Brand and Dairy Milk

The story of Cadbury Dairy Milk started way back in 1905 at Bournville, U. K. , but the journey with chocolate lovers in India began in 1948. Currently Cadbury India operates in five categories, which are Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks, Candy, Gum and Snacks category. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Perk, Éclairs, Celebrations, Temptations and Gems. Cadbury enjoys a value market share of over 70% – the highest Cadbury brand share in the world!Their flagship brand Cadbury Dairy Milk is considered the â€Å"gold standard† for chocolates in India. The pure taste of CDM defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer. Earlier Cadbury Dairy Milk had positioned itself as a chocolate for kids . Later it was repositioned as a chocolate meant for all age groups emphasizing on the children hidden in us. The model that we have used is Customer Based Brand Equity Model and with the help of this model we have analyzed that how Cadbury Dairy milk has evolved since years and its perception has changed in the minds of consumer overtime.Cadbury Dairy Milk has done this perception evolving process with the help of aggressive advertising and they have been very successful in achieving their target.COMPANY OVERVIEW HISTORY (CADBURY)In 1824, John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham. This one-man business, trading mainly in Tea & Coffee was to be the foundation of Cadbury Limited. For over 100 years Cadbury was a family business. In 1943 non family directors were appointed. In 1847, the enterprise had prospered to a large factory in Bridge Street, Birmingham. John Cadbury took his brother Benjamin into partnership and the family business became Cadbury Brothers Birmingham.The business moved to Bourneville after outgrowing the Bridge Street Factory. The Workforce had risen up to 200 after 32 years at Bridge Street. After the death of two brothers in 1899, the company was privatized. It entered the era of scientific management; it introduced new ideas for their department like: Advertisement & Cost Analytical Laboratories Sales Department Offices Education & Training for Works Committee Medical Department employees On 2nd February, Kraft Foods took over 71% shares of Cadbury. They acquired it totally. But still Cadbury was on top in the market.This acquisition did not changed people’s mind and their craze for Cadbury Dairy Milk. Cadbury began its operation in 1948 by importing chocolates and then re-packing them before distributing it in the Indian market. After 62 years, it is having five companies at Thane, Induri (Pune), Malanpur (Gwalior), Bangalore, Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) and 4 sales offices in (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai). The corporate office is in Mumbai. The company’s main purpose is â€Å"Working together to create brands people love† capture the spirit of wh at we are trying to achieve as a business.We collaborate and work as team to convert products into brand. Simply, â€Å"we spread happiness†! Currently Cadbury India operates in three sectors viz. Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks and in the Candy category. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Perk, Éclairs and Celebrations. Cadbury enjoys a value market share of over 70% – the highest Cadbury brand share in the world! Cadbury is the â€Å"gold standard† for chocolates in India.The pure taste of CDM defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer. In the Milk Food drinks segment our main product is Bourn vita – the leading Malted Food Drink (MFD) in the country. Similarly in the medicated candy category Halls is the undisputed leader. The Cadbury India Brand Strategy has received consistent support through simple but imaginative extensions to product categories and distribution. A good example of this is the development of Bytes. Crispy wafers filled with coca cream in the form of a bagged snack, Bytes is positioned as â€Å"The new concept of sweet snacking†.It delivers the taste of chocolate in the form of a light snack, and thus heralds the entry of Cadbury India into the growing bagged Snack Market, which has been dominated until now by Salted Bagged Snack Brands. Byte was first launched in South India in 2003. Since 1965 Cadbury has also pioneered the development of cocoa cultivation in India. For over two decades, we have worked with the Kerala Agriculture University to undertake cocoa research and released clones, hybrids that improve the cocoa yield. Our Cocoa team visits farmers and advises them on the cultivation aspects from planting to harvesting.We also conduct farmers meetings & seminars to educate them on Cocoa cultivation aspects. Our efforts have increased cocoa productiv ity and touched the lives of thousands of farmers. Cadbury Milestones The Cadbury story is a fascinating study of industrial and social developments. From a one man business in 1824, Cadbury has grown to be one of the world's largest producers of chocolate. A small family business developed into an international company and the high standards of the Cadbury brothers were combined with the most sophisticated technology, skills and innovation.VisionThe governing objective for Cadbury India is to deliver Superior Shareholder value.Cadbury in every pocket.Sustain growth of Cadbury’s market through aggressive product development.Focusing on cost competitiveness & productivity in operations and innovative utilization of assets.Investing to develop people.Missionâ€Å"To provide customers with a tempting and exquisite taste† as enticing treats means a mouth watering treat which is simply irresistible.â€Å"Cadbury means quality† this is the promise of Cadbury. Its repu tation is to built upon quality.Its commitment to continuous improvement will ensure that promise.CADBURY PRODUCTSChocolateCadbury Dairy MilkCadbury CelebrationsBournville5 StarPerkGemsTobleroneBRAND ELEMENTSDairy Milk has been meticulously built around the world by Cadbury. It has been able to sustain a strong position in the market. There are many branding elements which have resulted into consistent result of its success. In India and across the world, the only chocolate wrapped in Purple with the logo of Cadbury written on it. Color of all other products of Cadbury like Gems which is so colorful.Packaging which introduces slight of milk splash shows the relation of milk with Cadbury. Insignia Logo which comes on the packaging in bold vintage Dairy font in white which also shows the relation of milk with the product. Logo Not only the above three, But there are many more elements due to which the consistent Branding of Dairy Milk is so very popular. Its different Advertisements, its punch lines etc†¦ It has always kept a strong association with Milk, with slogans such as â€Å"a glass and half of full cream milk in every half pound. And also advertisement which featured a glass of milk pouring out and forming the Dairy Milk bar.Also the ad campaigns are also the important element of Dairy Milk. It made chocolate an eating habit among the consumers, especially the adults. Long back it was a belief that chocolate is only for kids. But Dairy Milk changed this belief. Also they changed the trend of Sweets (Mithai) during the occasions like Diwali, New Year etc†¦ Dairy Milk brought a new trend that whether any occasion, Dairy Milk is best for all. Tolani It also gave some famous dialogues from the ads which people remember always.They were also the core brand elements of Dairy Milk. Let us see them below:The Real Taste of Life- A girl Dancing on Cricket FieldKhane walo ko Khane ka Bahana ChahiyeKuch Meetha Ho JayePappu Paas ho GayaAaj Pehli Tareekh Ha iShubh AarambhAll these above dialogues were form the very famous and popular ad’s of Dairy Milk. By this ad they wanted to covey to the people that for eating Dairy Milk they do not haveto wait for any occasion. They can just have it. Whether they are happy or Sad, But Dairy Milk can be taken in any of the mood.BRAND PORTFOLIOWorldwide In June 1905, Cadbury launched its first Dairy Milk bar, with a higher proportion of milk and it became the best selling product of the company by 1913. Fruit and Nut was introduced in 1928. In 2003, Cadbury made Dairy Milk into a family brand by taking the brands like Caramel, Whole Nut, and Wispa and marketed them as the sub-brands of Dairy Milk. By2006, there were 15 Dairy Milk sub-brands produced in UK including Shortcake Biscuit, Wafer, Orange Chips, Mint Chips, Crispies and Cream Egg. In following two years these brands were discontinued as they were not successful.Indian Market The Dairy Milk Brand alone accounts for approximately 33% o f total Cadbury’s sales. It has made Cadbury the number one confectionery brand in the market. Currently in India, Dairy Milk has following sub-brands under its name.BRAND POSITIONING AND REPOSITIONINGCadbury Dairy Milk has been the market leader in the chocolate category for years and has participated and been a part of every Indian's moments of happiness, joy and celebration. Today, Cadbury Dairy Milk alone holds 30% value share of the Indian chocolate market. In the early 90's, chocolates were seen as ‘meant for kids', usually a reward or a bribe for children.In the Mid 90's the category was re-defined by the very popular `Real Taste of Life' campaign, shifting the focus from `just for kids' to the `kid in all of us'. It appealed to the child in every adult and Cadbury Dairy Milk became the perfect expression of ‘spontaneity' and ‘shared good feelings'. The ‘Real Taste of Life' campaign had many memorable executions, which people still fondly rememb er. However, the one with the â€Å"girl dancing on the cricket field† has remained etched in everyone's memory, as the most spontaneous & uninhibited expression of happiness.This campaign went on to be awarded ‘The Campaign of the Century', in India at the Abby (Ad Club, Mumbai) awards. In the late 90's, to further expand the category, the focus shifted towards widening chocolate consumption amongst the masses, through the ‘Khanewalon Ko Khane Ka Bahana Chahiye' campaign. This campaign built social acceptance for chocolate consumption amongst adults, by showcasing collective and shared moments. More recently, the ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye' campaign associated Cadbury Dairy Milk with celebratory occasions and the phrase â€Å"Pappu Pass Ho Gaya† became part of street language.It has been adopted by consumers and today is used extensively to express joy in a moment of achievement and success. The interactive campaign for â€Å"Pappu Pass Ho Gaya† ba gged a Bronze Lion at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival 2006 for ‘Best use of internet and new media'. The idea involved a tie-up with Reliance India Mobile service and allowed students to check their exam results using their mobile service and encouraged those who passed their examinations to celebrate with Cadbury Dairy Milk.The ‘Pappu Pass Ho Gaya' campaign also went on to win Silver for The Best Integrated Marketing Campaign and Gold in the Consumer Products category at the EFFIES 2006 (global benchmark for effective advertising campaigns) awards.SOME INTERESTING FACTSCadbury Dairy Milk emerged as the No. 1 most trusted brand in Mumbai for the 2005 edition of Brand Equity's Most Trusted Brands survey. Cadbury Dairy Milk & Bournvita have been declared a â€Å"Consumer Superbrand† for 2006-7 by Superbrands India. During the First World War, Cadbury Dairy Milk supported the war effort.Over 2,000 male employees joined the armed forces and Cadbury sent bo oks, warm clothes and chocolates to the front.CHANGING PERCEPTIONDairy Milk has regular users. They do not have any particular occasion. They just have it. Children and youngsters play an important role Decision Roles in deciding when to have dairy milk. And now old age people also are slowly are in decision making. Dairy Milk has changed the scenario of having Occasions sweet sometimes. They say have it anytime including Diwali, Raksha bandhan, Weddings Dairy Milk have absolute loylaty status.Loyalty Status As we know that Dairy Milk is the only Brand who is the only one to promote chocolate as an important part of Festivals as well as it changed the mind sets of the people that chocolate is not only for kids but for all. The strategy to target adults was taken further with the help of a brand new positioning â€Å"Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye†. For Indians occasions and festivals have utmost importance and Dairy Milk rigorously focused on this point and set a new trend of having Dai ry Milk in place of â€Å"Mithai† during the occasions.CHANGING PERCEPTION OVERTIME THROUGH ADVERTISEMENTCadbury is a brand that all of us have literally grown up with. Though it has been immensely successful in its operations in the USA, UK, Australia, etc. from the 1800s, it entered the Indian market only in 1948. Since then, it has used a variety of strategies and a string of ad campaigns to reach out to the Indian consumer. Initially, Cadbury ads targeted children – they showed a loving father bringing chocolates home for the children as a surprise. The ads were formulated keeping in mind the Indian society then, where the children didn’t have money with themselves to buy sweets and chocolates.With this, Cadbury was able to capture a substantial part of its target segment – the kids. Next, it launched its famous ad where a teenage girl watches her friend play cricket and jumps into the cricket field, eating a Cadbury chocolate as soon as he hits a cen tury. Another advertisement showed a prospective bride with mehndi on her hands, prying open the wrapping of Cadbury chocolate with her elbows. It showed that teenagers too can enjoy the Cadbury chocolate. Girl in the cricket field Mehndi Next came the much talked about ad featuring Cyrus Broacha. It showed people from all age groups – a housewife in her 40s, a couple well into their 60s, and a teenager – enjoying the chocolate as Cyrus sang in the background â€Å"Khaane walon ko khaane ka bahaana chahiye†. In this way, Cadbury created inroads into all possible age groups. Post this, Cadbury changed its strategy. Having tapped all age-groups, it wanted to project Cadbury chocolates as a meetha – thereby trying to eat into the market of traditional Indian sweets.Advertisements were doled out showing Cadbury chocolate being enjoyed at every possible instance- before a good task (Shubh kaam ke aarambh se pehle), after dinner (Khaane ke baad meethe mein k ya hai), on payday (Khush hai zamaana aaj pehli taariq hai), after passing exams (Pappu pass ho gaya) or while just having a good day (Main khush hun aaj khamakha). Apart from this, Cadbury always comes out with special advertisements before important festivals like Diwali (toh iss Diwali aap kise khush karenge) and Rakshabandhan (Cadbury Celebrations- Pyar ka shagun).Cadbury was projected as the chocolate to eat on important as well as happy occasions. Kuch meetha ho jaaye Shubh Aarambh Khaane ke baad Khush hai zamana Pappu pass ho gaya Main khush hun Diwali Rakshabandhan It is because of such intelligent and innovative marketing strategies that Cadbury is the most successful chocolate brand in the India. Even now it posts a revenue growth of 30% annually, which is amazing.COMMUNICATION STRATEGYCadbury was the one having 70 % market shares in chocolate industry. Out of which 30% was the Dairy Milk alone. This is because of constant re-invention of the brand & bombarding comm unication towards the consumers consistently to maintain the top position in mind recall in confectionery segment.Dairy Milk was awarded as No. 1most trusted brand in Mumbai 2005 for the edition of Brand Equity’s most trusted Brand Survey. Dairy Milk targeted all the aspects as possible to get into the heart of all the people, ofall age groups. For this they communicated with people through different Ad’s &Campaigns. Let us see few of them below: Khane walo KO Khane ka Bahana Chahiye Pappu Paas Ho Gaya Shubh Aarambh was one of successful campaigns of Dairy Milk. This means Auspicious Beginning. With this campaign they said that for whatever you start, start it with Dairy Milk and it will be successful.For this they chose the best to advertise: Amitabh Bacchhan.TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATIONDairy Milk used different media options to communicate different campaigns and promote Dairy milk. They are: Outdoor Television Radio Internet TV Advertisements is the most popular method f or Dairy Milk to show their new campaigns to people so that they can more and more relate it with their personal lives. They also have ground promotions in different malls. They arrange some contests also to promote their brand.DISTRIBUTION STRATEGYAs we know that Dairy Milk holds 30% value share of chocolate market. The demand of chocolate is increasing day by day. And Dairy Milk is no. 1 in that race. Indian market &specifically where the penetration of chocolates is increasing, brings a need for efficiencyin logistics and distribution. There is stiff competition in the confectionery market due to large exposure of foreign currency rate risk, mainly on account of import of cocoa beans, cocoa butter. Cadbury Dairy Milk is easily available anywhere in the market. Cadbury’ success of proper distribution is their efficiency.PRICING STRATEGYDairy Milk is positioned towards age group of 4-50, and thus the price is accordingly kept affordable. Also it is easily accessible to all c ategories. Price range starts from Rs. 5to Rs. 20 in different sizes. Cadbury Dairy Milk fruit and nut starts from Rs. 30. Dairy Milk Silk is a premium brand and thus the price of it is little higher that is Rs. 50.MARKET SHARECadbury Dairy Milk has launched some very creative advertisements in India over the years. More than innovative, the ads have been very relevant to the Indian ethos.The ‘shubh aarambh’ ads which captured the Indian tradition of having something sweet before an important occasion or ‘kuch meetha ho jaye’ which associated Cadbury Dairy Milk with celebratory occasions. Recently, Cadbury Dairy Milk has been airing the ‘meethe mein kuch meetha ho jaye’ campaigns which have found a lot of favour with the audience. The ads, in typical Cadbury style, are very heartwarming and creative. If we look through the years, we can clearly see that Cadbury is doing everything possible to maintain a strong hold on the Indian chocolate marke t.While it remains a dominant leader with over 70% of the market share, this has eroded over the years as competitors like Nestle, Amul and CAMPCO have made strong forays. There was a time before and during the early 90s when Cadbury’s enjoyed an even higher market share. This was the time when chocolates were very clearly positioned for children. However, with the entry of global giant Nestle, two things happened. Firstly, there was a sudden spurt of competition for Cadbury. But more importantly, the market began to grow at a faster pace.Cadbury seized this opportunity and started creating advertisements that were targeted towards the ‘kids in all of us’. This was a very smart move as they already had the children’s segment all tied up. Moreover, the children of the 90s have now grown up, and Cadbury still offers them reasons to eat Dairy Milk. Hence, while their market share has eroded by a few points, Cadbury has significantly improved its revenues in a bsolute terms by evolving a long term advertising plan and one that is very relevant to the Indian context.With predominantly Indian themes, special moments (remember the girl dancing on the cricket field) and soulful music, Cadbury has really managed to connect with the audience. The recent ‘meethe mein kuch meetha ho jaye’ campaign is simply a continuation of this strategy to expand the market. In conclusion, Cadbury Dairy Milk has managed to take a simple chocolate bar and create numerous associations with it over the years. It has built up different audiences over the years, and to every audience it offers a different meaning but one that is very relevant.COMPETITOR’S ANALYSISIn Indian Market, the main players in the confectionery market are Cadbury, Nestle, Candico, ITC and Parle. Let us see the competitors of Cadbury Dairy Milk in detail below Company Founded in Brand Portfolio Kraft Foods 1903 Cadbury Dairy Milk & Variants, Éclairs, Bourn vita etc†¦Nestle 1860 Kitkat, Smarties Ferrero 1940 Rocher, Raffaelo, Nutella Amul 1945 Milk Chocolate, Fruit and Nut chocolate Candico 1997 Loco Poco Gum, Big Bubble ITC 2002(Confectionery Minto and Candy man Segment)Parle 1929 Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi, Orange Candy.POINT OF PARITY (POP) & POINT OF DIFFERENCE (POD)POPs PODs Point of Parity Point of Difference Attributes or benefits Attributes which are which are strongly not unique but associate with somewhat same as competitive brand. compared to other They make the brand brands. something different from the other.POP’s & POD’s OF CADBURY DAIRY MILKPoint of Parity Point of Difference Chocolate manufacturing Legacy GoodwillVariants such as Fruit & Nut, Dark Emotional connect with customers Chocolate Constant innovation in ads Generic name in Indian chocolate market Good quality products Campaigns targeting from kids to adults Association with milk Excellent distribution systems 2 Layer packaging Dairy Milk is the on ly one chocolate which says that in occasions also it can be used as sweet.BRAND EXPLORATORYCustomer Knowledge Cadbury dairy Milk has been trying to get out of the image of† Just another chocolate† and become something special in the minds of the people.They have also been trying to position themselves as chocolates for all age groups and not just kids. The campaign has successfully created a picture in the mind of the customers that Cadbury is not just a chocolate but means of celebrations. Sources of Brand Equity There are two main sources of Brand Equity and they are: Brand Brand Image Awareness It is customers ability to It is consumers identify under different perception about the situations. brand. Brnad Image has three Two things form Brand main pillars: How Awareness: Brand strong it is, Is it Recognition and Brand Favourable and what Recall are the unique brand associations.BRAND AMBASSADORSAs we know that previously Dairy Milk was only considered as Chocolate, but their new campaign has changed this perception of consumers. As discussed above now Dairy Milk is considered as Traditional sweet of Indian culture(Mithai) which people give to their near and dear ones on the occasions and now they use Dairy Milk as sweet (Mithai). Brand Ambassador chosen for Dairy Milk is none other than Megastar Amitabh Bacchhan. He endorsed the brand so successfully that everyone loved the brand much more than they did.The endorsement has successfully captured the Indian festivals like Raksha bandhan, Diwali, Wedding, Birthdays etc†¦ Now people give Dairy Milk as token of love, care and affection to their friends and family.BRAND MANTRA OF DAIRY MILKDairy Milk also enjoys a great – Brand Recall value when comes to chocolates with Milk. Dairy Milk has huge command over – its distribution network spanning across India. Certain segment feel that price of innovations with crafted Dairy Milk is high and compared to communication campaign that Am ul Milk chocolate is preferred.It offers quality product with Dairy Milk is somewhat lacking in establish a clear and consistent other emerging markets. It has Brand Image over the years. Strong command over its brand image in India and Europe But other places it is lacking. Dairy Milk has been able to the recent acquisition of Cadbury which is a globally established by Kraft Foods may result in brand name known for its somewhat negative effect on the manufacturing competency and brand.CUSTOMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY PYRAMIDRationale of CBBE model:Basic premise: The power of a brand resides in the minds of the customers. The challenge is to ensure that the customers have the right kind of experiences with the products and services and their marketing program to create the right brand knowledge structures i. e. Thoughts Feelings Images Perception & Attitudes Building a strong brand involves a series of steps as part of a â€Å"branding ladder†. It is characterized by a logically c onstructed set of brand â€Å"building blocks†. We need to identify the areas of strength and weakness and to provide guidance to marketing activities.BRAND SALIENCEBrand Salience measures awareness of the brand, how often and how easily the brand is evoked under various situations or circumstances. It is the same as brand identity i. e. Who are you?DEPTH OF AWARENESSIt measures how likely it is for a brand element to come in mind i. e. ease of recognition and the ease with which it does so i. e. recall value. The Cadbury brand is associated with best tasting chocolate which includes from everything from solid blocks to chocolate filled bars and novelties. For many people , chocolate is Cadbury and no other brand will do.The core values of quality, taste and emotion supports the Cadbury brand. Consumers know that they can trust a chocolate bar that carries Cadbury branding. The swirling chocolate and „glass and a half? are powerful images. They both portray a desire for chocolate while the half full glass suggest core values of goodness and quality. The brand has been successful in establishing the link, in the mind of the consumer ,that Cadbury equals chocolate.BREADTH OF AWARENESSIt measures the range of purchase and usage situations in which the brand element comes to mind.Branded products command premium prices. Consumers are willing to pay the premium if they believe that the brand offers levels of quality and satisfaction that competing brands do not. Now Dairy Milk comes in Rs. 5 The campaigns of „Pappu pass ho gaya? and „Miss Palampur? aim to popularize Dairy Milk connecting it to various usage situations. Three consumer segments of „impulse? , „take home? and „gift? has been identified. Impulse purchases are usually products bought for immediate consumption. Take Home confectionary is generally bought in supermarket and is often driven by specific need.The specific need or usage can be an occasion. The consum ers make more rational decisions like brand influence, price/value relationship. These areas are further subdivided for e. g. the gift sector comprises special occasions (B?days or festivals) and token or spontaneous gift.BRAND PERFORMANCEIt describes how well the product meets customers? more functional needs. It transcends the product?s ingredients and features to include dimensions that differentiate the brand. The Cadbury brand name has been existence since 1824 when John Cadbury opened his shop in Birmingham, England.Over the years it has survived in a highly competitive market and developed its competitive advantage. It is successful in communicating the customers that it is still the ultimate in chocolate pleasure. It has shown the consistency in performance. The strength of the umbrella brand supports the brand value of each chocolate bar, thus implying how reliable the brand is. Cadbury’s packaging on the functional level, the pack was structurally sound to protect t he product quality in distribution and storage conditions, thus the consumers can acknowledge the durability of the product.The economic life of the product was mentioned in the product as per the respective food regulatory body. Cadbury’s world famous packaging is comprised of four key elements:1. Distinctive packaging design.2. The Cadbury corporate purple color.3. The glass and a half full of full cream milk logo.4. The Cadbury script logo.These elements convey to consumers the memorability, distinctiveness and high quality of Cadbury products. The attractiveness of packaging alone can be instrumental in stimulating a purchase specially impulse buyers.The brand also comes in various attractive packages for different occasion like „Diwali?, „Raksha Bandhan?, „Christmas? etc.BRAND IMAGERYIt depends on the extrinsic properties of the product including the ways in which the brand attempts to meet customer?s psychological or social needs. The intangible associ ation to Cadbury includes family experiences, childhood memories. The product could be bought from supermarket on the insistence of the child to its parents or from department store or specialty store through impulse buying or for little pleasures.The Cadbury as a person is able to create a feeling of warmth, the togetherness of family & friends on special occasions, to hold those relationships in life which are of prime importance and to savor the sweet success of winning. The core values of quality, taste and emotion are the pillars of the brand. The milk pouring on the chocolate bar, the icon represents the unique production process in Cadbury?s Dairy Milk chocolate which uses a glass and a half of full cream Irish milk in every half-pound, hence the unique taste of the chocolate.It serves to identify the product, its contents and the manufacturer. The heritage that has been passed down from the past.BRAND JUDGMENTSThese are customer’s personal opinions about and evaluatio ns of the brand, which consumers form by putting together all the different brand performance and imagery associations. Brand Quality: Consumers trust the brand because there is certain level of quality attached to it. The people buy chocolates during the auspicious occasion as a token of their love tells the level of trust that the people have.Brand Credibility: The brands like Five Star, Perk derive benefit from the Cadbury parentage including quality and taste credentials. The flagship chocolate brand, Cadbury Dairy Milk which is over 100 years old, is the third largest largest chocolate brand globally with retail sales of $2 billion. Its revenue grew by 5% in the year 2007 and by further 9% in the first half. Brand Consideration: The brand has been considered for possible purchase and use not only as a chocolate but it has become a substitute for sweet. The punchline „Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye? justifies this.The campaign has been highly successful with the brand endorsement of Amitabh Bachchan and consumers buy it for occasions like â€Å"Diwali† and â€Å"Raksha Bandhan† Brand Superiority: The unique taste of chocolate which comes in a pure form.BRAND FEELINGSThese are customers? special responses and reactions to the brand. The feelings that are evoked by the marketing program or by other means. Warmth The brand evokes a soothing type of feeling. As the chocolate melts inside our mouths, a similar soothing effect is felt inside our hearts.The commercial for the cricket match shows how sweet success of winning can be savored by the sweet taste of Cadbury. It also depicts fun and excitement. Passion It is reflected in the impulse buying nature of consumers. The commercial featuring a girl with „mehndi? put on her palms has a strong desire to have chocolates and she is adamant to have it. Bond of love & relationships The brand provides the consumers with an opportunity to express their love to their family and friends. It is a time to c elebrate and have few precious moments of togetherness.Enthusiasm The cricket match commercial also reflects the fun & the excitement. The brand makes the consumers feel excited.BRAND RESONANCEIt describes the nature of this relationship and the extent to which customers feel that they are â€Å"in sync† with the brand. It is characterized in terms of intensity, or the depth of psychological bond that customers have with the brand, also the level of activity engendered by this loyalty ( repeat purchase rates and extent to which customers seek out brand information). Attitudinal attachmentThe level of attachment can be judged by the fact that the consumers feel that is a perfect gift for special occasions. It could be used to express their token of love. The â€Å"little pleasures† that can be derived from the moments of family get-together. The moment consumers think about celebration they think about the brand. Sense of community The consumers feel a kinship or affili ation with other people associated with the brand. The commercial in which BigB and his childhood friend exchange their gifts they feel how much their choices resemble and automatically a feeling of kinship is developed.The sense of belongingness to that particular brand is generated. Behavioral loyalty The repeat purchases on various occasion be it Diwali, Christmas or to express their love or vote of thanks, only this brand comes to the consumers mind. This is the level of loyalty that the Cadbury brand shares with it consumers.RECOMMENDATIONSMaintain dominance in chocolate segment.Many new players are trying to enter Indian market so it should formulate new strategies so as not to lose market share.New channels such as gifting, child connectivity and value for money offering to be the key growth drives. Grow volume sales at least 20% p. a. over the next years.One new major product launch every year.FDI will bring in many new products and competitors so Cadbury will have to mainta in there strong market distribution channel so as not to lose market share.They need to maintain high standards and should be careful that there product remains sterile. And is not effected by insects.They should change packaging of Dairy Milk. Conclusion Will lose market share with globalization (a la Maruti) but will remain brand leader.Pest Analysis P: since the budget range is decontrolled, no political effects are envisaged.E:1) increasing per capita income resulting in higher Disposable income2) Growing middle class/urban population – increase in Demand3) Low cost of production – better penetrationS:1) Per capita consumption expected to increase – fashion2) Increasing gifts culture – increase in demand3) Lower cholesterol than â€Å"mithais† (sweet meat) – Substitute demandT: Will have to reinforce technology to international levels once India is a â€Å"free† economy .

Shoe Horn Sonata Essay Essay

Distinctively visual explores how we see and or visualize images in a way that allows us to become aware of various aspects in society. The play, The Shoe Horn Sonata written by John Misto and the film clip Stupid Girls by Pink, use distinctively visual elements to create a sense of awareness about women. Misto’s script pays tribute to the Australian female nurses in WWII, revealing the realities of war through the strength and resilience of Bridie and Sheila. Similarly, the characterization of the ‘stupid girls’ in Pink’s film clip, highlight the toxic messages of consumerism aimed at young girls. She ironically does this by exploiting her celebrity status through the media. Both composers position the responder to question the past and the media, and realize what woman have gone and are going through. In The Shoe Horn Sonata, Misto reveals the ignorance portrayed by the British and Australian government towards the women held captive in old Singapore. The contrast between the projected images of the â€Å"1942 Singapore† and the accompaniment of the patriotic song ‘Rule Britannia’ emphaises the idiotic attitude of the British government, as their belief towards the Japanese invasion was seen as surreal. This is further highlighted when the British state â€Å"don’t listen to rumour†. As a result of the British’s attitude the vivid images of â€Å"burning ships† and â€Å"women prisoners of the Japanese†¦skin and bone and dressed in rags† position the audience to become aware of the selfish views by the British. Similarly to this, the Australian government’s advice to â€Å"keep smiling† ironically implies their ignorant view towards the women. This is contrasted with the projected images of â€Å"Prime Minister John Curtain†¦quite distressed† and â€Å"emaciated male prisoners of war, starving† showing his concern for the dying male POWs. This shows an existence of sexism in which Misto positions us to become aware of this issue, raised during wartime. Misto uses ignorance of the British government to show the strength of these women who from the beginning have little support from a supposedly ‘great’ nation. Their ignorance becomes another struggle these women have to overcome in their journey to freedom. Showing what these women were up against, Misto demonstrates the significance of this event in history. By experiencing times of hardship, the strength amongst individuals continues to grow. Misto presents this through the motif of the shoe horn which becomes not only a survival tool but a catalyst for the growth of the relationship between Bridie and Sheila. In scene three the shoe horn is physically shown when Bridie and Sheila retell of their survival in the ocean, in which Bridie used it as a buoyant for Sheila. This is accompanied by the sound effect of waves which allows the audience to visualize the setting and empathise with the struggle they endured. At the play’s ending, the spotlight of the shoe horn is the final object seen by the audience, highlighting the significance of this object, representing all memories of the POW camp The ‘Blue Danube Waltz’ accompanies the shoe horn, which symbolises a sense of freedom as it becomes â€Å"the music of joy and triumph and survival†. When Sheila uncovers her buried past â€Å"So I went to the Japs† the shoe horn is revealed as a tangible object, highlighting her fearful memories of when she sacrificed her virginity to the Japanese. This depicts not only the horrible realities of war but also the strength of Bridie and Sheila’s relationship as Sheila states â€Å"I couldn’t let you die and leave me, I wouldn’t have survived†. The shoe horn was also used as a metronome for the sonata which showed a sense of unity and strength amongst the women, who fought to survive â€Å"fifty voices set us free†. Misto positions the audience to identify the suffering and pain these women had experienced, thus become aware of the harsh realities of war. However it is through their strength within themselves and as a group that allows them to survive. Conversely to this, Pink uses symbolism to show the influence of consumerism on the youth and the messages portrayed by the media. In the first scene Pink’s choice of age is used with the little girl representing innocence holding a Barbie doll signifying consumerism, emphasizes the influence that has already impacted on young girls. The juxtaposition of the angel and the devil symbolizes the choices that young girls face in order to live a normal lifestyle. In the bowling scene, the close up of the inflatable breasts shows the absurdity of the shot and emphasise the focus on ‘body’ rather than mind. This suggests that the media is convincing young girls to act, behave and be a certain way. Consumerism is dangerous as it can lead to more serious consequences e.g. eating disorders and oversexualisation. Pink  positions the audience to not only identify this issue but to take action so to prevent this happening further to the younger generation. Like Pink, Misto shows how the ignorance of the British has led to a deadly consequence of the women being held captive as POWs. The unconvential line of â€Å"if only they had† suggests that if the British had believed the invasion was occurring, then they would have saved more lives. Unlike Misto, Pink uses satire to manipulate the celebrity lifestyle to which young girls look up to. In the bulimia scene, when Pink states â€Å"I totally had more than three hundred calories today, that was so not sexy† followed by the close up of the toothbrush symbolizes the expected way to loose weight, hence body image is seen as a priority for young females. By cutting between the sex tape and car washing scenes it conveys the oversexualisation of the popular culture in contemporary society, to which Pink states â€Å"she’s dancing in the video next to fifty cent†. This suggests that through the actions of female role models, young girls are influenced to act like a â€Å"stupid girl† in order to live up to society’s expectations. Thus Pink positions the audience to become aware of the false images that these celebrities portray. Like Pink, Misto conveys the struggle that these women endure in order to survive, through the symbolism of the caramel representing their only luxury of food, which Misto positions us to empathise with their struggle. This inevitably shows the strength of the women prisoners but also the strength of women who fight to raise awareness about issues in the contemporary society. Both texts provide a detailed analysis on the struggle of women in the past and in today’s society, positioning the responder to identify with their pain and suffering. Through the use of distinctively visual elements, Misto emphasizes the strength of these women who fought to survive whilst experiencing the horrible realities of war as POWS. Similarly, Pink’s use of distinctively visual elements portrays the toxic and false messages the media impose on young females in order to live a ‘celebrity lifestyle’. However both the composers enable the audience to empathise with these women during wartime but to also take action towards the issue of consumerism amongst female teenagers.

Communication Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication Goals - Essay Example In order to improve my communicative abilities with other people, I need to assess my current strengths and weaknesses. My strengths in communication consist of my ability to say what I really need to say in certain situations, being honest, being clear and concise, and being on-topic when it is necessary. My weaknesses in communication arise directly from my strengths. My directness in communication puts some people off, such as with my brutal honesty. Sometimes being too clear and concise in what I am saying leaves people unable or unwilling to connect to me. The underlying key to my communication goals and success, I have decided is to remain conscious of context. Context is important in establishing expectations for both the speaker and the listener. The barriers I face to successful communication with my peers and superiors lie in how I am accustomed to speaking to others. Being so short with words is a habit, and like all habits, it has to be broken for me to achieve my goals. The means of breaking habits and realizing success in communication is in practicing the opposite of the current practice. Doing the opposite of what I usually do will leave me open to a new way of doing things, which should hypothetically allow me to pursue communication methods that are less direct, more friendly, and more context-driven. My first goal in communication is being more dynamic in my speaking. By â€Å"dynamic†, I mean being full of energy, enthusiasm, and sense of purpose. Being dynamic with one’s communication leaves one able to both get things going and to get things done. Of course, being dynamic also means being agile as well, which goes back to the concept of context. Knowing one’s context is perhaps the most important factor for all successful and productive interaction: it defines expectations and shapes the message being conveyed. Dynamicity defines whether one is able to be fluid in how he or she sends the

Project Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Project Risk Management - Essay Example ting because there are number of inputs into the sample model that are unknown and one technique is to obtain the approximate estimate for each input. The Monte Carlo models and methods use the probability distribution of the inputs and generated random inputs. On the contrary, if the approach used is the probability distribution rather than using the best single estimate or the inputs, it is not that easy and often simply impossible (Pietersz, 2011, n.p.) Risk Assessment Process is defined as the process in which businesses, companies and organizations focus on vital and serious areas of concern and prioritize resources in order to maximize the response and recovery efforts (Michigan State University, 2004, n.p.). In addition, risk management plan will not be more effective and complete if risk response strategies are not suitable in developing the mitigating risks (Ahmed, Azhar & Panthi, 2007, n.p.). The risk response matrix grid is populated by a (+) and a (-) signs because it is very useful in making and finalizing a certain decisions. The Grid Analysis (+) sign describes the number of good or positive alternatives to select from and other factors to consider while the (-) sign is not clear and preferred another option to choose from (Manktelow, 2011, n.p.). Thus, I would prefer to use the Monte Carlo Method as it helps a lot in solving mathematical problems in a fast and easy manner. The (+) and (-) signs that are used in Risk Response Matrix contributes in making decisions confidently, clusters the good ideas from bad ones and lesser the time required when people are struggling to make decision. Ahmed, S.M., Azhar, S. & Panthi K. (2007). Risk Matrix as a Guide to Develop Risk Response Strategies, n.p. Retrieved on December 9, 2011 from http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2007/paper/CPRT145002007.pdf. Michigan State University: School of Criminal Justice. (2004, February 25). Risk Assessment Matrix (RAM) Process (n.p.). Retrieved on December 9, 2011 from

Circumcision for Female Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Circumcision for Female - Essay Example Female genital mutilation is widely practiced in African and some Asian countries. Due to high rate of mobility and migration of people in different parts of the world, the tradition has in various parts of the world including Europe and United States of America. World Health Organization (2008) estimates the number of women in Africa that have undergone female genital mutilation to be between 100 and 137 million. In African continent alone, over twenty countries practice female circumcision (WHO, 2008). In Asia, most countries in the Middle East including Oman, United Arab Emirates and south Yemen undertake female circumcision on women and young girls. In predominantly Islamic countries in Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia female genital mutilation is widely practiced (Cook and Dickens, 2002). Female genital mutilation is mainly an ethnic practice that permeates across political and regional boundaries. This explains why it differs in prevalence across different regions in the world. Female genital mutilation is an ancient practice, whose origin remains shrouded in mystery. However Toubia and Izett (1998) note that female circumcision was widely practiced in Egypt by Romans and Arabs at around fifth century. Researchers attribute ethnical and traditional obsessions with chastity and virginity in women as the major motivation for undertaking female circumcision from such an early period (Parker, 2002). Regrettably, the same motivations have ensured the continuity of the practice in the current century especially in many African and Arabic cultures. Fathalla (2000) attributes psychosexual, religious, hygienic and sociologic factors as the main drivers of female genital mutilation in the current century. These factors are mainly based on unscientific and unproven reasoning that are firmly entrenched in societies with low literacy levels and high male dominance. Consequently, the practice is firmly entrenched in the current century with low prospects of abati ng in future. The belief that the clitoris is an aggressive organ that acerbates sexual aggressiveness in women is one of the major psychosexual factors that have resulted to the practice being widely embraced in some of the practicing cultures. This belief is entrenched in societies that subscribe to virginity and chastity of women before marriage with heavy penalties and punishment being meted to the female offenders (Gage and Rossem 2006). Consequently, the practice has advanced to infibulations, a much severe, painful, and damaging procedure that entails removal of all external female genitalia in order to maintain virginity and chastity in unmarried and married women. Religious factors play a role in the perpetuation of the practice. However, Parker (2002) argues that no mainstream religious organization including Islam endorses the practices. Rahman and Toubia (2000) argue that the widespread practicing of female circumcision across different mainstream religious organization is an indicator a widely entrenched ethnical practice that is interwoven with primitive spiritual belief, in order to accord it moral acceptance in a particular culture. Other beliefs that encourage entrenchment of female circumcision include hygiene and aesthetic reasons. According to Parker (2002),

Audiometry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Audiometry - Lab Report Example It also assists in assessing the nature, degree, and probable cause of the hearing impairment of s patient. The pure tone audiometry is used in determining the threshold of hearing of the patient. This is defined by the lowest hearing level at which the patient responds at least 51% of the time to auditory stimuli. These thresholds are found using procedures as recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Pure tone threshold testing should be handled in a sound controlled room. This will help in avoiding masking by unacceptable noise levels in the room. An audiogram is composed of three main parts namely, pure tone testing that determines ability to detect sound, and speech testing determines ability to decode sound, and tympanometry which helps in defining where the problem is. The normal hearing ability ranges between 10 - 25 dB HL while for serve cases it ranges between severe 70 - 85 dB HL. For the first patient, the left ear, frequencies between 0-2000(Hz), the hearing ability ranges between -20—50dBHL. As the rate increases past 2000 Hz, the hearing ability increases from -30 to -10 dBHL. However, when the rate hits past 4000 Hz, the hearing ability decreases to -36 dBHL. On the other hand, the right ear, the hearing ability increases gradually except when the frequency reaches 250-500 Hz where the hearing ability remains constant. However, this shows the right ear has a better listening ability. For the second patient, the hearing ability varies between different frequencies. In the left ear, the hearing ability increases between 250-2000 Hz. However, when the frequency goes past 2000 Hz, the hearing ability starts to decrease. This illustrates that when sound frequency goes beyond 2000 Hz, the hearing ability of the left ear becomes null. However, for the left ear, the hearing ability increases. The majority of thresholds are roughly 0 dB HL for a healthy ear. Points under 0 dB HL on the scale designate

Blog exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Blog exercise - Assignment Example As a result, ‘white’ fails to commonly qualify as a racial marker. Being white is often not associated with ethnicity or collective social groups that make up a race. In this respect, it would appear that race and whiteness are two independent factors, such that they do not relate or interrelate in any way. Therefore, the perceived disconnection between ‘white’ and race fails to account for ‘white’ as a racial marker. Finally, the attitude, environment, beliefs, and social perceptions towards whiteness shape the underlying notion relative to racial marking. The aforementioned factors inform the superiority aspect attributed to being white. Whiteness is mostly associated with the best and perfect things, thus the reluctance to use ‘white’ as a racial marker. The documentary, Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAljja0vi2M) presents the whiteness factor in the western context. The film shows just how much white people denounce racism. A global perspective of racial marking is highlighted, alongside how the white people constitute the white

Symbolism in Days Of Heaven (1978) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Symbolism in Days Of Heaven (1978) - Essay Example The characters were enticed to do wrong in many symbolic acts that carried significant meaning. They were subsequently deprived of the Lord’s blessing and suffered tragedies. This movie was a love story, full of tragedies and disasters. The protagonist, Bill, and his two friends, Blackie and Steve were dragging away a safe they had stolen when a group of policemen stopped them. Steve was shot by a policeman and died in Bill’s arms. It was a parody of a story from Genesis 4:8; ‘Now Cain said to his brother Abel, â€Å"Lets go out to the field.† And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.’ (Zondervan 8). Only in Days Of Heaven, Bill didn’t directly kill Steve but maybe their crime of theft indirectly killed him. Bill broke a commandment and became a fugitive from the law. When Abby got married to Chuck Shepard, Chuck paid Bill more wages than he deserved although he suspected that Bill wasn’t Abby†™s brother but her boyfriend. Chuck gave extra money to Bill in a gesture that was symbolic of a peace offering to compensate Bill for giving up Abby and letting him (Chuck) have her as his wife. Bill recognized this as a symbolic act of reconciliation and he refused to accept it because of his pride. When Benson voiced his suspicions to Chuck about the validity of Bill and Abby’s sibling relationship, Chuck would rather not hear although he indicated he saw through the masquerade. Chuck’s refusal to hear or investigate the truth is symbolic. He was blinded by love for Abby.

The Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

The Madding Crowd Essay Obsession is prevalent as a theme in Far from the Madding Crowd. Obsession carries the plot and creates action between the characters. In this essay, I will examine how the characters advance the plot through their obsessive behaviour towards each other. Far from the Madding Crowd is by Thomas Hardy and was first published in a series in the Cornhill Magazine in 1873. This can be seen by the large amount of short chapters, often with titles that make the reader wonder what the chapter contains, such as ‘The Following March – â€Å"Bathsheba Boldwood†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. It can also be seen in the cliff-hangers they often end with, encouraging the reader to buy the next magazine to read it. The title comes from ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’ a poem by Thomas Gray, a favourite of Hardy’s poets. The complete line seventy-three reads: ‘Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife’, describing how life in towns is full of petty conflicts, whereas life in the countryside is more simple and therefore, better. Although the novel does often describe the beauty of the countryside, a part of England Hardy believed to be disappearing because of the industrial revolution, it may also be ironic, because the emotional turmoil, often caused by obsession, that the main characters go through is certainly not calm. The novel starts with Oak as he sees ‘an ornamental spring waggon’ with Bathsheba inside. She unwraps a ‘small swing looking-glass’ and gazes at herself, without showing any ‘necessity whatever’ for looking. Oak comments that ‘the greatest of [her faults]’ is she is obsessed with her own beauty. This vanity is continued for the majority of the book. An example of this is when Bathsheba has learnt sheep ‘have broken fence’ and eaten young clover. Hardy mentions that she was wearing a ‘rather dashing velvet dress’, which was ‘carefully put on before a glass’. It is this negative characteristic of Bathsheba which will cause her such misfortune later in the novel. Bathsheba’s obsession with herself drives her to ‘direct [a] missive to Boldwood’. This is because she feels piqued after Liddy tells he ‘didn’t turn his head’ in church that day, despite ‘his pew [being] exactly opposite [Bathsheba’s]’. Boldwood’s ‘nervous excitability’ about the fact that someone may want to marry him makes him first obsessed with finding the writer of the note, and then Bathsheba herself. This is reflected in the sunrise described the day after Boldwood receives the valentine. It symbolizes a strong new feeling in Boldwood of love, which Hardy likens to ‘a red and flameless fire’. The more she tells him she has ‘not fallen in love with’ him, the more he desires her. His true ‘mental derangement’ is revealed towards the end of the novel, when an ‘extraordinary collection’ of packages is found, ‘labelled â€Å"Bathsheba Boldwood†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Boldwood’s character shows obsession, in his case with Bathsheba, to be unhealthy and a trait of a crazed person. Bathsheba’s infatuation with Troy is another important obsession in Far from the Madding Crowd. Her name also hints at her potentiality to be tempted, the Bathsheba in the Bible being tempted to commit adultery by David. She confesses her feelings to Liddy, telling her she loves Troy ‘to very distractions and misery and agony’. However, Hardy describes Troy as ‘moderately truthful towards men but to women lied like a Cretan’. Therefore the reader knows the relationship is doomed from the start, being built on untruthfulness and obsession. This is hinted at through the song that Bathsheba sings before Troy comes to Weatherbury: On the banks of Allan Water. It tells of a soldier’s love of a miller’s daughter, which is found to be untrue. Like the soldier in the song, Troy’s love is false too. After marrying Bathsheba, Troy develops an obsession with gambling. Although the one obsession that does not move the plot along, it instead shows the mistake that Bathsheba made by giving in to her obsession to marry him. She calls their marriage a ‘mistake’ and laments that her once ‘independent and spirited’ self has ‘come to this’. The start of the chapter takes place on ‘Yalbury Hill’, a ‘steep long ascent’. This may denote the uphill struggle the couple were going through at that point. Troy’s shallow nature is also shown through is lack of care for Fanny, the girl who Troy breaks promise with to marry despite impregnating her. He does not want her when she is alive, but is obsessed with her when she is dead. His lack of care is shown when Fanny asks him ‘when shall [they] be married’, and after she is gone, Troy and his fellow soldiers mock her with a ‘low peal of laughter’, demonstrating his disregard for Fanny’s wants. This is shown by Fanny being described as a ‘little spot’; a mild annoyance to Troy. Troy is shown to be insensitive, Hardy often referring to him as ‘the wall’ rather than ‘Troy’ when he speaks. The wall is described as being blacker ‘than the sky’. Hardy compares him to the wall to show the reader he is a ‘bad, black-hearted man’, which Troy admits to, much later in the novel. In comparison, when Troy sees Fanny’s corpse for the first time, he feels an ‘indefinable union of remorse and reverence’ and declares she is his ‘very, very wife’. His full obsession is shown the next day, when he is told to be ‘almost oblivious of’ Bathsheba and to not think ‘there was any element of absurdity’ in spending the whole day tending to Fanny’s grave. Like Boldwood, his obsession has caused him to become temporally mentally deranged. The consequences of the characters’ obsessions come to a climax in Chapter 53. Boldwood’s and Troy’s behaviours result in tragic fates, Boldwood having ‘cocked’ and ‘discharged’ a gun at Troy, while Boldwood being sentenced to ‘life imprisonment’ after being shown to not be ‘morally responsible’ for his actions. Their fortunes are because of their dangerous obsessions with women they cannot have: Boldwood with Bathsheba who does not love him and Troy with Fanny after she has died. The results of giving into obsessions are reflected in the natural events which occur throughout the novel. An example of this is when Bathsheba’s flock ‘[get] into a field of young clover’. Here, they are giving into their impulses, before paying the consequences by ‘getting blasted’: being so bloated their stomachs expand which causes death. This is a mirroring of Bathsheba’s decision to give in to her obsession and marry Troy, despite Gabriel Oak’s heeding. Later in the novel, we see the disastrous consequences. Throughout the novel, the only character that remains above these obsessions is Gabriel Oak. Hardy illustrates this through his name: Gabriel, an angel, often said to be the spirit of truth, and Oak, a strong and sturdy tree, not often affected by weather around it. After Bathsheba tells Oak she ‘[does] not love [him]’, he resolves to ‘give his days and nights’ to Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes states that ‘everything is meaningless’, and this belief that Gabriel takes on is shown in his ability to move on quickly from distressing events. For example, when Bathsheba demands him to leave her farm. In this situation, Oak does not protest but says ‘calmly’: ‘Very well’. It may be argued that Oak is obsessed with Bathsheba because he loves her strongly. Hardy describes Oak’s desire of Bathsheba as a ‘beautiful thread’ that he did not want to break, rather than a ‘chain’ which was impossible to. However, his ability to control his desires separates him from Boldwood’s obsessive behaviour. This is shown when Bathsheba finally gives in to Boldwood’s harassing and agrees to ‘marry [Boldwood] in six years’, despite ‘burst[ing] out crying’. Here, Boldwood lets his obsessive love of Bathsheba stop her from being happy, whereas Oak would rather Bathsheba was happy without him rather than her being unhappy and with him. Because of this, he is rewarded by having a ‘private, secret, plainest wedding’ with Bathsheba. Bathsheba’s character also changes. This is epitomized at the end of the book, when ‘Bathsheba [smiles]’ rather than ‘laughed readily’ at one of the villager’s jokes. This shows she has learnt from her experiences that it is not a good idea to get carried away with your emotions, fuelled by obsession. So to conclude, obsession can be found throughout Far from the Madding Crowd, in the characters, the plot and even the landscape. It is a main cause of the drama in the story by impelling the character’s conflicts. Obsession is an essential theme in Far from the Madding Crowd.

The Vietnam And Somalia Syndrome History Essay

The Vietnam And Somalia Syndrome History Essay Defining humanitarian intervention has become fraught with ambiguities since it has most recently been a veneer in interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan ex post facto. As Reiff asserts Wars waged by developed countries all aspire on a certain level to humanitarian intervention  [1]  The use of humanitarianism justification as veil for national interests has clouded the terminology and sustained perceptions that humanitarianism is a vehicle of Imperialism.  [2]  In order to frame the analysis, Holzgreffe qualifies humanitarian intervention as The threat or use of force across state borders by a state (or group of states) aimed at preventing or ending widespread and grave violations of the fundamental human rights of individuals other than its own citizens.  [3]  Although humanitarian intervention is rarely purely altruistic, the desire to address violations of human rights beyond national interests should be the driving force.  [4]   This analysis aims to explore the extent to which Vietnam and Somalia, two foreign policy interventions widely perceived as failures, have become synthesized into humanitarian intervention policy-making. As Robert Jervis argues, No intervention is discreet and separate; each instance changes the political landscape in which the actors operate.  [5]  Therefore the analysis will explore how these historical analogies interacted and informed policy-making consciousness. By evaluating the extent to which policy makers viewed humanitarian crises through the historical lens, it will examine how every decision is partly a response to past outcome.  [6]  The analysis will retrace political implications of Vietnam in the Carter and Reagan era, leading to examine if George H.W Bushs assertion that the Gulf War successfully kicked the Vietnam syndrome held truth. Furthermore, it will argue that failures in Somalia can be linked to Vietnam syndrome thus shaping foreign policy in Rwanda. It will argue that historical legacy of Vietnam and Somalia had three key repercussions for US humanitarian interventions: it questioned the global US role, it altered strategy by insisting on clear objectives and end goals and heightened the need for garnering public consensus. However, that historical factors cannot be viewed in isolation, a confluence of system level factors in the post-cold war period and individual factors also moulded episodes of humanitarian engagement. Owing to the limited scope of the essay, the analysis will focus upon key case studies up until the Clinton era, although this is by no means an exhaustive list of humanitarian interventions. The trope Vietnam has functioned as a metaphor for humiliation, exposing the limits of American power and capability on the international scene. Vietnam syndrome extended from a term to describe post traumatic stress experienced by veterans to encompass the political impact of the conflict on home soil, engendering a belief that the United States should avoid military intervention abroad  [7]  . Amid the rising causalities, the loss of public consensus raised questions about the US role in conflicts with limited national interest.  [8]   However, the way in which lessons from Vietnam were synthesized into foreign policy varied and often coalesced into different strategies. In his Notre Dame Speech Carter recognised the moral void left by Vietnam calling it: the best example of intellectual and moral poverty.  [9]  Across the left, Vietnam syndrome generally manifested itself in an aversion to military engagement fear in which the US would become bogged down in a similar quagmire. As a result, the Democratic majority in Congress enacted the 1973 War Powers Resolution, restricting the president from sending U.S. troops into combat for more than ninety days without congressional consent.  [10]  By reasserting congressional authority over foreign policy making, it aimed to avoid centralization of decisions in the hands of a presidency to prevent another Vietnam scenario.  [11]   Conversely, the failure of Vietnam was perceived largely across the right as self-inflicted owing to the absence of strong leadership and substantial force thus contributing to the post-war decline. Reagans revisionist interpretation of Vietnam attributed self-doubt to the failure in Vietnam: There is a lesson for all of us in Vietnam. If we are forced to fight, we must have the means and determination to prevail.  [12]  Thus he aimed to restore the US role to its pre-war status quo and dispel the image of US decline on the world stage. Congressional refusal to authorise military intervention in Central America despite Reagans attempt to link humanitarian and national security interests, showed that Vietnam syndrome had trumped the Reagan Doctrine. The proxy war bolstering anti-communist allies and the reluctance to commit boots on the ground demonstrated that Vietnam had left a profound imprint on US strategy. In view of a potential Vietnam re-run in Central America, the Weinberger doctrine codified collective lessons from the Vietnam. It consisted of six tests to be used before the United States intervened including that vital interests must be at stake and congressional and public support must be obtained.  [13]  The clearest enunciation of military policy since Vietnam reflected how Vietnam syndrome had become integrated in US strategy, later informing the Powell doctrine.  [14]   Reagans successor George H. W Bush, was acutely aware of the constraints Vietnam syndrome placed on foreign policy as referenced in his inauguration speech The final lesson of Vietnam is that no great nation can afford to be to be surrendered by memory.  [15]  Bush asserted that Vietnam was a case in point of how not to use military force, voicing particular criticism of Johnsons gradual escalation of firepower in Vietnam.  [16]   Bushs chance to exorcise Vietnam Syndrome came when Saddam Husseins military repression of Kurdish and Shiite uprisings prompted a mass exodus of refugees into Turkey and Iran. This was compounded by the closure of Turkeys borders, forcing thousands of Kurds to be trapped in the hostile mountain pass. Following international pressure, the US retracted its initial policy of non-intervention, founded on the fear it would make the U.S responsible for the government that emerged in Iraq.  [17]  Resolution 688 authorized military force to guarantee humanitarian organisations access to civilians in Iraq and was launched by declaring a no-fly zone and relief operation for the Kurds.  [18]   The intervention synthesized the lessons from Vietnam in two key ways. Firstly, the need to garner public support was met by Bush emphasising moral grounds, which were ambiguously delineated in Vietnam. Bush equated Saddam to Hitler revisited creating a good vs. evil frame through which public opinion could perceive the conflict.  [19]  He contended that I think the humanitarian concern; the refugee concern is so overwhelming that there will be a lot of understanding about this.  [20]  The moral impetus of the US role as an upholder of humanitarian values, coupled with the United Nations Security Councils resolution appended legitimacy to intervention serving to reinforce public support. Secondly, Vietnam syndrome had clear repercussions in Bushs strategy. The conditions for the use of force, stipulated in the Weinberg doctrine were becoming institutionalized with the Powell doctrine.  [21]  Ã‚  From an individual level of analysis Colin Powells beliefs sets were shaped by experiences as a Vietnam veteran , I was appalled[]fighting the war in Vietnam without ever pressing the political leaders to lay out clear objectives for them.  [22]  The Powell doctrine called for overwhelming force, once diplomatic means are exhausted, and a clearly defined exit strategy. The doctrines tenets are reflected in Operation Provide Comfort given the USs reluctance to persuade Turkey to meet its international humanitarian obligations and open its borders, grounded in the fear of being sucked into a civil war.  [23]  Bushs advisers warned that broadening a U.S. mission to finding a solution to Kurdish identity could become a protracted business, ceding to mission creep anal ogous with Vietnam. After the success of the Gulf war, Bush proclaimed: By God, weve kicked the Vietnam Syndrome once and for all demonstrating the degree to which Vietnam had shaped foreign policy. Operation Provide Comfort had no doubt raised the nations confidence in its foreign policy and military leadership.  [24]  However Bushs eulogy of the syndrome was premature: the conduct of humanitarian intervention, emphasising air-power and avoiding mission creep complied with the Vietnam syndromes central canons of using maximum force with minimal casualties which effectively institutionalized the syndrome rather than kicking it.  [25]  Equally, the military success is more likely to have triumphed the Powell doctrine rather than exorcising Vietnam Syndrome and concerns with intervention abroad.  [26]  Informed by the lessons of Vietnam, the Powell Doctrine reinforced heavy reliance on fire-power, technology and a concrete exit strategy which blinded US policy makers to the complexity of the p olitical terrain in Somalia.  [27]   Clinton inherited the Somalia intervention from the Bushs administrations involvement in UNISOM I which monitored the ceasefire in Mogadishu and escorted deliveries of humanitarian supplies. Making a clear distinction between his democratic engagement policy, Clinton stressed that intervention in Somalia was purely humanitarian: The U.S. military mission is not now nor was it ever one of nation building.  [28]  However, the initial success was curtailed by the black-hawk down incident culminating in images of a dead US soldier dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, rekindling the latent casualty aversion left by the Vietnam vestige. This was exacerbated by the belief that Somalia was a low-risk humanitarian intervention and by the CNN effect of real-time news reports eliciting a strong emotional response amongst public opinion.  [29]  Amid rapidly deteriorating public and congressional support for the mission, Clinton announced the end of U.S. involvement in Somalia. The Somalia syndrome is inherently linked to Vietnam Syndrome as alluded to in diplomat Richard Holbrookes coining of Vietmalia syndrome  [30]  . The Powell Doctrine, stemming from the lessons of Vietnam, locked the US into a realist mindset that overwhelming force would reap success in combat operations, shifting the focus away from non-state actors.  [31]  Equally, limited objectives tethered by the avoidance of mission creep prevented the mission expanding into a tougher approach to peace-keeping. These factors were incoherent with the deeply rooted political factors of the humanitarian crisis. Bushs assertion that Our mission was humanitarian [] we do not plan to dictate political outcomes  [32]  became untenable given that political reconstruction became intrinsic to humanitarian interests; this is evidenced when the purely humanitarian objective spiralled into pursuing a Somalia warlord. In their man-milieu hypothesis, Sprout and Sprout argue the context in which decision makers operate is formed by a variety of factors including history, culture and political institutions.  [33]  Clintons lack of military experience attracting criticisms of incompetence, his personal anti-Vietnam stance  [34]  and the republican majority in congress all interacted to shape the Somalia strategy.  [35]  The reluctance to commit troops to Somalia highlighted not only how the spectre of Vietnam permeated the policy remit but also that the historical analogy coalesced with individual and domestic factors. This supports the initial argument that Vietnam syndrome was present amongst a confluence of other factors influencing foreign policy. In the first framework of US peace-keeping role in the post- Cold War period, PDD 25 formally enshrined The Somalia Syndrome in US policy. It outlined specific criteria for US peacekeeping efforts and stipulated the US unwillingness to become involved in sub-national conflicts.  [36]  This precluded refusal to respond to the Rwandan genocide and supported the view that Somalia was a pivotal factor in influencing US policy making process.  [37]   The Somalia syndrome manifested itself in two key ways in US policy regarding Rwanda. Firstly, the public and political sphere viewed the unfolding violence misguidedly through the Somalia lens. As Klinghoffer sustains: The Somalia image of a failed state with random violence masked the actual premeditation and directing role of the Hutu extremists in the interim government.  [38]  This demonstrates that the historical proximity of the Rwandan genocide to Somalia became an analogical referent through which the events were seen in the frame work of a common African schema. That is to say, characteristics of the Rwandan genocide such as a failed-state and mass violence etc. were seen as synonymous with Somalia. Des Forges argues the hopeless imagery created by Somalia, legitimized the policy inaction.  [39]  In this line of thought, congressional and public opinion perceived a repeat of the Somalia imbroglio as unacceptable to future peacekeeping operations. Secondly, Washingto n became wary of peacekeeping missions undertaken by other countries fearing a costly U.S entanglement and crossing the Moghadishu line from peacekeeping to combat operations.  [40]  This underscored a retreat from assertive multilateralism to a limited US role in peacekeeping g operations. Non-intervention in Rwanda demonstrates that the Somalia syndrome had profound effects firstly in terms of defining the US role. As the sole superpower in the post-war era with leverage over United Nations, the unwillingness to demonstrate moral leadership in Rwanda restricted the parameters of US exceptionalism. Furthermore, policy makers responded to public casualty aversion in Somalia which consequently limited strategy options in Rwanda where national interests were not articulated.  [41]   Vietnam and Somalia have become increasingly institutionalized; ranging from the War powers act to PDD 25.  [42]  As outlined in the introduction, this has set a paradigm of redefining the US role in humanitarian interventions. By narrowing criteria for intervention, the Somalia Syndrome undermined the USs special role in New world Order envisioned by Bush.  [43]   Furthermore, the strategies which have evolved from lessons of Vietnam and Somalia have not be homogenous; Reagans proxy wars, the Powell doctrine and non-intervention in Rwanda demonstrate how the historical milieu has interacted with system and individual level factors thus generating key differences between Vietnam and Somalia syndromes. Following Vietnam, the US wanted to avoid the Soviet Union capitalising on US entanglement in a Third World conflict. Conversely, as the worlds sole superpower in the post Cold-war era, in the aftermath of Somalia Washington downplayed the threat posed by failing states with no national interests. This is supported by the man milieu theory which shows that Individual factors such Clintons lack of experience in foreign policy and Powells Vietnam experience have interacted with the lessons of Vietnam to formulate humanitarian intervention policy. Finally, public support became intrinsic to granting the moral legitimacy lacking from Vietnam. The polarization of public and congressional opinion constrained future presidential policy options and exemplified the need to link national interests with humanitarian crises. A significant drop in American tolerance for battlefield causalities no longer justifiable in the post Cold-War era by the struggle against communism, forced Clinton to retreat from an earlier multilateral humanitarian agenda.  [44]   Historical analogies continue to inform foreign policy. Parallels between Vietnam and Afghanistan in terms of protracted insurgency, public hostility and scepticism of a moral justification raise questions about the legacy of Afghanistan Syndrome on future humanitarian crises.

An argument for Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical businesses

An argument for Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical businesses It all started in the eighteen century, with a Scottish philosopher of political economics, Adam Smith, who expressed that the free interaction of organisations and the public would meet the needs and desires of society. This responsibility was then termed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and started an evolution from the 1950s and further expanded during the 1970s. The evolution and expansion of CSR is a direct result of ever growing economies. Corporate Social Responsibility is a model for incorporating ethical business regulations into the business model. This model provides corporations a framework to embrace a responsibility towards the community, employees, environment and other service users. The three areas of main accounting are as follows; Financial success or profit Contributions to livable environment Contribution to solving social problems. A corporation incorporated each area into their business model and culture, generating growth for all three areas using their framework. An initial financial profit setback will be met when applying the framework, an exception being if the businesses have a direct business involvement with social issues. Regardless of whether business or government, leaders in all sectors have an opportunity to improve current issues and solve business problems. Community needs can be opportunities to utilise business technology and provide collaborative efforts to serve community needs. The Internet revolution has provided the public the chance to empower themselves and with this in mind customers, empowered by the internet, are researching corporate citizenship. The times of word-of-mouth and traditional media sources, such as television, is being surpassed by the number of growing search engines, and the number of customers using the Internet to research companies through independent sources is growing. Corporations should look for new ways to inform consumers about their social responsible actions and should realise that a great number of consumers will be sceptical and will check up on any claims. A company with good CSR policies, which demands that commercial success, be gained through positive practices that aim to promote general welfare, such as more jobs, better salaries, environmentally responsible activity and local interaction, tend to do a lot better then companies who do not. Success, after all, is not only measured in monetary terms but also the corporations impact on the community, on its customers and on the environment. Why bother? There are a number of valid reasons for this question, including that CSR is a good business Ethics. Business ethics regards what is morally right and wrong with a companys activities and behaviours. The likelihood of company to transact without creating some sort of environmental or social impact is very small, might this be of positive or negative impact. A key point of CSR is that it recognises the responsibility that companies have to take into account of those impacts. CSR is a framework for thinking about business ethics, making ethical decisions and working within the law, it says a company responsibilities reach further than just making a profit. Another reason is that CSR means engaging with Stakeholders (people whose lives and livelihoods are impacted by the companys activities). CSR in this case means that a company will make a decision with society (the Stakeholders are a broad and varied group) expectations in mind. Furthermore, the corporation will recognise not only th e opinions but also the values that are important to the Stakeholders and will actively engage with its Stakeholders to understand their aspirations, goals and concerns. There are many different ways a corporation can support a social initiative and still make profits. A good example is the Marriott Corporation (ref), who was motivated by a desire to help the community while still helping the bottom line, by training and hiring 6000 persons on welfare. Marriott was still able to cut costs and increase productivity. It can be in a companys best interest to provide a needed service within a low income area. By incorporating a service that improves the resources and infrastructure of a community, it can offer an economic return for the organisation through recognition or direct community investments. In this sense, a business has an obligation to both profit and serve the community, for all stakeholders involved. This shows that when a company practice in good CSR, it gains better reputation and brand image meaning an extension of better sales, more investors and customer loyalty plate form. This is supported by the survey done by Hill Knowlton/Harris (2001) showed that 91 % of all customer survey said that they would switch to other companies, if the corporation had a negative image. How does CSR work? Corporation Social Responsibility must first be sold as a developing a value proposition to its own board, as it plays an important role in helping to shape and develop the value proposition. A value proposition being the corporeal results a customer gets from using the companys products or services. Aligned with social dimension, this helps provide guidance and direction to utilise the energy and enthusiasm for CSR. By identifying where companies can be socially responsible while continue to pursuit long term competitiveness of its business, companies can utilise the wider community with its own set of expertise. This framework should whilst reinforcing its core business strategies also attempt to transform value chain activities. This is important as local customers are an important source of sales and improving a companys reputation, the company itself will find it easier to recruit workforce and lead a better local authority relation. The best way to assess whether CSR is working and related to the corporation is to set CSR measurability and performance metric (differ for every company). An example of CSR metric are Key Performance indicators (KPIs) using a balance score card to measure factors such as environmental performance and benchmarking against other companies in the same industry spectrum. Advantages and Disadvantages Corporations, although are enterprises with purpose of commercial pursuits, are powerful and influential institutions. However, one must not forget that their processes have a very public impact and affect many lives through their actions and behaviours. For this reason, it is very important that they act and behave responsibly and CRS policies should be there to guide corporation to Ethical path. More importantly for corporation, this responsibility can make a worthwhile contribution to society as irresponsible business can be harmful in equal measure. Companies without regard for their responsibilities and act/behave in an unethical ways that is damming to the worlds natural resources, will earn bad reputation which could not only loss profit or even destroy the company in their home ground but also the impact could be greater for international companies as their restriction could expand to many countries across the world. As more and more Stakeholders are demanding accountability CSR now involves more complex decision making. This makes the companies grow from the single dimensional thinking of maximising financial profit and concern more about the economic, social and environmental aspects of corporation impacts. For this to continue to be possible a firmed knowledge of CSR is critical, as learning about CSR means learning to manage CSR initiatives and engage with Stakeholders enabling managers to kept CSR alive within the company. Another reason for learning about CSR is so that ethical misconduct within the workplace can be recognised by employees, managers and Stakeholders, as this is far too common. This recognition could open a gateway to taking action to address the misconduct. Everyone can benefit from Corporate Social Responsibility giving compelling reasons for customer, supplies and community to learn about CSR so as to protect and promote their interest in relation to corporate activities. Although, many organisations such as United Nations (UN) are all attempting to regulate Corporate Social Responsibility through their framework, it is still voluntary corporation action and goes beyond regulations and laws. This unfortunately means that CSR lack of formal regulation and is not standardised and therefore often not possible to compare CSR performance in detail. Appallingly CSR is misused as a market ploy and reveals facts such as some company, whose very existence is considered to be socially irresponsible, such as British American Tobacco Corporation, are being recognised for performing some socially responsible acts. This is due to companies being given the right to shape and define CSR increasing the risk of abuse of power. Conclusion Although, Corporation Social Responsibility can come across as an idealistic idea, especially as it is voluntary process and lack regulation and therefore subjected to abuse of power by decision making companies in the social domain, it actually produces favourable results if applied positively. Corporations and governments are powerful and influential institutes and can therefore make a significant difference to society. This difference whether these institutes impacts positively or negatively, will depend on the contribution to better thinking about what is Ethically right or wrong. This knowledge can produce decisions and behaviours that are recognised by stakeholders as unethical and help managers assess the changes needed to manage CSR. A good CSR framework aligns community efforts and charitable efforts with core business strategy, expertise and market needs. This in turn helps build up a companys social capital and is likely to bring returns including financial returns.

Distance Learning vs. the Traditional Classroom Essay -- Education Com

Distance Learning vs. the Traditional Classroom Non-traditional students are finding it easier and easier to maintain a job, a family, and pursuing a college career at the same time. This is possible because more and more non-traditional students are receiving an education using distance learning, as opposed to traditional, in-the-classroom teaching. Distance learning is basically taking college level, credit-bearing courses via the Internet. One of the most obvious advantages of distance learning is that it puts the classroom in your home, office, or wherever you can find a computer and log on to the Internet. However, there is much controversy regarding the quality of the courses being offered on the Internet versus the quality of courses taught in the traditional classroom. The courses taught in the traditional classroom provide â€Å"important aspects of teacher immediacy, which are behaviors that enhance physical and psychological closeness (mehrabian, 1981)† with the student and the instructor. Verbal behaviors such as praising students, addressing them by name and using humor in the class may evoke immediacy. There is also non-verbal immediacy, which is body language such as adopting a relaxed body position, varying one’s vocal expression, moving around in the classroom and smiling while looking at the class (Richmond, Gorham & McCroskey, 1987). This type of behavior allows for a relationship between the student and the instructor to truly develop into something significant. It also allows for the student to develop his or her individuality in the classroom. Traditional classroom teaching also provides students with the opportunity to have real social interaction with one another. This interaction in turn allow... ...e learning as effective as learning in the classroom. Works Cited: Audio Graphic Telecourses for the Web: An Experiment Retrieved (3/17/2000) from the World Wide Web: http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol4/issue2/larose.html Gorham, J. (1988). The relationship between verbal teacher immediacy behaviors and learning: Monitoring processes and product. Communication Education, 39, 354-368. Hiltz, S. (1986). The â€Å"virtual classroom†: Using computer-mediated communication for university. Journal of Communication, 36(2), 95-104. Mehrabian, A. (1981) Silent Messages: Implicit Communication of emotions and attitudes (2nd Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Ragsdale, R.G. & Kassam, A. (1994). The magic of multimedia in education: Promises of the 21st Century. In Reisman, S. (ed). Multimedia Computing—Preparing for the 21st Century. Harrisburg, PA: Idea Group.

Technology Improves Education :: Educating Technological Papers

Technology Improves Education Many believe a revolution is taking place in education in the way people learn and they way instruction is given. The education community has been hearing of reforms and revolutions for the past few decades, but most of them have been nonexistent or without any long-term merit or real value. Some believe the method of an instructor lecturing while students listen and absorb is really the only viable way to teach or learn. About two decades ago, when personal computers started to become affordable, many thought that computers would revolutionize education, that computer-based teaching and learning would become the savior of education and the solution to falling test scores. This has never really happened. Over the past two decades, many teachers have successfully prepared students, some with computers in the classroom and some without. Teachers could avoid computers, either because they chose not to learn how to use them or because they had none in their classroom or school to use. T eachers entering the profession have not been required to understand computational technology in order to graduate from college. The internet has been in existence for almost two decades and began to extend into schools about 15 years ago, first into universities and then into K-12. Did the internet revolutionize education? Not exactly, it did provide an opportunity to expand learning options for teachers and students who were fortunate enough to have internet access, a few computers, and appropriate guidance on usage. Often this took place in only one classroom and only one school within a system and did not become systemic throughout the school. There are many factors affecting this slow implementation of computing and communications technology in schools, including administrations with no knowledge of its value or no willingness to realign school budgets to include computational technology; insufficient in service professions development programs for teachers; a lack of specific curriculum benefits or of resources for teachers to use in their courses; deficient preservice preparation of teachers in technolo gy or computation. Why do some of us believe there is now a revolution taking place that cannot be ignored by educators or administrators? In November 1993, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) released Mosaic, the first World Wide Web browser for all three computing platforms (UNIX, PC, and Macintosh). The internet had become the World Wide Web, and now Mosaic allowed anyone who knew the basics about using a computer and a mouse to go out onto the Web and easily and quickly locate multimedia information.

Executive Summaries Essay

The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the report’s length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original. †¢Executive summaries make a recommendation †¢Accuracy is essential because decisions will be made based on your summary by people who have not read the original †¢Executive summaries frequently summarize more than one document Types of Summaries Summaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries. Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. View our Writing Guide about Abstracts Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone else’s published work and is written for a variety of purposes. View our Writing Guide about Standard Summaries Processes for Writing an Executive Summary Executive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try: †¢Summarizing the major sections of your report. You might even copy text from your report into the summary and then edit it down. †¢Talking aloud or even tape recording yourself summarizing sections of your report. Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write †¢What is your report about? †¢Why is it important? †¢What is included in the report? †¢What is included in each section? Concise Statement As a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what you’re basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a concise statement of the conclusion you reached after conducting your analysis and/or research is the paper that will be attached. For example, after a comparison of what other schools like CSU do about personal calls for faculty, you conclude that the CSU is charging for calls most other institutions do not. How you word the conclusion will differ depending on your audience and what they care most about. The following examples illustrate how the wording must change given an audience’s needs. Example One Colorado State should discontinue the practice of charging faculty for personal calls. This is a good example if the people you work for are only interested in this issue. It begins with a summary of conclusions regarding only the CSU population. Example Two Because I have found that over 75% of comparable institutions do not charge for personal calls, I have concluded that our faculty is justified in objecting to this practice which should be seen as a â€Å"perk† for our faculty. This sentence provides unnecessary information about other institutions and/or why the faculty think they deserve to have these calls paid for. Your readers can get that information from the report. Further, the use of â€Å"I† is unnecessary since your readers already know who wrote the report. Writing Recommendations After beginning with a summary statement of your findings, the executive summary should go on to provide a specific recommendation for action geared toward your audience. For example, the report on charging for personal calls was requested by the president’s office, not the individual departments and colleges who actually determine policy. As a result, the recommendation for action is geared toward what the president’s office should do, not the other departments involved. To learn more about writing recommendations: After summarizing the entire article and/or research report(s), an executive  summary ends with a one or two line recommendation for action. Simple Formula Executive summaries frequently make use of transitional phrases to encapsulate the preceding information in the same sentence as the recommendation. The format can almost be envisioned as a formula: [transitional word] + [concise statement of information provided in summary], I recommend that [corporation, office, person in question] do [recommendations]. More Complex Recommendations In other cases, the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the recommendation. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the recommendation. Example Susie’s Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same â€Å"mall-concept† marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susie’s Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susie’s quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt burden on Susie’s cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susie’s Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susie’s Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Field’s does not participate in the hostile takeover  under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Justification Finally, an executive summary provides an analysis and/or justification for the proposed action in terms the audience will consider important. In many cases, this might involve a monetary analysis as in the example to the right, but actions can be justified many ways, depending on the concerns of the audience and the topic of the report (e.g. for CSU these might include increase in student learning, better relationship with the community, etc.). justification for the recommendation by referring to information summarized. A recommendationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s justification is usually based on a reference to material already provided in the summary. In other cases, the justification for the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the justification. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the conclusion that leads to the justification. Example Justification Based on the current number and length of long-distance personal calls by faculty, such a proposal would cost the university $150,000 annually. In comparison to the overall budget, this is a small amount, but one which might â€Å"pay for itself† in terms of faculty satisfaction and possible recruitment benefits. Example Susie’s Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same â€Å"mall-concept† marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susie’s Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susie’s quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt  burden on Susie’s cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susie’s Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susie’s Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Field’s does not participate in the hostile takeover under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Example Executive Summary The Mountain Resort charges below average rental rates. (concise statement of findings) The attached report recommends a 20% increase in price for the following equipment: 1. downhill skis, 2. telemark skis, 3. boots/shoes for downhill, telemark, and cross-country skis. (specific recommendation for action) Based on average rental business for 1992-1995, these increases would generate an annual rental profit for Mountainview of $750,000. This figure represents an overall gain of $150,000 over current rental profits.(justification for proposed action) Additional Resources Other Writing Guides are available to help you write executive summaries. Choose any of the following for more information: †¢Purpose †¢Audience †¢Organization