Marketing Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Promoting - Dissertation Example 110). While this is increasingly articulated abroad, as France and Germany have been appeared in an examination to pay attention to corporate stewardship more than do Americans, Americans despite everything accept that corporate obligation is significant †â€Å"a late review of nearly 2500 Americans found that 36 percent guaranteed they truly viewed as a company’s corporate citizenship when concluding whether to purchase its products† (Paine, 2003, p. 110). Besides, if an enterprise does activities that are objected to †say, it is uncovered that the company conducts pointless and pitiless tests on creatures †this damages the main concern, and can prompt blacklists, which are a PR bad dream and can prompt a genuine plunge in buyers purchasing its items (Paine, 2003, p. 110). The motivation behind why I picked this subject is on the grounds that creature testing, particularly when the testing isn't fundamental for headways for human wellbeing, just like the case with beauty care products testing, is one that rouses a lot of enthusiasm on either side of the inquiry, and is a significant component of corporate social duty. For certain individuals, any sort of creature testing ought to be verboten, regardless of whether the testing is done in light of a legitimate concern for discovering human fixes. For other people, creature testing probably won't be an issue in light of the fact that, all things considered, they are â€Å"just animals.† For still others, specific sorts of creature testing may be adequate, particularly if the testing would prompt a clinical fix, while different kinds of testing, for example, testing in regards to beauty care products, would not be worthy. How every one of these gatherings see this component of corporate social obligation would be the focal point of the request. C. Points and Objectives The points of this venture will be to find the sentiments of individuals from every one of the three of the abo ve gatherings with regards to specific organizations that utilization creature testing. Do they purchase from organizations that utilization creature testing? If not, why not? Provided that this is true, why? Maybe an energetic creature supporter may purchase items from a corrective organization that creature tests †what may clarify this incongruence? Besides, I am keen on finding if organizations that don't test on creatures accentuate this reality in the promoting efforts. Ultimately, I am keen on discovering how these battles influence purchasers, and whether shoppers are more averse to purchase from organizations that are known to test on creatures, and bound to purchase from organizations that tout the way that they don't test on creatures. D. Introductory Literature Review One of the inquiries that is of intrigue is the reason a few people care more about basic entitlements than do others. The motivation behind why this is a significant inquiry is on the grounds that it c an answer why certain purchasers won't accepting items from corrective organizations that utilization creature testing, while others couldn't care less in any case. Unti and Rowan (2001) hypothesize that youth perspectives represents who has more sympathy for creatures than others (Unti and Rowan, 2001, p. 27). Different speculations express that the worry from creatures goes to a worry for the persecuted (Unti and Rowan, 2001, p. 27). With respect to the topic of whether organizations underline their corporate social duty, there is some sign that they don't (Blyth, 2003, p. 16). With respect to the inquiry concerning how corporate flippant practices, for example, creature testing, influence buyers, it is helpful to look at how shoppers respond to other corporate social untrustworthy

Gaps Model of Service Quality Essay Example for Free

Holes Model of Service Quality Essay Model are information hole, principles hole, conveyance hole and correspondence hole. Information hole is the distinction between customers’ desires and the retailer’s view of these customer’s desires. This happens when an individual don't have the foggiest idea what the clients expect or need. By applying information hole to Hamp;M retail location, it alludes to the sales rep not recognizing what their clients anticipate/need. For instance, a client visiting the Hamp;M store may expect quick checkout at the clerk and shorter lining time at the fitting rooms. In any case, the sales rep may feel that the clients wouldn't fret lining for a more drawn out time however would incline toward agreeable help from them and better quality garments. Subsequently, such distinction between customers’ desires and retailer’s impression of their customers’ desires will prompt information hole. So as to decrease the information hole, overviews, associations and client objections should be possible. Right off the bat, Hamp;M can do review after every individual exchange. Hamp;M can lead their reviews or criticism frames by dispersing to each client after they have made their installment. After they are finished topping off the study on their general visit at Hamp;M, they can hand up their structures to the sales rep at the counter. Something else, Hamp;M can put an input box along the edge to make things simpler for everybody. Also, is through associating with their clients and staffs. Hamp;M can get important criticisms from their store representatives on approaches to enhance certain territories dependent on theirs or customer’s recommendations and remarks. Aside from that, Hamp;M can really interface with their clients through web based life, for example, Facebook, Twitter and so on. Since internet based life are generally utilized these days, clients would post helpful remarks or criticisms via web-based networking media, for example, on their Facebook dividers. Hamp;M can viably collaborate with their clients through such social stages and better comprehend what clients expect or need. In conclusion, through client objections, Hamp;M will at that point have the option to discover their concern and amend it to additionally enhance their administrations, and so on. Guidelines Gap is the distinction between the retailer’s view of customers’ desires and the administration gauges it sets. For instance, the administration principles Hamp;M sets for all their sales rep might be to carry the client to that particular segment when the individual asked where it is. Be that as it may, the retailer’s impression of customers’ desires might be simply to direct and bring up to them which level and which part it is situated at as opposed to presenting to them right to the zone they need. Thus, such distinction between the retailer’s impression of customers’ desires and the administration gauges it sets will prompt guidelines hole. So as to diminish the norms hole, solid duty to support quality by the top administration ought to be finished. Top administration should give data and preparing to their administration staff in order to offer quality support to their clients. Additionally, give away from of the jobs of specialist co-ops by defining explicit and quantifiable objectives dependent on customer’s desires. In conclusion, to quantify administration execution of their administration staffs, reviews and puzzle shopping could be directed to perceive how well their representatives admission when they serve a client. All these would assist with setting proper guidelines to convey top notch administration to their clients. Conveyance hole is the contrast between the retailer’s administration norms and the real assistance gave to clients. For this situation, Hamp;M isn't relevant to conveyance hole as this administration quality is limitless as there is no particular time a sales rep is given to help or â€Å"clear† their clients. Correspondence hole is the distinction between the retailer’s genuine help and the administration that the retailer’s correspondence program guarantees. Similarly, this is likewise not pertinent to Hamp;M as it is a retailer store as opposed to a vehicle administration that necessities to convey a real an ideal opportunity to the clients.

Starbucks Strategies for Profitability

Starbucks Strategies for Profitability 1. Presentation Significant target of this examination is to reveal insight into the techniques and endeavors made by Starbuck to take care of its issues identified with benefit. So as to do a cautious investigation of inside activities is embraced to have a thought regarding the achievement of these activities to come back to a steady pace of gainfulness development by Starbucks. To have development in gainfulness Starbucks needs to produce upper hand among the opponent firms. Starbucks should consider by and large patterns of industry, with the goal that since quite a while ago run gainfulness development can be guaranteed. Both the inside and outer elements confronted with the firm are broke down independently so as to have a dependable future position. 1.1. Positive Aspects related with Starbucks and Recommended Strategy Starbucks gives sound workplace to its representatives and have point by point and worker amicable investment opportunity plans. In addition, the significant qualities of Starbucks lie in the appealing shop structure and agreeable shop condition. Starbucks expects to turn into a top espresso outlet at local level as well as at universal level. So the methodology of globalization will help Starbucks to expand its gainfulness. So as to effectively execute this system execution focuses for directors should be set so they are given the motivating force to improve their exhibition. 1.2. Targets of Starbucks Clean flexibly of espresso. Make promptly glad customers all the period. Give a unimaginable work spot and handle pride and each other with deference. Acknowledge decent variety being a significant component in the way we do organization. Utilize the best necessities of value towards the purchasing. Lead decidedly to the towns and our condition, and notice that achievement is imperative to our potential achievement. 2. Issues looked by the Firm 2.1. Inside Issues Constrained Product Range: Starbucks offers an item run included single source and around thirty items , Coffee machines, propelled treats, espresso cups, espresso embellishments card, a put away worth card, espressos, frap-puccino caffeine items, espressos, mixers, kind of frozen yogurts, sound, distributions, films, house Starbucks and blessings. Constrained Advantages gave to Employees: Many clashes among laborers have been seen since in different outlets of Starbucks everywhere throughout the world and the primary explanation was low-pay and broadened work hours. As the weight of work stays high the representatives feel exhausted and consequently they think that its hard to keep working at Starbucks. 2.2. Lacking Growth of Alternatives Available At the point when the business was begun there were only 17 cafés however now the outlets are running in 39 countries everywhere throughout the world having very nearly 12,240 outlets. The overall pace of development related with cafés is excessively high when contrasted with that of Starbucks. This reality prompts make a serious nervousness for Starbucks and limits the development openings accessible to the firm. 2.3. Client Relationships The customers of Starbuck are not so much expanded and have a place with practically comparative gathering. Then again it not the situation with other worldwide espresso brands. Another thought is appended with the Starbucks association with their customers. Starbucks is viewed as exceptionally magnificent espresso brand when shopper contemplations are concerned. In the area of Beijing where Starbucks as of late shut an outlet because of ethnic contrasts among makers can likewise be viewed as a danger to the future development of a business. Some progressive enemy of private enterprise activists left the Starbucks turning out to be previous customers, yet moreover Starbucks and particularly little individuals even not endorsed inside the company’s feel uncomfortable or shops. On account of Starbucks fast turn of events, the maker so dropped its interesting accommodation for clients and keeps on being commoditized. Significant Issue Faced by Firm Based on above conversation it is discovered that significant issue for Starbucks is constrained development openings which might be aftereffect of feeble client connections. 3. Investigation of Financial Ratios Liquidity proportions: Tells us about the capacity of a firm to pay its transient obligation commitments. The most normally utilized liquidity proportions are present proportion, brisk proportion and income proportion. Current proportion (Cr) = Current Assets/Current Liabilities Current proportion shows that the amount of current resources a firm has so as to have the option to pay its transient obligation. For the year 2009 Cr =403.60/309.30 = 1.30 For the year 2010 Cr =476.10/318.50 = 1.49 End: The present proportion is 1.30 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had current resources of $ 1.30 so as to pay obligation of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 1.49 to pay the risk of $1. The improvement in current proportion is showing that the situation of firm as present advantages for account its obligation has been improved. Speedy proportion ( Qr)= (Current resources Inventory-Prepaid)/current Liabilities Speedy proportion shows that the amount of convertible resources a firm has so as to have the option to pay its momentary obligation. For the year 2009 Qr =403.60-119.20-44.30/309.30 = 240.3/309.30 = 0.77 For the year 2010 Qr = 476.10 115 †47.30/318.50 = 313.8/318.50 = 0.98 End: The present proportion was 0.77 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had convertible resources of $ 0.77 so as to pay risk of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 0.98 to pay the risk of $1. The improvement in brisk proportion is demonstrating that the situation of firm as convertible advantages for money its obligation has been improved. Money proportion (Chr) = Cash/Current Liabilities Money proportion shows that the amount of money a firm has so as to have the option to pay its transient obligation. For the year 2009 Chr = 54.50/309.30 = 0.17 For the year 2010 Chr = 76.70/318.50 = 0.24 End: The money proportion was 0.17 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had money of $ 0.24 so as to pay obligation of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 0.24 to pay the risk of $1. The improvement in real money proportion is showing that the firm has more money to take care of its obligation has been improved in 2010 when contrasted with 2009 which is a decent sign for Starbucks. Influence Ratios: These proportions inform us regarding money related structure of organization. The wellsprings of fiancã © of a business are appeared by influence proportions. It shows the parts of obligation financing, value financing and self financing of a firm. Obligation to value proportion = Total Debt/Total value. It shows the parts of obligation and value in firm’s capital structure. For the year 2009 (DEr) = 1827.80/ - 1033.60 = - 1.76 For the year 2010 (DEr) = 1783.10/ - 696.40 = - 2.56 End: negative estimation of value is demonstrating that the estimation of an advantage used to make sure about an advance is not exactly the remarkable parity on the credit. The estimation of advantages is far beneath the remarkable equalization on the advance used to buy those benefits which is indication of conceivable budgetary trouble of the firm. Obligation to value proportion is more prominent than 1 demonstrating that the part of obligation is a lot higher than that of value in firm’s capital structure. The obligation segment has been diminished in 2010 when contrasted with 2009. Obligation to resource proportion (DAr)= Total resource/Total resources. It shows the amount of firm’s resources are financed through obligation for example parts of obligation and value in firm’s capital structure. For the year 2009 ( DAr) = 1827.80/794.20 = 2.30 For the year 2010 (DAr) = 1783.10/1086.70 = 1.64 End: The proportion of 2.30 in 2009 is demonstrating that segment of obligation in complete resources is right around over multiple times that of value. Anyway this proportion is diminished in 2010 which is indicating that value level of obligation has been diminished in firm’s capital structure when contrasted with 2009 which is a decent sign for this firm as there is a danger of monetary misery and liquidation related with elevated levels of obligation trouble. 4. Analysis of Firm Performance Gainfulness Ratios: Profitability proportions mirror the presentation of an organization it shows that whether firm execution is improving or falling apart. Profit for Assets = (Net benefit/all out resources) * 100. This proportion shows that how much benefit is being produced by firm’s resources or what is the commitment of firm’s absolute resources in its productivity. For the year 2009 ROA = (48.80/794.20) * 100 =6.14 % For the year 2010 ROA = (327.30/1086.70) * 100 = 30.1 % End: ROA of 6.14% in the year 2009 is demonstrating that each $ 100 contributed creates $ 6.14 as benefit. ROA has been improved in the year 2010 as now each $ 100 contributed will create 30.1 as benefit. So the productivity is improved in the year 2010 which is a decent sign. Net Profit Margin = Net Profit/Sales It mirrors the measure of every deal dollar left over after the sum total of what costs have been made. This proportion enables an organization to decide how much real benefit is produced using every deal earned. The higher the net revenue, the better the organization is doing at transforming deals into benefit. For the year 2009 NPM = (48.80/1295.90) * 100 = 3.7 % For the year 2010 NPM = (327.30/1321.40) * 100 = 24.76 % End: net revenue has been extraordinarily expanded in the year 2010 when contrasted with that of 2009 which is a solid positive sign. The improvement might be a direct result of solid deals or diminished expenses and overhead. Based on above determined proportions it very well may be reasoned that general money related situation of the firm has been improved in 2010 when contrasted with 2009. Anyway there is high danger of money related pain because of overwhelming obligation trouble. 5. Answers for Issues looked by Starbucks Changing related with an outside environment of the association prompted cause different issues identified with the business and added to the end of the shops of the association inside the USA. These issues are for the most part identified with the busin

Prison Models Essay Sample free essay sample

There are three hypothetical records of jails that have been exceptional in American since the mid 1940’s: custodial. rehabilitative. also, reintegration. Each hypothetical record is structured in any case dependent on its overruling end. what's more, this influences the physical plan. approaches. what's more, designs that are executed inside every one of the hypothetical records. Custodial ModelArchaic Reason: Control. point of convergence is on maintaining security and control. Objective: Punishment. this is the best way to gracefully disincentive against future offense. Center: Prisoners must be rebuffed for their blunders and jail life must be made so disagreeable with the goal that transgressors will falter to execute any new offenses upon discharge. Hypothesis: Classical. conviction that people work under through and through freedom and a transgressor makes a pick to indict in condemnable conduct accepting advantages exceed the expenses. Structure: Radial. this takes into consideration prisoners to hold less contact with one another and takes into account watchmen to administer more hostages at one clasp. We will compose a custom paper test on Jail Models Essay Sample or on the other hand any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The board Style: Military way assault is utilized to order hostages. Concentrate is on subject and request with a reasonable and relentless progressive system of who is in control. The assurance methodology is left to the removal and the detainees are relied upon to be dutiful and follow all the guidelines without oppugning. Managerial Style: Control hypothetical record. approval is the guardianships of the jail removal. Jail chiefs are resolute and gracefully exacting power over inmates’ lives. Correspondence is formal and proficient and is confined to authentic channels and should follow a proper link of offer. Favorable circumstances: Good control. gives open sentiment of security and requital. tight protection from flights. Inconveniences: Inhumane intercession of prisoners. makes high tensenesss and savage climate. improves likeliness of open violences. Rehabilitative ModelModern Reason: Rehabilitate Objective: Treatment Center: Determining what made the hostage execute the offense with the goal that they can be dealt with and restored. On the off chance that a transgressor gets the best possible clinical and mental consideration they will be â€Å"cured† of their criminalism. Hypothesis: Positivism. conviction that offense is caused or dictated by mental elements or organic needs and these can be analyzed and treated by logical offices ; believed that a miscreants activities are out of their control. Plan: Courtyard. this permits hostages to hold each piece much â€Å"fresh air† as conceivable which is known to hold numerous clinical and mental advantages. The executives Manner: Hospital. jail staff has increasingly proficient readiness. what's more, hostages are treated as patients. Utilize kind approval to helpfully modify prisoners from savage reserved criminals to productive members of society. There is an unmistakable and organized link of offer. in any case, detainees are urges to be associated with their consideration. Prisoners are non engaged with any assurance formulating systems. also, have no signifiers of self-administering. Authoritative Manner: Consensual hypothetical record. less prohibitive restorative condition. Correspondence is both formal and casual. Circumstances covering with prisoners requests are formal while twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours associations with detainees are less formal. Open conveying is empowered. The detainees are permitted to oppugn their intercession choices however the jail staff and removal has the approval to do the entirety of the judgments. Points of interest: Lower recidivism rates. progressively others conscious. prisoners can gain help may non hold in any case had the option to obtain. Burdens: More costly. simpler for flights. intercession can be uneffective. Reintegration ModelProgressive Reason: Reintegrate Objective: Education Center: Prisoners ought to be allowed each chance to larn obligation and great citizenship by offering a variety of guidance plans and assisting with reemergence into society, for example, happening housing and occupations. Hypothesis: Social complication. an inadequacy of guidance and assets causes network cultural controls have separated doing a condemnable human progress to develop. By providing a guidance and distributing the best possible assets to detainees to reemerge these networks. you are doing combating the powers that keep networks disrupted. Miscreants will larn new ways and have better assets and will non hope to return into the condemnable human progress they originated from. Plan: Campus. this takes into account a more school like climate so detainees can focus on guidance. larning new achievements. what's more, how to oblige once again into society. The executives Manner: Academic. jail staff and removal are at that spot to learn and direct detainees on the achievements and assets expected to reintegrate into society. It is dependent upon the prisoner to exploit administrations and plans advertised. Detainees are permitted to take a functioning capacity in the assurance concocting method. what's more, are urged to request strategies and processs. Prisoners transparently and uninhibitedly show their suppositions. Managerial Manner: Responsibility Model. jail removal keeps up request by puting limitations however prisoners are permitted to self-oversee inside the confined condition. Correspondence is casual and detainees are permitted start discussions which energizes an increasingly cultural scene Favorable circumstances: Inexpensive. Encourages detainee confidence. Teachs obligation. Detriments: System can be manhandled simple. little control. failure to mensurate effectivity. Notices Clark. D. N. ( 2004. 08 09 ) . Reintegration or recidivism of discharged people. Recovered from hypertext move convention:/fcwpp. Companion. organization/reintegration A ; recidivism paper. pdf Gaines. L. K. . A ; Miller. R. L. ( 2013 ) . Condemnable justness in real life. ( seventh ed. ) . Belmont. Calcium: Wadsworth Cengage Learning Salinas. G. L. ( 2009 ) . A fundamental examination: Prison hypothetical records and jail heading hypothetical records and the Texas jail framework. ( Unpublished master’s theory. Texas State University ) Retrieved from hypertext move convention:/advanced. library. txstate. edu/bitstream/handle/10877/3639/fulltext. pdf

Importance of Understanding Culture in International MA

Importance of Understanding Culture in International MA We can name several huge mergers that ultimately failed, and we can also point out several reasons for these failures. It could be that there is a lack of forward-thinking among the parties involved, or it could also be that not enough research was conducted to fully justify the merger or acquisition. In some cases, the two companies have completely opposing visions, and they do not really meet halfway, enough to merit business integration, or to make one work. Poor governance and weak leadership are also instrumental in single-handedly destroying a deal, and poor communication among the parties will only drive the nail even further. These are all true, even when we speak of MA on a larger scale, specifically international MA. © Shutterstock.com | Vector GoddessIn this article, we will explore 1) international MA and 2) the role of culture in international MA, take a look at an example of 3) Daimler with Crysler and Mitsubishi, and finalize with 4) contributing factors to cultural integration.INTERNATIONAL MAThe increasing activity in international markets is continuously stirring the global business landscape, tempting more and more businesses to get a piece of the action. Thus, they look into various international market entry strategies and entering into cross-border transactions, with their eyes set on creating, or being part of, a global network of businesses. It’s simple, really. Entry into new markets means greater opportunities, faster growth, and higher profit.The Wall Street Journal is touting 2015 to be the “biggest MA year ever”, with 112 deals announced in the beginning of December 2015, involving small to large companies from all over the world. Data providers said that the global MA v olume is now estimated at $4.304 trillion.Some of the international MA deals announced include the acquisition of London’s SABMiller plc by Anheuser-Busch InBev for $108 billion. The Belgium-based company is currently the world’s largest brewer, and SABMiller happens to be the second-largest brewer, in terms of revenue. Another international MA that is getting a lot of press is the acquisition of Pfizer Inc. of Dublin-based Allergan PLC for around $160 billion.Granted, these MA deals have only been announced, and whether they will succeed or not will be seen in the coming months. There is still that probability that the MA will not close, and it could be due to several reasons, most of which have been mentioned earlier.Some of the main reasons for failure of international MAs include:Lack of involvement of the owners, who are operating under the assumption that, once they hire professional advisors to oversee the deal, their work is done. That is not the case, because the adviso rs are only supposed to provide advice and assistance; it is the owners who must be directly involved every step of the way.Unrealistic expectations. On paper, the numbers may look good, and anyone looking at it may think that there is no way the deal will not succeed. However, due to lack of research and realistic analysis, the theoretical valuation may not coincide with the practical proposition of the benefits that are expected to arise from the merger.Poor execution of the integration process. Many think that the deal is done once the integration has been performed; they fail to consider the post-merger integration stage, where there are still critical areas that need to be addressed. After the merger, there may be inefficiencies that fail to be dealt with immediately, so the integration is not as clear as they would have wanted.Cost inefficiencies. It is possible for the companies undergoing integration to hemorrhage cash during the integration. They may end up investing more t han they can actually earn back in the long run, which is a sure way to make the deal fail. These may also arise from errors incurred during the negotiation process.But there is one factor that is seen by most as the most pervasive reason for failure, particularly in international MA: culture.THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN INTERNATIONAL MACulture, by itself, cannot be seen as a reason for international MA deals failing to close, or giving the results expected by the parties after the integration. What makes culture a stumbling block in many MA deals are the differences that arise during the integration.The term “culture” is not strictly confined to the set of characteristics or norms that differentiate one country or nationality to another (although national culture can also get in the way of MA, as will be discussed later). When we say culture in the context of international MA, it specifically means the cultural gap in the corporate or organizational cultures of the merging companies. Organizational culture refers to that set of values, norms and assumptions that govern how the people within an organization act, interact, and work on a daily basis.MA denotes a partnership, or a relationship that both will benefit from. In order for a solid relationship to establish, it is important to know who your partner is. Looking at their culture is one way to go about it.In order to understand the importance of culture awareness when it comes to international MA, let us look into its role, or how it shapes mergers and acquisitions.Culture â€" whether national or organizational culture â€" will give you a clearer understanding on a company’s way of doing business. Much of the daily and regular operations of a business are driven by culture, and you will be able to feel a bit more of the “pulse” of a business by first acquainting yourself with their culture.Understanding culture will provide explanations on what the target company does differently from the acquiring co mpany. But it is not enough that you know what the differences are; the most important part is understanding why these differences exist. By understanding their culture, you will be in a better position to figure out whether the two companies will be compatible, and also get an indication on the level of success of the MA.Since culture essentially refers to the way of doing things, it also means that it affects how a business is managed. Many cross-border MAs have failed, pointing to mismanagement as the main reason. However, when they dig deeper, it is often seen that the new manager had a management style that was deemed unfamiliar by the workforce. A classic example was the failure of the US’ Walmart when it attempted to enter Germany by acquiring two German companies â€" Wertkauf and Interspar â€" in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The Germans questioned the leadership of the American managers, because they simply did not understand that it is how the Americans do it.The culture of the target company is also indicative of the culture of the market being entered. If there is anyone who knows the market best, it is the company that actually operates in it. Therefore, one way to gain an understanding of the market is by looking at the culture of the company being acquired or merged with.DAIMLER WITH CHRYSLER AND MITSUBISHIAutomobile giant Daimler is a good example of international MA gone wrong, when it was involved in a couple of major cross-border or international deals: first with Chrysler, and then with Mitsubishi.DaimlerChysler AGLet us first take a look at one of the pivotal and most publicized international MA deals that went south due to cultural differences.The merger between Daimler and Chrysler in 1998 made waves in the global business landscape. Here, you have two of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world â€" Germany’s Daimler and United States’ Chrysler â€" merging as “equals”. It was even called by many as a “marriage made in heaven”. The result was DaimlerChrysler AG.In 2007, barely 10 years after the historic merge, the two companies decided to split, with Daimler selling Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management for over $6 billion.Cultural differences were identified as the main culprit of the failure of the $38 billion merger between these two giants. Apparently, there was a wide cultural gap in the two companies’ corporate cultures. Daimler’s was described as “conservative, efficient, and safe”. The Detroit-based company Chrysler, on the other hand, was “daring, diverse, and creating”.One difference that was cited was the attitude of the employees to hierarchy. Over at Daimler, they are used to having a clear and unambiguous chain of command. The ranking persons of authority are at the top, and they deserve all the respect from the subordinates below them. Chrysler, however, utilizes a more egalitarian approach, encouraging a team-oriented atmosphere among its people.This is bound to b e problematic for Chrysler, which is not used to having to kowtow to anyone in authority. There was also the fact that some were not entirely convinced that it was a merger of equals between the two companies. Some critics said that, rather than an equal merger, it was Daimler acquiring Chrysler, so there was an expectation that Chrysler should adhere to the culture of the former. This naturally led to mistrust between the groups of employees of the two companies. It certainly did not help any when the Daimler executives were seen as “high-handed” in imposing their culture on the people of Chrysler.There was also the difference between how the two companies viewed what is important to their clients. According to Daimler, customers value reliability in their automobiles, and they expect nothing less than the best quality. Chrysler, the daring and creative one, insisted that customers prefer more flash and style, so it put more emphasis on the designs and competitive pricing. As a result, they were not coordinate or cohesive on how the manufacturing process should go, resulting in division.Daimler and MitsubishiThis is a classic case of national culture causing differences between two companies in an MA. After the merge, DaimlerChrysler wanted to enter the Asian market, and what better way to do that than by striking an alliance with one of the major players in the Asian automotive market?DaimlerChrysler started an alliance with Mitsubishi Motors and, right off the bat, the major differences between German culture and Japanese culture were causing conflicts. Daimler either did not care, or they were not aware, of the Japanese “way of doing business”.The Japan business culture was deeply grounded on trust, empathy and paying attention to how others are feeling. German business culture is more on the pragmatic side, putting more stock on facts and figures, and paying little to no heed to personal relationships.The Japanese workforce of Mitsubishi Alliance also did not take kindly to the people of Daimler barging in and giving orders as if they are in their home turf. The Japanese tend to be territorial, and this applies to business as well. Having complete strangers telling them what to do â€" in their own territory â€" clearly did not sit well with them.There was also a marked difference in the orientation of the two cultures in terms of their goals. The Japanese are more long-term oriented, meaning they are patient, so they were not easily swayed by the initial difficulties that besieged Mitsubishi Motors at the time. Daimler, however, was looking at the short-term. They saw the financial difficulties as indications that the company is not in good shape financially. Since they were not seeing immediate profits coming in, they saw no point in investing further. This resulted to the two companies being more distant than ever, leading to the dissolution of their alliance.In both cases, Daimler’s aggressive “it’s our way or the h ighway” attitude in leading posed problems, since they were imposed on cultures that were not used to it.CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO CULTURAL INTEGRATIONLike it or not, culture has a great impact on business. It also goes without saying that, in MA, cultural integration takes a lot of work. It’s actually quite a sensitive area that people engaged in MA must tread with caution. Here are some factors that would make cultural integration smoother, paving the way for international MA deals.Awareness of partner’s corporate and national culture. Knowing who your potential business partner is means looking into how they do business, and how their unique national or regular culture influence the way they do things.Leadership and leadership support. Understand how they lead, if there is a chain of command and how it works. This entails getting a feel of their business hierarchy, or how authority is established and followed through. It is also highly advised that the integration take steps to empower local management. Employees of an acquired company may be aware of, and accepting of the fact, that they have been acquired by another company, and that there are bound to be changes. However, it takes time for them to get used to new leadership and new leadership styles. By empowering local management, they will have a smoother transition, and help facilitate the integration.Skills and training. People governed by a certain organizational culture are likely to have a different way of acquiring skills and expertise. By knowing what these are, the potential partners will be in better positions to reconfigure the organizational framework that will best benefit the new partnership.Sufficiency and consistency of communication. Communication is one of the most important ingredients of a successful business. By bridging cultural differences, you are also encouraging the smooth flow of communication and, in the process, facilitating the buildup of trust between and among the emp loyees of the two companies.When undergoing global or international MA, there are possible two ways to prevent cultural differences from destroying a potentially successful merger or acquisition.Agree to set aside cultural differences. This is the aggressive tack, since it literally forces the parties to ignore the cultural issues that may arise.Allow the local business to run its unit, while keeping profit targets and strategy clear.Often, the acquiring company would want to maintain its own culture, or have its own culture prevail over that of the acquired company. This was what took place with DaimlerChrysler AG. Daimler wanted to enforce its organizational culture on Chrysler.Where did it go wrong? There are several possibilities, which include the attitude adopted by Daimler when trying to enforce its culture, and how it went about infusing Chrysler’s culture into its own.In the process of evaluating a potential MA, it is highly recommended that the companies thoroughly asses s the culture of their target company or acquisition. More specifically, they should evaluate whether the culture of the target acquisition is compatible with theirs. Not only will this smoothen the integration, but increase the chances of the merger or acquisition becoming successful and profitable in the long run.Whatever decision was made by the merging companies, it is important to choose only one culture, and commit to it. The parties should sit down and have a good talk about it, reveal the gaps that they are faced with and reconcile if there is a need to do so, and put the chosen culture into practice. Managing the culture actively is the next phase, and this is left in the hands of the managers and executives of the companies.Culture clashes are already a given in any international or cross-border MA. They could make or break the entire MA process. Thus, it is important to pay as much attention to culture as you do to other aspects of MA.

The Purposes of Symmetry and Asymmetry in the Song of Roland - Literature Essay Samples

Lines from the first laisse of the epic, The Song of Roland express the focus of the poem: the demise of paganism and the victory of the superior, Christianity through the will of God. â€Å"Saragossa . . .held by King Marsiliun who does not love God. Marsiliun serves Mohamed and prays to Appolin. But he cannot prevent harm from overtaking him† (3). Here, in the very first lines of the epic, the poet has already clarified the outcome of one who does not love God – harm will overtake him. In The Song of Roland, the poet uses the symmetries and asymmetries of those who are good and those who are evil to illustrate the God’s justice and the superiority of Christianity.In order to show the power of God and superiority of Christianity, the poet first presents the pagans and Christians as parallel. The only difference between the two groups is that the Christians are depicted as good and the pagans as evil. The parallels between the Christians and pagans are first illu strated prior to the first battle. The Saracen society is portrayed as mirroring the types of knightly virtues the Christians have. For example, Blancandrin is described as, â€Å"well endowed with the kind of courage that befits a knight, and he had shrewdness and judgment to bring to the aid of his lord† (4). This symmetry is also illustrated in more subtle ways throughout the poem; Marsiliun’s throne, like Charles’ is placed beneath a pine. There is also symmetry in the result of the first battle. Though, because of Ganelon’s treachery, the Christians lose this battle; the losses Charles and Marsiliun suffer are mirrored. Roland cuts of Marsiliun’s right hand, and Charles loses his metaphorical right hand – Roland. Because the poet sets up the Christian and Saracens so symmetrically, any instances of non-symmetry draw the reader’s attention, evincing some significance.Charles and Marsiliun’s nephews illustrate a significant example of symmetry changing to asymmetry. Both nephews prove to be equally bold and proud. In response to Charles offering him more troops Roland says: â€Å"I will do no such thing. God confound me if I shame my ancestors! I will keep with me twenty thousand Franks . . . and you may go on your way through the pass in utter confidence, and fear no man as long as I am alive† (26). Marsilun’s nephew, Aleroth, echoes Roland’s brashness and pride: â€Å"King I have served you long and have known suffering and hardship, and battles fought and won on the field. Grant me on favor: the first blow at Roland. I will kill him . . .Charles will lose heart . . .you will have no more war as long as you live† (29). Aleroth and Roland both use equally prideful language to assure their Kings that they will be victorious. Their pride is also the cause of both of their deaths: Aleroth because he charges forward to make an attempt on Roland’s life and Roland because he is too proud to blow his horn for help. However, the poet treats their deaths noticeably differently. The mirroring that the poet has used up to this point causes any difference between narration about the Christians and pagans to stand out clearly. The poet spends little time on Aleroth’s death, giving it just a mention, but during his description of Roland’s death the narration slows down dramatically. The moment when Roland dies is held out over three laisses, which all describe the same scene. The first ends with, â€Å"he offers his glove, as a token of his sins, to God,† the second with, â€Å"he has held out his right glove to God. Angels descend out of heaven and come to him,† and the third with, â€Å"he offers his right glove to God, and Saint Gabriel takes it from him† (72). Roland’s offering of his right glove to God indicates that Roland is a vassal of God, and God’s acceptance of it through Saint Gabriel acknowledges God as Roland’s ultimate lord. The fact that the moment of Roland’s death is suspended in much narration draws the reader’s attention, just as the poet’s deviation from the typical symmetrical structure evinces its significance. What is significant here is that Roland is saved, as God’s acceptance of his glove illustrates. This evinces the goodness of Roland as a member of the Christian army, and thus, the favor God gives to the Christians.To continue with the theme of symmetry, the poet balances out Roland’s death with Charles’ vengeance. The poet also creates symmetry with the Christian army led by Charles and the pagan army led by the Emir, Baligant. The poet presents the Emir as a pagan counterpart to Charles. For example, like Charles, Baligant is impossibly old: â€Å"[he] has survived both Virgil and Homer† (79). The mirroring between the two also results from Baligant’s effort to imitate Charles. For example Bali gant names his sword â€Å"Precieuse† because it rhymes with the name of Charles’ sword: â€Å"Joyuse.† Because an imitation is usually considered inferior to the original, the poet can maintain the symmetry between Charles and the Emir, while leaving no doubt in the reader’s mind that Charles, and thus Christianity, is superior. The mirroring between Charles and Baligant continues when they battle each other, and this time, unlike in the case of the swords, their actions seem to be simultaneous. The language the poet uses to describe the fight illustrates this: â€Å"[they] exchange heavy blows . . .nothing can separate them and the fight cannot end without the death of one or the other† (106). The language the poet uses to describe their battle evokes the idea that the two are evenly matched in skill and strength. The poet does this to construct the need for some divine intervention, which comes when Charles is badly hit: Charles staggers and alm ost falls, but it is not God’s will that he should be killed or beaten. Saint Gabriel comes to his side asking: â€Å"Great King, what are you doing?† When he hears the holy voice of the angel, Charles loses all fear of death, and his vigor and clearness of mind return. (107)The poet uses symmetry between the Emir and Charles to create a situation in which God must intervene to end the battle. God, of course, chooses to save Charles. It is an angelic vision, rather than Charles’ strength that turns the battle. This evinces the idea of the justice of God and supports the idea that the morally good will receive victory. There is a final time in the epic in which not symmetry, but asymmetry in those who are good and evil, is used to illustrate the power of God. Ganelon’s trial is a trial-by-combat. Unlike the case of Charles and Baligant, the poet indicates that the men that will fight, Pinabel and Thierry, are asymmetrical because they are not equally stron g. Thierry who fights for the Emperor is described as, â€Å"gaunt of limb, and wiry, and quick . . .he is neither very tall nor very short,† while Pinabel who fights for Ganelon is, â€Å"tall and strong and brave and quick, and if he strikes a man a blow, the other has come to the end of his days† (114). The poet describes Pinabel in a way that makes it seem as if he will surely win the fight against â€Å"gaunt,† â€Å"wiry† Thierry. The great difference in the strength of the two once again constructs the need for a Godly intervention; in fact, Thierry says, â€Å"may God this day show which of us is in the right† (116). This could be the general cry of the Christians throughout the poem. The poet emphasizes Pinabel’s strength over Thierry’s to make clear that it is the good man and not merely the stronger that wins, and to evince God’s justice for those who are morally good. God’s justice for the good Christians is illustrated time and time again in the Song of Roland. The poet of The Song of Roland uses symmetry and balance to structure the epic. Ganelon’s treachery is balanced with his trial and death, and Roland’s death is balanced with Charles’ vengeance. Symmetry is used in the descriptions of the Christians and pagans and Charles and Baligant, allowing God’s intervention decide the outcome of combat. The poet also uses instances of asymmetry, such as in the death of Roland versus the death of his counterpart Aleroth. These instances draw the reader’s attention since they deviate from the general structure of the epic, and in the case of Thierry and Pinabel’s combat, the asymmetry constructs a need for the intervention of God to help the good man and not the stronger man win the fight.

The Art Exhibition Of The Piano For More Than 10 Years

As a person who has been learning to play the piano for more than 10 years, I not only love music, but also am interested in other various forms of arts. Painting, which is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface, is one kind of arts I love. Therefore, instead of having dinner with friends, I went to the Emporium Center and visited â€Å"The Fall Juried Show: 41st Fall Art Exhibition† at 6 pm on last Friday. It was a rainy day. Walking along the sidewalk in downtown Knoxville with the rain made me a little melancholy, but I did not feel bad because I thought that melancholy is a good feeling for enjoying arts. When you are melancholy, your senses will be more sensitive, which makes you notice more details of various kinds of arts. When I stood in front of the Emporium Center, the building â€Å"The Fall Juried Show: 41st Fall Art Exhibition† was displayed at, I could see that the exterior wall of this building was consisted of tawny bricks. Some bricks were dark tawny, and some bricks were light tawny. A mottled exterior, brick wall made it seem like this building was steeped in history, and so it did. The Emporium Center was originally built in 1898, and was re-opened following renovations during the summer of 2004. This building, which located at 100 South Gay Street, has the 28,000 square feet of flexible use space. It houses multiple art galleries, which showcase local and reg ional artists, the administrative offices of the Arts CultureShow MoreRelatedWassily Kandinsky Essay1710 Words   |  7 PagesSolomon Higgs Dr. Watson HUMA 1153 4-22-10 Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian-born artist, whose contributions to the world of modern art are innumerable. On an artistic level, Kandinskys maturation process from representational art to abstract art is fascinating. From his earliest work, with an impressionistic flair, to his later work, which was pure abstraction, Kandinsky was an innovator and a genius. He bridged the gap between reality painting of earlier decades and theRead MoreComparitive Essay: Young Girls at the Piano the Piano Lesson2848 Words   |  12 PagesYoung Girls at the Piano PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR The Piano Lesson HENRI MATISSE STEPHANIE DAVIS CONTENTS 1. 2. 4. 6. 8. 9. Introduction Young Girls at the Piano The Piano Lesson Comparison Conclusion Bibliography AN INTRODUCTION†¦ In this research paper I will seek to comparatively analyze two distinct works of art – the 1892 painting entitled Jeunes Filles Au Piano (Young Girls At The Piano) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse’s The Piano Lesson, painted inRead MoreDifferences Between Class, Religion And Politics1500 Words   |  6 Pagesrange of people. Technology such as loud speakers, radio and film were used to show these very same ideologies. In September 1933, The Reichskulturekammer (Reich Culture Chamber) was established and led by Goebbels. The seven sub chambers of fine arts, music, theater, the press, the radio, literature, and films was established. Only artists that complied with Nazi ideology was able to become members and be active in the cultural community. bBY 1935, the Reich Culture Chamber had 100,000 membersRead MoreSurrealism : An Art Movement1248 Words   |  5 PagesSurrealism was an art movement based on dreams, unconscious thought and defying conventional logic. It grew out of the earlier avant-garde movement called Dada in the 1920s. Dada was about chaos and rejecting logic and rationality, and was also referred to as anti-art. Just like Surrealism it often featured bizarre imagery that didn t make sense. Famous surrealist artists include Salvador Dalà ­, Renà © Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Max Ernst, and Frida Kahlo (although she rejected the label)Read MoreModern City and the Urban Experience2222 Words   |  9 PagesCENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU: Modern city and the urban experience, From Haussmann to Piano and Rogers; This essay is an analysis on how modernity can coexist and even aggregate value to a traditional and consolidated setting. The main question is how the Centre Georges Pompidou, a high-tech building, relates to its surroundings, an urban context designed by Haussmann in the late 19th century, over one hundred years prior to this contemporary design. Read MoreThe Impact Of Ansel Adams On The Conservation Movement4007 Words   |  17 Pagesoutdoors and grew into one of the personalities most responsible for defining what American wilderness means. In his twenties, Ansel demonstrated incredible mastery of the young art form of photography. Through his friendships and collaboration with other artists and environmentalists and through his many prestigious art shows and published collections he gained fame. He used his fame, strong personal voice and persuasive activism for environmental conservation causes such as ... and for environmentalRead MoreThe Mighty Handful2127 Words   |  9 Pages1870. The Mighty Handful got their name from an article entitled Mr. Balakirev’s Slavic Concert, by acclaimed critic Vladimir Stasov which was a concert that was performed for visiting Slavic delegates in May 1867 at the All-Russian Ethnographical Exhibition† in Moscow, Russia. The four Russian composers whose worked were featured at the concert were Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Mily Balakirev, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. 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As Libeskind told Stanley Meisler of the Smithsonian, â€Å"Anti-Semitism is the only memory I still have of Poland. In school. On the streets. It wasn t what most people think happened after the war was over. It wasRead MoreMuseums Essays10752 Words   |  44 Pageslearning and exploration by people of diverse ages, interests, backgrounds, and abilities. They are public gathering places where visitors can be entertained, inspired, and introduced to new ideas. Museums enrich local cultural life and make communities more appealing places to live and to visit. For  society  as  a  whole, museums provide valuable intangible benefits as sources of national, regional, and local identity. They have the singular capacity to reflect both continuity and change, to preserve and

Everyday Use By Alice Walker Essay - 2069 Words

Although Alice Walker’s short story â€Å"Everyday Use† is evidently different than Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† and â€Å"Revelation,† there seems to be a striking similarity between the main characters O’Connor and Walker chose for their stories. Dee, one of the main characters from Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use,† the Grandmother from O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† and Mrs. Turpin from O’Connor’s short story â€Å"Revelation,† all share one major flaw, that is, they feel a sense of superiority to those around them. Their self-glorification and prideful beliefs about themselves and the people surrounding them becomes the central conflict as each story unfolds. Dee’s insulting comments towards her Mama and younger sister Maggie about their lack of education, the Grandmother’s sense of moral superiority and her freq uent passing of judgment onto others, along with Mrs. Turpin’s categorization of people based on their socioeconomic status and outward appearance, all illustrate the ugly reality of pride that is ever present in the human heart. Dee, from Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use,† is Mama’s older daughter who not only has a judgmental, insensitive attitude towards Mama and her younger sister Maggie, but also believes she appreciates her family heritage more than Mama does, when in fact, Dee is the one who is â€Å"uneducated† and lacks an understanding about what her heritage truly is. Obert 2 The beginning of â€Å"Everyday Use† starts off with Mama anxiouslyShow MoreRelatedEveryday Use By Alice Walker852 Words   |  4 Pagescomes or belongs to one by reason of birth. In â€Å"Everyday Use†, by Alice Walker, the theme of the story can be considered as the meaning of heritage or even the power of education. Alice Walker uses many symbols and motifs such as the following: quilts, education, knowledge, Asalamalakim, and the renaming of Dee. In the story, African heritage and knowledge takes a major role. The African heritage plays a major role in the story, â€Å"Everyday Use†. Alice Walker emphasizes the meaning of heritage by havingRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1372 Words   |  6 PagesEverday Use† research paper In â€Å"everyday Use,† Alice Walker tells a narrative of a mother’s frustrating relationship together with her two daughters. At this facet, â€Å",Everyday Use†, tells that how a mom little by little refuses the cursory values of her older, successful daughter at the aspect of the useful values of her younger, much less lucky daughter. On a deeper outlook, Alice Walker takes on the theme of heritage and its norms as it applies to African-Americans. Everday Use, is set insideRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1102 Words   |  5 Pagespoem â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† can be read similar to Alice Walker s short story Everyday Use† both are compared by the women’s ways of showing their strengths and how they identify their values, expressions and strength. Advertised in the general outlines of the plot, both literary themes talks of a quest for freedom, the characters identity and self-expression. Adrienne Rich â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† Alice Walker â€Å"Everyday Use† Comparison Paper Analyzing the two types of literatureRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1372 Words   |  6 Pagessociety as a whole, but more specifically in the African American Community. Alice Walker gives slight insight into   what being forced   to assimilate is like. She says in her short story Everyday Use: She will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. Statements such as these are a regular occurrence in her works. Walker often speaks on the ever so disheartening topic of cultural assimilation and theRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker996 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker, the author describes different ideas about one’s heritage. Culture and heritage is at the main point of the story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker as symbolized by the quilt. The bond that Mother and Maggie share is brought by their common talent to make works of art like quilts. Dee does not have similar capacity because she does not appreciate manual labor nor believes in her heritage. The idea of pride in culture, heritage, and family is the mainRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1721 Words   |  7 PagesIn her short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Alice Walker summarizes the representation of the beauty, the conflicts and struggles within African-American culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses mainly between members of the Johnson family, consisting of a mother and her two daughters. One of the daughters Maggie, who was injured in a house fire and has living a shy life clinging to her mother for security. Her older sister is Dee, who grew up with a grace and natural beauty. â€Å"Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicerRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1655 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"everyday Use,† Alice Walker tells a narrative of a mother’s frustrating relationship together with her two dau ghters. At this facet, â€Å",Everyday Use†, tells that how a mom little by little refuses the cursory values of her older, successful daughter at the aspect of the useful values of her younger, much less lucky daughter. On a deeper outlook, Alice Walker takes on the theme of heritage and its norms as it applies to African-Americans. Everday Use, is set inside the late ,60s or mid ,70sRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1735 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker and â€Å"Brownies† by ZZ Packer are two different short stories with different lessons but both talk about the topic of race. Both stories talks about the time in the 20th century when slavery just ended but racism are still active between African Americans and Caucasians. Walker described a story about a single African American mother who is waiting for her daughter to arrive from college. Packer described a story about these African American fourth graders who are inRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1111 Words   |  5 Pagestheir culture. Alice Walker highlights and distinguishes the dissimilarities and clichà © of country African American women with the actualities that make up their lives. Characterized by short, compound sentences, with long adjectives and use of literary elements, her style is eloquent co nversational and authentic. Alice Walker’s short story, Everyday Use is stylistic, ironic and narrates profound interpretation of unique views and approaches to African-American culture. Walker’s use of characterizationRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1725 Words   |  7 Pages17 April 2017 Everything is Not What it Seems Sometimes people forget that heritage has to do with truly understanding their past. Many often misrepresent it, especially the younger generations who just accept its presence. Alice Walker’s short story, â€Å"Everyday Use,† revolves around an African American family that consists of three women, who are very different from each other. The story begins with Maggie and Mama waiting in the yard for Dee, the main character, to visit from Augusta. Dee is

The Most Popular Essay Samples for College

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The Bay Of Pigs Invasion - 2240 Words

â€Å"One of our greatest assets is that all men aspire to be equal and free. This fact haunts the rulers of the Kremlin today for they cannot change the law of nature and they know it.† stated Allen Dulles, the fifth director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an encounter that occurred on April 17, 1961, between Cuban exiles, armed and trained by the American Central Intelligence Agency and the military forces of Fidel Castro. With the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion the United States found itself more involved in the Cold War and experienced a new era in the military, political, and intelligence fields as well as the exchange and exploration of communist ideology. The Spanish-American War began with Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain in 1895. As the uprising began to occur in Cuba the United States sent the United States Ship the Maine (U.S.S. Maine) to the harbor in Havana to protect United State’s citizens and property. The United States was on the verge of entering the struggle when the U.S.S. Maine was sunk under unknown circumstances in 1898. After the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine the United States entered the struggle and began to express the need for the end of Spanish colonial rule in the western hemisphere. In an attempt to please the angered United States, Spain granted Cuba some limited powers of self government. However, the United States was far from pleased and demanded that Cuba be made independent from Spain and theShow MoreRelatedThe Bay of Pigs Invasion1313 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bay of Pigs Invasion Background The Bay of Pigs invasion of April, 1961 is considered to be one of the unsuccessful covert military invasions of the 20th century. In 1959, the Cuban revolutionist Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista through an armed conflict that lasted nearly five and a half years. Castro and his comrades were Socialists and they believed a Communist social system would better suit their nee. In order to fulfill this agenda, the new Cuban governmentRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1147 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Tullo Mrs. Forsyth U.S. History II 30 March 2016 Bay of Pigs Invasion Bays in pigs invasion is a cold war planned and fought by American president John F. Kennedy in an attempt to overthrow in early 1960’s. This came after Fidel Castro overthrew the then Cuban president Fulgencio Batista. The president was corrupt and had allies in the United States allowing the Americans to control the Cuban economy (Khan 21). The incoming Castro did the opposite by disapproving the Americans and resistedRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1652 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the Bay of Pigs Invasion was to overthrow Fidel Castro as leader of Cuba and help stabilize the Cuban government. Fidel Castro started the MR-26-7, an anti-Batista group. At the time, Batista was the so called president and he claimed to be running a disciplined democracy.The people saw this as a dictatorship takeover. Castro ran the group as a clandestine cell system with ten members in each cell and they did not know the whereabouts or activities of the other cells. He was buildingRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1392 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1 - The Bay of Pigs Invasion - 1961 Figure 1The above image is a primary source image of Fidel Castro (right) an infamous Cuban dictator, and Che Guevara who played a number of key roles within the Cuban government. This photo was taken in 1961, during which the Bay of Pigs Invasion took place. The photo was taken by Alberto Korda, a Cuban photographer. This photo allows us to peer into the past and see Castro presumably leading Cuban troops. There is a large possibility of bias when consideringRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bay of Pigs is an inlet of the Gulf of Cazones located approximately 97 miles southeast of Havana (Capital of Cuba). The Bay of Pigs Invasion is one of the United States biggest invasion fails in history. The invasion was meant to overthrow communist Cuba and bring Fidel Castro’s power to an end. This was obviously a fail, because as we now know, Fidel had been in power until 2008, and now his brother Raul Castro is the president. The blame for this fail is o n the Central Intelligence AgencyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Bay Of Pigs Invasion2708 Words   |  11 Pagesanalysis the Bay of Pigs invasion that occurred 17 April 1961, to use the Butterfly effect and to introduce Intelligence Platforms not utilized before and during the invasion, to suggest a alternate outcome to the invasion if these factors were applied properly or if other events never happened. The Bay of Pigs resulted in the failure to remove Fidel Castro from Power. If the CIA used Human Intelligence properly and if the U-2 Spy Plane program was not revealed to the World, the invasion may haveRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion Of Cuba1036 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba by the United States on April 17, 1961 was in the planning stages before John F. Kennedy became America s President. The plan was made by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) during the Eisenhower years, and JFK supported the decision with modifications. Kennedy’s goal was to remove Fidel Castro from power of Cuba, cut his ties with the Soviet Union and establish a friendly government of the United States. He wanted the invasion to seem just plainly anti-CastroRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion Into Cuba2257 Words   |  10 PagesThe Bay of Pigs invasion into Cuba can be seen as one of the most important political decisions in the history of the United States. Four months after John F. Kennedy took office as the thirty fifth President of the United States, he was blamed for the failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs. The failure was due to the lack of bad advice he received and then used to put into making his decision to invade. The decisions he made showed that the United States President and his Joint Chiefs were far fromRead MoreThe Invasion Of Cuba During The Bay Of Pigs2281 Words   |  10 Pagesunsuccessful invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, that is located on the southern coast of Cuba about 95 miles southeast of Havana, was one of miscommunication, mismanagement, and horrible execution (Bay of Pigs 378). The responsibility for the failed invasion falls right on the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and a president by the name of John F. Kennedy. The intention of the invasion was to assault communist Cuba and put a halt to Fidel Castro. Ironically, 39 years after the Bay of Pigs, Fidel CastroRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis : The Bay Of Pigs Invasion1272 Words   |  6 PagesProceeding to the Cuban Missile Crisis, American relationships with Castro were previously tense by the Bay of Pigs invasion (196 1) where the United States made an unorthodox action towards Cuba by financing and sending insurgent Cubans to help aid in overthrowing and attacking Castro’s supporters and Castro himself0000000. The Bay of Pigs was unsuccessful. This eventual lead to Castro’s joining with communist Soviet Union and leaving Castro cautious of American plans for Cuba. Castro’s suspicions

Intel Case Free Essays

Intel makes the microprocessors that are found in 80 percent of the world’s personal computers. In the early days, Intel microprocessors were known simply by their engineering numbers, such as â€Å"80386† or â€Å"80486. † Intel positioned its chips as the most advanced. We will write a custom essay sample on Intel Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now The trouble was, as Intel soon learned, numbers can’t be trademarked. Competitors came out with their own â€Å"486† chips, and Intel had no way to distinguish itself from the competition. Worse, Intel’s products were hidden from consumers, buried deep inside PCs. With a hidden, ntrademarked product, Intel had a hard time convincing consumers to pay more for its high-performance products. Intel’s response was a marketing campaign that created history. The company chose a trademarkable name (Pentium) and launched a marketing campaign to build awareness of the Intel brand. The â€Å"Intel Inside† campaign was Intel’s effort to get its name outside of the PC and into the minds of consumers. Intel used an innovative cooperative scheme to extend the reach of its campaign. It would help computer makers who used Intel processors to advertise heir PCs if the makers also included the Intel logo in their ads. Intel also gave computer manufacturers a rebate on Intel processors if they agreed to place an â€Å"Intel Inside† sticker on the outside of their PCs and laptops. Simultaneously with the cooperative ads, Intel began its own ad program to familiarize consumers with the Intel name. The â€Å"Intel Inside† campaign changed Intel’s image from a microprocessor maker to a quality standard-bearer. The ads that included the Intel Inside logo were designed to create confidence in the onsumer’s mind that purchasing a personal computer with an Intel microprocessor was both a safe and technologically sound choice. Between 1990 and 1993, Intel invested over $500 million in advertising and promotional programs designed to build its brand equity. By 1993, Financial World estimated the Intel brand to be worth $17. 8 billion. Intel continues its integrated campaigns to this day. For example, when launching its Centrino mobile platform, Intel began with TV ads that aired in the United States and 11 other countries. These ads include the animated logo and ow familiar five-note brand signature melody. Print, online, and outdoor advertising followed shortly thereafter. Print ads ran in magazines and featured ads that targeted that magazine. For instance, an ad appearing in a sports magazine showed the logo in the center of a tennis racquet with the tagline â€Å"High performance laptop. No strings attached. † Simultaneously, Intel held a â€Å"One Unwired Day† event that took place in major cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. In addition to allowing free trial Wi-Fi access, each city held festival events that included live music, roduct demonstrations, and prize giveaways. The company also set up free access demonstration sites (with wireless Centrino-powered laptops) in areas frequented by road warriors, such as San Francisco’s airport. To boost interest in mobile computing, the company partnered with Zagat Survey to produce a mini-guide inserted into The New Yorker that identified more than 50 â€Å"Wi-Fi Hotspots†Ã¢â‚¬â€mainly restaurants and hotels—in the â€Å"One Unwired Day† cities. Finally, Intel ran online ads on such Web sites as CNET. om and Weather. com. Yahoo! created a Wi-Fi Center Web ite co-sponsored by Intel and featuring Centrino advertising. The â€Å"Unwired† campaign was another Intel success in marketing integration. The $300 million total media effort for the Centrino mobile platform helped generate $2 billion in revenue for Intel during the first nine months of the campaign. Among marketers, Intel won the Innovation award in the Business Superbrands Awards 2003. Going forward, Intel CEO Craig Barrett said the company will aggressively target opportunities outside of its traditional revenue stream in PCs. The company ill be moving beyond â€Å"Intel Inside† to â€Å"Intel Everywhere†Ã¢â‚¬â€Intel chips in every type of digital device possible, from cellphones to flat-panel TVs to portable video players and wireless home networks, even medical diagnostic gear. The company is targeting 10 new product areas for its chips. If the new markets take off, they’ll increase demand for PCs and services, bringing new revenues for Intel’s core products even if its own new products do not succeed in these markets. In 2005, former marketer Paul Otellini will succeed Craig Barrett as CEO and take the helm of this $34 billion company. How to cite Intel Case, Essay examples

Strategic Management and Business Policy

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Management and Business Policy. Answer: Introduction Starbucks Coffee was first opened in Seattle, Washington, on 31st March 1971. It is an American coffee company and with coffeehouse chain worldwide. At present, Starbucks is present in 72 countries and territories and has its stores in 23,768 locations worldwide (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2016). This paper aims at presenting a cross-sectional analysis on the strategical management of the company. Overview of the business According to Wu (2013) , Starbucks Coffee offers a variety of products to its customers such as instant coffee, Espresso, Caffe Latte, Frappuccino, Teavana tea products, pastries, fresh juices, ice cream and other seasonal offerings. Starbucks has installed automated machines at some places that have 280 possible drink combinations to choose. Starbucks is in partnership with Apple, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo company. Starbucks also went in partnership with Arizona state university, where the students would be provided a certificate and the cost of covering 44% of its fees while working at Starbucks (Wu 2013). Vision Though Starbucks provides with no specific visionary statements, one can still comprehend after a brief description provided on its website Starbucks Coffee Company(2016), that it aspires to be the best purveyor of finest coffee in the world, by uncompromising the principles of the company. Starbucks wants to achieve the leadership in the coffee industry. It has a target to grow globally through new Starbucks cafes. Mission As mentioned in the website, the company aims to inspire and nurture human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time". The mission statement also shows how Starbucks aims at growing the business, at one place or a neighborhood at a time. They have even mentioned how much they are passionate about their coffee, partners, shareholders, neighborhood and stores. They have even set an environmental mission list Hat aims to implement ideas that are eco-friendly. Annual turnover and net profit According to the updated statistical record of Starbucks Coffee by Zhang , Chien and Ma (2015) - Annual turnover 2015 Average for the past five years (2011-2015) Revenue And Sales 19.15 billion US$ 15.098 billion US$ Gross Income 4.56 billion US$ 3.262 billion US$ Net Profit 2.76 billion US$ 3.152 billion US$ Geographic operation According to Wrigley and Lowe (2014), there are 191,000 employees presently employed in Starbucks coffee. Starbucks initially started its store in Seattle, Washington, but now it has spread itself worldwide with stores in all the continents. United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Aruba in North America . China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Phillipines, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Lebanon, Bahrain, Vietnam, Qatar, Oman, Kazakhstan, Cambodia in Asia. New Zealand and Australia in Oceania. Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Combia and Bolivia In South America. United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia ,Spain, Switzerland,Netherland, Poland, Ireland, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Norway , Belgium , Hungary, Romania, Cyprus, Portugal , Bulgaria, Finland , Luxembourg ,Slovakia and Monaco in Europe . Nature of the industry Starbucks coffee is an American company that operates in retail coffee and snacks store industry. It is spread worldwide and is considered as one of the leading firms in its field. It prodly boasts of offering a variety of products to its customers. The company is in a mature stage with a medium level concentration. Main competitors According to Wu (2013), Starbucks belongs to the coffee and beverages industry thereby, acquiring a lot of competitors in its field. The main competitors of Starbucks are McDonalds, Costa Coffee, Coca Cola, Caribou Coffee, Coke, Petes Coffee, Nescafe. Environmental and social policies As stated by Rothaermel (2015), the policies are - Starbucks started ground for your garden approach to making the business environmentally friendlier by composting the leftover coffee grounds. The problem of dipper wells where water was being wasted, were replaced by push buttons metered faucets that saved up to 150 us gallons of water per day in every store. Starbucks uses 10% recycled paper for its beverage cups. In 2016, starbucks initiated a five year plan to donate unsold food to U.S local food banks. Recommendations Starbucks coffee should enhance its vision statement by reflecting the growth of its array products that it offers. Its mission statement should provide the approaches and strategies that the firm is planning to use. It can add more details to show how the company inspires and nurtures the human spirit. It has succeeded in being one of the finest companies in its field. It should start advertising its products in those countries where its store count is comparatively less. This would help them to grab the customers attention (Rothaermel 2015) Conclusion A cross-sectional analysis of Starbucks coffee has been done. The areas of geographical extents, current employment rate, current revenue and net profits, chief competitors and environmental policies has been analyzed. Its visions and missions are comprehended, thereby giving a clear view of how the company aims to work in future. In the end, the paper concludes with some recommendations that would help the company in its strategic management and business policy. References Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Starbucks Coffee Company. (2016). The Best Coffee From | Starbucks Coffee Company. [online] Available at: https://www.starbucks.in/coffee [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Wrigley, N. and Lowe, M., 2014.Reading retail: a geographical perspective on retailing and consumption spaces. Routledge. Wu, C.L., 2013. The Research of Brand Image, Experiential Marketing, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty-Example of Starbucks Coffee. Zhang, K., Chien, N. and Ma, A., 2015. BUSINESS 478 Section D100.

Online Branding the Case of Mcdonalds free essay sample

The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0007-070X. htm BFJ 106,3 CASE STUDY 228 Online branding: the case of McDonald’s Jennifer Rowley School for Business and Regional Development, University of Wales, Bangor, UK Keywords Internet, Corporate branding, Customer relations, Marketing communication Abstract This article explores the approaches to the delivery of brand messages through a Web site, taking one of the leading brands, McDonald’s, as a case study. The role of brands and branding in the new economy that is characterised by digitisation and globalisation is attracting considerable attention. McDonald’s recent â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† campaign, is being integrated through every element of the business, including its Web site; this campaign therefore presents a useful opportunity to analyse the contribution of the Internet channel to brand building. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Branding: the Case of Mcdonalds or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This case study analysis is conducted on two levels: how the Web site elements are enlisted to reinforce brand messages, and overarching brand strategy themes such as glocalisation, community and channel integration. Further research and development on online branding needs to explore effective strategies for integration of online branding with branding through other channels, and opportunities that the Internet offers for both e-service and brick service companies for building customer relationships and communities. Introduction A brand is not a name. A brand is not a positioning statement. It is not a marketing message. It is a promise made by a company to its customers and supported by that company (Sterne, 1999). I may have intelligent agents that can go out and assemble pages of reports on every camcorder on the market, but I don’t have time to read them. I’ll buy Sony (Sterne, 1999). British Food Journal Vol. 106 No. 3, 2004 pp. 228-237 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0007-070X DOI 10. 1108/00070700410528808 Online branding is discussed in nearly every book on e-marketing or e-business. Some argue that in a world of information overload, brands become ever more important, because they save the customer time, by reducing their search costs. Ward and Lee, 2000). This position can be further developed by arguing that brand building will be increasingly important in providing continuity and customer commitment in a fast moving marketplace. In an electronic shopping environment where physical interaction is reduced and product qualities and bene? ts must be distilled and captured in a way that can be communicated over the wires, online branding may be increasingly important. Oth ers argue that with the wealth of information on the Web at their ? gertips, coupled with intelligent agents and search engines to help them locate the information, products and services that they need, users will no longer rely on the shorthand of brand. Instead they will gather detailed information on products and services and make their own judgements on the Online branding: suitability of a product, thereby making brands super? uous. the case of There is evidence to suggest that it is dif? cult to communicate an online McDonald’s brand in the absence of preconceptions already established through other channels. Many of the early dotcoms failed because they needed to establish presence and reputation quickly and the huge marketing budgets that this 229 required undermined their ? nancial stability. A key agenda has been to balance the need to protect and not corrupt established brands as established organisations enter risky â€Å"new marketplaces† while leveraging the brand equity of existing brands. In other words the issue has been to create a sense of â€Å"the same credibility, but a different presentation†. For example, at the symbolic level, Barnes Noble achieved this by retaining the of? ine parent brand Barnes Noble, but launched using the same name, but in a different presentation, barnesandnoble. com. The earlier click v. brick debate has now been replaced by a recognition that businesses need to take a new look their channels strategies, and to understand both the service and the marketing communication that customers want delivered through each channel, and to develop a robust multi-channel strategy. One perspective is to argue that it is necessary to integrate messages, but differentiate experience. For many businesses, like McDonald’s, core service delivery will always be through face-to- face interactions in real environments, but the Internet can play a pivotal role in marketing communications, and brand and relationship building. This article provides a case study analysis of the Internet presence of McDonald’s, and a review of some of the devices that it uses to build the brand through this channel. Case study methodology A case study approach has been adopted, because understanding of online branding is relatively undeveloped. Case study research is recognised to be suited to new research areas when a fresh perspective is needed (Eisenhardt, 1989). Case studies are a valuable way of looking at the world around us, and asking how or why questions (Yin, 1994). The case study design adopted in this article is a holistic single case design. Typically single case designs are appropriate when the case has something special to reveal. Single case studies may also be used as a preliminary or pilot in multiple case studies (Rowley, 2002). It is argued that the signi? ance of McDonald’s as a global brand makes it an appropriate focus for case study analysis. Both practitioners and academics may bene? t from a spotlight on this special case. McDonald’s has been chosen as the basis for this case study because it is a large global organisation, and one of the largest global brands. In 2001, McDonald’s was ranked in the world’s ten most valuable brands (Kotler, 2003). Where leaders go, others will follow. McDonald’s is the world’s leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 local McDonald’s restaurants serving 46 BFJ 106,3 30 million customers each day in more than 100 countries. An additional reason for selecting McDonald’s as the basis for this case study, was the launch of the â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† campaign on 29 September 2003. The theme and attitude of this full-scale campaign is being integrated into every aspect of the business, from crew training and the overall restaurant experience to national sponsorships, promotions, television, Internet, merchandising and new local street marketing. This is a campaign in which the Internet is a fully integrated marketing communication channel. The new brand and creative direction will be the strategic glue for world-wide marketing and advertising campaigns. In going forward, creative teams working on McDonald’s business throughout the world will execute the creative direction, including style, musical approach and theme-line in their own markets. Central to the US brand campaign, which is seen as a new way of â€Å"connecting with our customers† and seeks to â€Å"rekindle the emotional bond our customers have with McDonald’s through a campaign that depicts how people believe, what they love about life and what they love about McDonald’s†, are: . A new â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† commercial focussing on the family and Ronald McDonald. . A ? rst ever execution of the â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† theme in a new product spot. . Musical talent (including Justin Timberlake, The Clipse, and The Neptunes). . An exclusive partnership with professional skateboarders Tony Hawk. . Unique grassroots activities such as â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† swat teams across the country at sports and high pro? le events. This new campaign seeks to reinforce the traditional brand values of McDonald’s, such as fun, family, community and social responsibility. It retains and builds on the traditional brand logo, colours and other representation. This case study commences with an analysis of the way in which the various elements of the www. McDonalds. co. uk Web site are used to reinforce brand message, image and identity. It then moves on to explore the broader branding strategy themes of glocalisation, community and channel integration. Web site elements Web pages do not allow much scope for communicating messages as well as information about an organisation, and how to start navigating a site. Not only is the overall screen size for a home page relatively limited, but also Web pages need to be designed to accommodate the different generations of technology that might be available to individual users. The answer is to enlist all of the components of the Web site in marketing communication, as discussed below, and to make the brand message integral, rather than an add-on. Analysing the www. mcdonalds. co. uk Web site all of the following elements of the Web site are marshalled to communicate the overall brand Online branding: message of a fun experience: the case of . Logo. The golden arches logo, with the â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† banner underlining McDonald’s the arches appears relatively discretely on the home page, and in the same position on every other page. It is ever present, but takes a back seat. Some of the graphics relating to speci? c products also show the logo again. 231 . Graphics. Graphics includes pictures, logos, and other images are a visual representation of brand values. McDonald’s Web site is packed with graphics. There are inviting pictures of menu items that echo the images on display in menus in the restaurants, thereby reminding the visitor of previous visits, and inviting a revisit. Animation of images gives a sense of movement and dynamism; McDonald’s makes judicious use of animation. On the home page, a menu showing three of the products in their range at a time, slowly clicks up the screen, like a moving bill board. Messages are clearly associated with other movements. When the cursor is moved over the football icon, the footballer kicks the ball, and when the cursor is moved over the community icon, a small person passes through the door. When the McChicken Premiere was ? rst launched it was presented on the Web site though a â€Å"? lm trailer†. This week, â€Å"Big Tasty† has a series of slide displays leading into the still image. Overall, however, movement is used selectively, and most of the screens are relatively still; too much movement can be irritating. . Text and copy. Text and copy sets the tone of voice, and determines whether a message is intelligent, comprehensible and relevant. Text helps to de? ne the brand’s personality, and to reinforce brand values consistently. Text is the site talking to the customer; the words determine what is said; the typeface determines the style of the communication. The McDonald’s Web site adopts a mixture of promotion and information provision. Information provision is typically signalled by the use of black text on a white background, while promotional text, such as the names of products or prices is often larger and shown in one of a number of colours. For example, the online menu â€Å"The Main Menu† provides information, but in a style designed to promote and encourage desire. A rather differently presented feature is the Ingredients list. The Ingredients list is in a new window with small black text on a white background. This lends authority to the information, and makes the text look like printed text. Type face is also carefully selected; a corporate modern typeface is used for most of the promotional text and the Web site menu option labels. Variations in type size are used to attract attention. The Kids Zone has much more funky â€Å"Word Art† type text, coupled with more movement than elsewhere on the site. Much of the text is clear, one or two word labels, but occasional invitations to engage such as â€Å"Did you BFJ 106,3 232 . . . . . know? † are used to draw the surfer in to the dialogue. Apologies if it’s a bit wonky; that’s what you get for using chicken breast ? llets† injects some light humour. As well as communicating a welcome to users, and inviting them into the site, text needs to echo the thoughts that the user brings to the site. Currency and news. Currency is important. It communicates a live and dynamic Web site, an organisation that is interest ed in ensuring that users have access to the latest information. Users need new information to encourage them to revisit. Currency is conveyed through the McDonald’s Web site through new product promotions, and changes to the promotion of speci? products. â€Å"Season’s eating’s† on the Terry’s chocolate orange McFlurry advert is a low key, and culturally neutral way of acknowledging the approach of Christmas, and New Year. Colour. Arguably the strongest reminder of the brand is in the colour of the background to the site. The MacDonald’s bright â€Å"fun loving† red acts as a frame for all other images on the Web site. In addition, the Web site makes generous use of bright, even garish primary colours. The golden arches yellow and the burger â€Å"orange† appear frequently, but so do green, purple, blue and pink. The Web site framing uses blocks of colour and menus are typically displayed in bright green, yellow or orange. Products designed for children, such as the New Fruity are treated to even more garish blocks of colour, whereas products designed for a more sophisticated audience, such as the new pasta salads, are presented in white and subtle pastels. Shapes. What do shapes say? Shapes are used in many ways on Web sites, including: shapes of pictures or graphics, shapes of buttons, and shapes of menu option displays. Even small features such as round corners on menu boxes, instead of square corners may communicate a difference of style and approach to service. The choice of typeface and its consistency with other shapes is also an important feature. The golden arches can be seen to be echoed in the shape of a red heart on one the pages dealing with the community involvement. Food products are typically shown in rectangular boxes, but some of the box may be colour blocked, and the edge of the colour blocking is typically curved. Layout and combination of images. The overall layout of a Web page can be used as a metaphor. The metaphor of a game, with dials and buttons to press is used in the Kids Zone. Elsewhere the metaphor of â€Å"menu† is used quite widely. Wallpapers and screen savers. These are featured in the â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† campaign. These can be downloaded, and can provide customers with an ever-present reminder of Big M. Glocalisation Online branding: Web sites are globally accessible; the Internet has made world-wide branding the case of possible, and indeed, whatever targeting marketers may intend for an online McDonald’s brand, the Web site will be seen by other audiences. Language, symbols and colours often do not translate across different countries and culture. Branding may be world wide, but preferences are local. Global brands have sought to 233 identify with values that are common to many communities such as safety, style and status and service, but these need to be represented in different ways in different national contexts McDonald’s maintains a Web site for each of the countries in which it operates. These are listed on the corporate Web site, www. McDonalds. com The corporate Web site is less focussed on speci? products than country Web sites, and tends instead to emphasise corporate statements and policies such as people promise, franchising, investors, social responsibility, careers, and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Most of these themes are re-echoed through country Web sites, but the detail and design differs. Comparisons were conducted between www. mcdonalds. com. au, www. mcdonalds. co. uk and www. mcdonalds. com. hk Comparing the Australian Web site with the one for the UK, the key menu options on the site have much in common: . The Australian Web site has as main menu items: Our food, What’s new, Inside McDonald’s, Community, Restaurant locator, and Contact us. . The UK Web site had as main menu items: Kids Zone, Football, Our Food, Mc Choice, New Tasks, Community, Offers and Mac. On the Australian site football is replaced with images of body boarders on their way to the beach. In response to national concerns that 50 per cent of Australians do not eat breakfast prominence is given to the launch of an extended breakfast menu. Burger promotion refers to Australian beef, whereas, presumably UK customers are disinterested in the origins of their beef? Also the Australian Web site offers more data on food sensitivities than are available through the UK Web site. A visit to McDonald’s Hong Kong Web site www. mcdonalds. com. hk reveals the very blatant differences, of language, ethnicity of people in pictures, and prices in HK$. Also, other parts of the Web site, such as the Career people philosophy, has a â€Å"Far Eastern† tinge. Not surprisingly the use of the yellow, orange and red as dominant colours and the golden arch logo underlined by â€Å"I’m lovin’ it† at around the same size appears on all sites, and acts as the branding glue. Community There are two reasons why the concept of community is an interesting aspect of McDonald’s online presence: BFJ 106,3 (1) The way in which the Web site is used to promote and communicate McDonald’s values around community involvement and environmental and social responsibility. (2) The creation of online communities associated with the brand: One of McDonald’s most important principles has always been to support the communities in which it operates. McDonald’s restaurants are, by their nature sociable places, intrinsically linked to local community life (www. cdonalds. co. uk). 234 Identi? cation with community is at the core of McDonald’s value set. McDonald’s embraces the concept of corporate citizenship and social responsibility, and seeks to engage with local communities and to be environmentally responsible in relation to the processes associated with its products. This is communicated through the Web site through providing info rmation about McDonald’s community activities, and also through the opportunities that the Web site offers to engage with communities associated with loyalty schemes. The Web sites contain information about the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities (RMCC) which provides accommodation, fundraising, and special needs grants in support of children’s causes. The Football section on the UK Web site gives details of how McDonald’s is boosting grassroots football over the next four years by funding through partnerships with all four of the UK’s leading football bodies. The McDonald’s Advantage Club, details of which can be located on the Web site, offers a newsletter, special events, and prize draws. The UK Web site also carries an announcement of the recovery card that gives special offers to students. Environmental messages are communicated through information on the provenance of ingredients. For example, the Web site assures customers that â€Å"the welfare of our chickens is always a priority†. Attention is drawn to McDonald’s achievement of the Good Egg Award from the British Free Range Egg Producer’s Association; this award acknowledges McDonald’s commitment to animal welfare. All of the eggs used in McDonald’s breakfasts are free range. Virtual or online communities are viewed as one of the essential components of successful Web presence (Hagel, 1999). Community makes it possible for businesses to collect and leverage knowledge about their customer base (Rowley, 2001, Kannan et al. , 2001). Kozinets (1998) identi? es a speci? c type of online community, which is relevant to the present case: virtual communities of consumption. McDonald’s have focussed their online community building on communities for children. Two different initiatives are worthy of note: (1) On the Australian Web site there is a Happy Meal Web site. The Happy Meal Web site seeks to offer a â€Å"safe haven† where parents feel con? dent in the security of the content. Offensive language can be blocked by keyword ? ters. Content was developed around the concept of â€Å"edutainment†. The site offers children word, number, name, colour and sound games, and requires that children gain parental permission before they interact. The database of users is growing at an average of 7 Online branding: per cent per month with new games added every month ( www. tribalddb. the case of com. au/casestudies/McHappyMeal. asp). McDonald’s (2) At www. MacDonalds. co. uk there is a Kids Zone. This includes details of the latest happy meal, e-cards, online games, and a paint box. The Web site makes use of bright colours, and large easy to read writing. 35 Channel integration The earlier click v. brick debate has now been replaced by a recognition that businesses need to take a new look their channel strategies, and to understand both the service and the marketing communication that customers want delivered through each channel, and to develop a robust multi-channel strategy. (Kotler, 2003). McDonald’s in Australia have been involved in a number of campaigns that make innovative use of parallel channels, and that seek to drive audiences from one channel to another, and thereby enhance the intensity of interaction with the brand. These campaigns include the following: . www. rockybeach. om was created as an online extension to the new Big Mac television promotion. Television viewers were driven to the Web site. To develop a strong online community and encourage repeat visits, the site provided a real time community channel to the Big Mac television commercial characters, Josh, Dave, Jesse, Buzz, and Sandy. The content of the site was constructed to appear alive and provide real-time community features. It also incorporated a weekly newsletter, and an interactive online game based on the site characters where registered users could play for a range of prizes such as: mobile phones, CDs, movie passes, clothes and body boards. The â€Å"Cool Train† campaign launched in Australia in 2003 was designed to communicate the New Tastes Menu range in a way that was visually engaging and encouraged viewers to actively interact with the brand. A television commercial featured a covert phone number on a fast moving train. Viewers could then SMS or phone to get further information; they were then directed to unlock a secret Web site from which participants could apply for the opportunity to feature in a future McDonald’s television commercial. Final candidates were selected and featured in the April â€Å"Ragin Cajun† Burger TV campaign. The TV campaign was further supported by Nova FM, who actively promoted â€Å"Cool Train† on air. This combination of channels, including television, radio, SMS and the Web created a new type of brand interaction opportunity. . The Whereisbob? Campaign also made effective use of integrated channels, to build brand engagement, and online community. The campaign was designed to drive awareness and sales of the new BFJ 106,3 236 . McDonald’s Summer Event, which included the Beach Burger and Hotcakes with new Blueberry Sauce. Television advertisements, featuring the URL, introduced the Bob character getting lost on a beach with a Beach Burger. By going online and ? nding Bob on a virtual beach, viewers/players were entitled to a free desert voucher for each beach burger meal purchased. Tactically the game had to be easy enough to allow users to ? nd Bob without losing interest, but sticky enough to reinforce the brand message. The target market, 16-24 year olds are the heaviest users of the Internet. All of the opt-in participants for the earlier Rocky Beach campaign (21,000 people) were e-mailed invitations to take part. More than 20,000 new players spent an average of seven minutes at the site (www. tribalddb. com. au/news/whereisbob_roi. asp). The ? rst of a planned series of McDonald’s Internet cafes opened in ? Melbourne recently with 11 terminals at which cafe customers can surf the net, e-mail, and deal with business documents. Aimed at the student/travellers marker, customers can purchase cards for $2/4/6 allowing them 20/40/60 minutes of Internet access. The consumer interface, including login, screensaver , help and desktop is available in English, German, Japanese and Mandarin. Conclusion Online branding is at an interesting point of development. Many organisations recognise the need for integrated marketing communications across of? ne and online channels. This makes it dif? cult to differentiate, both practically and theoretically, between online and of? ine branding. On the other hand, branding in online environments poses a suf? cient range of challenges and opportunities that it is important to shine the spotlight on branding in digital environments, and to explore some of the potential impacts of online channels for branding strategy. This case study analyses aspects of the online branding approach for a signi? cant global brand. For McDonald’s, the online channel is strictly a marketing communications channel with delivery through restaurants. The online channel is therefore enlisted to reinforce brand messages, and relationships. Key aspects of the strategic value set, such as engagement with local community are promoted through Web sites. Integration of online branding has been further promoted by speci? c campaigns that drive customers between channels. Businesses need to develop integrated brand strategies. Brand presence and experience in the virtual world must mirror presence and experience in the real world, but also add value, or another dimension to the overall brand experience. Further research into the arena of online branding will be of potential interest to both academics and practitioners. The question at the centre of future research has to be: â€Å"How can online branding help to raise awareness and promote customer relationships and identi? cation with the brand? †. This Online branding: core question might splinter into a number of sub-questions, such as: the case of . Is online branding only concerned with rational and cognitive aspects of McDonald’s brand engagement, or can it also facilitate and promote emotional and af? nitive brand engagement? What is the difference in the role and impact of online branding, between 237 those businesses that are using the Internet solely for marketing communications, and those businesses that are using the Internet for both marketing communication and service delivery? . Which audiences are most amenable to incentives designed to drive them between channels, and thereby enhance their interaction with the brand? . In what ways are online communities representative of a brand’s total customer community? . What is the stability of online communities and audiences, and how can stability of such communities be enhanced? References Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989), â€Å"Building theories from case study research†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 532-50. Hagel, J. (1999), â€Å"Net gain: expanding markets through virtual communities†, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 55-65. Kannan, P. K. , Chang, A. -M. and Whinston, A. B. (2001), â€Å"E-business and the intermediary role of virtual communities†, in Barnes, S. and Hunt, B. (Eds), E-commerce and V-business: Business Models for Global Success, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, pp. 67-82. Kotler, P. 2003), Marketing Management, 11th ed. , Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Kozinets, R. (1998), â€Å"On netography; initial re? ections on consumer research investigations of cyberculture†, in Alba, J. and Hutchinson, W. (Eds), Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 25, Association for Consumer Research, Provo, UT, pp. 366-71. Rowley, J. (2001), â€Å"Online communities: stabilising e-business†, G lobal Business Economics Review, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 84-93. Rowley, J. (2002), â€Å"Using case studies in research†, Management Research News, Vol. 23 No. 5/6, pp. 20-7. Sterne, J. 1999), World Wide Web Marketing, 2nd ed. , Wiley, New York, NY. Ward, M. and Lee, M. (2000), â€Å"Internet shopping, consumer search and product branding†, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 6-20. Yin, R. K. (1994), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 2nd ed. , Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Further reading Leitch, S. and Richardson, N. (2003), â€Å"Corporate branding in the new economy†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 No. 7/8, pp. 1065-800. Ties, A. and Ries, L. (2000), The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, HarperCollins Business, London.