Monday, September 30, 2019

Continuum Of Care Outline Essay

I. Introduction II. Stakeholders A. The â€Å"description of the roles of various stakeholders in the health care industry who are involved in the continuum of care† (University of Phoenix, 2015). 1. Who the patients are. 2. Who the employees are. 3. Who the payers are. 4. Who the providers are. B. â€Å"How the component contributes to or detracts from the overall management of health care resources† (University of Phoenix, 2015). 1. Is this a positive or negative affect? III. Services provided and employees’ role(s). A. â€Å"Discuss the services provided and how these services fit into the continuum of care† (University of Phoenix, 2015). 1. What services are provided? 2. How do these services fit into the continuum of care? 3. â€Å"The role of transitioning patients from one level of care to another in the health care continuum† (University of Phoenix, 2015). See more: 5 paragraph essay format B. â€Å"Description of the health care delivery component’s role in providing services† (University of Phoenix, 2015). 1. Who provides these services? 2. How the services are delivered. IV. Current and Future of Home Health Care A. What are the current trends and how they are changing? B. What the potential trends are. 1. How these potential trends will change delivery components and services in the future. 2. Accommodating for the future trends. V. The Characteristics of Integrated Delivery System (IDS) A. Health Care organizations. B. Community health. VI. Conclusion References University of Phoenix. (2015). Continuum of Care Presentation. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HCS/235-Health Care Delivery in the U.S. website.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Chapter6: Advertising Design

Chapter6: Advertising Design 1. How can the hierarchy of effects model and a means-ends analysis help an advertising creative design better commercials? 6steps of hierarchy of effects: Awareness-Knowledge-Liking-Preference-Conviction-purchase The six steps are sequential, although some experts question if they are really sequential. But, the basic model says they are sequential and that consumers spend some time at each step. For instance, before a consumer can like a brand, they first must be aware of it and develop some knowledge of it. To develop brand loyalty, consumers must go through all six steps.It is similar to attitude formation and the cognitive-affective-conative sequence. Cognitive component of attitude is the awareness and knowledge. Affective component of attitude is the liking, preference, and conviction. Conative component of attitude is the purchase. The second theory that it is important to consider is means-end theory. The basic concept is that a means, the messag e, leads to an end-state, or personal value. The model suggests six elements that are critical to ad design. Product attributes lead to consumer benefits. The leverage point connects that benefit to the personal value.Taglines are used to make an important and memorable point about the product. 2. How can leverage points and taglines increase advertising effectiveness? Leverage points are important. They move consumers from the benefits to the personal values. It links attributes to benefits to personal values. The leverage point should be associated with some component of attitude change. To be effective, ads need powerful leverage points. The leverage point can be a visual, part of a visual, a headline, a tagline or even copy in the ad. Most creatives spend considerable time thinking about and creating a good leverage point.Taglines are key phrases in an advertisement. They are designed to be memorable, unique, and offer a special meaning about the brand. Taglines can provide cons istency across ads and across advertising campaigns. Taglines become identified with a specific brand and transcend any specific ad or ad campaign. Developing good taglines is important because it lives with that brand and is around a long time, such as Nike’s tagline â€Å"Just Do It. † While taglines can be changed, companies have to be careful not to confuse customers and convey conflicting messages about the brand. 3.What roles do visual and verbal images play in advertisements? The last theory of design to be considered is the relationship between the verbal and visual elements of an advertisement. Most ads seek to have a balance between visual and verbal, but usually one will be more dominant than the other. One reason for the change is that visual processing is easier for consumers to recall. Visuals are stored in the brain both as pictures and as words. Concrete images tend to be remembered better than abstract visuals. If consumers can create a mental image or picture, it actually is superior to seeing the visual, in terms of recall.So radio ads that can make listeners use their imagination and picture the product work very well. Visual esperanto is the ability of a visual to transcend cultures and languages conveying the same meaning. It is especially beneficial in international ads where advertisers want to convey the same message to every market in the world. Business-to-business ads in the past emphasized verbal content, but in recent years have moved to more visuals. 4. What are the seven main types of advertising appeals? * Fear * Humor * Sex * Music * Rationality * Emotions * Scarcity 5. How can fear be used to create an effective ad?Fear appeals are common and are used for products ranging from insurance, to home security systems, to deodorant. Fear appeals increase interest and are remembered by individuals. Severity is the level of consequence that will occur and vulnerability is the probability of the event happening. Response efficacy is the likelihood that a change in behavior or actions will result in a desirable positive consequence. Intrinsic reward is the internal satisfaction and extrinsic reward is the value of the event or reward received. Response cost is the cost or sacrifice the person will need to make to obtain the reward.Self-efficacy is the confidence a person has in his/her own ability to engage in the action, or to stop an undesirable behavior. All of these factors influence the effectiveness of an ad using a fear appeal. The behavioral response model explains how fear appeals work. For a product, such as a home security system ad can focus on severity, what happens when a home is broken into, or the vulnerability, which would be the probability of it actually occurring. The ad can show the negative consequence of such an event. An ad can show the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards from installing a security system.Response efficacy can be illustrated by the alarm going off when a burglar tries to enter and the police are called. Peace of mind and security are then shown as the positive consequence. 6. How can humor be used to create an effective ad? Humor is an excellent appeal for getting and keeping someone’s attention. Humor is used in about 30% of television and radio ads. Humor causes individuals to stop what they are doing, watch, laugh at, and then remember the ad. In recall tests, consumers most often remembered humorous ads over ads with other types of appeals. The best results occur when the humor is connected naturally with the product.Advantages: Humor piques consumer interest. Humor increases recall and comprehension of ads. Humor elevates people’s moods, and if people feel good about an ad, they will tend to think positively about the brand being advertised. Problems occur when the humor is offensive or overpowers the message. To prevent the humor from overpowering the message, the humor should focus on the product and not stand alone. Hu mor is rooted in culture and so what is funny in one country is not likely to be funny in another. Good humor that is remembered and that is connected with the brand is difficult to achieve. . Why does sex play such a prominent role in advertising? Sex appeals are often used to break advertising clutter. The use of sex appeals has increased in the United States and in many other countries. The problem is that sex appeals may not carry the impact they used to because children are growing up exposed to sexual themes all around them. As a result, many advertisers are moving to more subtle sexual clues and a softer sexual approach. 8. How can music, rationality, and scarcity be used to increase advertising effectiveness? Music is an important part of advertising.It connects with emotions and generates memories. It has intrusive value and gets attention. Music increases the retention of visual information. It produces higher recall scores and can increase persuasiveness. Music tends to b e stored in long-term memory and consumers often tie a particular music or song with a particular brand of product. Music appeals offer a number of advantages. Consumers have an affinity with existing songs so when an existing song is used, consumers have already heard it and most have developed emotions with it. Brand awareness, brand equity, and brand loyalty become easier with music appeals.One reason mcgarrybowen sent a creative brief to musicians and asked them to write a song is that to purchase the rights to current popular songs can be extremely expensive. Musicians have become more open to writing and performing songs for ads. It is a way to be heard. Songs are often posted on YouTube and other sites. Occasionally, the full song version of a tune written for an ad will become popular and move to radio stations and other popular outlets for music. Rational appeals are based on the hierarchy of effects model and the sequence of steps outlined in the model. It implies active p rocessing of information.Rational appeals work best for print ads where longer copy can be inserted and online where there is very little limit to what copy can be inserted. Rational appeals are common in business-to-business ads, again in print media, especially trade publications. When members of the buying center are searching for information, ads using rationale appeals can be effective. Rationale appeals work well for complex and high involvement products. If a person processes the information in a rationale ad, it is excellent at changing attitudes. Scarcity appeals recommend consumers to make a purchase now because of some type of limitation.Often that limitation is limited supply so the product must be purchased before they are all gone. It can be based on limited time. You only have 5 days or one week, or just one hour. Scarcity appeals are often tied to other promotions such as contests, sweepstakes, and coupons. The concept is to encourage customers to take action, now, a nd not wait, or it will be too late. 9. What are the primary areas of concern in international advertising? Chapter7: 1. How are the three main types of message strategies used to increase advertising effectiveness? Cognitive message strategy: presents rational arguments or pieces of information to consumers. ) Generic cognitive message strategy promotes a product’s attributes or benefits in a straight forward manner without any claims of superiority. This ad for Koestler Granite and Marble uses a generic strategy. Generic message strategies can stimulate brand awareness. It can also strive to make the brand synonymous with the brand category. b) Preemptive cognitive message strategy makes a claim of superiority based on a product’s specific attribute or benefit with the intent of preventing the competition from making the same claim. This advertisement for Waterfront Grill uses a preemptive message strategy.An effective preemptive message strategy can occur when a com pany is the first to state an advantage or benefit. c) Unique selling proposition message strategy focuses on a testable claim of uniqueness or superiority. d) Comparative cognitive message strategy focuses on a direct or indirect comparison to a competing brand. The brand can be real, mentioned, or fictitious. The advantage of comparative ads is that they tend to capture attention. Brand awareness and message awareness tend to be higher. The negative is that they can be less believable and can create a negative attitude.This is most likely to occur when a negative comparison approach is used in the ad, downgrading the competing brand. If the consumer does not believe the ad, then spontaneous trait transference can occur, which is placing the negative trait on the advertised brand instead of the competitor. It is important to choose competitors wisely in making comparisons. Advertisements that invoke feelings or emotions are affective message strategies. These messages attempt to en hance the likeability of a product, recall of the message, and comprehension of the message. ) Resonance advertising connects a product with a consumer’s experiences from the past in order to develop a bond with the brand. Often, advertisers will use music from that generation to create that emotional bond. b) Emotional messages attempt to elicit emotions that will lead to product recall and choice. Many different emotions can be connected with a product. Emotional messages are used in both consumer and business-to-business advertising. Affective message strategies help develop brand equity through creating an emotional bond with the brand.Conative message strategies are designed to lead directly to some type of action or response. a) Action-inducing conative ads encourage consumers (or businesses) to act in some way, to do something. It can be to make an inquiry or access a Web site for more information. b) Promotional support conative messages are tied with some type of pro motion. It may be a coupon, a contest, or a sweepstake. 2. How do the main types of executional frameworks help to deliver quality advertising messages? 3. What types of sources or spokespersons can be used in advertisements or commercials? Advertisers have four choices –Celebrities: The most common type of spokesperson is the celebrity. They are featured in about 6% of all ads. A celebrity can enhance brand equity and create emotional bonds with the brand. Celebrities are more effective with younger consumers than with older individuals. Athletes are a popular category of spokespersons. Celebrity spokespersons can be used to establish a brand’s personality. Categories of celebrity: Unpaid celebrity endorsements will sometimes occur with a charity or cause. When celebrities endorse a cause and are not being paid for the endorsement, they carry a high level of credibility.Celebrity voice-overs are used because of the quality of their voice. Sometimes it is because the v oice can be recognized and will influence consumers. At other times the voice-over is a distraction because consumers pay too much attention to the voice and don’t hear the brand message. The last category, dead celebrities is somewhat controversial. It is becoming more common because they can’t bring negative publicity to themselves or the brand. CEO: CEOs can be used as spokespersons. They work well if they are highly visible and personable. They can be a major asset to a company.They work especially well for local companies where consumers in that area know them personally, or at least have met them. Expert spokespersons: should be experts in their fields. They then serve as an authoritative figure and can provide expert opinions. Typical persons: It can be either paid actors who portray a typical person, or it can be everyday, ordinary people. 4. What process is used to create advertisements? While a creative may not draw a means-end chain out as was illustrated in this text, the creative will consider the product’s attribute, benefits, and the values it can fulfill.Decisions then must be made about the leverage point, the appeal, the message strategy and the execution. Finally, if a spokesperson is going to be used, the agency and client will need to decide who it will be. Visual consistency across ads and across campaigns allows consumers to quickly identify an advertisement and a brand. Campaign duration is always an issue. From a cost perspective, clients want a campaign to last a long time. But, wear-out occurs and then ads are ignored. Timing for new campaigns is difficult to determine. Taglines repeated in ads helps tie campaigns together and identify a brand.It is important to use consistent positioning to avoid ambiguity and confusion. If at all possible, keep it simple. Use only one identifiable selling point. Don’t overwhelm consumers with too much information or too many benefits. Lastly, create ads that flow and are visually appealing. 5. What are the principles of advertising effectiveness? Producing effective ads requires the joint efforts of the client and agency personnel. This slide lists some important principles to follow. Visual consistency across ads and across campaigns allows consumers to quickly identify an advertisement and a brand. Campaign duration is always an issue.From a cost perspective, clients want a campaign to last a long time. But, wear-out occurs and then ads are ignored. Timing for new campaigns is difficult to determine. Taglines repeated in ads helps tie campaigns together and identify a brand. It is important to use consistent positioning to avoid ambiguity and confusion. If at all possible, keep it simple. Use only one identifiable selling point. Don’t overwhelm consumers with too much information or too many benefits. Lastly, create ads that flow and are visually appealing. 6. How are advertising programs adjusted to fit international circumstances?Chapter 8: Traditional Media Channels 1. What is a media strategy? Media strategy involves analyzing and choosing media for an advertising and promotions campaign. Choosing the best media to speak to potential customers is a challenge. It involves matching a target audience to the media audience of specific programs. 2. What elements and individuals are involved in media planning? Media planning begins with a careful analysis of the target market. It involves understanding the process they use in making purchases, the consumer behavior events that guide those choices.It involves studying the media choices the target market makes and understanding their listening and viewing habits. To match the media to the target market requires understanding the target market. Components of media plan: marketing analysis provides a comprehensive review of the marketing program and where advertising fits into the plan. An advertising analysis states the primary advertising strategy and budget to be used, a s well as the advertising objectives. The media strategy spells out the media to be used and the creative considerations. The media schedule notes when ads will appear in individual media vehicles.The media planning concludes with a justification and summary of the media plan. Individual involved: Media planners work closely with the creative staff, the account executive, account planners, and media buyers. Media buyers actually purchase the space and negotiate rates for ads. Placement is important and is part of the media buyer’s responsibility to ensure a good location for ads. Research has shown there is little connection between the size of the agency and the price negotiated. Being a large agency does not guarantee lower prices. A spot ad is a one-time placement of an advertisement.The rates are negotiated individually with television stations and as a result prices vary considerably. The effectiveness of media buyers is determined by the quality of the media choice, the creativity of the media buyer in negotiating and placing ads, financial stewardship of the buyer, the agency’s culture and track record in buying media, and in the relationships the media buyer develops with the media reps. 3. How do the terms used to describe advertising help the marketing team design effective campaigns? * Reach: Number in target audience exposed, typically 4-week period * Frequency: Average number of exposures Opportunities to see (OTS): Cumulative exposures, Placements x frequency * Gross rating points (GRPs): Measures impact of intensity of media plan, Vehicle rating x OTS (number of insertions) * Costs: Cost per thousand (CPM), CPM allows for cost comparisons * Ratings and Cost per Rating Point (CPRP): Ratings measure percent of target market exposed by medium, CPRP allows for comparison across media, Cost of media buy / vehicle’s rating, Weighted CPM * Continuity: Continuous campaign, Pulsating campaign, Flighting (or discontinuous) campaign * Impressions: Gross impressions – total audience exposed to ad 4.What are some of the primary advertising objectives? The three-exposure hypothesis was introduced by Herbert Krugman. The hypothesis states that it takes at least 3 exposures to an ad for it to have an effect. It also is based on the idea that advertising has intrusion value, which is viewers will pay attention to an ad even if they don’t want to. Most advertisers feel three exposures are not enough and that advertising today does not always display intrusion value.Consumers have selective attention and focus. They pay attention to only certain ads. According to recency theory, one ad exposure may be enough if the person has an interest in that product or for some other reason pays attention to the ad and suggests advertising needs to be continuous since most of the time ads are ignored and increasing exposure through adding reach is more important than adding frequency.Effective reach is the percent of th e audience that must be exposed to an advertisement to achieve a specific objective. Effective frequency is the number of times and audience must be exposed to an advertisement to achieve a specific objective. If there are too few ads or reach is too low, then the campaign is not effective. If the ads are seen too many times then resources are being wasted. The size and placement of ads impact exposure and impact effective reach and effective frequency.Advertisers today have computer models that will help them optimize media schedules. 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with each of the traditional advertising media? TV: Advantages: High reach, High frequency potential, Low cost per contact, Quality creative opportunities, High intrusion value, Segmentation possibilities through cable outlets Disadvantages: Greater clutter, Channel surfing during commercials, Short mount of copy, High cost per ad, Low recall due to clutter Radio: Advantages: Lower cost per spot than television, Low production cost, Music can match station’s programming, High segmentation potential, Flexibility in making new ads, Able to modify ads to fit local conditions, Intimacy (with DJs and radio personalities), Creative opportunities with music and other sounds, Mobile: people carry radios everywhere Disadvantages: Short exposure time, Low attention, few chances to reach national audience, Target duplication when several stations use same format Outdoor: Advantages: Large, spectacular ads possible, Able to select geographic areas, Accessible for local ads, Low cost per impression, Broad reach, High frequency on major commute routes Disadvantages: Legal limitations, Short exposure time, Brief messages, Little segmentation possible, Cluttered travel routes Magazine: Advantages: High market segmentation, Targeted audience interest by magazine, High color quality, Long life, Direct response techniques, Read during leisure time, Longer attention to ads Disadvantages : Long lead time for ads, little flexibility, High cost, High level of clutter, Declining readership Newspaper: Advantages: Priority for local ads, Coupons and special-response features, High credibility, Strong audience interest, longer copy/message possible, High flexibility, Cumulative volume discounts Disadvantages: Major clutter, Short life span, Poor quality reproduction, Limited audience, Poor buying procedures 6. How can the marketing team use the media mix to increase advertising effectiveness? * Selecting the proper blend of media outlets for advertisements is crucial. The work of media planners is especially important. It is their task to match target markets with media audiences, to know what media a specific target market uses. The media multiplier effect suggests that combining two or more media increases the impact of an advertising campaign more than any one medium by itself. This is true in both the consumer market and the B-to-B market. 7.What are the key issues as sociated with media selection for business-to-business markets? * B-to-B ads looking more like consumer ads * Reasons for shift * Decision makers also consumers * Decision makers difficult to reach * Clutter in B-to-B traditional media * Increase in advertising through consumer media * Trade publications still important * Same with Business magazines 8. What issues are associated with media selection in international markets? * Media importance varies. * Media viewing habits vary across countries. * Media buying is different. * Cultural mores vary. Chapter9: E-active Marketing 1. What is e-active marketing? It combines the two major components of e-commerce and interactive marketing.E-commerce consists of click-only operations that sell exclusively online and bricks-and-clicks that operate both a retail store and are online. E-commerce is being conducted in both the consumer sector and the B-to-B sector. Interactive marketing is the development of marketing programs that create two- way communications and enhance engagement of consumers with the brand. The Internet is the ideal medium for interactive marketing. It can track activity, where a person goes and what they do. It can personalize messages. The emphasis of interactive marketing is two-fold – to target individuals and to engage consumers. 2. How had Web 2. 0 affected the field of marketing communications? * Companies shifting dollars to online communication Changes consumer communications and interactions with companies * Pushing to â€Å"real-time† communications * Instant communications and instant service * Instant response to negative events 3. How can e-commerce programs and incentives build a stronger customer base and overcome customer concerns at the same time? E-commerce component: Catalogs * Easy to use * Photos, streaming videos, information * Match store and printed catalog * Sears â€Å"Shop Your Way† * Products not in store or printed catalog * Choose where to purchase Shopping carts * Allows consumers to select products * â€Å"Save† or â€Å"Wish† button * Shoppers abandoning shopping cart Payment systems * Easy, quick, and convenient * Multiple methods * B-to-B voucher or charge systemStore locators * Customers who want to pick up an item at the store. Customization * Customers prefer * Promotions from Web site * Access via mobile phone Customer reviews and feedback * Emerging trend * Provides opportunity for interaction * Provides level of confidence Financial incentives can persuade an individual or business to make that first purchase. The most effective financial incentives are reduced prices, free shipping, and e-coupons. Of the three incentives, 80% of shoppers say they prefer free shipping. Financial incentives must be meaningful and to generate return traffic to the site the incentive needs to be changed periodically.Online operations can offer financial incentives because of cheaper operational costs. The company has low er shipping costs since customers most of the time pay shipping. There are lower labor and personnel costs since there is no retail operation. Orders can be shipped directly from the warehouse to customers. Convenience incentives make the online shopping experience easier and encourage return visits. E-commerce is available 24/7. People can place orders at anytime from anywhere. It is important to have product information online so consumers can conduct research anytime. Online peer reviews are helpful and in the Web 2. 0 are expected. If consumers can compare brands online, that makes it easier for them.Value-added incentives encourage customers to come back to an e-commerce site, and change purchasing habits long-term. Value-added incentives are things that customers value. 4. What makes e-commerce a crucial part of business-to-business commerce? E-commerce is critical in the business-to-business sector. Many business transactions are conducted over the Web. The number of hits at a business site is directly related to expenditures in offline advertising and sales promotion offers. The incentives to gain business customers are the same as for consumer customers – financial, convenience, and value-added incentives. A major component of B-to-B e-commerce is online exchanges and auctions.These sites allow for bidding for materials and supplies, and can connect buyers and sellers. 5. How can interactive marketing and online advertising increase brand awareness, sales, and customer loyalty? Interactive marketing is the development of marketing programs that create two-way communications and enhance engagement of consumers with the brand. The Internet is the ideal medium for interactive marketing. It can track activity, where a person goes and what they do. It can personalize messages. The emphasis of interactive marketing is two-fold – to target individuals and to engage consumers. Steps in developing interactive marketing: a) Cultivate an attitude o f giving b) Gain trust ) Identify your one word brand d) Define your ultimate vision e) Choose your communication channels f) Evaluate and adjust Online advertising is effective if ads are placed on the right Websites and the messages resonate with individuals. Budgets for online advertising have increased in recent years and will continue to increase. One reason for the shift to online advertising is the metrics available to measure results. Online metrics provide for almost instant measurements of results. A company can see how many hits an ad produces and even what percent make a purchase. Types of online advertising: * Display or banner ad * Classified ads * Search advertising Media/video ads 6. How can brand spiraling and blogs generate positive outcomes for the marketing department? Brand spiraling is the use of traditional media to promote and attract people to a Web site. With direct mail and e-mail, companies can use PURLs, which are personalized URLs that are preloaded wit h personal and customized information for that consumer. Best results are obtained when online advertising is integrated with offline advertising. Blogs are online musings, written content put on the Web for others to read. Blogs provide a venue for people to talk online and can generate considerable online buzz, especially for hot topics.A survey of online users found that about 47% go to social networks to download coupons and search for information about products. About 45% access social networks to learn about upcoming sales and to obtain discounts on products. About 22% read or write a product review on a blog. 7. Why have online social networks, consumer-generated advertising and reviews, e-mail, and viral marketing become key components of marketing communications programs? a) Important component of interactive strategy * Integrate with other channels * Resemble information on Web site b) Using Web analytics to direct e-mail campaign * Individuals who visit Web site * Individ uals who abandon shopping cart * Targeted e-mails have higher conversion rates ) E-mail newsletters * Build brand awareness * Drive Web traffic * Customers sign up for newsletters * Provide value * Free subscription * Tie-in with Web site Viral marketing is the passing along of a marketing message to others in some way. It can be through an e-mail or on a blog. It is form of word-of-mouth endorsement. Viral messages can be advertisements, hyperlinks to promotions, online newsletters, streaming videos, or games. 8. How can e-active marketing be conducted successfully in international markets? A major advantage of E-active marketing is that it can be global. It doesn’t matter where the customer is or where the company is located.But, a number of e-commerce businesses do not take advantage of global customers. Shipping can be an issue. It may be difficult and expensive to ship a product to Japan or India. Payment methods also vary widely, but can be handled through companies suc h as PayPal. Communication can be an issue, although many people can read English. Technology is important to consider. Videos that play well with broadband connections may not work well in other countries with slower speeds. Chapter10: alternative marketing 1. How can buzz marketing, guerilla marketing, lifestyle marketing, and experiential marketing enhance a marketing communications program?Buzz Marketing: Buzz marketing emphasizes consumers passing along information about a product and since it is word-of-mouth from an individual, it has a higher level of credibility. Methods of generating buzz are through consumers who use and truly like a brand: uses it is the ideal brand ambassador. They can spread buzz through personal conversations with people and also online through chat rooms, blogs, and e-mails, consumers who are sponsored to talk about a brand: It works best when the person likes the brand and uses it. Companies normally offer some type of incentive in exchange for the positive advocacy. It can be cash, but most of the time is merchandise.Selection of brand ambassadors is based on a person’s devotion to a brand and the size of their social circle. Since the idea is to talk to their friends and other people, the size of the social influence is important. They are expected to design their own grassroots effort on how they will promote the brand. Many will use low-cost marketing events and even online social networks. Although the individual is being sponsored, the key for success is that they are genuine and do believe in the product being pitched, and a company or agency generating buzz: high risk strategy, especially if the person doesn’t identify himself as an employee and the public finds out.The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) suggests three principles to follow for any type of buzz marketing campaign. 1) Be honest about the relationship you have with the company and what you get for being a sponsor. 2) Be honest with your opinion. Don’t say just what the sponsor company wants you to day. 3) Be honest about your identity. Guerilla marketing: developed by Jay Conrad Levinson. It is designed to bring instant results with low-cost, unique marketing methods. Guerilla marketing focuses on a region or area and involves interacting with consumers in a unique and different way. The goal is to create excitement and to generate buzz.It is often connected with grassroots efforts to launch a brand or to market a product. Often alternative media are used. Reasons for using guerilla marketing: * To find new ways to communicate with customers * To interact with customers * To make advertising accessible to consumers * To impact a spot market * To create buzz * To build relationships with consumers Lifestyle marketing involves identifying marketing methods associated with the hobbies, entertainment, and lives of the target audience. It involves making contact with consumers were they go for relaxations, e xcitement, socialization, and enjoyment. The idea is to intersect with consumers during their daily lives.For instance, A/X Armani Exchange reaches young consumers through sponsoring and setting up booths at music festivals and fashion shows. Experiential marketing is the intersection of direct marketing, field marketing, and sales promotions. Its basic premise is increasing the experience of direct marketing through an interactive connection. Rather than just pass out samples, make it an experience the consumer will remember. Nickelodeon used experiential marketing with their Slime Across American Tour. Steps to take positive experience: * Clear, concise target segment * Identify right time, right place * Engage emotionally * Engage logically * Clearly reveal brand’s promise . What methods can be used to effectively employ product placements and branded entertainment? Product placement is a planned insertion in a movie, television show, book or other forms of entertainment. It has been used since the 1890s, but only recently has grown in popularity. The biggest surge in product placement came in 1982 with E. T. and Reese’s Pieces. The placement of the Reese’s Pieces in the movie spurred a 65% increase in sales following the movie’s release. Research has found that product placement increases awareness of the brand, creates a more positive attitude towards the brand, but does not have any immediate impact on sales.From a cost standpoint, product placement has a low cost per viewer of impressions. A primary advantage is that the impressions do not stop with the movie. After the movie has played in theaters it goes to DVD movie rentals, to pay-per-view television, then to the movie channels on television. Branded entertainment is the integration of the entertainment and advertising by embedding the brand into the storyline of the movie, TV show, or other entertainment medium. The use of branded entertainment increased sharply with the rise of TV reality shows. It is also now found in novels, plays, songs and movies. For successful product placement and branded entertainment, choosing the right media is important.It helps when other promotional materials are produced that reinforce or remind individuals of the brand and even the placement. Product placement and branded entertainment work because there is no call to action, so consumers tend to have a positive attitude towards the brand. Some consumers are more receptive than others. People ages 15 to 34 are more likely to notice product placements and be more receptive to them. Sometimes product placements allow companies to bypass regulations and get their products in front of their intended audience. Reasons for increased spending: * Appeal stronger in non-advertising context * Perception of what others think is important * Provides post-purchase reassurance * Reach individuals who place little value on brands . How have in store marketing and point-of-purchase displays evolved into even more effective communications and sales tools? Store marketing point: The in-store shopping experience has a major impact on purchase decisions. It is the â€Å"make or break† time in terms of a decision to purchase a particular brand. In-store advertising seeks to engage customers. The most engaging forms of advertising are end-aisle displays and merchandise displays. The least engaging are ceiling banners and overhead mobiles. Using color, light, sound, taste, and smell increases engagement. Effective point-of-purchase: * Integrate the brand’s image into the display. Integrate the display with current advertising and promotions. * Make the display dramatic to get attention. * Keep the color of the display down so the product and signage stand out. * Make the display versatile so it can be easily adapted by retailers. * Make the display re-usable and easy to assemble. * Make the display easy to stock. * Customize the display to fit the reta iler’s store. 4. How can brand communities enhance brand loyalty and devotion? Brand communities are the ultimate in brand loyalty and brand devotion. It offers symbolic meaning and provides for interaction between the brand, consumers, and companies that participate. People join because they have shared values and experiences.Brand communities cannot be created by brands or companies. It has to be customer driven. But, brands can enhance the community and provide a richer brand community experience. Reasons: People join a brand community as an affirmation of their buying decision. It provides social identity and bond with fellow brand owners. They can swap stores, swap advice and provide help to each other and to new members. It provides a venue for feedback and new ideas. Ways to enhance a brand community: * Create benefits to encourage new customers to join. * Provide materials not available anywhere else. * Involve firm representatives in the groups. * Sponsor special eve nts and regular meetings. Promote communications among members. * Build a strong brand reputation. 5. What methods are used to adapt alternative marketing programs to international marketing efforts? Companies can enhance a brand community. Companies can create benefits for individuals to encourage them to participate and join in the brand community. Materials and items not available to the public can be provided to members. Representatives from the firm can become involved and sponsor events and meetings. They can encourage and provide an avenue for members to communicate with each other. It is also important for the company to continue its strong brand name and maintain its reputation.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Changing social diversity in the United States Essay Example for Free

Changing social diversity in the United States Essay As USA is a land of opportunities, millions of people of different origin have migrated to the country and settled there, thus changing the social and cultural diversity of the nation. Children at the young age face problem as they get exposed to two sets of language and culture at school and home. A massive increase in Hispanic population has increased the importance of Spanish language and more businesses related to Spanish have come up. But this Hispanic population has no difficulty in accepting English as their main language. The uniqueness of the immigration is that everybody wants to get integrated into American mainstream. Changing diversity in USA 3 Changing social diversity in the United States As United States is known as the land of opportunities for many decades, millions of people had migrated to this country since long time. It has been mentioned in the website http://www. sedl. org/pubs/sedletter/v12n02/2. html that the make up of the US population has changed so much over the last three decades that the definition of diversity has itself got transformed in the process. It has also been stated that for the first time in the US census held in 2000, individuals were allowed to tick on more than one race in the form. Due to this change in diversity, cultural and socioeconomic factors are now becoming increasingly important while interacting in the society. The website http://www. naeyc. org/about/positions/pdf/psdiv98. pdf deals with the problem children faces in schools due to increased linguistic and cultural diversities. To quote from the above mentioned website, â€Å"At younger ages, children are negotiating difficult transitions between their home and educational settings, requiring an adaptation to two or more diverse sets of rules, values, expectations, and behaviors. † If the child forgets his home language, it may cause disruption in family communication methods. Thus families are facing increasingly complex responsibilities. The website http://knowledge. allianz. com/en/globalissues/demographic_change/gender_diversity/hispanics_integration_us. html states that there has been a massive growth in Hispanic population in the USA and most of them have accepted English as their main language. But the importance of Spanish is also growing as many newspapers have come up in Spanish and Hispanic related businesses are growing in the United States. Changing diversity in USA 1) Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Recommendations for Effective Early Childhood Education; in National Association for the Education of Young Children adopted November 1995; Retrieved on 13th March 2009 from the website < http://www.naeyc. org/about/positions/pdf/psdiv98. pdf > 2) A Changing Nation: The Impact of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity on Education by Kathleen Trail ; SED letter Volume XII Number 2 December 2000; Retrieved on 13th March 2009 from the website 3) Ethnic Business in a Changing America, Allianz Knowledge Partner site, published on September 11, 2007; Retrieved on 13th March 2009 from the website < http://knowledge. allianz. com/en/globalissues/demographic_change/gender_diversity/hispanics_integration_us. html > Changing social diversity in the United States. (2017, Feb 20). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Friday, September 27, 2019

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles Research Paper

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles - Research Paper Example al areas the access to health care is very limited because many physicians are less likely to practice in the rural areas where APRN’S can readily venture into (Cross & Rimmer, 2002). APRN’s are divided into four main categories having different roles although their educational backgrounds may be the same. These four categories of APRN’S include: the certified registered nurse anesthetist, the certified nurse-midwife, the clinical nurse specialist and the certified nurse practitioner. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The role of a certified registered nurse anesthetist is to provide a full range of clinical services especially the role of administering anesthesia during surgery but these people usually work hand in hand with an anesthesiologist and they are found mostly in operating rooms. In the case of an operation, a CRNA should be aware of the extent of the operation so that they can determine the type of sedation that will be used on the patient. These people also have the responsibility of following up on the patient in order to ensure that these patients recover completely from the effects of sedation. Certified nurse midwives have the role of helping mothers through the process of giving birth as well as giving advice to mothers on how to take good care of the new born babies. They have advanced knowledge that enables them to deal with various complications that occur during pregnancy although their scope of work is only limited to normal deliveries (Chism, 2013). Clinical nurse specialists are the types of nurses who provide services in their area of specialization and due to their strong knowledge base they can be consulted by other registered nurses according to their area of specialization. The varieties of field these nurses can specialize in vary from operating room nurses, oncology nurses or intensive care unit nurses. Nurse practitioner provide generalized health care and do tasks like diagnosis as well as giving

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enforcement of International Law Annotated Bibliography

Enforcement of International Law - Annotated Bibliography Example This is in accord with the power of these judicial bodies to fully enforce the law and impose sanctions among the members States which do not comply faithfully comply with their obligations, such as those contained in the treaty stipulations and multilateral agreements. The modern armed conflicts being faced by these law-enforcement bodies, together with the causes and prevention of conflict among states, conflict resolution and team building are given emphasis to ensure that international laws are strictly implemented. Barker, J. C. (2004). Mechanisms to Create and Support Conventions, Treaties and Other Responses. The Enforcement of International Law. Retrieved on, April 12, 2011, from This online website contains a system of collective enforcement that was designed to ensure that the member States do not need to resort to power and force to implement the laws, except in cases of extreme circumstances of self-defense. The collective enforcement system envisages the role of the UN Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security within the international community. International Law Enforcement Law Reporter. Retrieved on, April 12, 2011, from, . This website is a source of identified and predicted trends in the legislative, administrative, and the case law development dealing with the enforcement of international law. Meaningful discussions are annotated to enable practitioners, policy makers and academics to the website are given reference tools and guidelines to the practice of international law enforcement. It contains information on international organizations and developments in international enforcement law that have not reached the treaty or case law level, such as executive decisions in training and appropriations. Kalshoven, Frits. (2007). Reflections on the War: Collected Essays. The Netherlands. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. This book focuses on the importance of the will of the States in determining whether existing international obligations will be respected in the development and acceptance of new customary or conventional rules of international law, which involves the interest of the member States. The process of decision making of States in question should result in the respect of international obligations and good faith on the part of the decision makers of the international community should work for the common good. Kelsen, H. (2003). Principles of International Law. New Jersey, USA: The LawBook Exchange, Inc. This book presents the international mechanisms which have assisted in the enforcement of international law, such as the power conferred upon each state of taking certain enforcement rights, which have the character of reprisals of limited interference in the sphere of interests of another state , in case certain interests of the former are violated by the latter. It presents that the States also exercise rights of enforcement of State sovereignty where in the interest of the state are threatened by aggression which results in the exercise of self-defense. Thus, international law makes these violations fall under international delicts which have corresponding penalties and sancti ons to serve as a preventive measures in resolving potential conflicts. Kelsen, Hans. (2000 ). The Law of the United Nations. A Critical Analysis of its Fundamental Problems. New Jersey, USA: The LawBook Exchange, Inc. This book is essential to this research as it provides a juristic approach to the problems of the United Nations, which deals with the law of the organization, not with

Impede International Strategy Implementation Essay

Impede International Strategy Implementation - Essay Example The writers undertook a qualitative research in a post-1992 UK University where they carried out 20 interviews from three different departments. The authors have done a critical analysis of issues of strategy implementation in internalization and finally identified critical issues impeding international strategy implementation within a learning institution’s context. The writers have ensured that they contribute to the rich understanding of challenges of higher education internalization and further showed different understanding of critical issues of higher education internalization as well as highlighting specific areas that they feel should be improved. A methodology that was used is a qualitative research where 20 participants from a post-1992 university were selected from key departments. The university that was selected is among the UK universities undertaking higher education internalization but do not have established satellite overseas. The participants were selected based on job responsibilities and their positions where they were divided into the corporate group, the marketing group and the faculty group on 1:1 interview conducted over a period of six months. In addition, a literature review helped in conducting the study and making a conclusion. The selected solutions for the problem that almost all interviewees agreed on included were sufficient allocation of resources, efficient communication and information sharing among various departments, operational processes within home campuses and the satellite branches should be harmonized. Moreover, there was a need of cooperation and coordination.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The nature of perfectly competitive markets Essay

The nature of perfectly competitive markets - Essay Example The paper is objective to present two ways of observing at what the perfect competition mean in terms of neoclassical economics. The very first focus should be on the lack of ability of one agent for affecting prices. This matter can be justified by the fact that one consumer or firm is very small if compared with the entire market and the presence or absence of the firm or consumer does not affect the equilibrium price. The hypothesis of impact of each and every agent on the equilibrium price was done by Aumann in the year of 1964. There are some differences between the approach of Aumann and the normal textbooks (Robert, 1966). The firms or consumers have their own power to decide the prices of their own products but the thing is it does not affect the market. Secondly, the consumers and agents consider the price as their parameters. The results of both the approaches are almost same. Another approach of perfect competition can be achieved in terms of the consumers taking advantage by eliminating the some exchange opportunities that are profitable. The competition in market increases when the arbitrage takes place in market faster. The average market price can be adjusted if the market is more competitive. It also depends on the supply and demand of the products. According to this approach, the meaning of perfect competition is the adjustments occur instantly in perfect ways. Firstly, the notion of the perfect competition needs to be understood. The following properties must be ensured so that a "perfect competition" is possible: many buyers and sellers homogeneous goods full market transparency prevails all market participants are "price taker" market participants have no influence on the price of the goods No transaction costs No taxes free market access In a perfect market, supply equals demand. Thus, there is only one price where the market is cleared. This is called the equilibrium price. On the basis of market transparency, it is not possible to achieve excess profits. This means no profits on the pay related factors (rent, interest, and wages) beyond production. The provider cannot rate any higher price because they would find no buyers and the buyer can not demand a lower price because no company in the market would offer a lower rate. A market consists of potential buyers, who determine what amount of a commodity should be brought into the market (O'Sullivan, 2003). The demand from retailers determines the supply of goods. The market is not tied to a particular place but can be seen as abstract. There are different considerations which are provided in a perfect competition market. The problem with perfect competition markets is that after the companies have entered or left the market, equilibrium sets in. This does not let profits to increase and all the companies involved are stuck in a situation with no improvement. A demand curve can be used to explain this. The following demand curve D shows the relationship between commodi ty prices and the quantity demanded by the consumer. The demand is determined by the price of the goods. Price is on the Y axis and quantity is on the x axis. Law of demand curve states that other things being equal; the demand decreases if the price rises and if the price drops. Thus, the negative demand depends on price. Demand curve refers to a single company, and measures the correlation between output and market price. The demand curve is not only dependent on the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Engineering Disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Disasters - Essay Example Undeniably, engineering knowhow so far has immensely contributed to humanity’s wellbeing in diverse and numerous areas. This has enabled people to execute their tasks with heightened efficiency, speed and even producing varied products meant to support humanity’s survival. Some of these products include drugs, processed foodstuffs, vehicles and aircrafts. The Japanese Fukushima reactor meltdown incidence occurred due to manmade errors and carelessness (Girard 342). This is contrary to numerous claims especially from the government citing that the then coincidental earthquake exacerbated the incidence. According to the experts’ report, the government via its experts failed to utilize new and effective reactor designs. These could have ensured effective coolant regulation in the plant whose location was in a flood prone region. Hence, enable the nuclear plant to withstand the then severe earthquake’s pressure. Besides, the required designs would have prevented the subsequent Tsunami’s force, which severed the Fukushima’s power connections leading to the reactors’ overheating (Girard 342). Overheating led to the melting of reactors, which caused them to dispose their radioactive contents into the environment. This posed a hazard to both the inhabitants and other microorganisms in the region (Girard 342) . Boston’s Big Dig Ceiling Collapse incidence presents another example of a structural failure (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235). The incidence occurred due to engineers’ negligence, whereas the local authorities failed to execute the necessary construction policies. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation report, Powers Fasteners Inc. knowingly supplied fast set epoxy instead of the standard fastening (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235).... knowingly supplied fast set epoxy instead of the standard fastening (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235). Fast set epoxy is a ceiling fastener used for short-term structures, which engineers used at the site despite being aware of the product’s â€Å"creep† and â€Å"deformation† nature (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235). Consequently, this inappropriate and erroneous use of materials prompted the 26 ton suspended ceiling concrete collapse onto a passing car and killing the driver (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235). Besides, in their report NTSB contend the site’s contractors together with their engineers contributed to the structure’s collapsing. Since, they failed to utilize their experience and knowledge to unveil the fastening product type early in advance. Therefore, in this incidence despite the legal authorities claiming Powers Company played a significant role, site’s engineers exhibited negligence and carelessness though not indicted by the law (Harris, Pritchard & Rabins 235). Engineers’ professional misconduct is also evident in the Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse incidence that occurred on 17Th July 1981 (Whitbeck 173). The incidence led to the demise of 114 people besides 200 others sustaining grievous injuries. Before the incidence’s occurrence, people were in a tea party whereas others standing on the two walkways. The two connected walkways collapsed onto the credulous people who were busy enjoying themselves whereas others holding individual conversations (Whitbeck 173). This incidence to date marks the worst structural failure in the US history in terms of human life loss and injuries sustained (Whitbeck 173). The investigators of this incidence cited the

Monday, September 23, 2019

History of selfie & self portrait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of selfie & self portrait - Essay Example In photography history, the ancient and initial portrait of Robert Cornelius taken in 1839 outside his store remains as the first selfie ever photographed. Robert Cornelius portrait taken in Philadelphia remained indispensable in modern studies and development of selfie3. Robert processed his selfies using chemical knowledge and photography techniques. As a renowned photographer and chemist, Robert made his selfie by placing film removed from the lens cap on camera. Robert then waited for a minute before the camera before processing his final picture using chemicals. Robert’s photo remained as the first ever selfie in history. It is imperative to understand that making ancient selfie involved tedious and time-consuming procedures compared to contemporary technology that takes photos at a glance Remarkably, era of selfie developed proportionately with advancements in photography technology and introduction of modern applications. It is imperative that introduction of portable Kodak camera in the market spurred revolution in selfie and international spread of photography. Portable Kodak camera box technology, introduced in 1900 also promoted photographic self-portraiture. It is interesting that portable Kodak camera box technology that hugely spurred selfie development involved use of a mirror and a stabilized camera on tripod stand. In enabling production of clear and admirable selfie, photographers framed viewfinder of the camera on box top. It is imperious that in 1914, Russian Grand Duchess teenage called Anastacia Nikolaevna became the first person to use Kodak Camera box in taking selfie. It is vital that technological advancements in social media spurred development and emergence of modern selfies. Selfie usage first appeared on Flickr in 2004 and later advanced when Myspace established programs for sharing photos within social platforms in 2006. In

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Example for Free

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Reaction Paper Asian and Global Crisis During the Asian and Global Crisis many of the criticisms are against accounting and accountants. In my further readings, I’ve read that during the Asian Crisis in 1997, where affected countries suffered severe setbacks in their economies and where development stagnated, the accountancy profession, including its standards, policies and levels of information disclosures, had played a role in the start of the crisis, and perhaps had even worsened it. Moreover, I’ve also read that during both crises, the Asian Crisis and Global Crisis in 2008, insufficient clarity in what was being measured, the wrong things being measured or things being measured inappropriately, lack of standards, inadequate transparency and poor ethical conduct, in short, poor corporate governance is the main breadth and depth of the crises. As a future accountant, what will I do after all the doubts and criticisms against the profession? In my opinion, sufficient clarity on what to measure, measuring things appropriately, following the applicable standards, adequate transparency and good ethical conduct are the things that I should carry out. It should be clarified in the accountant on what is the thing that he/she should measure. If I’m the accountant I should be knowledgeable on the nature and I should have understood necessary facts about the account when doing measurement or on examining the reasonableness of the measurement method used by the management. In addition, in measuring risks like financial risk, I should use a valid and reliable risk measurement technique because the information that I’ll be giving will be the basis for the management’s decision-making. If I have measured the things incorrectly or a wrong technique has been used, it could be misleading to the decision-making of the management and may cause chaos in the future to the company. In an accounting perspective, applicable generally accepted accounting standards should be used in the accounts of the financials of the company. Strict compliance should be observed so that transactions are properly recorded, summarized, classified and accounted for. Adequate disclosures should also be done. In the auditing perspective, as an auditor, auditing the company should be in accordance with the applicable generally accepted auditing standards. The auditor should be independent so that the opinion will be unbiased. I would like to emphasize that in compliance with the generally accepted auditing standards, the auditor should always take into consideration if the company provided adequate disclosures. Disclosure on significant matters is really important for the users who don’t have enough information regarding the matter will be informed. However, I have read in an article that there is also a lack of standards that also caused the hitch on crises. Regarding the lack of standards, I think it is already in the hands of the appropriate groups with authorities. Accountants need to refocus the structuring of financial transactions so that they comply with generally accepted accounting principles and that the economic substance of financial transactions is communicated. More accountability and ethical awareness needs to be instilled in the individuals who deceitfully structure financial transactions. Regulatory bodies need to ensure more transparency by closing loopholes and better enforcement of accounting standards. Audit committees, need to be sure that a company is communicating the true economic reality of the financial transactions and financial position of the business entity. Off-balance-sheet financing is one of the most significant ways, among others, that the user of financial statements can be misled. It is time for regulatory bodies to eliminate overly rules-based standards, clearly state the economic objective of each standard, and require firms to disclose the economic motivations for the accounting practices they adopt. While making judgment accountants need to be cautious and prudent. Accounting transactions and other events are sometimes uncertain but in order to be relevant it should be reported in time. Accountants have to make estimates requiring judgment to counter the uncertainty. Prudence is a key accounting principle which makes sure that assets and income are not overstated and liabilities and expenses are not understated. The bottom-line for all of these is to have good corporate governance. As defined by Robert M. Bushman, corporate governance structures serve: 1) to ensure that minority shareholders receive reliable information about the value of firms and that a company’s managers and large shareholders do not cheat them out of the value of their investments, and 2) to motivate managers to maximize firm value instead of pursuing personal objectives. I believe that all of the things I have mentioned are some of the keys that can help me as a future accountant in dealing the reality and to get out of all the doubts against the accounting profession.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Analysis Of The Pepsi International Strategy

Analysis Of The Pepsi International Strategy PespiCo is facing price hike issue in Saudi Arabia; it is hurting its further expansion in soft drink industry. PepsiCo requested ministry of economy of UAE to approve a price hike for their products in the country. But ministry said Government will send it to the higher committee of consumer protection association for approval. Reasons For Expanding To Foreign Markets: Coca-Cola, the major competitor of Pepsi has been exiled from the desert kingdom. Because of this, Pepsi expanded into Arab Countries has an 80% share of the $1 billion Saudi soft-drink market. Saudi Arabia is the third largest foreign market of Pepsi, after Mexico and Canada. In 1993, about 7% of Pepsi-Cola Internationals sales came from Saudi Arabia. The environment in Saudi Arabia makes the country very favorable to soft-drink sales because alcohol is banned climate is very hot and dry. Mode of Expansion: Pepsi uses franchise system for international expansion. Sources of Competitive Advantage: PepsiCo has competitive advantage in terms of worldwide distribution the company is able to produce all its products in the country where they are consumed. Pepsi has a competitive advantage over Coke because of its brand image good word of mouth. Pepsi promotes itself as the number one choice of the Next Generation. Government Policies: Currently a 50 percent rise in Pepsi prices in Saudi has angered customers and provoked the kingdoms government to call on more than 30 soft drink companies to hold off on further price hikes. Pepsi increased the price of a can to 1.50 riyals $0.40 from 1 riyal.it. Saudi Consumer Protection Association investigated the sudden unjustified price hike, the Saudi Gazette reported that official permission should be granted to soft drink firms before they are allowed to increase prices and price rise should not be more than 10 percent. PEST Analysis Political Influences: Many PepsiCo products are subject to different federal laws due to their manufacturing, distribution use, such as the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act ad the Americans with Disabilities. The international ventures are subject to the Government stability and businesses are subjected to different taxation policies in each consumer country. Economic Influences: PepsiCo relies on trucks to move products so fuel is an important subject fuel prices matters. The economic impact of foreign exchange rates movements on them is complex because such changes are often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions, etc. PepsiCo is also subjected to other economical factors like money supply, energy availability, cost and business cycles. Socio-Cultural Influences: Pepsi is subject to the lifestyle changes, so it bases her advertising campaigns in people with special lifestyle. For that PepsiCo has to pay special attention on lifestyle changes. It has to be very careful with the possible problems with the governments and those which could rise from PepsiCo act with the people of KSA. Technological Influences: PepsiCo is exposed to new manufacturing techniques, for its three business units, snack food, juices and soft drinks. It has to pay attention while adopting flexible advanced distribution techniques. PORTER 5 FORCES Analysis 1. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants in the industry is small yet substantial. This is because there are already four players in the market other then Pepsi itself. 2. Threat of Substitute Products: Currently, the threat of new viable competitors in the carbonated soft drink industry is not very substantial. Possible substitutes that continuously put pressure on Pepsi include tea, coffee, juices, milk, and hot chocolate. 3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of the suppliers tends to be low according to the recent analysis. PepsiCo needs to manage its relationships carefully with the bottling units in order to make changes in its way to market the local retailers. 4. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Here the concern is how to increase market share and retain its current customer because customer always try to optimize benefit. The buying power of consumers also poses a key threat in the industry. Moreover consumers can simply switch to other beverages with little cost or importance. 5. Rivalry Among Competitors: Pepsi has 48.9% share of market it is situated in an environment that is ever changing and dynamic because coca cola is holding 30.9% share Cadbury Schweppes 8%. The local brands are also in the market to compete Pepsi. These brands are Mecca cola holding 0.5% market share and 0.6% Zamzam cola. SWOT Analysis 1.Internal Attributes(Strengths Weaknesses) Pepsi has strong worldwide distribution system. But it is poorer in its fountain drink division. The ownership in fast food restaurants has always been challenging for Pepsi. The Coca Cola has been in the top position for fountain beverages because of their ownership in famous fast-food restaurants. 2.External Attributes(Opportunities Threats) External influences that are affect planning include the actions of competitors, and a series of social, legal, economic, and technological factors. An effective plan therefore needs to be designed to take account of the external environment threats. In addition to its large consumer base, Saudi Arabia has some of the regions biggest athletic clubs, most passionate sports fans, and has a growing population of athletes and active people. When PepsiCo started its own Pepsi Bottling Company, it allowed them to cut costs, reduce overhead, and coordinate their distribution to create a better synergy. Critical Issues or Barriers: Pepsi can serve the 90% market but problem is the bottling of the drink. War crisis between Palestine and Israel is bringing hate against Pepsi that why USA is not interest in resolving the issue As Pepsi is US product and these days US and foreign products are campaigned not to be used to show rage against non-Muslim acts. Due to recent oil prices increase, there is international factor of inflation and on the other hand Pepsi is cheaper in KSA compared to other countries, so Pepsi is facing problem to maintain the profits. Since employers in KSA are required to give their employees time to pray toward Mecca five times per day, as set forth in the Koran, break times caused additional operating cost. Health and stomach diseases due to over use. Obesity problem which is becoming common in Saudis. Rumors of Haram ingredients. The tough competition is carried out through packaging as well as price. Recommendations: Pepsi is being forced to re-examine their strategic models, based on carbonated soft drinks and move to new beverage categories. Heavy investmentment in risky innovations may be suggested in order to transfer resources from other brands. Pepsi spends 15% of overall budget on advertising and marketing to be no.1 in the consumer sight. Pepsi should use all media vehicles to attract consumers. Conclusion: Consumers want to buy soft drinks delivered at convenient locations with the right package. Pepsi have to make sure that the market keeps growing annually, and that company products are available everywhere. Pepsi has won the International Quality Award and Bottlers of the year Award, so the company feels quite optimistic. Although difficult challenges lay ahead, yet to exploit opportunities through the implementation of an effective and comprehensive marketing plan 2009. Appendix:

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Chamber Essays -- essays research papers

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chamber starts off with Sam Cayhall and Rollie Wedge planting a bomb in Marvin Kramer’s office. Marvin’s is a Jewish activist leader during the civil rights movement, and both Sam and Rollie are members of the Ku Klux Klan. The bomb goes off, killing both of Marvin’s young children and leaving Marvin as an amputee. The bomb’s publicity destroys the small town of Greenville, Mississippi. Time goes on towards Adam Hall, Sam’s grandson. Adam’s father kills himself in 1980 when he was only 16. This leaves a big void in Adam’s life and creates a hunger for family in his life. However, he goes on to study law at Harvard following his undergraduate degree from Michigan. Adam begs his firm, Kravitz and Bane, to let him take on his grandfather’s case as a pro-bono case. The firm reluctantly lets him because they believe that it will create positive publicity for their firm. Adam goes to live with his best friend, his Aunt Lee in Memphis. Adam then meets his notorious grandfather, Sam Cayhall, on death row. Adam discovers how wretched and mean Sam is, but still is determined to save his life. Along the way Adam meets friends and various enemies. He meets a friend in: Sergeant Packer, Nora Stark, and Garner Goodman. He meets enemies in: Lucas Mann, Governor McAllister, and Colonel Nugent. Adam berates Sam with questions trying to discover new evidence on the case to help his appeals. His Aunt Lee helps by telling family secrets and past stories tha...

Bullying in our Schools Essay -- Violence Education Bullies Essays

Bullying in our Schools Bullies are an inextricable element of classroom culture, and they have been since long before it occurred to an educational expert to author a study about them. For a long time, the attitude toward bullying was that it is simply a natural part of the school experience – with so many children together, some would say it is unavoidable – but that it was mostly harmless and that the children would grow out of it. The events of April 20th, 1999 demonstrated just how dangerous that way of thinking was. Every American remembers the shooting that occurred that day at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO; Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire on their classmates, thirteen of whom died of their injuries. Although the mass media jumped to blame the tragedy on violent video games and music, most local sources mentioned that Harris and Klebold had constantly been the victims of bullies, some of whom were among the deceased. The media quickly picked up the trail and led with their new story: victims of bullying had brutally fought back against their tormentors. Appropriately, there was a national outcry; parents demanded to know what could be done to prevent â€Å"another Columbine† from happening in their children’s schools. Experts testified on national television, discussing what needed to be done to rectify the situation. The dialogue eventually closed, and, as it often goes, schools maintained the status quo. When the outrage died down, the pressure was lifted from schools’ shoulders, and their impetus to affect change was removed. Pressure must be reapplied to accomplish this necessary goal of reducing (if not eliminating) bullying in our school system. ... ...he elimination of bullying in our schools should be a prominent nationwide goal. Not only does it generally inhibit the performance of victims, but it also can have much more explosive, pernicious effects, such as the Columbine massacre of 1999. It should be the priority of educators everywhere to do whatever they can to ensure the safety and academic success of our students, and one of the first necessary steps in that uphill battle is to educate them in how to protect themselves from bullies. Until we as a society have done this, our main duty to our students, our children, will remain unfulfilled. WORKS CITED â€Å"Columbine High School massacre." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre Ingram, Scott. â€Å"Why Bullies Behave Badly.† Current Health Nov 2000. 20-1. Nudo, Lori. â€Å"Fighting the Real Bullies.† Prevention Nov 2004. 123-4.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Growing Up in Apple Valley :: essays papers

Growing Up in Apple Valley Growing up in Apple Valley is an indelible experience not too many people go through. Every time I say I’m from Apple Valley people always don’t know where Apple Valley is. I usually say that it is off the Interstate 15 freeway, like you are heading to Las Vegas, right next to Victorville. Then they finally realized that they have heard of Apple Valley. It is very indecipherable to say exactly where Apple Valley is. People constantly think that Apple Valley is simply a big desert and there are only poor quality people who live there. The truth is Apple Valley is a very beautiful place to live. Apple Valley has some imperfect parts of the town and there are its good parts. I feel that the good parts overcome the bad parts. I have seen a lot of other cities that are much worse and they still have a well-rounded reputation. For instance, the High Deserts biggest city, Victorville. Victorville has much more crime than Apple Valley, much more pollution, and many more troublesome citizens. Victorville also has a lot more traffic on their streets because there are so many more people. Apple Valley has about two-thirds the amount of population Victorville has and with that comes less traffic on the roads. Less traffic on the roads means less smog pollution, less traffic accidents, less paramedic’s the city has to hire, and less the city had to pay out towards medical response. Most cities want to save money so they might be able to spend more money on the city or even cut some taxes. The less smog pollution is a really pleasant factor that comes with living in Apple Valley. It is nice to know that you are breathing in fresh air, not air that is dirty and full of pollution. Apple Valley really doesn’t have much to do for kids and teenagers. That is probably one of the main complaints about Apple Valley. The way I see the situation is you can always drive somewhere and the fun really isn’t that long of a drive away.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Project Budget Paper Essay

The project for the company offsite 2 day training session has given a preliminary go-ahead. The budget of the project will determine any important factors that will impact the training project. The company of AER has given the opportunity for all workers to get the training required. The budget of the 2-day training session project will recover any expenses that occur before the initiation, during processes, and until completion of the project. Resources The first step of the project is to develop a budget. The budget management process involves the project manager in developing all the cost, estimates, and the total amount of money resources necessary for the implementation of all the activities. All the tasks and events are defined and stated in the WBS and Schedule in the lower section of the memorandum. Budget Development Budget development should cover the capital, and the operating expenses to ensure the success of the project completion. The project manager needs to gather all the funding requirements and then send a formal request to the sponsor. The sponsor needs to look first in the feasibility study, business case, and project charter before making any final decision. For developing a budget project sheet, there are a few estimation methods, like the cost baseline measurement, and the cost aggregation. The budget development is  the initiation of the project that will measure all the tasks with cost and time. The process will be evaluated with decisions of the participants. The milestones reflected in the document will be also revised by the specialist of the cause and utilized for further interruptions. Budget Use The next step of the budget is to allocate the financial resources and start running the plan of the budget. The project manager has to control and track the budget resources to make sure the task is performed with necessary funding. Also the project manager has to make sure that there is no lack of money for the implementation of the entire project. We need to develop an investment plan to track and control the budget for better results. This document will include justifications and approvals for necessary items and services. The investment plan will support the project with any acquisition. After it gets completed, the project manager will have sent the investment approval request to all the stakeholders. Budget Measurements and estimates This phase of the project is the most important because it has to be appropriately done with cost performances. The project manager has to work with performance data, like deliverables, and cost-schedule estimates. Developing the budget analysis, and performance reviews will help conduct the project in the right direction. In this step we will compare the current cost performance against the planned amount of financial resources discussed in the project budget. In case of any deviations, it is necessary to make formal changes request to modify the budget with approvals. Budget Updating After all the changes have been done, the project manager can proceed with the update of the budget plan sheet to make any deviations, or changes to the original break down structure of financial resources. In the update, we can make changes to the cost estimates, cost performance, resource activity estimates, and the cost management plan. References My management guide. (2010-2014). Retrieved from http://www.mymanagementguide.com/project-budget-and-financial-resources/ Project Management Docs. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.projectmanagementdocs.com/project-planning-templates/work-breakdown-structure-wbs.html

Monday, September 16, 2019

A Christmas Carol (English Coursework)

During 1843 Charles Dickens wrote a novel ‘A Christmas Carol'. The novel was influences by the experience Charles Dickens had of the social divide of the rich and the poor during the Victorian times. Charles Dickens had a terrible childhood, his family spent several years in increasing poverty. Dickens was sent to work long hours in a blacking factory. This was because his father was imprisoned for debt in 1824. Dickens spent ten hours a day sticking labels on pots of boot blacking. His life was miserable and he was determined to improve the quality of his and those of other poor people. Crime rates increased dramatically due to poverty and destitution. The memories of these hard times haunted dickens for the rest of his life. He felt bad about the neglect of the poor. In a lot of his work he describes the issues with poverty and the social and physical conditions of Victorian London. He compares these conditions to the wealthy, luxurious lifestyles of the upper class to bring awareness of the disgusting standards of living at the lower end of society, so that everyone could be educated on this subject, he even gave public reading of his own work. London's industrial age helped the UK to become rich and successful. However, this era had affected the country physically, socially, and culturally, because of the establishment of the factory system. Many people began moving to cities in search of a secure job, this lead to a huge growth in the population. This caused there to be three times more people living in Great Britain at the end of the century than the beginning. The overcrowding resulted in conditions that were dangerous and caused an increase in crime and poverty. In London the river Thames was full of sewage and the air was full of soot and pollution. Young children and adults were forced to work 14 hours a day and were paid rock bottom wages even though they were working in life threatening conditions. The poor had no jobs, not enough food and had a low life expectancy of twenty nine. This was because most people in the bottom end of society were malnourished which was caused by starvation they also couldn't afford healthcare. However, the higher classes made increasing profits at the expense of the poor. The rich took advantage of the poor by forcing them to work long hours in life threatening conditions for little pay. The rich thought the poor were poor because they were lazy and couldn't be bothered to do anything. At the beginning of the novel the reader is immediately given a negative impression of scrooge being a stingy old man. Dickens emphasises the point by describing Scrooge with many words that all mean nearly the same: â€Å"Oh but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! This is effective in showing the reader that his desire for money comes before anything else. It shows that his number one priority is making as much profit as possible. This makes the reader get the impression that Scrooge is extremely horrible and greedy. When Dickens uses weather to describe Scrooge he makes him sound as horrible as possible, a man who has no feelings. â€Å"External heat and cold has little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. † Dickens suggests that no weather has an affect on him whether it's cold or hot. Scrooge is much too cold hearted to be affected by anything or anyone, no matter what time of year. Scrooge is presented as being unattractive and having no emotions. â€Å"The cold within him froze his old features,† this makes the reader think the cold from inside him has made him ugly on the outside. This description of Scrooge is made even more unpleasant when it is compared to that of Scrooges cheerful nephew. When Scrooges nephew, Fred comes to wish Scrooge a merry Christmas Scrooge replies by saying, â€Å"what reason do you have to be merry? This shows the reader that Scrooge has no respect for his nephew. It is also ironic as he thinks no poor person has anything to be merry about, But he is rich and miserable. He, like many of the rich at that time believed the poor are poor because they are lazy. When two men come to Scrooge to ask for money to give to charity he replies, â€Å"I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry. † This shows that scrooge is hard-hearted and doesn't see the poor as people but sees them as a problem. Scrooge thinks that the poor should be left to die to decrease the population as there was overcrowding in London at the time this novel was written. ‘If they would rather die' Said Scrooge, ‘they had better do it, ‘and decrease the surplus population. The miserable and gloomy mood of Scrooge is further emphasised by Dickens use of pathetic fallacy. â€Å"The fog comes pouring in at every chink and keyhole†¦ â€Å"The houses opposite were mere phantoms. † The use of pathetic fallacy creates a dull atmosphere which matches the atmosphere created by Scrooge. The use of the word ‘Phantoms' creates an even spookier atmosphere. It is almost as if what ever Scrooge is feeling he will make the same atmosphere and weather as he is feeling. In stave three Dickens describes the Market Place and the poor part of town: both give a different impression to the reader. â€Å"There were great round potbellied baskets of chest nuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentleman,† By Dickens using this simile it makes the reader think of father Christmas because he is often described as being happy and joyful. This is effective in showing that people don't have to be rich to be joyful. This description of the market place is made even more cheerful when compared to the miserable and unpleasant, poor part of town which is shown to be a depressing and disheartening place to live. The description of the poor part of town is shown as being even more unattractive, â€Å"The people half naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly. † The comparison between the cheerful market place and the poor part of town is really important because it shows how the rich people live and how depressing the lives of poor people are. This is effective in showing people how lucky they are compared to the poor people's lifestyles. Victorian society is reflected as being greedy and non-caring and also shows the massive social divide between the rich and the poor. By the end of the novel Scrooge has completely transformed from being a bitter and miserable old sinner into a more cheerful and energetic youthful man. He used to be, â€Å"A squeezing, wrenching, clutching, covetous, old sinner! † whereas at the end of the novel he describes himself as, â€Å"I am as light as a feather. I am as happy as a school boy, I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! † This description of Scrooge shows that he is no longer a grumpy old man and now has changed into a much more youthful and jolly man. He no longer thinks that he is better than all poor people and that poor people can't be merry. In this section of the novel there is a lot of exclamation marks and short sentences used to show that he is peaking excitedly, this enhances the fact that he is in a happy and enthusiastic mood. This use of short sentences and exclamation marks almost makes Scrooge sound younger. In my opinion ‘A Christmas Carol' is really effective in informing the reader of the social divide between the rich and the poor during Victorian times. I think that the book would have been good at informing the rich about the appalling living standards of the poor par of town. There was no other way for the rich people to find out about this because they had never been to this part of the town. I think that Charles Dickens was trying to make everyone aware of the poverty and overcrowding the poor people were going through, he was emotionally attached because he had been through this for most of his childhood and early adulthood.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Child Marriage: Reasons and Consequences Essay

Acknowledgement I am highly indebted to my Professor who gave me such an interesting project and who helped me in every way possible to complete the project. I owe my deepest sense of gratitude to my parents who influenced me and helped me to complete this project. I would also like to thank the library staff who helped me finding the reference texts. Introduction Child marriage in India, according to Indian law, is a marriage where either the woman is below age 18 or the man is below age 21. Most child marriages involve underage women, many of whom are in poor socio-economic conditions. Child marriages are prevalent in India. Estimates vary widely between sources as to the extent and scale of child marriages. The International Centre for Research on Women-UNICEF publications have estimated India’s child marriage rate to be 47% from small sample surveys of 1998, while the United Nations reports it to be 30% in 2005. The Census of India has counted and reported married women by age, with proportion of females in child marriage falling in each 10 year census period since 1981. In its 2001 census report, India stated zero married girls below age 10, 1.4 million married girls out of 59.2 million girls in the age 10-14, and 11.3 million married girls out of 46.3 million girls in the age 15-19 (which includes 18-19 age groups). Since 2001, child marriage rates in India have fallen another 46%, reaching an overall nationwide average 7% child marriage rates by 2009. Jharkhand is the state with highest child marriage rates in  India (14.1%), while Kerala is the only state where child marriage rates have increased in recent years, particularly in its Muslim community. Rural rates of child marriages were three times higher than urban India rates in 2009. Child marriage was outlawed in 1929, under Indian law. However, in the British colonial times, the legal minimum age of marriage was set at 15 for girls and 18 for boys. Under protests from Muslim organizations in the undivided British India, a personal law Shariat Act was passed in 1937 that allowed child marriages with consent from girl’s guardian. After independence and adoption of Indian constitution in 1950, the child marriage act has undergone several revisions. The minimum legal age for marriage, since 1978, has been 18 for women and 21 for men. The child marriage prevention laws have been challenged in Indian courts, with some Muslim Indian organizations seeking no minimum age and that the age matter is left to their personal law. Child marriage is an active political subject as well as a subject of continuing cases under review in the highest courts of India. The children are forced into the institution of marriage without knowing about its significance in the long run. Though parents are of the opinion that they involve their children in such rituals because it is an age old custom and it will also secure the future of their children but the reality is not so. Though in some cases parents believe in such superstitions and dogmas in other cases greed is the most significant factor. How can a girl’s future become secured if she gets married to a man who is 60 years of age while the girl herself is barely 14 or 15? Only their parent’s future will be secured with the amount of money the man and his family pay in return of the girl. This heinous crime cannot be termed as marriage it is simply selling of the girl child. The man will molest her at a tender age and at the same time he will kiss death pretty soon. The girl will end up being so horrified with the custom of marriage that she will dare not enter the institution again. A whole future filled with frustration and anger will result thereby. The sad news is that the institution of child marriage is still present in India in a number of villages and districts. Though the government has taken strict actions and child marriage has been declared as a big crime, still this practise is prevalent till today. Definition of child marriage India The definition of child marriage was last updated by India with its The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006, which applies only (a) to Hindus, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and those who are non-Muslims of India, and (b) outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir. For Muslims of India, child marriage definition and regulations based on Sharia and Nikah has been claimed as a personal law subject. For all others, The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 defines â€Å"child marriage† means a marriage, or a marriage about to be solemnized, to which either of the contracting parties is a child; and child for purposes of marriage is defined based on gender of the person – if a male, it is 21 years of age, and if a female, 18 years of age. World UNICEF defines child marriage as a formal marriage or informal union before 18 years of age. UN Women has proposed that child marriage be defined as a forced marriage because they believe children under age 18 are incapable of giving a legally valid consent. Statistics The small sample surveys have different methods of estimating overall child marriages in India, some using multi-year basis data. For example, NFHS-3 data for 2005 mentioned in above table, used a survey of women aged 20–24, where they were asked if they were married before they were 18. The NFHS-3 also surveyed older women, up to the age of 49, asking the same question. The survey found that many more 40-49 were married before they turned 18, than 20-24 age women who were interviewed. In 1970s, the minimum legal age of marriage, in India, for women was 15. The states with highest observed marriage rates for under-18 girls in 2009, according to a Registrar General of India report, were Jharkhand (14.1%), West Bengal (13.6%), Bihar (9.3%), Uttar Pradesh (8.9%) and Assam (8.8%). According to this report, despite sharp reductions in child marriage rates since 1991, still 7% of women passing the age of 18 in India were married as of 2009. UNICEF India has played a significant role in highlighting the Indian child marriage rate prevalence data from its 1990s study. According to 2011 nationwide census of India, the average age of marriage for women in India is 21. In the age group 15-19, 69.6% of all women surveyed in India had never been married. WHY DOES CHILD MARRIAGE HAPPEN? (Reasons) Tradition: Child marriage is a traditional practice that in many places happens simply because it has happened for generations – and straying from tradition could mean exclusion from the community. In study sites, pressure to abide by  societal norms was also cited as a reason for the persistence of early marriage. While these norms were clearly internalized by parents, neighbours and others in the community also exerted overt pressure on parents to get their daughters married at a young age. Such pressure included enquiring from parents why they were not getting their daughters married, passing unpleasant comments about the unmarried girl and her parents or bringing them proposals for marriage. But as Graà §a Machel, widow of Nelson Mandela, says, traditions are made by people – we can change them. Institution of patriarchy In many communities where child marriage is practised, girls are not valued as much as boys – they are seen as a burden. The challenge will be to change parents’ attitudes and emphasise that girls who avoid early marriage and stay in school will likely be able to make a greater contribution to their family and their community in the long term. It is important to view the phenomenon of child marriage within the context of patriarchy. â€Å"Patriarchy has a strong hold on Indian Society. It operates at all levels on the basis of sex, age and caste and contributes in lowering the status of women in every possible manner. Stratification and differentiation on the basis of gender are integral features of Patriarchy in India† Gender differences are reflected in the sexual division of labour between the productive and reproductive activities. The collective effect of patriarchy reinforces the subordination of women in the name of care, protection and welfare and makes them dependent on men throughout their lives. Child marriages for women, comparative seniority of husbands, and patrilocal residence upon marriage are thus the attributes of the patriarchal institution. Poverty (Dowry & economic determinants) Where poverty is acute, giving a daughter in marriage allows parents to reduce family expenses by ensuring they have one less person to feed, clothe and educate. In communities where a dowry or ‘bride price’ is paid, it is often welcome income for poor families; in those where the bride’s family pay the groom a dowry, they often have to pay less money if the bride is young and uneducated. Apart from religious considerations, the other reason for child marriages among the higher caste is dowry. Traditionally, dowry  was not prevalent among lower castes, most of whom followed the opposite custom of bride price. Most Brahmans also did not practice dowry, but in recent years this custom has extended itself among both higher and some lower castes. Even non-Hindu communities have not escaped from its evil influence. â€Å"It has been found that quantum of dowry increases with the age and educational level of the perspective brides. Some upper castes parents prefer to keep their daughters uneducated and marry them off young to avoid heavy dowry demand† Parents who are poor and have more than one daughter often arrange the marriage of all their daughters collectively, in one ceremony, to reduce marriage costs. To avoid more expenditure by marrying her at a later age, parents prefer to marry her off at an earlier age. Therefore, the system of dowry perpetuates child marriages. Security: Many parents marry off their daughters young because they feel it is in her best interest, often to ensure her safety in areas where girls are at high risk of physical or sexual assault. Parents of a child entering into a child marriage are often poor and use the marriage as a way to make her future better, especially in areas with little economic opportunities. Dowry is a practice in India where the bride’s family transfers wealth to the groom; in many cases, it is a demand and condition of marriage from the groom’s family. Dowry is found among all religious faiths in India, and the amount of dowry demanded and given by the bride’s family has been correlated to the age of girl. Nagi, in 1993, suggested that the practice of dowry creates a fear and pressure to avoid late marriages, and encourages early marriage. Poverty in India has been cited as a cause of early marriages. Child marriages of girls are a way out of desperate economic conditions, and way to reduce the expenses of a poor family. In some parts of India, the existence of personal laws for Muslims is a cause of child marriages. For example, in Kerala, 3400 girls of 13-18 ages were married in 2012 in the district of Malappuram. Of these, 2800 were Muslim (82%). Efforts to stop this practice with law enforcement have been protested and challenged in courts by Indian Union Muslim League and other Islamic organizations, with the petition that setting a minimum age for marriage of Muslim girls challenges their religious rights. What is the impact of Child Marriage? (Consequences) Child marriage has lasting consequences on girls, which last well beyond adolescence. Women married in their teens or earlier, struggle with the health effects of getting pregnant too young and too often. Early marriages followed by teen pregnancy also significantly increase birth complications and social isolation. In poor countries, early pregnancy limits or eliminates their education options. This affects their economic independence. Girls in child marriages are more likely to suffer from domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and marital rape. EDUCATION Child marriage often means the end of education for girls. It is closely linked to girls dropping out of school, denying children their right to the education they need for their personal development, their preparation for adulthood, and their ability to contribute to their family and community. Out of school and in marriage, child brides are denied the ability to learn the skills that could help them earn an income and lift them and their children out of poverty. Married girls who would like to continue schooling may be both practically and legally excluded from doing so. Child marriage is a major barrier to progress on girls’ education. Over sixty per cent of child brides in developing countries have had no formal education. Many girls aren’t in education because schools are inaccessible or expensive, because of the traditional role girls are expected to play in the household, or simply because parents don’t see the value of education for their daughters. Child marriage and a lack of education for girls are both underpinned by girls’ low status. Little or no schooling strongly correlates with being married at a young age. Conversely, attending school and having higher levels of education protect girls from the possibility of early marriage. In many countries, educating girls often is less of a priority than educating boys. When a woman’s most important role is considered to be that of a wife, mother and homemaker, schooling girls and preparing them for the jobs may be given short shrift. And even when poor families want to send their daughters to school, they often lack access to nearby, quality schools and the ability to pay school fees. It is usually safer and economically more rewarding to spend limited resources on educating sons than daughters.  This boxes families into early marriage as the only viable option for girls. HEALTH Child marriage can have devastating consequences for a girl’s health. It encourages the initiation of sexual activity at an age when girls’ bodies are still developing and when they know little about their sexual and reproductive health. Neither physically or emotionally ready to give birth, child brides face higher risk of death in childbirth and are particularly vulnerable to pregnancy-related injuries such as obstetric fistula. It is extremely difficult for child brides to assert their wishes and needs to their usually older husbands, particularly when it comes to negotiating safe sexual practices and the use of family planning methods. Child brides often face intense social pressure to prove their fertility. When a girl marries as a child, the health of her children suffers too. The children of child brides are at substantially greater risk of perinatal infant mortality and morbidity, and stillbirths and new-born deaths are 50% higher in mothers younger than 20 years than in women who give birth later. There is little doubt that reducing child marriage will help to ensure more children survive into adulthood. POVERTY Poverty is one of the main drivers of child marriage. Child brides are more likely to be poor and to remain poor. Where poverty is acute, giving a daughter in marriage allows parents to reduce family expenses by ensuring they have one less person to feed, clothe and educate. In communities where economic transactions are integral to the marriage process, a dowry or ‘bride price’ is often welcome income for poor families. Child marriage traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty. Girls who marry young do not receive the educational and economic opportunities that help lift them and their families out of poverty and their children are more likely to undergo the same fate. Domestic violence Married teenage girls with low levels of education suffer greater risk of social isolation, domestic violence and sexual violence from their spouses, than more educated women who marry as adults. Domestic and sexual violence from their husbands has lifelong, devastating mental health consequences for  young girls because they are at a formative stage of psychological development. Child brides, particularly in situations such as vani, also face social isolation, emotional abuse and discrimination in the homes of their husbands and in-laws. Women’s rights Child marriages impact a range of women’s rights such as access to education, freedom of movement, freedom from violence, reproductive rights, and the right to consensual marriage. The consequence of these violations impacts not only the woman, but her children and broader society. Trafficking and sale of girls Child marriage also results in the trafficking of children for various purposes, including prostitution, labour and exploitation. Young girls are lured/forced into marriage for the purpose of selling them to other states. Rajib Haldar, Secretary, Prayas, says: ‘Trafficking of married girls’ is rampant in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and even Kerala.†. Also, a survey of victims of trafficking revealed that 71.8 per cent of the respondents were married when they were children (i.e., when they were less than 18 years of age). This suggests that child marriage is among the key factors that make women and children vulnerable to trafficking Laws against child marriage The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 The Child Marriage Restraint Act, also called the Sarda Act, was a law to restrict the practice of child marriage. It was enacted on 1 April 1930, extended across the whole nation, with the exceptions of the states of Jammu and Kashmir, and applied to every Indian citizen. Its goal was to eliminate the dangers placed on young girls who could not handle the stress of married life and avoid early deaths. This Act defined a male child as 21 years or younger, a female child as 18 years or younger, and a minor as a child of either sex 18 years or younger. The punishment for a male between 18 and 21 years marrying a child became imprisonment of up to 15 days, a fine of 1,000 rupees, or both. The punishment for a male above 21 years of age became imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine. The punishment for anyone who performed or directed a child marriage ceremony became  imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine, unless he could prove the marriage he performed was not a child marriage. The punishment for a parent or guardian of a child taking place in the marriage became imprisonment of up to three months or a possible fine. It was amended in 1940 and 1978 to continue rising the ages of male and female children. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 In response to the plea (Writ Petition (C) 212/2003) of the Forum for Fact-finding Documentation and Advocacy at the Supreme Court, the Government of India brought the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) in 2006, and it came into effect on 1 November 2007 to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. The change in name was meant to reflect the prevention and prohibition of child marriage, rather than restraining it. The previous Act also made it difficult and time consuming to act against child marriages and did not focus on authorities as possible figures for preventing the marriages. This Act kept the ages of adult males and females the same but made some significant changes to further protect the children. Boys and girls forced into child marriages as minors have the option of voiding their marriage up to two years after reaching adulthood, and in certain circumstances, marriages of minors can be null and void before they reach adulthood. All valuables, money, and gifts must be returned if the marriage is nullified, and the girl must be provided with a place of residency until she marries or becomes an adult. Children born from child marriages are considered legitimate, and the courts are expected to give parental custody with the children’s best interests in mind. Any male over 18 years of age who enters into a marriage with a minor or anyone who directs or conducts a child marriage ceremony can be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or a fine. Applicability Muslim organizations of India have long argued that Indian laws, passed by its parliament, such as the 2006 child marriage law do not apply to Muslims, because marriage is a personal law subject. The Delhi High Court, as well as other state high courts of India, have disagreed. The Delhi Court, for example, ruled that Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 overrides all personal laws and governs each and every citizen of India. The ruling stated  that an under-age marriage, where either the man or woman is over 16 years old, would not be a void marriage but voidable one, which would become valid if no steps are taken by such court has option to order otherwise. In case either of the parties is less than 16 years old, the marriage is void, given the age of consent is 16 in India, sex with minors under the age of 16 is a statutory crime under Section 376 of Indian Penal Code. Legal Action on Legal Confusion There is a standing legal confusion as to Marital Rape within prohibited Child Marriages in India. Marital rape per se is not a crime in India; but the position with regard to children is confusing. While the exception under the criminal law (section 375, Indian Penal Code, 1860) applicable to adults puts an exception and allows marital rape of a girl child between the age of 15–18 years by her husband; another new and progressive legislation Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 disallows any such sexual relationships and puts such crimes with marriages as an aggravated offense. A Public Interest Litigation filled by Independent Thought – www.ithought.in an organization working on child rights law, is being heard in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for declaring the exception allowing marital rape within prohibited child marriages as unconstitutional; Independent Thought vs. Union of India [W.P(civil) 382 of 2013]. CEDAW The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, commonly known as CEDAW, is an international bill attempting to end discrimination against women. Article 16, Marriage and Family Life, states that all women, as well as men, have the right to choose their spouse, to have the same responsibilities, and to decide on how many children and the spacing between them. This convention states that child marriage should not have a legal effect, all action must be taken to enforce a minimum age, and that all marriages must be put into an official registry. India signed the convention on 30 July 1980 but made the declaration that, because of the nation’s size and amount of people, it’s impractical to have a registration of marriages. Conclusion Child marriage is an age old practice that is still prevalent in India, especially in the state of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana till today. The development and modernization of India and with the implementation of the strict rules of marriageable age to be 18 for girls and 21 for boys has resulted in a considerable downfall in the number of child marriages. Still there is a lack of awareness in small villages where the illegal practice of Child marriage is prevalent. The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years for girls and 21 for boys. Any marriage of a person younger than this is banned under the Child Marriage Prevention Act, 1929. It is an incontrovertible fact that a large number of child marriages are performed in violation of the existing provisions of the law, particularly on ‘Akha Teej’ or ‘Akshaya Tritiya’. When child marriage takes place, the children are too young to understand what marriage means. It is true that the re is a large body of social opinion and customary practice that sanctions early marriage. It is a religious tradition in many places in India and therefore difficult to change. The dire consequences that follow child marriage, particularly for girls are – the child’s education is sacrificed, girls become more vulnerable to domestic violence and due to early pregnancies their health gets much worse. The babies born to girls under 16 are more likely to die during their first year of life. UNICEF describes child marriage as a â€Å"gross violation of all categories of child rights.† It is a social evil that has degraded the status of girl child in our society. Child marriage is against the law but the marriage itself is valid once performed, even if the child was as young as 5 years at the time. Police cannot make arrests without applying for a Magistrate’s order. The present provision for simple imprisonment for 3 months and a fine has proved totally inadequate. To stop this menace, the law must make registration of all marriages mandatory. Stringency of punishment is the next important element in the strategy to tackle this menace. The appointment of anti-child marriage officers in every State, and making it a law that anyone who attends a child marriage has to report it, would help in checking child marriage What is required on the part of the citizens and the government in general is to join hands and raise a movement so wide that every parent could only visualize themselves locked up in jails even if they think of committing such a crime. It is essential on the part of the citizens to  remain active. People who witness child marriages should be determined enough to launch a police complaint against the parents of both the bride and groom. It is essential on the part of the government to award the people who inform about the conduction of child marriages and also to enforce harder laws to discourage this practice. Thus by helping two children from entering into such a horrendous affair, you are assuring a brighter future not only for these children but for India as a whole. Bibliography 1) Jaya Sagade, â€Å"Child Marriage in India† Oxford University Press, New Delhi. 2) http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/india/&gws_rd=cr&ei=cBktVaSCGI6QuASvsIDwBQ 3) http://www.csrindia.org/child-marriage-in-india 4) http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanrightsdemocracy/a/child-brides.htm