Poetry assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poetry assigment - Essay Example A disagreement between his father and his older brother led to the sale of the family business and the suicide of his brother. Not long after, his father succumbed to cancer, leaving the young fifteen year old in charge of his family. The fact that these events caused Roethke to look at his father with ambivalence seems to be reflected in the poem, as its tone is a strange mixture of the affectionate love of a little boy and a slightly more suspicious and adult distrust and betrayal. The very first impression of the poem is one of a joyous frolic around the house and the happiness of the young boy at this special moment with his father comes out very clearly, especially in the beginning of the second stanza; "We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf" and at the last stanza where he describes his father keeping time on his head as he danced him off to tuck him into bed. That the memories are very personal stands out in the details of the poem; he describes the whiskey on his father's breath, the fact that his father's hands had dirt still on them. Since his father worked in a greenhouse, these details are no doubt drawn from his memories and show his father as the slightly rough, honest hard worker he was. It is clear that this memory is a happy one for him and is also reminiscent of my own dances with my father. However, the later experiences also colour this memory. It is not the unadulterated memory of a child. Certain words and phrases jar a bit with the pleasant nature of this picture. When he describes hanging to his father "like death" it is a little out of place. However given that his brother committed suicide after a fight with their father it seems plausible that Roethke might have held his father responsible for the death and as he matured into adulthood inappropriately early following his father's death he might also have felt resentment towards his father for leaving him with such a burden. These undercurrents of adult feeling do mar the perfect picture of an otherwise normal and happy episode. However, the fact that he describes this episode with such feeling and vividness also emphasizes the fact that he did indeed love his father when he was a child, and it also has a touch of longing and loss in its tone. It seems to imply that he misses those small moments of intimacy with his father, and knows they will never come again. It is for this reason that I connect with the poem so much, as I myself lost my father three years ago when I moved to new York, leaving him in Taiwan. I shared many moments like this with my father and these memories are tinged with the knowledge that I can never have them again. There is also a resentment that they finished too early in life. He was thrust into an adult world too early and therefore this memory is even more special as it will never come again, and perhaps did not happen enough when he was a child. This emotion and memory perhaps has more meaning for me as I too used to have these moments with my father, before he passed away. The happiness of the memory is tinged with regret for its loss. There is an undertone of near-violence also in this poem, in the description of the father's knuckles, and death. Though there appears to be a school of thought that thinks this represents an abusive father ( Ref;Byrne) and cite the fact

The Use Of Celebrities In Advertising Cultural Studies Essay

The Use Of Celebrities In Advertising Cultural Studies Essay In my third and last year as an Office Management student I had the assignment of writing a paper for the International Marketing course. I could choose one of the teachers topics or find one myself. I have decided to pick the topic: the differences between Western and Asian culture. This was one of the many subjects offered by the teacher. There is a lot to say about this aspect, which is why I have decided to pick two countries and to dig deeper in their culture, and their point of view regarding to advertisement. The United States and Japan will be discussed in this document and I will add several examples to give a better view on the subject. I have chosen these two countries because they are totally different from each other, what makes it the more or less easy to spot differences. The United States is for me the place to be when it comes to celebrity endorsement. Even though the two cultures are not the same, there is a link and this will be explained in the paper. I expect to receive better understanding of the two cultures but also have a look behind the scenes. I am anxious to learn whether the use of celebrity does have impact on the brand and if that impact is positive for the brand. The paper will be handled in English. I have chosen to do so, because the course and my exam were in English, and the fact that the teacher did an effort to speak in English during the course, I have found it disrespectful not to make the same effort and write this paper in English. Before starting with my main subject I would like to explain some basic things. The term celebrity is widely used for every person that comes on TV. But for companies and brands, they are more than that. Furthermore I will start with the use of celebrity, mainly in the States and tackle the marketing strategy a little bit. My paper consists of two countries, that is why Japan will come next. The differences between these two countries will be tackled by the end along with some examples. A celebrity isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Also called a celeb and it is a person that is generally recognized in a society or a culture. People can become famous in different ways: through their profession, appearances in the mass media, beauty and even crime. Through mass media, starting in the 19th and 20th century, celebrities are known in a relatively short time nationally or internationally. This can sometimes occur very fast. Like Neil Armstrong being the first man walking over/on the moon in 1969, got famous in a nick of time. Celebrities appear in public in a different way, you and me can walk on the street unnoticed without anybody carrying. For celebs it is the other way around, they are walking advertising poles. From head to toe fans analyse the clothes and brands they are wearing. Furthermore they appear in public when fulfilling their jobs, like a tennis player in front of an audience. And also while attending events, like the Academy Awards, premieres of movies, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The news, fashion magazines and even tabloids provide second source information concerning their private life. Besides doing what they do, they also endorse a brand, and act as spokespeople in advertising and on events to promote their brand. Or should I say the brand they work for. The most logical question is does this celebrity endorsement do some good to the brand? A study of Till, Stanley, Priluck in 2008 explains us that celebrity endorsement is used in marketing, because it is believed that the consumers perception of the product improves. According to McCracken (1989) a celebrity endorser is an individual who has gained public awareness and uses this awareness in commercials and advertisements on behalf of consumer products. The use of celebrities in advertising: the States When Nike started collaborating with golf icon Tiger Woods, there was a lot of scepticism about the introduction of NIKE to the golf market.  Indeed, the image of NIKE was not consistent with the image of the elite sport of golf.  It is through the use of Tiger Woods in the marketing strategy that NIKE could successfully position itself in the golf market. Nike is one of the many multinationals which makes use of celebrity endorsers in its marketing strategy. Other famous brands that call upon a celebrity to endorse are Pepsi with David Beckham. The famous advertising commercials of Nepresso where we admire a charismatic George Clooney. For companies it is very interesting to make use of celebrity endorsers since advertisements with celebrities, creates more attention than ads or commercials without celebrities.   The celebrity endorser is not necessarily an actor or a movie star, there may for example also be considered athletes, musicians, artists and politicians. Although he passed away a long time ago, in this ad we see one of the United States most popular president, John F. Kennedy for an Omega advertising. However it is not so that celebrity endorsement guarantees success.  The success of using this marketing strategy depends on the values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹that the celebrity endorser gives to the product.  It is even possible that the celebritys own image and values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹can be transferred to the product. Not only theory but also practice has shown us that the use of celebrities generates a lot of publicity. Yet these endorsements can cost a lot of money to companies. For instance Venus Williams has signed a five-year contract worth 40 million dollars, to promote and endorse Reebok. Back in the days when he was the most popular athlete in the World, Michael Jordan had signed a contract for 20 million dollars with NIKE. This proved to be very lucrative for Nike, because the AIR Jordan was for a long time very famous and every teen on the block bought the shoe. All of these celebrities gain more from endorsement contracts than from the sport they practice. That is why celebrity endorsements increase every year. In 2007, celebrities in the United States were used in 25% of all TV commercials. What is marketing communication? A company has many audiences. Consumers and other customers are only a small part of the target groups. Marketing communication can be described as getting in touch with trade and or consumers to influence their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in a direction that is favourable for the marketing policy. The different marketing communication tools are used to influence positively the choices of the (potential) consumers. These marketing tools can be deployed at different levels. A distinction is made between the cognitive, affective and conative phase. Within the cognitive phase, the goal is to familiarize the customer with the product or the company. The affective phase is aimed at the emotions. Within this phase the customer needs to develop emotions and feelings towards the product or the company. The conative and affective phase can often be combined. In the conative stage, the customer actually makes a purchase. It is obvious that all companies aim to fulfil the last phase. A little bit of marketing strategy In this part of the paper I will dig a little bit deeper in the marketing strategy. The celebrity needs to match the brand, they are not randomly chosen by companies, just for fun. It is a whole strategy and a detailed process that comes along. I will also talk about what is important to guarantee the success of the brand and on what companies focus when choosing their celebrities. It can be said that celebrity endorsement is widely used because research indicates that the impact of celebrity endorsement is a positive investment in the marketing of a brand. However, it is not always successful. It is important for companies that they use celebrities in an efficient way in their strategy. The question is whether celebrity endorsement is the way to go when introducing new products into the market. Research indicates that about half of the marketing budget is spent on marketing when launching new products. Companies are willing to spend a lot of money, because on average 40% of product launches fail. Because so much money is spent on the marketing of new products, there is a greater chance that many companies will opt for celebrities in their commercials and ads (advertisements). This is one of the most expensive options within marketing communications. The focus is therefore on the impact of celebrity endorsement in marketing strategies of new products. With the introduction of new products, consumer uncertainty is relatively higher than the existing products. This consumer uncertainty should be removed with a good marketing policy. With high consumer uncertainty, new products should be brought more to the attention of consumers than already existing products. So that the consumers uncertainty is no longer present. It may also be noted that consumers dealing with new products still have no awareness of the product and thus no positive attitude is yet developed. This is necessary because it leads to purchase intent. Two dimensions: Attractiveness and credibility If companies want their brand to be successful throughout the help of a celebrity, there are two dimensions that they must take into account. The two dimensions of interest are namely the attractiveness and credibility of the celebrity. Several studies indicate that these two dimensions may be crucial for the success of celebrity endorsement in marketing strategy. In addition to these dimensions they also take a look at the match-up principle and the ability to use multiple celebrities in an add or advertisement. The match-up principle will be treated in this paper as this is a generally accepted principle in the choice of celebrity endorsement. Attractiveness of the celebrity The first dimension is to take into account the attractiveness of the celebrity. If an attractive celebrity is used, it is more likely that awareness is created among the target audience than when using an unattractive celebrity. This awareness is eventually to be transformed into a positive attitude of the brand. The attractiveness of the celebrity has namely a positive effect on the attitude of consumers towards the brand or product advertising .The dimension attractiveness of the celebrity is formed by the physical appearance, intelligence, athletic ability and the lifestyle of the celebrity. Based on these factors the company should decide which celebrity is suitable for his or her product or brand. Credibility of the celebrity The second dimension concerns the credibility of the celebrity. Credibility is divided into two factors: expertise and trustworthiness. Expertise of the celebrity is perceived by consumers on the basis of the allegations that the celebrity is doing in advertising. Reliability, however, is perceived as to whether the celebrity can achieve the results from the advertising or ad in his real life. Research shows that companies with good credibility factors interact within the advertising, as the celebrities generally are regarded as credible. This is crucial because the credibility of the celebrity can affect the opinions, attitudes and behaviour of the target group. The match-up principle The success of the collaboration between celebrity and the brand or product depends to a large extent on the match-up principle. The match-up basically revolves around the congruence (being suitable and appropriate) between the celebrity and the brand or product. With congruence, I mean the consistency between the characteristics of the celebrity and the product attributes. This is particularly important because the celebrity can convey its values on the product or brand without changing the product or brand image. A good match-up creates a more positive attitude of the consumers. I personally hate to see ads that use celebrities when it is obvious that the celebrity does not match the brand at all. To explain the match-up principle better, I will briefly discuss the three phases: Phase 1: In this stage, a number of values are associated with the celebrity. These values occur on the basis of the celebs appearances in the (mass) media. Consumers understand the significance and reflect it on the celebrity. Phase 2: In this phase, the values and image of the celebrity are associated with the product, through an official endorsement. Phase 3: During this phase, the values, by working with the brand or product, clearly belong to the consumer. Because the consumers associate the values of the celebrity with the values of the product they will proceed to purchase and consume the product. Multiple celebrities in an advertising or promotional One way to merge the above factors is the use of several celebrities in an advertisement or promotion. The company must then choose celebrities who complement each other within the advertising or ad. This could be, for example, the attractiveness of the celebrities chosen for an athlete and someone with an intelligent mind. To ensure credibility, a knowledgeable person and a trustworthy person can be used. Gillette, for example, is a company that applies several celebrities in its ads by using Roger Federer, Thierry Henry and Tiger Woods. An important argument for the choice of several celebrities in the marketing of a company, in these ways different audiences can be reached on the basis of a celebrity who fits in this group. When using multiple celebrities, multiple values will be linked to the product. The risks of celebrity endorsements Although there are examples that indicate that celebrity endorsement can be a good idea, there are the necessary risks. When it is assumed that all conditions of the right person for the right product are satisfied, there are two points to worry about. The greatest risk is the celebrity itself. Celebrity branding is all about transferring the value of a person on a product. The two concerns are: How long will the fame remain, and can the celebrity retain its status? The second concern is the life of celebrity, his personal integrity. If he is embroiled in a scandal, that could destroy the brand. Before Michael Jackson ended in a scandal, he had a successful deal with Pepsi. Naturally Pepsi had to stop the contract in order to prevent damage to the brand. Also O.J. Simpson was once the face of a car rental company. After the accusations of the murder of his wife, his contract was also stopped. It is very bad for a brand to be associated with an alleged murderer or paedophile. Although there are brands that hire intentionally stars with a wrong image, this is a risky step. Pepsi made again a wrong decision, by taking this risk to use hip-hop star Ludacris in its campaigns. Ludacris disrespectful attitude and his rap songs full with cursing did not match-up with the brand. After a campaign was started by a conservative politician against this endorsement, Pepsi was forced by public pressure to stop the deal with Ludacris. Although one should avoid bad publicity, it is a fact that on the international market celebrity endorsements are very suitable to create a distinctive brand. That the rules of celebrity endorsement in Japan differ from those of the West is largely due to the difference in culture, more on that later. Brands must be careful with the choices they make. When they choose a celebrity with the right personality traits, these characteristics will also be awarded to the brand and the brand will take advantage from it. If the wrong person is chosen his or her personality traits will be awarded to the brand causing the end of the brand. Very well accepted and attractive super stars like Bruce Willis and Whitney Houston failed in turning their endorsements into success. Simply assuming that a person just has to be famous to represent a brand is incorrect. A considerable number of failures prove the opposite. In the figure below you can see some of the endorsements that turned out to be a success or a failure. Lets go Asian: Japan and its celebrity endorsement In East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, many celebrities are used in advertising. In Japan, 70 % of TV commercials use a celebrity from the sports, music, film, and fashion or entertainment business. Celebrities are used as endorsers with a statement about the quality of the product / brand or are shown only in relation to the brand /product. The idea is that the values and associations of the celebrity will be transferred to the brand and the brand by the user. Moreover, it is a form of product differentiation as other awards from competing brands is not possible or desirable. But why is the use of celebrities in Japan so much greater than in the United States and Europe? In Japan they do not only use Western and Japanese celebrities, but also talents. These are young Japanese who are on their way to the top in the worlds of fashion, music, film and entertainment. Advertising for these talents is their way to fame. Japanese advertising does not only use the reputation and associations of established celebrities, but also creates celebrities. And this goes a step further than the ads in the States. Japanese talents are normal people like you and me. They are slightly good looking, pretty much the girl or boy next door. They form a peer group with which one can easily identify. In a collectivist culture belonging to a group or identifying with that group is very important. In Japanese advertising values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹related to face and harmony lead to an indirect communication style. They feel uncomfortable with a commercial that takes that emphasise on situations or facts. A direct approach is seen as an insult to the intelligence of the consumer. The goal of advertising in the Japanese ads is to make the consumer your friend, to win his trust and respect. This goal can be achieved by entertaining the audience. Identification of the brand, the company name or product in the commercial is less important than the pleasant voices of consumers. Japanese advertisers generally use much of the time in the commercial for building trust, understanding and dependence. The result is a kind of advertising that appeals to the imagination and few to the facts. Advertising show usually no product attributes, the fun of advertising is more important. In Japanese commercials you see serenity, and nature symbols. The tone of voice is indirect, subtle, with lots of symbolism. Comparative advertising is a confrontation and is therefore seen as denigrating the competition. This is in conflict with the Asian value of harmony. The style and manner of presentation is important. A pretty picture, a story or a poem can be important parts of the advertisement. Values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and appeals found in their advertising are respect for elders. The relationship of man with nature / the unity with nature is often the subject of advertising. Japanese are crazy about celebrities. A product is often associated with celebrities, who often represent the target. If Western models, celebrities or situat ions are used, it is only as a symbol of prestige and status: they are not intended to illustrate the western values. In Japan, a part of television and popular culture is strongly linked to the entertainment world. Songs are often especially composed for use in commercials. Differences between Western and Asian cultures There are several cultural differences that may explain the use of celebrities. While the American culture is characterized by individualism, in Japan it is more the collectivist culture. In a collectivist culture they emphasize on conformity, adaptation and obedience. We, the European and American see this as negative values, but in Japan, this is well appreciated. Celebrities fit better in a collectivist than an individualist culture. In Japan they highly look up to celebrities, especially a Western celebrity. You will also see many Western celebrities in Japanese advertising, which I will explain later on. The power distance is quite large. The statements of celebrities are followed uncritically because they are not famous for nothing. Their values rays on the brand that they support, and also on the user of that brand. Power distance and individualism-collectivism are the key explanations for the difference between East Asian and Western countries. These are two of the four Hofst ede dimensions of culture. For the other two dimensions (uncertainty avoidance and masculine-feminine) there is no large difference, even though Japan is the most masculine country in the world. In a masculine country performance and success are central, in a feminine country caring for others and quality of life is more important. Advertising is strongly influenced by culture, especially in comparisons between East Asia, Europe and North America. But even between Asian countries there are cultural differences. Some campaigns may be used in several countries, but in most cases adaptation is necessary to make an effective campaign. And in many cases adaptation is inadequate and separate campaigns must be developed for each country taking into account the national culture. View of Western culture on celebrity endorsement Celebrities and marketing go well together. There is indeed a lot of money to distribute. A study of GMI revealed that consumers, especially in the Western world are almost insensitive to the advertisements with celebrities. The celebrity endorsement, according to the agency GMI might not be as effective as many believe. In certain western markets, the strategy used did not succeed to increase the value of the product nor to persuade the consumer to buy the product The researchers note that the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in promoting brands depends on the local culture. In the Western world they are the most indifferently towards the use of celebrities in advertising, tells GMI. In the United States 79% of the respondents indicated that a celebrity has no effect on the way they think about a product. Only 13% admitted that through celebrity endorsement the value of the brand increases. But in Japan, it is a completely different situation, said GMI. In Japan, 60% thinks that celebrities give a product more value. The study also shows that consumer find other techniques such as free samples, mouth-to-mouth are more efficient than celebrity endorsements. These techniques influence their buying behaviour slightly more. In the United States 34% of the consumers think this way. In Japan, 29% of those surveyed found advertising after the free samples the most efficient way to convert to a purchase. It took word-of-mouth advertising only 12%. Celebrity endorsement has proved most successful, implying that celebrities played an important role in their purchasing decision. Global media can create global stars. But consumers are much more sophisticated and less inclined to swallow simple, uniform marketing messages. The great indifference of consumers in the West may even be a sign that celebrity endorsement can have the opposite effect and repel consumers. American finest celebrities head to Japan Many American stars earn large sums of money by linking themselves to brands as a spokesperson by recommending certain products. Others appear nowhere in advertising because they do not want their fans to think they are selling out. However, many of these stars cannot resist the temptation to go abroad and appear in commercials and ads. Nowhere is this truer than in Japan. Even the richest and most famous people do not just say no to advertisers who pay them one to three million U.S. dollars for a couple of hours of work. And this is for a commercial that lasts 15 to 20 seconds. Mega stars like Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford received millions to appear in a Japanese commercial. Meg Ryan makes recommendations for cosmetics and tea, Brad Pitt promotes tins of coffee and jeans, and Demi Moore tries to persuade the Japanese audience to purchase protein drinks. Ford received several millions to appear shirtless on ads and commercials for Kirin Beer (see below). Sometime s stars are even forced to change their image and personality to better suit the style of advertising, this is needed to fit the Japanese companies. Even the Japanese public has a different flavour than people in the West are used to have. What we, in Europe and the U.S., perceive as cheap is seen in Japan as a very normal and effective way to advertise. In a commercial for shampoo, famous actor Dennis Hopper appeared in a bathtub player with a rubber duck. There are several reasons why Japanese companies are willing to pay large amounts for these stars. Many Japanese are fascinated by the American culture and American stars. It also gives a brand an American international star status. In Japanese commercials, style and atmosphere are more important than dull product information and testimonials. Japanese are very sensitive to entertainment. Because a commercial in Japan only last 15 seconds, a western star is easily recognized and the attention of the viewer is directly captured, w hich is more worth than money. American film studios also encourage celebrities to appear in Japanese commercial lay. In this way it is easier for American films to attract the Asian population. Often the release of a new film and the appearance of the star of this film in Japanese ads fall together. While many stars go abroad for advertising, they all try to protect their image at home. There are even clauses in the contracts stating that the commercial must not be shown outside of Japan and sometimes even be discussed. With the growth of the Internet it is possible that stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger secrecy about their advertising activities are likely to remain unnoticed for the American public. Above you have just read why Japanese are less picky when it comes to match-up than for example in America. Also it seems that the credibility aspect is less of an issue in Japan. If you are a celebrity, youre in Japan, by definition, credible, match up or not. Yet it is true that these endorsements in Japan are inde ed profitable. The public in Japan is in the long term a lot more loyal than the audience in the West. If a celebrity in Japan is loved, this will remain even if the celebrity has disappeared from the spotlight. The website japander.com made an index with all of American celebrities that appear in Japanese advertising. Conclusion I can now say with proud that I have chosen the right countries to tackle this difficult but at the same time interesting topic. I am sure that many students would think that it is easy to discuss this subject, because there is a lot of information on the internet and in books. Well I can tell them that a lot of information makes it harder to write something, because it is up to the writer to eliminate unnecessary information and to write in a way that is readers friendly. My hardest task was to make sure that I removed what is not relevant and to dig deeper in the part that was relevant. Thanks to experienced authors such as Grant McCracken, Stanley and many others it became easier for me to understand what I was writing about. Their view on culture and celebrities and the way they explain it was a relief to me. This paper taught me that celebrities take a big bite in the budget of a company. Nevertheless this kind of technique in marketing is increasing and will remain because stud y does show us that it is very profitable for a brand to use a celebrity. Even though in Japan they do not strictly follow the rule of match-up, I strongly believe that a match-up is needed to make an advertisement successful. Commercials, advertisements and endorsements where the celebrity has got absolutely nothing to do with the product is for me a no go. And in that match-up, according to me the most important aspect is credibility. I am not the first one to go and buy a product once a celebrity tells me to do so, but I could slightly get more interested in the brand if I notice a strong credibility in the ad. After reading several studies, information and documents I can conclude that the use of celebrities, when respecting the two dimensions I discussed in the paper, could have a very positive impact on the brand and the reputation of the company. I know I am supposed to thank in the beginning, but I have decided to do it know. I rather want the teacher to read my paper, so she could notice for herself what I am capable of, before I thank her for the support and counseling throughout the school year. Sources BOOKS Margolis J., Garrigan P., Guerrillamarketing voor dummies, 2008, Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam Kotler P., Marketing: de essentie, 2009, Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam De Mooij M., Wereldmerken : hoe reclame omgaat met cultuurverschillen, 1998, Alphen aan den Rijn, Samson WEBSITES Joyce Huijsman, Humor doesnttraval: Frank Sinatra spaghetti, (http://joycehuijsman.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/frank-sinatra-spaghetti/) University of Texas at Austin, Celebrity Advertising in Japan and Korea Doing it the Asian Way, PDF, (http://www.perfspot.com/docs/doc.asp?id=110674) The free library, Cultural differences in television celebrity use in the United States and Lebanon, (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cultural+differences+in+television+celebrity+use+in+the+United+States-a0208956138) Fred van Raaij, Beroemdheden en cultuur, (http://www.swocc.nl/column/beroemdheden-en-cultuur.php) Managing21, Westerling ongevoelig voor beroemdheden?, (http://managing21.skynetblogs.be/archive/2005/01/24/westerling-ongevoelig-voor-beroemdheden.html) McCann People, Sterren in reclame verleiden niet altijd, (http://mccannpeople.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/sterren-in-reclame-verleiden-niet-altijd/) The Pop history dig; JFK, Pitchman?, (http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=politicians-advertising) Colombia Business School, Celebrities impact on branding, PDF, (http://worldlywriter.com/images/portfolio/Proposals/Celebrity_Branding.pdf) Martin Stam, De invloed van celebritiyendorsement in de marketingcommunicatie strategie van nieuwe producten, PDF, (http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=116167) Bart Sikkema, Who will be your next celebrity endorser?, PDF, (http://essay.utwente.nl/58467/1/scriptie_B_Sikkema.pdf) Japander, Celebrity advertising, (http://www.japander.com) IMAGES All of the images were copied from Google (www.google.com) à £Ã†â€™Ã‚ Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã‚ ªÃƒ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã†â€™Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ã¢â‚¬ ° International Marketing Celebrity endorsement Hollywood

John Gotti Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From its very existence the Mafia has always been feared and respected. They are respected for the power that they posses to do what they want whenever and with whomever they please. Also the Mafia is respected for the money that they poses and the ability to get it by all means possible. They are feared by people knowing that the Mafia would not hesitate to kill someone if need be. "The roots of the mafia go way back to Sicily where their history is ancient and bloody" ( Cummings and Volkman 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe American mafia is often portrayed as the invisible and omnipotent criminal of the movie melodrama" ( Cummings and Volkman 4). "It is neither of them, but the American mafia is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world" ( Cummings and Volkman 4). When the American mafia first started people did not pay much attention to the criminal acts that they did and the unholy morals that they stood for. That was until a man from Chicago by the name of Al Capone took the mafia from rags to riches from the late nineteen twenties well into the nineteen thirties. Thanks to Mr. Capone, the American mafia was well known, and became a great force to be dealt with in the world. Mr, Capone also made men of the mafia among the most socially mobile people in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are mafia families all over the world, some of which run their businesses in the countryside. The mafia is mostly a big city organization because of what goes on in the city:" crime , police , corruption and unholy alliances between politics and business" (Cummings and Volkman 5). Basically wherever the money is there will be a mafia family nearby. New York City is considered to be the main grounds of the mafia world in which they earn up to "thirty billion dollars each year" ( Cummings and Volkman 6).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The mafia is similar to a business where men run their own business and do as they please. Just as every business has its own structure so does the mafia. At the top of the ladder there is the "Capo Di Tutti Capi (boss of the bosses)" ( Cummings and Volkman 6). There is no head boss for the whole entire mafia organization itself. But each family has its own boss and he runs it the way he wants to in whatever way he pleases to do so. Under every boss there is an under boss, who is considered to be a supervisor in the mafia world. The counsigliere is called in to... ...BROKE THE MOB. NEW YORK : SIMON AND SCHUSTER, 1993. CUMMINGS, JOHN, AND ERNEST VOLKMAN. GOOMBATA: THE IMPROBABLE RISE AND FALL OF JOHN GOTTI AND HIS GANG. BOSTON: LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY, 1990. ELLIOT, JOHN. "JOHN GOTTI HIS FAMILY". JOHN GOTTI TRIBUTE PAGE. HTTP://HOME.PACIFIC.NET.SQ/~SEOWJEAN/JOHNGOTTI/FAMILY.HTML ELLIOT, JOHN. "JOHN GOTTI HIS LIFE". JOHN GOTTI TRIBUTE PAGE. HTTP://HOME.PACIFIC.NET.SQ/~SEOWJEAN/JOHNGOTTI/LIFE.HTML KURINS, ANDRIS, AND JOSEPH F. O'BRIAN. BOSS OF BOSSES: THE FALL OF THE GODFATHER: THE FBI AND PAUL CASTELLANO. NEW YORK: SIMON AND SCHUSTER, 1991. LUBASCH, ARNOLD. "GOTTI JURY BEGINS DELIBERATION BY HEARING REPLY OF SECRET TAPES". NEW YORK TIMES 23 JUNE. 1992, B3. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI IS SEIZED IN ‘86 SHOOTING OF UNION LEADER". NEW YORK TIMES 24 JAN. 1989, B1. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI FREE ON BAIL AFTER PLEA IN SHOOTING OF UNION LEADER". NEW YORK TIMES 25 JAN. 1989: B3. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI AND 3 CHIEF AIDS ARRESTED ON FEDERAL RACKETEERING CHARGES". NEW YORK TIMES. 12 DEC. 1990, 1A+   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JOHN GOTTI BY JEFFREY TAYLOR 2,854 WORDS John Gotti Essay -- essays research papers fc   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From its very existence the Mafia has always been feared and respected. They are respected for the power that they posses to do what they want whenever and with whomever they please. Also the Mafia is respected for the money that they poses and the ability to get it by all means possible. They are feared by people knowing that the Mafia would not hesitate to kill someone if need be. "The roots of the mafia go way back to Sicily where their history is ancient and bloody" ( Cummings and Volkman 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe American mafia is often portrayed as the invisible and omnipotent criminal of the movie melodrama" ( Cummings and Volkman 4). "It is neither of them, but the American mafia is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world" ( Cummings and Volkman 4). When the American mafia first started people did not pay much attention to the criminal acts that they did and the unholy morals that they stood for. That was until a man from Chicago by the name of Al Capone took the mafia from rags to riches from the late nineteen twenties well into the nineteen thirties. Thanks to Mr. Capone, the American mafia was well known, and became a great force to be dealt with in the world. Mr, Capone also made men of the mafia among the most socially mobile people in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are mafia families all over the world, some of which run their businesses in the countryside. The mafia is mostly a big city organization because of what goes on in the city:" crime , police , corruption and unholy alliances between politics and business" (Cummings and Volkman 5). Basically wherever the money is there will be a mafia family nearby. New York City is considered to be the main grounds of the mafia world in which they earn up to "thirty billion dollars each year" ( Cummings and Volkman 6).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The mafia is similar to a business where men run their own business and do as they please. Just as every business has its own structure so does the mafia. At the top of the ladder there is the "Capo Di Tutti Capi (boss of the bosses)" ( Cummings and Volkman 6). There is no head boss for the whole entire mafia organization itself. But each family has its own boss and he runs it the way he wants to in whatever way he pleases to do so. Under every boss there is an under boss, who is considered to be a supervisor in the mafia world. The counsigliere is called in to... ...BROKE THE MOB. NEW YORK : SIMON AND SCHUSTER, 1993. CUMMINGS, JOHN, AND ERNEST VOLKMAN. GOOMBATA: THE IMPROBABLE RISE AND FALL OF JOHN GOTTI AND HIS GANG. BOSTON: LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY, 1990. ELLIOT, JOHN. "JOHN GOTTI HIS FAMILY". JOHN GOTTI TRIBUTE PAGE. HTTP://HOME.PACIFIC.NET.SQ/~SEOWJEAN/JOHNGOTTI/FAMILY.HTML ELLIOT, JOHN. "JOHN GOTTI HIS LIFE". JOHN GOTTI TRIBUTE PAGE. HTTP://HOME.PACIFIC.NET.SQ/~SEOWJEAN/JOHNGOTTI/LIFE.HTML KURINS, ANDRIS, AND JOSEPH F. O'BRIAN. BOSS OF BOSSES: THE FALL OF THE GODFATHER: THE FBI AND PAUL CASTELLANO. NEW YORK: SIMON AND SCHUSTER, 1991. LUBASCH, ARNOLD. "GOTTI JURY BEGINS DELIBERATION BY HEARING REPLY OF SECRET TAPES". NEW YORK TIMES 23 JUNE. 1992, B3. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI IS SEIZED IN ‘86 SHOOTING OF UNION LEADER". NEW YORK TIMES 24 JAN. 1989, B1. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI FREE ON BAIL AFTER PLEA IN SHOOTING OF UNION LEADER". NEW YORK TIMES 25 JAN. 1989: B3. RAAB, SELWYN. "GOTTI AND 3 CHIEF AIDS ARRESTED ON FEDERAL RACKETEERING CHARGES". NEW YORK TIMES. 12 DEC. 1990, 1A+   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JOHN GOTTI BY JEFFREY TAYLOR 2,854 WORDS

McDonald’s Current Market Strategies Essay

McDonald’s stands as the world’s largest hamburger chain with over 30,000 stores in 120 countries. Yet as strong as it stands in the hamburger industry, it is still vulnerable to price competition and the current federal unemployment rate. In order to try to overcome a low profit margin, McDonald’s is presently pursuing new strategies to help increase its market share in other industries. The primary objectives being targeted includes, growth in sales, increase in profitability and market share. Current Strategies Being Pursued According to CEO, Jim Skinner, McDonald’s â€Å"Plan to Win† strategy includes, â€Å"Giving our customers a unique balance of food and beverage choices is driving performance in every area of the world.† Skinner also stated, â€Å"We’re offering new menu items and classic favorites, including premium and value selections, all for our customers to enjoy in our convenient, contemporary restaurants. We intend to continue our momentum by further enhancing the McDonald’s experience and giving customers even more reasons to visit† (McDonald’ Corp, 2010). They are executing product development strategies by expanding the famous Dollar Menu. Due to constant price competition McDonald’s is trying to increase sales by attracting more customers into their stores by promoting products in the economical Dollar Menu. After evaluating McDonald’s current strategies, one of the leading strategies McDonald’s is trying to achieve is market penetration by focusing efforts on increasing their presence in the coffee industry. Due to recent closures of Starbuck stores and the current high unemployment level, fewer consumers are able to pay a high price for a cup of coffee. This has given McDonald’s an opportunity to enter the coffee industry, and positioning themselves as the low price option by offering free McCafà ¨ mochas every Monday from 7 am to 7 pm to every customer. In addition, by offering an assortment of lower priced coffee drinks McDonald’s is beginning to attract new customers. According to Michael Bauer from SFGate, â€Å"about 48% of Starbucks customers visit McDonald’s at least once a week.† In response to a decline in demand for Starbucks products, they lowered their prices, yet McDonald’s coffee drinks remain 25%-40% cheaper. Coupled with low prices, increasing marketing efforts within the coffee industry has allowed McDonald’s market share to increase by 5.4%. The use of franchising has always been a central strategy to McDonald’s ability for rapid expansion. McDonald’s involvement in forward integration through the use of proceeds from the sale of company owned stores helping finance franchisees and buy back company stock, while paying higher dividends and creating other investments for benefit shareholders (David, 2011, 2009, 2007) clearly implies McDonald’s intention to focus on franchising and not company owned stores. Through strategies such as â€Å"Plan to Win†, McDonald’s has established themselves as a very effective franchise option. Due to the majority of their stores being franchised, McDonald’s Corporation can continue to rely on constant production from franchisees. Conclusion As previously discussed, the strategies McDonald’s is currently pursuing include, but not limited to, market penetration, forward integration, and product development. Each of these strategies are cruicial to McDonald’s success. â€Å"McDonald’s customer focus, menu innovation and the ongoing modernization of our restaurants continue to drive our business momentum,† said Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner. â€Å"However, there are additional strategies McDonald’s will consider pursuing to ensure economical market advantage and customer satisfaction . References Baertlin L., Wohl, J. McDonald’s October same-store sales up, U.S. slips. (2009, November 09). Reuters. Retrieved November 8, 2010 from http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5A822F20091109 David, F. R. (2011). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education. McDonald’s Corp. (2010, September 09). Clear Station. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://clearstation.etrade.com/cgibin/bbs?post_id=9490105&Refer=http://clearstation.etrade.com/doc/newcoming.html McDonald’s Corp. (2010, October 10). Clear Station. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://clearstation.etrade.com/cgi-bin/bbs?post_id=9530212&Refer=http://clearstation.etrade.com/doc/newcoming.html Shepherd, L. Starbucks’ rivals brew up a coffee war. (2007, March 26). MSN Money. Retrieved November 8, 2010 from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/DunkinAndMcDonaldsTakeOnStarbucks.aspx

Reading Assessment Essay

In chapter 7, Taking Notes From Reading Material, my scores for the pre- assessment (550) and the post assessment (750) increased slightly. One process that made my score increase was that I initially did not understand how to effectively highlight my material. Highlighting is so very critical because a person could waste time and energy when they could be doing other assignments. For a moment I thought the author had gone back into time and took a look at my notes from yesteryears. I was a perfect example of a passive learner who would highlight un-important phrases and sentences until I had a colored a lot of nothing. Active learners highlight less and try to grasp as much as they can while reading, thus avoiding re-reading. The highlighting issue was definitely a weakness of mine, but I will apply the techniques from the text to curb that problem. While not a great highlighter I can say that my note taking ability has always been a strong suit for me. I plan on taking some steps from the lesson to improve on that as well. Effective note taking saves time and makes learning easier to retain. 3 In Chapter 8, Improving Reading Comprehension, my pre-assessment scores (550) and my post assessment scores (650) are almost identical. I believe that to be because most of the reading I had never experienced before or it could have been due to the fact that I have been out of school a very long time. Nevertheless, there are certainly some habits that I need to build upon to improve my personal reading comprehension. Knowing your purpose and reading responsibility is very important while learning. A person’s reading purpose could be for their own greater good, to just challenge themselves, or to just be intent. One’s reading responsibility allows you to be able to answer questions during an exam or just keeping for use later on. If a person doesn’t have a purpose or responsibility they have no direction and time is wasted. I did learn that being more engaged helps me learn better. In Chapter 9, Revving Up Your Reading, my scores for the pre-assessment (350) and the post assessment (600) nearly doubled. This was in result to the fact that speed reading is totally new to me. I have never experienced or taught how to speed read so this is a new learning curve to me. One weakness that I discovered about myself if that I prefer to read moving my lips or out loud slightly. According to the text, talking to yourself while reading tires you out, slows you down, and it limits one’s comprehension. This is a sign of a passive reader, which also is referred to as low gear. Low gear generates 100-300 words per minute. Everyday reading (magazines, newspapers) would be considered as middle gear. This generates 300-600 words per minute. High gear puts out about 600-1000 words per minute and is mostly used for skimming and pre-viewing. 4 The first activity (page 201) helped me understand a few traits that I learned about myself. Though I am a slow reader, I have been able to take good notes, understanding the information and having a fairly wide vocabulary. To keep my mind from wandering I am going to make an attempt to become a faster reader, which should help me focus better and not lull myself into a daze. The phrasing activity (page 241) was a very interesting challenge. Phrasing allows active readers to take a key word or thought and put a slash in between key words or phrases. This allows a person to get information without reading it verbatim. While most passive readers read one word at a time, phrasing allows a person to read more effectively and saving time in the process. My next reading project I plan on using phrasing and becoming a more passionate, engaged reader which in turn helps me retain what I am reading. The steps and ideas that I have learned will enable me to become a better reader who enjoys while learning. Speeding up my reading in addition to my note taking skills should allow me to finish more projects faster and then be able to move on to something else. Reference 5 Beale, A. M. (2007). Success Skills: Strategies for Study and Lifelong Learning. Mason OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.