Philippine Lit free essay sample

Literature and history are closely interrelated. In discovering the history of a race, the feelings, aspirations, customs and traditions of a people are sure to be included . . . and these feelings, aspirations, customs and traditions that are written is literature. History can also be written and this too, is literature. Events that can be written down are part of true literature. Literature, therefore, is part of history. Literature and history, however, also have differences. Literature may be figments of the imagination or events devoid of truth that have been written down, while history is made up of events that really happened. The Pre-Spanish Period Long before the Spaniard and other foreigners landed on Philippine shores, our forefathers already had their own literature stamped in the history of our race. Our ancient literature shows our customs and traditions in everyday life as trace in our folk stories, old plays and short stories. Our ancestors also had their own alphabet which was different from that brought by the Spaniards. We will write a custom essay sample on Philippine Lit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first alphabet used by our ancestors was similar to that of the Malayo-Polynesian alphabet. Whatever record our ancestors left were either burned by the Spanish friars in the belief that they were works of the devil or were written on materials that easily perished, like the barks of trees, dried leaves and bamboo cylinders which could not have remained undestroyed even if efforts were made to preserve them. Other records that remained showed folk songs that proved existence of a native culture truly our own. Some of these were passed on by word of mouth till they reached the hands of some publishers or printers who took interest in printing the manuscripts of the ancient Filipinos. The Spaniards who came to the Philippines tried to prove that our ancestors were really fond of poetry, songs, stories, riddles and proverbs which we still enjoy today and which serve to show to generations the true culture of our people. Pre-Spanish Literature is characterized by A. LEGENDS. Legends are a form of prose the common theme of which is about the origin of a thing, place, location or name. The events are imaginary, devoid of truth and unbelievable. Old Filipino customs are reflected in these legends. Its aim is to entertain. Here is an example of a legend is THE LEGEND OF THE TAGALOGS. B. FOLK TALES. Folk tales are made up of stories about life, adventure, love, horror and humor where one can derive lessons about life. These are useful to us because they help us appreciate our environment, evaluate our personalities and improve our perspectives in life. An example of this is THE MOON AND THE SUN. C. THE EPIC AGE. Epics are long narrative poems in which a series of heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length. Nobody can determine which epics are the oldest because in their translations from other languages, even in English and Spanish. We can only determine their origins from the time mentioned in the said epics. Aside from the aforementioned epics, there are still other epics that can be read and studied like the following epics. a. Bidasari-Moro epic b. Biag ni Lam-ang-Ilokano epic c. Maragtas-Visayan epic d. Haraya-Visayan epic e. Lagda-Visayan epic f. Epigrams, Riddles, Chants, Maxims, Proverbs or Sayings 1. Epigrams (Salawikain). These have been customarily used and served as laws or rules on good behavior by our ancestors. To others, these are like allegories or parables that impart lessons for the young. 2. Riddles (Bugtong) or Palaisipan. These are made up of one or more measured lines with rhyme and may consist of four to 12 syllables. 3. Chant (Bulong). Used in witchcraft or enchantment. 4. Maxims. Some are rhyming couplets with verses of 5, 6 or 8 syllables, each line having the same number of syllables. 5. Sayings (Kasabihan). Often used in teasing or to comment on a person’s actuations. 6. Sawikain (Sayings with no hidden meanings) The Spanish Period (1565-1898) It is an accepted belief that the Spanish colonization of the Philippines started in 1565 during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor-general in the Philippines. Literature started to flourish during his time. This spurt continued unabated until the Cavite Revolt in 1872. The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for more than three centuries. During these times, many changes occurred in the lives of Filipinos. They embraced the Catholic religion, changed their names, and were baptized. Their lifestyles changed too. They built houses mad of stones and bricks, used beautiful furniture like the piano and used kitchen utensils. Carriages, trains and boats were used as means of travel. They held fiestas to honor the saints, the pope and the governors. They had cockfights, horse races and the theater as means of recreation. This gave rise to the formation of the different classes of society like the rich and the landlords. Some Filipinos finished courses like medicine, law, agriculture and teaching.

International Intervention in Libya

International Intervention in Libya Introduction Oil, otherwise known as black gold, is the driving force of the world economy. It is a major commodity of trade that is required by all countries. Western countries rely on the constant supply supply of oil, thus they try to ensure its supply is not interrupted. Given this realization, oil played a major role in influencing the western powers to intervene militarily in Libya, but not in Syria.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on International Intervention in Libya specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Libya accounts for 2.8% of the global oil reserves (Cohen par. 1). It plays a major role in supplying many industrialized countries, especially those in Europe. In 2010, Libya produced over 1,789,000 barrels of oil per day. In comparison, Syria only produced 400,000 barrels of oil per day (Cohen par. 2-3). Therefore, oil is the main reason why military intervention was used in Libya, but not in Syria. As a major oil supplier, it was important to ensure the stability of Libya to avoid affecting the global oil supply. Reasons for the intervention Many western countries rely on oil to run their economies. Thus, problems with the supply of oil can have devastating consequences on the economies. The problems in Libya began with an uprising in 2011, which wanted to replace Muammar Gaddafi with a more democratic leader (Roff and Momani par. 6). Gaddafi was a threat to the western countries. His leadership decisions after the uprising meant that oil exports would be affected adversely. His response incited the people more, especially when the ruling regime was accused of working with the Al Qaeda terrorists. Moreover, Gaddafi ordered his people to capture the protestors. He also threatened to start a door-to-door campaign and ‘cleanse’ those who were against his regime. Thus, there was a threat of mass genocide in Libya. This led to a global response, with many countries being ag ainst the decisions made by Gaddafi. Those who were opposed to Gaddafi included groups like the League of Arab States, the United Nations Security Council, and other western powers (Wood par. 4). Gaddafi was later killed, but the country is yet to return to normalcy. Western powers were uncertain about the consequences of a rebel government. Thus, they saw it fit to help the opposition in order to gain their support once they took power from Gaddafi. Currently, the parliament is held by two differing groups, thus it has not reached a state of stability (Daoudy par. 5-6). Despite this, oil production has started to increase to its original output. Therefore, the western powers and their allies were able to gain and retain their oil supply.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The situation was similar in Syria, where the Bashar al-Assad regime reacted harshl y to uprisings against the government. Gaddafi’s death influenced the opposition in Syria to think that change could be achieved in the country. However, the opponents of the ruling regime in Syria continue to suffer, with many dying as a result of harsh responses by the security forces. Many supporters of the opposition are captured, tortured, and the military uses excessive power against them. Moreover, the Assad regime uses propaganda to ensure that people opposing his regime suffer. The opposition began to take up arms as a way of protecting themselves (Taheri 218). This led to a situation where many rebel groups arose in Syria, each trying to gain control over the country. Currently, a war within a war has emerged in Syria, whereby the rebel groups are fighting each other in trying to support their individual policies. Despite this, the international community has not reacted like it did in the case of Libya. This can be attributed to the immense oil output Libya contrib utes to the global economy in comparison to Syria’s oil output. The United States, a major economic power, tries with all its might to defend, guarantee, and protect its interests. A case to consider was the March 2011 UN Security Council vote (Cohen par. 1-2). Many developed countries, including Germany, India, Brazil, China, and Russia, were against military intervention in Libya. Despite this, the UN Security Council resolution allowed military action in Libya. State sovereignty was a major reason why most countries did not support a military intervention. Specifically, China and Russia tend to advocate for state sovereignty, as they want to create an international agreement that state sovereignty is of utmost importance (Zyberi and Mason 44). Libya was also attacked because it did not have any allies to defend it, as the case was with Syria. On the contrary, the Assad’s regime enjoys the support of Russia and China, who have veto power in the United Nations Securit y Council.  Many western countries share the belief that the Middle East can greatly affect. Thus, being able to control the flow of oil is important to the western countries. Moreover, it is no longer important to protect the Arab regimes, but to influence people to rise and address their grievances. This is done in a manner that does not cause instability, but it decreases the hatred towards Americanism. Energy is a major determinant in the decisions made by the western nations.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on International Intervention in Libya specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though the US tries to advance for human rights, it gets involved in any situation where its energy supply is at threat, in comparison to situations where human rights are being violated. Thus, the US, with support from its allies, did not take long to support military intervention in Libya and kill Gaddafi, but it has not i ntervened militarily in Syria yet (Alston and Goodman 83). Syria and Libya were characterized by many similarities, which formed the background of their impending problems. Both Syria and Libya were characterized by mismanagement. The regimes impacted negatively on the social, political, and economic policies. The United States and its allies come together to champion for human rights whenever countries are at the brink of social unrest or characterized by poor governance. The citizens in the unstable countries are seen as important, thus the western governments use their diplomatic ties to influence the behavior of the government towards the citizens. However, the Libya and Syria cases exposed the US and its allies as hypocrites, who use the campaigns against violation of human rights as smokescreens to advance their agendas (de Rugy par. 3-4). In many cases, the choices of the western countries to intervene in any country are based on their interests, especially if these interests are under a threat. Reasons for not intervening militarily in Syria The western powers exercised different responses to the problems in Libya and Syria. In Syria, the western powers reacted by sanctioning the regime, while military intervention was the choice in Libya’s case. Many other reasons have been advanced to explain why military action was not preferable in Syria’s case. For instance, Syria differs greatly with Libya, thus military action could not be applied universally. The terrain and population in Syria proved quite difficult to deal with, in comparison with Libya. Syria has 22.5 million citizens in comparison to Libya’s 6.6 million, which is three times the population of Libya. Therefore, the costs incurred in military intervention would be higher in Syria compared to Libya (Hamid par. 1). Syria is also well equipped and has a larger professional military than Libya. In Syria, those who support a military intervention are only 40% of the population (Wood par. 6). Thus, military intervention will be seen as an attack against the sovereignty by the rest 60% of the population.. Syria also shares the same geographical characteristics with Afghanistan.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is a mountainous region, thus a military attack would be unfavorable, risky, and costly. In comparison, Libya is sparsely populated and many people reside in the coastal areas, thus a military attack is easier and cheaper. Moreover, Libya is closer to Europe, thus air strikes can be conducted easily because the distance involved is smaller (Wood par. 8). Many countries, especially African countries, continue to suffer under dictators and unfavorable regimes, yet the US hardly intervenes because these countries lack energy resources to supply the US economy. In another case, the US was keener to intervene militarily in Iraq when ISIS was a threat to the oil reserves. However, it did not do so when ISIS was gaining traction in Syria (Hamid par. 1-3). Thus, many of the decisions made by the west are not humanitarian in nature, but they are a result of capitalism. The crisis in Syria is fueled by ethnic differences. For instance, President Assad is able to gain the support of his tri be by threatening the minorities to join him or be killed. Assad belongs to the Shia minority, who are in control of many vital organs of the country, including the police, intelligence agencies, and the army. The civil war has been persistent through sectarian violence. Many of Assad’s former allies have also stated their distaste about his decisions. This makes it hard to attack the country, as the differing groups are wide and varied. Moreover, if the western countries take part in the conflict, there is a risk of spreading the sectarian violence to other countries like Israel, Iraq, Turkey, and Jordan (Ramos 106). The military intervention in Libya was seen as a precedent by critics. It meant that the western powers would come to the aid of the Arab countries whenever there was an uprising and people were threatened by their government. However, this was not the case, given that Syria’s opposition supporters have been left to fend for themselves, while they suffer under their government. Just like Libya, there have been calls for an intervention of the western powers, but the calls have been largely ignored (Zyberi and Mason 46).  In conclusion, oil was a major factor in deciding to intervene militarily in Libya, but not in Syria. Many western powers rely on oil. Thus, an unstable government in Libya would affect the global oil supply and production. Libya also has the biggest oil reserves in Africa. Thus, protecting the country and ensuring its stability was important in guaranteeing that the oil supply would not be interfered with. Even though the country is not supplying its original production of over a million barrels of oil a day, Libya still produces sufficient quantities that are mostly exported to the European countries. Alston, Philip, and Ryan Goodman. International Human Rights, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Cohen, Nick. The West has a Duty to Intervene in Syria. The Guardian, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. guardian.co.uk/co mmentisfree/2012/jan/01/nick-cohen-intervene-in-syris/print. Daoudy, Marwa. â€Å"The Case against Military Intervention in Syria.† Jadaliyya.com, 5 Jan. 2012. Web. jadaliyya.com/pages/index/3922/the-case-against-military-intervention-in-syria. de Rugy, Veronique. How Much Would War In Syria Cost? Reason 45.7 (2013): 18-20. Print. Hamid, Shadi. Why We Have a Responsibility to Protecy Syria. Brookings Institute, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. brookings.edu/opinions/2012/0126_syria_interventions_hamid.aspx?p=1. Ramos, Jennifer M. Changing Norms through Actions: The Evolution of Sovereignty, New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print. Roff, Heather, and Bessma Momani. â€Å"The Tactics of Intervention: Why Syria will Never be Libya.† The Globe and Mail, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/the-tactics-of-intervention-why-syria-will-never-be-libya.aspx?p=1. Taheri, Amir. Has the Time Come for Military Intervention in Syria? American Foreign Policy Interests 35.4 (2013): 217-220. Print. Wood, Lisa. â€Å"To Intervene or Not to Intervene: Why Libya but not Syria?† Viapolitica.eu, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. http://viapolitica.eu/2012/01/15/to-intervene-or-not-to-intervene-why-libya-but-not-syria/. Zyberi, Gentian, and Kevin T Mason. An Institutional Approach to the Responsibility to Protect, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print.

10 Important Baseball Idioms in English

10 Important Baseball Idioms in English    The game of baseball has inspired probably more idioms in American English than any other sport. Here are ten important baseball idioms. Each idiom is explained in terms of the game of baseball, and how it is used in daily life by native speakers. Examples are given to provide understanding in context. You can lean more idioms by exploring short stories that use idioms in context. ball park A ballpark is where baseball is played. Its used in a few expressions: to be in the ballpark to be in the general area of somethinga ballpark figure a financial guess thats close but not exact I think they new project will be in the ballpark of $2 million, but Ill need to check those figures.Give me a ballpark figure of how much the project will cost. big hitter The big hitter is a batter who hits many hits. These include home runs, grand slams and base hits such as doubles, and singles.   The big hitter is used when referring to a someone in a company who has a reputation for doing well in business. This person is used to impress competition or important clients, as well as give presentations and represent the company. We need to bring out our big hitter for this meeting.They left the presentation up to Alice whos their big hitter when it comes to conferences. big league / major league The big / major league is the highest level in professional baseball. Used as an idiom, the big league refers to the top of any professional bracket.   Shes going to NYC, the big league.He doesnt want to be a fish in a small pond. He wants to play in the major leagues.   cover ones bases Defense players have to cover the bases so that runners cant steal the base and progress to making a run. In everyday English, covering ones bases refers to making sure that a situation is completely in control and that there is a backup plan if anything goes wrong. I think we need to talk to our lawyer just to cover our bases.I need an assistant thats one step ahead of me and will make sure that Ive covered all my bases.   curveball A curveball curves as it moves towards the batter. It can curve up or down, or right to left. Curveballs are hard to hit. As an idiom, curveball is used to express something that is unexpected at causes someone to adapt to a situation. When she quit it really threw the company a curveball, and we had to replace her quickly.This might be a curveball, but I dont want to marry you after all.   first base First base is the first out of four bases including first base, second base, third base and home base. Each batter must move to at least first base in order not to be out. To get to first base means that youve successfully taken the first step.   We got to first base on the presentation. At least, theyre willing to listen to us now.Remember getting an interview is making it to first base. Getting hired is making it all the way home.   hardball Hardball is baseball played with a small, hard ball. Its the game they play in the major leagues. Its the toughest baseball game there is. In life, to play hardball means to try to win at all costs, even if it gets dirty.   When you go to work, youll be playing hardball. No more mistakes allowed.  I dont want to play hardball with you, but if you dont sign the contract I have no choice.   hit / knock it out of the park Hitting a ball out of the park is the dream of every baseball player. You hit the ball so hard, it flies out of the stadium. No one can get that ball. Youve hit a home run, or even a grand slam. In business, it refers to succeeding spectacularly.   I think he hit it out of the park during his presentation. Everyone was listening very carefully and seemed very enthused.Dont worry, Im sure youll hit it out of the park. You have reason to be confident.   hit or miss A batter can either hit or miss a ball. Hitting is good, missing is bad and you get a strike against you. In everyday English, something that is hit or miss means that there is no guarantee of success. Perhaps youll be successful, perhaps not. Some people feel that finding a job is hit or miss in this economy.  Every opportunity is hit or miss, but they need to be taken.   home run Home run refers to a hit that allows the batter to run all the way around the bases and score a run. Its used as an expression to refer to success in English.   This dinner is superb. Youve hit a home run.  His presentation last week was a home run.

Characters in Glass Menagerie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Characters in Glass Menagerie - Essay Example The characters could be entertaining, spiteful or even painfully confusing but understanding their characters, circumstances, fears and longings, can make readers understand why they act and talk as they do. In this paper, an in-depth study of the three main characters will be done and an attempt to explain the reasons for their words and actions will be undertaken in the hope that readers will come to understand further the motives of the characters or understand the characters themselves and a little background of the author will be included to connect him to his characters. Amanda Wingfield is a beautiful woman who had a number of suitors during her younger days. She seems to be greatly indulged with her past, oftentimes speaking about her glory days (deafed.net) to her children which made her son, Tom, quite tired about it as reflected in his conversation with his sister, Laura. When their mother told them about her suitors when she was young, Tom mentioned he knew what was comin g but his sister told him to let their mother tell her story anyway and Tom answered, â€Å"Again?† (Williams, 754). Understandably, every person would want to talk about the good old days. They somehow help ease the pains of living a bitter present (Debusscher). For Amanda, she seems to go back to her past (Cummings), refusing to believe or accept the fact that she was not receiving suitors for her only daughter who was already growing old. She perhaps wanted to think that there is no reason at all for her daughter not to receive gentleman callers because she received so many of them during her youth. It would be an insult to a mother for her daughter not to have any suitors especially to a woman who seems to take pride in her beauty. For her, the implication that her daughter is not beautiful enough to attract suitors is simply unacceptable. In addition to a mother’s pride, Amanda’s desire to see her daughter married to a responsible man seems to make her very anxious about the young maiden’s having no boyfriend. She is concerned about the health conditions of her daughter and she probably was already considering her future if she remained unmarried. She wanted her daughter to be married very soon and she wanted that very badly because she knows it would only be a responsible husband who could assure her daughter of a good future. She knows how it is to be a helpless individual, unable to provide even for the basic needs of the family. That is why, even though they are not really the affluent kind of family, Amanda did her best to put her daughter in college for her to have something to lean back on during difficult times, for her to become independent in the future. However, the weak character of Laura (which will be discussed in detail later) did not make Amanda’s wishes come to pass. To some, Amanda may seem to be a manipulative mother who is trying to let her children do things which she was not able to do when she was young. Nevertheless, on another angle, she is seen as a mother who wants only the best for her children. With her husband leaving her alone to take care of the children, Amanda has experienced grievous days and perhaps, she was just trying to keep her children away from such unfavorable circumstances. Considering that Amanda asked her son to look for a responsible caller for Laura, someone who did not drink liquor but was an opposite of her own husband, shows that she indeed did not

Biomedical Informatics Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Biomedical Informatics - Thesis Example his study that it is sometimes necessary for more important information, such as a chest X-rays, physical examination, and health and occupational histories, to be made available in order to make a diagnosis. Lung diffusion capacity testing (DLCO) is a noninvasive test which is used to measure the movement of gases (most specifically oxygen) through the lung into the bloodstream. The single breath diffusing capacity test is the most common way to determine DLCO, whereby the subject is required to blow out as much air as he or she can so that only the residual gas is left in the lungs. Moreover, the subject is requested to take a deep breath in order to completely fill up the lungs. The subject is then requested to hold his or her breath for a very short period of time. The subject is then finally requested to exhale. The analysis of the gas that has been blown out will then be carried out in order to determine how much went into the bloodstream through the lungs (De Boer, 2010). 23 Pulmonary function tests (abbreviated PFT), which are also known as lung functions tests, are tests which are used so as to provide measures of gas exchange, lung volumes, flow rates, and respiratory muscle function. These tests determines the quantity of air that the lungs can hold, how fast air can possibly be moved in and out of the lungs, as well as the lungs’ ability to add oxygen and remove of carbon dioxide into and from the blood respectively. According to Goldman (2005) and De Boer (2010) the pulmonary function tests have the ability to diagnose diseases of the lungs, to measure how sever the lung problems are, and to monitor the treatment of the lung diseases. Since the spirometer was first developed in 1846 by Hutchinson, measurements of the dynamic volumes of the lung as well as of maximal flow rates have been employed to detect and quantify the diseases which affect the airways and lung parenchyma (White, 2004). The lung function may be determined by the use of tests

Financial Valuation for Microsoft Essay Example for Free

Financial Valuation for Microsoft Essay Using a percent of sales method of forecasting to forecast income statement and balance sheet items that will be used in the valuation. We have devised three different valuation Scenarios, Normal Case, Best Case and Worst Case Scenario. 2. The Sales growth varied under each scenario according to certain assumptions and outlooks about the company 3. Terminal Value is calculated by using the constant Gordon growth model from the horizon year to infinity and then discounting this horizon value to the present at the WACC. 4. After discounting FCFF and adding them to the terminal value. The resulting value is divided by number of shares to reach fair price.

The Theme of Love Essay -- Love Poetry Literature Essays

The Theme of Love â€Å"Romantic love, physical love, unrequited love, obsessive love.† Compare the ways the poets have written about the theme of love, bringing out different aspects of it. In the six poems I have studied, I see a wide range of different types of love mentioned. I will be looking at 3 poems in depth. These are: â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover†, written by Robert Browning, â€Å"My Last Duchess†, written by the Duke of Ferrara and â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, written by Andrew Marvell. When it comes to romantic love, â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† contains some elements of it. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† also includes aspects of physical love. When it comes to unrequited love, â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† and â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† hold a large scale in them. â€Å"My Last Duchess† also includes shades of unrequited love. â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† and â€Å"My Last Duchess† contain features of obsessive love. In my essay, I would like to pay particular attention to unrequited love because it shows how the women in the poems are seen as a possession, which the men must rightfully have. I will also look at aspects of obsessive love. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is not generally positioned in this type of love as the poem does not really contain obsessive love, but in my opinion it can be placed in the category as the speaker is pressuring the girl into having sex with him and he wants her to sleep with him now. He is being seen as obsessive and wanting things his way, immediately. This can be seen when he says: â€Å"HAD we but world enough, and time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that time is short and wasting away. This quote is important as it is a powerful opening, stressing the impact of time upon them. I will first compare â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† and â€Å"My Last Duchess... ...it just for pleasure? The narrator is transparent in what he wants. He only wants his mistress for sex and pleasure. The poem starts with the pronoun â€Å"we† but as the poem progresses, it starts to separate into individuals: â€Å"I† and â€Å"thou†. At the end, it turns back to â€Å"us†. The first stanza of the poem makes the reader think that it is a love poem, when really it is a lust poem. The narrator uses the images of fear and lost opportunity and time as a threat to the woman. The writers, in the poems that I have compared, bring out love in different ways. There are different tactics involved, which is what I think make all these poems unique and interesting to read. Each poem brings about different types of love. The poems all try to get the women they think they rightfully deserve, except for â€Å"My Last Duchess† where he is obsessive about his woman.

Marketing Mix and the Brand Reputation of Nokia

Market Forces April 2008 Vol. 4 No. MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH MARKETING MIX AND THE BRAND REPUTATION OF NOKIA SYED EHTESHAM ALI College of Management Sciences PAF-Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology E-mail: [email  protected] com Abstract Pakistan’s mobile phone market is growing very fast. The most selling brand in the market is Nokia. A hypothesis was developed that the reputation of a brand is a source of demand and the competitively superior quality image justifies a premium price. In this survey we assessed the reasons for preference of this brand based on established parameters of marketing mix (the 4 Ps). The objective of this study was to measure the extent of preference of these parameters. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed and administered to 240 respondents. The alternate hypothesis that at least one of the predictor variables would have a linear relationship with the dependent variable brand reputation was accepted. R? is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable, which is significantly moderate. Among all the independent variables the slope for the product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) were higher than the rest. Regression coefficients for product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) were 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) would cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 95 and 0. 85 rating respectively. 1. 0. 0 OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to measure how elements of marketing mix and their relationship affect the brand reputation of Nokia mobile phone. Though the marketing mix concept such as product, price, place and promotion are very important in analyzing the marketing strategy, the scope of the study was mainly MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 15 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH focused on one aspect of brand equity i. e. brand reputation, the ultimate reflection of the correct blend of all marketing mix. 1. 1. 0 LITERATURE SURVEY 1. 1. 0 Brand Branding has an ancient history. It could be traced back to the times when the ancient Egypt brick makers used to stamped symbols on the bricks for identification and distinction purposes (Farghuhar 1990). Nilson (1998) on the other hand found that ancient farmers used to put symbols on the cattle with the help of hot iron, which meant burning. The word brand has been derived from the Scandinavian word â€Å"branna† that means to burn. In Swedish language the word â€Å"brand†, means fire. Thus when a producer put some marks or symbols on their product it will come in the category of branding (Nilson 1998). One of the advantages of strong brand name is that its helps in penetrating in a new market or a new market category. Globalization has created tremendous brand awareness and this awareness is not dependent on the availability of the products. Czinkota & Ronkainen 2001). For example in Pakistan, brands such as such as McDonald, Pizza Hut and KFC had very strong awareness even before they opened their franchises in Pakistan. 1. 2. 0 Brand Equity Brand equity is a relationship between customers and brands resulting in a profit to be realized at a future date (Wood 2000). Kotler and Armstrong (1996) were of the opinion that measuring brand equity is a tedious job. Nevertheless a powerful brand means high brand equity that helps in achieving ‘higher brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, and strong brand associations’. Some of the major benefits of brand equity are brand awareness and consumer loyalty which helps in reducing marketing costs. Brand is an important equity; therefore, it should be carefully preserved by adopting strategies that would help in maintaining or improving brand awareness, perceived brand quality and positive associations. (Kotler & Armstrong 1996) Ambler and Styles (1997) are of the opinion that brand equity could be measured from two perspectives. One is â€Å"financial evaluation approach† and the other is â€Å"consumer-based approach†. The financial evaluation approach is related to the monetary value of the brand, and the consumer-based approach focuses on the brand itself that is how much value the consumers give to the brand. Brand equity is also considered as an accumulated profit that could be realized at a future date. The brand equity concept can also cause confusion, because of difficulty in measuring it (Ambler & Styles 1997). MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 16 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Importance of brand equity demands need for more practical experience and comparative research to judge and validate the usefulness of brand evaluation methods (Farquhar 1990). The recent merger and acquisition trend has also increased the importance of measuring brand equity (Tauber 1988). The role of brands is now far beyond product differentiation or competing for market share. They are accumulated annuities which the firm can acquire from its balance sheet (Tauber 1998). Firms could have a strong competitive edge over competitors if they could create brand equity ‘through building awareness, image, and linking associations’ (Keller 1998). A stronger brand would always have a better understanding of needs, wants, and preferences of consumers than the brands that are not competitive. Thus stronger brands would help in creating effective marketing programs that could go beyond consumer expectations. (Keller 1998). Brand equity since last one decade has remained popular for attracting new market segments (Pitta & Katsanis, 1995). This phenomenon of brand equity has coincided with the newly emerged but equally popular phenomenon of brand extension (Ambler & Styles 1997). Research shows a two way relationship between brand equity and extension. A brand's equity could influence the success of extensions, and extensions could positively influence brand's equity. The result is that highly valued brand extensions are more successful. Consumers tend to choose those brands that have strong brand equity. This creates strong brand loyalty, and would make it difficult for the customers to switch to the competitors. Brand position of a firm is strongly dependent on the positive image of brands. Strong brands are a major source of differentiation and extending the same towards a specific product category is easier. Successful brand allows firms to demand high prices and are a source of barrier which makes it difficult for consumers to switch to other brands (Pitta & Katsanis 1995. 1. 3. 0 BRAND REPUTATION: According to Aaker (1991, 1996) and Kapferer (1997) both companies and consumers are watchful over the brand reputation of what they sell or buy. Every brand represents distinct values, creates a distinct profile in the minds of the customers in respect to what it stands for. For example in beverage industry Coca-cola stands for â€Å"refreshingâ €  and in car industry Volvo brand is perceived for â€Å"safety and comfort†. Similarly in the mobile industry Sony Ericsson is poised as â€Å"music and entertainment† etc. Globalization and advanced technology have made the market more competitive, thus firms, now, are more brand sensitive. They have observed that the consumer preferences have become homogenous because of globalization and the spread of technology. Thus, both the sellers MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 17 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH and buyers are paying attention to the brand reputation in terms of what they are buying and selling. A consumer during his lifetime undergoes a series of ever changing circumstances and situations. As a result his brand preference shifts with his changing needs. The brand attributes or features must fit to consumers’ need to maintain an ongoing permanent relationship with the brand. The consumers need to have a trust in their preferred brands for continued offering of the desired benefits. According to Browne (1998), if companies fail to ensure a trustworthy, stable brand reputation, the brand’s growth and market share will be affected. Thus a brand reputation is the image of superior quality and added value, which justify a premium price. A reputable brand is a strong asset, which benefits from a high degree of loyalty and stability for future sales (Kapferer 1997). Ultimate goals of highly reputed brands should be to strengthen their image. Low selling brands with low reputation should focus on tailoring their marketing mix and fixing the overall image problem (Baldinger & Rubinson 1996). Firms dealing with mobile handset are also concerned with the reputation of their brands, and how this would affect their international market share. Competition among the mobile companies has forced them to create a brand reputation in customers’ minds. The mobile telephone industry is comprised of mostly multinationals and has financial advantages in their cost structure. This advantage is not available to their purely domestic counterparts (Kapferer, 1997). Brand reputation in the mobile telephone industry is becoming crucial for consumers’ purchasing behaviors. Temporal and Lee (2001) argue that powerful brands are the ones that are built on reputation and this will not change, but would gain more importance in the future. Up Shaw (1995), agrees and claims that branding is the art of trust creation and therefore it is imperative for companies to build a reputable identity in order to maintain trust with their consumers. A highly reputed brand name is considered as a favorable and publicly recognized name that reflects merit, achievement, and reliability. According to Paul and John (1997), the attribute reputation is an estimation of the consistency, over a period of time for an entity. This estimation is based on the entity's willingness and ability to perform an activity repeatedly in a similar fashion and an attribute is some specific part of the entity – price, quality, promotion, distribution and other marketing skills. A brand is a relationship between reputation and promise. Moreover, reputation is a set of expectations. A brand is a combination of tangible and intangible attributes, symbolized in a trademark. If properly managed, brand creates influences and generates value. Temporal and Lee (2000) also define the brand MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 18 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH as a promise to the consumer of what the product, service, or company stands for, and for the kind of experience they can get from it. If the promise is delivered, customers will be satisfied and this will keep them coming back to a company’s product. Kotler (1999) defines three clear advantages, which brands offer to the consumers. Firstly, brands inform the consumer about the product quality. Buyers, who consistently purchase the same brand, are aware that they will get the same quality each time they purchase the product. Secondly, brand names simplify shopping for consumers, by enhancing their ability to find the products that match their wants and needs, as opposed to generic branding. Lastly, brand names allow consumers attention to be drawn to new products that are beneficial to them, since the brand is the first form of recognition. To become successful and hence profitable, brands must develop a positive reputation. A reputable brand is strong assets, which benefits from a high degree of loyalty and thus forms stability of future sales. (Rogerson 1983). Brand reputation involves a continuum ranging from an uncertain feeling that the brand is recognized at the market place, to a belief that it is the number one in the product class by customer (Aaker 1991). This continuum can be represented by different degree of brand reputation known on the market. The brand reputation can be good or bad, strong or weak. It crystallizes how people feel about the reputation based on whatever information they have about the brand. Some companies have not built any brand at all. We can say for the â€Å"unknown brand† that, for it, no reputation exists and it does not affect consumer-buying behavior on the market. 1. 2. 0 MARKETING MIX. 1. 2. 1 PRODUCT (Quality): (Quality): Product quality is an important determinant for the customers for choosing a brand that helps in the development of brand reputation. Quality belongs to the product perspective of a brand’s identity whereas perceived quality is how a brand’s quality is seen by the consumers. It is one of the key dimensions in Aaker’s brand equity model. A higher price is a sign of high quality to the consumers. Perceived quality is a source of consumer satisfaction it makes them to repurchase the product, which leads to loyalty. (Uggla 2001). MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 19 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH 1. 2. 2 PRICE (Affordability): (Affordability): Price influences the brand choice in two ways: (1) Seek the lowest price to avoid financial risk or (2) Seeks the higher price to gain product quality (Macdonald & Sharp 2000). For some consumers, the price is vital particularly when they are purchasing everyday products. Some consumer may choose a brand just because it has the lowest price, while other consumers may choose a brand just because it has the highest perceived price inferring that it is of high quality. 1. 2. 3 PROMOTION (Advertising & Communication): Communication): How can a company build its brand reputation through promotion? A promotion that provides incentives to try a new flavor or new use will be more effective if the brand is familiar and there is no need to combat a consumer skeptical of brand reputation (Pringle & Thompson 1999). Advertising acts as a major tool to enhance brand reputation. The purpose of advertising is to make the consumers to purchase their brands. Advertising is one of the most visible forms of communication. It creates a set of associations the consumers want to have about a brand. If advertising, promotion and packaging support a constant positioning strategy over time, the brand is likely to be strong (Aaker 1991). 1. 2. 4 PLACE (Availability): Firms rarely work alone in creating value for customers and building positive brand reputation. Consistency of supply and availability at convenient locations are vital for brand reputation. Any disagreement between marketing channel members on goals and roles may create channel conflict, which eventually could hamper overall reputation of the specific brand (Kotler, 2006). Reputation is a historical notion based on the sum of the past behaviors. It is prone to change over time and is a function of time. 2. 0. 0 RESEARCH QUESTION: The following research question has been formed in the light of the literature review. How do the mobile phone buyers perceive the brand reputation of Nokia in terms of marketing mix? 3. 0. 0 METHODOLOGY: MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 20 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Based on the literature survey and the above-identified independent and dependent variables, a close-ended questionnaire was developed. Questionnaire was based on a total of 14 questions; seven were related to personal data and the rest were related to the subject study that is measuring brand reputation in terms of marketing mix. The sample size for the study was 240 and it was chosen non-randomly and was personally administered by my students. The analysis was inclusive of the measures of central tendencies and the measure of dispersion. The hypothesis was tested through multiple regressions. 4. SURVEY FINDINGS: 4. 1 MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCIES & DISPERSION: The respondents’ opinions on the determinants of marketing mix and brand reputation were obtained. The determinants for marketing mix were product (quality), price (affordability), promotion (advertising and communication) and place (availability). The determinants for brand reputation were favorability, public recogn ition, reliability and consistency. The summarized results related to the measures of the central tendencies and dispersion are presented below: Table Number One Measure of Central Tendencies Product (Quality) Mean St. Error Median Mode St. Dev. S. Var. Kurtosis Skew ness Range Minimum Maximum Sum Count 4. 74 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 1. 13 0. 19 -0. 77 -0. 98 1. 00 4. 00 5. 00 1138 240 Price (Affordability) 3. 82 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 0. 81 0. 18 -0. 39 0. 08 1. 00 4. 00 5. 00 1144 240 Promotion (Adv. & Communication) 4. 45 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 1. 08 0. 29 -0. 18 -0. 82 2. 00 3. 00 5. 00 1107 240 Place (Availability) 4. 02 0. 03 4. 00 4. 00 1. 04 0. 23 1. 23 -0. 74 3. 00 2. 00 5. 00 1017 240 Brand Reputation 4. 89 0. 05 5. 00 5. 00 1. 16 0. 49 3. 69 -1. 09 3. 00 2. 00 5. 00 1117 240 MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 21 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH M ark e ting M ix viz. Brand Re putation 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Product Price Promotion Place Brand Reputatioon 4. 74 3. 82 4. 45 4. 89 4. 02 The respondents’ opinions on dependent variable brand reputation was the highest with a mean of 4. 89, whereas the rating on product (quality) ranked second with a mean of 4. 79 and the price (affordability) was the lowest with a mean of 3. 82. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on independent dimensions â€Å"price (affordability)† was the least (0. 1) as compare to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is less polarization and difference in the respondents’ opinion on the dimension â€Å"price (affordability)†. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on dimension â€Å"product (quality)† was the highest i. e1. 13 as compared to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is a high polarization of respondents†™ opinions on the â€Å"product (quality)† dimension. Skewness for all the determinants of brand reputation was negative except price (affordability)† with the value of 0. 08. The negative skewness indicates that the majority of the respondents’ opinions on the respective determinants were below the average level and the distribution curve is negatively skewed. 4. 2. 0 BRAND REPUTATION The respondents’ opinions were obtained in terms of favorability, recognizably, reliability, and consistency. The summarized results are presented below: TABLE NUMBER-2 REPUTATION OF NOKIA Most favorable Most Publicity Most Reliable Most Consistent MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 22 MARKETING MIX & BRAND Recognized 4. 01 4 3. 1 RESEARCH 3. 63 4. 5 4 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 4. 01 4 3. 1 3. 63 Most f avorable Most Publicity Recognized MostReliable Most Consisten The level of favorability and recognize ability of Nokia brand was the highest with a mean of 4. 04 and 4. 0. The perception on the consistency and reliability were found to be on the lower side with a mean of 3. 1 and 3. 63 respectively. 4. 1. 2 HYPOTHESIS TESTING: Literature survey suggests that, buyers perceive or build brand reputation of mobile phones in terms of (1) product (quality), (2) price (affordability), (3) promotion (adv. & communication) and (4) place (availability). Based on the theoretical framework, the following hypotheses were developed. H1o: Sufficient evidence exists to conclude that no linear relationship exists between Nokia’s dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation† and independent variables such as product, price, promotion, and place. H1A: At least one of the predictor variables has a linear relationship with the dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation†. STATISTICAL REPRESENTATION: The statistical representation of the above hypothesis is presented below. H1O: ? 1= ? 2= ? 3= ? 4=0 H1A: ? 1? ?2? ?3? ?4? 0 The above hypothesis was tested through multiple regressions for brand NOKIA and the summarized results are presented below. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 23 MARKETING MIX & BRAND TABLE NUMBER-2 MULTIPLE REGRESSIONS Regression Statistics Multiple R R Square Adjusted R Sqr. Standard Error Observations RESEARCH 0. 69 0. 53 0. 52 0. 44 240. 00 Df Regression Residual Total 4. 00 234. 00 240. 00 Coefficients Intercept Product(quality) Price(affordability) Promotion(Adv. & Comm. ) Place(Availability) 0. 72 0. 95 0. 27 0. 85 0. 34 SS 12. 01 13. 05 25. 06 Std. Error 0. 49 0. 09 0. 03 0. 03 0. 02 MS 3. 00 0. 06 F 53. 82 Significance F 0. 00 t Stat 1. 48 2. 61 7. 57 6. 83 7. 41 Pvalue 0. 14 0. 02 0. 00 0. 01 0. 00 Lower 95% -0. 24 0. 06 0. 16 0. 15 0. 13 Upper 95% 1. 68 0. 42 0. 27 0. 27 0. 22 R? or the brand NOKIA is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable which is significantly strong. Among all the independent variables the slope for the product and promotion are the highest, this means that as compared to other independent variables, product and promotion of Nokia b rand cell phone has stronger relationships with the dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation†. Regression coefficient for product and promotion are 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product (quality) and promotion (adv. communication) will cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 95 and 0. 85 rating respectively. The F-value is high and falls in the critical region that means variations of independent variables are unequal; this indicates that the results are not biased. Except for the coefficient of product and promotion, no other coefficient is statistically significant. 5. 0 CONCLUSION: CONCLUSION: MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 24 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Based on the survey findings the following conclusions have been drawn: †¢ According to the respondents’ opinion the rating on dependent variable brand reputation was highest with the mean of 4. 9, whereas the rating on product (quality) was the second highest with a mean of 4. 79 and the rating on price (affordability) was lowest with a mean of 3. 82. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on independent dimensions â€Å"price (affordability)† was the least (0. 81) as compared to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is less polarization in the respondents’ opinion on the dimension â€Å"price (affordability)†. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on dimension â€Å"product (quality)† was the highest 1. 13. This indicates that there is high polarization of respondents’ opinion on the â€Å"product (quality)† dimension. Skewness for all the determinants of brand reputation were negative except for â€Å"price (affordability)† with the value of 0. 08. The negative skewness indicates that the majority of the respondents’ opinions on the respective determinants were below the average level and the distribution curve is negatively skewed. The alternate hypothesis that at least one of the predictor variables would have a linear relationship with the dependent variable brand reputation was accepted. R? is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable, which is significantly strong. The slope for product’s (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) were the highest; this means that as compared to other independent variables, product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) of the Nokia brand cell phone have stronger relationships with the dependent variable brand reputation. Regression coefficient for product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) were 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) will cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 5 and 0. 85 rating respectively. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ ANNEXURE 1 Q1) Age: (in years) 15 – 25 QUESTIONNAIRE (DEMOGRAPHIC DATA) 26 – 35 36 – 45 46– above MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 25 MARKETING MIX & BRAND Q2) Qualification: ? Matriculation Others —-Q3) Gender: ? Male Q4) Marital Status: ? Single Q5) Profession: Market ing Teacher Q6) Income: Up to 20,000 above RESEARCH ?Intermediate ?Graduation Masters ?Female Married Banking Engineering Other(s) please specify†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 21,000 – 30,000 31,000 – 40,000 Doctor 41,000 and Q7) Please mark the area of your residence Sadder Defence Clifton Gulshan F. B. Area Nazimabad PECHS Other(s) — Rate the following statements in terms of your answer (5 being highly agreed and 1 being highly disagreed) MARKETING MIX Q8) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Product† i. e quality. 5 4 3 2 1 Q9) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Price† i. e. affordability 5 4 3 2 1 Q10) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Promotion† i. e. Advertising & Communication. 5 4 3 2 1 Q11) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Place† i. e. Convenience in availability. 5 4 3 2 BRAND REPUTATION Q12) I consider Nokia as most favorable brand in terms of brand reputation. 4 3 2 1 Q13) I consider Nokia as most publicly recognized brand in terms of brand reputation. 5 4 3 2 1 Q14) I consider Nokia as most reliable brand in terms of brand reputation. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 26 1 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH 5 4 3 2 1 Q15) I consider Nokia as most consistent brand in terms of brand reputat ion. 5 4 3 2 1 ANNEXURE 2 REFERENCES Aaker, D. A. , 1991. , Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of the Brand Name. NewYork: The Free press. Aaker, D. A. , 1996. , Building Strong Brands. New York: The Free Press. Aaker, D. A, 2004. Brand Portfolio Strategy, New York: Free Press. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 27 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Ambler, T. , & Styles, C. , 1997. Brand development versus new product development: toward a process model of extension decisions. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 6(4), p. 222-234. Browne, K. , 1999. Nokia’s Brilliant Branding. Finance Week – South Africa. Vol. (22), p. 12-26. Baldinger, A & Rubinson, J. , 1996. , Brand Loyalty: the Link between Attitude and Behavior. Journal of Advertising research, Vol. (2), p. 84-97. Czinkota, M. & Ronkainen, M. , 2001. , International Business (6th ed. ). Fort Worth: Harcourt College. Farquhar, P. , 1990. Managing brand equity. Journal of Advertising Research, August/September) 30, RC 7 – RC 12. Keller, K. L. , 2003. Strategic brand management, Building Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, 2nd Ed. , Upper Sadle River. . Kotler, P, & Armstrong, G. , 1996. Principles of Marketing. (7th ed.. USA: Prentice Hall, Inc. Pringle, H. Thompson, M. , 1999. Brand Spirit: how cause related marketing builds brands. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Jean, N. K, 1997. Strategic Brand Management, Princeton: University Press Princeton. Kapferer, J. N. ,1997. Strategic Brand Management. 2nd. London:Hove. Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. & Saubers, J. & Wong, V. , 1999. Principles of marketing. 2nd ed. England: Prentice Hall press. Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L, 2006. Marketing Management 12th ed. Indiana: Indiana University Press. Macdonald, E. K. & Sharp, B. M. 2000. Brand awareness effects on consumer decision-making for a common, repeat purchase product: A replication: Journal of Business Research, Vol. (48), p5-15. Nilson, H. T. , 1998. Competitive Branding-Winning the Marketplace with Value Added Brands. Chichester: Wiley,cop. Paul, H. & John, M. , 1997. Pricing Strategy & Practice. Bradford: 5(1),p. 25. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 28 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Pringle, H. & Thompson, M. , 1999. Brand Spirit: how cause related marketing builds brands: Journal of Marketing, Vol. (21), p. 61-78. Pitta, A. & Katsanis, P. L. 1996. Understanding Brand Equity for Sucessful Brand Extension. Journal of Consumer Marketing. 12(4),51-64. Rogerson, W. P, 1983. Reputation and Product Quality, The Bell Journal of economics, Vol. (2), p. 508-516. Tauber, E. , 1988. Brand leverage: Strategy for growth in a cost- control world. Journal of Advertising Research, ( August/September). 8, 26-30. Temporal, P & Lee, K. C. 2001. Hi-Touch Branding, Creating Brand Power in the Age of technology. Journal of Information & technology, 94(2), p. 67-86. Uggla, H. , 2001. What makes winning brands different: The hidden method behind the world’s most successful brands. The journal of marketing, 18(3), p. 24-41. Upshaw, L. B. 1995. .Building Brand Identity: A strategy for success in a hos tile marketplace. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Wood, L. , 2000. Brands and brand equity: definition and management. Management Decision, 38(9), 662-669. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 29

A Case Study of Arvind Mills

A case study on Arvind Mills Ltd Supply Chain A very distinct feature of Arvind Mills Ltd is the fact that its brands work across multiple channels, price points and customer segments. These are brands that are distinctive and relevant across diverse customer segments. Some of the brands under Arvind Mills are: Wrangler, Excalibur, Flying Machine, Newport, Ruf & Tuf, Arrow, Izod etc and its customers include Levis, Lee, Tommy Hilfiger etc.The supply network finally reaches the customer touch points through over 275 stand alone brand stores across the country and more than 975 counters selling multi brand retail outlets an key accounts across India. Arvind Mills Ltd is one of the largest denim manufacturers in the world and has configured its supply chain based on â€Å"push† system. Under normal operating conditions, Arvind manufactures denim â€Å"sorts† based on monthly forecast to stock at various warehouses.As Arvind Mills â€Å"pushes† its products (sorts) t o ware-houses, actual selling takes place on an ongoing basis with the â€Å"sold sorts† are being replaced subsequently. The â€Å"Push† system operates under the â€Å"make-to-stock† environment. While the system has worked efficiently at Arvind for years it becomes difficult for a company to follow the same where a high demand fluctuation exists. A Push-based supply chain accumulates excessive inventory (â€Å"cycle stock† and â€Å"work-in-process†) by the time it responds to the changing demand.In addition, since long-term forecast plays an important role, it is difficult to match supply with variable demand. â€Å"Push† supply chain also entails larger production batches, incompatible for catering demand of short quantity. Another interesting feature of the supply chain is the intense reach Arvind Mills is targeting. With increasing disposable income available in the rural areas as well, the company is trying to make shirts at affordab le rates available at grocery stores and petrol pumps. It has also started selling shirt bits instead of multi meter long rolls which once dominated the retail shelves.

Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald

In James Baldwin’s story, Sonny’s Blues the author uses the main characters and subtle hints of racism to illustrate the theme. The theme simply stated is that after people grow up and go away from each other for a while that eventually people comeback to reunite with childhood friends and family. The story starts out with Sonny’s brother taking the subway, so that he can go to his teaching job at the high school. While teaching that day, he has this very uneasy feeling in his stomach. That very uneasy feeling in Sonny’s brother’s stomach is like a melting block of ice, similar to that cold, tingly, feeling somebody has all over his body. Sonny’s brother also is the narrator for the entire story. Then the story truly begins when, the author uses the literary technique of flashback to talk about how Sonny just got arrested for selling and using heroin. The story explains how Sonny uses his music to express how he feels. For example, if Sonny feels angry he writes lyrics for a song that represents his anger. Sonny was the perfect child in his father’s eyes. Sonny’s father wanted Sonny to become something more distinguished, than a jazz musician. Sonny followed his heart and became one anyway. The text implies that Sonny goes his own separate way from everyone else in his family; and that he is more passionate then prudent. Creole is the bass player that leads the jazz band of which Sonny is a member. This character is very unique because he gets to play the role of a fatherly figure. The purpose of the fatherly figure is to provide Sonny not only with guidance in his music but also with guidance in Sonny’s life. Creole tries hard to show to Sonnyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s brother that sometimes it is better to just let go even if it is difficult. The story progresses to when Sonny and Sonny’s brother are having a conversation about why Sonny chose to leave Harlem, New York. Sonny states that he left Harlem to get away from... Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald In James Baldwin’s story, Sonny’s Blues the author uses the main characters and subtle hints of racism to illustrate the theme. The theme simply stated is that after people grow up and go away from each other for a while that eventually people comeback to reunite with childhood friends and family. The story starts out with Sonny’s brother taking the subway, so that he can go to his teaching job at the high school. While teaching that day, he has this very uneasy feeling in his stomach. That very uneasy feeling in Sonny’s brother’s stomach is like a melting block of ice, similar to that cold, tingly, feeling somebody has all over his body. Sonny’s brother also is the narrator for the entire story. Then the story truly begins when, the author uses the literary technique of flashback to talk about how Sonny just got arrested for selling and using heroin. The story explains how Sonny uses his music to express how he feels. For example, if Sonny feels angry he writes lyrics for a song that represents his anger. Sonny was the perfect child in his father’s eyes. Sonny’s father wanted Sonny to become something more distinguished, than a jazz musician. Sonny followed his heart and became one anyway. The text implies that Sonny goes his own separate way from everyone else in his family; and that he is more passionate then prudent. Creole is the bass player that leads the jazz band of which Sonny is a member. This character is very unique because he gets to play the role of a fatherly figure. The purpose of the fatherly figure is to provide Sonny not only with guidance in his music but also with guidance in Sonny’s life. Creole tries hard to show to Sonnyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s brother that sometimes it is better to just let go even if it is difficult. The story progresses to when Sonny and Sonny’s brother are having a conversation about why Sonny chose to leave Harlem, New York. Sonny states that he left Harlem to get away from...

The Body Under the Bed - Urban Legends

The Body Under the Bed - Urban Legends Heres an example of the scary urban legend known as The Body Under the Bed as shared by a reader: A man and woman went to Las Vegas for their honeymoon, and checked into a suite at a hotel. When they got to their room they both detected a bad odor. The husband called down to the front desk and asked to speak to the manager. He explained that the room smelled very bad and they would like another suite. The manager apologized and told the man that they were all booked because of a convention. He offered to send them to a restaurant of their choice for lunch compliments of the hotel and said he was going to send a maid up to their room to clean and to try and get rid of the odor. After a nice lunch, the couple went back to their room. When they walked in they could both still smell the same odor. Again the husband called the front desk and told the manager that the room still smelled really bad. The manager told the man that they would try and find a suite at another hotel. He called every hotel on the strip, but every hotel was sold out because of the convention. The manager told the couple that they couldnt find them a room anywhere, but they would try and clean the room again. The couple wanted to see the sights and do a little gambling anyway, so they said they would give them two hours to clean and then they would be back. When the couple had left, the manager and all of housekeeping went to the room to try and find what was making the room smell so bad. They searched the entire room and found nothing, so the maids changed the sheets, changed the towels, took down the curtains and put new ones up, cleaned the carpet and cleaned the suite again using the strongest cleaning products they had. The couple came back two hours later to find the room still had a bad odor. The husband was so angry at this point, he decided to find whatever this smell was himself. So he started tearing the entire suite apart himself. As he pulled the top mattress off the box spring he found a dead body of a woman. Analysis All it takes is one dead body under the mattress to spoil your whole honeymoon. Befitting its Sin City reputation, Las Vegas has been the setting of some horrific urban legends (see The Kidney Snatchers if you dont know what I mean). What sets The Body in the Bed apart from the rest is how frequently incidents resembling the one described above have actually happened in real life - just never, to my knowledge, in Las Vegas! The closest encounter between fact and legend Ive been able to document took place in Atlantic City (another gambling mecca, naturally) in 1999. This account comes from the Bergen Record: The body of Saul Hernandez, 64, of Manhattan was found in Room 112 of the Burgundy Motor Inn after two German tourists slept overnight in the bed despite a rancid smell that prompted them to complain to the front desk.The couple told motel officials about the smell Wednesday night but stayed in the $36-a-night room anyway. On Thursday, they complained again and were given a new room while a motel housekeeper cleaned Room 112. In July 2003, a cleaning crew discovered a dead body stuffed under the mattress in a room at the Capri Motel in Kansas City, Missouri. This report was filed by KMBC-TV News: Police said that the man appeared to have been dead for some time, but the body went unnoticed until a guest staying the room could no longer tolerate the smell. Officers were called to the Capri Motel in the 1400 block of Independence Avenue around noon Sunday after cleaning crews made the grisly discovery.KMBCs Emily Aylward reported that the man who checked into the motel room a few days ago complained to management about the odor two times over the three days. He then checked out on Sunday because he could not tolerate the smell. In March 2010, Memphis police responded to a call from a local motel where employees had noticed a foul odor in one of the rooms. According to ABC Eyewitness News: On March 15th, investigators were called back to room 222 at the Budget Inn, where the body of Sony Millbrook was found under the bed. Police say she was found inside the metal box frame that sits directly on the floor after someone reported smelling a strange odor. The box springs and mattress fit into the top of the bed frame. Room 222, according to investigators, had been rented 5 times and cleaned many times by the hotel staff since the day Millbrook was reported missing.Homicide investigators say Millbrook appears to have been murdered. Theres more than one moral to these stories, to be sure, but the most disturbing of all is that urban legends do sometimes come true.​ Further reading: Isle Mainland Traveler Shared Room with Corpse. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1 August 1996.

The real Conscientious Objection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The real Conscientious Objection - Essay Example Every household is predominantly blessed with this â€Å"necessity† of life. From entertainment to important events, the popularity of television has grown inevitably beyond boundaries to such an extent that it has become a preference for people around the globe, making it more difficult to improve television standards in favor of the societies. Neil Postman, a renowned critic, has taken the much needed step to illuminate the disasters of this media in the form of his collection – â€Å"The Conscientious Objections†. True to its name, this book truly highlights numerous issues that burden the conscience. With respect to media, Postman intelligibly covers the minute analysis for news and commercials as a mode of communication. The appreciable element of Postman’s critique is the unbiased appreciation for the limitations of television commercials and news while determining the moral issues attached with it. The objections raised by Postman are numerous, all of vital importance, such as delivering incomplete and fabricated information. It is important to note that these are not same, but both do result in the seclusion of truth from people. Postman also highlighted the cultural changes caused by television evolving entire societies, however, these cultural manipulations do not stem from television itself but rather from the developments occurring around the world. Details are covered in the paper. The Real Conscientious Objection: The commercial television of the current era has negative impacts on the society in a number of ways. From obsessive television watching to being exposed to inappropriate information – the television has been accredited for the unhealthy attitudes developing in the individuals of our society. The analysis of ethicality of the current practices of concerned television authorities in the light of Neil Postman’s â€Å"Conscientious Objection† is discussed hereafter. The most important conscie ntious objection posed by television is the incompleteness and at times, fabrication of information projected by this medium. With regards to television commercials and news both, the projected idea of the subjects is more often insufficient to cover the actual object. This results in individuals carrying around a distorted and deceiving perception of the reality, believing it to be the truth. This hampers the intellect of these individuals in their personal and public decision making processes, incurring losses on themselves. Even though the case is similar for both news and commercials, â€Å"The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed on one-page of a newspaper. And the world cannot be understood in one page† (Postman 72). It is therefore needless to say that the news projected on television is rarely ever complete. Additionally, â€Å"Unless (people) also read newspapers and magazines, t elevision viewers are helpless to understand their world† (Postman 78). This implies the severity of this phenomenon, indicating the briefness of television broadcasts. Relying solely on television as the authentic source of information is an unwise practice on behalf of a major part of population. The case of television commercials is more drastic for its creative and delusional content. â€Å"Television commerci