Monday, September 30, 2019

Comparison of Homelessness in the U.S and South Africa Essay

The term homelessness has a very wide scope and many different agencies and governments attempt to define it differently. The homeless committee of the city of Montreal adopted some definition of the homeless. Casavant (1999) further translates the definition as â€Å"a person with no fixed address, stable, safe and healthy housing for the next 60 days, an extremely low income, adversely discriminated against in access to services, with problems of mental health, alcohol and drug abuse or social disorganization, and not a member of any stable group,† (para 9). Comparison of homelessness in the U. S and South Africa Having established a fairly clear definition of the homeless, it is paramount therefore that the three types of homelessness be pointed out. First are the chronically homeless whose case is more severe than the rest and they face other problems like drug abuse or mental illness. The other groups are known as the cyclically homeless who have forfeited their homes due to some situation arising from for example a prison term or released unemployed detainees. The last category are referred to as the temporarily homeless, who lose their dwellings for a very short period of time due to circumstances such as floods, drought and clashes displacement (Casavant , 1999) . The United States of America does face the homelessness issue like any other nation. Statistics on the number of homeless people in the United States of America is never fixed and is ever fluctuating because of the cyclical, nomadic and temporary nature. From recent studies done, the numbers do range between 650,000 to 2. million people depending on factors that have been analyzed above (McCarty, 2005). The 2004 U. S conference of Mayors study gives the following information regarding the numbers and ethnicities involved. According to the survey that was carried out in all the cities, it was established that the number of homeless people in the United States gradually increased at a rate of 7% per annum in numbers. Of the entire population 41%, were men. 40% of the population was composed of families while only a meager 14% were women. The youth comprised of only 5% of the population. By ethnicities, the African American population took the big bulk of people with approximately 49% composition. 35% were whites, 13% Hispanics, 2% Native Americans and 1% Asian. According to the survey, also the veterans or old people accounted for 10% of the population (McCarty, 2005). South Africa on the other hand gives a different picture as compared with the United States. The biggest cause of homelessness in South Africa was the adverse effects that were brought along the apartheid era. The number of people that were living in shacks was put to be between 5 million and 7. 7 million (Nduru, 2010). South Africa is a multi racial nation with both the black community and the white community coexisting together. The black community comprising of ethnicities such as Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and others comprise about 80% of the population while the whites and red heads comprise around 19% of the population according to the Africa community survey of 2007. It has been established that most of the population living in shanty towns is the black community. In fact, around 80% of South Africa’s population lives below the poverty line and a very huge gap do exist between the rich and the poor (Sherwood , 2003). Conclusion We have observed that the causes and the number of people being affected by homelessness do differ in great detail between the two countries. The United States though a very big country with a huge population accounts for lesser number of people without adequate shelter. Also, the United States’ distribution of homeless people across the ethnicities is a lot fairer than South Africa’s where the biggest of proportions lies among the black community.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Nordstrom vs. Macy’s

Nordstrom's vs. Macy's Future Challenges Historically speaking, Canada has never been a great market for American retailers. The Canadian dollar was weak, costs were higher, and with limited real estate development, it was difficult to find space. Not anymore, now the door to Canada is opening wider than ever thanks to a stronger Canadian dollar, a relatively robust economy, and a loosening of the commercial real estate market, in part because of the downsizing of some longtime retailers like Sears Canada.For American retailers, Canada’s allure is simple; sales per square foot at Canadian malls were almost 50 percent higher in 2011 than sales per square foot at American malls. This is a budding market that Nordstrom will need to act towards if they hope to keep up with the competition in the future. Important Decisions Nordstrom’s has made many very important decisions in the past that have shaped them into the company they are today. The first and most important came i n 1901 when founder John W.Nordstrom decided to use the money he had left from the gold rush to open a shoe store in Seattle with Carl Wallin, called Wallin & Nordstrom. The next big decision came in 1966 when it was decided that the Nordstrom's shoe store in Portland would begin selling clothing as well. This marked a pivotal change in direction for Nordstrom’s. After the success of the Portland store, it was decided to implement the idea in the other stores. In the 1980’s Nordstrom’s experienced a boom. This was due to many factors but one of the most prevalent was their amazing use of customer support.Over almost anyone else Nordstrom’s prides itself on having some of, if not the best, customer support. This is helped by them recruiting managers from the ranks of salespeople thereby encouraging their employees to work harder while maintaining high moral. Nordstrom, along with the retail industry, sources products from around the world, and this means t hey encounter a wide range of global challenges. Many of these challenges—such as forced labor and health and safety issues—are cause for very real concern for all retailers. To address these concerns, Nordstrom created the Nordstrom Social Responsibility team in 1994.This team works closely with their Nordstrom Product Group (NPG) manufacturers and vendors to ensure that Nordstrom-label products are made in accordance with all applicable laws and ethical labor practices. Past Challenges Single-digit growth became the norm for Nordstrom throughout the early and mid-1990s. Sales grew sluggish thanks in large part to fluctuations in demand for women's apparel and the severe recession in southern California, where more than half of the company's total store square footage was located in the early years of the decade. The double-digit growth of the 1980s was gone.The sales increases of the 1990s were largely attributable to new store openings. By 2003 after several changes in management Nordstrom appeared to have regained its lost luster through cost containment, technology initiatives, and a refocusing on its niche: luxury goods at affordable prices. Some analysts considered technology to be the key component, particularly a new state-of-the-art merchandising system, which began to be rolled out in 2002. The system could track sales minute by minute throughout its stores, enabling Nordstrom to reduce markdowns and better target its offerings to customers.On the merchandise side, the retailer began introducing edgier fashion offerings in a department called â€Å"via C,† in an attempt to leverage its core customer base, which was younger and had a wider age range than its main competitors, Neiman-Marcus Co. and Saks Incorporated. Nordstrom enjoyed its most profitable year ever in 2003. Nordstrom’s continued reliance on aggressive sales tactics came around to bite them in late 1980s. The employees' union (which was later decertified) com plained about the pressure on employees to sell.In late 1989 a group of unionized employees charged that they were not being paid for performing extra services to customers. In February 1990, after a three-month investigation, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries alleged that the company had systematically violated state laws by failing to pay employees for a variety of duties, such as delivering merchandise and doing inventory work. The agency ordered Nordstrom to change its compensation and record-keeping procedures, and to pay back wages to some of Nordstrom's 30,000 employees.Soon after, the firm created a $15 million reserve to pay back-wage claims. The company, however, remained a target of class-action lawsuits on these matters, which were finally settled out of court in early 1993 when Nordstrom agreed to pay a set percentage of compensation to employees who worked at Nordstrom from 1987 to 1990. The settlement cost the company between $20 million and $30 mi llion. Specific Competitive Advantages One specific competitive advantage Macy's holds over Nordstrom's is its target demographic.While Nordstrom's focuses mainly on career moms between the ages of 35 and 50, Macy's recently launched â€Å"Millennial strategy† states that its merchandise areas primarily serve ages 19-30. The millennial generation (ages 13-30) is now America's largest and most diverse generation, spending an estimated $65 billion each year for the type of merchandise sold at Macy's. A much larger demographic gives Macy's a competitive advantage. On the other hand, Nordstrom's has a distinct advantage over Macy's when it comes to customer loyalty and social-oriented traffic.Macy's and Nordstrom's have been largely based in malls for decades, but recently, malls have become less popular in the United States. As a result, both companies have been forced to open free-standing stores in scattered locations in a community. Since Nordstrom's has a slightly older demo graphic with more buying power and need for social status through brands, loyal customers of Nordstrom's will be more willing to travel to shop there. Macy's, who targets a younger demographic, has less loyal customers with buying power and relies more on impulse buyers and young mall-goers looking to spend a little extra money.Comparative Statistics In 2011, Macy's boasted $26. 4 billion in net sales. That figure has grown steadily since the economic crash of 2008. Nordstrom's showed $10. 8 billion in net sales in the same year. Again, this figure has grown steadily since the economic downturn. Macy's has a whopping 171,000 employees. Nordstrom's has only 52,430 employees as of 2011. With Macy's being a much larger chain, this difference is to be expected. Macy's operates 400 stores in 33 states as of the year ended 2012. Currently, Nordstrom's operates 109 stores in 28 states.In May of 2007, Macy's reached its pinnacle of prosperity in terms of market shares value and profitabilit y. Its common stock price was valued at 45. 05 and business was looking up. Surprisingly, by October of the next year, the stock price had plummeted as low as 7. 42 as the company struggled to stay afloat and fight through the crippling recession. Today, the stock has recovered to 41. 71, and is predicted to continue its growth. Nordstrom's, however, has shown more resilience through the recession. While it still fell from 55. 1 to 11. 37 in 2008, it has shot up to rates above its previous record. With the stock price as high as 57. 2 in the past year, Nordstrom shows a stronger trend of increase than Macy's. Summary We recommend investing in Nordstrom over Macy’s. With Nordstrom’s forecasted growth and success in Canadian markets, we expect Nordstrom to grow consistently for years to come. While Macy’s size and net income are attractive, we feel that Nordstrom has a better management structure and potential for growth in coming years.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Importance Of Purpose Audience Tone And Content In Academic Writing and two methods of weight lose Essay

?Importance Of Purpose Audience Tone And Content In Academic Writing Purpose audience tone and content all of these are part of writing process and are extremely important for a good piece of academic writing. Paragraph divide ideas into logical and manageable parts. Purpose, tone and audience these three elements shape the content of each paragraph. Purpose: The reason why the writer is writing the paragraph and what is his hope to achieve with the paper. Without a sturdy purpose the paper is worthless. Tone: The thoughts the writer conveys about the paragraph’s subject. If the tone is not appropriately chosen and used all through the paper then it can seem cluttered and possibly even incoherent. Audience: It’s extremely significant and this is the individual or group whom the writer intends to reach or address. It may be a specific group, teacher, student or general group. Fig: Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content Triangle (source: https://new. edu/resources/purpose-audience-tone-and-content) From the figure we can see that purpose , audience and tone all are focuses to content. Introduction: Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat oradipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue. Weight loss is one of today’s most trendy obsessions among individuals. Weight loss can have positive and negative consequence on an individual. It can occur unintentionally due to an underlying disease or can arise from a conscious effort to improve an actual or perceived overweight or obese state. Weight loss in the context of medicine , health or fitness , is a reduction in body mass of an individual, because of an average loss of liquid , fat or tissue such as muscle , tendon or tissue conjunctive . One of today’s most popular obsessions among individuals is weight loss. Weight loss can have positive and negative implication on an individual. A large of number of people now day checks out new ways to lose weight to fit modern way of life. A few people favor to use artificial techniques similar to consuming pills and equipment claiming to provide weight loss, at the same time others try natural procedures such as modifying diet, lifestyle, and cardio-training and the techniques for burning fat.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Objection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Objection - Essay Example Consequently, the paper also discusses how appellate court will rule on the objection. The outcome of the alcohol test was issued as one of the evidence (Krey & Theresa, 75). According to the judge, if Fred Friendless has a blood content of 10, they must presume that Fred Friendless is intoxicated. Therefore, obtaining a conviction for Driving while intoxicated, the prosecution will need to establish that Fred Friendless was actually operating the vehicle under the influence. This will be accomplished through circumstantial evidence or by the witness of the eyewitness. From Fred Friendless case, the court will review the Driving While Intoxication conviction where Fred Friendless’ prosecution will prove that he was driving the vehicle. Evidence from the high school head teacher revealed that he measured the skid mark of the defendant and assumed the defendant was driving at least 65 miles per hour. Additionally, the defendant believes that the any person who drinks at least two beers already intoxicated. This is a direct prove that Fred was actually driving under the influence of alcohol (Dolinko,  67). The evidence does not establish that the defendant was under the physical control of the car and hence it is not sufficient to prove that Fred was driving the vehicle. The prosecution also needs to establish the intoxication, which he did not. According to the statutes, it is noted that, intoxication normally occur due to alcohol intake of contraband ingestion. Intoxication is normally hard to articulate. In addition to submitting the blood sample, the police needs to testify the speech, appearance, or behavior and if the police detected the smell of the alcohol beverage on Fred. The factors are important and pertinent evidence of the physical impairment and mental impairment of the defendant. During Berkemer v. McCarty 468 US 420, the Supreme Court believed that the police roadside

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Animal Farm and Fascism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal Farm and Fascism - Essay Example During the times when the lower sector was going through wrong reasoning also the vanguard party suffered. (Ball pg 167) likewise in the novel, as the farms tracts down to a more totalitarian form of state, Napoleon becoming the leader kicks out Snowball by power and force becoming "our leader, Comrade Napoleon" (Orwell pg 93). This way the novel is showing Stalins way of communist governance, where power lies with the one in leadership. Also the way Napoleon rooted out Snowball is similar to Stalins behavior towards Trotsky and his other political rivals. Fascism also requires a very bold, strong and courageous leader. An example of such great fascist leader is Hitler and Mussolini. The way people in Italy had this firm faith that Mussolini was always correct. In the same way Boxer believed that Napoleon was always justified throughout the novel (Ball pg 201). In the course of the novel Napoleon is given a lot of importance. He is the leader, the head of the entire farm. He is always protected by furious dogs. Therefore it clearly shows that animals idolize him as noble and superior. This is also one of the similarities regarding the two ideologies in the book. Terror and propaganda are used in the novel to show Stalins communist and fascist ideologies together. Stalin tried to impose the era of terror in which purges were used. He also used arts to increase interstate propaganda (ball0 pg 166-167). This was also used by fascist states like Hitler made use of brown-shirts and defined characteristics of inferior races (Ball pg 204-205). Squealer used digits to manipulate the animals in order to convince them that they were in a better state by having pigs as their leaders. Also Napoleon kicks Snowball out before he executed in general masses other traitors (Orwell pg 53; 83). It is not easy to clearly differentiate between fascism or communism when it comes to

Sculpturing the Earth's Surface. The Florida Everglades Essay

Sculpturing the Earth's Surface. The Florida Everglades - Essay Example Everglades or, a ‘river of grass’, as it was dubbed by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, is a vast expanse of freshwater marshes which extends from Lake Okeechobee South to the tip of Florida. However, continuous exploitation over the decades by the populace has polluted the everglades water and devastated the marshland. Since the 1950’s the urban development and agricultural production in the region flourished but at the cost of the everglades. Big scale attempts are being made to restore the region; the step being an example of the progress from exploitation of the natural resources, to a period of preservation, where the value of these extinguishing reserves were realized and most currently to efforts aimed at revival of the ecosystem (Dugger, n.d). Historically, the Everglades covered 4000 sq. miles in Florida but today it has been reduced to half its size. The marshlands form a section of a huge drainage basin, Lake Okeechobee which covers an area of 11,000 sq miles approximately. There are various forms of habitat that exist on the marshland- open water sloughs, cypress swamps, hard wood hammocks, mangrove swamps and pinelands. Moreover, the plants and animals species found in this region are unique and specialized to the region. However, the scenario started changing in the late 1980’s with the beginning of developments like creation of agricultural farms for growing sugarcane and vegetables, building up of new canals and levees for protecting the farms and the cities from floods, and increase in the infrastructure in the east of the everglades. ... One of the biggest groups of sugarcane growers, the big sugar, is highly responsible for destroying the Everglades. Farmers of these agricultural farms use high content phosphorus fertilizers in excessive quantities, to improve the quality of their soil. The runoff water from these sugarcane farms carrying the killer phosphorus gets drained into the Everglades through canal-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades agricultural area. It was revealed that this overdose of nutrient resulted in the overgrowth of unwanted plant and algae species or eutrophication, which in turn caused great harm to the original vegetation of Everglades. Not only fertilizers but sewage and human wastes from these fields are being dumped into the marshlands thus polluting the water, making it unhygienic to drink, and the survival of flora and fauna impossible. The entire ecosystem of Florida is in peril because of the pollution (Orem, 2009). Moreover, U.S. factory farms too have contributed t o the contamination of the Everglades. During rainy season or snow melting season, the runoff water from these farms, which grow animal feed crops, carry the top soil particles into the marshland. The 1.4 billion tones of animal manures generated on these farms are also let off through the canals into the marshlands, thus polluting the water. New regulations meant to improve the situation through proper treatment of the manure produced, cannot take effect before another 10 years. According to Environment Protection Agency (EPA), these chemicals are making the water unhygienic to drink which once used to serve as a fresh water source for the Miami Metropolitan area. People living in the surrounding areas

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Analayzing Boston Bombing - Terrorism or not terrorism Essay

Analayzing Boston Bombing - Terrorism or not terrorism - Essay Example The deceased’s younger brother, 19-year-old Dzokhar fled the scene in an illegally possessed SUV and was discovered in a severely injured state later that evening by law enforcement personnel and shifted to a medical facility in Boston. Schmitt and Schmidt reported that the wound on the suspect’s neck indicated that Dzokhar had tried to kill himself at some point during his escape from the shootout scene at Watertown. Dzokhar Tsarnaev was charged with exercising the use of a weapon of mass destruction to cause death along with initiating malevolent devastation of property. Both these charges were levied on April 22, 2013 against the suspect in relation with the Boston Marathon bombings. If the charges against the suspect are proven to be true, it is expected that he would face the death penalty. The atrocity that was committed against the people of Boston on April 15, 2013 which claimed 3 innocent lives and injured over 260 people has raised several important questions for the state, the society and concerned authorities alike. Initial reports have concluded a possible religious motivation behind the attacks, Pearson, however has reported that the bombers could have been incited to conduct the attacks due to the U.S wars against terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Building on the aforementioned information this part of the paper will assess and analyze the event at an International System level. This discussion entails an examination of the involvement of international and external organizations or institutions that may have influenced and shaped the mindset of the suspected bombers, Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev to conduct such an atrocity as the Boston Marathon bombings. It is imperative to the discussion to outline the profile of the suspected bombers in order to explore their intentions and motivations with pertinence to the involvement of international forces and organizations. Born to Muslim parents, the suspects belong to Chechen-Avar ethnicity and their family emigrated from Kyrgyzstan in 2002. Reports on Tamerlan’s early life in the United States do not indicate any involvement or association with Islamic fundamentalism. The deceased’s educational background suggests that his failure to perform well in his studies led him to concentrate on a career in boxing (Finn). According to Waxman, Tamerlan supposedly experienced a drastic religious transformation in 2009. As suggested by the late suspect’s uncle Ruslan Tsarni in an interview, Tamerlan’s customary presence at various Islamic societies across Boston critically aided his transition towards the path of radicalization which was reflected in dramatic changes in his behavior and actions such as one incident in which the slain suspect assaulted his girlfriend and demanded that she veil herself and accept Islam (Kenner). Researchers have highlighted how accessibility to media such as videos, literature, websites and books that preach Islamic fun damentalism can immensely affect the psyche of an impressionable mind. The evidence of an influence of radical media such as the teachings of radical clerics on the psyche of Dzokhar and Tamerlan is quite evident. Fundamentalist leaders and preachers such as Osama Bin Laden have released several literature and books to incite

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Work, privacy, and autonomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work, privacy, and autonomy - Essay Example Privacy, on the other hand, involves two things. First is control of information about ones self, and the other, some control over who can experience or observe the person. An example given is that privacy in relation to a spouse is different from privacy in relation to an employer. As proposed by Kupfer, privacy and autonomy are related to each other in that autonomy requires an awareness of control over one’s relationship with others, which is part of the essence of personal choice. Privacy contributes to autonomy because it provides he individual control over whether or not he/she will allow somebody else to be part of his/her experiences. Further, Lippke and Kupfer argue that autonomous individuals are those that have the capacity for it, a developed autonomous self-concept. If the individual cannot develop his autonomous self-concept, then he/she is not autonomous. Lack of privacy prevents or inhibits the development of such autonomous self-concept. I agree that both autonomy and privacy are valuable. Autonomy can be likened to a person’s independence or capacity for independent choices. Like in the relationship of a parent and child, it is deemed necessary for the parent to develop independence in a child as part of the preparation for responsible adulthood. And among the ways of nurturing this independence, aside from a parent’s mentoring, is by respecting the growing child increasing rights to privacy. In the workplace, I believe that the employees’ rights to privacy must be maintained and upheld. After all, there are advantages to both employee and employer by maintaining employee autonomy. Most organizations today desire employees who are initiative, resourceful and require minimal supervision. However, the scope of employee privacy rights in the workplace needs to be defined and accepted by both employer and employee as part of the exercise of freedom of contract. 2. Relying on a contractual model of

Monday, September 23, 2019

While Dunning's OLI model provides a general paradigm for Essay

While Dunning's OLI model provides a general paradigm for expelling the determinants of FDI, its use in designing an international corporate strategy is limited and requires more models for the task - Essay Example meanwhile, Douma and Schreuder (2012) noted that as far foreign direct investment (FDI) is the approach to internationalisation a company seeks, the eclectic paradigm, also known as the OLI (ownership, location, internalisation) model developed by John Dunning is one important framework that provides general paradigm for knowing the determinants of the FDI. In this paper, the strengths of the OLI model to the study of FDI are appreciated whiles examining the limitations of the model in designing an international corporate strategy for firms. By extension, the paper takes a stance that it is one thing to be engaged in internationalisation and another to have an international corporate strategy. This is because the latter is wider and covers several aspects of corporate growth and expansion management than the former (Li, Ferreira & Serra, 2009). There are several ways that the OLI model helps in influencing the study of FDI. On the whole, the model helps firms to make decision on becoming multinational by understanding the potential sources of advantages they have that could make them successful. The model is important in providing firms with an understanding of their ownership advantages, where the question of firm-specific qualities of the firm is addressed (Antras & Elhanan, 2004). Because the firm-specific advantages are tied around the company’s unique approach to doing business, it helps firms to identify their competitive advantage which allows them to overcome the cost of operating in international markets (Peng, 2001). Without applying the OLI model and for that matter ownership advantage therefore, it becomes difficult for firms to identify their competitive advantage with which they will become preferred options for consumers instead of their competitors. Secondly, the OLI model is relevant in helping firms identify location advantages, where the firms answer questions on the best places to choose for internationalisation (Neary, 2007). In

Sunday, September 22, 2019

I predict that as the force increases Essay Example for Free

I predict that as the force increases Essay Newtons second Law of motion: Force = Mass x Acceleration (N) (kg) m/s (variable) (measurement) In simple terms, this means that if the force is to increase then the acceleration must also increase because the mass multiplied by the acceleration must equal the force. The equation, like many others can be re-arranged in order to show a possible prediction for the value in m/s that the acceleration will be the subject of the equation. Acceleration = Force (Mass / 0. 400kg) Mass Weight is a force. Weight is quite oftenly confused with mass, however each one differs to the other. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg). The weight of an object only concerns the amount of matter an object is made up of. In contrast to the mass of an object, the weight of an object regards how much it is being pulled down to the centre of the earth through gravity. Weight is a force and is measured in Newtons (N). Diagram of apparatus: The experiment that was carried out occurs when a slider is pulled through two light gates via a weighted pulley upon a soft bed of air to minimalise friction powered by a vacuum connected to the air track. When the rider breaks the beam produced from Light gate 1, a recording is began by a computer linked up to both light gates. Once the rider cuts through the second light gate, then the timer on the computer steps automatically as the light gates can relay a signal to the computer. A computer is used rather than the naked eye because the computer can be precise to 2 decimal places (d. p). Once the slide has passed through both light gates, it is moved around both light gates and the experiment is repeated. The variable for this investigation is force, that is controlled through the weights used n the pulley. The weights are changed at five separate times, at each time a different weight is used. My variables are as follows: 0.02 N , 0. 03 N , 0. 07 N , 0. 08 N , 0. 12 N ( N = Newtons) The values I chose are all the smallest possible values that I am able to create. In relation to safety, there are no specific safety issues that come to into play during this particular investigation, however behavior around the apparatus and the laboratory is always considered a safety issue. The factors that are necessary to maintain as constants throughout the experiment in order to keep a high degree of accuracy are: Â  Straight light gates (equidistant 40cm apart) Â  Same starting point of the rider ( 5cm before the initial light gate). Mass of the rider (0. 400kg) The light gates are required to be equidistant (40cm apart) and level in order to keep the test so accurate readings can be recorded. The mass of the rider must also be mentained at exactly 0. 400 kg because a slight chance in the weight will cause a change in the acceleration of the rider can result in widespread and inconsistent results. It is also important to mention the starting point of the rider that must remain constant in order for the rider to pass through each light gate at the same speed during each repeat reading recorded. In addition to these points of accuracy, there are others, which have sufficient relevance to the experiment. The level at which the air track is must be kept horizontal so that the rider has neither too longer, or too shorter acceleration value that is recorded due to the slider being against or along the gradient of the air track. This can be simply modified by adjusting the track then leaving the rider without a weight and switch on the air track, if the rider remains stationary then the air track is horizontal. The experiment will be measured on 3 occasions for each variable, these repeat readings will be averaged out into a single figure to gain an accurate set of results. To prepare for the investigation, a preliminary test was carried out in order to discover which mass of the rider produced the most accurate results. To do this, the lightest mass of the rider was used with the lightest and heaviest weights (0. 020N lightest) and (0. 170N heaviest). The masses of the rider were the largest possible (0. 400 kg) and the smallest possible ( 0. 200kg). The results showed me that the lighter the mass of the rider, the wider the range of results that I recorded. In contrast, the heavier the mass of the rider was, the more reliable my results were because they provided the smallest range. This meant that I chose the heaviest possible weight of the rider possible, which was 0. 400kg. Skill area O (Obtaining The Results): FORCE (N) MASS (KG) Acceleration ( m / s ) Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Average 0. 02 0. 400 0. 05 0. 04 0. 05 0. 05 0. 03 0. 400 0. 07 0. 08 0. 07 0. 07 0. 07 0. 400 0. 18 0. 18 0. 17 0. 18 0. 08 0. 400 0. 19 0. 19 0. 21 0. 20 0. 12 0. 400 0. 31 0. 31 0. 310. 31 Skill area E : Evaluation: My results throughout my investigation, were very accurate. The spread of my repeat readings were very small, each reading for each strength of force were close together shown a high level of accuracy throughout the investigation. All my average points that I recorded are close to the best-fit line that I have drawn, which suggests that all my results have been accurately recorded and displayed in my analysis and obtaining evidence sections. The procedures to which I applied my investigation were suitable because I was able to produce an accurate set of results with relative ease. In my opinion, my evidence can support a sufficient conclusion that as that the force upon on object is directly proportional to its acceleration produced. My results were tested over a reasonable range and are considered accurate as they fit in with my initial theory and also they fit in with my initial predictions that I was able to produce. I was able to produce these predictions by re-arranging Newtons second law to show me what the acceleration of an object can b equal to in terms of its force and mass. (Old equation) Force = Mass x Acceleration (N) (kg) m/s (variable) (measurement) (New, Re-arranged equation) Acceleration = Force (mass / 0. 400kg) Mass I have a range of values for my force, I inputted each one of these values to gain predicted results. (When force = 0. 02) : 0. 02 = 0. 05 (Actual average = 0. 05) 0. 400 (When force = 0. 03) : 0. 03 = 0. 075 (Actual average = 0. 07) 0. 400 (When force = 0. 07) : 0. 07 = 0. 175 (Actual average = 0. 08) 0. 400 (When force = 0. 08) : 0. 08 = 0. 20 (Actual average = 0. 20) 0. 400 (When force = 0. 12) : 0. 12 = 0. 30 (Actual average = 0. 31) 0. 400 As the above figures display clearly, my results are all highly accurate and sufficiently support my prediction and theory. All that remains is to discuss how I can extend my investigation. The obvious point that springs to mind is to gather further results to obtain an exceptionally high level of accuracy. However, I can also look to change my variable from the force to the mass of the rider. I can do this by investigating the relationship between the mass and force on a rider to give me additional information. I can carry out these tests in the same manner as I have discussed for this particular investigation, but changing the variables used. I will use a range of variables that will aid me complete my investigation reaching sufficient conclusions.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Promotional Flash Game: New Approach into Marketing

Promotional Flash Game: New Approach into Marketing 6 I have been approached by MARS ® who are one of the largest manufactures of chocolate related products. They are looking for a new alternative approach to advertise towards consumers and have requested myself to develop a flash game that will market and publicise their product in a fun, engaging, family friendly way that will advertise to consumers in a positive way. Over the years marketing has helped build and expand the MMs brand and has created a positive reputation of MARS ®. Computer-animated MM characters with cartoon-like storytelling have proved popular on television and it has helped to increase the brands recognition as a candy icon. Gaming is big business around the world and screen time is increasing at a steady rate. Eight to twenty-year old are the biggest consumers of chocolate and are one of the biggest users of new technology. Linking advertising with interactive gaming is a marketing dream as the intended audience is seeing this brand every day. This new proposed alternative way of advertising to consumers is creating a Flash game that will publicise their brand and product in a beneficial way. This proposed flash game can lead to positive outcomes for MARS ® as this a link to this game could be located on the companys home page on their website, which would make consumers more interested in their product creating an increa se in sales for MMs creating profits for MARS ®. The proposed flash game will be a remake of the retro of the 1980s-video game Pacman, but will be created with a twist. The game will be created using logos and images sourced from MARS ®s websites. The main villain is an alternative to the original to the game and is rebranded MM themed to the new main character Red who has been an icon to the product for more than 50 years being soon on numerous internet and TV commercials. The game will mainly feature MM and Skillites related characters. The game will have a background that will blend in well with the games design and concept. As mentioned, the flash game will be a remake of the retro of the 1980s-video game Pacman ®. The game will have multiple levels and difficulties. The game will begin with a start game page, exhibiting the main MM character Red, the start page will also contain URL links to MARS ®s products page, history of MMs and the MM logo. The levels will be created to look like the original Pacman game but will have MMs instead of dots, Skillites instead of fruit and MM characters instead of ghosts, and a human hand instead of Pacman to eat the MMs. The human hand with be navigated by the players using the arrow keys on their keyboard, using the arrow keys human hand icon can then travel up, down and left to right. For scene navigation, the player must select the button using their mouse to proceed to the next scene. The main objective of the game is for the human hand to eat all the MMs without being attacked and killed by the MM characters, If the human hand can eat all the MMs without bei ng attacked then the hand proceeds to the next level of the game. The characters for the flash game are as follows: Main hero controlled by Player: The player controls the hero using the arrow keys. Villains controlled by CPU:       These are the main villains for the game that will attack the player and will deplete the live icons on the games background. Main Villain Controlled by CPU: MMS ® Red The self-proclaimed leader of the group, red is full of both himself and delicious milk chocolate. Bonus Points Icon: This Icon of skillets if ate by the player, it will add bonus points which will be added to the players scoreboard. 1/03/17: Today I created the concept and explained how the game will function. I have also decided which brand and company, I will use for my promotional game. Ive also decided what theme I will develop for my game which will be Pacman. I also finalised the final design for my game and have decided which characters will be implemented in the game. Next time I will continue the theory and reporting work for my game. 3/03/17: Today I commenced the flowcharts for my game and finished them, it also includes the coding algorithm I will be using, as well as the procedure I will be using. It also shows how the user (Player) for the game will navigate the games function and layout. Next time I wish to begin developing the flash game and to commence coding. 6/03/17: Today I started the development for my flash game, by creating the layout and main features for my game. I have commenced coding the game and started developing the first level and scene, I have also made many buttons in my game that will navigate the player to the next scene. Next time I will continue the development for my flash game and will continue coding. 8/03/17: Today I continued the development for my flash game by creating the games layout, functions and scenes for my flash game, which includes the design, animations, sound effects that goes with the relevant scene, and URL links to the MM products page and MMs history. I also included some amusing songs and images. I also edited my flash games report. Next time I aim to be nearly finished developing my flash game and working towards the final editing stages for my game. 15/03/17: Today I finished the development phase for my game and started evaluating my game. My game has some issues with some buttons. But the main buttons for the game function. Today I did a beta test on my flash game, I also updated my project log. Next time I aim to complete the evaluation phase for my game. 21/03/17: Today I finalised my game for final submission. My game design looks appealing and creative and it suits the theme of my game. However, I did encounter some problems throughout the project with coding my game and the games functions. Because of this a minority of functions and buttons for my game dont work which is unfortunate, however the games background music, URL links and animations work accordingly. Next time in the future to resolve these issues, I wish to learn more flash coding techniques for resolving coding problems, by using better resolutions, that I had during my projects development, so I dont encounter these problems again. Because of these issues, Ive learnt what not to do next time I develop a project like this. Overall, I believe my game has the design and concept for a complete game but unfortunately the issues as explained earlier are interfering with this and I need to find better solutions in the future to overcome these issues, by using the trial and error principle.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Importance of International Advertising

Importance of International Advertising INTRODUCTION International business is taking different shades and is unavoidable today. This dynamic world is rapidly changing to the extent that it has been reduced to a â€Å"Global village†. This assertion is true in every sense because what happens in one part of the world has a rippling effect on some business transaction thousands of kilometers away. International marketing means to apply the principles of marketing in more than one country. International marketing involves the firm in making one or more marketing mix decisions across national boundaries. At its most complex level, it involves the firm in establishing manufacturing facilities overseas and coordinating marketing strategies across the globe INTERNATIONAL MARKETING DEFINED â€Å"The performance of business activities that direct the flow of a countrys goods and services to consumers or users in more than one nation for a profit.† Others have defined marketing as â€Å"the creation and delivery of a standard of living† or â€Å"Producing what you can sell not selling what you can produce†. The AMA has defined marketing in two ways as â€Å"The performance of the business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer or user† and if we may add ‘in more than one country. Their latest definition is even more elaborate as â€Å"the multinational process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.†_ The venerable Philip Kotler defines Marketing as â€Å"a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want t hrough creating, offering, and exchanging products of value to others† across boundaries, if we were to raise it to the international scenario. International trade is a necessity for any 21st century company to remain buoyant in a ferociously competitive world. There certain key factors one has to note before venturing into a new market and these are the controllable factors (4 Ps, Product, Price, Promotion, and Place) and the uncontrollable variablessuch as the Political, Legal, and the cultural environment. IM is a stepping stone towards macro marketing unraveling the meaning of global business as to how that the world has been reduced to a small place where transactions done in a remote part of the world have some effect on the business transactions at another part of the world. The trend today is that World Trade is going â€Å"Global† and as such, the successful marketer should strategically think globally. The World economy has gone through different cycles and phases. At one time, The USA Multi National Corporations (MNC) reigned supreme and unrivalled. It is on record that the 20th century saw the world go into at least two economic depressions between the World wars. After the wars and eventual recovery of some poor economies, the USA other countries started thinking  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Global† in terms of trade. In order to regulate trade for sanity, efficiency and equity, various instruments were set in place to guarantee â€Å"free and fair trade† by different count ries. An association was set up to monitor and ensure fairness in trade, and thus the first General Agreement on Tariffs Trade (GATT) was set up  and later (1994) the World Trade organisation (WTO). INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING International Advertising, generally speaking, is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually in more than one country performed by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion. Advertising is a cogent communication attempt to change or reinforce ones prior attitude that is predictable of future behavior. It can be viewed as a communication process that takes place in multiple cultures that differ in terms of values, communication styles, and consumption patterns. It is also a business activity involving advertisers and the advertising agencies that create ads and buy media in different countries. The sum total of these activities constitutes a worldwide industry that is growing in importance. International advertising is also a major force that both reflects social values, and propagates certain values worldwide. International advertising involves recognizing that people all over the world have different needs. Companies like Gillette, Coca-Cola, BIC, and Cadbury Schweppes have brands that are recognized across the globe. While many of the products that these businesses sell are targeted at a global audience using a consistent marketing mix, it is also necessary to understand the regional differences, hence it is important to understand the importance of international marketing. Organizations must accept that differences in values, customs, languages and currencies will mean that some products will only suit certain countries and that as well as there being global markets e.g. for BIC and Gillette razors, and for Coca-Cola drinks, there are important regional differences for example advertising in China and India need to focus on local languages. Just as the marketing environment has to be assessed at home, the overseas potential of markets has to be carefully scrutinized. Finding relevant in formation takes longer because of the unfamiliarity of some locations. The potential market size, degree and type of competition, price, promotional differences, product differences as well as barriers to trade have to be analyzed in order to advertise our product effectively in different countries BARRIERS OF INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CULTURE Culture is a problematic issue for many advertisers since it is inherently nebulous and often difficult to understand. One may violate the cultural norms of another country without being informed of this, and people from different cultures may feel uncomfortable in each others presence without knowing exactly why. Communication is more difficult because cultural factors largely determine the way various phenomena are perceived. If the perceptual framework is different, perception of the message itself differs. It is a well known fact that the culture of a country influences the customer preferences. Customers are quite sensitive about cultural aspects depicted in advertisements. Advertising themes, incorporating social acceptance, mutual dependence, respect for elders, harmony with nature, use of seasons, innovation and novelty, distinctive use of celebrities. Some of the advertising blunders in international marketing are: Procter and Gamble showed an animated stork delivering Pampers diapers in its ad campaigns in the US. The same ad copy was used in Japan, only the language was changed. However, this ad did not worked in Japan. The subsequent market research revealed that, unlike the western folklore, storks, according to the Japanese folklore, are not expected to deliver babies. On the contrary, Japanese people believe that it is the giant peaches that float on a river that bring babies to the deserving parents. Subsequently, Procter Gamble changed the theme of the ad campaign to â€Å"expert mom†, a nurse who is also a mother theme. Muhammad Ali is immensely popular in the Middle East. One of the car manufacturers used Muhammad Ali in its ad campaign for the region. The ad theme was, ‘I am the greatest. The ad backfired and offended the Muslims who regard only the God was great. LANGUAGE Translation from one language to another language is crucial in international advertising. The literal translation may fail to convey the desired message across the countries due to cultural factors. For instance the word yes means in low context in USA and Europe and in Japan it means I am listening to what are you saying, in Thailand it means Ok. So there is a difference in the language of different countries. Some instances of the translation blunders in international advertisement are as follows: Pepsi used the German translation of the slogan ‘come alive with Pepsi in its ad campaign in West Germany. However, the slogan when translated in German actually meant ‘come out of the grave with Pepsi and failed to generate any market response from the customers. General Motors translated its slogan ‘Body by Fisher to ‘Corps by Fisher in Belgium that offended many Belgium customers. EDUCATION The level of literacy plays an important role in deciding what advertisement tool and message should be used in international market. Market segments with lower level of adult literacy need to be addressed by way of more audio visual content rather than a written message. It should be ensured that the visuals convey the desired message rather than the text part of the advertisement. GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS The regulatory framework of a country influences the advertisement strategy in international market. The government regulations in the following country relate to following issues: Advertisement in foreign language. Use of sensuality Comparative advertising referring to the competing product from rival firms Use of children as models Advertisement related to alcohol and tobacco Advertisement related to health and pharmaceuticals Some of the various regulations in various countries are: In Malaysia the Ministry of Information advertising code states that women should not be a principal object of an advertisement and should not be used to attract sales unless the advertisement product is relevant to women. The Ministry of Information in Saudi Arabia prohibits any advertisement depicting unveiled woman. Use of foreign words and expression when French equivalents can be used are prohibited in France. Portuguese law prohibits sex discrimination or the subordination or objectification of women in advertising. Norway prohibits any advertising that portrays men or women in an offensive manner or implies any derogatory judgment of either sex. Most Arab countries prohibit explicit depiction of sensuality. MEDIA LIMITATION Media may diminish the role of advertising in the promotional program and may force the marketers to emphasis the other elements of promotional mix. A marketers creativity is certainly challenged when a television commercial is limited to 10 showing a year with no two exposures closer than 10 days. In some African countries advertisers run boats up and down the rivers playing popular music and broadcasting commercial into the bush as they travel. INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING HELPS IN: Remind customers and prospects about the benefits of your product or service Establish and maintain your distinct identity Enhance your reputation Encourage existing customers to buy more of what you sell Attract new customers and replace lost ones Slowly build sales to boost your bottom line Promote business to customers, investors INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CONCEPT International advertising is becoming increasingly complex; more and more local and international companies are competing for consumers who are increasingly sophisticated and demanding. International advertising is defined as the non personal communication by an identified sponsor across international borders, using broadcast, print, and or interactive media. It requires dissemination of a commercial message to target audiences in more than one country. Target audiences vary from country to country in terms of how they perceive or interpret symbols or stimuli; respond to humor or emotional appeals, as well as in levels of literacy and languages spoken. How the advertising function is organized also varies. International advertising can be explained as the communication process that takes place in different cultures that varies in terms of values, communication styles, and consumption patterns. International advertising is also a business activity involving advertisers and the advertising agencies that create ads and buy media in different countries. It is also a major force that both reflects social values, and propagates certain values all over the world. The International Communication Process The international communication process involves using the entire promotional mix to communicate with the final consumer. First, the appropriate message is determined for the target audience by the advertiser. Next, the international sponsor (sender), usually represented by an advertising agency, encodes a message into words and images. The message is then translated into the language of target market and transmitted through a channel of media channels to the audience who then decodes and reacts to the message. Cultural barriers may hamper effective transmission of the message at each stage in the process and result in miscommunication. Art Direction Art direction is involved with visual presentation- the body language of print and broadcast advertising. Some types of visual presentation are universally understood. Revlon, for example, has used a French producer to develop television commercials, English and Spanish for use in the international markets. These commercials, which are filmed in Parisian settings, communicate the universal appeals and specific advantages of Revlon products. By producing its ads In France, Revlon obtains effective television commercials at a much lower price than it would have to pay for similar –length commercials produced in US. Pepsi Co has used four basic commercials to communicate its advertising themes. The basic setting of young people having fun at a party or on a beach has been adapted to reflect the general physical environment and racial characteristics of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia,. The music in these commercials has also been adapted to suite regional t astes, ranging from rock and roll in North America to Bossa nova in Latin America to Africa. The international advertiser must make sure that visual executions are not inappropriately extended into markets. Benetton recently encountered a problem with its â€Å"United Colors of Benetton† campaign. The campaign appeared in 77 countries, primarily in print and on billboards. The art direction focused on striking, provocative interracial juxtapositions- a white hand a black hand handcuffed together, for example another version of campaign, depicting a black woman nursing a white baby, won adverting awards in France and Italy. However, because the image evoked the history of slavery in America, that particular creative execution was not in the U.S market Cultural Considerations Knowledge of cultural diversity, especially the symbolism associated with cultural traits, is essential when creating advertising. Local country managers will be able to share important information, such as when to use cautions in advertising creativity. Use of colors and man-women relationships can often be stumbling blocks. For example, white in Asia is associated with death. In Japan, intimate scenes between men and women are considered to be in bad taste; they are outlawed in Saudi Arabia. Advertising Communication System Advertising communication always involves a perception process and four of the elements shown in the model: the source, a message, a communication channel, and a receiver. In addition, the receiver will sometimes become a source of information by talking to friends or associates. This type of communication is termed word-of-mouth communication, and it involves social interactions between two or more people and the important ideas of group influence and the diffusion of information. An advertising message can have a variety of effects upon the receiver. It can Create awareness Communicate information about attributes and benefits Develop or change an image or personality Associate a brand with feelings and emotions Forms group norms Precipitate behavior Efficacy Effectiveness of Advertising on International Markets International Advertising as a Business Practice International advertising can also be explained as a business activity through which a firm attempts to inform target audiences in different countries about itself and its product or service offerings. In some cases the advertising message relates to the firm and its activities, i.e. its corporate image. In other cases, the message relates to a specific product or service marketed by the firm. In either case, the firm will use the services of an advertising agency to determine the appropriate message, advertising copy and make the media placement. Advertising has gone through five major stages of development: domestic, export, international, multi-national, and global. For global advertisers, there are four, potentially competing, business objectives that must be balanced when developing worldwide advertising: building a brand while speaking with one voice, developing economies of scale in the creative process, maximizing local effectiveness of ads, and increasing the companys speed of implementation. Born from the evolutionary stages of global marketing are the three primary and fundamentally different approaches to the development of global advertising executions: exporting executions, producing local executions, and importing ideas that travel. Advertising research is key to determining the success of an ad in any country or region. The ability to identify which elements and/or moments of an ad that contributes to its success is how economies of scale are maximized. Once one knows what works in an ad, that idea or ideas can be imported by any other market. Market research measures, such as Flow of Attention, Flow of Emotion and branding moments provide insight into what is working in an ad in any country or region because the measures are based on the visual, not verbal, elements of the ad MEASURING ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS Just as important as creating a strong marketing plan is following through on the results. How will you know which ads are working if you dont analyze the results? Check the effectiveness of your advertising programs regularly by using one or more of the following tests: Run the same ad in two different publications with a different identifying mark on each. Ask customers to clip the ad and bring it in for a discount or free sample. Or, if youre running an ad that asks customers to order by mail, put a code in your company address such as â€Å"Dept. SI.† By looking at the marks on the clipped ads or the addresses on the mail-in orders, youll be able to tell which ad pulled better. Offer a product at slightly different prices in different magazines. This has the added benefit of showing whether consumers will buy your product at a higher price. Advertise an item in one ad only. Dont have any signs or otherwise promote the item in your store or business. Then count the calls, sales or special requests for that item. If you get calls, youll know the ad is working. Stop running an ad that you regularly run. See if dropping the ad affects sales. Check sales results whenever you place an ad for the first time. Checks like these will give you some idea how your advertising and marketing program is working. Be aware, however, that you cant expect immediate results from an ad Especially with small ads—the type most entrepreneurs are likely to be running—you need to give the reader a â€Å"getting to know you† period during which he gets to feel comfortable with your business. METHODOLOGY The manager needs to engage in situation analysis with respect to the market conditions that are operating at the time and to assess the consumer/market, competitive, facilitating agency, and social legal, and global factors that will affect decision making and the development of the plan. It is vital that the advertising plan be developed so as to mesh with and support the various components of the marketing and communications mix such as personal selling, pricing, public relation, and promotion. The advertising manager also needs to know the major areas of his or her planning and decision-making responsibilities. There are three areas of major importance: Objective And Target Selection, Message Strategy and Tactics, Media Strategy and Tactics. Consumer and Market Analysis; A situation analysis often begins by looking at the aggregate market for the product, service, or cause being advertised: the size of the market, its growth rate, seasonality, geographical distribution; the possible existence of different segments; and trends in all of these aggregate market characteristics. These semgentations are very important, specially understanding the fact that these should be very clerarly defined and not overlapping. Competitive Analysis Advertising planning and decision-making are heavily affected by competition and the competitive situation the advertiser faces. Having a competitive advantage is now the need of the day. The competitive advantage of the firm is what gives it an edge in the market. Competition is such a pervasive factor that it will occur as a consideration in all phases of the advertising planning and decision-making process. Competition is something that cannot be avoided by any firm at any cost, and a any lev el. The fact that competion is not only a detrimental factor but rather also an internal motivator; the firms are all ready to support it. A type of market structure analysis that involves the development of perceptual maps of a market, for example, attempts to locate the relative perceptual positions of competitive brands. Situation analysis should usually include an analysis of what current share the brand now has, what shares its competitors have, trends in these shares, reasons for these trends, what share of a market is possible for the brand, and from which competitors an increase in share will come. The planner also has to be aware of the relative strengths and weaknesses financial, production, and marketing of the different competing companies, and the history of competitive moves and objectives in the product category. IT shall give the firm a complete overview of the current prevailing conditions and where the firm currently stands. Also in certain cases it tells what the firm stands to gain and lose in the situation. The Marketing Plan Advertising planning and decision making take place in the context of an overall marketing plan. The marketing plan includes planning, implementation, and control functions for the total corporation or a particular decision-making unit or product line. The marketing plan must be extensively effective for any firms success. The marketing plan will include a statement of marketing objectives and will spell out particular strategies and tactics to reach those objectives. The marketing objectives should identify the segments to be served by the organization and how it is going to serve them. The segment, need to be properly differentiated. Externally every segment must be different and every segment must be homogeneous inside. The needs and wants of consumers on which the firm will concentrate, such as the needs of working men and women for easily prepared meals, are identified and analyzed in a marketing plan. The market plan can be made only when there are properly d efined market segments are not overlapping. At many such instances, where the firm is unable to properly desiccate the market, the firm stands to lose profits or market share, and even both. There are several marketing tools that can be used to help an organization achieve its marketing objectives. Most people are familiar with the â€Å"4 Ps† the marketing mix which includes product, price, place, and promotion. A marketing plan formulates the strategy and tactics for each of these. Message Strategy and Tactics The actual development of an advertising campaign involves several distinct steps. First, the advertising manager must decide what the advertising is meant to communicate by way of benefits, feeling, brand personality, or action content. Once the content of the campaign has been decided, decisions must be made on the best and most effective ways to communicate that content. Media Strategy Although there are many rules of thumb often used to decide how much money to spend on advertising, the soundest rules involve beginning with a detailed specification of what a corporation is attempting to accomplish with advertising, and the resources necessary. It is only when the job to be done is well specified that the amount and nature of the effort the amount of money to be invested in advertising can be really determined. STANDARDISATION VIS A VIS LOCALISATION Adaptation as a general tendency of the cross-national advertising literature The feasibility of ad standardization depends on variables related to the economic, technological, legal, social, and cultural environment. These factors together are known as the PEST factors which are very important for every firm. These are those external factors or conditions that the firm needs to adapt it with. These factors cannot be controlled by the firm and thus influence the firm extensively. Within a homogeneous environment advertising standardization is recommendable. If, on the contrary, environmental variables across markets are heterogeneous, customized advertising should be favored. Its always preferred that the environment be homogeneous. Reviews of cross-national advertising studies, either regional or global generally conclude in favor of adaptation. Standardized advertising is hindered if the use of certain media or execution elements is restricted, for instance in countries such as Malaysia which prohibits the use of foreign models in advertising. In a similar w ay, a heterogeneous economic environment across countries makes advertising standardization more difficult. Advertising execution has to take into account the education, literacy, and income levels of target groups. The competitive environments as well as the actual life cycle stage of a product are further factors in favor of adaptation. The cultural environment is seen as the highest barrier against standardized advertising. Differing needs, traditions, consumption habits, religion etc. make the use of an identical advertising approach across markets difficult. Its still a matter of debate whether standardization or adaptation is better, as it is a very subjective term. The fact that adaptation allows for more creative freedom and standardisation a more restrictive environment, generally means can allow the advertisers to go for more focused approaches. On average, the cross-national advertising literature leans towards adaptation rather than standardization of advertising worldwide. Change over time Many studies point to the persistent need of ad adaptation. For instance, ananalysis of U.S. companies operating in Europe showed that, between 1963 and 1983, advertisingwas more resistant to standardization than product or brand policies. However, there are many arguments in favour of a trend towards advertising standardization, especially due to strong globalization over the last 20 years. A number of developing countries have been accessing the status of advertising intensive countries. China and India are a case in point for a dramatic change in the place of advertising in the overall business and consumer scene. Authors coming from the corporate world, either advertisers or agencies, have consistently argued in favour of ad standardization and the possibility of putting up a global message with localized communication . Furthermore, rapidly changing communication technologies (Internet ads, satellite TV) influence global advertising: media overlaps push companies to more standar dized advertising approach. Advertising standardization is increasing over time due the globalization trend. Adaptation to local contexts still needed Religion act as filters of advertising messages, transforming factual information into culturally interpreted meaning. Culture and local customs are positively related to adaptation recommendation Advertising strategy versus advertising execution The contents of advertising can be categorizes in to two categories as strategy and execution .Though there is some overlap between both the categories , advertising strategy comprises what is said and execution concerns more how it is said.Degree of adaptation increases over a continuum of four levels as : mission (long term, identity and vision of the communicator), proposition (campaign themes), creative concepts (how themes are translated in the language and cultures of the target groups) and execution. While mission and proposition can rather easily be globalized, execution will need much local tailoring. Influence of product category on the degree of standardization Of international advertising The type of the product have an influence on advertising standardization. Products which satisfies the universal needs have messages which mostly carries rather than context free information . Ads for certain product categories may be easier to standardize because they correspond to global (airlines, tobacco, banks,) rather than multidomestic industries (food, motor insurance,). IM LOVIN IT†: An International Motto We can take the example of McDonalds which have launched a new and for the first time global marketing strategy in Germany at the beginning. The campaign launched by the McDonald revolves around the motto, â€Å"Im loving it† and it is part of a new and broader marketing approach that McDonalds calls Rolling Energy. The company says this approach will restore the strength of the brand in the entire world, unify its messages and integrate all its marketing moves. â€Å"McDonalds realized that it can save money. To create a campaign of this sort, which is not individualized for each country and each market and which is going to use the same slogan, presumes a terrific cost savings that could have an impact on [McDonalds] accounting results.† Despite the benefits that this campaign offers, â€Å"it contains the risk of not being able to adjust to the peculiarities of each individual market†. â€Å"The value shared by the youths in different countries makes it possible today more than ever to create global campaigns with a same message†. Axe Chocolate-man Ad Banned Axe ad is a classic example of standardization vs. localization debate. Keeping in line suggestive advertisements being televised. The Indian government has taken strong objection to the AXE chocolate deodorant ad .Ministry of information and broadcasting has regarded the ad as indecent, vulgar and repulsive. It clearly reflects the importance of understanding cultural sensitivity in advertising. INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AS A SOCIAL FORCE When we consider it from the advertisers point of view, according to them the primary objective of advertisement is that the product or services which they are offering should be sold in the market. And in achieving the main objective of selling the product or services there are other profound consequences .Advertising puts an influence which is both persuasive and pervasive in nature. Through the selective reinforcement of certain language and values, and social goal, it acts as impor

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Family at the Bedside Essay -- Health, Spirituality and Holistic Care

Discussion of family presence during invasive procedures has been ongoing for many years. Some healthcare organizations have instituted policies to allow family members to be present during invasive procedures, which they would previously forbid during these procedures. Attitudes of healthcare provider’s differ drastically. (MacLean et al., 2003) This paper will illustrate the important benefits of having a family member present during these procedures. Terms used in this search includes: Pro family at bedside, Importance of family at bedside invasive procedure, Family centered car in the operating room and position statement on Family presence. The following articles were deemed appropriate for this paper. 1. Baumhover N, Hughes L. Spirituality and support for family presence during invasive procedures and resuscitations in adults. American Journal of Critical Care July 2009; 18(4):357-367 Several health organizations have made recommendations and written guidelines to include family presence at the bedside during invasive procedures. A quantitative study was done of health care professionals exploring their thoughts and attitudes to family presence during invasive procedures. This article explores the importance of Spirituality and holistic care. The design for this study was exploratory, descriptive, and correlation. The setting was a 210-bed not-for-profit Christian-based hospital located in the Southwestern United States. Data was collected from the individuals in this study and analyzed. The study found that 58% of nurses Compared with 34% of physicians and physician assistants strongly agreed that family presence during invasive procedures is a patient’s right. This study ... ...eterization, 84%; sedation and analgesia, 81%; bladder catheterization, 80%; sutures, 79%; lumbar puncture, 66%; and cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers, 44%. The families’ reasons for being present included calming the child, suffering less anxiety, and watching over the procedure. Eighty percent thought that the family’s presence could be beneficial. 10. American Heart Association. 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation 2005; 112:Supp IV-1-IV-211.Retrieved December,7,2010.From: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/112/24_suppl/IV-6 The American Heart association support having family members present during invasive procedures. They have out clear and concise directions on establishing a family member presence at the bedside that any hospital can adapt.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

HIV and Aids :: Medical Health Medicine Essays

HIV and Aids In Junior High, when we were in sex education class, we were told about AIDS and HIV. We learned that being HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive eventually led to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), which eventually led to death. We were taught this and never really doubted it. The AIDS pandemic is global and an estimated 40 million people are infected. None of them have been cured. The amount of funding for AIDS research is not small. A plentiful amount of drugs are available to patients diagnosed with AIDS or HIV. Some AIDS patients take "cocktails" of pills, which often lead to serious physical side effects. Some "cocktails" can mean ingesting 25 pills a day. There has been much talk about finding an AIDS Vaccine, but there have been no definite results as of yet. She created a stir in the media when she appeared on ABC News 20/20(1). Her person She has been called an unfit mother, a heretic, and has been compared to those who believe the Holocaust never happened. The reason for such a stir is because she is HIV positive, doesn"t take any medications whatsoever, questions whether HIV causes AIDS, has published a book called What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong?, has unprotected sex with her husband, has an untested 3 year old son who she breast-fed at birth (the virus can be transmitted in utero, during birth, or through breast feeding), and is pregnant with her second child. Her name is Christine Maggiore and she as well as other dissidents have aroused both anger and support from AIDS and HIV communities. The difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS is that having AIDS means that a person must be HIV positive and either have a T-cell count below 200 or have one of the CDC"s (Center for Disease Control) 28 opportunistic infections. Christine Maggiore started questioning the connection between HIV and AIDS and the HIV and AIDS testing process when certain things she was told about AIDS and HIV did not add up with her situation. She speaks about how she "started really thinking about what AIDS doctors and educators told me rather than just accepting everything as true and correct." Doctors had told her that from her T cell count, she had a recent new infection.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Peru Research Paper Essay

Madison Spence 17 February 2013 Spanish 2312 Professor Elsa Coronado-Salinas Santa Rosa de Lima The country of Peru is home to many holidays and festivals each year. From the New Year’s Day celebration to the Christmas day celebration, Peru has set aside an abundance of days to observe the country’s many historic events. A very popular holiday in the country is Santa Rosa de Lima which takes place each year on August 30. The holiday dates back to the 17th century and celebrates the death of the patroness of Lima, Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa was born on April 20, 1586 by the name of Isabel, but was later nick-named Rosa because of her looks and her rosy cheeks. She spent a majority of her childhood in the small town of Quive, in the hills of Lima. As Rosa grew up, she became extremely religious and started practicing very extreme forms of religion. She grew up to be a very very beautiful woman, but she came to resent her looks. She did everything to ‘undo’ her beauty. She fasted herself, cut her hair, and wore a thorn crown to divert attention away from her beautiful looks and towards God. Rosa wanted to join a monastery but her family was too poor to afford it so she moved away from her family and into a cottage she built herself. Rosa’s days consisted of praying and feeding and caring for the sick and poor people in her town. She sold flowers and needlework to support herself and her family. At the age of 20, Rosa was let into the â€Å"Third Order† without having to pay for it. Her religious practices took on a new extreme as she gave up all normal food and lived off of bread and water as well as herbs and juices from plants that she grew in her own garden. She constantly wore a metal crown around her head and an iron chain around her waist. After keeping up with this behavior for fourteen years, Rosa died at the young age of 31 on August 24, 1617. She was worshipped by so many people that all of the religious groups and public authorities attended her funeral. She was originally buried at the Dominican Convent but her remains were soon moved to the Church of Santo Domingo. She was later named the first saint in the New World by Pope Clemente X. Her shrine is still located inside the St. Dominic Convent in Lima. The holiday is a very celebrated day across the country, but has more of an emphasis in the city of Santa Rosa de Quives which lies in the Lima Highlands. Worshippers group together in a shelter in the middle of the city and is known as a day of feast in Peru. It is also tradition to drop a letter of good will into the tree that Santa Rosa tossed her key. Even though she died on August 24, her death is celebrated by feasting on August 30 because a Saint was already celebrated on the day of her actual death Easy, Lima, ed. â€Å"Santa Rosa De Lima.† Lima City Travel Guide. LimaEasy SAC, 03/009/2011. Web. 28 Jun 2012. http://www.limaeasy.com/index.php â€Å"Peru Celebrates Santa Rosa de Lima.† A Global World. A Global World, 2012. Web. 28 Jun 2012. .

Monday, September 16, 2019

Principle of marketing extra credit case study Essay

In stark contrast to British Airways, Aeroflot-Russian Airlines is new to the skies of international commercial airlines. Aeroflot’s 114 planes transported 3.8 million passengers in 1996 compared to British Airlines’ 25.35 million passengers. Aeroflot’s figures are down considerably from 1991, the year before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when its 5,400 planes carried 138 million passengers. Since 1991 the airline has had trouble adjusting from a monopoly to a competitive marketplace as the rival private Russian airline, Transaero, built passenger loyalty by stressing good service and on-time flights. Aeroflot’s attempt to become a world class airline has been hampered by a poor safety record, bad food, surly service, dilapidated cabins and frequently cancelled or late flights. At less than 60%, Aeroflot’s load factor (the percentage of seats on each flight occupied by paying customers), is the lowest in the international airline industry. In order to expand its business in this highly competitive industry Aeroflot has copied many of the strategies the leading airlines. In January 1997, the airline announced a marketing alliance with Continental Airlines to allow Continental flights from Newark, NJ to Moscow’s Sheremetyeva International Airport. Aeroflot has renovated its training academy to include a curriculum that focuses on image and marketing, and includes the slogan, â€Å"the customer is always right.† The airline launched Telephone Confidential, a customer complaint line, and in an effort to modernise its fleet ordered 10 Boeing 737s. Marketing has been a big part of Aeroflot’s fight to gain back passengers. The image the airline has selected for itself in its first multimedia advertising campaign attempts to convince sceptical consumers that the airline has solved its safety and service problems. The campaign uses magazine, billboard and TV commercials, and features a flying elephant with  a slogan that translates into â€Å"light on its feet.† The not so subtle message means that if elephants can fly, so can Aeroflot. Aeroflot’s web page (http://www.aeroflot.org), exhibits a decidedly western influence. The home page has links to pages that describe its airplane fleet, a graphic presentation and description of Moscow’s Sheremetyeva airport, flight schedule, news, information, cargo, routeway, charter, and travel office. Judging from the neat, professional appearance of the Web page, Aeroflot’s competitors need to be prepared for a dogfight to keep this airline from cutting into their business. Questions: 1. What are the advertising objectives for Aeroflot’s Flying Elephant campaign? 2. How could Aeroflot’s build brand recognition in Vietnam? Explain the process with supporting details. 3. Explain how Aeroflot could position their services for maximum competitive advantage in the airline industry in South East Asia. Sources: http://www.aeroflot.org; Alessandra Stanley, â€Å"Hod the Jokes, Please: Aeroflot Buffs Its Image,† The New York Times, June 29, 1997, p. F1; Al Frank, â€Å"Continental Signs with Aeroflot for Daily Moscow Flights,† Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, January 15, 1997; â€Å"On a Wing and a Prayer: Aviation in Russia,† The Economist, October 5, 1996, p. 103; Victoria Pope, â€Å"The Gray Chicken is Definitely Out, Aeroflot Tries to Learn Service with a Smile,† U. S. News and World Report, October 28, 1996, p. 45.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

And Do You Locke, Take Thee Hughes? Essay

In a comparison of the essays â€Å"The New Negro† by Alain Locke and â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain† by Langston Hughes, there exists both similarities and differences. But, what are most striking are the differences between the two, especially in terms of purpose, tone, and audience. Locke and Hughes wrote their essays during the heart of the Harlem Renaissance; 1925 and 1926, respectively. Both men were writing from that vantage point, and with a gaze set firmly on bettering the conditions of those they held in common – the Negro. But these similarities are, in a sense, superficial. After all, there were many writers in that era – any era really – both Black and White, who felt a moral imperative to right the racial wrongs of their time; to wring justice from the cloth of unwarranted suffering. The differences between Locke and Hughes, however, serve as a model; one that illustrates a chasm between the ideas and opinions of that era in terms of how to better their people, as well as why their condition is such that it needs tending. In â€Å"The New Negro,† Locke is saying that the so-called New Negro is already here – in fact, has been here for some time. And, by extension, he’s arguing for the integration – even assimilation – of Blacks into the larger pool that is America. This sentiment is expressed rather poignantly when he says, â€Å"The fiction is that the life of the races is separate, and increasingly so. The fact is that they have touched too closely at the unfavorable and too lightly at the favorable levels.† (20) And it is further strengthened when he says, â€Å"We realize that we cannot be undone without America’s undoing.† (22) That statement holds equally true if one were to rearrange it to read, â€Å"America cannot be undone without our undoing.† Locke has, whether happily or not, acknowledged that the Negro race – for better or for worse, and until death do they part – is indeed married to America. Thus, he is advocating for integration as a means of survival as much as a means of advancement. Hughes, on the other hand, seems to champion the cause of racial distinction insofar as the Negro should be proud to be a Negro. This desire is laid bare when he says, â€Å"But, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist†¦ to change through the force of his art that old whispering ‘I want to be White,’†¦ to ‘Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro – and beautiful.’† (28) Perhaps Hughes, too, would acknowledge a state of matrimony between the Negro race and America. But where he seems to diverge from Locke is in his almost visceral advocacy for the spouses’ maintenance of their own identities within that marriage. With Locke, although he doesn’t use the metaphor â€Å"racial mountain† in his essay, it is apparent that such an impediment exists. His path forward – whether to the top of that mountain or around it – lies in fostering meaningful relationships between the elites of both major races. This is expressed when he says, â€Å"†¦more immediate hope rests in the revaluation by white and black alike of the Negro in terms of his artistic endowments and cultural contributions, past and prospective.† (24) And, more eloquently when he says, â€Å"He now becomes a conscious contributor and lays aside the status of a beneficiary and ward for that of a collaborator and participant in American civilization.† (24) Returning to the marriage analogy, these sentiments politely convey a sense of frustration, perhaps not unlike what many married women in that time period felt; a sense of, â€Å"I’m not feckless or helpless, and I needn’t be a ward or beneficiary; I’m sturdy and bright and equal to any task that’s laid before me; I just need the space and resource to prove it!† For Hughes, conquering the mountain is to be accomplished using a tack different from that of Locke. In Hughes’s world, victory for the Negro hinges on a tempered dissociation from the white race; not to showcase or inflame racial differences, but to highlight the unique, distinct, and high-minded attributes of his own race. In other words, the Negro should be proud of his culture and his race; the Negro is a corollary to, and a parallel of, the American body, and not merely one ingredient in a larger amalgam. As a stepping stone to accomplishing this, Hughes argues that the fabrication of the â€Å"racial mountain† is due largely to the misguided deeds of his own people – the middle-class Negro in particular. This stance is taken from the outset of his essay when chides the young Negro poet for having said, â€Å"I want to be a poet – not a Negro poet.† (25) To Hughes, such a sentiment is tantamount to wanting to be white. He goes on to say, â€Å"The road for the serious black artist, then, who would produce a racial art is most certainly rocky and the mountain is high.† (27) If one operates under the assumption that Hughes makes his case, then it can logically be said that â€Å"wanting to be white† is tantamount to denial both of â€Å"who we are† and â€Å"where we’ve been.† And that’s the rub; how can an artist be true to him or herself if they don’t even know who they are? And worse, how can they ever hope to elevate their position as a people if, by attempting to do so, they give up their very identity by hewing to the strictures of the White world? Let us not forget, â€Å"An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he must choose.† (29) In terms of their respective tones, there are marked differences between Locke and Hughes. While both are persuasive in nature, Locke’s tone comes across as somehow intimate, and yet fairly matter-of-fact. Whether backed by hard truths or not, he lays out his case in such a manner. He also comes across as subtly – even warmly – patronizing; a confidant or cohort who’s merely guiding his readers to the truth. This can be seen when he says, â€Å"But while the minds of most of us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Recall how suddenly the Negro spirituals revealed themselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His tone is like a proverbial â€Å"arm around the shoulder† and an invitation to the obvious. Hughes on the other hand is more visceral, coming across as chiding, cajoling, and cynical. Whether warranted or a fabrication of his own mind, he bursts from the gates with a thesis statement that doubles as a heavy accusation – that in wanting to be a poet, and not a Negro poet, the young man actually meant that he wanted to be white. And he leaves no room for discussion on the matter; in his mind, it is settled. He continues with this tone when he describes what he believes is â€Å"a fairly typical home of the colored middle class.† (25) And this belief – as far as any evidence offered in his essay – is predicated on no more than this one young Negro poet. He goes on to charge that â€Å"the word white comes to be unconsciously a symbol of all virtues. It holds for the children beauty, morality, and money. The whisper of ‘I want to be white’ runs silently through their minds.† (25) Locke and Hughes are also appealing – at least in part – to different audiences. Locke, while certainly writing to the Black community at large, is deliberate in his inclusion of Whites. This inclusion, in fact, is necessary for his argument to work; his argument for integration. He even addresses those who are undoubtedly white in the beginning of his essay when he says, â€Å"The Sociologist, the Philanthropist†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (17) And he leaves no doubt as to white inclusion in his audience when he says, â€Å"But while the minds of most of us, black and white†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (17) Hughes’s appeal is to the Black community at large too. But it is aimed more at the black elites, the black artists, and the black middle class far more than it is at whites. This is apparent when he cajoles the black artist by saying, â€Å"†¦it is the duty of the younger Negro artist†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (28) And it is clear when he condemns the â€Å"prominent Negro clubwoman† for paying eleven dollars to see a white singer while dismissing â€Å"a great black artist† as â€Å"that woman.† (27) Regardless of the differences in style – purpose, tone, and audience – both of these essays have merit and hold power in their respective goals, which, for the most part are one in the same: to improve the Negro’s standing within the American marriage. Works Cited Locke, Alain. â€Å"The New Negro.† Course Reader, English 1B. Ed. Kelly Vogel. Fall 2012. Print. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.† Course Reader, English 1B. Ed. Kelly Vogel. Fall 2012. Print.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Comparison of Two Construction Projects

Tour & A ; Taxis Park – Bas SmetsThis undertaking is situated on the Tour & A ; Taxis site in Brussels and is portion of a maestro program by Michel Desvigne, which covers 20 hour angle of green zone on and around the Tour & A ; Taxis site. The 4 hour angle park designed by Bas Smets in 2013 is the most of import and cardinal portion of the 9 hour angle park on the site itself and extends from the Havenlaan to the Bockstael Boulevard. The natural incline of the terrain has been levelled when the site industrialized more than a hundred old ages ago and a feeder of the river Zenne had been filled up. Bas Smets wishes to re-establish the natural alleviation by softening the bing inclines at the borders of the terrain, utilizing dirt excavated in the lower parts of the park, since there was no money to supply new dirt. The dirt is non industrially polluted, but some sorting was necessary: illegal dumping, crushed rock, finer dirt and sand. The lower parts of the park are excavated as these are really boggy. A drainage system with crushed rock basin, with a volume of 1 million, will be installed and allows the H2O to infiltrate into the dirt. This manner, the surface will ever be dry, merely in exceptionally heavy rains H2O will stay on the hayfield. The site was really hostile towards workss, even weeds were hardly able to turn at that place. Therefore, over 3000 willows are planted. These innovator trees grow two metres a twelvemonth and absorb a batch of H2O. Their roots heighten the undersoil and so ease the growing of the more ‘noble’ trees which bit by bit will be planted. After 5 old ages, when these ‘noble’ trees are grown plenty, the willows will be cut. This is an accelerated procedure to recover the nature. On short notice, a green belt will turn, which will screen the park visitants from the many edifice sites that will be started on the site the following few old ages. In the long tally, a fully-fledged park will develop. The flora that will be used, refer to the historical workss that grew in the vales of Brussels before the urbanisation. â€Å"The site will be laid out by adult male but the park is seen as a existent vale of the Zenne† , says Smets, whom antecedently studied the top ography of Brussels and its rivers extensively ( Vermeersch, 2014 ) . At the Centre of the sphere, a big unfastened infinite will be created. Here people will be able to loosen up, athletics or bask the position over the vale of the Zenne. â€Å"In this manner, our park does non differ much from the nineteenth-century Parkss like Ter Kameren or the Woluwepark, † says Smets. ( Van Garsse, 2013 ) At the side of the Havenlaan, the bing above-ground parking batch and asphalt will do manner for a public topographic point with five rows of trees, which will link the Havenlaan with the park. On the other side of the park, at the Bockstael Boulevard, the park will link to the green zone planted by Leefmilieu Brussel in the old path bed. The full 9 hour angle park will be the largest green park constructed in Brussels in the past hundred old ages.Minneapolis Riverfront – StossRivers in history have served as ecological and historical anchors of the communities populating around them. As American metropoliss deindustrialized, rivers have been uncla imed for civic usage. They lay cluttered ; leftovers of their past service as barriers to their possible re-use. ( Ganes, 2011 ) . In September 2010 an international design competition was announced, intended to turn to 5.5 stat mis of Minneapolis’ Upper Mississippi River, widening from the Stone Arch Bridge to the northern metropolis bounds. Stoss’s proposal, titled Streamlines, seeks to claim the Mississippi river as civic infinite and re-establish its presence in the metropolis. Their first measure is to repossess the river by a three-part activation scheme, purposefully conceived to hold a important impact along the full north riverfront: FlowIntersect, a light sculpture by public creative person Rafael Lozano-Hemmer that visualizes the meandering of the river ; light-boats, luminescent fibreglass dinghies which offer occupants and visitants immediate entree to the river ; and re-fashioned flatboats, bing flatboats that have been adapted to recreational usage, such as a swimming pool and an amphitheater. These intercessions besides buy clip to develop the remainder of the park and the milieus. The cardinal component in their design, harmonizing to the interior decorators themselves, are new Bridgess across the Mississipi. They provide connexion across the river, between distinguishable territories in the metropolis, but the Bridgess provide non merely physical connexion, they besides provide ocular way-finding, place-making throughout a additive long site. The brides are linked to one another via the Riverwalk and the Parkss and connect vicinities on both riverbanks, long separated by an industrial barrier. Streamlines is besides a undertaking about working ecologies, ecological systems and kineticss put to work to clean, to re-constitute this working riverfront ( Stoss Maltzan Utile, 2011 ) . The river park on the north riverfront is a on the job landscape, one that cleans the site, and accordingly the metropolis, as it grows. The chief construction of the park is a natural water-cleansing system of back-to-back deep-rooted basins, wherein stormwater is intercepted and filtered. The H2O so flows into a shallow watercourse and pelecypod bed. On the eastside of the river, Stoss creates several Botanical Overlooks. These are public gardens in which regional indigen ecosystems are contrasted with more notional and alien environments. Waste heat produced by a nearby power works is used to heat a series of public outdoor hot baths and, after the temperature has bit by bit diminished, nurseries. When the power works is non running, a field of solar hot H2O warmers provides the needful hot H2O. These gardens reach beck into nearby vicinities via H2O avenues, which collect and clean stormwater as good and serve as riverfront connections. The undertaking besides focusses on the milieus of the river, since Stoss wants to re-establish the presence of throughout the whole metropolis. To accomplish this, they extend and expand the influence of the river to the vicinities by re-making the I-94 corridor as an Energy Forest, filled with native trees that create new vegetated home grounds, cut down heat radiation, and clean air pollutants from go throughing vehicles. With the same purpose in head, three new urban paradigms are proposed, each showing a new manner to populate the river. The fist, Industrious Parks, proposes live/work loft lodging on the upper narratives above warehouses and industrial infinites. Here every bit good, tendrils of the river penetrate the territory and do the country perform better ecologically and making so, appreciate the vicinity. Second, the Greenhouse District with the Botanical Overlooks, re-imagines underutilized packages on the East Bank of the river as sites for public gardens. The 3rd par adigm, City Islands, is envisioned as a natural extension of the life style and character of Nicollet Island. Here, rowhouses and townhouses are scattered in an comestible landscape, supplying an low-cost nutrient beginning, maintained by the island community but are accessible to everyone.ComparisonBeginnings & A ; Works CitedSMETS, B. , 2014,The Discovery of the Landscape, Lecture at KULeuven VAN GARSSE, S. , 2013,Uitgelicht: park onder de bruggen aan Thurn & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/een-park-onder-de-bruggen [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] VERMEERSCH, L. , 2014,Dreef en glooiend landschapspark op Thurn & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/dreef-en-glooiend-landschapspark-op-thurn-taxis-beelden [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] LUYSTERMAN, P. , 2014,Weldra ligt u op de wei van Tour & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.up-site.be/images/tijd_20140509_019.pdf [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] STOSS,Minneapolis Riverfront, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.stoss.net/ [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] STOSS MALTZAN UTILE,Streamlines, Detailed proposal, [ Online ] Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //minneapolisriverfrontdesigncompetition.com/wp-content/themes/mrdc/docs/Stoss_Proposal.pdf [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] GANES, J.,2011,Minneapolis Riverfront Competition Finalist / StossLU, [ Online ] Available at: ArchDaily hypertext transfer protocol: //www.archdaily.com/ ? p=159167 [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] StossLU, 2011,Video presentation Minneapolis Riverfront Competition,[ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=n5h0yA2NVeU [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] 1