, logical thinking. On the other side the creative thinkers who like to see things emotionally that are intuitive. Marty (2006:20) puts his view on how the best brands are created when a strategic side and supported by the creative. When people start to believe there is no substitute for a brand that is when you know the brand is desirable. On the other had when you compare a product, service or organisation to another you understand that the product, organisation or service you have brought into, can be substituted by another brand. Charismatic brands such as Chanel have successfully created trust and social statuses within peoples minds. The meaning is constructed and communicated by the designer and communicated through the clothing to then conduct the message to the consumers. Likewise another brand which has also created a meaning in their consumers beliefs is the brand Primark. Apple has been able to use the power of fashion and trend to their advantage. Bill Halal (2011) explains how Steve Jobs is a genius at minimalist designs that integrate technology breakthroughs to fill a newly emerging need with unusual style. He thinks success requires listening to the technology in order to discover the potential products waiting to be invented. Any brand can be charismatic but you have to be different to the rest of the competition out there. Otherwise your brain will just filter though, and your brand will become just another brand. In an article written by Mathew Jones (2007) the scientific researcher, writes about explains that all behavioural episodes occur in a distinct spatial context: where we are, has a profound effect on what we do, particularly if we associate the place with a specific event or stimulus. Our brains function so we can spot the difference but also spot the obvious. Through the lifespans of humans, we have gone to many stages of discovering , featuring, experiencing and now identifying what is different. 3. The market Perry Marashal (2006:1) Google can bring thousands of visitors to your website twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, or the entire year. Whether eating breakfast, on the go, taking a phone call or daydreaming. The market is now all about creating tribes. People join different tribes for different activities; this helps them to be accepted in a particular social group. These particular groups have been created to separate personalities. A person who likes to read may always turn to amazon. A person who buys electronics may always turn to apple. To be different you have to be focused and create a vivid image aimed at your target audience. The questions a brand must ask of it are: who or what it is and why it is the way it is. So Chanel we all know is a fashion brand that is a successful brand because of the unique user experience it provides. It has become loyal to customers through time. A brand is more successful when it is able to think long term and retain its focus in the brand not the amount of profit. Listening to the brand is important not to the market. Short term profit is not what creates a brands value. The value grows when long term focus is in place. A basic brand model either is the company selling many items, or a company selling to companies to max publicity. A brand is like architecture. It requires logic and beauty to be the best of the best. Nor can a brand be valued if it does not have networks!?!!!?!?!?!?!?! (WHAT DOES THAT MEAN)(reference) Creativity is what gives a brand its power in the market (reference). Companies find it difficult to manage both the strategy and the creativity. You need a balance of both tools to build a strong brand. The reason why companies like Selfridges are valued is that they did not do what every other company does. They created a unique customer experience. Remember the customer is always right! Kotler and Keller (2006:275) say that although competitors may easily duplicate the manufacturing processes and product defines, they cannot match creativity and innovation. Innovation is key to omnipresent the point of view that is dynamic and fantastic. We need innovation in creating the identity of a brand. Without innovation we are like a car with no petrol. We do not move forward and people become bored of the repetitiveness of the usual cycle. Just like in life we need a change day to day otherwise our emotions are tied to being drain and depressed. You have to treat a brand like a human, you need to nurture it until is able to stand up on its two feet. The initial beginning of creating a brands identity is by its logo giving the brand name. The name requires being memorable, protective and likeable. Not forgetting the spelling and pronunciation to be easy. In the market industry, the phrase brand equity is to describe the value of having a well-known brand name. The idea is based on that the owner of a well-established brand name can generate more profit from products with their brand name than from products from a less well-known name. You may also call brand equity as brand value or brand recognition. (Aker: 1991). A great name deserves great graphics. A clear understanding of the key terms used in graphic design will help to articulate and formalise your ideas and ensure accuracy in the transfer of those ideas to others. (Paul Harris, Gavin Ambrose: 2006:7). Graphic design is a discipline that continues to evolve. Ambrose shows how technology has affected communications in the past and how it continues to do so. (Paul Harris, Gavin Ambrose: 2006:274) Coupled with this is the ever-changing taste and preference of society. Which in the 20th century, gives arise to how information should be presented. In many schools and universities across the board, this has become a disciplinary act. So what comes next? Behind shape and colour, the brain takes time to process language. You need a strategy to survive in the big wide world of brands. A logo is able to work across many languages and cultures. It is socially powerful enough to stand alone. We now use the gender to process the message and communicate it but then to pass it on to the gender again, before we would use the gender to pass on the message for other people to receive it We as people need to able to communicate ideas effectively and this is where many businesses fail to be valued. This tends to happen because they manipulate the public into something they are not. It is like receiving your goods and the service or product does not reach its expectations and is obvious. It isnt a sin to manipulate the public but if it isnt done using the right method it will become unsuccessful. We need to be able utilise a successful strategically method to become successful. Packaging is the last chance to build your brand. Make it fun! Why do we use packaging in so many different and odd ways? Many of the companies these days use a varied range of eco-friendly materials and methods to show that they are re-cycling back into the community. They use this as a unique selling point, which also helps the companys costs, sales and advertising. Although this method has been rinsed out we have now created the idea of customer involvement. The Niche market is now able to take the lime light from the big brands to use it as a unique selling point for maximising brand value not profit. Brands that use this strategy will benefit from sales and emotional bonds resulting in a higher value which would mean a more successful, trusted brand. According to Alina weeler (2012), we continue to invest in our core strengths. First, we dont skim on understanding the consumer. Second is innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And third is brandingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Were delivering more messages to our consumers WHAT A POOR PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Alina Wheeler (2012:6) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Oi4esBr9L3BoxAtOpjAsNGjv6jGUycj1wgJRnhJi2AFTnjtvAiJhhPmWwvigvIGJado8GmYM_KjDtXPsWBNVQ1IIfJ5gInSaQ4gYD2W1Kq4fT0DpylEeT6JNCugIzmaUwhiVgN4oYPw/s320/coco-chanel1.jpg 4. IntroductionConceptCHANELChanel spring/summer 2013Karl Lagerfeld V Magazine, 2002 Chanel and Primark are two strong brands on opposite sides of the economic market trade. Primark is Cheap and cheerful as one would say whereas Chanel is luxurious and expensive. The aim of this research is to understand how the graphics adds to the brands identity. This chapter studies Chanels history and current brand identity. The reason why this chapter will investigate the historical and current brands identity is to understand why Chanels possible reasons of brand value and its consumers perceptions. 4.1 Chanel Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. (Coco Chanel: 2010). Chanel has a strong influence on its target audience. Chanel did not design well for women because she was a woman. She invented how modern women should dress because she epitomised the independent rule breaking women. Caroline Rennolds Milbank (2005:27) suggests that Coco Chanels clothing range was basic. These inspirational quotes give Chanels brand an identity and meaning. According to Ritson (2004:21), a perception is subjective, supported by the individual consumers values, needs, beliefs or experiences. Laforet S (2010:213) views the role of brands in building corporate reputation, over time through advertising and communication. Gabrielle Coco Bonheur Chanel (August 19, 1883 January 10, 1971) was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She was the only fashion designer to appear on Time magazines list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Chanel had a desire to rise above her common origins. Her talent and dedication unveiled her to a successful business and social prominence. Her professional life gave her a platform for the social class society. (2011:45) According to Forbes, the house of Chanel is partly in ownership with Alain Wertheimer and Gerard Wertheimer (grandsons of the early partner Pieerre Wertheimer (Forbes: 2011) reference) Chanel designs S.A.S designs, manufactures and retail fashion. (reference) 4.2 Target audience Chanel has always specialised in items such as simple suits, dresses, womens pants and costume jewellery too. Coco Chanels designs and creations are timeless. (Publication march 4/2011). Chanel represents women who want to be stylish, simple and elegant. Teo jia En views Chanels brand as a very strong brand (2010:7) 4.3 Micro analysis Strength Strong brand image: The story of Coco Chanel, who famously said fashion passes, style remains: Conveys a very strong message of Chanels timeless elegance. Cult Designer Karl Lagerfeld he has known to change nothing but everything for Chanel Beauty is in the detail Chanel is famous for its tweed material, detailed chain, and embroidery 4.4 Macro analysis Technology Macala Wright explains that all luxury brands have challenges with creating a connected consumer experience, especially in the automotive sector. Imhoff advises that, in addition to a companys main web presence on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, they must also participate in forums where consumers have built communities celebrating their passion for the companys products. We always participate in an authentic and transparent manner building a solid connection between our consumers and our brand shared Imhoff. (2012) Social The consumer believes the value of the one who is wearing Chanel bag has a higher value than the one who is not wearing such a brand. The consumer feels the brand equity increases their social value Political Piracy of this bag has decreased the amount of sales Chanel could potentially have. The New York times makes a point that fake bags can function as free advertising for the real thing. I believe that people who buy fake designer handbags may decide to buy the real thing when their income increases. 4.5 Market position Chanels financial expert estimates that Chanel had a third of of Frances fashion and luxury goods sector in 2008 with an estimated value of $10.3 billion. The luxury leader Karl Lagerfeld is an inspirational creative director for Chanel. He himself has created a very strong brand image for Chanel. At the 2010 International Herald Tribune Luxury conference in London (2010), Imran Amed interviews Karl Largerfield. Karl Lagerfeld says Chanels market reputation is judged by the consumers perception not by the market. To him market value does not matter. He is a true believer of consumers perceptions as top priority, you need to be connected to be informed. Kotler and Keller (2006:174) explain that successful brand identity strategies require that organisation fully connect with their consumers. In relation to that Belch and Belch (2004:113) expand on the point of how consumers use information from other sources can be just as important in creating a brand identity strategy. 4.6 Chanels competitors/analysis Louis Vuitton established sine 1854 is one of the main fashion brands of 2012, alongside Gucci who manges over 425 stores over the whole world are strong competitors for Chanel. According to Brandz valuation 2010 Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes have managed to take place of the top three brands, Chanel coming in fourth. These top three brands specialise in leather, whereas Chanel does not. Chanel dropped sales by 13 percent, whilst the other top three leading enjoyed the lime light. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BRANDING?! IS IT RELEVANT? http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/image-library/land/500/p/primark-logo.jpg 5. Introduction http://www.primark.co.uk/multimedia/homepage/home-page-spring-2013/spring2013_webpage_jpegs_uk8.jpg?w=492http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/assets_c/2009/01/Primark%20Spring%20Summer%202009%201-thumb-480748-127835.jpg This chapter looks at how Primark use graphics to enhance their brands identity and the historical origins of Primark. This will add an additional and alternative perspective to what the consumers perceive to be a brands identity. 5.1 Primark Primark is an Irish clothing retailer, operating in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Primark is part of Associated British Foods (ABF), a diversified International food WHAT IS THIS!? Primark sells clothes at the budget end of the market. The company sources cheaply, using simple designs and fabrics in the most popular sizes and buys stock in bulk. All of the companys merchandise is made specifically for the company and as such Primark has its own brand names. Within both menswear and ladies wear there is one main brand name that supplies most of the fashion labels, which are added to by other suppliers. Primark Stores Ltd, an Irish upstart and subsidiary of Associated British Foods, is second largest clothing retailer in terms of sales and revenue with its existence mainly in Ireland, UK, Spain and expanding further in the Europe. It is believable that soon it will become leading clothing retailer. As this budget, chain grows further out into other parts of the world. It is performing just as well here in Europe. The Manchester Evening News (2012) states that Primark has continued to resist Europes economic woes after an exceptional year in which it racked up  £3.5bn in sales and created 10,000 new jobs. 5.2 Strategic marketing analysis Using different analysis tools reveal that Primark is expanding globally and increasing its presence in the global market; Primark has adopted an approach of Think globally, Act locally as stated by Armstrong, (2006). Primark are expanding globally, but cater needs of the local consumers as well as the current fashion trends in their particular westernized local culture. Primark supports UKs global role by showcasing the best of British fashion to a global customers as well as it reflects how it builds social cohesion and business ethics between customers and its suppliers. Considering Primark has spent next to nothing on their advertising, this statement also maybe support Van den Heever (2000:11), He believes that a brand is not a name, logo, sign, symbol, advertisement or spokesperson. A brand is everything that an organisation wants people, obviously its target market being one of the main aspects, to understand, communicate a meaning about its product and services. 5.3 Target audience Primark have clear understanding demands of their customers. Primarks market segment is the fashion conscious people under-35s with the slogan Look good, pay less. Primark has chosen cost leadership strategy; it means that Primark has a cost privilege over competitors. 5.4 Micro Analysis Cheap price clothing, Primark is known for its cheap prices, The independent News( 2012), states that Primarks retail gross margins rose by 300 basis points. Total retail sales rose by 46 per cent to  £146.5m. Nick Robertson (2012), chief executive, said: It is challenged in the UK. But fortunately we sell to 20-somethings all over the world. Primark can choose competitive prices and produce quality clothing. So right price for the right product will increase the customers satisfaction Primark is on a larger scale than a lot of retailers, and employ over 20,000 employees they have become a part of a lot of peoples lives, they create a connection with their consumers by mass employment 5.6 Macro Analysis Political factors Primarks business polices are subject to government in order to sustain the smooth running of its business Economical, the company has established itself by providing its target consumers with affordable products. The pestle anaylsis (2012) says that Primark have analysed the price of the products of its competitors and then have taken advantage of their price during recession. Their exporting, importing and manufacturing prices are so low, they are able to make profit regardless of the economical downfall Social analysis Social analysis is focused on the demographic changes that might influence the product in the new buying perceptions of the market. The taste and buying target consumer population is the business priority. When other brands launches a new marketed product, Primark surely finds a cheaper alternative for their consumers Technology An article on Marketing Plan, refers the idea of how technology does effect a business how a social or economic factor would. With innovation, technology is able to create a smoother process of maybe a product transaction or improve the quality of the products. Primark could improve the transaction process, as their ques are miles long. If this is improved with the help of technology, the economical profits will be maximised, and social value will increase, as it will be seen worn on more people It can also lessen the unethical working behaviour such as shoplifting which is very commonly occurred in Primark stores. 5.6 Market position Primark offers innovative, fashionable clothes at value-for-money prices. Like many retail fashion businesses, Primark does not manufacture goods itself: it works with its suppliers to produce goods to Primarks specification. Primark relies on low costs, economies of scale and efficient distribution to maintain its competitive market position. 5.7 Primarks Competitors/analysis Like any other business, Primark is also facing tough competition from George at ASDA, Tesco, Marks Spencer, TK Max, Costco, Next, Zara, New Look, Peacock and Matalan. Analysis for each major competitor determines that Primark has better business strength and high market share. It has good financial strengths and high profitability but relatively poor quality of management and low standards of technology position. Primark is paying least attention to its marketing strategies. Marketing represents boundary between marketplace and company, and knowledge of current and emerging happenings in marketplace is extremely important in strategic planning exercise. WHY HAVE YOU ANALYSED IT LIKE A BUSINESS? WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS? WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? 6. Advertising According to Jon Steel (1988:5), the most effective advertising involves consumers in two different but critical ways. Number one, it needs to involve them in the process of developing the communication, their feelings, habits, motivations, and desires all have to be explored and understood both how the product fits into their lives and how they might respond to different advertising messages. Jon (1988:8) follows on explaining the

Mans Inhumane Treatment of Men in Louis Sachars Holes Essay examples

Man's Inhumane Treatment of Men in Louis Sachar's Holes The inhumanity that man shows to one another dates all the way back to the beginning of time. We read about it in the Bible, saw it during the Holocaust with the persecution of the Jews, and watched it on TV during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and still experience it today. In the book titled Holes (2002), by Louis Sachar, these actions are displayed once again. Man's inhumanity to man is a reality in society today and in the theme of Holes. Holes is about a boy named Stanley who is sent to a correctional camp for boys called Camp Green Lake. The boys are required to dig one five-by-five-foot hole per day in the 90 degree weather in order to help build their characters. In doing this, Stanley discovers that they aren't just digging for character. They are digging to uncover something for the warden: a treasure. In his attempt to uncover this treasure, Stanley observes and experiences the inhumanities that go on at Camp Green Lake. Sachar displays these everyday inhumanities in many different instances thr...

Measuring Rate of Rater Uptake by a Leafy Shoot :: Papers

Measuring Rate of Rater Uptake by a Leafy Shoot The water uptake can be measured easily and because very high proportion of the water taken up by a stem is lost in transpiration, it enables the rate of transpiration to be measured. Key Factors to be kept Constant: - ================================== v Temperature - room temperature (approximately 25Â ºC) v Wind speed - No artificial wind was produced to affect results v Light intensity - Extra light was not used v Humidity - it was not humid on the day experiments were conducted The water uptake for the control Experiment. Time (minutes) Initial meniscus position of the air bubble (cm) Final meniscus positionof the air bubble (cm) Water uptake (Distance moved) (cm) Total water uptake (cm) 1 10.0 10.7 0.7 0.7 2 10.7 11.5 0.8 1.5 3 11.5 12.3 0.8 2.3 4 12.3 13.0 0.7 3.0 5 13.0 14.0 1.0 4.0 6 14.0 14.8 0.8 4.8 The water uptake when Vaseline is applied on the top surface of the leaves. Time (minutes) Initial meniscus position of the air bubble (cm) Final meniscus positionof the air bubble (cm) Water uptake (Distance moved) (cm) Total water uptake (cm) 1 6.0 6.6 0.6 0.6 2 6.6 7.2 0.6 1.2 3 7.2 7.9 0.7 1.9 4 7.9 8.5 0.6 2.5 5 8.5 9.2 0.7 3.2 6 9.2 9.7 0.5 3.7 Time (minutes) Initial meniscus position of the air bubble (cm)

Fairies in Folklore and Literature Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

Fairies in Folklore and Literature Fairies have been part of literature, art, and culture for more than fifteen hundred years. With them have come many stories about their interaction with adults and children. These stories have been compiled by men such as Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, who provided the world with a large compilation of fairy tales, which are still told today. Perrault and the Grimms together compiled over six hundred legends that originated from all around Europe. These myths and legends often included imaginary being called fairies, sprites, and nymphs. Fairies are frequently described as tiny human beings. Their clothing, which is usually green, gold, or blue, is thought to have been created from natural elements such as leaves and vines which have been sown together to make their dresses and loin cloths. Many of these magical beings had wings and could change forms and disappear when they had to. There were both male and female fairies, some good and others evil. Evil female fairies were usually associated with female sexuality and abused their magical powers by doing harm (Rose 107-9). They also had two, distinct living groups. One was called the "trooping group," a group of fairies that lived together in a community with governmental authority and laws, usually a monarchy. Most of these "trooping groups" were found in Irish and occasionally in English folklore. The other fairies are simply known as "solitary fairies," the ones that do not live within the community and are associated with outside families, places, or activities. This group would include fairy godmothers (Rose 107). All fairies were said to live in the ground, within a forest. If humans wanted to find the fairie... ... Jane Eyre can been seen in the compilation of Charles Perrault’s work, especially in "Tom Thumb" and "Bluebeard" and "The Fairies." It could also be argued that Charlotte might not have read or heard these stories but was introduced to many of the same themes through gothic novels of the time. Â   Â   Â   Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Beth Newman. New York: St. Martin’s, 1996. Fraser, Rebecca. The Brontes: Charlotte Bronte and Her Family. New York: Crown, 1988. Perrault, Charles. Perrault’s Classic French Fairy Tales. Austria: Meredith, 1967. Rose, Carol. Spirits, Fairies, Gnomes and Goblins: An Encyclopedia of the Little People. Denver: ABC-CLIO, 1996. Silver, Carole. Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  

Nu Shu – The Women’s Writing of China

Nu Shu, also known as the women's writing of China, was a major part of Chinese women's lives throughout the 20th century. Unlike any other writing, it is the only known hidden written language. Women used Nu Shu as a way to escape from the oppressive outside world and enter into a peaceful state of mind. Life was hard enough for women; it's scary to think how hard Nu Shu was probably the most commonly valued thing for women in China during this time period. It was valued so much because it was used to share women's miseries. China was ruled by men, and women were nothing more than ousewives and sometime field workers. What made it so special was that only women knew about it. It was a written language expressed by songs and stories. Any other language besides Chinese was forbidden by Emperors. Women couldn't use any form of education, so it had to be formed in secret. Having been something only women knew, it was an easy way for them to express their hardships and sufferings. Every woman at that time was going through the same thing, so it was seen as the easiest way for women to let out their feelings. Males dominated society completely, and Nu Shu was the nly true form of power that women had. If it had been leaked to the public, not only would it have been banned, but many women would have been sent to jail and killed if found using it. Women were beaten and abused to the point where a good day in marriage was a day you cried. Marriages were always arranged, and many women didn't even have feelings towards their husbands. They had to put up with the abuse and couldn't complain. At any point in time, a man could tell his wife what to do and when to do it. Women had no say in the government, their marriage, and in everyday society. The only time they could speak freely was when writing in Nu Shu. Their only audience willing to listen was other women, and Nu Shu was the only way to get in touch with other women without anyone finding out. Whether or not Nu Shu was good or bad is often debated. I happen to think it was good for many reasons. Women weren't educated in any way. Nu Shu was the closest thing they had to education. With education comes power, and that was exactly what women needed. In a time when men ruled society, power is everything. While it wasn't power that everyone recognized, it helped women have better mindsets. In a way, it was creating a more equal society for these women. Equal was definitely something the Chinese culture wasn't centered around, but it was something all women strived for one day. It was often believed that Nu Shu taught women to accept their suffering, but I actually think it was the opposite. No women would ever accept that feet binding were okay, or that the beatings from their husbands should be allowed. Instead, they learned how to cope with these struggles. Knowing how to handle yourself in bad times is a very good quality to have. When thrown a curveball in life, instead of sulking about t, the better thing to do is to take a step back and learn how to deal with it. I think that is something people in Western society do well and in the long run made the Chinese women stronger. Unfortunately, the last living person proficient in Nu Shu died several years ago. I think it's a shame that Nu Shu is closer to being extinct. While the actual writing itself may have no significance to anyone in today's world, I think a great lesson can be learned from it. It's fascinating how long women were successful in keeping it a secret, and overall made the Chinese women stronger people.

Operations Management London Zoo and Nottimham Castle Case Study

In today’s information age, it is important for businesses to take advantage of the available avenues to reach out to customers and potential customers. Tourist attractions such as London Zoo, and Nottingham Castle, are no exceptions of being in the age of constant information flows. These places want to attract visitors with their facility layouts and overall experiences, and to improve upon what they already have, they would need to optimize their products through well planned operations management. When one thinks of a zoo and a historic museum, it is very natural to think of both places as tourist attractions, but what they offer the visitors could be very different. The London Zoo offers patrons the experience of interacting with animals that we would otherwise have very little chances of seeing, while the Nottingham Castle brings the visitors back in time and allows them to feel and see the history. The zoo needs to attract people with their animal collections, while the Nottingham Castle needs to intrigue visitors with their well laid out tours, guides, and interesting historic facts. The purpose of this report is to describe how each of these places, the London Zoo and the Nottingham Castle, are run in terms of operations management, then to identify possible flaws and ways to improve upon their current operational methodology. Though these two places are both tourist attractions, but their appeals are unique to their own. The zoo offers exciting and dynamic interactions with live animals, so it needs to capitalize on the animals it has or through possible new animal acquisitions. The Nottingham Castle on the other hand should cater to what the visitors would be most interested in knowing about the place. To wrap up this report, a comparison between the two locations will be done. Nottingham Castle can trace its history back to 1067; the wooden castle was built by the Conqueror. In 1878, Prince of Wales opened it as a municipal museum and art gallery and it has since become one of the popular scenic spots in Nottingham city. According to Nottingham City Council website, Nottingham Castle is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. From March to September it opens until 5 in the evening. Although the Castle only provides parking for disabilities, public parking and railway station are all within 10 to 15minutes walk. In order to attract more visitors, Nottingham Castle has a Tuesday free entry plan for the local citizens. Other visitors can purchase tickets from 3 to 5. 5Pounds depending on different types of tickets. There is only one entrance into the Castle, therefore after visitors purchase the tickets; they have admission to any of the places inside Nottingham Castle which includes the indoor facilities: museum, art gallery and outdoor facilities: Victorian bandstand, playground. It can be seen that Nottingham Castle has both the educational and entertainment functions which are suitable for family leisure activity. Figure 1: Nottingham Castle process and layout diagram Source: BBC Local Nottingham Website Nottingham Castle is surrounded by walls, when visitors go into the castle gatehouse they will see a beautiful garden and the castle atop the hill. As can be seen in the Figure 1, Nottingham Castle has tried to arrange a route for visitors. Visitors usually are attracted by the Robin Hood statue just outside the castle before heading to the castle gatehouse to purchase the tickets. Once inside the Castle, visitors can access any facility to their likings and do not necessarily have to follow the route which is suggested by Nottingham Castle. According to BBC Nottingham local website, the route suggested by Nottingham Castle shown as below: Robin Hood Statue > Castle Gatehouse > Victorian Bandstand > Eastern Terrace > Guard Room > Dungeon 01 > Dungeon 02 > Long Gallery > Castle Roof > Soldiers Tunnel > Mortimer’s Hole > Cannon Position > Miller’s Cottage In this case, Nottingham Castle could be classified as process layout. This is because when visitors flow through the operation, they choose a route from facility to facility according to their needs. (Slack et al. , 2004) Nottingham Castle is considered a small Castle. The museum and gallery are all located inside the Castle. The space of the exhibition compare to many other museums is on the smaller side. The Castle Cafe and shop are not very busy during the day. Visitors normally spend one to two hours to see all the facilities. Therefore, the volume of its output is low. Moreover, when visitors go to the gatehouse, the staffs are not only selling tickets but also in charge of the gift shop. Slack et al. (2004) state that when the volume is lower, â€Å"the number of staff will be lower and therefore individual staffs are likely to perform a wider range of tasks† (p. 0) this situation can be observed at Nottingham Castle. It might cause visitors to wait in the long queue, because of the customers who want to buy gift and tickets have to wait at the same counter. Once the visitors are in the Castle, they can access many attractions. For adults, they can enjoy the art and historical display; children can experience the outdoor playground and some indoor displays which are design for kids on ground floor. Furthermore, Nottingham Castle hold different events and tours throughout the year. (Table 1) These information shows that Nottingham Castle provides high variety of services. However, when there is no special event, the outdoor facilities tend to be idle. The function of playground and bandstand will be low. Table 1: Nottingham Castle events and tours Events| Time| Outdoor theatre| June, July and August| Robin Hood Pageant| October| Christmas events including visiting Santa| Christmas| Fireworks| | Historical en-enactments| | Indoor and outdoor activities for families| All year long| Festivals and fairs| | Cave tours| Tuesday – Sunday| Private hire| | During the weekends, holidays and school vacations, the number of visitors will increase. In addition, the castle is closed on Mondays; the number of visitors can fluctuate greatly depending on the time of the year. Along with big crowds,variation of demands can arise. It is then crucial for the Nottingham Castle staffs to assist the patrons when necessary. Visitors do not need to spend for a long time to find staffs for assistant. The transforming resources such as: Castle, Museum and gallery are highly visible to the visitors. The second case in this essay is London Zoo. Since it opened in 1828, London Zoo has been one of the most favorite attractions in England. (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. ) Similar to Nottingham Castle, London Zoo adopt process layout as their operation layout type. Visitors do not have many limitations after they get into the zoo. Once inside the Zoo, not only staff and facilities are transforming resources but so are animals. Therefore, the collection of animals and their well-being is very important for the zoo. The average number of visitors during holidays, weekends and special events tend to be high. The number of visitors can peak at 18,000 people per day compare to 4000 to 6000 people on average. (Watt and Stuart, 1995) Base on these figures, the volume of London Zoo’s output is high. Moreover,London Zoo offers high-variety service. They have grown their animal collections and developed children’s zoo, education centre †¦etc. Additionally, questionnaires are sent out to customers to help them improve their daily operation. Although the volume of London Zoo is high, the Variation of demand is quite high as well. According to Watt and Stuart (1995), daily number of visitors fluctuated dramatically. The lowest and highest visitor numbers are 48 and 18. 000 people. London Zoo is predicted as a high visibility leisure facility. Most of the transforming resources are visible to the visitors. During peak periods, the zoo will hire more temporary stuff to help permanent stuff and thus provides customers a better experience. After carefully examining each facility's operations management, we can then compare and contrast them side by side. As discussed,the Nottingham Castle and the London Zoo have the same type of operation layout which is process layout. One disadvantage of process layout is customer queuing. (Slack et al. , 2004, p. 217) This issue is present in both of the two cases, especially during peak periods. London Zoo has queue everywhere, even the food in the shop is not up to the demand. Watt and Stuart, 1995) The other problem which appeared in author’s own experience was the clarity of flow in Nottingham Castle was low. Although visitors are free to choose their own route, the signposts in Nottingham Castle appear to be not clear. The unclear signposts sometimes confuse visitors; causing visitors to be unsure whether they have been to the all the facil ities on each floor. This problem match another possible disadvantage of process layout which is complex flow could be difficult to control. These two disadvantages both affect visitor’s experiences adversely. As we know customers’ satisfaction is crucial to any business sustainability and credibility. Therefore, improvement should be taken to upgrade their service quality. Refer to the difference between the four Vs in each facility. (Figure 2) Due to the size of the facility, London Zoo tends to have higher volume and variety to their outputs. Furthermore, London Zoo shows higher degree of visibility than Nottingham Castle. This is not only about contacts with the staff, but also higher visibility of the transforming resources to visitors. For instance, sometimes, visitors could have the chance to see workers feeding the animals. Hence,there is more interaction between transformed and transforming resources in London Zoo. Figure 2: Nottingham Castle and London Zoo Four Vs One common issue between both facilities is high variation in demand. This could lead to unstable financial statements and high unit costs. (Slack et al. , 2004) For leisure facilities, not surprisingly, the number of visitors varies from period to period. For example, during the summer vacation or school holidays, more families are willing to visit leisure facilities. The number of visitors will also get a boost when there are special events. This kind of unpredictable situation has a great impact on both places, especially the London Zoo. â€Å"On the Easter and August Bank holidays we can easily reach 10,000 people. † (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. 8) Having a huge number of visitors in a day might be a good thing on short term profits. However, fluctuation of visitors can be a challenging obstacle to formulate a long term plan for due to the uncertain demands between peak and down times without sacrificing the quality of product. The shortage of stuff and products can lower the service quality which directly affects its reputation. As London Zoo’s director Jo Gipps said: (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. 12) â€Å"They (visitors) will spread their dissatisfaction or disappointment by ‘word-of-mouth’. The consequence will be that visitors will not return, and new visitors will not be attracted† Since London Zoo is a bigger facility than Nottingham Castle, the temporary shortage on staff and products in busy months should have more impacts on its overall customers’ experiences. Thus, having a plan to cope with the short term increasing demands is even more vital for the Zoo to include in its operations management. This essay described Nottingham Castle and London Zoo in terms of operations management. After identifying each of facilities’ characteristic, it can be found that the basic layout adopted by both is process layout. Since visitors are free to move inside the zoo and the castle, the layouts of facilities need to maximize the traffic flow and put down well indicated signs for the visitors. The appropriate management of the traffic flow and the demands that are associated with a big crowd of people is a major mission for both the Nottingham Castle and the London Zoo. To some extent, Nottingham Castle and London Zoo have many similarities. Continual developments are the keys to attract more visitors to both places. However, due to the size of the facility and the nature of services provided, London Zoo has a more complex and dynamic operation process. In order to be competitive among today’s competitive leisurely activities choices, The Zoo needs to constantly reinvent itself with new acquisition of animals, interesting promotions to keep its spot light in potential customers’ minds. Therefore, the important resource for the Zoo is new capital which can help it explore new developments. On the other hand, the Nottingham Castle is a historic museum. The beauty of the Castle is its originality. There is simply not enough room nor need for new developments, but what the Castle would need is better representations of the history and stories of the Castle. And these improvements should be implemented on the guided tours, and better trained staff members. This is obviously not a single way to manage both of these multifaceted leisure facilities. Each case is unique of its own and should require careful considerations before implementing changes that suite its best interest.