Monday, January 27, 2020

Henry Ford And Fordism Influences Cultural Studies Essay

Henry Ford And Fordism Influences Cultural Studies Essay Management techniques have gone through many different stages and continue to evolve even today. In the early part of the 20th century as well as the high growth periods of the US economy after World War II, Fordism, was in the forefront, as it focused on mass production and mass consumption as a means of expanding the economy. However as the US economy went through slow growth years, this particular system did not work and other management systems took precedence. Yet there are many organisations that continue to use Henry Fords philosophy even in the 21st century. And it is the objective of this research document to study the relevance of the concepts introduced by Henry Ford and the impact and influence it has on 21st century organisations. Literature Reviews: When the transformation from the agricultural age to industrial mass production took place, Henry Ford and his philosophy that consisted of using specialized tools, assembly lines and using non-skilled labour in direct production were able to drive economic growth and expansion at unprecedented levels (Shiomi Wada, 1995). Likewise it was Fords philosophy that was the driving factor behind the automobile industry and this system is still used to a great extent by the automobile industry to date. The automobile industry is still the worlds largest manufacturing industry and even though many of the leading car makers have automated their systems to a great extent and reduced their dependence on labour, they still use the assembly line method with the concepts that were introduced by Henry Ford (Shiomi Wada, 1995). This is not to say that the assembly line method was the brainchild of Henry Ford but rather that the assembly line of today has been greatly influenced by him and has not gone through many major changes in the last seven or eight decades (Gowing, Morris, Adler Gold, 2008). The moving assembly line that we have known through the years and is seen to date even in this age of advanced robotics being used in the automobile industry was introduced by Henry Ford (Laurie, 2000). There are currently a few schools of thought that have been finding it difficult to decide if Fordism has had a direct impact on the current economic system that is not wholly based on mass production and consumption as it was after World War II but rather a more streamlined method that is associated with socio-economic phenomena, that is prevalent in all industrial countries throughout the latter part of the 20th century. While it may not be the same as the Fordism that was seen in the automotive industry during the era of Henry Ford, it is still largely based on the system that was formulated by him. In his system employees worked on a production line and the tasks that they performed were specialized in nature and most importantly it was repetitive. The modern day concept of Fordism centers round the following concepts as opposed to the concepts that were discussed above. These concepts are as follows Production is in small batches rather than mass production Economies of Scope are valued The jobs and the products that are manufactured are all specialized Information Technology is widely used The emphasis is on the consumer rather than the different social classes in a society. Instead of the blue-collar worker of the past we see a number in the rise of the white-collar workers due to this concept. The workforce includes females as opposed to be male dominated like in the past. (Kim, 2002) The above concepts have come into play due to the saturation of the key markets, which worked against the concept of mass consumption. Due to this new concepts the emphasis is on uplifting the living standards, which in turn has changed the manner in which the market is viewed from the manufacturers end (production/manufacturing stand point). Rather than the consumers being seen as a mass market that can be served by one generic type of item, manufacturers began to see the consumers as individuals that made up many different segments of market. Therefore it occurred to the manufacturers that the consumers were better served if they were grouped in to batches and products and services were provided that fit the goals and needs of those specific segments rather than the mass market (Ray Reed, 1994). Therefore the mass market concept that was introduced by Ford has now been narrowed to markets that are specific to luxury items, custom made products and positional goods. Production, which was homogenous in nature at the start of Fordism, is today more focused and therefore is diverse and can be differentiated. Further as stated previously the economies of scale of the Ford era have now evolved into Economies of Scale due to the diversification and differentiation that is taking place in the market place (Raynor, 2004). The changes that have brought about the 21st century organisation, is largely due to factors such as the changing global economic and political landscape and the changes in prominent ideologies. Due to the declines that were seen in national production (that was prevalent in the post war America) for a more globalised production system of the late 80s and 90s, along with the increase of global markets and multi national companies, flexible specialization has replaced the mass markets of the post war era. Commanding the workers to behave in a certain way has now been replaced and management pays more attention to communication rather than ordering as was seen in Fords time. Further the centralized production process of yester year is now replaced by outsourcing, franchising, sub-contracting, part time workers, temporary workers, self employed individuals and work-from home individuals. Besides the economic changes that took place as stated above there have been many political changes that have taken place that has forced the evolution of Fordism (Thomas, 2004). The political changes are mainly the change from the class based political parties (as seen in the United Kingdom and the United States) to the political parties that are based on social movements, gender, race, religion and region. Labour Union influence is today almost non-existent North America and is now replaced by more localized entities that engage in plant based negotiations. Further the rise of an entrepreneurialistic culture has also lead to the evolution of Fordism. Even education today is less standardized as it used to be and become more specialized with the work force seeing a decline in the numbers of individuals opting for blue-collar jobs and rather joining the ranks of the white-collar workers (Lebowitz, 2004). Italy is a very good example of how the concepts of Fordism have evolved over the years. In areas such as Milan, Turin and Genoa, production used to be focused on the concept of mass production for mass consumption, however during the 1970s and later, the clusters of small companies and manufacturing plants started developing in areas such as Tuscany, Umbria and Veneto to name a few. Each of these regions specialized and produced a different set of products that were all very loosely related to one another. Each of the factories often employed workers that numbered between five and fifty (a majority of which were below ten). This is what is called the economies of scope and a far cry from the economies of scale that we saw in the initial stages of Fordism (Williams, 1998). The feature of these manufacturing units was that the product that were manufactured were of high quality and the workers who were employed were highly skilled and highly paid due to the high level of skills. There was deep integration and much involvement between the entrepreneurs, the designers as well as the engineers in each of these plants and the plants themselves were design oriented and multi-disciplinary in nature. Japan is another good example of the evolution of Fordism that took place. After world war II and the destruction of the country, the company structure within the country changed drastically, this caused the trade unions to be replaced with management friendly unions, increased number of individuals who were less specialized and more multi-skilled. Further the company had a pool of part time/temp and unskilled workers for periphery workers (Perkins, 2005). Further due to the trade embargoes that the country was faced with after World War II, the production processes within the country could experiment on the domestic market and when the embargoes were finally lifted and imported technology and processes came into the Japanese market, the production industry was ready to absorb the techniques and better it through philosophies such as TQM (Total Quality Management) etc. Due to the price fixing that was prevalent in the market, competition in the domestic market could only be won by differentiation. Further due to the demand for a wide range of products the country was able to have a wide range of facilities that were flexible and able to changeover and produce a large product line. Therefore instead of standardizing the country had a huge number of factories and plants that were specialized in a wide variety of products. Sub-contracting and supply networks were first born in Japan, which changed the Fordist view that American companies of the time were diligently following. Instead of having costly production machinery, the evolved Fordist concepts were more focused on multi-purpose technologies that were affordable for small and medium scale producers who were flooding the market (Pettibone, 2006). Findings: Even though assembly lines are thought to be a thing of the past and Henry Fords concepts of management are thought to be obsolete, the largest manufacturing industry in the world, which is the automobile industry, still uses the method and the concepts even though it has gone through a few transformations. However the concepts that were introduced by Ford has evolved to a great extent today and is used in companies in many different forms. Analysis: With the two stage transformations that the concepts went through in the last century, Henry Fords concepts are still relevant in the 21st century as they were in the 20th century. While many may argue that his concepts have gone through many different stages of evolution this is not the case. The automobile industry that is still in existence in North America and around the world use many of Fords concepts, and many of the concepts that are in different stages of evolution. Therefore it can be stated that the Automobile industry being the largest manufacturing industry in the world is one of the most important examples of the impact that Fordism has had on the 21st century company. The Automobile industry uses a combination of the mass production and flexible specialization. The flexibility that was introduced into mass production would not have been possible if Ford had not first introduced mass production, therefore even though Fordist concepts maybe hidden and changed beyond recognition over the years, it is apparent that without Fords concepts the foundation for modern day production would not have been built and therefore modern day theorist would not have had much to build on to get to where they are today (Bencivenga, 2002). Therefore it can be concluded, that even though Fordism and Ford himself is often forgotten in our flexible, technology driven, multi-skilled, multi-purpose, positional and customized production era, the influence of Ford and Fordism is very strong and none of this would have been possible without him and his concepts and methods. Conclusion: Based on the huge number of organisations that still eliminate skilled labour in direct production, use special tools and equipment through the assembly line, all go to show that the concepts that were introduced by Henry Ford are still relevant even in the 21st century even though mass production/mass consumption cannot be considered as a economic driver for expansion. Further even in companies that the above is not true, the concepts in place are all concepts that have evolved from Fordism.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Exam 1 Study Guide – Marketing 360

Chapter 1 – Overview of Marketing * Inertia to Passion * * 80/20 Rule * â€Å"80% of profits come from 20% of consumers† * Economies of Scale * The more you make of something, the less it costs per unit * i. e. Microsoft Office 2014 * Wholesale – Costco * Understand Marketing Mix (4 P’s)/From Customer Perspective 4 Cs * Marketing Mix: A combination of the product itself, the price of the product, the place where it is made available, and the activities that introduce it to consumers that creates a desired response among a set f predefined consumers * Marketing Mix consists of;Marketer| Consumer| Product| Customer Solution| Price| Customer Cost| Promotion| Communication| Place| Convenience | * Exchange * Pg. 12 â€Å"Occurs when a person gives something and gets something else in return. The buyer receives an object, service, or idea that satisfies a need, and the seller receives something he or she feels is of equivalent value† * Trade currency * Tr ade services * Trade behaviors * Exchange Value * Criteria for a Market A market consists of all the consumers who share a common need that can be satisfied by a specific product and who have the resources, willingness, and authority to make a purchase * Utility – Time, Place, Possession, Form, Info * Utility: The usefulness or benefit consumers receive from a product * Time Utility: Storing products until they are needed * Place Utility: Making products available where customers want them * Possession Utility: Allowing the consumer to won, use, and enjoy the product * Form Utility: Transforming raw materials into finished products * What is Value?Components of Value * Value: Benefits a customer receives from buying a good or service * Value from the customer’s perspective: Price and benefits * Value from the seller’s perspective: Is the exchange profitable to them, has it made money * Build Value: Goal is to satisfy customer over and over again so that they can build a long-term relationship rather than just having a â€Å"one night stand† * Customers have value: Firms recognize that it can be very costly in terms of both money and human effort to do whatever it takes to keep some customers loyal to the company.Samsung Distribution ChannelVery often these actions pay off, but there are cases in which keeping a customer is a losing proposition * Lifetime value of a customer: How much profit they expect to make from a particular customer * Provide value through competitive advantage: Distinctive competency- a firm’s capability that is superior to that of its competition * Value from society’s perspective: * Customer Satisfaction Model * Customer Equity * Combined customer lifetime value of all customers Firing Customers * Sustainable Competitive Advantage * Competitive Advantage: Ability of firm to outperform competition, providing customers with benefit competition cant * Identify distinctive competency (firm’s capability superior to competition) * Turn distinctive competency into differential benefit (important to customers) * Sustainable Competitive Advantage * Distinctive Competencies; Differential Benefits * The Value Proposition * Philosophies (eras) Societal Marketing Orientation (New Era); Triple Bottom Line * Emphasis on satisfying broader needs of society (employees, stockholders, etc. ) This is like market orientation by there is a little something more * Being concerned with social issues†¦ doing things better for society and being genuinely concerned * Building long-term relationships * Also referred to as the â€Å"triple bottom line† * Environmental, social and financial bottom line * Building long-term relationships, not just satisfying a one time need * i. . McDonalds * Ronald McDonald House * Using paper hamburger cases vs. * If the bottoms (financial, social, environmental) become the norm, it becomes the marketing orientation * Marketing (customer) Orientatio n * A company that practices the marketing concept. Determining and then satisfying consumer needs and wants at a profit * Selling Orientation * Getting the product out the door! Reducing inventories.Product supply is greater than demand * Getting excess products out the door, the decisions you make will reflect on what orientation you will use * One time purchases, do not establish relationship with the customer * Competitor Orientation * Focus is on competitor intelligence. Learning and reacting to what the competition is doing * i. e. Lowe’s – Wherever there was a Home Depot, they would place a Lowe’s * Product Orientation * Emphasis is on making the product better, production efficiencies.Best when demand surpasses supply * How is this different from a marketing orientation? NOT asking what the customers want, making what they want. (It’s going to be cool and you’re going to want it) Chapter 2 – Strategic Planning * Mission, Marketing My opia * Mission statement describes organization’s overall purpose * How should we develop firm’s capabilities? * What products and benefits can we create for customers? * What business are we in? * What customers should we serve? Avoid marketing Myopia – Having a really narrow mission statement, or being short sided * SWOT ANALYSIS Assessment of Organization’s internal and external environment SWOT Analysis, SWOT interactions * * External Environment Identify opportunities and threats to firm from consumers, competitors, economy, etc. Internal Environment Identify strengths and weaknesses in firms employees, technologies, facilities, finances, etc. Leverage: Strengths + Opportunities * Vulnerability: Strengths + Threats * Constraint: Weaknesses + Opportunities * Problem: Weaknesses + Threats * Portfolio Analysis Portfolio Analysis – a management tools for evaluating a firm’s business mix and assessing the potential of its SBU’s * Indi vidual units within a company – Nike Swimming within Nike * SBU’s (Strategic Business Units)– Individual units within a firm, each having its own mission, objectives, resources, managers and competitors * BCG Matrix; Star, Dog, Question Mark, Cash Cow * Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Growth Matrix – Analyzes the potential of products to generate cash for a firm. Tells managers which products they should grow * i. . Different Products Owned by Larger Firm * Strategies for Each Portfolio * Business Portfolio: Stars * High industry growth * High relative market share * Consider potential to stay star * Requires much investment * Generates relatively high revenues * Cash Cows * Low industry growth * High relative market share * They are not spending a lot of money to communicate with consumers, they are just bringing in business * Economies of scale and high profit margins * Requires less investment * Generates relatively high revenues Helps you support other businesses and launch other business/ventures * Question Marks * High industry growth * Low relative market share * Consider potential to be star * Requires too much investment * Generates relatively low revenues * i. e. Samsung Galaxy – how to move it over to get more money? * Spending more money with less or a market share in comparison to other products * Dogs * Low industry growth * Low relative market share * Generates little profits * Fish or cut bait * Either get rid of it or reinvent it – determine a new use for it.Find a way that it has never been used before * **Exam Question** Selling cutting boards, more people are cooking at home, market for cutting boards (market growth rate) is high. Company makes bamboo cutting boards, has 10% market share * Relative to competition * Product-Market Growth Matrix * Marketers use the product-market growth matrix to analyze different growth strategies pg. 52 (the left of the table would read MARKET EMPHASIS with â€Å"New Markets† on the bottom left and â€Å"Existing Markets† on the top left) PRODUCT EMPHASIS Existing Products New ProductsMarket Penetration StrategySeek to increase sales of existing products to existing markets| Product Development StrategyCreate growth by selling new products in existing markets| Market Development StrategyIntroduce existing products to new markets| Diversification StrategyEmphasize both new products and new markets to achieve growth| * Strategic Alternatives – Market Penetration; Market Development; Product Development; Diversification * Market Penetration: Growth strategies designed to increase sales of existing products to current customers, nonusers, and users of competitive brands in served markets * Market Development: Introduce existing products to new markets (geographic area, or it may mean reaching new customer segments within an existing geographic area) * Product Development Strategies: Create growth by selling new products in exist ing markets.May mean extending the firm’s product line by developing new variations of the item, or it may mean altering or improving the product to provide enhanced performance * Diversification Strategies: Emphasize both new products and new markets to achieve growth. Chapter 3 – Marketing Environment * Economic Environment * Marketers must understand economy and business cycle * Level of Economic Environment; LDC, Developing Country, Developed Country * Level of economic environment: the broader economic picture of a country * Deciding whether or not a country will be a good prospect * LDC: Least Developed Country: A country at the lowest stage of economic development * In most cases, its economic base is agriculture * Africa and South Asia * Standard living is low and so are literacy levels * Developing Country When an economy shifts its emphasis from agriculture to industry, standards of living, education, and the use of technology rise * The future market for con sumer goods like skin care products and mobile phones * Developed Country * Boasts sophisticated marketing systems, strong private enterprise, and bountiful market potential for many goods and services * Economically advanced and they offer a wide rand of opportunities for international marketers * Competitive Environment Marketers must know what competitors are doing (Competitive Intelligence) * Micro vs. Macro Competition * Macro – Overall industry, big picture Monopoly – one seller controls market, some companies sued for owning a monopoly * Oligopoly – small number of sellers, each with large share of market, i. e. cars * Monopolistic Competition – (we often see this as consumers) Many different sellers each offering a different benefit and each having a small share of market, i. e. soaps * Perfect Competition – Many small firms all offering similar products, no influence (rare) * Micro environmental competition– Competition for $â€℠¢s with products in the same class, what product alternatives will consumers choose * Competes on 3 levels * For discretionary income – how are people spending disposable income * Product competition – different products meeting the same need, i. e. ravel * Brand competition – same product trying to meet the same need, i. e. treadmills * Competitive Market Structures; Perfect Competition, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly, Monopoly * See Competitive Environment * Levels of Competition – Brand (Direct), Product, Total Market Competition (Discretionary Income) * See Competitive Environment * Technological Environment; how does this change industry? * Understanding the impact of technology on all aspects of the business * Distribution * Inventory Control * Communication, etc. * Political/Legal Environment/Federal Legislation (Acts) * Legislation that influences business. Make sure people compete fairly. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – intended to eli minate monopolies by prohibiting price fixing or predatory pricing * Vertical price fixing: When a manufacturer tells a retailer to sell at a fixed price * Vertical price fixing overturned by supreme court 2007 * Horizontal price fixing: When companies get together at the same level and agree to sell a product at the same price (Illegal) * Predatory price fixing: setting prices low to drive others out of business (Illegal) * Clayton Act (1914) – Prohibits tying contacts, take one product must take others * Nike – Violation of this act, LeBron shoes – Florida sued Nike for not delivering the shoes on time for â€Å"withholding† * Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) * Created the Federal Trade Commission to monitor unfair practices * Sociocultural Environment * Refers to the characteristics of the society, the people who live in that society, and the culture that reflects the values and beliefs of the society * Whether at home or in global markets, marketer s need to understand and adapt to their customs, characteristics and practices * Ethnocentrism The belief that one’s own norms and the products made in one’s country are superior * Bias occurs because we tend to use our own cultural frame of reference to judge other people * Ethnography: Researcher lives with people they are studying * Demographics * Statistics that measure observable aspects of a population * Population size * Age * Gender * Ethnic Group * Income * Education * Occupation * Family structure * Social Norms * Specific rules dictating what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable * What ways to dress, how to speak, what to eat and how to behave * Cultural Values * Deeply held beliefs about right and wrong ways to live, that it imparts to it’s members * Talking about sex in public * Product Standardization vs. Localization Advocates of standardization argue that the world has become so small that basic needs and wants are the same everywhere * A focus on the similarities among cultures is certainly appealing * Realize large economies of scale because it could spread the costs of product development and promotional materials over many markets * Consistent exposure also helps create a global brand because it forges a strong, unified image all over the world * Advocates for localization feel that the world is not that small; you need to tailor products and promotional messages to local environments * Marketers feel that each culture is unique, with a distinctive set of behavioral and personality characteristics Chapter 4 – Market Information/Research * Steps in Conducting Market Research (this bullet will answer almost every bullet in this section, so just read over this one it’s in detail) 1.Define the Research Problem a. Specify the research objectives: i. Symptom or problem? ii. Selling the wine for too much money – symptom†¦ problem is the type of cap! What is the true issue? b. Identify your po pulation of interest: iii. Look at surrounding environment iv. What’s happening in the environment, is it a symptom or a problem? 2. Determining Research Design c. Research Design: Specifies what information will be collected and what type of study will be done d. Must determine if we are collecting primary or secondary data v. Primary: We collect data ourselves 1. Finding exactly what you want vi. Secondary: Someone else collects the data . Quality may be cheaper, but not as precise 3. Often outdated e. Determining Specific Information Needs vii. Primary information: Data specifically collected and organized for a particular marketing information need. Original viii. Secondary information: Data gathered for some purpose other than the current marketing information need (i. e. f. Primary Data – 3 types ix. Exploratory (problem identification) 4. Qualitative technique used to generate insights for future, more rigorous studies a. Interviews (1 on 1) b. Focus Groups (8-1 0) c. Ethnographies (researcher lives with people they are studying) d.Projective techniques (take yourself and â€Å"project† yourself into the situation based on information given) i. i. e. Folgers instant coffee – surveyed women ii. If you were making instant coffee you were â€Å"short-changing† your husbands iii. Benefits and features x. Descriptive (problem solving) 5. Quantitative technique that probes more systematically and with more respondents e. How to quantify a qualitative data – use a scale 6. Think frequencies f. Identifying numbers (how many people walk by the mall on campus) 7. Helps identify attitudes of consumers that buy the products g. Satisfaction survey xi. Casual (problem solving) 8.Quantitative techniques that attempt to understand the cause-and-effect relationships h. Test hypotheses i. Independent variable: manipulation j. Dependent variable: measureable outcome 9. Experiments: lab 10. Field Studies: real world 11. Causal Resea rch Example k. I work for Nestle and I believe that chocolate country of origin has an impact on satisfaction with the chocolate iv. Dependent = satisfaction v. Independent = country of origin vi. Independent variable with 5 choices (USA, Mexico, Canada, etc) 1. The more conditions you add, the more subjects you need to have vii. Let’s add an additional IV nuts or no nuts 2.Country of origin (5 choices) x Nuts (2 choices) = 10 conditions 12. You can have as many IV’s as you want, but this increases the number of subjects you need 13. To determine causality you look to see if there is a difference | Exploratory| Problem-Solving| Purpose| Investigation| Actionable information| Research Problem| Not well defined| Specific| Type of data| Qualitative | Quantitative| Sample| Small| Large| 3. Primary Data Collection Methods g. Communication, surveys xii. Mail questionnaires xiii. Telephone interviews xiv. Face-to-face interviews xv. Online questionnaires h. Observation xvi. P ersonal 14. Stores hire researchers to watch people xvii. Mechanical 15.Device that tracks behaviors (black strip that measures how many cars pass a street†¦) * Different Research Study Designs * A plan that specifies what information marketers will collect and what type of study they will do * Cross-sectional design: A type of descriptive technique that involves the systematic collection of quantitative information * Longitudinal Design: A technique that tracks the responses of the same sample of respondents over time * Types of Data: Qualitative, Primary, Secondary * Primary: We collect data ourselves * Finding exactly what you want * Secondary: Someone else collects the data * Quality may be cheaper, but not as precise Often outdated * Qualitative: You cannot put a number on it†¦ i. e. are you happy? Yes or no * Quantitative: You can put a value/scale number on it * Validity and Reliability * Validity: The extent to which research actually measures what it was intended to measure * Reliability: The extent to which research measurement techniques are free of errors * Construct – did we measure what we intended to measure? * Internal – can you identify the true causal relationship (most important) * External – generalizability; does this hold true for my population of interest? * Sampling * The process of selecting respondents for a study Probability sample: Each member of the population has some known chance of being included * Nonprobability sample: The use of personal judgment to select respondents (some cases, they just ask whoever they can find, some members of the population may not be included at all) * Convenience Sample: Nonprobability sample composed of individuals who just happen to be available when and where data is being collected * Independent/Dependent Variables * Independent – manipulation * Dependent – measureable outcome * Advantages/Disadvantages of Primary Data Collection Techniques * Advantage s of primary data collecting * Original * Gathering information for a particular need * Disadvantages of primary data collecting * Expensive * Advantages of secondary data collecting * Cheaper, saves time * Disadvantages of secondary data collecting * Outdated * Data Mining Process in which analysts sift through data to identify unique patterns of behavior among different customer groups * Data mining has 4 primary applications for marketers 1. Customer Acquisition: Many firms include demographic and other information about customers in their database 2. Customer Retention and Loyalty: Firm identifies big-spending customers and then targets them for special offers and inducements other customers won’t receive 3. Customer Abandonment: A firm wants customers to take their business elsewhere because servicing them actually costs the firm too much 4. Market Basket Analysis: Develop focused promotion strategies based on the records of which customers have bought certain products * Data Collection in Other Countries and Cultures Market conditions and consumer preferences vary worldwide and there are major differences in the sophistication of market research operations and the amount of data available to global marketers * Some countries may not have phones, literacy levels may affect mail surveys * Understanding local customs and cultural differences can affect the responses * Solve this problem by including local researchers in decisions about the design * Language: To overcome language barriers, researchers use the process of back-translation – the process of translating material to a foreign language and then back to the original language Additional Topics * Stealth Marketing * When you’re being marketed to, and you don’t realize you’re being marketed to * i. e.Camera phones – Nokia, having employees ask people to take pictures with their camera phones (w/o launching a campaign) * Guerilla Marketing * Doing something in a non-conventional, unique way * i. e. shooting someone from behind a tree†¦ * First time using QR codes * Buzz vs. Hype * What’s the difference? Guerilla marketing is all about creating buzz (goal is to get people to talk about us) * Buzz – people talking about it * As a consumer, we believe buzz over hype * Hype – comes from the company * i. e. television commercial * Hull’s drive theory * As humans, we are wired to know what we need which drives us * Homeostasis -> equilibrium * i. e. shivering when you’re cold Study in 70’s (rise of mini theories) claim there are many contributors to consumers * Darwin’s biological determinism * What motivates us * Cowbird; lays eggs in another species nest * When that egg hatches, it automatically knows the cowbird song * BORN with what motivates us * Cannibalization * When a new product takes sales away from original (existing) product * i. e. Apple 4S to 5, or Coca cola to diet coke * Can b e good and can be bad, depending on the situation * When you introduce a new product and it isn’t good†¦ It can motivate people to move away from the brand as a whole * Negative- having to sell what’s in inventory * Traditional vs. non-traditional media types * Traditional vs.Nontraditional * Subliminal messaging * Self-help cassette tapes * Lose weight label – people got the stop smoking message * Stop smoking – people got the lose weight message * Placebo * All of the Knuff’s Knuggets * Syphilis study – KNUGGET * Testing the spread of syphilis across the spread of African Americans * Infected some people with syphilis, some were given treatment, some were told they would be given treatment – but weren’t * Unethical, U. S. Government backed this study and eventually was sued for millions by families * Milgrim Shock Study * †¦Why we have the IRB * Institutional Review Boards * QR Codes Measures the effectiveness of th e ad * Allows a large amount of information to be displayed in a small space * Part of technological environment * Internal validity is necessary, but not sufficient for establishing external validity *KNUGGET * We have to have internal validity, otherwise its garbage * Just because we have internal validity, does not mean we can generalize or say that we have external validity * Heider’s Balance Theory is one explanation * Suggests that we need to keep triangle in balance * or NIKE GOLF TIGER WOODS YOU All positives around the outsides, or two negatives and one positive

Saturday, January 11, 2020

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 16

He walked for a long, long time, though it seemed his surroundings never changed. The same dim light filtered through a constant cloud of ash. He plodded on through grime, through mud, through ankle-deep pools of dark water. Occasional y, he unclenched his fist and gazed again at the locks of hair. Each time, the magic liquid cleaned them a little more, changing a scrap of fibrous blackness to two locks of shining hair, red and gold. He walked on. Everything hurt, but he couldn't stop. If he stopped he would sink back below the ash and mud, back to the grave back to death. Something whispered around the edges of his mind. He didn't know quite what had happened to him, but words and phrases spun in his head. Words like abandoned, words like alone. He was very cold. He kept walking. After a while, he realized he was mumbling. â€Å"Left me al alone. They'd never have left him here.† He couldn't remember who this him was, but he felt a sick sort of satisfaction from the glow of resentment. He held on to it as he continued his march. After what felt like an unchanging eternity, something happened. Ahead of him he could see the gatehouse he had imagined: spired like a fairy-tale castle, black as night. He walked faster, his footsteps shuffling through the ash. And then the earth opened suddenly beneath his feet. In the space of a heartbeat, he was fal ing into nothingness. Something inside him howled, Not now, not now. He grabbed and clawed at the earth, his arms holding him afloat, his feet swinging into the emptiness below him. â€Å"No,† he moaned. â€Å"No, they can't†¦ Don't leave me here. Don't leave me again.† His fingers slipped, mud and ash sliding beneath his hands. â€Å"Damon?† an incredulous voice roared. A great muscular figure stood above him, silhouetted against the moons and planets in the sky, his chest bared, long, spiraling tangles of hair spil ing over his shoulders. This statue of a man reached down and grasped him by the arms, lifting him up. He yelped in pain. Something beneath the earth had latched onto his legs and was pul ing him back down. â€Å"Hold on!† The other man grunted, muscles rippling. He strained and heaved against whatever was clinging onto Damon – Damon, the man had cal ed him, and that felt right, somehow. The other man gave a great tug, and final y the force below released him, and he shot out of the earth, knocking his rescuer backward. Damon lay panting on the ground, spent. â€Å"You are supposed to be dead,† the other man told him, climbing to his feet and holding out a hand to steady Damon. He pushed a long lock of hair away from his face and gazed at Damon with serious, troubled eyes. â€Å"The fact that you are not†¦ wel , I am not as surprised as I should be.† Damon blinked at his savior, who was watching him attentively. He wet his lips and tried to speak, but his voice wouldn't come. â€Å"Everything has been disturbed here since your friends left,† the man said. â€Å"Something essential has shifted in this universe. Things are not right.† He shook his head, his eyes troubled. â€Å"But tel me, mon cher, how does it come to be that you are here?† Final y Damon found his voice. It came out rough and quavering. â€Å"I†¦ don't know.† The man immediately was al courtesy. â€Å"I think the situation cal s for some Black Magic, oui? And some blood, perhaps, and a chance to clean up. And then, Damon, we must talk.† He gestured toward the dark castle ahead of them. Damon hesitated for a moment, glancing at the emptiness and ash around them, then trudged after him toward the open doors. After Stefan swept out of the room so suddenly, everyone could only stare after him as the front door banged, signaling that he had left the house just as quickly. Bonnie hugged her arms around herself, shivering. A little voice in the back of her head told her that something was very, very wrong. Celia final y broke the silence. â€Å"Interesting,† she said. â€Å"Is he always so†¦ intense? Or is it a vampire thing?† Alaric chuckled dryly. â€Å"Believe it or not, he's always seemed very low-key and practical to me. I don't remember him being so volatile.† He ran a hand through his sandy hair and added thoughtful y, â€Å"Maybe it was the contrast with his brother that made him seem so reasonable. Damon was pretty unpredictable.† Meredith frowned thoughtful y. â€Å"No, you're right. This isn't the way Stefan usual y acts. Maybe he's emotional because Elena's threatened? But that doesn't make sense†¦ she's been in danger before. Even when she died – he was heartbroken, but, if anything, it made him more responsible, not wilder.† â€Å"But when Elena was dead,† Alaric reminded her, â€Å"the worst thing he could imagine had already happened. It's possible that what's making him so jumpy is that he doesn't know where the threat's coming from this time.† Bonnie took a sip of tea, zoning out as Meredith hmmmed thoughtful y, and Celia raised one skeptical eyebrow. â€Å"I stil don't understand what you mean when you say Elena died. Are you suggesting she actual y rose from the dead?† â€Å"Yes,† said Meredith. â€Å"She was turned into a vampire, then she was exposed to sunlight and physical y died. They buried her and everything. Later – months later – she returned. She's human again, though.† â€Å"I find al that very hard to believe,† said Celia flatly. â€Å"Honestly, Celia,† said Alaric, throwing up his hands in exasperation. â€Å"With everything you've seen since we got here – your scarf nearly choking you, then spel ing out a name, Bonnie having a vision, Stefan practical y flying to save you – I don't know why you're drawing the line now and saying you don't believe a girl could come back from the dead.† He paused and took a breath. â€Å"I don't mean to sound harsh, but real y.† Meredith smirked. â€Å"Believe it or not, it's true. Elena came back from the dead.† Bonnie wrapped one long red curl around her finger. She watched as her finger turned white and red against the strand of hair. Elena. Of course they were talking about Elena. Everyone was always talking about Elena. Whether she was with them or not, everything they did or thought centered on Elena. Alaric turned to address the whole group. â€Å"Stefan seems convinced that ‘he wants you' means Caleb, but I'm not sure that it does. From what I've seen of Bonnie's visions, and what you guys have told me, they're hardly ever about what's right in front of her. Caleb's appearance – if it even was Caleb – could have been a coincidence. Don't you think so, Meredith?† Oh, don't bother to ask me about the visions, Bonnie thought bitterly. I'm only the one who has them. Wasn't that the way it always was, though? She was the one everyone overlooked. â€Å"It could be a coincidence,† Meredith said doubtful y. â€Å"But if it's not Caleb she was talking about, who is it? Who wants Elena?† Bonnie glanced under her eyelashes at Matt, but he was staring out the window, apparently completely detached from the conversation. She could tel that Matt stil loved Elena, even if no one else knew. It was too bad: Matt was awful y cute. He could date anyone, but it was taking him a long time to get over her. But then, no one ever seemed to get over Elena. Half the boys at Robert E. Lee High School had gone around gazing wistful y after her, as if she might suddenly turn around and fal into their arms. Certainly most of the boys Elena had dated had stayed a little bit in love with her, even after Elena had more or less forgotten their names. It isn't fair, Bonnie thought, twirling her hair more tightly around her finger. Everyone always wanted Elena, and Bonnie had never even had a boyfriend for more than a few weeks at a time. What was wrong with her? People always told her how cute she was, how adorable, how fun†¦ and then they looked past her to Elena, and it was like they couldn't see Bonnie anymore. And while Damon, amazing, sexy Damon, had been fond of her, sometimes, when she wasn't trying to kid herself, she knew he hadn't real y seen her, either. I'm just the sidekick, that's my problem, Bonnie thought glumly. Elena was the star; Meredith was a hero; Bonnie was a sidekick. Celia cleared her throat. â€Å"I have to confess I'm intrigued by the appearance of the names,† she said stiffly. â€Å"It does seem like they point to some kind of threat. Whether or not Bonnie's purported vision comes to anything† – Bonnie shot her best nasty look at Celia, but Celia ignored it – â€Å"we should definitely investigate any background or context we can find for the unexplained appearance of the names. We should find out if there's a recorded history of this kind of thing happening before. The writing on the wal , if you wil .† She gave a thin-lipped smile at her own joke. â€Å"But what would we investigate?† Bonnie said, finding herself unwil ingly responding to Celia's teacherlike manner. â€Å"I wouldn't even know where to start looking for something like this. A book on curses, maybe? Or omens? Do you have anything like that in your library, Mrs. Flowers?† Mrs. Flowers shook her head. â€Å"I'm afraid not, dear. My library, as you know, is mostly herbals. I have a few more specialized books, but I can't recal anything that might be helpful with this problem.† When she mentioned â€Å"more specialized books,† Bonnie's cheeks got hot. She thought of the grimoire on communication with the dead, stil tucked under the floorboards in her bedroom, and hoped Mrs. Flowers hadn't noticed it was missing. After a few seconds, her cheeks had cooled enough that she dared to glance around, but only Meredith was looking at her, one elegant eyebrow raised. If Meredith thought something was up, she wouldn't rest until she got the whole story from Bonnie, so Bonnie gave her a bland smile and crossed her fingers behind her back for luck. Meredith raised her other eyebrow and looked at her with deep suspicion. â€Å"Actual y,† Celia said, â€Å"I have a contact at the University of Virginia who studies folklore and mythology. She specializes in witchcraft, folk magic, curses, al that kind of thing.† â€Å"Do you think we could cal her?† said Alaric hopeful y. Celia frowned. â€Å"I think it would be better if I went up there for a few days. Her library isn't as wel organized as it could be – I suppose it's symptomatic of the kind of mind that studies stories rather than facts – and it might take a while to discover if there's anything useful there. I think it would be just as wel for me to get out of town for a while, anyway. After two brushes with death in two days† – she sent a pointed glance toward Meredith, who blushed – â€Å"I'm beginning to feel that Fel ‘s Church isn't the healthiest place for me.† She looked at Alaric. â€Å"You might find her library of interest, if you'd like to come with me. Dr. Beltram is one of the best-known experts in her field.† â€Å"Uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric looked startled. â€Å"Thanks, but I'd better stay here and help Meredith. With her sprained ankle and everything.† â€Å"Mmm-hmmm.† Celia glanced at Meredith again. Meredith, who had been looking steadily more delighted every second since Celia had announced she was leaving, ignored her and smiled at Alaric. â€Å"Wel , I suppose I should give her a cal and get my things together. No time like the present.† Celia stood up, smoothed her sundress, and walked out the door, head high. As she passed, she brushed against the table near Mrs. Flowers's chair, sending her knitting to the floor. Bonnie let out a breath as Celia left the room. â€Å"Wel , real y!† she said indignantly. â€Å"Bonnie,† said Matt warningly. â€Å"I know,† said Bonnie angrily. â€Å"She could have at least said ‘excuse me,' right? And what was that with asking Alaric to come with her to UVA? He just got here, practical y. He hasn't seen you for months. Of course he's not going to leave again with her right now.† â€Å"Bonnie,† said Meredith, in a strangely choked voice. â€Å"What?† said Bonnie, catching the oddness in her tone and looking around. â€Å"Oh. Oh. Oh, no.† Mrs. Flowers's knitting had fal en from its table, and the skein of yarn had rol ed across the floor, unwinding as it went. Now, in the curls of soft pale pink, they could al clearly read one word written across the carpet: bonnie

Friday, January 3, 2020

Political Fundraising Corruption Its Effects on Todays...

In the United States of America, we champion the power of the populace to elect the nation’s leaders. We are taught that each individual vote is important, and that each elected official has the responsibility of representing the electorate, lest the people cast their votes for someone else in future contests. However, in reality, elected officials have become increasingly indebted to their financial contributors while becoming less responsible to the voters themselves. A political campaign has an ever-expanding roster of expenditures, including travel expenses, campaign consulting fees, and the alarmingly high cost of communicating with the voters via print advertisements and the media. The fact that Abraham Lincoln nearly†¦show more content†¦This decision effectively negated the statutory limits enacted by the Federal Election Campaign Acts and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 was in specific reaction to the quadrupling of soft money campaign contributions between 1993 and 2002 from $105 billion per year to $421 billion per year. With the Citizens United decision, soft money is once again fair game. Indeed, each candidate in the 2012 bid for the Republican nomination for President has managed to garner support from an incredibly powerful â€Å"Super PAC.† Mitt Romney is supported by Restore Our Future, Michelle Bachman by Citizens for a Working America, and even the lesser known Jon M. Huntsman Jr., a former Utah governor, is supported by Our Destiny PAC. Super PAC events can be very lucrative for candidates, as proven when Mitt Romney appeared at a Restore Our Future event in July 2011, where millions of dollars were raised. Of course, in adherence to the laws, he did not make any direct appeals for donations. Without true, meaningful campaign spending reforms, the slippery manner in which campaign financing continues to be conducted will further chip away at the responsibility each candidate and elected official feels toward the voting public. And, with empirical evidence supporting that the candidate with the most money wins the office, there is no impetus toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Celebrity Activists in Contemporary Society3637 Words   |  15 PagesCelebrity Activists in Contemporary Society Works Cited Not Included According to the book Celebrity Politics, approximately 10 percent of Americans get national political news from nightly entertainment shows such as the Tonight Show. For Americans under 30, the number is nearly five times as many (Orman and West 100). Citizens are looking to be entertained rather than simply educated by the nightly news. As David Schultz aptly put it, â€Å" The new media cover politics, but only politics